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Weekly Update 11/17

‘Tis A Gift

This is a season to ponder the many gifts that we are being given each and every day. It is a season for gratitude. 

This Sunday, November 21 is Thanksgiving Sunday. The service will be outside. Everyone is invited to bring something that represents a gift in your life, something you are grateful for. Together we will construct an altar of gratitude.

You are also invited to bring a donation for Operation Attack to help see that all people have needed food this season and throughout the year.  There is a list of needed items below.  

Also, please turn in your harvest form by Wednesday, Nov. 17 Thursday, Nov. 18 so that the wonderful list of the many ministries of the congregation can be celebrated! The Harvest form is available at church or on the church website.

November 28 is the first Sunday of Advent.  The advent season provides the opportunity to continue to reflect on the gifts that we are receiving through the birth of Jesus and in so many other ways in our lives and in our world.

This covid time has been very stressful for everyone.  It continues to present challenges and cause friction and discomfort.  With the holidays coming, that friction may increase.  There may be tension between what we want to do and what is safe.  That makes this an important time to be intentional about considering all the gifts that we are receiving, all we have to be grateful for, what truly is important and what matters in our lives.  Even this deadly pandemic may be a blessing in some ways.  “God is working all things together for good.”  Please know that LUCC is intent on providing spiritual support and connection even during these difficult days, especially during these difficult days.  

Advent Ahead

While we eagerly prepare for the feasting of Thanksgiving and the time to be with family and friends, the church is also preparing for Advent, the four-week season in which we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  Here is what to look forward to.

The theme for the season will be Receive the Gift.  It is a continuation of the celebration of gratitude that has been part of the stewardship season and the Thanksgiving holiday.  Even with covid, there is so much to be thankful for!
On Sundays in December, those who enjoy singing Christmas music are invited to come to church at 10:15 .am. and sing sitting outside on the lawn before the service begins.  Bring your own chair if you can.  Hilton will play the piano near the open doors and there will be outdoor singing with masks on.  When it is time for the service to begin, everyone will move inside.  There will be no singing in the service.  

Labyrinth walks will continue on Wednesday mornings at 9:00.  It’s a beautiful season to deepen your spiritual reflection and the labyrinth is a wonderful way to do that.

Anti-racism demonstrations will also continue on Sunday afternoons from 4:30-5:00 in Advent.  This is an opportunity to express the gift of love for all that we celebrate at Christmas.  It’s also a time to remember that the baby Jesus was a person of color.  

Book Talk will be held via Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 6:30-7:30.  This is an opportunity to share some of your favorite Christmas stories and books. 

There will be a Winter Solstice gathering around a fire on Tuesday, Dec. 21.  This will be a time to share stories and readings and inspiration around the themes of darkness and light.  Those who would like to may walk the labyrinth.  Sunset is at 5:41 p.m. so that is when the gathering will begin!

Christmas Eve will be celebrated with an outdoor service at 7:00 p.m. on the church lawn.   Music of the season will begin at 6:30. Please bring your own chair if you can.  The offering on Christmas Eve will be used to support the Creation Justice ministries of the church.

This year, the congregation is invited to donate poinsettias to beautify the sanctuary for Advent and Christmas Eve.  The plants will be taken by the Care Team to those in the congregation who are not able to attend church.  There are order forms available at church.  The cost of the plants is $10 each. The deadline for orders is Sunday, December 12. 

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. 

Harvest Forms

Please return your Harvest Form by Thursday to be part of the wonderful celebration of the many ministries of the LUCC church family.  Here’s a link to the form at the LUCC Website.  Complete it and return it to the church:  lakewooducc@gmail.com

Anti-Death Penalty Action

A bill has recently been filed in the Florida Senate that will prohibit the imposition of a sentence of death upon a defendant convicted of a capital felony if the defendant had a serious mental illness at the time the criminal offense was committed.  If you wish to show your support of SB 770, there’s a petition at the website of the Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty at  https://www.fadp.org/

You may also wish to send a thank-you note to the bill’s sponsor, Senator Jeff Brandes,at brandes.jeff.web@flsenate.gov

Meet and Greet 

Angela Wells-Bean and her family will be in St. Petersburg for the Thanksgiving holiday.  There will be an informal gathering to see Angela and her spouse, Andy, as well as children Soren and Emerson, on Wednesday, Nov. 24 from 10:30-noon at the church.  Feel free to drop by and say hello!  They would love to see you! If you would like a ride, please contact the Church Office (727-867-7961)

PPE

The Emergency Management division of Pinellas County provided free PPE to churches for the holidays.  LUCC signed up for masks, bandaids, and sanitizer.  The church was given all of those as well as wipes, rubber gloves, and face shields.  And all in huge amounts!  More than the church could use in several years!   The church contacted the Evergreen Adult Day Care at the church and they were thrilled to have the surplus supplies!  It’s wonderful to be in partnership with Neighborly Services reaching out to the older adults of the area.  

