Author: lakewooducc

Weekly Update 3/30

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!

Easter Ahead April 17!

The wonderful festival of Easter is just a few weeks away.  Please note there will be a change in the service schedule.  There will be two identical services at 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.  The congregation is invited to meet and visit out on the lawn between services.  Both services will be streamed on Facebook Live.  Please make plans to be a part of this glorious celebration!  Remember – come at 9 or 11.  

This Sunday, April 3 will be a time to explore giving and receiving.  The story of the woman anointing Jesus’ feet with oil reminds us that we are moving toward the end of the Lenten season.  Take a look at John 12:1-8.  

The first Sunday of the month is communion Sunday. The Communion offering will be received. This offering is used to help people in the church and the community with basic needs such as rent and utility assistance, bus passes, prescriptions, etc. There has been a heavy need for these funds. Please consider how you can help the community through this offering.

Each Sunday as the war in Ukraine continues, there will be sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, on the altar as a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainians. Last week the flowers were donated by Jim Andrews and Janet Blair. If you would like to bring sunflowers for the altar, please let Rev. Wells or the Church Office know.

The service will be in the sanctuary with the doors and windows open.

Join in the celebration on Sunday in person or on Facebook Live.  

Peace March Sunday

Many thanks to those who were able to participate in the peace march for Ukraine last Sunday:  Bill Parsons, Kay Rencken, Jeff Wells, Earl Waters, Bob Bell, Emily Bell, and Rev. Kim Wells.  The LUCC contingent was joined by Jay Johnson of Pass A Grille UCC.  The group walked from the Dali Museum to Straub Park.  There was many expressions of support from the community.  

Mask Policy at Church

For the past several weeks, there has been conversation at church about masking and updating the masking protocol at church.  The advisors and staff have had conversations.  The congregation has been invited to offer input.  There has been consideration of the issues at hand from many perspectives.  Many thanks to ALL who have contributed to the discussion.  Your input is valued.

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.

There is much to take into consideration and the leadership of the church is concerned with being safe and protecting those who are most vulnerable.  

These latest decisions regarding masking at church will be revisited as public health circumstances change.

If you would like to discuss this further, please speak with Advisors Malcolm Wells, Barbara Donohue, or Lucille Ruga. 

The Sunday morning service will continue to be streamed live on Facebook and posted at the church YouTube channel.

Lent – The Wildness of Mercy

Lent is a 40 day period of spiritual preparation for the celebration of Easter.  The time echoes Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness in preparation for his ministry.  The season of Lent is a time to re-turn your life to God/Divine Love/Spirit – however you conceive of what is of ultimate importance in shaping your reality.  

Traditionally, people give something up for Lent.  This is a spiritual discipline that functions on many levels.  It reminds us of all that we have.  It invites us to exert discipline.  By foregoing something we care about, it is all the more precious when we enjoy it once again.  It sets the season apart and keeps us mindful.  In recent years, people have begun taking something on for Lent.  Maybe a volunteer activity or service of some kind.  Again, this functions to set the season apart, to revisit the concept of sacrifice, to follow in the way of Jesus.  Are you giving some thought to what you will take on or give up for Lent?  We’ll ask about that in church the next couple of Sundays.

At LUCC for Lent, the theme for services and other reflections and activities will be ‘The Wildness of Mercy.’  There is a well-known hymn, “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy.”  With a typo, that easily becomes ‘There’s a Wildness in God’s Mercy.’  And sometimes mercy does seem pretty wild!  Themes involving nature will remind us of the wildness of Divine mercy and how blessed we are to be recipients of that mercy.  

In addition to Sunday morning worship and the weekly Labyrinth walks, there will be daily devotions posted to support you on your Lenten journey.  There will also be a couple of outings in nature to invite reflection and renewal.  Stay tuned for more details about those.  

In spite of covid and the many losses and changes we are experiencing, Lent is a wonderful season to remember that there is a wildness in God’s mercy!

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.

