Of the many things for which I am grateful (you can see a few here), very high on the list is the opportunity that we have to work and worship together as Lake Worth United Church of Christ. It is difficult for me to imagine walking my spiritual path or facing the national and planetary circumstances in which we currently find ourselves apart from this community. Thank you!

With Gratitude,

On sunday November 30th, we begin a new series for the Advent series, What Do You Fear?: Insisting on Hope This Advent. 

Luke’s Gospel begins the story of Jesus with this opening line: “In the time of Herod…” This detail may seem minor to modern readers, however, it reveals layers of information about the fearful world Jesus entered, one filled with rampant oppression, economic disparity, uncertainty, and instability. A world not so unlike our own. And yet, throughout the stories of Christ’s birth, we hear the whispers of angels delivering a surprising message: “Do not fear.” In our own time, we might ask: is it even possible to be fearless in a fearful world? When Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the magi are each called into God’s redemptive story, they do not deny their fears—they move through them. They ask questions, hold fast to courage, trust in good news, and say, “Here I am, Lord.” When we find ourselves in fearful times, can we acknowledge our fears while also insisting on hope?

Join us for beautiful music, encouraging words, and a taste of hope!

There is a devotional booklet that goes along with the series. You can pick up a hard copy on Sunday or fill out this form and we will mail one to you.

Our friends at A Sanctified Art have provided a special e-reader version of this year’s Advent devotional, which you can access on your computer and mobile devices: online.flippingbook.com/view/361593675/ (In order to protect their work, please refrain from sharing this link or posting it on social media.)

For our Advent and Christmas offering this year, we are supporting the Guatemalan Maya Center, an organization that is doing amazing work in caring for and protecting the immigrant community in Palm Beach County. Among the many ways they are doing this is educating the community about how to respond and protect themselves when approached by ICE agents and reuniting children with parents who have been deported. You can join Lake Worth UCC in giving here. Every dollar collected will be matched by the church with the total amount being given to GMC in January. You can give securely online here.

Resources for Staying Centered, Grounded, and Connected

As people of faith it is often hard to reconcile our gratitude which yearns to be expressed with the reality of Thanksgiving, a holiday which is rooted in a history of colonialism and genocide. Derek Penwell, a Disciples of Christ pastor, recently explored the nuances and awkwardness in his essay "Thanksgiving Is Weird If You Follow Jesus: A Holy Refusal of Nationalist Nostalgia"

Together: On the Brink of Everything

Our Together group which meets on Wednesday nights at 6:30 will be taking two weeks off and begin meeting again on Wednesday, October 22nd when we will spend a few weeks discussing Parker Palmer's book On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old.

From beloved and bestselling author Parker J. Palmer (Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, Healing the Heart of Democracy), comes a beautiful book of reflections on what we can learn as we move closer to "the brink of everything."

Drawing on eight decades of life -- and his career as a writer, teacher, and activist -- Palmer explores the questions age raises and the promises it holds. "Old," he writes, "is just another word for nothing left to lose, a time to dive deep into life, not withdraw to the shallows."

But this book is not for elders only. It was written to encourage adults of all ages to explore the way their lives are unfolding. It's not a how-to-do-it book on aging, but a set of meditations in prose and poetry that turn the prism on the meaning(s) of one's life, refracting new light at every turn.

We will be discussing Chapter 4, "Writing a Life," this Wedensday night on site at 1415 North K St and via Zoom

It is easy to give online at our website lakeworthucc.org/give.

Our app is now back up and running on all of your favorite app stores. You can watch services, keep up with what we are doing, and connect with one another. Go to our app page to find the links to download.

Join us at 10:00 on Thursday morning as we gather to catch up with one another! Currently we meet only on Zoom - you can join us here. We will resume in person meetings later in the year.