Category: Posts

Weekly Update 8/11

Service changes ahead

The advisors discussed the covid situation, the church service schedule, and the FaceBook Live offerings.   They have received input from a number of people in the congregation.  Many thanks to all who weighed in!  

The church will continue to have covid safe in person worship at 9:30 a.m. for the rest of August.  Covid precautions include  wearing masks and physical distancing.  

The church will continue to offer the Facebook Live option on Sunday mornings with the bulletin posted on the website so that virtual participants can follow along.  

The first Sunday of September, the service will be at a NEW TIME.  Services will begin at 10:30 a.m.  Masks and distancing will remain in place.  

Please do what feels safest and most comfortable for you.  If the church can be of assistance, please contact the church office. 

Sundays

 The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.

Childcare provided.

This Sunday Rev. Victoria Long will be preaching and leading worship with Colleen Coughenour as liturgist.  This week insights about worship come from Paul.  See Ephesians 5:15-20. 

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

Or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakewoodUCC/videos

Book Talk Schedule

Book Talk is a monthly opportunity to enjoy discussing books!  Participants hear about what others are reading and share about what they have been reading.  It’s very interesting and a chance to get to know people better, even people you already know well!

The next Book Talk will be Thursday Sept. 16 at 6:30 on Zoom.  Look for the link the week before.  There will be no Book Talk in August.

Rev. Wells on Vacation

Rev. Wells will be on vacation from August 9-21.  On Sunday Aug. 15, she will be in Burlington, MA to baptize her two grandsons, Soren and Emerson, an occasion for much joy and celebration!If pastoral care is  needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu or the Church Office 727-867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com.

Tree Mapping – Tree Planting on the Church Grounds

SAVE THE DATE:  August 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.

The Urban Forestry Committee of the City of St. Petersburg is sponsoring a tree mapping event on the church grounds on Sunday Aug. 29 at 10:30 following worship.  This event will involve a process for mapping the trees currently on the church property and developing a plan to add more trees to the church grounds.

 The all volunteer Urban Forestry Committee includes a landscape architect, a certified arborist, and state and county master naturalists.  

Members and friends of the church are needed to help with the tree mapping.  So, plan to stay after worship on Sunday Aug. 29 to be part of this exciting initiative to ‘green’ the church grounds.  All are welcome!  

“WHO WILL SPEAK FOR THE TREES?” A RESOLUTION ON THE RIGHTS OF NATURE

Jul 19, 2021

Resolution as Adopted by the United Church of Christ General Synod 33 UCC became the first mainline Protestant denomination to affirm and declare that nature has rights. The global movement for the rights of nature has become a significant force over the last 15 years with a number of countries and indigenous leaders enacting laws and supporting this philosophy. This resolution urges all UCC church to take “intentional actions” including becoming a Creation Justice Church, a designation that we have already attained!

For Christians, affirming the rights of nature is especially significant because it is a central part of decolonizing our faith. Too often, misguided conceptions of “dominion” over nature have gone hand-in-hand with a conquer and plunder ethos that treats nature as something to own and exploit. At its heart, the rights of nature movement supersedes such world-views with both an affirmation of our interconnectedness with nature and a recognition that the rest of nature inherently deserves to flourish and thrive. Truly caring for God’s creation requires this fundamental outlook. Let’s celebrate this critical advancement in our faith tradition.

Summary is adapted by Claire Stiles from article by Rev. Brooks Berndt,
UCC Minister for Environmental Justice
UCC Pollinator Newsletter – July 22 2021

Further articles on the passing of the resolution can be found here and here. One can also read the resolution in its entirety. We urge you to subscribe to The Pollinator.

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.

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.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking.  Please consider wearing two masks to church.  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.

Immigration Action Item: THOUSANDS of Dreamers at risk of deportation! 

