The One City Chorus (70 progressive voices of sundry faiths) presents a free concert at the Lakewood United Methodist Church (5995 MLK Drive South) Sunday, May 1st, at 4:00 PM. A freewill offering will be collected to help the People of Ukraine.
Weekly Update: If you are involved with an activity or event that you would like to share with the LUCC family, please send the information to the Church Office by Wednesday. Please provide the information in paragraph form with pertinent details and links. THANK YOU!
This Sunday: So, now that Easter is over, what happens next? Rev. Victoria Long will talk about that this Sunday.
If you would like to provide sunflowers for Sunday worship, please contact the Church Office. 727-867-7961 or email at lakewooducc@gmail.com
The service will be streamed live on Facebook.
Masks are required at in-person worship.
Holy Week Observances
April 14 Maundy Thursday
The Maundy Thursday service was a moving remembrance of the end of Jesus’ life. The dimming natural light in the sanctuary brought to heart the significance of the message of the evening. Many thanks to all who participated!
April 15 Good Friday
The remembrance on Good Friday involved reading the Gospel of Mark out loud. Those present took turns reading. There was a time of reflection. Then there was time to write an obituary of Jesus and to share if desired. The service ended with communion. Many thanks to those who were part of this moving afternoon.
April 17 Easter Sunday
The flowers were glorious and there were many alleluias! It was truly a holy day of blessings to all!
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
On Palm Sunday LUCC received this special offering that is taken by churches throughout the UCC as well as other communions in the United States.
This offering helps people in the US and around the world in their hour of need – natural disaster, drought, war, famine, and other perils. The gifts are shared with partner churches around the world to offer the help that is needed. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of the congregation $467 was received for this tangible offering of love!
From Hilton about Singing in Church
It is nice to be singing again. It’s interesting: I can hear how people’s voices are unaccustomed to singing after almost 3 years of not singing! I hope people aren’t straining themselves. They can do actual physical damage to themselves if they sing incorrectly or strain, including nodes on their vocal chords. Maybe it would be best to encourage people to sing, but to take it easy and not strain, to be aware at all times of how it feels and to stop if there’s tension or roughness, soreness, or discomfort. Things are delicate in there. Even too much talking can have injurious effects . . . it happens a lot to actors and politicians (probably preachers too).
Earth Day Event
This Saturday, April 23 from 9:30am – 11:00am, the Creation Justice Task Force is holding a small but meaningful property cleanup event at Lakewood United Church of Christ to honor Earth Day 2022 which is celebrated worldwide on Friday, April 22nd .
We will meet near the Labyrinth under the trees near our Memorial Garden to rake and tidy up the labyrinth walk. Then we will fan out onto our property and collect any garbage or debris from trees and plants that litter the ground. We can build a small pile of fallen branches, palm fronds, and other dead plant life for pick up at a later time, or transport it to the 26th Street South recycling center. Garbage can be put in our dumpster.
Being outdoors together celebrating Mother Earth and her beauty and simultaneously tidying up our lovely property can be a wonderful way to honor Earth Day.
We hope you can join us even for a short while. Wear work clothes, bring work gloves, a rake if you have one, a plastic bag, a water bottle, sun screen, and a hat! Snacks will be provided!
Hope to see you Saturday April 23 at Lakewood United Church of Christ!
Happy Earth Day to all!
Pastor Away
Kim Wells will be away from Wednesday 4/20-Thursday 4/28 to attend the memorial service for Betty Wells, Jeff’s mother. Rev. Victoria Long will be preaching Sunday 4/24. If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey. cooksepa@eckerd.edu
Mask Policy at Church
After careful consideration of all of the information that has been received and the views that have been expressed, the advisors and church staff have decided that masks will remain mandatory at church on Sunday mornings and that congregational singing will resume.
The decision has also been made that at the church during the week, masks will be optional depending on the sensibilities of those who are present.
The Sunday morning service will continue to be streamed live on Facebook and posted at the church YouTube channel.
OWL Training Offered
The United Church of Christ and the Unitarian Universalist Church have worked together to create a comprehensive curriculum on sexuality for all ages – preschool through adult – called Our Whole Lives (OWL). To offer this curriculum, presenters must be trained.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Clearwater is offering facilitator training for grades 7-12 the weekend of April 29-May 1.
