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.
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/664738111Friday 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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!
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.
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,
The Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ
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. 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.
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.
There’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.
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. We hope these programs are of spiritual support to you in these difficult times.
There’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.
