SACRED SPACES

 Seven members of Clermont UMW went to Lakeland First United Methodist Church on Saturday November 3, 2018 for the Florida Conference of UMW.

 Kay Roach, conference President welcomed us.

 Penny Shaw the President of Lakeland UMW spoke.

 The children and youth choir from First Church Lakeland sang and played chimes.
 "This Little Light Of Mine" was one of their songs. And we were reminded to be that light throughout the day.

 The Keynote Speaker was Julie Taylor, Executive Director National Farm workers. The Bible verse for the meeting was Colossians 1:10 Then you will live a life that honors the Lord, and you will always please him by doing good deeds. You will come to know God even better.

 Sacred spaces form relationship with others. When we do we overcome phobias and it changes us.

 We all have gifts to give and we also need to receive the gifts others have to give us. We need to embrace our likes and differences. We need to stand WITH. It may not be personally advantages to stand with, may be jailed or beaten.  We stand with when we join a picket line, boycott a store, speak up about injustice.

 Examples from the Bible of times people stood WITH.

 70% of the farm workers in the USA are immigrants. 95% of them are from Mexico and 70% of them are undocumented but have been in the USA for at least 10 years. Years ago the farmers in Mexico lost their farms when the USA flooded the Mexican market with our surplus corn making it impossible for the small farmer to compete. The average farm worker make $16,000 a year. For every $1.00 worth of food we buy 6 cents goes to the farm worker, 23 cents to the grower and 71 cents to the food processor.
 Isolation is a big problem with farm workers. They are isolated by language, rural area of work and fear of being fired or deported. They work 12 hours days and live in poor conditions with  no regulations. We need to stand WITH these farm workers.
  LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR, no qualification!

 Kim Wendt led us in singing through out the day.

 Edith Zewadski-Bricker gave s Social Action Report. PamAnders would love her jacket. She talked about Mercy ministry with march for Fair Food program, boycotting Wendy's and the Giving Fence.

 And she shared Justice Ministry.

 150th Anniversary Legacy Fund Presentation. We were asked to Fun-Raise for the Legacy Fund to reach it $60 million goal. The Legacy Fund supports the work of UMW and its members to lift up the most marginalized in our communities and around the world.

  We had a nice lunch and then there was a short business meeting and a Memorial service.

Reverend June Edwards, Superintendent of the North Central District, was the Communion Celebrant. She talked about the Sacred space of nature, worship and community. We honor God when we worship together. Sacred place with God and one another. Everybody has a place at the table.