Lakewood United Church of Christ

From former LUCC member, Harry Knox

Friends,

Please excuse any duplications or cross-postings – this is important!

Below is our invitation to the press, coalition partners, colleague organizations, and friends about our campaign launch on January 29. We’re getting revved up for it and are very excited. If you’re in town, we’d like for you to be there. If you have connections to press or other folks you think you should be there, please let me or Michael (mmitchell@rcrc.org) know. And if you tweet, blog, Facebook, etc., please mark your calendars to help us push out this good news: It’s Time to Talk…

Blessings!
Harry

It’s time to talk about religion and abortion.
It’s time to talk about religion and sexuality.
It’s time to talk about religion and justice.

At the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, we believe that it’s time to have a different conversation about the intersections of religion, abortion, sexuality, and justice, and we’re calling on religious leaders, people of faith, and other folks who believe that we must change the conversation to join us.

For too long, the public debate on these issues has been dominated by strident voices who want a monopoly on religion. It’s time to tell the truth: that most people of faith in this country – like the majority of Americans overall – want families and individuals to have access to contraception, sexuality education, and reproductive healthcare including abortion.

Please join us on Wednesday, January 29 as we launch our new campaign called “It’s Time.”

We want you there with us as we start this important conversation.

January 29, 2014
9:30 AM
National Press Club | 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor | Washington, DC

Speakers (subject to change)

Rev. Harry Knox, RCRC President/CEO
LaTasha D. Mayes, Founder and Executive Director, New Voices Pittsburgh
Willie J. Parker, MD, MPH, MSc, Assoc. Medical Dir., Family Planning Associates Medical Group (Chicago)
Rev. Dr. Alethea Smith-Withers, Chair, RCRC Board of Directors
Aimee Thorne-Thompson, VP for Strategic Partnerships, Advocates for Youth

Space limited! Please RSVP here.

Questions? Arika Kern at akern@rcrc.org or 202.628.7700 can get you sorted out.

Epiphany 2014 (podcast)

The sermon involves a discussion of Piermatteo d’Amelia’s painting, “Annunciation,”
ca. 1475, seen above.

1/5/2014
Rev. Wells

The recording begins with Liturgist, Barry Hamilton, reading the scripture, Jeremiah 31:7-14, followed by Rev. Well’s sermon. To listen, click the following link:

Epiphany 2014 (podcast)

If you experience problems playing the podcast, download the audio file and play it with your computer’s media player. To download, if you have a two-button mouse, right-click the link and select the save option. If you have a one-button mouse (on a Mac), press and hold the “Control” key and click the link and select the save option.

Epiphany Devotion

Today is Epiphany. For those of us in Pinellas County, Florida, that means that the Greek Orthodox people in Tarpon Springs will have lots of festivities and the teen boys who dive for the cross will be very cold today! For those of Latino descent, this is Three Kings Day, also complete with presents and festivities.

Epiphany is a day to celebrate the light of God coming into the world. We see that light in Jesus. The scripture for the day comes from Matthew 4:12- 17:

Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the poeple who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.’ From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the realm of heaven has come near.’

The light comes to people on the edge, to the margins, the borders. The light comes to those facing death. The light comes to those who are in darkness. We are given the impression that the light comes where it is needed most.

This invites the question: Where is the light needed most in our world today? Where do you think the light needs to shine?

We are told that Jesus begins his ministry after John is imprisoned. John’s active ministry is finished. Jesus carries on. Now, Jesus’ active ministry on earth is over and he has commissioned his followers to take over and carry on.

Thinking about where the light is needed in today’s world, we then ask: What are we doing to shine that light where it is most needed?

Prayer: May we see the light of divine love illuminating our reality, our lives, and all of life. And may we shine that light where it is needed most. Amen.