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LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

A Just Peace Church

An Open and Affirming Church

A Creation Justice Church

10:30 am

January 22, 2023

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE                   Michelle Cloutier, Liturgist

Let us know peace.

For as long as the moon shall rise,

For as long as the rivers shall flow,

For as long as the sun shall shine,

For as long as the grass shall grow,

Let us know peace.

Native American Indian Prayer for Peace

PRELUDE   Fairest Lord Jesus with “Moonlight Sonata”                      

Arranged by Marilyn Reimer                                                

*OPENING PRAYER                    Miriam Therese Winter. 1938-

Light of the world,

we bow before You

in awe and adoration.

Bless us

and our simple faith

seeking understanding.

Epiphany means

manifestation,

lifting the veil,

revelation.

Reveal to us then

what we need to know

to love You,

and serve You,

and keep Your word

with fidelity and truth,

courage and hope,

this day and always.

Amen.                                      

 * HYMN         I Sing the Praise of Love Almighty          50

SCRIPTURE LESSON –

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 4:12-23

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!

*HYMN        You Have Come down to the Lakeshore              173

SERMON                                     Rev. Kim P. Wells

RESPONSIVE READING                             Rev. Jim Cotter, 1942-2014

In the celebration that embraces the exile and outcast,

In the joy that sings of freedom at last,

we worship the God of justice and peace,

we praise the God of freedom and joy,

we adore the God of love and new life,

we bless the God of reconciliation and healing,

we glorify the God of harmony and bliss.

We add our voice to the music of God,

we fall silent in the presence of Mystery,

in wonder and awe and love,

the Mystery that is the Source of our being

and the God of our belonging,

beautiful, utterly holy, glorious light,

unbounded love. Alleluia! Alleluia!

*HYMN                   From All That Dwell Below the Skies            27

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.

AFFIRMATION OF LEADERS      1 Corinthian 12:4-7, 26-27, adapted

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit gives them.

There are different ways of serving, but the same God is served.

There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to each of us for our own particular service.

The Spirit’s presence is shown in some ways to each person for the good of all.

Christ is like a single body, which has many parts.

It is still one body even though it is made up of different parts.

If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it; if one part is praised, all the other parts are praised.

All of us are Christ’s body, and each one is a part of it.

Vows

*Congregational Affirmation

We stand in celebration of the joy that is ours to be partners with you in the service of Jesus Christ. We promise to love you and honor your leadership, that together we may be a faithful church of Jesus Christ.

MORNING OFFERING 

Morning offerings may be brought forward and placed in the plates on the altar. 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. If you would like assistance, please turn to someone seated near you.     

            Offertory       Mary, Did You Know?         Arranged by Dan Coates

            * Prayer of Dedication              William Countryman, 1941-

Hearing the good news is a beginning. The rest of our life forms our response.

MUSICAL OFFERING         Precious Lord, Take My Hand          Dorsey

                                           Barbara Donohue, soprano

MORNING PRAYER – SAVIOR’S PRAYER

Holy One, our only Home, hallowed be Your name.

May your day dawn, your will be done,

Here, as in heaven. Feed us today, and forgive us

As we forgive each other. Do not forsake us at the test,

But deliver us from evil. For the glory, the power,

And the mercy are yours, now and forever. Amen.

*  HYMN          Christ Is the Mountain of Horeb                 45

* BENEDICTION                                                                                  

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE   (please form a circle)

                                                       Lead Us From Death to Life           581

             Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth,

            from despair to hope, from fear to trust.

            Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace;

            let peace fill our hearts, let peace fill our world,

            let peace fill our universe.

*POSTLUDE         Go, Tell It on the Mountain                Evans

Circle of Concern:

 Lakewood High School Girls and Boys Basketball Teams, Jane and George Diven and Family, Sherry Santana, Erik Johnson, Katherine Conover, Yoko Nogami & Family, Ann Quinn is under Hospice care, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall. All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

Announcements

GRATITUDE! Thanks are expressed to Joyce Lee and to Barbara Donohue

for offering the ministry of music this morning while Music Director Hilton

Jones is away.

Advisors

Many thanks to those who will serve as Advisors for the coming year:

Christy Martin, Barbara Donohue, Malcolm Wells, and Dyanne Edds.

