Vol. 26, Issue 4 APRIL, 2020 The Messenger

NEWS INSIDE:

Session News Committee Reports

Contacts & Staff Nursery Schedule

A Page for Prayer

Maplewood Happenings Coffee Hour

Candle in Window Fallingwater Tour One Great Hour

Thoughts for a Trying Time

Keeping Sane

Celebrations

FROM OUR PASTOR: PRAY! As everyone is well aware, our news cycle is dominated by one thing: the spread of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus. From what I’ve been reading, corona viruses are rather commonthroughout the world, and cause flu-like symptoms. But this new strain has shown itself tobe much more virulent and dangerously problematic. The World Health Organizationdeclared it to be a “public health emergency of international concern” on January 30th. And now, two months later, we are all in the midst of what many are calling a pandemic storm,doing our best to keep from catching or spreading it. And the fear is growing. Compounding the problem is the blame game that is going on in the political arena, turningthe health issue into one where politicians try to score points by capitalizing on the fear. Butscapegoating and blaming does nothing but aggravate and make the storm worse. I don’t pretend to be above it all, nor a healthcare expert. Neither do I claim that the worldshould listen to my voice above the professionals and those who are doing the work on theground fighting this battle. But neither do I throw my hands up and say, “Leave it to othersto sort things out,” for Christ Jesus is certainly present in this storm, and what he would sayto us at this time is important! Why? Because he is the Lord of life and death, and one daydeath itself will be swallowed up in his undying life! For believers this is a good time to pause and remember that our hope is not in anythingearthly…i.e., our technical abilities, our resources, our experts, even our informed opinions.When a storm is raging it’s important to remember “We are all in the same boat, baby!”,and if it happens that the boat looks to be sinking, we would do well to look to Jesus Christas our hope amidst the storm! Psalm 20:7, reminds us: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Or, to put it in terms of our own day: “Some trust in the experts, or in their investment portfolios, or their healthcareplans, but we place our trust in the name of Jesus Christ!” Our modern world, with all its knowledge and expertise, has made it easy for us to assumethat our security is found in these. Then out of nowhere the Black Swan arrives! (somethingunpredictable that can cause catastrophic damage). Our Lord Jesus used the image of twomen building a house, and then a storm hits. One built his house upon sand, while the otherbuilt his house upon rock. When the storms in life come…the unpredictable…those whoplace their confidence in their own ingenuity, talent, skill, knowledge…etc., will find thatwhen the storm is too big, then all is as sand, and the house collapses. But those who buildtheir house upon the rock will find that in the hour of the storm their house will not

Continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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From Our Pastor continued: collapse. Jesus went on to say that “anyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24) Throughout history the Church has repeatedly stepped into the darkness of suffering, into the storm, to be a light to the world. Hardships have come. Sometimes those hardships have come as plagues. In AD 251, a plague swept through the Roman Empire, decimating the population. But a certain cleric, Dionysius, wrote a tribute to the believers in Christ and what they did in the midst of the storm: “Most of our brother Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbors and cheerfully accepting their pains. Many, in nursing and curing others, transferred their death to themselves and died in their stead . . . The best of our brothers lost their lives in this manner, a number of presbyters, deacons, and laymen winning high commendation so that death in this form, the result of great piety and strong faith, seems in every way the equal of martyrdom.” How many of us even think to do anything of the kind in our day? Instead, fear is the order for the day. Dionysius went on to compare the behavior and actions of the non-Christians of the during the plague, saying: “The heathen behaved in the very opposite way. At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treated unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease…” I know these words may strike many as pious virtue signaling, but when one’s entire mindset is governed by “seeking to save his/her own life” it is easy to dismiss them. And yet our Lord, as he made his way to the cross, said this: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” (Luke 9:23) It’s easy to get lost in fearing for our lives. But when the storms come, our Lord calls us to fix our attention on him. So, PRAY! Pray like you’ve never prayed before! Pray for each other, for our church. Pray for healthcare workers who are at high risk. Pray for those who have the virus, and for their loved ones who can’t visit them. Pray for those who’ve lost their job. Pray for our leaders, that they would put politics aside and seek to serve. Pray that God’s Spirit would empower his church to be a light in the darkness, and hope for those in fear and despair. Pray for courage in your own life…courage to see the bigger picture of God’s Kingdom, and his eternal life. Pray for the peace that passes all understanding, enabling you to stand in the storm knowing that God’s Kingdom is just fine, even if ours is not. Pray that through this storm the entire world might see and come to know Jesus Christ as our only savior, and our world’s one true Lord! Pray when you awaken in the middle of the night and don’t know why. Pray at those particular times when you’re really feeling the surge of the storm and you fear. Pray for your friends, your neighbors, the people you don’t even know. Pray for those you hold grudges against. Pray that in and through this time God would work for his goodness in the world. Pray, and do not cease! We are going to be fine! ... because God is in control even when things look out of control. Grace and Peace to all of you, the saints of Christ’s Church at Maplewood!