Advisors Needed for 2022

Each year 3-5 wonderful people meet monthly to support the life and ministry of the church especially attending to matters involving finance, administration, personnel, and property.  This past year, the church was ably served by Patti Cooksey, Lucille Ruga, Jane Diven, and Malcolm Wells.  Some new advisors are needed for 2022.  Is this something you might like to be involved in?  Or can you think of someone in the church that you would like to see serve in this role?  There are forms to fill out at church or speak to one of the current advisors or to Rev. Wells.  This is a wonderful way to deepen your ties with the church and to make a difference!

Adult Day Care Holiday Party

The Evergreen Adult Day Care Center has invited the church to be part of the holiday party in December.  The church family has been invited to contribute cookies to the festivities – with no sugar, please.  Please contact the church office if you would like to share the Christmas spirit with those in the adult day care center by providing cookies for the holiday party.  A date has not yet been set.  

Book Talk Ahead Today

Join in a lively discussion of what folks have been reading! All kinds of books are included.  If you haven’t been reading anything compelling lately, you may get some good ideas from Book Talk.  The Zoom conversation is held monthly on the third Thursday of the month from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  This month will be November 18.   All are welcome!  Here’s the link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2700683648

Stewardship Follow Up

Many thanks to all who were part of the wonderful celebration of gratitude this past Sunday for our church, Lakewood United Church of Christ, and all that it means in our lives.  The service included an opportunity to make commitments of time, talent, and treasure to the church for the coming year.  If you would like to make a pledge to the church, there are forms at church and on the church website.  Please return them to the church office.  

This is a time when the minsitry of the church is much needed in our lives and in our world.  How blessed we are to be part of LUCC!

New Church Directory Available

An updated church directory is available.  The directory is a welcome tool to help the congregation remain connected and in contact with each other.  Please pick one up when you are at the church.  If you would like one sent to you, please contact the Church Office at lakewooducc@gmail.com or call at 727-867-7961. The directory is a welcome tool to help the congregation remain connected and in contact with each other.  

Martha Lamar’s information is incomplete. Please contact the church office for the correct information or get a corrected copy of the directory at church. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Anti Racism Demonstrations-New Time

The church will resume its witness against racism with weekly demonstrations along the sidewalk of 54th Ave. S. Make your own sign or use one of the signs at the church.
Demonstrations will be held Sundays from 4:30-5 beginning Sunday, November 14. In case of rain, the demonstration will not be held that week.

Know justice, know peace! This is an important way to inspire hope in the community and to work to create an anti-racist society.

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.  

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.

Operation Attack Update

OA needs donations of cereal/oatmeal, mac and cheese, pasta sauce, peanut butter, canned meat, fruit, soup, and vegetables. Donations may be placed on the shelf in the hallway at church.

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.

November Birthdays: Lucille Ruga 11/9, Katharine Conover 11/13, Emily Bell 11/15, Rev. Susan Sherwood 11/15, Ed Kaspar 11/21, Lorne Palmer 11/21, Bert Lee 11/22, Bill Lindsay 11/23, Wally LeBlanc 11/23, Kai’Lyn Washington 11/27, and Jane Diven 11/29, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: 

Deanna Moore

Dave Radens

William Owen-Cowan

Jen Degroot

Carolyn Moore

Ann Quinn is now under Hospice care

Maggie Brizendine

Janet Hall

All those suffering from COVID-19 and all healthcare workers

Schools: Students, families, teachers, and staff

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

On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga

Sermon 11.14.2021

Date: Nov. 14, 2021
Scripture Lesson: 2 Timothy 1:5-7, 14
Sermon: Receive the Gift!
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Thanks to the wonderful recommendations of good reads in the LUCC monthly Book Talk, I have recently read The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline. If you want to know more, you can ask Kay about it. In the book, which takes place in the mid 1800’s, one character, Mathinna, is a native person from an island near Australia. Her people are being forcibly removed and relocated and their land seized by the British. That should sound familiar. Mathinna is taken on by the wife of the governor as an experiment in trying to civilize a native.

