Greetings, dear friends and family of Saint Matthew UMC!

Our services on Sunday were just lovely and made even more special by the breakfast food and fellowship before they started. My only regret is that I did not get time to talk to all of you. Choir practice and pre-service duties, plus my addiction to Mark and Winston’s breakfast, kept me running before the service. I always want to make certain that I get your prayer requests before the service so that I can announce them during prayer time. It is extremely helpful if I have a written prayer request to refer to during the services. To help with this, there are small pieces of paper on the music stand that sits at the back of the auditorium. Just fill out the paper with the name of the person and the words “prayer request.”

We had some electronic gremlins with us on Sunday, as well as all of you. The lights in the Sanctuary stopped working in the middle of choir practice, and then during the live stream, YouTube crashed, and Facebook became very sluggish. If you are looking for the service to watch, please be patient as we work to get the recording added to these two internet services.

We have collected over 50 bags of food for the Thanksgiving collection with Eastside Community Assistance. Thanks to all of you who participated. It is not too late to take part. We will be collecting food through Christmas for the same type of giveaway. Your support of ECA is always appreciated. While you are out shopping in the coming weeks, please consider donating new packages of men’s socks and underwear. And if you see any larger men’s shoes lying about, there is always a need for those as well. Gently used men’s clothing, and all sizes of coats are also appreciated.

Please join me daily in prayer for our upcoming Advent season. This year has gone by quickly, and the Advent season is only days away. Prepare our hearts, Lord, for the birth of God made flesh. Prepare our hearts for quiet and the chaos, for the fellowship and the loneliness. Make us ready to welcome a new season of possibilities for hope, peace, joy, and love. And all the people said, AMEN.

Love to all, Mary