Date: Easter Sunday April 12, 2020 Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10, 16-20 Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
In the story of the burial of Jesus we are told of a stone closing the tomb. The image is of a permanently shut resting place. We are not told of a tomb with a door or a gate. We are told of something that is sealed shut with a large rock. Jesus is closed off. Locked in.
In the stories of the resurrection, we hear of the stone being moved, rolled away. The Gospel of Matthew tells of an earthquake that makes this happen. In any case, we are told that the stone is moved, the grave is open. The obstacle to accessing Jesus has been removed.
And we are told that the tomb is empty. Jesus is not there. He is no longer confined. He is not longer captive. He is not held back.
Jesus, his love and his power are present in the world. Active. Free. No restrictions. No lockdown. Divine Love is loose in the world!
Nothing can contain or confine the power of God’s Love. So, even though we are restricted by shelter-in-place, and safer-at-home, on lockdown, love can find us Love comes to us. And that love sets us free.
When the disciples and the women encounter Jesus after the crucifixion, he tells them to spread the world. To share the love. To be part of unleashing Divine Lov on the whole world. Everywhere. No limits or restrictions. We are the evidence of the effectiveness of their witness.
So this Easter, open yourself to receiving the Love. Let yourself be renewed by the power of Divine Love that is stronger than death. Breathe in that love and that peace that is loose and free in the world.
And know that you are needed to share that love with others. Find someone who needs encouragement and offer it. See if someone needs help and offer your assistance. Know of someone who is lonely? Contact them. Consider how to show support for essential workers, and healthcare workers who are extremely stressed. Look for ways to be in solidarity with those who are financially stretched by this pandemic.
Maybe you feel like you are just too down yourself. Think of someone in your situation and reach out. Maybe you feel heartbroken for all the lives lost and families grieving. Offer an expression of comfort to someone in that situation even if it is someone you don’t personally know.
Wherever we are in body or spirit, we can be part of spreading the love that has been loosed in the world through Jesus.
Yes, in these days of lockdown, how we long to be free! Not just free to move around and. interact, but to be free of injustice, free of economic scarcity, free of greed, free of disparity and corruption, free of misallocated resources, free of nationalistic posturing and partisan blaming.
Easter reminds us that the tomb is open. The way is clear. We have been invited out into a different world. A world where love reigns. Unleashed in the world. Drawing us into new life. And no power can stop it. We have but to come out and live fully and freely the way of heaven here on this earth.
We have seen much in these corona days. We have had time to look, to listen, to read, to learn, to reflect.
William Wilberforce, a politician and abolitionist of the 19th century challenges us: “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” Amen.
(Click HERE if you wish to see the post containing the video of this text.)
I hope this finds you safe and well amidst a mindful and reverent Maundy Thursday. We are praying that the hope, praise, and joyful resistance of Easter Sunday finds you and your church families!
Attached is a link for an Easter Call to Worship featuring 37 voices throughout the Florida Conference. We invite you to use and share this video however you would like.
We are asking that you share this link on Easter Sunday (and not before!) in any and every way you would be so inclined (Social Media, etc.).
We ask you to wait until Easter before sharing so that we can collectively give the upcoming days of Holy Week their due reverence, so that we can allow (me) any necessary editing between now and Easter, and so that we can optimize and maximize the spread of our message by sharing our voices (and our video!) at once!
For those of you who are compiling a video to be uploaded for your congregation’s service, I have attached a link to download the file. Please, however, refrain from sharing this hard copy, and instead, when you share, utilize our YouTube Link.
These weeks when we cannot gather in person for Sunday worship, Lakewood United Church of Christ is providing brief weekly sabbath programs for you to listen to on your own or with those you live with. They will be posted on Friday so that you can schedule your sabbath time to suit your schedule and your spiritual inclinations. This is our fourth offering of a Corona Sabbath post. We will continue to post these weekly until we are able to meet again for worship in person. We hope these programs are of spiritual support to you in these difficult times. We look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
This devotion commemorates Easter. Under normal circumstances we would be gathering on Sunday morning and entering a bare sanctuary. Then during the processional, the children and youth of the church would bring in flowers that are placed on the altar along with the bread and cup for communion and the offering plates. After the service, there would be refreshments outside on the lawn and an Easter Egg hunt. How glorious those traditional observances will seem next Easter when we take them up once more!