Severe processing delays are keeping THOUSANDS of DACA immigrants at risk of deportation and unemployment! As of March 31, USCIS had a backlog of more than 55,000 pending first-time DACA applications, in addition to over 44,000 renewal requests. United We Dream – an organization led by Dreamers – is calling on President Biden to clear the backlog NOW. 

Please sign the United We Dream’s petition calling on Biden and USCIS to clear the DACA backlog and process applications and renewals in a timely manner.
Click here:  https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/end-the-daca-backlog/

Operation Attack Update

Many thanks to Ian Blair-Catala who has been connecting the church with Operation Attack for the last 4 years.  Ian is now moving on to attend USF in Tampa.  Ian’s brother, Owen, will be taking over as the church’s Operation Attack coordinator.  Owen will be sharing what food items are needed as well as opportunities to volunteer.  Operation Attack is an ecumenical food pantry that has been serving the area since the 1960’s.  It is located at Lakeview Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg.  With gratitude to Ian, the church welcome’s Owen to this important role serving those in need in the community.  

OA also still needs Donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese.

Spiritual Direction Offered by LUCC Clergy Member.

In these troubled times, it is important to find ways to tend to our spiritual lives. In the Christian tradition, Spiritual Direction is one of the ways of paying attention to the spirit in our lives. A Spiritual Director is someone to talk with about what is going on in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God however we may conceive of God.

Rev. Sally Purvis, Ph.D., a member of LUCC, is a retired clergy person with training and experience in Spiritual Direction. She is offering her services as a Spiritual Director to the community. The sessions would be held on Zoom and there is no fee to be paid. Church leaders are pleased to have the ministry of the church expand in this way.

Spiritual Direction with Sally is open to anyone, not just the congregation. And it is offered to everyone whatever their spiritual or religious background or affiliation or lack thereof. Sessions are generally held once every three weeks. Spiritual Direction is not a mode of therapy. It is a process for understanding and deepening your relationship with God/Spirit in ways that are authentic and life-giving.

Sally was trained by Henri Nouwen, a noted spiritual guide of the 20th century, and did Spiritual Direction as part of her professional ministry before retiring in 2015.

If you would like to explore Spiritual Direction with Sally, please contact her at
sallybpurvis@icloud.com or contact the church (867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com ).

The church is very grateful to Sally for offering this avenue of support to the congregation and the community.

USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS:

For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.

August Birthdays: Barbara Donohue 8/4, Mardie Chapman 8/7, Claire Stiles 8/11, Kay Rencken 8/13, Vita Uth 8/14, Dana Cosper 8/22, James Waterman 8/23, and Joanne Reid 8/28. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Family of Ralph Schubert

Bill Parsons

Dave Radens

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

All those suffering from COVID-19.

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday-Friday 9:30-noon. 

Recent Posts:

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 Tuesday since the Update usually is sent out on Wednesday.

Bulletin for 8.8.21

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

GATHERING MUSIC

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                  Sherry Santana, liturgist

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 20th century

PRELUDE                   

CALL TO WORSHIP

May we open wide the windows of our spirits,

So that we may be filled with light.

May we open wide the doors of our hearts,

So that we may be filled with Divine Love.  

MUSICAL REFLECTION

SCRIPTURE READING

Let us prepare ourselves for the word of God as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scripture.

Our hearts and minds are open.

Matthew 15:21-28

For the word of God in scripture, for the word of God  among us, for the word of God within us.

Thanks be to God.

CONTEMPORARY READING – You do not have to be good    Mary Oliver

SERMON                    Of Dogs and Crumbs             Rev. Kim P. Wells

UNISON READING-Thousand Red Birds                           Phil Porter

We clutch our tiny bits of faith in tight fists

         shoved firmly in our pockets.

We clutch it suspiciously, so unwilling to let it go —

         we don’t want to lose it.

We clutch it fearing that once it is spent,

         we will be without hope,

         cast adrift, out of luck.

Help us loosen our grip.

Help us to pull our hands out of our pockets.