Sarasota Conference on Spirituality, Community & Social Change This Weekend

First Congregational United Church of Christ in Sarasota is hosting a conference exploring the ministry and message of Dr. Howard Thurman, a seminal figure of the civil rights movement, and a spiritual genius who transformed people who transformed the world.

The presentations take place Friday evening April 1 and Saturday April 2. CNN called Howard Thurman “one of the unacknowledged shapers of 20th century America” who blended contemplative spirituality with justice advocacy. He offered academic, moral, spiritual, and interfaith leadership at Howard University, Morehouse College and Boston University, and was a founding co-pastor of the Church for the Fellowship of All People in San Francisco.

Learn more about the thought and spirituality of Howard Thurman, especially related to suffering, non-violence and the Beloved Community, and his relationship to the Civil Rights Movement. Relate Thurman’s work to contemporary issues that we are facing.

The presenters are;

Dr. Luther E. Smith Jr. is Professor Emeritus at Candler School of Theology (Emory University, Atlanta, GA), and the author of Howard Thurman: The Mystic As Prophet; Intimacy and Mission; and editor and author of Howard Thurman: Essential Writings. Dr. Smith’s current research focuses on the writings and correspondence of Howard Thurman, advocacy on behalf of children, and a spirituality of hope. An ordained elder in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, he is one of the founders of the Interfaith Children’s Movement.

Dr. Shively T. J. Smith, teaches New Testament at Boston University School of Theology (Boston, MA), and is the author of Strangers to Family… Peter’s Invention of God’s Household. Offering Womanist and African American perspectives on the Bible, she is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and resident scholar at the historic Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, DC. She is a frequent commentator on the Thurman documentary, Backs against the Wall.

Rev. Wells is attending this conference. If you would like to carpool, please contact Kim at wells.kim.p@gmail.com or by phone.

For more information or to register, click here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sarasota-conference-on-spirituality- community-social-change-tickets-243686281227?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Florida Conference Offers Anti-Racism Justice Devotions for Holy Week

The Anti-Racism Ministry Team of the Florida Conference offers Holy
Week “Racial Justice Reflections 2022.” Rev. Mardie Chapman of LUCC is
part of this ministry Team.

Four Florida Conference pastors (Rev. Dr. Sheila Harvey Guillaume, Pastor, Union Congregational Church, West Palm Beach; Rev. Harvey Lockhart, Pastor, First Church of North Miami Congregational; Rev. Dr. Guillermo Marquez-Sterling, Associate Pastor, Pass-A-Grille Beach Community Church, St. Pete Beach; Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, Pastor, First United Church of Tampa) authored the reflections, which can be used for: personal, congregational, and worship use.

To access the devotions, click here:
https://files.constantcontact.com/c6c60b48701/d6fcbae3-d229-483d-98f7-
cc36056c006a.pdf

Eckerd College Program on Sea Level Rise

Author Jeff Goodell will present the lecture “The Water Will Come:  Building Campus Resilience to Sea Level Rise” Thursday March 31 at 7:00 p.m. in the James Center.  

Jeff Goodell is an award-winning investigative journalist and author. He has established himself as a leading voice on climate change. Goodell offers a vital perspective on how to stem the tide of environmental disaster and what’s at stake if we fail to act. Steeped in scientific research and on-the- ground reporting, his book The Water Will Come is written in the tradition of environmental classics like Silent Spring and The World Without Us.
 PLEASE NOTE: The wearing of face masks and social distancing will be observed.
Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Student Life

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/

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING OFFERING AHEAD

The United Church of Christ joins forces each year to receive the One Great Hour of Sharing offering.  This special offering helps with needs around the world.  When you read about a terrible weather event, flooding, drought, or other devastating situations, you can know that your dollars are at work through local religious communities to offer assistance.  Here’s a link to more information from the national UCC: https://www.ucc.org/love-remains-long-term-and-worldwide-through-one-great-hour-of-sharing/?inf_contact_key=0cfd65371d22f479bfede083a268824fcc0558ed5d4c28cbfab114022b1ec50d

Lakewood will be collecting this special offering on Palm Sunday April 10.  There are envelopes at church that can be used or indicate on your check or online donation OGHS.  This is an important way to love our neighbors and our enemies next door and around the world.  

