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Lent Devotion Eight – Dreams

Yes, when we sleep, we have dreams. And these help to keep our psyche healthy. And then there are our daytime dreams. Maybe dreams of one day owning a home. Or going to Paris. Or having children. Whether we realize it or not, our lives may be infused with dreams. Even dream-driven!

Maybe there are even grander dreams like a world with no more war. No more mass shootings. A healthy natural environment. Human rights for each and every person. Equality. In so many ways. A more just economic system. No more oppression or abuse especially from the government. Maybe dreams like these are harbored in your consciousness. But, then they are just dreams, aren’t they?

The Bible has numerous stories about impactful dreams that influenced the trajectory of people lives. Joseph and his dreams. Jacob at the Jabbok River. Joseph, the father of Jesus. We are given the impression that God is often speaking to us through our dreams. Are we listening?

Samantha Harvey tells us about the dreams of a Russian cosmonaut on the space ship in her novel, Orbital. In the story, there is another space expedition headed for the moon. An American endeavor. And this haunts the dreams of the cosmonaut Anton.

“A fortnight or so ago, Anton had a dream about the imminent moon landing. In fact he had two dreams in two consecutive nights, both very similar. . . It isn’t that, being a cosmonaut, he normally dreams of the moon or space — on the contrary, being a cosmonaut he normally has very practical dreams about how to use a wrench to get himself out of the small window of a room on fire. Training dreams. But lately his nights are flooded with images, his dreams odd and wistful as if they are not really his but someone else’s. And now this repeated one, no doubt because of those astronauts who left Cape Canaveral yesterday. He dreamed — of all things, of all damned American things — of the infamous image taken by Michael Collins during the first successful moon mission, back in 1969. . .

“No Russian mind should be steeped in these thoughts. There is no talk of it on their side and the silence is wholly begrudging — the thirteenth, fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth Americans to soon land on the moon’s hallowed dusted crust, and yet still not a single Russian boot. Not one. Not a single Russian flag. No Russian brain should be dreaming about it, not this moon landing and not the first or the second or the third or fourth or the fifth or the sixth, but how do you stop your dreams?” [pp. 62-63]

Yes, how do you stop your dreams? How do we stop our dreams of a new world? A world of justice. Of peace. Of a clean, safe, thriving environment? Of a world where there is no abuse – physical or financial. A world where money doesn’t do all the talking any more? Those dreams are of God. And we can’t stop them.

Prayer: This Lenten season, may we pay attention to our dreams. May we will see what we need to let go of. And may we see what is holding on to us. Amen.

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Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL

The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people orbiting the Earth in a spaceship. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.

Lent Devotion Seven – Choices

Each and every day we are confronted with a variety of choices. Actually, we might face a host of choices. Maybe hundreds if not thousands of choices. It’s no wonder people feel beset by decision-fatigue.

Each day we decide what to wear. Many of us have too many clothes, so there are many choices. One former church member did a stint as a missionary in Africa. The women of the village each had two dresses. So, the missionary limited herself to two dresses. For like a year. But was it confining or liberating?

And then we decide what to eat. Again, so many choices. Not just what is ripe now. But we choose from what is in season the world over. Then it’s on to what to buy. Or what to read. Or what to post on social media. Or what issue to be involved in. Or whether to visit the neighbor dying of cancer, because what will you decide to actually say to the person. We decide what toothpaste to use. And which exercise regime to do today. Or will we take the day off from exercising? And we decide whether to go to the carwash today or later this week. And will you forgive your friend. If so, when? And what color you will paint the bathroom. Which college should you will attend. And if you will dye your hair. What color? And we decide if we will go to church Sunday. And what movie to watch. Or will it be a miniseries? And we decide which ring tone to use on our phone. So many choices!

We recently had to choose a quartzite top for our kitchen island. I saw so many slabs of quartzite, my head was spinning.

In the book Orbital by Samantha Harvey, there is a reflection on the lack of choices when you are with a small group of people in a spaceship orbiting the earth repeatedly in zero gravity conditions: “Earlier that morning Nell had an email from her brother saying he was unwell with the flu, and that struck her, how long it has been since she was ill — she feels in space as though her body is young again and there are no aches or pains, except for the space headaches they all get — even those are rare for her. Something about having the weight taken off you, having no pressure on your joints and no pressure on your mind — no choices. Your days are laid out minute by minute in a schedule. You do someone else’s bidding and you go go bed early and usually exhausted and you get up early and start again and the only decision to be made is what to eat, and that too is limited.” [p. 25]

In the margin I wrote “prison.” But is it confining to have so few choices? When you are engaged in a purposeful pursuit. Doing what you love and have longed for since childhood. Or is it liberating? Maybe all of our choices are actually distracting us from what we really need or want or will find satisfying.