Help us to uncurl fingers stiffened over time.

to grow,

to shimmer,

to pulse,

to explode into the air

like a thousand red birds.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE               

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal is to:

  • Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives & in our world.
  • Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people.
  • Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.

MORNING OFFERING

Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar.

Offertory      

Prayer of Dedication           Modern Prayer from Latin America

O God, to those who have hunger give bread.

And to those who have bread give the hunger for justice.  Amen.

PREPARATION FOR PRAYER

You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar.  Please observe physical distancing.

MORNING PRAYER-SAVIOR’S PRAYER

Eternal Spirit, Earth Maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,

Source of all that is and that ever shall be,

Father and Mother of all people, Loving God in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!

The way of your justice be followed by all peoples of the world!

Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!

Your commonwealth of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth!

With the bread that we need for today, feed us.

In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.      

In times of temptation and testing, strengthen us.

From trials too great to endure, spare us.

From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever.       Amen.

* BENEDICTION (unison)       based on a prayer by Mary Zimmer

Bless the quick-witted, assertive woman in each of us who trembles even as she dares.  May our spirits be open to her strength.  May we be infused us with the power of her love. Amen.  

*POSTLUDE       

For the safety and comfort of all, please wear a mask. Thank you!

Circle of Concern:  The family and friends of Ralph Schubert, Earl Waters, Bill Parsons, Dave Radens, Richard Wiggins and family, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall

Announcements

Facebook Live The 9:30 a.m. service is being streamed on Facebook Live.

Advisors Meeting Sunday The advisors will meet at 11:15 on Sunday on Zoom.  One of the concerns to be addressed is the safety of in person worship at this time in the covid pandemic.  If you have thoughts or feelings about this, please contact an advisor:  Patti Cooksey, Lucille Ruga, Jane Diven, or Malcolm Wells.  All are welcome.   If you would like to participate in the meeting, here is the Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648

Rev. Wells on Vacation Rev. Wells will be on vacation from August 9-21.  On Sunday Aug. 15, she will be in Burlington, MA to baptize her two grandsons, Soren and Emerson, an occasion for much joy and celebration! If pastoral care is  needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu or the Church Office 727-867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com.

Tree Mapping – Tree Planting on the Church Grounds SAVE THE DATE:  August 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m. The Urban Forestry Committee of the City of St. Petersburg is sponsoring a tree mapping event on the church grounds on Sunday Aug. 29 at 10:30 following worship.  This event will involve a process for mapping the trees currently on the church property and developing a plan to add more trees to the church grounds.  The all volunteer Urban Forestry Committee includes a landscape architect, a certified arborist, and state and county master naturalists. Members and friends of the church are needed to help with the tree mapping.  So, plan to stay after worship on Sunday Aug. 29 to be part of this exciting initiative to ‘green’ the church grounds.  All are welcome!  

Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712

727-867-7961 lakewooducc@gmail.com Lakewooducc.org

Tree Planting on the Church Grounds

Tree Mapping – Tree Planting on the Church Grounds

SAVE THE DATE:  August 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.

The Urban Forestry Committee of the City of St. Petersburg is sponsoring a tree mapping event on the church grounds on Sunday Aug. 29 at 10:30 following worship.  This event will involve a process for mapping the trees currently on the church property and developing a plan to add more trees to the church grounds.

 The all volunteer Urban Forestry Committee includes a landscape architect, a certified arborist, and state and county master naturalists.  

Members and friends of the church are needed to help with the tree mapping.  So, plan to stay after worship on Sunday Aug. 29 to be part of this exciting initiative to ‘green’ the church grounds.  All are welcome!

Link: www.pg-cloud.com/stpetef

Link: www.pg-cloud.com/stpetefl

Weekly Update 8/4

Sundays

 The service is at 9:30 in person, covid safe.

Childcare provided.

When does no really mean no?  There’s a story associated with Jesus that raises that issue.  Take a look at Matthew 15:21-28.  The Canaanite woman sheds light on this for Jesus and for us.