For now, find a quiet place, inside or outside. Light a candle. Breathe. Be present.
Contemporary theologian N. T. Wright tells us:
“Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord’s Prayer is about.”
You are invited to say the Savior’s Prayer in whatever version is most familiar to you.
Please enjoy this musical celebration of Easter! At Lakewood United Church of Christ, we use the New Century Hymnal which was designed to use inclusive language for humanity and expansive language for God. Today, for copyright reasons, we share the traditional words to the Easter standard, Christ the Lord Is Risen Today. You are welcome to sing now, as an opening hymn, the six verses at https://hymnary.org/text/christ_the_lord_is_risen_today_wesley to the organ accompaniment you can play by clicking below.
When you are ready, start the video below.
There is a scripture lesson and a brief meditation by Pastor Kim Wells followed by music offered by Music Director Hilton Kean Jones and then for this Easter post, there is a presentation of the ways that the LUCC congregation has experienced new life and creativity during these days of shelter-in-place.
As you listen to the music from Hilton which follows, you are invited to pay attention to the thoughts and feelings and reflections that arise for you.
After viewing the videos, you are invited to offer the following closing prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, thou didst not come to the world to be served, but also surely not to be admired or in that sense to be worshiped. Thou wast the way and the truth – and it was followers only thou didst demand. Arouse us therefore if we have dozed away into this delusion, save us from the error of wishing to admire thee instead of being willing to follow thee and to resemble thee.
— Søren Kierkegaard 1813-1855
Breathe. Extinguish your candle and engage whatever may come with a sense of peace and a desire to serve.
Please enjoy the presentation which follows. The congregation was asked to submit expressions of the way people are experiencing and expressing creativity and new life in these corona days. Here are the offerings that were received.
Most of the smaller pictures in multiples will open to full size if you click on them.
Emily Bell
Green Heron Parent on Nest
Lucille Ruga
A freezer full of homemade soups, breads, baked squash and chili. Books completed or in progress shown with my mask, photos taken.
Patricia Cooksey
Patti Cooksey
March 25, 2020
Reflection: Spring
In the last several weeks of social distancing, I have found myself experiencing more of the beauty and mystery in nature through the poems of Mary Oliver, my many walks and bike rides along Clam Bayou, and tending to my little flower garden. The beautiful sunsets and the morning songs of the birds have calmed my thoughts and fears as news of the virus continues to lead conversation and media reports. I have encountered many scenes of brilliant colors, sounds, and images each day. I have selected one photo to share, pink roses.
On the morning I learned St Petersburg had moved into a safer-at-home order, I felt devastated knowing this was just the beginning of a long period in which I would be isolated, separated from the presence of my family, especially grandchildren. Instead of hitting the trail for my morning walk, I decided to just sit on my porch and breathe while listening to Hilton playing, “Pescador de hombres.” I felt a sense of calmness come over me.
As I walked around the corner to go back into the Florida room, I saw three pink roses on what had been my mother’s Queen Elizabeth rose bush, the one we planted over 15 years ago when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. I found myself smiling, remembering my mother as I walked over and gently touched a petal. I knew those roses were a gift to my two brothers and myself. I cut them and brought them into my home where they brought beauty, comfort, and love for many days. They were symbol of family connection, reminding me I was not alone. Reminding me that there is beauty and in these dark, uncertain days.
Joyce Lee
On my daily walk, I captured this sunrise.
–Joyce
Rev. Angela Wells-Bean
We took a walk!
Claire Stiles
A Tribute to Nurses – From one Generation to Another
Claire Stiles – April 8, 2020
As I accepted the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic and the sacrifices it would require of all of us, my thoughts went quickly to my late mother, Pearl Lovely Schmidt, R.N., whose career in nursing spanned over 50 years. She suffered through many health crises as a front line worker in hospitals and on the streets of NYC as a Public Health Nurse in the day when treatments and medications were fairly primitive by today’s standards. My respect and regard for her as a person and a professional nurse has only deepened over the years and finding a way to honor her legacy during this health care crisis led me to a creative idea.
I decided to create a “Care Package” in my mother’s honor for our very own Olivia Gibson, R.N. who is facing this infectious disease directly at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. In her first year of work as a professional nurse, Olivia represents the courage, strength, compassion, and commitment of all nurses and other health care professionals who face risks and tragedy in their daily work.
In this package I included a retirement photo of my mother (See below), her obituary listing all of her nursing career jobs and accomplishments, my mother’s nursing charm bracelet that I bought her many years ago, a video and article about Florence Nightingale, the founder of professional nursing, snack bars and gift food cards, and a letter expressing my love and support of Olivia.
So for Olivia, and for all those who serve to transport, diagnose, treat, and heal the sick and who put themselves at great risk in doing so, I give my highest gratitude and blessings. I know my mother would be among them if she could!
Claire Stiles mother, scanned by Ruth Pettis
Denise Williams
I’m sure some of us, including me, have not been too creative or even productive during this quarantine. We’ve just been trying to get through one day at a time without falling into the abyss. I’m trying to somehow stay positive so I don’t totally step into a dimension that would be extremely difficult from which to return. I begin and end the day with a prayer of gratitude for my many blessings…
I admit I was struggling even before the Corona crisis. This current situation reminds me of when my father used to say, “I’ll give you something to cry about.”
I feel extremely grateful that I was already working from home six months before Corona meant anything more than a cold beer with a lime or a luminous envelope of plasma surrounding the sun. The transition was much less stressful for yours truly, thank God. Working from home has been wonderful, especially during these strange, stressful times. I pray daily for those out on the “front lines!”
I was isolating long before it became “popular,” but now, though I still isolate, I am tentatively reaching out to others, listening more and being grateful for even the smallest of things. For me, staying calm and somewhat peaceful has been quite the achievement – Oh, and lest I forget, I did reorganize the linen closet and clean off shelves by my bed cluttered with self help books and obsolete paperwork. Tackling clutter eases my fearful mind and can yield quite creative transformations. My guitar has even been picked up more than once – baby steps I know, but I celebrate anything I can these days.
Thinking of you all and wishing my Lakewood family the very best, now and forever – looking forward to seeing your smiles in the near future. ♥️♥️♥️
Marg Radens
I just took out the cello to pick out the tune, “Carrickfergus”.
So good to hear with piano.
Wishing you a good Easter. Love, Marg
This orchid just bloomed yesterday.
Janet Blair
1. Working from home
2. Boyd Hill Trail Walk
3. Jim leads a meditation for a group of us on Zoom
4. Zoe does therapy on Zoom with kids in St Louis
5. Zach’s sophomore year of college
Over the past few weeks in our backyard we got to watch two Mourning Doves build a nest, hatch their eggs and then, today, take their two baby birds flying for the first time. It has been so wonderful to witness this tiny act of hope & new life–and is one of the many ways we are waking up & taking notice during these close to home days.
Jeff Wells
Two photos of projects I’ve been working on during this quarantine period.
The first is a rack for kayaks in the side yard. Pretty self explanatory.
The second is of a balsa/tissue paper model of a Cessna 170. Interesting story: A friend (who has since moved to N Carolina) took me flying twice in the Cessna 170 which his father bought new in 1952! I purchased the model in 2005 thinking I’d build it and give it to him. Alas, it languished on a garage shelf for 15 years until “this” happened. It’s taking way longer than I expected.
Kay Rencken
I have long been interested in Matisse….and during this time I have been wandering through books and google to discover all sorts of new paths to follow and all sorts oof new delights. One is this beauteous and calm painting ….THE MARABOUT painted in Morocco in 1912-1913. I revel in all that blue! Gra agus slan……Kay Rencken
Bill Parsons
Kay and I were planning to go to Poland in May, but this trip was cancelled because of the virus. We had begun to prepare for the trip, but we learned that Poland is having just as much trouble with the virus as we are. My friend in Cracow whom I met 60 years ago as a student wrote me a two page letter in Polish saying he hopes we can reschedule soon. There are many things that will need to be rescheduled.
Happy Easter!
Bill Parsons
Drodzy Kay i Billu!
Czasy rzeczywiście fatalne, u nas, w Polsce również
szaleje zaraza koronowirusa… Kiedy piszę te słowa,
wydaje się, że najgorsze przed nami, chociaż wydaje
się, że nowojorskiego Armagedonu zdołamy uniknąć.
Najbardziej doskwiera nam izolacja, brak możliwości
wyjścia z domu. Na szczęście młodsza córka-Agata
mieszka po drugiej stronie ulicy, więc wyręcza nas z
obowiązku zakupów podstawowych produktów
żywnościowych. A tak nawiasem mówiąc, nasze polskie
trudności z niedostatkiem podstawowych materiałów
medycznych(maseczki, respiratory itd.), deficyt lekarzy
masowo wyjeżdżających za granicę w poszukiwaniu
lepszego chleba, przestają szokować, w sytuacji, kiedy
światowe mocarstwo nr 1- USA, przeżywa podobne, a
nawet poważniejsze perturbacje. Jak widać, pandemia
udziela naszej cywilizacji surowej lekcji i uczy pokory!
Tym bardziej żałuję, że nie dane nam będzie w tym roku
pogadać o tych i bardziej osobistych sprawach,
zwłaszcza tych, które są wspomnieniem dawnych,
wspaniałych lat.
Colleen Coughenour and Mark Gibson
These are photos that we sent out to our students.
Rev. Kim Wells
A Sacrificial Offering, Corona-style:
“Each one who is registered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the Lord’s offering.” Exodus 30:14
Fifty-eight rolls of toilet paper. One for every member of the church.
Jena Blair
The Blair-Catala’s are keeping going with trips to parks, watering Owen’s school garden, St Pete mural driving tour, homemade meals, board games and zoom with family.
Wonderful idea!
Jena
Susan Sherwood
Rooted in nature…
Prayers for all
Rest
Easter Joy
Earl Waters
Easter is a celebration of new life. Springbis also a time of new life. We have been using some hours trimming oak suckers, trimming palms, gardening around our villa including our orchids. We also make weekly yours of the campus picking up garbage that has appeared.
Reading and watching television are great but getting out assisting new life to bloom is even more fun.
Earl
Dina Gamma
Christy Martin
We have started the alphabet conversation. For example, your first word needs to start with letter I. . .
I am hungry.
The next person’s first word needs to start with J.
Just eat a snack.
Keep it simple.
Let’s eat popcorn.
You can start with any letter of the alphabet!
Try it, it’s fun and hard!
–Christy, Amaiya, and Kai’Lyn
Emily Gibson
Here are some Coughenour-Gibson quarantine photos!
Hilton Jones
Some days are better than others. Cooking 3 meals a day and baking keeps me going. This saying helps, too:
Let go of what has passed.
Let go of what may come.
Let go of what is happening now.
Don’t try to figure anything out.
Don’t try to make anything happen.
Relax, right now, and rest.
Well, yes, it is good. As the beautiful Holy Week hymn declares:
What wondrous love is this, O my soul! O my soul! What wondrous love it this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this! that Christ should come in bliss to bear the heavy cross for my soul, for my soul, to bear the heavy cross for my soul! [This is an anonymous folk hymn.]
The incredible, perhaps unequalled, expression of love represented in the crucifixion is amazing goodness. Divine goodness.
