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Poem 78 by Ralph Waldo Emerson

Write it on your heart every day is the best day in the year.

                He is rich who owns the day,

And no one owns the day who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

                Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can,  tomorrow is a new day;

                Begin it well and serenely,

With too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

                This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations,

To waste a moment on the yesterday’s.©

I attended the funeral of a friend this past Saturday and this Emerson poem was part of the program. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a 19th-century American philosopher, minister, and writer. He held these ideas: people are best when they are independent and self-reliant, and not puppets of society and its institutions; intuition is a higher form of intelligence and can lead people to do the right thing; all creation is essentially unified; and divine experience is inherent in everyday life. 

I stumbled on the first three lines of the poem, scoffing at the idea that happy thoughts make everything better. But the next two lines made me smile, “Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could.” We all hold a lifetime of joys and regrets, some of us are more comfortable with regret. I believe God has no intention that we hold on to anything from the past. I believe God intends for us to live in the present, basking in the eternal light and love of our risen Savior. This is a very difficult task for me and I know I am not alone. I cling to the things that I am comfortable with, things behind me that cannot be changed. I want to cling to every moment that I am experiencing now, joyful or sorrowful, knowing that God is with me in all these things. We urgently need to focus on today and what we can do today to share the love of Christ with the world. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6: 34, ‘Don’t worry at all then about tomorrow. Tomorrow can take care of itself! One day’s trouble is enough for one day.’ (JB Phillips New Testament).

Max spoke Sunday about the mustard seed and the little things we can do to cause something good to grow. I pray for us to all have those little things in mind as we move through this day knowing that this new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterday’s.

I am preaching Sunday. We will talk more about clinging. My love to all, Mary   

PS: I am hearing from all of you how lovely the fellowship hall decorations are. Thanks so very much to Cindy, Sheila, Lindsey, and all the others recruited to spiff up our fellowship hall!

Greetings St. Matthew friends, family, and members,

Today is traditionally known as “Fat Tuesday” or Mardi Gras. From The Britannica (the online version of the Encyclopedia Britannica), “the French name Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.” The actual season of celebration is called Carnival, and in New Orleans, “citywide revelry and elaborate parades both day and night are celebrated. Beads of green, gold, and purple (representing power, faith, and justice) are commonly distributed, and the eating of king cake is an iconic part of the celebration.”

Carnival is a traditional Roman Catholic observance of using up all of the meat (carnem levare) before a season of fasting and other ascetic practices. An ascetic practice is one of strict self-denial, serving as a form of personal and spiritual discipline. First-century Christians modeled this behavior, following the example of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days, as told in Matthew 4:1-11. The idea is to use up the “extravagant” food around the house to keep it from going bad during the season of Lent. As the celebration of excess ends, the season of reflection and sacrifice begins.

Lent is a time for preparation—a time to shift our focus away from the extravagances of life and instead focus on making ourselves ready for the events of Easter. You cannot get to the resurrection without going through those torturous days in the garden, in the upper room, at Calvary, and in the tomb. God, made flesh in the body of Jesus of Nazareth, battled sin and death for us because we are the beloved children of the Creator. This is a profoundly humbling time for me.

On Wednesday evening, I will stand at the front of the church, make the sign of the cross on your forehead with ashes and olive oil, and tell you that you are loved and forgiven. I am only able to do this because I am also loved and forgiven. It is not me that does the loving or the forgiving—it is the grace of God, poured out on us all, that draws us deeper into relationship.

I am not the best at giving things up for Lent. I always begin the season with a promise that I will give up something that isn’t good for me (candy, scotch, fried food, etc.), yet I have never made it the entire forty days. However, God has given me the strength to add something that is good for me (a Lenten study, walking one mile every day for forty days, writing in a journal, etc.).

There are many ways to observe Lent, and none of them involve looking at our neighbors in judgment or condemnation. Lent is the time to turn our eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And let the things of earth grow dim in the light of His glory and grace.