Watch the service on Facebook Live Sundays at 9:30. https://www.facebook.com/LakewoodUCC

Or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LakewoodUCC/videos

Advisors Meeting Sunday

The advisors will meet at 11:15 on Sunday on Zoom.  One of the concerns to be addressed is the safety of in person worship at this time in the covid pandemic.  If you have thoughts or feelings about this, please contact an advisor:  Patti Cooksey, Lucille Ruga, Jane Diven, or Malcolm Wells.  All are welcome.   If you would like to participate in the meeting, here is the Zoom link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648

Rev. Wells on Vacation

Rev. Wells will be on vacation from August 9-21.  On Sunday Aug. 15, she will be in Burlington, MA to baptize her two grandsons, Soren and Emerson, an occasion for much joy and celebration!If pastoral care is  needed, please contact Patti Cooksey at cooksepa@eckerd.edu or the Church Office 727-867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com.

Tree Mapping – Tree Planting on the Church Grounds

SAVE THE DATE:  August 29, 2021 at 10:30 a.m.

The Urban Forestry Committee of the City of St. Petersburg is sponsoring a tree mapping event on the church grounds on Sunday Aug. 29 at 10:30 following worship.  This event will involve a process for mapping the trees currently on the church property and developing a plan to add more trees to the church grounds.

 The all volunteer Urban Forestry Committee includes a landscape architect, a certified arborist, and state and county master naturalists.  

Members and friends of the church are needed to help with the tree mapping.  So, plan to stay after worship on Sunday Aug. 29 to be part of this exciting initiative to ‘green’ the church grounds.  All are welcome!  

“WHO WILL SPEAK FOR THE TREES?” A RESOLUTION ON THE RIGHTS OF NATURE

Jul 19, 2021

Resolution as Adopted by the United Church of Christ General Synod 33 UCC became the first mainline Protestant denomination to affirm and declare that nature has rights. The global movement for the rights of nature has become a significant force over the last 15 years with a number of countries and indigenous leaders enacting laws and supporting this philosophy. This resolution urges all UCC church to take “intentional actions” including becoming a Creation Justice Church, a designation that we have already attained!

For Christians, affirming the rights of nature is especially significant because it is a central part of decolonizing our faith. Too often, misguided conceptions of “dominion” over nature have gone hand-in-hand with a conquer and plunder ethos that treats nature as something to own and exploit. At its heart, the rights of nature movement supersedes such world-views with both an affirmation of our interconnectedness with nature and a recognition that the rest of nature inherently deserves to flourish and thrive. Truly caring for God’s creation requires this fundamental outlook. Let’s celebrate this critical advancement in our faith tradition.

Summary is adapted by Claire Stiles from article by Rev. Brooks Berndt,
UCC Minister for Environmental Justice
UCC Pollinator Newsletter – July 22 2021

Further articles on the passing of the resolution can be found here and here. One can also read the resolution in its entirety. We urge you to subscribe to The Pollinator.

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.

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.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending double masking.  Please consider wearing two masks to church.  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.

Immigration Action Item: THOUSANDS of Dreamers at risk of deportation! 

Severe processing delays are keeping THOUSANDS of DACA immigrants at risk of deportation and unemployment! As of March 31, USCIS had a backlog of more than 55,000 pending first-time DACA applications, in addition to over 44,000 renewal requests. United We Dream – an organization led by Dreamers – is calling on President Biden to clear the backlog NOW. 


Please sign the United We Dream’s petition calling on Biden and USCIS to clear the DACA backlog and process applications and renewals in a timely manner.
Click here:  https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/end-the-daca-backlog/

Operation Attack Update

Good Afternoon, 
I hope you are doing well, many members of Lakewood UCC are aware that I’ve graduated from high school (thank you for the card) and plan to head to college. While at college, I won’t be able to help collect any OA donations or help keep Lakewood up to date on OA needs. I’ve had this task all of high school and I am very thankful for it. For replacing me, I HIGHLY recommend my brother Owen Blair-Catala. This position has been passed down from Zach to me and now to Owen. He’s someone who is active in OA and understands the task he must complete from watching me do them. 