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

A Warm Welcome

When you come to church, the entry hallway is now a warm inviting yellow.  The space has been transformed and is much more welcoming!  Many thanks to those responsible for this wonderful improvement in our church home:

Sally Purvis, Colleen Coughenour, Patti Cooksey, Claire Stiles, and Bert Lee

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: 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.

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

News from Operation Attack:  Making a Difference

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.

Holy Week Ahead

April 10 Palm Sunday 
The service begins outside.  Bring a palm branch if you can.

April 14 Maundy Thursday 
The Service of Tennebrae will be held at 7:00 p.m. remembering the Last Supper.

April 15 Good Friday 
The observance will begin at noon with a reading out loud of the gospel of Mark.  Those present will be invited to participate in the reading.  This will be followed by a time of meditation around the cross and communion.  

April 17 Easter Sunday 
There will be 2 services at 9 and 11 with refreshments and fellowship in between the services outside on the church lawn.  

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

Michelle Cloutier

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

Lenten Devotion 3/30/2022

Devotion Twenty Nine
Wednesday 3.30.22

This past Sunday, the story of the Prodigal Son, or Prodigal Father, was read in church. Like any good parable there are many meanings in the story. It keeps on giving.

One thing we might see in the story is the character of God expressed through the father in the story. First, the father gives the son the freedom to make mistakes. We know about that. Then when the son returns, the father is ready – already searching the horizon, expectant, faithful, not giving up. Upon seeing the son from far off, we are told that the father runs to meet the son, throws his arms around him, and kisses him. The son pours out his confession and the father makes no immediate reply. He is busy with the servants arranging for a party.

The way God is portrayed in this story seems quite different than the portrayal of God in many of the stories of the Hebrew Bible. Yes, God gives the people the freedom to go astray and they do. But there are punishments. There are wars. There are hostile take overs. There is the exile. There is servitude. There is ranting and raving from God.

We don’t see this side of the character of God in the parable of the Prodigal or really from Jesus at all in the gospels. So, what has happened? Has God changed? We are told in the Bible that God never changes. Here are a few examples:

Psalm 102:25-27
Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
They will perish, but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away;
but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Malachi 3:6
For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished.

James 1:17
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the God of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

So, if God does not change, why do we get such a different portrayal of God in the Prodigal story compared with the Hebrew Testament? I think part of why we see a different portrayal of God is because humanity is developing and changing and evolving. God may not be not changing but we are.

Many things have happened over the last 2000 years of human experience. And we know that there will be much more change over the next 2000 years and beyond. So we should expect our understanding of God, our concepts of God, and our images of God, to continue to change and evolve. We should be looking for new ways to talk about and express our experiences of the ever present power of Divine Love in our lives and in the world. As science brings us greater knowledge and understanding of the world and of life as well as greater awareness of the mysteries of Creation, our expressions of faith should be changing and growing. As our knowledge of our species increases and we come to know ourselves better, there should be new ways that we engage with the reality of God.

“God” may never change, but in the wildness of mercy, let’s hope that we do not stop changing; that we continue to become more generous, loving, compassionate, peaceable, and just. More like the ever emerging image of God.

Prayer
Looking back on your life, do you notice how your ideas and impressions of God have changed? Can you see how your faith has changed and adapted over the years? May we foster our growing and changing faith as it brings us ever closer to God and to one another. Amen.

Lenten Devotion 3/29/2022

Devotion Twenty Eight
March 3.29.22

WITH FAITH ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE – BUT NOT EASY

I recently saw that message on a church sign. I like it. It reminds me that we do usually want faith to be easy. Maybe we want God or Jesus to do the heavy lifting. We just have to trust that it will get taken care of. If things don’t come to fruition the way we hope, then it must be because God or Jesus didn’t want that for us. It’s easy to think that way but I don’t think that is how faith actually works.