This training could be used in a church setting as well as other settings involving young people. If you would like more information about the training for yourself or someone else, please contact Meredith Olson at learning@uuc.org or 727-531-7704 ext. 205.
There is a cost involved for the training. If you are interested in the training, LUCC can help to offset the cost.
USF St. Pete Program: Preventing Dementia
The church has been contacted by USF about a research study called “Preventing Alzheimer’s with Cognitive Training (PACT)”. They are currently enrolling older adult participants at the USF St. Petersburg campus to participate in the program. They are looking for adults 65 years and older to participate in this important study. For more information, click here. https://lakewooducc.org/2022/03/25/usf-st-pete-program-preventing-dementia/
How to Help Ukraine
The local Ukrainian Catholic Church is sponsoring humanitarian aid. There are more details at their website: https://www.epiphanyukrch.com
The national United Church of Christ is also offering ways to support the Ukrainian people. Here’s a link: https://p2a.co/nGEvYVL?inf_contact_key=ad8269e3f149ec1ef1efd03de1e233aacc0558ed5d4c28cbfab114022b1ec50d
Toiletries for Celebrate Outreach
Celebrate Outreach is a local ministry with people who are living without shelter in St. Petersburg. An average of 135 people are served each week. LUCC was asked to collect toiletries to be distributed to the community at the meals that are provided on Saturday and Sundays each week. This collection will be ongoing in addition to the food being collected for Operation Attack. All are invited to donate the following items:
Celebration Outreach has an ongoing need for men’s and women’s underwear.
Men sizes 30, 32,34
Women’s sizes 5,6, 7,8.
Also in high demand are socks of all kinds /sizes for both men & women.
Other needed items are Deodorant & disposable razors.
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bar soap, wash cloths, deodorant, feminine hygiene items, travel size creams, shampoo, body wash, individual packets of Kleenex, hand wipes, toilet tissue, and paper towels are always needed as well.
Many thanks to Janet Blair and Jim Andrews for taking the donations to Celebrate Outreach.
Inkjet Recycling
The church is continuing to collect used inkjet cartridges. They are sent to a recycler and the church receives payment for the cartridges provided. So, don’t throw out your cartridges. Bring them to church. Not only do they get recycled but they provide income for the ministry of the church.
Guided Labyrinth Walks
The guided walk is held weekly on Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. This provides an opportunity to be aware and deepen your spiritual journey. If it is raining, the walk is held on Thursday at 9:00 a.m.
Also, the readings and prayers used on Wednesdays at the guided walk are put in the mailbox by the labyrinth each week for use during the week.
The labyrinth is on the church grounds near the southwest corner of the church property. It is available for use at all times.
Operation Attack Update
OA needs donations of cereal/oatmeal, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, soup, and vegetables. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.
Being Covid Safe and In-Person Worship
Please stay home if you are not feeling well.
Please wear a mask while in the church building. While most people have been vaccinated, this helps visitors to feel safe.
Additional masks will be available at church to use as needed.
Two hand sanitizing stations are available for use by worshippers.
There is well-ventilated, physically distanced indoor seating in the sanctuary.
Please know that your safety is of primary consideration!
Safe childcare is provided.
Sundays
Look for the bulletin posted on the church website on Friday: https://lakewooducc.org/category/bulletins/
Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 10:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC
Or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakewoodUCC/videos
Instructions for how to access Facebook Live: For additional assistance, please contact the church office.
Here are some instructions to watch our Sunday services live through Facebook:
Use the following link to visit our homepage: https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC/
On Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. please use the link above to visit our homepage. There, after using the link, you will see a section labeled “Happening Now”. This is our Livestream of the Sunday Service.
To watch the live stream, locate and click the “watch video” button in the lower right corner of the screen.
If the link above is not working, there is also a link to our Facebook page on our website. Please try that link located on the Home page of our website.
PLEASE NOTE:
With the cooler temperatures, we will resume opening the doors and windows for morning worship as we continue efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Sunday services are being held at 10:30 a.m. Masks are required. There is physical distancing. Childcare is provided.
You can also join in on Facebook Live at 10:30. Please see the instructions below.
USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS:
For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.
You can stream Hilton’s music and videos for free at hiltonkeanjones.com/look-listen/ as well as purchase his CDs and digital albums there.
April Birthdays: Zachery Blair-Andrews 4/16, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.
Circle of Concern:
Joyce Lee
Christopher and Dana
William Owen-Cowan
Jen Degroot
Carolyn Moore
Ann Quinn is now under Hospice care
Maggie Brizendine
Janet Hall
Yoko Nogami walking the Appalachian Trail
All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers
Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff
Recent Posts:
On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga
Date: April 17, 2022 Easter Sunday
Scripture Lesson: John 20:1-18
Sermon: Turning
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, we have all come to know that sunflowers are the national flower of Ukraine. We have had sunflowers on the altar every Sunday since the war began. Yet sunflowers are native to North America where sunflower seeds were roasted eaten as a snack by the Original Peoples. The seeds were also made into flour and used in baking. The oil was used for cooking and as a sunscreen. And the pigments of the seeds were used for dyes. The sunflower was brought to Europe in the 1500’s but it was used mainly for ornamental and medicinal purposes.
Surprisingly, the spread of the cultivation of sunflowers in Ukraine is related to, of all things, Lent. In the early 1700s, the Russian Orthodox Church banned the use of butter, lard, olive oil and other cooking oils for the 40 days of Lent. But oil from the sunflower was not forbidden. So farmers began to cultivate sunflowers to meet this need in Lent created by the dictates of the orthodox church. [ https://www.ocregister.com/2022/03/26/how-the-north-american-sunflower- became-ukraines-national-flower/ ]
The sunflower continues to be cultivated today in Ukraine though the Lenten restrictions are no longer as rigorously observed. We know the delights of sunflower seeds as a snack and we are familiar with cooking with sunflower oil.
Another thing that is very interesting about the sunflower is that it is heliotropic. As the flowers emerge, they move throughout the day to maintain direct orientation to the light of the sun. So, in the morning when the sun comes up, the flowers face to the east and as the day goes on they turn and end the day facing west. During the night, the flowers return to an eastern orientation to be prepared for the morning sun. This heliotropic turning is necessary for the growth, health, and well-being of the sunflower.
This morning we heard about another turning that is also significant. We are told of Mary of Magdala coming to the tomb of Jesus in the murky darkness of dawn. She has come out of devotion to her dear friend and teacher. She has come out of her desperate grief after his gruesome death. She has come out of her utter disbelief at what has happened.
It’s interesting to note that in the gospel of John, Mary of Magdala is not mentioned until the last chapters of the gospel. She is at the cross and at the tomb. We are told nothing else about her in that gospel. Probably nothing is said because everything was already known by those for whom the gospel was originally written. It might be something like mentioning Einstein today. You just use the name, Einstein, and people know who this is and of his importance. So, in John, we are told of Mary of Magdala going to the tomb. People knew who she was, part of Jesus’ inner circle, one of his closest followers, a disciple.
So Mary, because she was so close to Jesus, is one of those who is most distraught about his death. And she goes to the tomb. And her first shock is that Jesus’ body is not in the tomb. It appears to have been taken away. Stolen? Mary goes and tells two other disciples what she has seen at the tomb. They come to the tomb and verify what Mary has said. The body is not in the tomb. Did they not believe her? Have they insulted her intelligence and judgment? Did they not trust her? In any case, they had to see for themselves. Then, we are told that the two disciples turn and go home.
But Mary stays. Weeping. How could a situation so bad have gotten worse? She peers into the tomb again and now there are two figures dressed in white. They
address her: Why are you weeping? Where to begin? She starts with the immediate situation. Jesus’ body has been taken away. He is not resting in peace. First he was brutally killed and now the dignity of death has been violated. That is why she is weeping. And so much more. The loss of her anchor. Her guide. Her inspiration. Her window to a new world. Shattered.
Now comes the turning. We are told that Mary turns. And encounters another presence who addresses her by name. And she realizes that she is in the presence of Jesus the Christ. She has turned, once again, to Christ Jesus. Who is there. Present. Waiting. Creating a shift in her reality. Opening a new future.
