Author Archives: Mary Teague

Mary’s Corner

Posted on by
Reply

I bring you peace in the name of the risen Christ,

We honored the life of Bill Parker today at the DFW National Cemetery. The setting there is breathtaking and heartbreaking at the same time. Bill received the honor and recognition he deserved for his service during the Vietnam War. And Bill would have been reluctant to receive those honors, as his humble service in all areas was a way of life for him. Service never seemed anything more than “as it should be,” to quote Bill. I do not know how we were able to experience an actual angel among us, but I do believe that we have many in our small but mighty congregation. We saw Don Horton volunteering at the cemetery. He sends his love and well-wishes to all and promises to be back in church soon. Don told me that the DFW National Cemetery sits on more than 650 acres and can be the final resting place for 283,000+ veterans and spouses. Don reports that there are currently 92,000 folks interred on those sacred grounds. If you have not seen it already, it is worth the drive.

The bulletin Sunday contained information on upcoming events, specifically Eastside Ministries events and Bill J. Elliott Elementary School events. Please check our website, saintmatthewumc.com, for details about the upcoming events. I am grateful for your support of all our ministries. These actions are our witness to our neighbors. This is how they know we are followers of Jesus—by the way we love them with our time, talent, and resources. The end of October is coming quickly, and we know that the school is having a fall festival. We have not received guidance from the school counselor about how we can participate, but we will let you know as soon as that guidance comes. I am telling you this because we may not have much notice, and I know you do not want to miss an opportunity to serve our community.

Also, the St. Matthew Women’s United group will be assembling women’s hygiene bags containing tampons, pads, and lotion. If you can, please bring any or all of these items: medium and large sizes for the feminine hygiene products and travel-size lotion. I have ordered 100 opaque, resealable bags and will have them on Sunday.

Peace in the name of the risen Christ is a peace that we cannot understand, because it is nothing like what we can provide for ourselves. God’s love for us creates this kind of peace. At the same time, we can make peace with ourselves and each other, with life and with death, but most of all, with our Creator.

My love to all,
Mary

PS: We just received word from the elementary school that they would love for us to participate in their Trunk or Treat on October 24. We have been invited to bring candy to the school and to dress up a trunk and distribute candy at the event. If you are interested in being at the school with a dressed-up trunk, let me know. Otherwise, please bring a bag of candy to church this weekend. Don’t forget!

Mary’s Corner

Posted on by
Reply

Greetings, dear church and family,
I want to say thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the celebration of life for Bill Parker such a success. Specifically, I want to thank Nan McCosky for cleaning the church, and a special thank you to Veta and all of the folks who served the lunch. Thanks to all who brought food, and especially for making every visitor feel welcome and special. Bill would be proud of you. Finally, I want to thank everyone who stayed to help clean up. The fellowship hall looked beautiful thanks to Connie and her decorating folks. However, I know there was a big mess to clean up after serving almost 100 people. I’m grateful for the way everybody pulled together to make this a special event for the Parkers. This isn’t the end of memorials for Bill. On October 15th, Bill will be interred at the DFW VA cemetery. He will receive full military honors there for his service in the Vietnam War.

This Sunday at 9:00 AM sharp in the fellowship hall, we will have a table set up for flu vaccines. These are the regular flu vaccines and are appropriate for folks over the age of nine. These are not the senior vaccines. The regular dose takes a few more days than the senior dose to be effective, but both provide the same immunity. Please be there between 9:00 AM and 10:30 AM to get your vaccine.

Last weekend was a very busy time for us as a congregation. Words cannot express how grateful I am for all of you. I also can’t say enough about how this grief is going to impact us. Be gentle with each other, patient with each other, and kind. Look for opportunities to carry on the acts of service Bill did in our congregation. We need a new chairperson for the Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPRC), as Bill Parker filled that position for us in the past. Winston will be arranging a meeting of the PPRC soon so that we can nominate a new chairperson. The PPRC is the “human resources” part of church operations, managing staff and pastor issues along with annual evaluations. Please be in prayer that God will raise up someone to serve.

I am preaching this weekend, and I’m hoping to see all of your faces in your usual seats on Sunday morning. The choir is working on some beautiful numbers, and this weekend is no exception. Try to be there on Sunday if you can. If you can’t make it to the church, please join us online at saintmatthewumc.com.