I think we have to do our part. And it is often difficult and challenging. And the more we trust our faith, the deeper we are called to go. And this can lead us quite a distance from where we thought we were or wanted to be.

One of the most important things we are called to do when we live out our faith is to give up control. And that’s a challenge in and of itself. Faith involves letting go of the outcome of a situation. Doing the right thing regardless of how it may turn out. Faith involves giving up what we thought we wanted and following the way of Jesus which may result in a better outcome though we may not see it that way for a long time. Faith involves letting go of our time line. Remember Abraham and Sarah! It may involve adjusting our financial plans. I remember some years ago someone from the church postponing going on a cruise so they could make an additional financial gift to the church. Faith may
involve putting ourselves at odds with people close to us. Faith may involve planting seeds that we may never see bear fruit. The seeds may bear fruit, we just may never know about it. Faith involves giving up control over ‘concrete, measurable’ results. Something our society craves. It is the measurement for the validity and value of everything! But not faith!

Just the letting go of our standards and expectations can be a challenge before you even get to what we may be called to actually do when we live by faith! But oh how amazing and glorious things may be when we follow the way of Jesus. There are surprises and gifts and blessings we could not have imagined. Things happening, unfolding, changing, healing that we could never have anticipated. Abundance and assurance that was never expected. People and projects that provide purpose and meaning. We never could have known. The wildness of that mercy.

Yup. With faith all things are possible but not easy.

Prayer
Take a few moments to reflect thinking about how your faith has impacted your life. What do you see?

May we let go of our desire to have things easy. May we embrace the unknown. Give in to trust. And see where the way of Jesus leads. The way may be hard but the views will be glorious! Amen.

Lenten Devotion 3/28/2022

Devotion Twenty Seven
Monday 3.28.22

We say ‘they’? I recently heard that there is a movement within Christianity to use the pronoun ‘they’ not only for groups of more than one and for transgender people, but, I learned, for God.

I have been thinking about this. We know that there are problems with using male pronouns for God. It undergirds and reinforces a patriarchal social model that treats women and others as less than. There are problems with using female pronouns for God. That excludes others, as well, though it may lean into the idea of more balance.

Some people have been adamant that the concept of God has no actual biological gender. God is neither gender. God is genderless. Then there are those who see God as both genders, incorporating the diversity of humanity. It has been accepted in many expressions of the church that using male pronouns for God is just linguistically convenient.

There are others, myself included, that want to see moving away from the anthropomorphizing of God. We want to move away from talking about God as a super human. So we may prefer no pronoun for God.

In the midst of all of these different perspectives on the pronoun and gender issue, apparently, the use of ‘they’ for God is emerging.

Well, what about ‘they’? It eliminates the use of exclusively masculine pronouns for God. It eliminates the use of feminine pronouns for God. It really eliminates a gender orientation for God because ‘they’ can be male and female and neither. We might use ‘they’ for a group of cars or trees. No gender implied. So ‘they’ incorporates all genders AND no gender.

It is also the pronoun preferred by people who are transgender, for some of the very reasons cited. I like the idea that a pronoun used for God is also associated with the transgender community. It connects people who are transgender more closely with the image of God.

‘They’ also moves away from the anthropomorphizing of God. ‘They’ can include animals and plants and mountains and seas. It can more closely associate God with all of creation not just humanity.

And there is another reason I like ‘they.” It’s Biblical. God is referred to in the plural in Genesis 1:26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness. . .’” And that is what ‘they’ did according to the story!

Can we say ‘they’? As a pronoun for God? It is something to think about. It is something to try out. Something to experiment with. Is it something we can get used to? I think it is worth finding out! So don’t be surprised in church if we say ‘they’!