I hope you will join me in adding something to your life that is good—something holy and sacred. I’d love to hear what you choose and how it impacts your life—please share your experience with me!

My love to all,
Mary

Trust, Commit, Be Still, Refrain

Hello, dear church

These four instructions sound easy on paper. I am writing this article on Tuesday at 3:45 PM, and I can tell you that since Sunday at 12:30, when I left the church, I have trusted God implicitly. But I’m still working on the other three.

Many distractions in life keep us from spending quality time with God. I understand that, and I recognize it as an area for improvement in my life. Being still and refraining—also known as thinking before I speak—have never been my strong suit, and I know there is still much work to do. I guess the point of starting your newsletter like this is to let you know that we are all a work in progress for God, walking the path to holiness and sanctification together.

The great thing about this journey is that God, through His grace, is the one who makes us holy and sanctified. Our part is to invest in the acts of worship that create space in our hearts for His work. By the way, to be sanctified means to be set apart for God. I’m sure many of you already know that, but I wanted to share what it means to me. We are all set apart by God—set apart as His beloved children to share His love in this world.

I hope you all enjoyed our music Sunday morning and appreciated the experience of learning the background of these vitally important hymns. The history of Methodism and the United Methodist Church in the Black community is not a pretty one. The church has been involved in systems of oppression against Black people since before slavery was even a reality in the United States, and many of those actions were carried out in the name of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be in a church where I can bring these truths into the open and where we can discuss ways to repair the trauma caused by our ancestors.

What a glorious thing to look out at our congregation and see so many willing to do so much for the Lord. You make my heart sing!

Three members of our congregation recently completed Faith Community Health Promoter training. Carlene Wheeler, Lynette Coleman, and Kathy Callahan are taking the lead in reviving our Faith Community Nursing program at Saint Matthew. We will be starting very soon with a class called Matter of Balance. I look forward to working with these three enthusiastic nurses.

One way to prevent falls in your life is to attend our Chair Yoga class on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10:00 AM.

Blessings and the peace of Christ to you all,

Mary

Blessings and peace in the name of the risen Christ!

We had a wonderful service on Sunday. Thank you, Rev. Beverly Tye, for the beautiful message—a great reminder that following Jesus means loving our neighbors, our enemies, and even complete strangers! We are truly blessed to be part of a church family that is open and welcoming—not only to each other but also to those we don’t yet know.

This week, we have much to lift in prayer:

People losing their jobs.

Those losing financial grants that help pay for expensive medications.

Medical researchers whose work depends on these grants.

Prayers for President Zelenskyy, his family, and the people of Ukraine as they endure continued war.

Prayers for President Putin, his family, and the people of Russia, that they may have a Damascus Road experience and come face to face with the risen Christ.

And while we’re praying for hearts to be changed, let’s add all those in Washington, D.C., and leadership roles across the government. Not prayers for perfection, but prayers that the love of Jesus, as shown on the cross, will overwhelm their hearts and minds. Fighting and arguing are distractions. What the world truly needs is leaders focused on what is best for all.

Love to all,
Mary

Greetings Dear Family,

Please accept this poem by Ullie Kaye.

you see, i already know the ending. good wins. peace prevails. the dragon is slayed and the sword is raised. but first we must go through the part of the story where the plot has not yet twisted. the battle is not yet won. the storm is raging. the tower is locked. the apple is poisoned. the wolf is ready and waiting in bed, wearing grandmother’s clothing. but i already know the ending. i already know the ending.

Praise God we do know the ending. Life wins over death, good always prevails over evil, and the light will never be overcome by darkness. I am grateful to be in ministry with you—grateful for the love and support you show me. I am so very grateful to be growing closer to God and walking the road to sanctification, also known as holiness, with all of you.

Don’t forget the Women’s Luncheon on Thursday, the 13th, at 11:30 AM. Lunch is included, along with a great testimony from Rev. Beverly Tye and a word from our friends at the American Cancer Society.

My love to all of you. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

– Mary