Steve The Maplewood MISSION STATEMENT:

TO KNOW CHRIST and TO MAKE HIM KNOWN By LEADING People to a Saving Faith in Jesus Christ, NURTURING and EQUIPPING People in the Faith,

Love and Knowledge of Jesus Christ, DEPLOYING People in Servant Ministries to the Rest of the World.

News from Session

Session Reports in March:

No ACTION items. Committee Reports Church Life – All activities scheduled for April cancelled. Church Life is offering a Day at Fallingwater on Saturday, May 2. Reserve that day on your calendar. More details will be announced in the bulletin. Space is limited. Finance –Investment Transactions Update: In keeping with the Session-approved strategy for selling our stock, based on the S & P 500, all stock was sold. The Finance Committee agreed to meet to discuss the repurchase point & when the S&P 500 gets to that point, since the markets have been so unpredictable. Thank you to John and Diane for making the difficult decisions and executing the transactions! Financial Secretary transition: Diane West has agreed to take on the role of Financial Secretary, officially on April 1, as Vickie Fry has requested to step back from this role. Also, thank you, Diane, for taking on the role. Mission and Outreach – The One Great Hour of Sharing Offering will be collected on Palm Sunday & finally on Easter- April 12, 2020. As you all are aware, this offering is to aid in disaster assistance, to alleviate hunger and to fight poverty in poor world communities. Property – Due to the Corona Virus outbreak our custodians, Karen and Ralph, performed a top to bottom thorough cleaning of the church with disinfectants. All touch services including door handles, light switches, tables, chairs and pews were disinfected. The church is ready for reopening. AARP notified Maplewood on March 14th that they were shutting down tax preparations for the time being. On March 17th Nar-Anon and the Girl Scouts were advised that the church is closed until further notice, will be advised of the reopening date. Next Session Meeting – April 20, 2020

NURSERY SCHEDULE: (Optimistically, for May, 2020)

5/03 - Val McAteer and Peggy Potts 5/10 - Bonnie Peebly and Susan Witt 5/17 - Marie LaSor and Bonnie Peebly 5/24 - Sharon Elketanni and Carol Limegrover 5/31- Katy Doran and Carmella McCormick

STAFF & CONTACTS

PASTOR: Steve LaSor 724-836-3784CHURCH OFFICE: Diane Dale 724-834-4960 MUSIC DIRECTOR: Rich Anthony Email: maplewoodpc@comcast.net Web: www.maplewoodpc.org Elders & Committees: Christian Education David Hileman, Chair Mike Cerilli Church Life Rita Perotti, Chair Donna Costelnock Finance Sharon Elkettani, Chair Diane West Missions/Outreach Bob Cochran, Chair Dennis Leavy Personnel Sharon Elkettani Property Dana Ferry, Chair Ray McAteer Worship Bob Bereit, Chair Katy Doran Clerk of Session Sharon Elkettani Deacons Chair Bonnie Peebly Treasurer Arlene Troster Financial Secretary Diane West Roy Myers, Assistant Webmaster Bob Bereit Messenger Staff Katy Doran, Editor Marie LaSor Arlene Troster