Besides this OA is still doing very well. There are the same drive thru dates as before (September 11th). In addition, OA also still needs Donations of cereal, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, vegetables and soup, dried beans, and mac/cheese. I came by this past week and was able to get some donations. Remember we still aren’t accepting clothing donations at the moment. If you have any questions please contact me. 

Thanks,Ian Blair-Catala

iblaircatala@gmail.com

Spiritual Direction Offered by LUCC Clergy Member.

In these troubled times, it is important to find ways to tend to our spiritual lives. In the Christian tradition, Spiritual Direction is one of the ways of paying attention to the spirit in our lives. A Spiritual Director is someone to talk with about what is going on in our spiritual life and in our relationship with God however we may conceive of God.

Rev. Sally Purvis, Ph.D., a member of LUCC, is a retired clergy person with training and experience in Spiritual Direction. She is offering her services as a Spiritual Director to the community. The sessions would be held on Zoom and there is no fee to be paid. Church leaders are pleased to have the ministry of the church expand in this way.

Spiritual Direction with Sally is open to anyone, not just the congregation. And it is offered to everyone whatever their spiritual or religious background or affiliation or lack thereof. Sessions are generally held once every three weeks. Spiritual Direction is not a mode of therapy. It is a process for understanding and deepening your relationship with God/Spirit in ways that are authentic and life-giving.

Sally was trained by Henri Nouwen, a noted spiritual guide of the 20th century, and did Spiritual Direction as part of her professional ministry before retiring in 2015.

If you would like to explore Spiritual Direction with Sally, please contact her at
sallybpurvis@icloud.com or contact the church (867-7961 or lakewooducc@gmail.com ).

The church is very grateful to Sally for offering this avenue of support to the congregation and the community.

USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS:

For the above church website links, please note the “Older Posts” button near the bottom of each page.

August Birthdays: Barbara Donohue 8/4, Mardie Chapman 8/7, Claire Stiles 8/11, Kay Rencken 8/13, Vita Uth 8/14, Dana Cosper 8/22, James Waterman 8/23, and Joanne Reid 8/28. Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Bill Parsons

Earl Waters

Dave Radens

Richard Wiggins and family

Sherry Santana

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

All those suffering from COVID-19.

Church Office Hours:  Tuesday-Friday 9:30-noon. 

Recent Posts:

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 Tuesday since the Update usually is sent out on Wednesday.

Sunday Service 8.1.2021

GATHERING MUSIC

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                 Claire Stiles, liturgist

When we step back and recapture what around us is truly awe-inspiring – like babies and sunsets and storms and rivers and life and art and bird music – then we will feel enough love for our world not to want it violated, by non-peace, by violence. There is a way to truly love our world, that is to rediscover its wonder.

Source unknown

PRELUDE                   

CALL TO WORSHIP    Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Denmark

God in heaven, when the thought of you wakes in our hearts,

Let it not wake like a frightened bird that

Flies about in dismay, but like a child waking

From its sleep with a heavenly smile.

MUSICAL REFLECTION

SCRIPTURE READING

Let us prepare ourselves for the word of God as it comes to us in the reading of Holy Scripture. Our hearts and minds are open.

Matthew 13:45-46

For the word of God in scripture, for the word of God  among us, for the word of God within us. Thanks be to God.

MODERN READING             Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1804-1864

SERMON                       Treasured                 Rev. Kim P. Wells

The Olympics are taking place. Did you know? Do you see it in your newsfeed? Do you hear about it on the radio? Are you watching the events on TV? Have you seen Suni Lee and her gold medal winning routines? Did you watch as Florida wonder Caeleb Dressel took the gold? Again and again and again! And how about Florida’s Bobby Finke winning the gold in the 800 meter AND the 1500 meter freestyle events? Pulling ahead in the last of 30 lengths of the pool? Did you see Danusia Francis from Jamaica and her 11 second routine  living her Olympic dream?

