Regreening the Soul: Renewing the Faith and Life

Across these six Sundays—Renewing Our Focus, Trust, Fruitfulness, Belonging, Devotion, and Hope—we discover Lent as a season of “regreening” our souls. Lent thus becomes more than a religious duty: it’s an invitation to awaken to the springtime of God’s renewing grace. By Easter, we stand rooted in divine love, ready to welcome the risen Christ with hearts fully regreened.

Please explore our Lent offerings below:

Based on the book, God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter

In this reflective class, we will journey together through the profound themes of sacrifice, renewal, and hope that lie at the heart of the Lenten and Easter seasons. Through carefully selected readings and guided reflections drawn from the book, we will explore how ancient narratives and rituals continue to speak to our lives today, offering insights into God’s relentless love and the promise of resurrection. The reflections and discussions will help you forge a deeper connection with God’s work in the world, inspiring you to carry these insights forward long after our time together ends. Whether you’re seeking to reimagine the meaning of these sacred seasons or deepen your existing faith practice, this class offers a space for transformation and renewal. Join us as we explore how God's grace is revealed in our lives, inviting us to embrace change, celebrate life, and walk confidently in the light of the resurrection.

Facilitated by Rev. Katie McKay Simpson, Lisa Frost, and John Fletcher join us as we seek healing and hope for our lives through the six weeks of Lent beginning Wednesday, March 12th. This class is offered virtually at noon on Zoom and in person at 6:00 p.m. in the UUMC Library. Click here to register for this study.

A Bead and A Prayer: A Beginners Guide to Protestant Prayer Beads by Kristen Vincent, Certified Spiritual Director, United Methodist Church, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry

The retreat is facilitated by Marianne Hebert, Lulu Wemple, and Amy Traylor.

We invite you to participate in a half-day intergenerational spiritual formation retreat for children of all ages, teens, and adults on Saturday, March 8, 2025, from 9 am to noon in the UUMC Fellowship Hall. A Continental Breakfast will be provided.

There is no charge for the retreat and beautiful crystal beads are provided to each teen and adult participant. Young children (e.g., ages 3-6) who have difficulty with manual dexterity will have the option of making pipe cleaner, beads with multi-colored wooden beads, and crosses.

The book’s author, Kristen Vincent admits there was a time when she didn’t pray much because finding the words felt awkward. Today Vincent and her United Methodist pastor husband make prayer beads and teach people to pray with them. Each bead on a prayer strand can represent a word, a praise, or a person you would like to lift. Vincent says prayer beads can help anyone, even children, find focus in prayer. Just holding them in your hand is a way of understanding that God is as close to you as the beads are in your hand. My hope overall is that people will understand that God is with them at every moment of every day,” says Vincent.

Click here to register for this retreat.

Pauses for Lent: 40 Words for 40 Days: A Lenten Offering, hosted by the Open Door class, first floor, Trice Building. Sunday School meets beginning at 9:45 am each Sunday. Facilitated by Marianne Hebert

Sometimes a pause is good for the soul. It gives us the chance to regroup, reflect, and refocus on God.

In Pauses for Lent, Trevor Hudson offers a beautifully minimalist book in which he focuses on one word for each day of Lent. You are invited to pause, focus on the word, read a scripture and a brief meditation related to the word, and then offer a prayer. Daily readings are 1 paragraph in length.

Pausing in this way will help you carve out time for God and refresh your spirit even in the midst of a busy life. You may find yourself sensing God's presence in a new way and discovering that God wants to meet you in the midst of your life as it is, muddles and all.

Daily readings begin on Ash Wednesday 3/5/25 and continue through Easter Sunday 4/20/25.

Sunday discussions of the weekly readings will take place on Sunday, 3/9/25, the first Sunday of Lent, and will conclude on Sunday 4/27/25 for Holy Week’s readings. Sunday School will not meet on Easter Sunday 4/20/25.

You can order your books from Upper Room Books or online at Amazon or Thriftbooks.com.

Take time this Lenten season to focus on self-reflection and spiritual growth. Centering Prayer can be a valuable tool during this season as it encourages inner stillness, allowing practitioners to open themselves to the presence of God and listen to the divine within. This experience will be led by Marianne Hebert and may have other special leaders throughout our time together.

Wednesdays at noon via Zoom with this login
Meeting ID: 868 5563 8637
Password: 453895

Join us for a meditative walk around the LSU lakes on the day between Jesus’ death and resurrection. During this time, we will experience the joy of community and the benefits of physical activity as they come together in a spirit-filled journey together. We will end with walking the stations of the cross.

Saturday, April 19th | 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. | Meeting in the front UUMC Parking Lot | Led by Rev. Katie McKay Simpson

Our labyrinth will be open for all in the Fellowship Hall. If you are unfamiliar with this prayer practice, we will have instructions available for you. The Labyrinth Walk will be available on the following dates:

Good Friday: Friday, April 18th at 5 p.m. (Led by Lisa Frost)
Holy Saturday: Saturday, April 19th at 10 a.m. Led by Emma Burke)