When the girl arrives at the governor’s house, she is wearing beads that were strung for her by her mother who is now dead. Her father is dead as well. So is her sister. And she has been taken from her step father, from her home, from her land, her people and her culture. All she has left of her life, her self, her past, her heritage is wrapped up in her beads. A gift from her beloved mother. Three strands strung from vivid green mariner shells the size of baby’s teeth. When her mother gave her the beads, she told Mathinna, “Every person you’ve ever cared about, and every place you’ve ever loved, is one of these shells. You’re the thread that ties them together. You carry the people and places you cherish with you. Remember that and you will never be lonely, child.” [pp. 81 82]

When Mathinna gets to the governor’s home, she is relieved of her native possessions. The beads are put into a curio case with other objects collected by the governor’s wife including the skulls of native people. Her mother? Her father? Her sister? Mathinna is taught to read and write. She is fluent in English and French. She is capable in mathematics.

Later in the story, Mathinna is dismissed from the governor’s household, the experiment abandoned. Hazel, a maid on work release from the prison, knows some of Mathinna’s story. Hazel has taken the beads out of the curio cabinet, while dusting perhaps, and she puts them in Mathinna’s pocket as Mathinna is sent away from the governor’s compound. Later in the book, the maid, Hazel, and Mathinna meet at the market. Hazel has her daughter, Ruby, with her. And Mathinna gives one string of the beads to Ruby, telling her, “I watched my mother make this. She used a wallaby tooth to prick these tiny holes, then rubbed the shells with muttonbird oil to make them shiny. . . Just imagine you’re the thread, and the people you love are these shells. And then they’ll always be with you.” [p. 321]

These precious beads are threaded through the book. A gift. Of belonging. Of identity. Of dignity. Of connection. Of beauty. Of love. Something that isn’t recognized by the so-called civilized people in the story but can be seen by the natives, the convicts, the servants. The beads are a gift of significant meaning to be worn, regarded, remembered, honored, cherished, enjoyed. Threaded with love from shells carefully attached and woven together. Like the relationships of meaning in our lives.

So this is the time of year that we reflect, give thanks, remember, in different ways in different settings of our lives including the church. In the church, it’s also stewardship season, a time to think about what the church has meant in our lives and how the church has been a gift to us.

We’ve heard some wonderful testimony about how the church has been a gift. One person credits the church with helping her to clarify her thinking. With all the inputs we get these days and with so much media access, think of how important that is. The church helps to clarify our thinking.

One family in the church explains how it was through the church that they got their family, their friends, and their house. What a gift this faith community has been in their lives!

One member of the church who made a career change from the business world to social service attributes the decision to the church.

I know for many of you this church was an anchor during the last presidential administration, a time when many were reeling and in despair. It was a haven of sanity and hope.

The church has been a source of solace to church members who are dying and those who are grieving giving peace and assurance.

Recently, people have commented about how the church has helped them to get through the covid pandemic. It has been a lifeline of support and connection.

There are so many ways that this church is a gift in our lives.

People in the congregation were given the opportunity to share how the
church has been a gift in their lives. . .

I have been reflecting on this idea – how has LUCC been a gift in my life. I could go on for days about it, but to be brief – I am continually inspired by the people who are part of this faith community. You. By your outlook, strength, commitment to justice, grace in aging, the forgiveness, the life experiences shared. The generosity, the caring, the compassion, the love. The diverse interests. The honesty. And so much more. But I find myself continually inspired by the people of this church family. What a gift!!

I also feel that we receive the gift of theological freedom at this church. Many clergy feel hemmed in by what they can and can’t say to their congregations – maybe because of social norms, or theological assumptions, or political affiliations, or tradition. I do not feel that restriction here and that is a true gift. I don’t have to hem in what I say about the values and witness of the ministry of Jesus and how it relates to the situation we are in today. In many churches, in fact, I would say, in most churches, that is not the case.

Recently I heard about a church in which two retired doctors run a clinic offering medical care to those who don’t have money to pay for healthcare. It is wonderful that there is concern for those who don’t have healthcare. But does the church challenge members to support efforts to change the healthcare system so that everyone has access to care? And what about questioning an economic system, a healthcare system, a political system, a value system, that creates millionaire doctors while many people do not have access to needed healthcare? Oh no. That kind of observation is not welcome in most churches even though it is completely in the spirit of the teachings of Jesus. Here at LUCC, I feel like we can ask those questions. We can challenge those systems.

This relates to another gift of this church – the commitment to justice, to the unconditional worth of each and every person and of the Earth. You don’t find that kind of commitment in many circles, but it is certainly here and it is a gift.