We can certainly count on the Olympics for moments of compelling competition and glory! We appreciate the hard work, the countless hours training, the sacrifices made. The effort and commitment. Every athlete at the Olympics has worked incredibly hard to get there.

While I am not a sports fan, I don’t even watch the Super Bowl, I do love the Olympics. I enjoy watching the events. I like hearing the interviews. I enjoy learning about the host country. My family knows not to expect much from mom during the Olympics. I know that the Olympics is fraught with issues among them sexism, corruptions, politicization, doping, commercialization – and it is especially contentious this year, during the pandemic, but I still love the Olympics.

As I think about all I have seen so far – the stunning opening ceremonies with the amazing drone display and Imagine, and the mimed symbols for each sport in the Olympics, and the Japanese pianist who played, the creative commercials, the incredible competitions and athletes – there is one image that has really taken hold and stayed with me. There is one salient moment. The scene in the high school gym in Seward, Alaska when Lydia Jacoby, 17 years old, won the gold in the 100 meter breaststroke. The explosion of joy. The unrestrained elation. The raucous celebration. The sheer abandon of the scene. All those teenagers overcome with happiness for their friend. I could watch that clip over and over and over again.

The sense of community, of love, of support, of these usually self conscious teen agers simply bursting with joy as their friend’s dream comes true. It’s not even their success or their accomplishment or their dream. Which is what makes the joy so pure. Their delight is for someone else. It’s selfless joy. There is no benefit to them in her win. And yet they are overcome.

It is that kind of joy. That abandon. That characterizes the Kindom of Heaven. We heard about it again this morning in the story of the pearl. Another parable. A story with many facets and meanings. A story that is told to help us see something of the realm of God. Something so compelling it eclipses everything else. Period.

In the story, there is the merchant, searching. Looking. Desiring. And finding. Yet in the story before, a worker stumbles upon a treasure in a field. So, it can be sought, it can be stumbled upon. In the pearl story, there is no drama, like in the story of the rich young man. It’s not portrayed as an agonizing sacrifice. The disciples, too, left home, family, and job, to follow Jesus. There is no protracted analysis in this story of the pros and cons. Weighing the potential consequences and outcome. All of these practical considerations just fall away. There’s no saying no.

The commonwealth of God is an all encompassing reality of social, economic, and religious values that encompass the personal good and the communal good into one glorious whole. No fragmentation. Or distraction. Or dilution. It’s a full immersion experience. Not dipping the toe in.

And to be honest, we’re not good at that, these days. We keep our lives balanced, compartmentalized, time for family, time for work, time for re-creation, time for religion, time for exercise. Like a boat with carefully stowed ballast to keep things even to avoid tipping or being swamped. And we have planners and apps and calendars and monitors on our phones to tell us how we are doing keeping everything properly aligned. FYI, there is none of that in the story of the pearl. The experience of the realm of God, of Divine Love, simply eliminates all of those calculations.

In a recent editorial in Christian Century, Peter Marty Talks about being centered. He refers to the 1943 book, On Being a Real Person, by Harry Emerson Fosdick, America’s premier pastor of the mid 20th century, that talks about what it is like to live with a “loss of centrality.” Marty tells us: “A scattered individual lacks wholeness and consistency. Multiple selves compete for attention within. Internal fragmentation makes for no serenity. ‘The fundamental sin of our being is to be chaotic and unfocused. . . The primary command of our being is to ‘get yourself together.” [See editorial by Peter W. Marty, in Christian Century, 7.28.21] Amen to that! And I fear we are far more fragmented now than we were in the 1940’s when Fosdick wrote his book.

