River of Grass: What's In a Name?

Johana Castillo, AKA Mama Tortuga

Recently, our pastor Jason reminded us of the beautiful phrase used by Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, conservationist, The River of Grass, referring to all the connections to the Everglades, largely ignored by the majority, as a place full of swamps and nothing else to offer. Indeed, the phrase was only used on a translation to English from the phonetic Pa-hay-Okee  word used by the Miccosukee and Seminole people to their homeland and sacred space, relationship to the “grassy waters” that in  their cosmology have supported them and  sheltered them since the Seminole Wars.  

I find important to always remember where the knowledge comes from, as Marjorie Stoneman Douglas was greatly influenced by all the care and connection that the Indigenous people that were a conscious presence at that moment in the Everglades, had for the River of Grass. I invite all the congregation to learn more about the Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes that have so courageously endured under centuries of colonialism, attack and negligence, that still preserve their culture and connection to the “Breath Maker” expression, in nature and their survival. One great way to understand more about them, is to visit their Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Museum, at the entrance of the Everglades, and learn more from their history and significance, from their own perspective and remember their importance in the preservation of this unique and vast part of Florida, which indeed is the River of Grass, one that has to be protected for the wellbeing of many species, including ours and future generations. 

Let us all learn from the Seminole’s commitment to protect, advocate and keep teaching new generations on the sacred connections we as humans share with natural expansive spaces in the world, as our providers, but also as our common siblings in the creation in which we all play our part. 

Johana Castillo and her family are long-time members of Lake Worth United Church of Christ. She is an herbalist and mulitcultural specialist and activist. You can find her at https://www.mamatortuga.org/.
 

This September we are joining churches around the world in observing The Season of Creation. During our Sunday worship, we will be hearing the words of the prophet Jeremiah and of Jesus himself and reflecting on what they have to teach us about our relationship with the planet. This week, we engaged the prophet Jeremiah and the gospel of Luke and ponderd the imnportance of our tears and our stewardship of the earth,  You can watch the service here. 

We will finish our observance on October 4th as we participate together in Teilhard De Chardin's Mass on the World.

A Couple of Books for Hope & Healing

For the next several Sundays, I will be drawing on the wisdom of Ched Myers' new book Healing Affluenza and Resisting Plutocracy: Luke's Jesus and Sabbath Economics. 

Ched Myers is an activist theologian who has worked in social change and radical discipleship movements for more than 45 years.  With a degree in New Testament Studies, he is a popular educator who animates scripture and its relationship to issues of faith-based peace and justice. You can read more about his work at Batimaeus Cooperative Ministries.

Healing Affluenza is his commentary on Luke's Gospel and is available as a hard copy and electronic format.

This Sunday, I also mentioned Francis Weller's book The Wild Edge of Sorrow, a wonderful treatment of grief that helps remind us that our grief has meaning. 

Both of these books have been enlightening and formational for me in making sense of how my spiritual journey connects with the world.

Resources for Staying Centered, Grounded, and Connected

Lake Worth United Church of Christ is not alone in practicing faith, love, and justice in community. 

An organization that we appreciate is Convergence. They exist to help educate and resource progressive, justice-oriented faith communities. Recently, one of their staff wrote an insightful article in response to the killing of Charlie Kirk, What Does This Moment Require?

October 20th-25th they are hosting a free online conference, Made for These Times: Spiritual Leadership for a World in Crisis. You can find more information on their website.

Becoming a Just Peace Church

On this Just Peace Sunday, Carol Lewis explained the process of us becoming an official Just Peace Church of the United Church of Christ. You can hear her remarks here.

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

Thank you to everyone who has participated so far in our justice ministry house meetings. You honor us with your stories, your presence, and your willingness to participate in the work of justice. Our next meeting will be Saturday October 11th at 3:00 PM at the church office. Stay tuned for more information. We will also more than likely have a "make up" meeting in late October or early November.

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.

On Wednesday nights at 6:30 we have begun a new series in our Wednesday night Together group.   Embodying the Divine: Love as the Heart of Creation is a compelling five-part film series featuring theologian Ilia Delio, exploring the profound implications of understanding God as the unstoppable force of love within creation. Each film delves into the nature of divine love as it manifests in the cosmos, community, and personal transformation. Through these discussions, viewers are invited to reconsider their relationship with the divine, themselves, and the world, discovering how love is not only the essence of God but also the very fabric of existence. The series offers a transformative journey into the heart of a universe that is continually evolving toward greater union, freedom, and fullness.

You can join us on-site at 1415 North K ST in Lake Worth Beach, FL or online via Zoom (click here). 

For more information and resources about the group, check out our website.

This year, we are once again sponsors of CROS Ministries Hustle to End Hunger on Saturday October 4th. You can donate or join us in walking or running here.

On Sunday September 28th, from 2:00-5:00, Jason will be leading a new workshop. Soul force is that ineffable quality, the inner power that allows us to meet the demands of life and make a difference in the world.

In this workshop, you will:

• Gain clarity on your most important goals for the next six to twelve months, as well as a vision for the future you're excited to move towards.

• Develop a personal protocol and process to achieve those goals, with easily

accomplishable daily steps.

• Gain greater confidence in your capacity to move through challenges, do hard things, and be who you're capable of being.

• Know who you are at your best, the qualities that the best version of yourself embodies, and—most importantly-how to express that best version of yourself more consistently every day.

• Cultivate the ability to respond intentionally to life with a simple, repeatable process: stepping into the gap between stimulus and response and closing the gap between who you're capable of being and who you're actually being.

• Create a valuable collection of prior successes, and learn how to leverage your prior successes as fuel to create a better future.

• Know what it means to flourish, and how to live with more wisdom, discipline, courage, love, gratitude, hope, curiosity, and zest.

• Connect with those committed to being the best versions of themselves, in service of something bigger.

This will be in person at the church office, 1415 North K ST Lake Worth Beach FL. You can register here.

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.