So for me, the gifts I am most appreciative of at LUCC are the people, the intellectual and theological freedom, and the commitment to justice. I feel like LUCC is a growing medium, like soil, in which we can grow and thrive and bear fruit. We are being cultivated to live out the love, justice and compassion that we find in the ministry of Jesus. In this community, in the the rituals and the theology, we find spiritual support for life’s journey as we seek to do good in the world.

In the verses we heard from Timothy, this church leader is being given encouragement because it is needed. He, too, is in a setting in which gospel values are not dominant, not readily accepted. In fact, the wider culture can even be seen as hostile to the way of Jesus. We know what that is like. And it takes its toll. It is easy to lose heart. But the writer reminds Timothy, that faith has been given to him as a gift by those who have come before him. And he is to fan the flame of that gift, keep it lively and strong. We, too, need support to maintain our faith. To stay strong in the way of Jesus. Especially given the world around us.

To follow Jesus, to be a person of faith, means living in a reality that is fundamentally different from the world around us. We live in a society that is hostile to the values of justice, equity, compassion, and care for the Earth. All of that takes a backseat to market driven capitalism which is based on ownership of private property, consumption, the monetization of labor, and the extractive economy. Capitalism prioritizes individual rights to wealth over community needs.

This is in drastic contrast to the reality of Christianity which begins with the concept of gift. Creation – a gift. Life – a gift. Loving relationships – a gift. Skills and talents -gifts. Jesus – a gift. Divine Love – a gift. OUR reality starts with what we are given. And we go on to what we do with those gifts. But we start with what we are given.

The society around us starts with what you own, what you have, what you have earned, or made, or done. From that comes what is deserved. What one is entitled to. The value of a person is based on what they have acquired. It’s all dependent, supposedly, on the individual.

This is fundamentally different from starting with what one has been given. With faith, it all starts with the generosity of God and what we have been given, entrusted with. And then cultivating generosity and community based on what has been given. Sharing the gifts. Distributing the gifts. This is the way of Jesus.

The church reminds us of the gifts that we are receiving – the gifts of faith, of life, of access to resources, of relationships, of love. And then encourages us to find life and joy in sharing and living with generosity. The church has been given to us, thanks to those who have gone before us – our mothers and grandmothers, our forbears, Timothy, Jesus, and the ancestors of the Jewish faith. All of it given to us to enrich our lives, to make us whole, to heal the world.

Now, what do we do with a gift? Well, if it is a white elephant from some kind of crazy gift exchange, it might sit on the back of a shelf in a dark closet. Ignored. Neglected. Until it is donated to a thrift store. Or recycled. Or pitched. We can all probably think of things like that. If it’s something really monetarily valuable that we don’t want, well, that’s more complicated.

In contrast, think of a gift that we cherish. Like Mathinna’s beads. Something important to us because of the giver, of the meaning of the gift, or the importance of the thing itself to us. If it is a significant gift in some way, then, we wear it, we use it, we care for it, we maintain it, we tend to it, we share it, we enjoy it, we put it in a place of honor. With a gift that is cherished, that is meaningful to us, we take care of it.

Can you think of a gift like that? Something really significant to you?

Well, we are here because Lakewood United Church of Christ is a gift in our lives. It has been given to us. The church undergirds our reality. Grounds us in love not consumption or ownership or greed. It fosters the importance of service, compassion, and generosity for our well being and for the good of the world. It extricates us from the glorification of wealth and the monetizing of the value of a human being that imbues the society around us. In this church we find reverence for creation and appreciation for the gift of nature. Here we find friends, community, social and spiritual support. In so many ways, this church is a gift. It has been provided for us by those who have gone before us. Thanks to their faithfulness and generosity, this faith community is here for us. And, as with a precious gift, it is now for us to express our gratitude by being guardians of this congregation so that it can be a gift to generations to come. We are the guardians of this “rich deposit of faith” as Timothy puts it. We are entrusted with sustaining the church through our involvement, through relationships, through participation and service, and with our financial contributions. You may even find that the church has far more value and meaning to you as you increase your connectedness to the church.

Like the beads so precious to Mathinna, the church is a gift in our lives reminding us that we are loved, that we belong, that we are connected, that we are part of a community of caring and meaning.

The church is truly a gift in our lives that helps us not only to see the many other gifts of our lives, but that offers us a reality based in gift and gratitude and generosity. As Timothy puts it this gift we are given not a gift characterized by timidity. No. It is a gift of power, of love, and of self discipline. A rich deposit of faith given to us. May we receive and cherish the gift. And may we reflect the generosity of the Giver. 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.