Greetings from the rain forest! I am writing to you from Puerto Rico, surrounded by palm trees, pinkish sand and…RAIN.  Gallons and gallons of rain with more predicted for the remainder of the week. While I am not able to play golf, I am able to enjoy the peacefulness of the golf course and the sounds of the ocean.

When I return on Sunday, I will be bringing a message to you about the plans that the UMC has for those congregations that stayed United Methodist. If it feels like we have been having this discussion for years, we have. My first knowledge of the movement of some away from the gospel and toward exclusivity came during my last year at Perkins in 2018.

For five-plus years, our Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors have been distracted by the extremists in our congregations who, as Paul describes, “see through a glass darkly.” The verse concludes, “but then, face to face” we will see God.

I cannot wait for that moment when the risen Savior welcomes me to that plane of existence where nothing is dark, nothing is unseeable. Until that time, I am so very grateful to be loved by a congregation like Saint Matthew.

It is beginning to rain again, or it may have never stopped. Either way, I am breathing and relaxing, waiting for the sun to shine. I look forward to being with you soon.

Mary

Greetings to all of you in the name of the risen Christ! I hope you are experiencing the love and blessings of God as you read this newsletter. Fall is coming this week and I am thankful for a break from the summer temperatures. Fall also brings flu, COVID,  and other inconvenient illnesses to our communities. Remember to take care of yourselves and each other during this time when your immune systems will be challenged. Sleep, healthy meals, hand washing, and avoiding large crowds are vital to maintaining your good health. If you feel sick, please stay home and rest. 

I will be out of town this weekend but will return on November 5^th to share the message and vision for the Central Texas Conference of the UMC from Bishop Ruben Saenz. In advance of this message, please think about the following questions: “What does our church do well?” and “What does our church need to do better?” These two questions are part of the process that Bishop Saenz has asked us to work through as we strive to multiply followers of Jesus and to become relevant to the neighborhoods we serve. I am excited to share with you and to move forward in our ministries to this broken world. I pray for all of you continuously, thanking God for your presence in my life. Blessings, Mary

I am so very grateful for the message we received Sunday morning from Rev. Beverly Tye. What a blessing to hear her story and to listen as she shared her faith journey with us. We are blessed to have several retired UMC ministers in our congregation and I enjoy getting to come to church and get “fed” on such great gospel messages. Max is back in the pulpit this week and I am positive he will have some great vacation stories for us.

I got my COVID and influenza vaccines on Monday. Other than a sore right arm (flu shot) I have not had any problems with the vaccines. Please, please make an appointment at your local pharmacy or physician’s office to get these vaccines and any others you may qualify to receive. The RSV vaccine and shingles vaccine are two other important immune system boosters that may be offered to you. You know your body well enough to know how many vaccines you can handle at once. My only suggestion to you is to drink plenty of water before and immediately following your vaccines. Eat a hearty, healthy meal and get plenty of rest. Taking care of your immune system with good food, water and sleep, is the first step to successfully avoiding illness. If you need help obtaining any of these three things, please reach out to me. Another vital part of a strong immune system is having a powerful sense of belonging. This is where our congregation excels. We shower each other with love and joy. We work very hard to welcome everyone and to get to know each other. The fellowship we enjoy makes us healthier and happier. Keep up the good work! My love to all of you. Get outside this week in the sunshine and beautiful weather. Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday! Mary

God bless you as you read this newsletter from Saint Matthew. Have you made your list yet? Is the list with all the good things about you someplace where you can see it every day? Did you have difficulty creating your list? Do you have someone in your life with whom you can share your list? If I am being completely transparent with you, I have to answer no it isn’t made and therefore not available. I am having great difficulty creating my list. I have someone to share with. If you are reading this email, I can give you some help for the first thing to put on your list: I am faithful. Just the fact that you are engaged enough to read the newsletter means that you are faithful to the gospel ministry of Saint Matthew. I am very grateful to all of you for your faithfulness. You give me strength and encouragement to keep moving forward in my ordination process. Whatever I do in my life in the service of God is made better because I have been at St. Matthew.

COVID numbers are slowly climbing. Remember to maintain good self-care: adequate sleep, good nutrition, sunshine when you can and ALWAYS wash your hands. Also, stay away from sick folks and stay to yourself if you are sick.

Love and blessings to all, Mary

Dearest St. Matthew friends and family,

What an exciting week for us! Our 8-year playground project was started and Phase 1 completed in less than 3 days. The equipment looks amazing and I cannot wait to complete Phase 2: Retaining wall with fencing and brick paver pathway.

Another bit of exciting news is that you will all be able to purchase engraved brick pavers or sections of fencing in memory of or in honor of someone.

This is, of course, just a fancy way of raising money toward the project. It is also a great way to let the world know how important that person was or is to you.

I will have pricing soon for the brick pavers and sections of fencing. I am so very grateful to all of you for your spiritual and financial support.

Phase 3 of the project includes the addition of a walking path around the property. We need to begin as soon as possible getting the fence up to keep folks safe. More to come this Sunday!

I am preaching again from Step 4. This week we will talk about “The Good Things.” Making a searching and fearless moral inventory is not only about the things we wish were different about ourselves. Making a list of the good things is also included in this step and I encourage you to begin making your list now.

My love to you all, Mary