Virtual Pet Blessing

Circumstances this year make an on site blessing of the pets a challenge, so we are inviting you to send us pictures of your beloved animal so we can show them in our worship service on Sunday and, together, bless them. You can also send pictures of your pet that has crossed the rainbow bridge and we can, together, offer gratitude for their life. Send the pictures, along with your pet's name to pastorjason@lakeworthchurch.org by tomorrow at noon.

Also, thank you to those who have sent some of your favorite nature pictures. If you haven't yet sent any, you still can by noon tomorrow at the address above. We will use these as we participate in Teilhard de Chardin's Mass on the World (see below).

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, facilitated by our new justice ministry team leader, Mark Decker. While we may have a "make up" meeting later in the year, this is, for now, our last scheduled listening meeting and we would love to have you participate!

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 story of the prophet Jeremiah's stubborn act of hope in purchasing a plot of land in the midst of destruction. You can watch the service here. 

We will finish our observance on October 4th as we commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and participate together in Teilhard De Chardin's Mass on the World.

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

And last Thursday, Pastor Jason along with our usual CROS monthly volunteer crew were on WPTV and WFLX publicizing the run! You can see it here.

This Sunday we will be receiving your offerings for the UCC Neighbors in NEed offering. The Neighbors in Need offering supports ministries of justice and compassion, with one-third of the offering given to the Council for American Indian Ministries and the remaining two-thirds supporting UCC justice ministries.

In 2025 the Neighbors in Need Offering supported 26 grant recipients across the UCC who were engaged in projects of direct service and advocacy.

You can write a check to Lake Worth United Church of Christ or give online here. All of our individual gifts will be matched by Lake Worth UCC.

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. There are many thoughtful people reflecting upon where we are as a nation  as it relates to our relationship with God and one another. 

One of those folks is Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, a fromer moderator of The Presbyterian Church in the USA. Recently he wrote a great piece on "The Water Is Heating Up: Now Who Will We Be?" exploring thoughts on being the beloved community and body politic that we hope to see in the world. 

On Sunday October 12, we will beging a new worship series that will continue to lead us through the Gospel of Luke, focusing on the abundant economy of Jesus. 

We'll begin by hanging out with Jesus at the wedding at Cana where a miscalculation has occurred. The wedding guests have drunk all the wine before the party is over. At times, life can feel like we’re “running out” of so much, and scarcity is shutting down the party. In these moments, we are invited to turn to the currency and economy of Jesus. In his economy, the true measure of abundance is fullness for the whole community, not just for some. Let us build the Kin-dom of God by drawing from jars of Hope, Purpose, Healing, Meaning, Vision, and Grace for all people.

The first Sunday, October 12th is also out motnhly potluck - what a great opportunity to invite someone you know to experience Lake Worth United Church of Christ!

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.

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.

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.