Love to all,
Mary

Mary’s Corner

Posted on by

Greetings, dear church, on behalf of the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church,

Great things are happening in our denomination, and I am excited to be a part of this ministry with you. The leadership of the conference has very specific strategic plans for our work together in the future. I will have more details about all of these in upcoming sermons. As I said on Sunday morning, being in the Abilene Convention Center and listening to a 1,000-voice choir of committed United Methodist believers in Jesus Christ lifted my soul to the rafters. I know that God will do great things in our lives as we serve God’s creation.

On Sunday morning, I also discussed the new air conditioning unit and the cost to our congregation for the comfort of a controlled temperature in our sanctuary. Once again, you have amazed me with your love and generosity. We received a donation of $10,000 toward the cost of the new unit! Without revealing the donor, let me just say that nowhere on earth are there folks like the ones we have at Saint Matthew. You are always willing to help, no matter the request. To you, dear donor, whoever you are, just know that you are God’s gift to us, and we are grateful for your generosity. There remains a balance on the cost of the AC, but this very generous gift pays a little more than half of what was due. Bless you all as you continue giving your gifts, tithes, talents, and time to God.

Preparations are in progress and moving along well as we plan for the celebration of life for William J. “Bill” Parker. Services are on October 5, 2024, at 11:00 AM. The service will be followed by a meal in the fellowship hall. We will need desserts, please, as we expect a large crowd. We will also need assistance setting up, serving the food, and, as always, lots of help cleaning up.

Blessings to all of you, and special blessings to those of you who are unable to be physically in the church. You are loved and missed.

Mary

Mary’s Corner

Posted on by

Greetings, dear church and friends of the church,

I bring you peace and love in the name of the risen Christ. I returned Sunday from the beautiful state of New York. The memorial service for John McIntosh was beautiful. The service was held in a chapel built in the late 1700s. John’s family participated in the memorial, sharing touching stories and sentiments about their father, grandfather, and uncle. John’s great nephew, a professional opera singer, filled the wood and stone chapel with his powerful voice. There was a naval flag ceremony at the graveside that was incredibly moving.

At the same time, I missed you all terribly. My heart is broken, as is yours, over the loss of our dear brother Bill Parker. The thought of John greeting his friend Bill just inside those pearly gates was the thing that kept me going through this difficult weekend. I am grateful to God that I will see these men again, that their suffering is no more, and that they are busy watching over us in heaven.

I have spoken to Linda, and she sends love and thanks for the cards, text messages, and prayers. Bless you all for gathering her up in your arms as you have done for so many who have lost loved ones. I know that when I look out at you, I am in the presence of angels.

My love to all,
Mary

Mary’s Corner

Posted on by

Blessings and peace to all in the name of the Risen Christ,

My heart is heavy as I write this newsletter. Bill and Linda Parker have made the incredibly difficult decision to pursue comfort care for Bill. He has chosen hospice and was placed on service today, September 17, 2024. I know that you all join me in understanding that this is not the last time we will see Bill, while also living with the grief that he will not be here with us. Bill is one of the people I imagine to be most like Jesus—always forgiving, always loving his neighbor, always serving others. Linda will need her church family now more than ever, and I have promised Bill that we will take care of her.

While the timing is hard, there are still many things happening in our community that need mentioning. First, the Bill J. Elliott Elementary School blanket drive starts October 6th and runs through October 18th. We are providing warm children’s coats for this drive. Please begin bringing the coats we’ve discussed, starting this Sunday. We will collect all warm clothing items until October 18th. Also, Saint Matthew Women United are providing breakfast for the teachers on September 25th. If you are contributing to the breakfast, please have your contribution at the church by September 24th. We had our first choir practice on Sunday morning, and our new members, along with our wonderful existing singers, are making us sound better than ever. After church on Sunday, at our annual choir luncheon, a couple of the new members volunteered to organize a fall activity for the church—either a “Trunk or Treat” or a table at the Bill J. Elliott Elementary Fall Festival on October 24th. More to come on that soon.

Unfortunately, the AC unit at the church has completely shut down. Brian McCosky has worked diligently this week to find a dependable AC company to replace the broken air handler and heat pump unit. We cannot avoid replacing both, but Brian was able to save the congregation about $5,000 from the original estimate we received. We are truly blessed to have volunteers in our congregation who dedicate so much time and effort to keep us running.

It seems like I have asked for a lot in the past few weeks—food and money for Eastside Ministries, clothes and coats for the elementary school, volunteers for various projects, and now, financial support for AC replacement. I want to be clear that while I am asking, I also feel incredibly blessed. I am blessed because I am in fellowship and service to this congregation, and each of you reminds me of Jesus—always loving your neighbor, always forgiving, and always serving others. There is no church like this one, and I am deeply grateful for you. My cup overflows.

With love,
Mary