Hello dear St. Matthew,

Just a quick note to tell you how very much I love you and appreciate the many ways you take care of me and my family. Anna is still in critical condition but is slowly improving. I am grateful for your prayers and support. Tyler has gone back to work and stays with her at night. Anna’s parents are helping every day, and we have the help of many special angels to fill in the gaps.

Great news to share on the shoe front: We have received pledges for 35 pairs of shoes for Blake’s Western Hills Choir. We even have enough funds to purchase socks!  Blessings to you for responding so quickly. I know Blake asked for used black shoes and we are getting them new ones instead. However, East Side Ministry always needs used shoes. If you still want to bring them to the church, we can get them to where they are needed most.

Blessings to you during this week of crazy weather. When this is published on Wednesday morning, them temp will have dropped 20+ degrees from what it is as I write. Summer AND winter in February.

Love to all, Mary

I am so grateful to the 16 people who promised to sponsor at least one pair of shoes for the Western Hills choir. We so far have received enough pledges to buy 35 pairs of shoes. What we can do now is get the 30 pairs plus buy new socks plus have a little bit left over for the expenses of the choir concert and the travel and the meals. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your generosity overwhelms me. We are so blessed to live in this community of believers at this time in our lives. My love to you all Mary.

Greetings in the name of the Risen Christ, 

I listened to the service from Sunday as I always do so that I can continually critique and improve my ministry. Ironically, my sermon about scripture did not include me reading the text that was the foundational passage for the sermon. 2Tim 3: 14-17 says,

“Yet you must go on steadily in all those things that you have learned and which you know are true. Remember from what sort of people your knowledge has come, and how from early childhood your mind has been familiar with the holy scriptures, which can open the mind to the salvation which comes through believing in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for re-setting the direction of a man’s life and training him in good living. The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work.”

(JB Phillips Interpretation)

This is the starting block for any rational discussion about sacred text. The other very important scripture is 2Peter 1: 20-21,

“But you must understand this at the outset, that no prophecy of scripture arose from an individual’s interpretation of the truth. No prophecy came because a man wanted it to: men of God spoke because they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.”

(JB Phillips interpretation)

These passages are the result of Paul and Peter instructing the followers of Jesus Christ about what to do in the presence of false prophets. They have also been used, out of context, to refute any argument about the accuracy of scripture. We serve a God who loves us and forgives us and who does everything to be with us. At the same time, we have sanctified a book that doesn’t proclaim this simplicity of the Gospel in all of its passages. We have to read it, to dive deeply into its history and ours, and we have to question it at every turn: “Is what I am reading the true picture of the Christ?”

Anna is holding her own at the hospital. She is still critical, still fighting an overwhelming infection in her blood, lungs, and spine. God is watching over us and the care we are receiving is first-rate. I depend on the strength I receive from your prayers and love for me and my children. There are no words to adequately describe my gratitude.

Blessings, Mary

Greetings dear church and friends of the church!

Rev. Beverly Tye came through her surgery with a good report from the surgeon. We pray now for continued and quick healing for Beverly. We also pray for adequate pain control. She faces many months of rehabilitative therapy and I know she will be strengthened by your love and support. It was great to see the Maxwells this past Sunday. And it was great to celebrate Keith’s birthday! We have a real live WWII veteran in our midst folks. Dan Kessler took Keith out to the Joint Naval Reserve Base where Keith was honored with a cake and small celebration. The pictures are in this newsletter. I’ve never seen Keith smile so brightly. We love you, sir, and are grateful for your service.

Many of you will receive this newsletter on Wednesday, February 14, Ash Wednesday. This first day of Lent is a high holy day in much of the Christian faith tradition, Methodists included. As Max said on Sunday, we will come together to receive the mark of the cross on our forehead, indicating that we are the followers of Jesus Christ. The ashes represent our mortality. The entire exercise is intended to ask God for forgiveness and profess our devotion to God. While I will say the words, “you are forgiven,” I am only the messenger. I am not worthy to forgive you, only our Lord is worthy. I am humbled to be involved in the process. This is one of the reasons I am drawn to Methodism, this focus on the tradition of Lent. These next forty days are ours to use as we can to further God’s kingdom and strengthen our relationship with the One who loves us most. Until tonight, Mary

Blessings and peace to you in the name of the risen Christ,

I pray that your week is peaceful and that you are dwelling in the Lord. Max preached a great sermon last week, one of his best I believe. It encouraged me and challenged me to always tell the truth. I will be preaching the 18^th and 25^th in preparation for my March 4^th Board of Ordained Ministry interview. Not sure which part of my responses to their 16 questions will make the best sermon, but I am certain that God will help me choose.

We had a very productive All Council meeting this past Sunday. I want to especially thank those folks who volunteer their time and talent in support of the ministries of Saint Matthew. These meetings are not fun, full of business and lengthy discussions about church operations. Serving on these committees is a noble and faithful contribution to the survival of our church. I am grateful for our volunteers. Special shout out to the person (you know who you are) who helped us find a more affordable electric provider and property insurance policy. The church saved thousands on electricity in 2023 (vendor change happened in April) and will save even more in 2024. It is exciting to see what God is doing at Saint Matthew.

There is a report out this morning stating that cases of influenza are on the rise. I know that the sinus infection I had last week wasn’t COVID but I am not certain I didn’t have the flu. Either way, the instructions remain the same: wash your hands frequently, stay away from large crowds, stay away from sick people, and stay home if you are feeling ill. If you are at home and need anything, please reach out to us at pastor@saintmatthewumc.com . We check that email daily. Love to all! Mary