I suppose we have canceled church before, but I don’t remember it. This time, there was no choice.

This Sunday will be cold, but the roads are clear.

We will have church.

I will teach my class at 9:45 a.m.

We will have breakfast.

(It’s a Winston Sunday.)

Choir rehearsal will begin.

And we will gather at the Lord’s Table.

All of our worship forces will be back in place for a joyful service. I also want to remind you of Lynette’s beautiful solo at our last service.

Come, let us worship.

God bless,
Rev. Max Brennan
revmaxb@tx.rr.com

A question to ponder:
If someone asked you for evidence that Jesus is Lord, what would you say?

Hello friends and family of St. Matthew,

I pray that, along with peace and wisdom, God has blessed you this week with warmth and comfort. My heart has been especially full of prayer for our siblings who are living without access to shelter. Recent news stories have highlighted the number of people who spent this past weekend living in tents during the extreme cold. I am deeply grateful for the efforts of organizations that serve our unsheltered neighbors, including Under the Bridge Ministries, When We Love, and many others. If you are able, please find a way to help.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with utilities, groceries, or transportation, please call the church at 817-451-6980 or email us at pastor@saintmatthewumc.com.

I would also like to thank Brian McCosky for securing the church during the cold temperatures this weekend. The inside of the church is warm and dry. At the same time, we continue to monitor the parking lots for safety, as ice remains about five inches deep in some areas. The south parking lot—the larger lot next to the Fellowship Hall—is clearing nicely. The smaller north lot has areas that receive little sunlight during the winter months. If you venture out for worship on Sunday, please use the south parking lot for your safety.

This Sunday is Communion Sunday. Like the remembrance of our baptism two weeks ago, we will recall the last night Jesus spent with His followers in the upper room. Through the symbols of bread and wine, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and the shedding of His blood. We will acknowledge that we have not always lived as Jesus lived—that we have not always loved one another, offered comfort and healing, or served God as we know we should. We will confess these shortcomings and, covered in grace as we share the table together, remember again that God loves us all equally and unconditionally.

We celebrate communion as a means of God’s grace in our lives, focused on the restoration of our relationship with God. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. If you are unable to be with us in person, please have a piece of bread and something to drink ready so that you may participate in communion virtually. We are bound together by what these sacraments represent—the overwhelming, never-ending, precious love of God.

Until Sunday, peace be with you.

Mary

When Jesus was grown, he knew it was time to begin the work God had given him to do. Before teaching crowds or healing the sick, Jesus went to the Jordan River. People were coming to John, Jesus’ cousin, to be baptized as a way to turn their hearts back to God and begin again.

Jesus stepped into the water where John was baptizing. John was surprised because he knew Jesus was special. But Jesus asked John to baptize him anyway. When Jesus came up out of the water, something amazing happened. The heavens opened, the Holy Spirit came down like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

Before Jesus healed anyone, taught crowds, or performed miracles, God reminded him who he was—beloved. This story shows us that baptism is about belonging. God spoke love over Jesus, and God speaks that same love over us.

What We Learned

• Jesus chose baptism to begin the work God called him to do.
• God named Jesus beloved before he did anything else.
• Baptism reminds us that we belong to God.
• God’s love comes first, even before we do anything special.