Rich Anthony’s wife, Natalie The Bogerts Ruth Gordon Dave & Nancy Gosser Lee Immel’s son-in-law, Roy Pat & Penny Labeka Pastor LaSor’s mother Mary Ann Livingston Val McAteer’s mother Roy & Jane Myers Lois Weyandt For all our high risk healthcare workers, particularly those who are family of our members: The Bogerts daughter, Nancy Katy Doran’s son, Tom Arlene Troster’s sister, Margaret Scott Wonderling Prayers for comfort and peace to members/friends who are in care facilities/nursing homes and cannot receive visitors - Ruth Gordon, Marcia Remaley, Shirley Myers, Nancy Hofelt, Vince Falvo, Pat Labeka, Sarah Seeno, Joan Scales, Arleene LaSor, Susan Witt’s mother Nancy. Prayers for those who have been laid off of work, and for those we don’t know of but may be, now that the COVID-19 quarantine has been extended through the end of April, especially Cerilli's daughter Lindsey and her co-workers, for Gary Hemminger, for Nathan LaSor.

Prayers for Maplewood and all churches, for our community/nation/world during this pandemic. Prayers that a cure would be found, and the pandemic would be less severe than what we fear. Prayers for those most vulnerable to the corona virus...the elderly and those with compromised

immune systems. Prayers for those who are lonely or frightened. Prayers for peace and calm, and a coming together in ways we can still be the church to our

world.   

And for the ultimate Joy of all:

PRAYER CONCERNS

Maplewood Happenings

CoffeeHourSchedule–2020April: PalmSundayBrunch(Cancelled)May: PropertyJune: PieCoffeeHour(Martha’sCircle)July: Choir August: ChurchPicnic(ChurchLife)September:MissionOctober: WorshipNovember: HangingoftheGreens(Martha’sCircle)December: ChristmasDinner(ChurchLife)

A CANDLE IN THE WINDOW

During wars, a candle in the window was a sign that loved ones were waiting for their sons to come home. This is a very different kind of “war” . . . a world-wide war against a particularly vicious virus, against unwelcome but necessary isolation, financial hardship and fear for our families, friends, ourselves & an unknown future. There is a flameless candle in the window above my front door during these trying & uncertain times . . . my small beacon of hope for anyone who passes by. If you have one, won’t you join me? Blessings, Katy Doran

The Palm Sunday Brunch has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. CHURCHLIFE: is offering ADAYATFALLINGWATER on Saturday, May 2nd . Reserve that day on your calendar. More details will be announced in the bulletin, if possible or on our web site. Space is limited. Subject to cancellation.

MISSIONMANEUVERS Again, during Lent-which began onFebruary26thand will end on EasterSunday‐April12th, Maplewood members will be asked to contribute to TheOneGreatHourofSharing campaign. PLEASEREMEMBERTHISIMPORTANTOFFERING...MAILITTOTHECHURCH! Last year over 6 million dollars was given nationally to aid in disaster assistance, to alleviate hunger, and to fight poverty in poor communities throughout the world.

Thoughts for a Trying Time

The Quarantined Christian By Karen Bouknight

So, how are you? Really - how are you on the inside? Is staying at home during the pandemic got you pulling your hair out? Are you realizing now why the dog chews up the furniture when you leave him at home all day? No doubt about it - these are interesting times. I’m betting there are many of you that would like to reboot 2020 and start over. But here we are in what is probably THE world crisis of our lifetimes. The coronavirus is still raging and economic hard times appear to be ahead. Is there any reason to find a silver lining? Absolutely! First - God is still on the throne. That means what He says is way more important than what we think. TIP: Limit your intake of news programs and blogs - maybe 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. Or less. We really do not need 24/7 negative reporting to increase our stress. It’s bad. We know. Instead, take in extra good news: inspirational music. Read the Bible. Join a prayer group. Acknowledge that God is in control. Believe that God is using this time to draw people to Himself like He’s done in ages past. Second - God has blessed us with a commodity that we don’t always have - TIME. While it’s true there are many suffering from job loss as the reason they have time, having that time is still a blessing. TIP: Thank God for the extra time: Time with your family. Time to call family that lives far away. Time to learn to cook from scratch. Time to read. Time to learn a new skill. Time to pray. Time to appreciate what you have. Time to write for the Maplewood Messenger... Third - There is always opportunity in a crisis. When hard times come, we turn to a lot of the wrong things: Alcohol, drugs, junk food, pornography, excessive social media or television etc. When we do that sort of thing, we are trying to fill up that empty space where the Holy Spirit lives in us. TIP: Begin something that is going to be your “God space.” Find some containers or repurpose an outside area and start your own little garden - in addition to growing a little extra food in uncertain times, it is great personal time with God as you work the soil and tend the plants. Turn your opportunity to fill yourself with unfulfilling things into an opportunity to meet with God in a new way. Maybe by now you’re thinking: “Well that’s all well and good, but I have kids (grandkids, spouse, teenagers, fill-in-the-blank) and they are not interested in all that stuff.” That’s okay. Are you? Are you sensing that nudge inside from God? That’s what is important. Because God only needs one willing heart. If you are willing, then He is more than able. And He will use the growing relationship with you to reach your family. In fact, He would use a worldwide plague that the enemy concocted to reach countless people and turn it to good for His glory. He is the expert at making the silver lining in every circumstance. He is our loving and awesome God.

 

KEEPING SANE in the TIMES of

 COMEDY is Always Good Medicine:  BBC Comedy Greats:  https://www.youtube.com/user/BBCComedyGreats  Carol Burnett Show:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8kubAuUlpw  Johnny Carson Show:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8kubAuUlpw  Robin Williams Funniest Moments:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmqmyYRi‐lU  Red Skelton Show:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJm2etPj4‐MaAymz9m9_DKc1XphKPI6RO  Dry Bar Comedy:  https://www.drybarcomedy.com/comedians/  

TED/talk When God Talks Back: Anthropologist Tanya Luhrmann’s research on the Evangelical relationship with God has lead to astonishing discoveries about those who say they hear God speak to them, literally. For some, this intimate relationship with God includes putting out an extra cup of coffee for Him.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DloTO‐SwFZA&authuser=0 

 

T‐Shirt Humor from Bob Harlan 

 

 

   

Do you have a birthday, anniversary, graduation or other special occasion to rejoice about? Are you remembering a loved one who has died? Are you joyful about God’s love? If so, share these events with others by placing flowers in our church for Sunday service. It’s very easy. Choose a date you wish to have flowers, fill out the form below and put in the church’s office. The rest will be taken care of for you. For $24.00, you can have fresh flowers for a service, a note in the bulletin to commemorate your special occasion and you can take the flowers home with you. If you do not want the flowers, the Deacons can deliver them to shut-ins. Detach and send to church office:

M.U.P.C., 108 Woodland Road, Greensburg, PA 15601 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - Name____________________________________________Phone________________ Date for flowers (Sunday)________________ Notice for bulletin to read: In honor of___________________________________________ OR: In memory of__________________________________________________________ I wish to (check one)_____take the flowers after the service _____let the Deacons deliver them to shut-ins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 Wesley Christianson 4 Ian McAteer 7 Kristy Forrai 9 Natalie McAteer 12 Michele Boronky 13 Caroline DeMao 15 Travis Forrai Robert Rose 16 Gene Vogt

18 Linda Murphy 22 Joyce Neville 23 Caroline Hartman Fred Snyder 25 Nancy Gosser 26 Rita Perotti 29 Chelsea Mikos 30 Jeremiah Williams

Celebrations