Another advisor is welcome. If you are interested in considering this

opportunity to serve, please come to the meeting after the service today or

speak with Rev. Wells.

Book Talk

This monthly Zoom gathering will be held on Thursday Jan. 26 at 6:30.  Link for Zoom is below Each month, LUCC folks gather to discuss what they have been reading.  Join in the fun!  All are welcome!  

Zoom Link: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648    Meeting Id: 270 068 3648

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

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

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday – 2023

What do Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brussels, Cyprus, Denmark, Cameroon, France, Germany, Haiti, India, Israel, Italy, Madagascar, Martinique, Mexico, Niger, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Suriname, Togo, Tanzania, and the United States all have in common? Each of these countries has a street or boulevard named for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

And there is a bridge named for King in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. And a forest named for King in Israel, in the southern Galilee region.  And a park named for King in Paris. There is a church in Debrecen, Hungary, the second largest city in that country, named for King. There is a Transformation Center named for King in Johannesburg, South Africa, There is a school in Accra, Ghana named for King.  And there is the Gandhi-King Plaza and garden in New Delhi, India. 

During the Arab Spring of the early 2010’s, activists were inspired by a comic book about King titled ‘Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,’ published in Arabic and Farsi.  There is an annual birthday celebration for King in Japan.  In Tiananmen Square in China, they had posters that said, ‘We Shall Overcome.’ 

[See: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/martin-luther-kings-nonviolent-civil-rights-efforts-still-inspire-across-globe/2011/07/27/gIQA3Nj9YJ_story.html?tid=a_inl_manual

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/martin-luther-king-jr-sites-across-the-globe/2011/08/04/gIQAK4R9YJ_story.html

https://share.america.gov/where-streets-have-one-name-martin-luther-king-jr/%5D

The declaration of the prophet Isaiah that we heard this morning, reminded people that God’s message of justice was not just for their community but so that they could be a light to all nations. King saw that the dynamics of his experience in America were also at work in other contexts and settings around the world.  Fully rooted in the American experience of racism, King proclaimed a message of justice and non violence that continues to resonate around the world. So, his message became universal and he has become an inspiration the world over. 

Perhaps Dr. King is America’s greatest export! 

In the past year or so, LUCC member Christy Martin has shared with me her interest in Dr. King and she has been studying his legacy.  So, today, I’m going to ask Christy some questions about King so that we see how his message is resounding in our congregation and community. 

            What sparked your interest in Dr. King?

            What in his message speaks to you today?         

            What is meaningful to you from his legacy?

            What do you want your teenage daughters to know about Dr. King?

What do you want Black people in America to remember from Dr. King’s teachings?

            What message do White people need to hear from Dr. King?

            If you could ask Dr. King a question, what would you ask him?

            Open to congregation to ask questions. . .

We listen to the words of Dr. King:

“Some years ago, almost two hundred now, our nation signed a huge promissory note, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ Oh, what a marvelous creed.  Just think about what it says.  It didn’t say some men; it said all men.  [And we might add, women.]  It didn’t say all white men; it said all men, which includes black men.  It didn’t say all Gentiles.  It said all men, which includes Jews.  It didn’t say all Protestants, it said all men, which includes Catholics.  And I can go right down the line. And then it said something else.  That every man has certain basic rights that are neither derived from nor conferred by the state. . . . They are God given.” 

[The Radical King:  Martin Luther King, Jr., edited and introduced by Cornel West, from ‘The Other America,’ 3.10.68, New York City, p. 241.]

So, to Americans who are people of faith, King issues this challenge:

“This I believe to be the privilege and the burden of all of us who deem ourselves bound by allegiances and loyalties which are broader and deeper than nationalism and which go beyond our nation’s self-defined goals and positions.  We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers [and sisters].”

[The Radical King:  Martin Luther King, Jr., edited and introduced by Cornel West, from ‘Beyond Vietnam, A Time to Break Silence,’ 4.4.67 at Riverside Church in New York City, p. 206.]

So, in the spirit of the prophet Isaiah and Jesus our Christ, who inspired Dr. King, let us re-dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of liberty and justice for all.

Amen. 

Well, I know that some of you celebrated the New Year by coming to church last Sunday.  Maybe some of you also celebrated with a dip in the Gulf.  Anybody go swimming last Sunday to welcome the New Year?