We have so many more competing activities and relationships and commitments. With supposedly more money and more free time, there simply seems to be more to do. More options. More opportunities. More distractions. And then introduce the internet and social media and our many devices and the fragmentation just escalates exponentially. We are chaotic and unfocussed. We are falling apart, or being pulled apart, and trying to keep it together. Some of this. Some of that. Limits on this. Make sure to include that. It’s an endless battle. An every changing realignment. As we seek to keep things under control, find the optimal balance. Often without a true center.

In his editorial in Christian Century, Peter Marty goes on to discuss priorities and this I found very interesting. He tells us: “The word priority has been in the English language for at least 600 years, and for most of that time it meant simply the very first or prior thing. Only in the last 80 or so years have we pluralized it to priorities. The suggestion that we can have multiple first things may actually indicate that nothing ends up being our priority. To speak of a ‘top priority’ only serves to confuse.”

I found that very insightful. We live in a time of extreme fragmentation. We are being pulled in many directions. We receive so many messages about who we are to be and what we are to do and what we should look like and where we should go on our next vacation and what we should eat and how we should spend our money and how we should behave and what should matter to us and on and on and on. All of this fragmentation. Pulling us apart. While as Fosdick reminds us, the primary command of our being it to get ourselves together.

And that is what we see in the story of the the merchant and the pearl. Only one thing. No fragmentation. And the Psalmist talks about this many times in Psalm 119: “Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” [v. 34]

The kindom of God is the one thing. It is the reality of goodness and love for all of creation. It is all encompassing. Complete. All of our experiences and feelings and desires are incorporated into this one reality. And while we may be engaged in many relationships and activities everything is part of a unified reality of Love. The realm of God, the Kindom of Heaven is the antidote to fragmentation and falling apart or being pulled apart. This story gives us the image of one pearl. Priceless. Precious. Beautiful. With no contention or competition. Just sheer joy.

I’ve seen that kind of joy. Here. At church. More than once. Like the first Sunday we came back for in person worship, outside on the lawn, after 8 months of the covid shut down. It wasn’t like the exuberant, ecstatic expression of joy in the gym in Seward, Alaska after the Jacoby’s win. But the feeling, the look in people’s eyes, the glow, the charged energy in the air, as we sat outside . . . It was pure, unadulterated joy. I can’t remember what the service was about or if the mic worked or what the weather was like. And none of that matters. Really. All I can remember is the intense joy of the experience of the kindom of God. The one true thing. We have been given the treasure. The pearl.

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.

UNISON READING                          Dongxia Shi, China

In the dawn

You walk toward me

When I am confused

You shower me in Love

In the darkness

You bestow light

When I am hesitant

You show me Your Words

In my days

You grant a mission

When I am weak

You lend me Your Power

In sickness

You are by my side

When I am suffering

You offer me the Cure

In conflicts

You increase my strength

When I am in pain

You grace me with Peace

In all my life

You leave your footprints

When I am empty

You give me Your All

MUSICAL INTERLUDE               

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal is to:

  • Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives & in our world.
  • Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people.
  • Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.

MORNING OFFERING and COMMUNION OFFERING

Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar.

Offertory      

Prayer of Dedication               Bruno Manser, Switzerland

You —

The power of creation

Giver of life —

Guide us on our way.

Where there is pain —

Bring comfort. You!

Where there is hunger —

Bring food. You!

Where there is quarrel —

Bring love. You!

You —

All of us together!

PREPARATION FOR COMMUNION

You are invited to write your prayer requests on the sheets provided in the bulletin and bring them forward and place them in the basket on the altar.  Please observe physical distancing.

CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION

Invitation

Communion Prayer- Savior’s Prayer

Our Creator, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

Blessing the Bread and Cup

Sharing the Meal

Giving Thanks

* BENEDICTION                                                                      Asian Proverb

Pearls do not lie on the seashore,

If you desire one you must dive for it.

*POSTLUDE       

For the safety and comfort of all, please wear a mask. Thank you!

Circle of Concern:  Earl Waters, Bill Parsons, Dave Radens, Richard Wiggins and family, Carol Shores, Sherry Santana, William Owen-Cowan, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall