Posts

Weekly Update 4/8

WHAT IS GOING ON AT CHURCH –

HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Wednesday
There will be a weekly labyrinth walk at 9:00 a.m. following up on the themes of the Palm
Sunday story.
Thursday
There will be a daily hymn post and a written devotion posted on the website.
There will also be a Zoom gathering for communion at 7:00 p.m. Use the links below to
participate. If you have never tried Zoom, this is a good time to start. You can participate by
phone or by computer.
Also, have a candle and something bread-like and something juice-like available if you can.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/664738111 Friday
There will be a daily hymn post and a written devotion posted on the website.
There will be a special labyrinth walk at noon remembering the crucifixion.
EASTER SUNDAY
The Easter Story of new life and hope is needed now more than ever!
There will be an Easter Corona Sabbath post with special music and a video.
There will be a special post celebrating the creative spirit expressed by the LUCC congregation
in this time of pandemic.
There will be a sunrise labyrinth walk at 7:00 a.m.
There will be a Zoom gathering at 10:30 a.m. with readings, a reflection from Pastor Kim
Wells, and community sharing. See the Links below:
Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/148725351

Easter: In Celebration of New Life and the Creative Spirit

“Whenever you have limits, it also inspires creativity,” says Biology and Marine Science
Professor Athena Rycyk of New College of Florida.

We would like to celebrate that creativity within the LUCC church family by preparing a special post for Easter that features the ways that you have been creative during this time of safer-at-home shelter-in-place.

Creativity takes many forms! Pictures of nature you have taken. Pictures of a drawing or a
sculpture or a craft project you have created during this time. A poem or short story or
reflection you have written during this time. A picture of something you have baked!
Explanation of a creative idea that has arisen for you. A picture of you playing a musical
instrument. Something you have planted or built in these corona days. Hilton will create a
composite post of all the submissions for Easter Sunday!

Some guidelines: No video or sound because that complicates the posting side of things.
Please send your submissions to the church office by Wednesday, April 8, TODAY
lakewooducc@gmail.com

Corona Sabbath Posts

Each Friday, the church will post a devotional with readings, video from Kim, and music from
Hilton. You are invited to access these at the website and observe the sabbath according to
your schedule over the weekend. There will be a new one posted each week. This week’s post will highlight the Easter Story.

Please use the link below to view last week’s Corona Sabbath Post –
https://lakewooducc.org/2020/04/03/corona-sabbath-3-palm-sunday/

In addition to the weekly Corona Sabbath devotions on the website every Friday, Hilton is also posting music, mainly hymns, on the website daily. These are also posted on the church’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. You may find links to all the music posts on the website at https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/ — note the “Older Posts” button down the page.

Daily Corona Prayer

https://lakewooducc.org/2020/03/20/lucc-corona-daily-prayer/

Labyrinth Walks

Labyrinth Walks are being held as scheduled on Wednesday mornings at 9:00. These will continue after Easter into the spring. There will also be guided labyrinth walks on Good Friday at noon and Easter Sunday at 7:00 a.m. We feel given current information and restrictions that it is safe to hold this activity. It involves less than 10 people, it is outside, and the people can be at least 6 feet apart. Bring your own chair and wear a mask if you wish.

Adult Day Care

Plans for LUCC to host an adult day care program offered by Neighborly Services continue to develop. Neighborly Services is now storing furniture and supplies at the church. A lease is being negotiated. Church leaders have approved the design for the installation of handicapped restrooms in the Fellowship Hall. The COVID-19 situation will determine when the adult daycare can open.

Church Finances
Unexpected Funds Arriving and Thinking of LUCC: Claire Stiles

As many of us will be receiving unexpected funds from the federal government
soon, perhaps we can consider giving some of the money to help our church and
other service organizations survive and provide for others during this challenging
time. Some of us have been blessed with sufficient income in retirement or are
still employed so could more easily share some of the $1200 or $2400 that our
households will receive. If that is true for you, please join me in deciding to use a
portion of this income to support our beloved LUCC and any other organizations
and services in our community that need our help!

Support for Medical Supplies

LUCC has signed on to a letter from countless organizations demanding that the federal
government provide all needed medical supplies to effectively combat COVID-19.

Subscribe to Website
This would be a good time to subscribe to the church website. As a subscriber, everything that is posted on the website will be sent to your email.

There’s now a new way to subscribe to posts from the church website by email. On any page of the website, look down the page for “Follow Blog via Email.” If you subscribed before, you’ll need to subscribe again with this new button. Notice, it’s right above the Paypal “Donate” button! 

If you would like assistance with this, please contact the Church Office.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is screenshotsubscribe.png

Sundays. . .

On Sundays, Rev. Wells will be at church from 10:30-11:30. The peace candle will be lit and
prayers will be offered. You are welcome to stop by to pray or meditate. The labyrinth is also
available. This is a symbolic witness that the church is still here, is still serving, is still active, is still shining light – even in these drastically changed circumstances.

Kitchen Improvements

A wall with peeling plaster and paint has been repaired thanks to William Owen. William is also fixing the termite damage done to the kitchen doors. Jeff Wells and Bert Lee have been working on removing the industrial exhaust hood that is no longer needed. Many thanks to all who are helping out!

Help Offered

Several people from the congregation have offered to help others as needed. If you need
something from the grocery store or help with an errand or some other kind of assistance,
please contact the Church Office. There are those who are ready and willing.

New Cleaning Routines

The church custodian, Tony Rogers, is being sure to thoroughly sanitize the building including door handles, faucets, etc. We are grateful for this increased effort.

Church Office Changes

Given the increased restrictions on social contact, the church office is closed until further notice. The church administrator, Gabi Paxton will be working from home. The ministry of the church is continuing to the fullest measure possible under the current conditions. Please continue to be in contact and reach out to the church and staff.

WHAT IS NOT GOING ON AT CHURCH –
AA
Sunday Afternoon rental church
Regular Sunday Services
Choir Rehearsal
Church School
Easter Flowers
There will be no Easter flowers for Easter Sunday. However, when we are able to gather for
worship in the sanctuary again, there will be FLOWERS and a joy filled celebration!
Operation Attack has suspended service until further notice. The items in the grocery cart at
church were donated to the Free Clinic which is still operating.

OTHER CHURCH NEWS

Music Ministry

About Hilton’s music. . . If you would enjoy hearing Hilton play more Irish folk songs, you can
listen for free at either https://hiltonjones.bandcamp.com/album/irish-
tunes or https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/irish-tunes .

To see the complete list of Corona Sabbath posts today, go to https://lakewooducc.org/category/online-devotional/. Note that down the page, as time goes on, there will be a button that says “Older Posts.” To see a complete list of music posts to date, go to https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/. Again, look for the button down the page that says “Older Posts.” As always, of course, you may see all older posts of every category under the main menu (https://lakewooducc.org/posts/).

Weekly Chat and Check-In  LUCC Member Wally LeBlanc to Host Weekly Chat

This chat is provided by Wally as a time to check in and chat.  Everyone from the church is invited.  As Wally says,  “This is something that is definitely going to make isolation a lot easier for me as well as others.”

Here are the details: Weekly Chat and Check-In Thursdays 5pm to 5:40pm starting April 9th 2020 Zoom link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/725374492?pwd=N2IyOWFzNUhxUEpma2ZpWFpncVB0dz09

April Birthdays: Zachary Blair-Andrews 4/16, Mary Beth Lewis 4/29, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: William Owen, Wilbur Reid, Martha Lamar, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, and Ann Rogers. All healthcare workers and essential workers. All those suffering from COVID-19.

Please keep LUCC member, Olivia Gibson, in your prayers. She is a nurse on a COVID-19 unit in a local hospital. We are grateful for her ministry!

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.

Easter Greeting from UCC General Minister and President

Celebrating Easter in this Extraordinary Time
Finding Joy, Despite Social Distancing

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

In a few short days, we will be preparing our hearts and minds to commemorate the death of Jesus on the cross and to celebrate his resurrection from the dead. The days that comprise Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, are among the most holy and sacred moments in our liturgical calendar.

This year is different for us. For the first time in most of our lives, we will be facing the likelihood that our sanctuaries will be empty.

For some weeks now, many of us have been exploring online worship. The coronavirus is wreaking havoc in our lives and communities. It has disrupted our work lives, our social lives, our children’s educational lives, and our worship lives.

The first Sunday that many of our churches closed up their sanctuaries and worshiped from home, I sat on my couch all day and attended worship services in six different time zones from New York to Hawaii. I joined everything from hi-tech worship with multiple camera angles, lively chat features, beautiful graphics, and tech experts working the mixer to very low-tech services with the pastor sitting in his or her living room with headphones on while doing a Zoom call with about a dozen mostly elderly people who were on Zoom for the first time. But – it was all beautiful, authentic, and – yes – worshipful. In spite of the distancing we were creating, we all felt connected.

We have done this a few times now. One of the things I am hearing from pastors is that they are gathering more people in their online services than they ever get in the sanctuary. It could well be that the Holy Spirit is using us to create a whole new mission field – and that the gospel we preach inside our sacred walls is now reaching a world hungry for something they never knew they were missing.

Which brings me to Easter.

I do understand the grief many of us will feel if and when we cannot gather together to celebrate Christ’s rising from the dead. I invite us from the place of our grief to remember that beautiful line from Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Remember that Christ’s rising from the dead is our assurance that God reigns. God conquers all that seeks to separate us one from another. For I am persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature – not even the coronavirus.

Not being physically present with each other on our High Holy Day is a small price to pay for maintaining the health of the most vulnerable among us, as is conducting our shared worship experience online rather than in person.

Don’t doubt that God will hear our prayers, accept our offerings, rejoice in our praise of all that Her hands have wrought, and be moved by our coming together digitally rather than physically. God’s love abides in both the actual world and the virtual world. We are undoubtedly learning something in this shared experience that will open us up to new ways of encountering our Sacred and sharing the gospel. When this is over, and it will be over sometime, we will grieve whatever we will have lost along the way; but we can also celebrate the gift of becoming a Church more fully equipped to tell the story of God’s redeeming and transformative love.

Please, don’t let Easter be your act of defiance and refuse to accept the conditions we are all being asked to live under in order to be a better neighbor for those in danger of contracting–and then perhaps suffering and dying–from this horrible virus.

Please, do everything you can to distance yourself even from your worship family.

Please, take time between now and Easter to imagine and to create and execute a beautiful, meaningful, and memorable Easter celebration online, that both honors our need to give thanks to the God of the risen Jesus AND invites your members and a whole new digital community to share the good news of the resurrection.

We can do this.

And we can do this in such a way that we won’t ever regret being asked to do this.

May the joy of this Easter season that is fast approaching not be dimmed or diminished by our social distancing and self-quarantining. May we all find our way in and through this and see the beauty inherent in it. And may the peace of the risen Christ be with you now and forevermore.

Sincerely,

John Dorhauer signature

The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer
General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ

Click below to see John’s Easter Greeting video.

Corona Sabbath 3 (Palm Sunday)

image1These 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. We hope these programs are of spiritual support to you in these difficult times.

Find a quiet place, inside or outside. Light a candle. Breathe. Be present.

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.

(For written text of video click HERE.)

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 video and listening to the music, you are invited to offer the following closing –

The Coming of Light

Even this late it happens:
the coming of love, the coming of light.
You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves,
stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows,
sending up warm bouquets of air.
Even this late the bones of the body shine
and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.

-Mark Strand 1934-2013, poet

Breathe. Extinguish your candle and engage whatever may come with a sense of peace and a desire to serve.

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

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

Pues si vivimos

Pues si vivimosThere’s scarce little on the Internet about this song and much of what is there is conflicting. Some sources cite an author, some not. Some a composer, some not. Only one site had the lyrics but I didn’t feel comfortable linking to it. Some list 2 verses, some 4; the New Century Hymnal has only 2 with the first in both Spanish and English.

Since, the ownership of the song is in doubt I don’t feel comfortable citing the lyrics myself. So…just enjoy it and sing along if you have the New Century Hymnal, #499, or the United Methodist Hymnal, #346 or Mil Voces Para Celebrar, #337.

The footnote in the New Century Hymnal says, “This anonymous Mexican folk hymn was transcribed by hymnologist Gertrude Suppe after she first heard it sung by two church women visiting California from Mexico. It was published in Celebremos II (1983).” And it gives the following information for the tune: “PUES SI VIVIMOS, Anon; arr. B.C.M. 1988.”

Just a reminder that the complete collection of these hymn recordings is available for free listening (streaming) at https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/hymns-at-lakewood. When each new recording is posted on the church website, it is also added to this album.

Weekly Update 4.1.2020

WHAT IS GOING ON AT CHURCH –

Corona Sabbath Posts

Each Friday, the church will post a devotional with readings, video from Kim, and music from Hilton. You are invited to access these at the website and observe the sabbath according to your schedule over the weekend. There will be a new one posted each week. This week’s post will highlight Palm Sunday.

Please use the link below to view last week’s Corona Sabbath Post –

https://lakewooducc.org/2020/03/27/corona-sabbath-2/

In addition to the weekly Corona Sabbath devotions on the website every Friday, Hilton is also posting music, mainly hymns, on the website daily. These are also posted on the church’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. You may find links to all the music posts on the website at https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/ — note the “Older Posts” button down the page.

Easter:  In Celebration of New Life and the Creative Spirit

The coronavirus situation has spawned an enormous outpouring of creativity that is taking many forms.  Biology and Marine Science Professor Athena Rycyk of New College reminds us, “Whenever you have limits, it also inspires creativity.”

We would like to celebrate that creativity within the LUCC church family by preparing a special post for Easter that features the ways that you have been creative during this time of safer-at-home shelter-in-place.  

Creativity takes many forms!   Pictures of nature you have taken.  Pictures of a drawing or a sculpture or a craft project you have created during this time.   A poem or short story or reflection you have written during this time.  A picture of something you have baked!  Explanation of a creative idea that has arisen for you.  Something you have planted or built in these corona days.  Hilton will create a composite post of all the submissions for Easter Sunday!

Some guidelines:  No video or sound because that complicates the posting side of things. Please send your submissions to the church office by Wednesday April 8.  lakewooducc@gmail.com

Daily Corona Prayer

https://lakewooducc.org/2020/03/20/lucc-corona-daily-prayer/

Labyrinth Walks are being held as scheduled on Wednesday mornings at 9:00 through Lent. The last date is April 8th. There will also be guided labyrinth walks on Good Friday at noon and Easter Sunday at 7:00 a.m. We feel given current information and restrictions that it is safe to hold this activity. It involves less than 10 people, it is outside, and the people can be at least 6 feet apart. Bring your own chair if you wish.

Adult Day Care

Plans for LUCC to host an adult day care program offered by Neighborly Services continue to develop. Neighborly Services is now storing furniture and supplies at the church. A lease is being negotiated. The COVID-19 situation will determine when the adult daycare can open.

EV Charging Station

A new electrical vehicle charging station has been installed on the north side of the church building. This project was done in partnership with Duke Energy. Several people from the congregation were directly involved in assisting with the installation. Many thanks to Claire Stiles, Earl Waters, Bert Lee, and Jeff Wells.