A New Year swim, the polar plunge, is a New Year’s tradition in many parts of the world.  This tradition goes back centuries especially in Nordic countries.  There is a famous polar plunge for the New Year in Boston and on Coney Island among other places in the US.   In some places people wear costumes and tutus and festive New Year’s attire.  In Denmark, there is a tradition of doing the polar plunge in a ‘state of nature’ as Winston Churchill put it. In other words, without a swimsuit, or any other kind of garb. 

One woman at the Vancouver polar plunge this year declared, “It’s actually been on my bucket list for 15 years.”  [Thousands partake in Vancouver’s 2023 Polar Bear Swim in English Bay, by Darrian Matassa-Fung, Global News Posted January 2, 2023 12:35 pm. Updated January 2, 2023 4:16 pm https://globalnews.ca/news/9381684/vancouver-2023-polar-bear-swim/]  We expressed some of our intentions last week here at church on the chalk boards, ‘Before I Die I Am Going To. . .’  I don’t think any one admitted to wanting to take a polar plunge! 

Apparently taking the plunge has great appeal, especially as a way of starting the New Year. 

Laura from Coney Island says, “A dip in the ocean can make you feel so refreshed.  You kind of wash off the old year in a way and it’s fun seeing how many people turn out and feel the same way each year. This year I want to be more present with friends and family and I think coming here with them is a great start to that.”

Jose tells us, “This is my second time doing the Polar Plunge and I can see it becoming a tradition for me.  This year I want to be kinder to myself so that I can also be kinder to others. I think [the Polar Bear Plunge] is a good way to start that since I’m doing something fun for me but also I donated to the charities as well.” [Thousands ‘wash off the old year’ at 120th annual Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge, by Isabel Song Beer. Posted on January 3, 2023

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/wash-off-120th-polar-bear-plunge/%5D

Oh yes, charities.  Using the polar plunge as a way to raise money for good causes seems to be something that Americans have added to the tradition and it is now popular worldwide.  People actually PAY MONEY to take the plunge, as a way to help worthy causes.  Actually, that does sound like a good way to start the year – practicing generosity and helping others.

So the polar plunge seems to be a way of starting the New Year afresh and taking action on your good intentions. Well this morning we heard another story about a plunge, not a polar plunge, but a baptismal plunge into the waters of the Jordan River.   And it may actually have been chilly!  Jesus comes to be baptized by John the Baptizer.  He joins the hoards who have headed out to the desert from Jerusalem and surrounding towns to be doused in the Jordan as a way of turning back to God.  This, too, is a ritual of cleansing and a way of making a fresh start.

I think we are given this story for a couple of reasons.  One is to make clear who Jesus is.  In this scene the heavens open, a voice is heard, the Spirit descends like a dove.  All of this is to clue us in to what’s going on and who Jesus is.  We are told that Jesus is God’s beloved with whom God is pleased.   Jesus is being presented as the fulfillment of the preaching of the prophets, including the proclamation that we heard today from Isaiah.  In this story, we are being shown that Jesus is one who will bring justice to all through gentleness and obedience to God. This story is told to make sure that people know who Jesus is and how he fits into the expectations of his religious tradition. 

I think another reason we are told this story is to help us see who we are. We, too, are children of God.  Stamped with the Divine Image. Incarnations of eternal Love. Also empowered by the Spirit. Called to love and to serve. To embody justice and gentleness like Jesus. 

In our Christian tradition, baptism is a celebration of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.  And it is a sign of the person’s acceptance of their child-of-Godness and their call to love and to serve.  Like the baptism of Jesus, it is a way of expressing awareness of the reality of God.  It is an affirmation of what already is.

Often we think of the water of baptism as washing away sin.  We are given the impression, usually by some expression of the church, that we have been bad, awful, heinous people, born in sin, and so we need to be baptized to be forgiven and redeemed. 

But Jesus’ baptism was not to wash away sin.  He was supposedly sinless.  It was more of a confirmation of his identity for others.  So I think we can also think of baptism more as a recognition of who we are.  It’s like a beautiful painting or work of art that becomes dulled over the years.  The expert restorer delicately cleans off the particles of dust from the air that have accumulated.  Other debris is carefully removed.  And the fresh vibrant original colors are revealed once again.  Sometimes tiny details come into view that had been hidden.  Perhaps we can think of baptism like that – a revealing of our best selves, that calls forth our child-of-Godness that has always been there but that can become covered over, buried.  We can think of returning our lives to God as a clearing away of the behaviors, and distractions, and assumptions that have dulled or even hidden our true nature as people of love and compassion and forgiveness.  Maybe we can think of returning our lives to God as a restoration, a revealing of what has been there all along. 

And, of course, in the story of the baptism of Jesus, we are told of the presence of the Spirit. This is a reminder that there is power in our true nature.  To restore ourselves to God is not just about appearances.  It is about recognizing the power of love – to heal, to reconcile, to establish justice, to create

community, to transform not only individual lives but the world.  The power of eternal, unconditional, universal Love is coursing through us seeking to be unleashed in the world.  Look at Jesus to see what that is all about.  That love gave Jesus the power to stand up to every form of evil without compromise.  That power enabled Jesus to free people from all that held them captive.  We have that power, too. That same Love with all of its power that we see in Jesus is embracing us and is imbued in us.  

In the ancient church, the renewal of baptism was practiced four times a year:  at Easter, at Pentecost, on All Saints Day, and after Christmas.  Four times a year, people were reminded of the power of the Love that gave them life.  Why?  Because that power is constantly being challenged and tested in our lives.  We are constantly being lured by distractions and alternatives.  We are constantly being tempted by apathy and those who want us to believe that we are powerless.  We are constantly receiving messaging about who we should be – thinner, richer, more stylish, having more fun.  It can be hard to stand up to that.  It wears you down.

And loving, trying to be a person of love and compassion toward oneself and others, that can take a toll.  It’s not easy to give your life away for the good of the world.  It’s not easy to embody compassion for yourself and for others, especially those who are on the fringes and forgotten.  Look at Jesus.  Love took him to the cross.  So four times a year people were reminded of baptism – Who are we?  We are children of God.  Why are we here?  To love and serve.  How can this be?  By the power of a Love that is beyond our wildest imaginings and is within us. 

Despite all the temptations we face today, arguably more pervasive than in any time in the past, we typically only remember baptism once a year.  This story of Jesus’ baptism is always placed right after Christmas, in conjunction with with the New Year.  It’s a time to revisit our new beginnings.  To reconfirm our intentions.  To get ourselves back on track.  To slough off the pain, the hurt, the low expectations, the self absorption, the apathy, and all the other conditions that build up over the course of time and to entrust ourselves once again to the eternal love of God.  For some, this renewal can mean a pretty drastic change of orientation.  Well, that’s what faith, the church, and the power of love are all about: Life – abundant and joyful.  Whatever it takes.

Now, this polar plunge, to me it sounds like torture.  But when you look at the pictures, the people are smiling and laughing.  They are eager.  They are excited, exhilarated and triumphant. 

Wade Anderson, who took the plunge this year says, ”All I can say is, this experience is a life-changing event for many people.  People set New Year’s resolutions. But there’s nothing to set your intentions like a cleansing in Lake Michigan on New Year’s Day.”  [New Year’s Day polar plunge in Lake Michigan touted as ‘life-changing experience,’ Joseph S. Pete Dec 31, 2022

https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/new-years-day-polar-plunge-in-lake-michigan-touted-as-life-changing-experience/article_117bb3d6-3daa-55cc-9b62-83434c39efcd.html Northwest Indiana Times]

If you’re still not convinced, here’s another view:

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club, which claims to be the oldest “winter bathing” organization in the United States, was founded in 1903 by publisher Bernarr MacFadden, who believed swimming in the ocean in the wintertime was “a boon to one’s stamina, virility and immunity.”  [Are polar bear plunges good for you? by Olivia B. Waxman, TIME.com Updated 10:15 AM EST, Mon January 1, 2018 https://www.cnn.com/2013/01/17/health/polar-bear-plunges/index.html]

Stamina, virility, and immunity.  Well, I don’t know about the virility, but I’ll take the stamina and immunity.  The stamina to keep on loving no matter what.  No matter how much we want to give up.  No matter how angry we are.  No matter much we hurt.  And immunity, I’ll take immunity. From everything that tries to distract us and dissuade us away from the power of love including consumer capitalism. 

So, let’s take the plunge, as this New Year begins.  Accept that we are beloved, that we are a source of delight and pleasure, and that we are incredibly powerful because of the Love that is coursing through us.  Amen.

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

A Just Peace Church

An Open and Affirming Church

A Creation Justice Church

10:30 am

January 15, 2023

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday

WELCOME and ANNOUNCEMENTS

 LIGHTING THE PEACE CANDLE            Barbara Donohue, Liturgist

Now let me suggest first that if we are to have peace on earth, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional.  Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective. . . .

This call for a world-wide fellowship that lifts neighborly concern beyond one’s tribe, race, class and nation. . . has now become an absolute necessity for the survival of humanity. 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968

PRELUDE                God’s Eye Is on the Sparrow           Gabriel                                                 

*OPENING READING                     based on Dr. M.L. King Jr.

All people are interdependent.

            All life is interrelated.

            May we find the morality and courage required to live together and                        not be afraid. 

 * HYMN                    God of Change and Glory                  177

SCRIPTURE LESSON –

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.

Isaiah 49:1-7

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!

AN INTERVIEW                   Rev. Kim P. Wells and Christy Martin

LITANY OF RE-DEDICATION                                           see insert

ANTHEM                  My Peace                           Guthrie

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. 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. If you would like assistance, please turn to someone seated near you.     

            Offertory        There’ll Be Peace In The Valley             Dorsey

            * Prayer of Dedication                 Dr. M.L. King, Jr.

Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness . . . . He who is greatest among you shall be your servant.  That’s a new definition of greatness.  . . . By giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.  You don’t have to have a college degree to serve.  You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve.  You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve.  You don’t have to know Einstein’s theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve.  You only need a heart full of grace; a soul generated by love.  And you can be that servant.  Amen.                                          

* PREPARATION FOR PRAYER         Precious Lord, Take My Hand          472

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.

*  HYMN                            Lift Every Voice and Sing                        593

* BENEDICTION                                                                                   

            Dr. King declared that “faith transforms the whirlwind of despair

into a warm and reviving breeze of hope.”

            May we carry that hope into all the world!        Amen!   

      

*CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE   (please form a circle)

            Lead Us From Death to Life           581

             Lead us from death to life, from falsehood to truth,

            from despair to hope, from fear to trust.

            Lead us from hate to love, from war to peace;

            let peace fill our hearts, let peace fill our world,

            let peace fill our universe.

*POSTLUDE           Happy Trails                        Evans

Circle of Concern:

 Lakewood High School Girls and Boys Basketball Teams, Jane and George Diven and Family, Kim Carr, Erik Johnson, Katherine Conover, Ann Quinn is under Hospice care, Maggie Brizendine, Janet Hall. All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers, Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

Announcements

Rev. Wells Away

Kim will be gone Tuesday through Friday on a visit to Tucson, AZ.  Sterling Wells has a painting in an exhibition in the Museum of Contemporary Art and Kim and Jeff will visit Bill Parsons and Kay Rencken. If pastoral care is needed, please contact Patti Cooksey @ cooksepa@eckerd.edu

Book Talk

This monthly Zoom gathering will be held on Thursday Jan. 19 at 6:30.  Link for Zoom is below Each month, LUCC folks gather to discuss what they have been reading.  Join in the fun!  All are welcome!  

Zoom Link: http://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648    Meeting Id: 270 068 3648

Lakewood United Church of Christ 2601 54th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712  727-867-7961/ lakewooducc@gmail.com/ Lakewooducc.org

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga

 

Pinellas County’s Cold Night Shelters have officially been activated for Friday and Saturday nights, January 13th and 14th, 2023. The National Weather Service expects the “feels like” temperature to reach lows in the upper 30s during this time.

Cold Night Shelters provide guests a warm place to sleep when the National Weather Service expects the “feels like” temperature to reach 40-degrees or colder across the county between 6pm and 6am. Most locations also provide a meal.

Please support this essential program by donating, volunteering, or learning more at www.PinellasHomeless.org/coldnightshelters.

Victoria Kelly
Special Initiatives Manager
Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas
(727) 643-9683 | VKelly@HLAPinellas.org.

Please see a list of Cold Night Shelter locations (attached): 

Pinellas County Emergency Management

Main Line: 727-464-5550
Email: EMA@pinellas.gov