In Lent, there is the traditional practice of giving something up. Maybe that is more than symbolic sacrifice. Maybe it is really liberating.

Prayer: May we choose what is loving and life-giving for us, the human community and the planet. Amen.

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Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL

Weekly Update 2.25.2025

Lent Devotion Six – Heroes

In these past weeks, we have had the privilege of watching the Olympic Games held in Italy. There are moments of glory. And moments of defeat. And with our increased technological abilities, we really do get to see it all! We see the dreams of a lifetime shattered. We see the efforts of a lifetime rewarded. We see families cheer. We see people capable of stunning feats reduced to tears.

Yes, the Olympic athletes are rightly viewed as heroes. They devote their lives to their sport. The train for endless hours. They orient every aspect of their lives around succeeding in their athletic endeavors. Few others have such commitment.

In the Christian tradition, we see Jesus as the one whom we are called to emulate. He devotes himself, fully, entirely, to his calling: To demonstrate, manifest, the totality of Divine Love, in the realm of human life on Earth.

In Jesus we see the fullest expression of Divine Love. And his witness is not based on winning or losing a competition. It is not based on getting noticed. It is not based on landing a sponsor or a contract. Jesus’ life is rooted in self giving. In humility. In the uplifting of others.

In Samantha Harvey’s book, Orbital, we are told of an astronaut from the Soviet Union who was sort of abandoned on the space station because of the breakup of the USSR. He was the first Russian on an expedition to the space station. And because of demise of the USSR, for 6 months he could not get home. He was essentially temporarily abandoned in space. This astronaut was the hero of one of the character’s in the book, the Russian astronaut, Roman. And was this hero a brazen, bombastic braggart? No. We are told, “Roman’s hero, Krikalev. His idol. An uncelebrated but quiet and clever and gentle man.”

These are not the usual attributes associated with a hero. Quiet. Clever. Gentle. May we remember that the one we follow was also a countercultural ‘hero.’ Not concerned with fame or glory. But with devotion to others, sacrificial love, and humility.

Prayer: In these days of Lent, may we examine what is important to us. May we look at our own lives to see how we are living out our call to follow Jesus. May we not chase acclaim or wealth but devotion, meaning, and purpose. Amen.

Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL

The devotions this Lenten season will be based on the novel Orbital by Samantha Harvey. Orbital won the Booker Prize in 2024. It is a beautifully written story about the experience of a group of people orbiting the Earth in a spaceship. They see 16 sunrises and sunsets in a 24 hour period. The book is a reflection on the experience of living together and appreciating planet Earth in a new way.

Lent Devotion Five – No borders

We live in a time when protecting our borders is a battle cry. The USA is busy trying to keep some people out and to eject others from within our borders. There is increasing attention and resources allocated to border control. There is a sense that letting in people from other countries will bring in corruption or contagion of some kind. Foreigners are to be feared. They don’t belong here. The implication is that we are superior to those who are trying to get into this country.

We must take note that most of the people who live in America have ancestors from other nations. And we are not just a nation of immigrants. We are a nation inhabiting land taken from its original residents.

In the book of Genesis, we are told of the creation of humanity. Humankind is created. Humanity. One species. There are no designations related to citizenship. Or nationality. Or race. Or religion. Humanity is created. All the subsequent divisions and definitions and designations are of human origin.

The astronauts in Samantha Harvey’s book, Orbital, receive extensive training for their expedition into space. Here is one aspect of the training:

They were warned about what would happen with repeated exposure to this seamless earth. You will see, they were told, its fullness, its absence of borders except those between land and sea. You’ll see no countries, just a rolling indivisible globe which knows no possibility of separation, let alone war. . . . There’s no wall or barrier – no tribes, no war or corruption or particular cause for fear. (pp. 107-108)

From space, the Earth appears as it was originally intended to be. A garden home for all life forms including humanity. The land, the waters, the beauty sufficient to sustain all. In harmony and peace.

Prayer: May we come to see our planet as our home, our domain, our habitat. May we care about all species. And may we especially remember that all humans are our family, our siblings, our beloveds. Amen.

Devotion prepared by Rev. Kim P. Wells, pastor of Lakewood United Church of Christ in St. Petersburg, FL