But Good Friday is not only good. It is also horrific. We see this expressed in another Holy Week hymn:
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down, Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, your only crown, How pale you are with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn! How does your visage languish which once was bright as morn! [Latin poem/Hassler]
Good Friday also shows us the worst that humanity is capable of. It shows us pride, fear, arrogance, sin, insecurity, selfishness, greed, injustice, and evil in full force.
So this is a day of conflict. We are confronted with the best and the worst that humanity is capable of. It is a day of extremes that can leave us foundering and lost.
Somehow it seems fitting that we are enduring this COVID-19 pandemic over Good Friday because this worldwide cataclysm is like Good Friday in that we see it exposing the extreme goodness and the extreme vileness of humanity.
This virus has brought into sharp focus the amazing compassion that people are extending to one another. We see this incredible good bursting forth each and every day around the world. We see people working around the clock to provide for others. We see people driven to find solutions, cures, and treatments. We see neighbors reaching out in sacrificial ways to help strangers. It is quite extraordinary – the visible acts of compassion and self-sacrifice that are going on around the world as people help people during this pandemic. We see an incredibly beautiful manifestation of love and goodness.
The eruption of the coronavirus also exposes our worst. We see political posturing taking pre-eminence over the saving of lives. We see greed rearing its ugly head. We see fear-driven cruelty. We see the devastating disparities in our communities come glaringly to the fore.
And we have all of this time at home, not traveling to and from work, not our shopping, not going out to eat, with access to news and social media 24/7. Of course people are sleeping more. We need to shut down the newsfeed. It’s overwhelming. It is no wonder that at times we feel that we are foundering and lost.
Good Friday is a day to simply ponder, to take it all in, to let it wash over you, to wonder, to be adrift. In what you fundamentally know is an ocean of Love.
______________________
“What is hell? I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.”
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov, 19th century
Eating. We all have to do it. And during this corona pandemic, we realize just how important food, the grocery store, and food industry workers are to our survival.
Daily I hear things on the radio about food, recipes, how and what to cook during these days of shelter-in-place, safer-at-home. Many people, evidently, are not used to cooking at home on a daily basis. And then there is the bread and baking craze. But, we don’t live by bread alone. How about lentils? Beans? Vegetables, anyone?
These corona days are giving us more awareness of the importance of food in our lives. People miss going out to eat and sitting with friends in a restaurant; so much so that they are resorting to dinner parties on Zoom and other video chat platforms.
And then there is the ultimate dinner event, the Passover Seder. Again, people are employing ingenuity and technology to observe this sacred meal.
We are finding that we long to be together around a table with food. In China. In Italy. In Africa. In New York. It seems no matter where we are in this world, we are missing eating together.
Today we remember the stories of Jesus eating with his friends, celebrating Passover, the night before he is crucified. Jesus, too, is sustained by food. He, too needs food, companionship, and relationship. Jesus, too, is sustained by religious ritual; by observance and practice. Yes, today we remember our common need for sustenance of many kinds.
We also remember the stories of how Jesus’ friends let him down. How Judas betrayed Jesus to the authorities. How Peter denied Jesus to protect himself. How Jesus’ besties fell asleep when he asked them to watch and pray in his darkest hour.
COVID-19 is also revealing our proclivity for betrayal:
We betray one another by relaxing our vigilance against this disease. By ignoring guidelines for disinfecting and staying put.
We betray each other by giving in to our desires for material goods and direct social connection.
We betray each other by denying healthcare to those in need, including those needing abortions.
We betray each other by not providing needed personal protective equipment to essential workers.
We betray one another by not contacting loved ones and lonely ones.
We betray each other by letting people lose their homes and jobs and fall into poverty.
We betray each other by forgetting those who cannot apply for unemployment and assistance when libraries are closed and they have no access to the Internet.
As we eat and drink each day may we remember our common bond as human beings and may we learn to live without betraying each other.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 