Lent is a time to expand our vision, to see more of the landscape around us and within us. I think that ‘they’ is a way for us to expand our concept of God and the community of life. Let us embrace the wildness of mercy and try saying ‘they.’

Prayer
We know that we can never fully understand God, the concept, the word, the force. There is always mystery. Ancient teachings guide and inform us so that we can enter new territory in the geography of the spirit. Let us be willing to explore and experiment so that we may more fully experience the embrace of Love and our oneness with all of Creation. Amen.

Lenten Devotion 3/27/2022

Devotion 26
Sunday 3.27.22

I did not grow up with gardening. We always lived in a single family home with a yard but we really didn’t garden – flowers or food. My parents both grew up in apartments in the Bronx, NY so they didn’t have experience with gardening. My grandmother lived with us when I was growing up. She was from a small agricultural village in Bavaria, Germany. She always grew rose bushes and tomatoes. She did things with eggshells and coffee grounds. But I simply was not familiar with gardening.

Now, as an adult, I have two plots at the Azalea Community Gardens near our house. I took up gardening over 10 years ago because I wanted our kids to know where food came from. They were older by then, but I thought it was never too late. [One son now actually works on a farm!] What I discovered is that I actually enjoy gardening. We have grown peppers and eggplant and watermelon and arugula and edamame and beans and sweet potatoes and beets and Egyptian spinach and many other things depending on the year. I like keeping an eye on things in the garden. I like going up there to water. I like chitchatting with the other gardeners; hearing about what is going on in the neighborhood. It’s a good, healthy, outdoor hobby.

So, this past January, my husband Jeff and I both got covid at the same time from our grandsons. As these things go, you don’t have the chance to plan and stock up on certain items or get certain errands out of the way. No prep time. No ‘storm warning.’ We ended up being on what I call ‘house arrest’ for 2 weeks. Friends and people from church were offering to help out. Do a grocery store run for us. Things like that. But as it turned out, we had plenty of food on hand and we had lots of produce to eat from the garden! We had cauliflower, broccoli, peas, kale, Swiss chard, onions, tomatoes, hot peppers, lettuce, and lemongrass for tea. And we had parsley, mint, rosemary, and other herbs for flavoring. So we actually had plenty of food.

To me, the garden has always been a hobby. For fun. I have never really considered it a significant source of food. But during our bout with covid the garden actually sustained us when we could not go to the store. We had plenty of produce!

I think church can be like this. Kind of like a hobby. We go. We like the music. We like to see the people. We like the enrichment and inspiration. And that is all well and good.

But then we hit a rough patch. Someone close to us dies. A loved one enters a treatment facility for addiction. Russia invades Ukraine. We get a dreaded diagnosis. Our job is eliminated and we lose our needed income. There’s a pandemic and a lockdown. Life closes in on us.

And there is the church. No longer a ‘hobby’ for enrichment, but our anchor, our shelter, our refuge, our lifeline, sustaining us through a storm. Holding us up when we could easily be bowled over. Bringing us through something that could have taken us down. Supporting us with light and hope when things look really bleak.

As some point, we all find ourselves struggling, trying to cope, finding life a challenge. In the wildness of mercy, the church is here to sustain us and uplift us and carry us through!

NOTE:
If you are reading this and you are not part of a church, I highly encourage you to consider finding a congregation that suits you. You might not think being part of a church is important right now, but the day will come when you are grateful for it! And that church just might need you.

Prayer:
Imagine the produce section of the grocery store filled with nutritious, delicious, colorful fruits and vegetables for you to enjoy. See the amazing variety of apples and greens and berries. All manner of things! Give thanks for the abundance that we have access to so that we can feed our bodies. Now think of the church and all that it provides. Meaningful relationships, music, moral grounding, spiritual inspiration, purpose, transformation of individuals and the world, Jesus, the reality of God, visions of justice and peace. And so much more! Also an amazing abundance to nourish and sustain the spirit. In good times and in bad. Give thanks for the church and the amazing wildness of mercy! Amen.