The Church Helping the Homeless

The church has received several requests for help from homeless neighbors. One used the hose to bathe. Another used the church computer to apply for unemployment since the library computers are no longer available. The corona virus restrictions are having a particularly negative impact on the underclass and homeless.

Financial Update from Bill Parsons

We are beginning a new month in new times, but we need to remember that we need to support each other, and we need to support Lakewood UCC and our mission. We hope that those who contribute monthly by check will remember to send in a check, even if you aren’t able to bring it to church. And if you are accustomed to bringing a weekly offering, perhaps now is a time to consider sending a monthly donation. And let’s not forget to include something for our special needs fund which is usually collected on the first Sunday of each month, or maybe you will want to consider a special Easter offering (in place of our normal offering for flowers). We would like our counters to continue their essential function in these troubled times.

If you have a bill-pay program through your bank or credit union that you use for paying other bills, this could be a good time to add the church to this system. It is convenient and there is no fee associated for you or the church. Another option is to pay online through PayPal. We realize that some may need to take care of other priorities first, but we hope that those who are able will remember the church at this difficult time.

Church Website

This would be a good time to subscribe to the church website. As a subscriber, everything that is posted on the website will be sent to your email.

There’s now a new way to subscribe to posts from the church website by email. On any page of the website, look down the page for “Follow Blog via Email.” If you subscribed before, you’ll need to subscribe again with this new button. Notice, it’s right above the Paypal “Donate” button! 

If you would like assistance with this, please contact the Church Office.

Reaching Out

While we are to maintain our physical distance, you are encouraged to reach out to someone from the church family at least once a week – a phone call, an email, a handwritten note – whatever works best for you. Please be in contact with one another.

In addition, please be in contact with people beyond the church family – friends, neighbors, public officials, health care workers – offering a word of gratitude or support or encouragement. These are hard times for many people. And many feel extremely isolated. So, reach out, but don’t touch!

A New Church Directory

To facilitate our efforts to be in contact, an updated church directory has been mailed to church members. If you would like a copy and do not receive one in the next week or so, please contact the Church Office.

Sundays. . .

On Sundays, Rev. Wells will be at church from 10:30-11:30. The peace candle will be lit and prayers will be offered. You are welcome to stop by to pray or meditate. The labyrinth is also available. This is a symbolic witness that the church is still here, is still serving, is still active, is still shining light – even in these drastically changed circumstances.

Help Offered

Several people from the congregation have offered to help others as needed. If you need something from the grocery store or help with an errand or some other kind of assistance, please contact the Church Office. There are those who are ready and willing.

New Cleaning Routines

The church custodian, Tony Rogers, is being sure to thoroughly sanitize the building including door handles, faucets, etc. We are grateful for this increased effort.

WHAT IS NOT GOING ON AT CHURCH –

AA

Sunday Afternoon rental church

Regular Sunday Services

Choir Rehearsal

Church School

About Hilton’s music. . . If you would enjoy hearing Hilton play more Irish folk songs, you can listen for free at either https://hiltonjones.bandcamp.com/album/irish-tunes or https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/irish-tunes.

Operation Attack: Operation Attack is very much in need of clothes for men, boys, and girls as well as diapers and peanut butter and canned fruit. Donations may be placed in the shopping cart in the entryway to the sanctuary. Volunteer dates are April 13 and May 11. They also need people to help on the first three Tuesdays of the month from 9:30-noon.

Operation Attack is an ecumenical effort serving families with children located at Lakeview Presbyterian Church, 1310 22nd. Ave. S., St. Petersburg. LUCC was a founding member of Operation Attack in the 1960’s!

April Birthdays: Zachery Blair-Andrews 4/16, Mary Beth Lewis 4/29, Someone missing? Contact the church office with birthday information.

Circle of Concern: Olivia Gibson, William Owen, Wilbur Reid, Martha Lamar, Jen Degroot, Carolyn Moore, Ann Quinn, Maggie Brizendine, and Ann Rogers.

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.