creates spaces where people can have authentic encounters with Christ, discover their Spiritual gifts. and use them for God’s glory
Thursday, March 6, 2025
The Second Time Around Shop is of open today from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Take advantage of the 50% off Sale, which makes most items either 25 or 50 cents each. They have a great selection of women's, men's and children's clothing. You will also find shoes for the family, kitchen items, curtains, bedding and much more. There are new items added every week.
Lent Reflection Group
Wednesday Evenings,
7:00 pm
Beginning Wednesday, March 12and continuing through the season of Lent, there will be an opportunity to gather and reflect on topics related to environmentalism, creation care, and eco-theology. Worship services during Lent will highlight these issues in a series called “The Earth is the Lord’s,” and each Wednesday evening Pastor Andy will lead a reflection on ideas and questions that emerge from the previous Sunday’s worship time. No book purchase is required; each week will be a stand-alone set of reflection questions. Please sign up for the Lent Reflection Group online or on the Opportunity Board in the narthex.
Please email pictures of your adorable pets and other animal friends to Pastor Andy at pastor@maplewoodumc.org. We are putting together an animal slideshow for Sunday for worship. Please send them by 5:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon, March 8th to make sure they can be a part of the service.
House Plants Needed for Lent
During Lent, we’ll be creating a collage of houseplants in the front of the sanctuary. If you would like to loan one or two of your houseplants to the church for the season, please bring it to the church building some time this week. We can even add them Sunday morning, and add more as the weeks of Lent progress. Succulents, ferns, spider plants, leafy, viney, flowery, whatever … diversity is one of our core values! No more than one or two plants per household, please. Let’s create a community collage of plants in the sanctuary for our series, “The Earth is the Lord’s!”
Note from Pastor Andy
The liturgical season of Lent is a forty day period leading up to Easter Sunday. During this time, Christians are called to reflect and repent, in preparation for the celebration of Holy Week and the season of Easter. This year at Maplewood, our repentance will take on a particular expression.
Our Lent series will be, “The Earth is the Lord’s: Caring for Creation as an Act of Repentance.” The series will focus on caring for creation, ecotheology, and environmentalism. I am really looking forward to exploring this topic together during this season!
Why this topic? Well I think we need to confess that humanity’s interactions with the earth have historically been profoundly harmful. Our inhabitation of the planet has resulted in pollution, climate change, erosion, deforestation, and on and on. To repent and atone for the sins of the past, we must care for creation in ways that promote the flourishing of all the earth.
We’ll start out on Sunday with a message titled, “Every Living Creature.” At the end of the Noah story, as God is renewing the divine covenant, the Lord says to Noah, “I am establishing my covenant with you … and with every living creature that is with you.” (Genesis 9:9-10, emphasis mine)
Wow. Did you realize that God’s covenant relationship extends to other animals besides human beings? Isn’t that something? How does that (or should that) impact the way we relate to the animals in the world around us, if we would treat them as if they were included in God’s covenant?
So this Sunday we’ll talk about the animals, and celebrate the way we are all connected. From the slimiest snail to the fluffiest silverback, from the tiny hummingbird to the great and powerful giraffe, each and every animal, including us people, are connected to one another. It is an idea one hears often emerging from indigenous cultures, but here it is right here in the midst of our own Judeo-Christian tradition!
I hope and pray that this will be a meaningful Lenten season for all of us, as we remember in worship that “
The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything that is in it.” I’ll see y’all in church!
Pastor Andy
Join Pastor Andy every Thursday at 9:30 a.m. for the "Thursday thought for the day" on the church's Facebook page. If you can't join live you can always pick it up later. Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/mumcstl
Daylight Savings time begins this Sunday at 2:00 a.m.
Be sure to move your clocks up on hour or you will miss Sunday School and Worship
Bits and Pieces
Let’s celebrate SPRING!! “Natural World” with Beginner WATERCOLOR CLASSES 🎨
12 persons max. Classes will be held in the church, Fellowship Hall
April 3, April 24, May 15 (TBD) 2025. Thursdays, 10:OO to 11:30 a.m.
Sign up required! Reserve a spot! Can’t come? Someone can fill in, so get on waiting list IF class fills.
Sessions will continue in the fall! ⭐️This is good stress relief❣️
MUMC has purchased an AED device and it is on the wall in the Narthex at the door that leads to the children's Sunday School classes. If you every need to use the device it will talk you through how to use it.
This Sunday we had a medical emergency during worship and we had to use the AED.
Note: The person who needed the AED used on her is home and doing fine.
Items for the Weekend on Wheels program (WOW) at the MRH high School.
Each week a backpack of food items are sent home to student's families who are in need of extra food during the weekend when the students can't take advantage of the two meals offered by the High School. Below are the items they are in critical need for now.
Mac and Cheese
Ramen
cereal
pop tarts/toaster pastries
pasta sauce
pasta noodles
Thank you for your continued support.
Maplewood Pantry
One block north of the church in Sutton Loop Park on Sutton is one of four pantries in Maplewood. These serve those in need and can be stocked by anyone! Consider placing items directly into the pantry or the basket in the narthex at church. Check out your nearest dollar store, the discount aisle in the grocery store, sales on individually packaged snacks, extras you receive from take-out orders.
Ideas of things to donate:
individually packaged snacks (granola, chips, fruit snacks, etc)
canned goods (pop top ideal but not required)
crackers (packages of saltines, peanut butter crackers, etc)
...Skip Watkin's sister, Chris, who passed away Mon. March 3 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
.....Peg Chulick: For healing from cancer for relatives Jane and Tim. Jane is having surgery this week. Continuing prayers for Randy as he waits for lung transplant. For husband ,Jer, ease in his response to challenges.
... Linda Vawter : Safety for Linda and healing for Lilah who spent weekend with her and tested positive for Covid yesterday; Healing for Brother-in-law Jerry, continuance of minimal side effects during hormone therapy Strengthening for Allen’s mental health and Kathy’s vision.
...Sharon and Bill Housewright, their grandchildren, especially Spencer, also
healing for Paul Nolting and strength for his wife Jan as she cares for him. Pat & Butch Reid, health concerns. For nephew, Chris, for work.
...Continuing prayers for Mike Reynolds, Skip and Donna’s son, for healing and comfort following cancer surgery.
... Shelly McBurnett and family in the passing of their beloved Travis.
...Skip Reynolds Skip continues maintaining in hospice care at Laclede Groves Lutheran Senior Services.
...Nancy Thompson-Please pray for my son, Peter Munshaw, to find appropriate employment.
Continuing prayers for ..
...Karen Raborn healing of hip issues
... bringing people in the country and around the world together in peace.
If you have prayer concerns you wish to share with the congregation, let Kathy Schmid know: kschmid2005@sbcglobal.net