The other two disciples turned, and went home. Mary stayed, and turned to Jesus. And her world was transformed. Made new. Her whole reality shifted.
And that is the invitation of Easter. To turn to Jesus the Christ. To turn and become aware of the Good News that is waiting for us. With the power to shift our reality. Beckoning us into the reality of God. Calling us by name. Into a reality that is not controlled by fear, or violence, or greed for money or power. But into a reality that is defined by love. Love that is stronger than death itself.
In the crucifixion, humanity has done its worst. Sunk as low as it can go. But it cannot kill love. Love prevails. Present. Powerful. Waiting. Welcoming. And we are here to celebrate the triumph of love over all the forces of death and destruction that can be mustered.
At Easter, we celebrate our turning to the way of Jesus. We embrace the reality of God. Where no one is forgotten. No one is left out. Each and every life is beloved. The least and the last are first. We turn to the good news of the gospel. And our reality shifts away from the death dealing of violent systems and institutions that take life. Away from the selfishness and self absorption that drain life and creativity and joy. Away from the greed of the hamster wheel economy where we run and run and run and never get anywhere. Away from the ravages of the pandemics of racism, ecocide, and consumerism.
We come as we are and turn to the way of Jesus, our teacher, our guide, our Savior. Who shows us compassion and shifts our reality.
Whatever we thought were the parameters or limits or categories, forget it. It’s a new world. Whatever is weighing us down, however desperate we’ve become, whatever is breaking our hearts, whatever is sapping our souls, we like Mary, turn to the way of Jesus Christ, the way of love that is stronger than death.
Today we celebrate our capacity to be like the heliotropic sunflower turning in the course of our days, keeping our orientation fixed on the way of Christ Jesus. Our sun. The source of our growth, health, and well-being as individuals, as communities, as a species, and as part of the community of life. Happy Easter! Amen.
A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.
Devotion Forty Eight
Monday April 18, 2022
It’s the day after Easter. There might be leftovers to eat. Maybe there is still part of a chocolate bunny tucked in crunched tin foil waiting to be enjoyed. Maybe there are still some spring flowers in a vase on the table.
It’s the day after Easter. There are memories of the beautiful morning in church yesterday and in years past. Maybe you were at church or maybe you were there virtually. Are the alleluias still ringing in your ears?
It’s the day after Easter. But that’s the thing about Easter. It’s not just about a holy day. A celebration. An observance. Easter is about embracing a different reality. A reality where you color outside the lines. Where you go beyond the edges. Where the limits no longer apply especially when it comes to love.
It’s the day after Easter. And because of Easter, it is a new day. Contemporary hymn writers Richard Avery and Don Marsh wrote an after Easter hymn with the refrain:
Ev’ry morning is Easter morning from now on!
Ev’ry day’s resurrection day, the past is over and gone!
It’s the day after Easter. Resurrection day. Embrace the
possibility!
Prayer
It’s easy to have a beautiful Easter celebration and then go back to ‘business as usual.’ But Easter beckons us to see new possibilities each and every day in ourselves, in those around us, and in the world. May today be different for us because of Easter. May we be different today because of Easter. Amen.
Devotion Forty Seven
Sunday April 17, 2022 Easter
I had an uncle who was a German Lutheran and his adult kids became pentecostal. Uncle Bill would talk about seeing his kids: “Well, when we see them, we spend the first 5-10 minutes with the PTLing.” PTLing? Praise The Lord – ing. Uncle Bill was not a PTLer. A steady, faithful churchgoer, yes. But not a PTLer.
To me on Easter, we are all PTLers. Alleluia! Or Hallelujah! It means Praise the Lord. Finally after these long Lenten weeks of avoiding the banned syllables, we can say it – Hallelujah! We will say it and sing it over and over this Easter Sunday in church. Alleluia! We can finally release our pent up praise, joy, and thanks. Hallelujah!
Because whatever we have been going through, whatever has made our hearts heavy, whatever stresses we are dealing with, whatever griefs sadden us, it is Easter. What seems impossible has become possible. With God all things are possible! Not only will we make it through, but in God all things can be made to work together for good. Alleluia!
So, no restraints on PTLing today. Let your hallelujahs loose!
Prayer
For love beyond our wildest imaginings, alleluia! Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 