Blessings to you in the name of the risen Christ. What a joy it was on Sunday to be covered by the rains from heaven. In many parts of the Metroplex, the rainfall total for October was zero. We made up for that on Sunday and Monday, and I’m grateful to God for the life-giving rain. I think about the time between rainfall events in our neighborhood—one day stretching into the next, living with a heat that is not normal for October, accompanied by the beautiful sunshine we all need. It brings to mind those dry places in my spirit when I cannot feel, smell, or hear God. It makes me think about the moments when I struggle with my own faith and my understanding of who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ. And then, the rainfall reminds me of what a glorious thing it is when God “rains” into our souls. The sound of God’s love rushing back into my heart, like a mighty clap of thunder, so loud I am driven to my knees. The smell of the earth, God’s creation, soaked in water, created in Spirit. The feeling of being God’s beloved that floods my heart, overflowing the curbs of my soul. I am thankful for this week’s rain and blessed beyond measure to be a child of the Creator.

We have a busy month ahead. We continue to collect feminine hygiene products for our sisters experiencing homelessness. Please bring what you can by Sunday, November 10. The women’s group will assemble the bags at their luncheon on Thursday, November 14. We are also collecting new and very gently used children’s coats for Bill J. Elliott Elementary School. We will collect these coats until November 17. Please see Connie Michael if you have questions. Donated coats are currently being stored in Miss Sue and Miss Vickey’s Sunday school class. Also, in November, we will have a Saturday night concert and a Sunday after-church Thanksgiving dinner. I refer you to the calendar in the church hallway for the dates of the concert and Thanksgiving dinner. I announced the wrong dates on Sunday and, as a result, have retired from announcing dates.

I want to say a special thanks to Scott and Kay Ryan for the beautiful rendering of our church’s namesake, St. Matthew. It is hanging proudly in the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Thank you, Scott and Kay, for the lovely gift to our congregation.

December 1, 2024, is the first Sunday of Advent. It may seem early to announce Advent before we have celebrated Thanksgiving, but I am asking for your prayers for this season at Saint Matthew. I am praying specifically for God to do something amazing. I am asking God to do something so incredible that we will stop in our tracks, look skyward, and shout glory to God’s name. I pray for each of you, that the baby Jesus shows up in a deeper, more spiritual way than ever before. I also know this will be a very difficult holiday season for many of you. I pray for those of us who have lost loved ones over the last few years, those who were vitally important in our lives. It is difficult to live in the bittersweet space between celebrating the arrival of the Christ child and living with the loneliness and heartbreak of losing someone we love. We will do some special things this year to honor both worlds. More to come on the plans for Advent 2024 at Saint Matthew UMC.

My love to you all,
Mary

Peace and love to you from a follower of Jesus Christ,

My prayers for you this week have been for comfort and peace. Anxiety, worry, and fear are palpable in the air as we approach this most contentious election next week. I understand those feelings and find myself frequently “belly breathing” and inviting the peace of Christ into my mind. I remind myself that “the Lord is my shepherd, walking with me through green pastures, still waters,” and whatever chaos the world is experiencing. I tell myself, “let not your heart be troubled.” I am a follower of Jesus, and I do feel the presence of the risen Christ in my life, even in the middle of a society at war with itself. I remember that God is eternal and all-knowing. God has already seen what happens in the future, including the election next week. I know we all have an outcome in mind that either brings us joy or fear. I encourage all of you to choose to trust in God. The best we can do is to vote in the way our conscience leads us. The next best thing we can do is to continue to love our neighbors and to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in our neighborhood. Neither of those two things depends on who sits in the White House. All politics aside, it is imperative that an open, affirming, accepting, and loving voice of the church is heard above the noise of people at war with each other over political ideals. Saint Matthew is such a church, and we have that voice.

Don’t forget our picnic this weekend, which looks like it will be held indoors. We had very few folks sign up on Sunday for the event. Please let Vita know what you plan to bring if you did not sign up on Sunday. This will be a very informal event; we will have no decorations, but we will need a cleanup crew. I encourage you to bring everything that you and your family will need that you would bring for a picnic, and then bring a little more to share with others.

We have two important events coming up. On November 5th, Saint Matthew will host a voting location. After our picnic on Sunday, we will work together to make sure the bathrooms and the fellowship hall are clean and ready to receive guests. Our second important event is a wedding that has been booked at the church for December 7th. This is our first time hosting a wedding as a paid venue. We will work together on Thursday evening, December 5th, and Friday, December 6th, to make certain that the church is clean and ready to receive guests.

Finally, my beloved siblings, keep your thoughts on things that are good, things that are right, things that are just, things that are loving. When we think on these things, the world is a better place.

Mary

Greetings, beloved Church and Church friends,

I wish you peace and love in the name of the risen Christ. I was blessed this week to spend time at a grief summit. Several clergy members and I gathered together on Monday with a grief coach at Keller United Methodist Church. We spent three hours talking about grief. The discussions included the impact of losing church members, the impact of disaffiliations, and the difficulty of allowing space for our own grief while acknowledging the grief of the rest of the world. It was an amazing and uplifting encounter with God on Monday. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been there.

I want to say thanks to everyone who brought Halloween candy for the Trunk or Treat at the elementary school. We got lots of good candy, and hopefully, those kiddos will have a great time next week at their event.

I also want to say a special thank you to Brian McCosky for two reasons. First of all, Brian has pretty much single-handedly managed the issues we are having with our HVAC equipment. This has taken a lot of his time, including his entire birthday back in September. Secondly, I want to thank Brian for bringing brats and hotdogs back from Wisconsin. In the midst of juggling my responsibilities, I failed to set a date with Brian for a church picnic. Thankfully, Brian is part of a veterans’ organization and will be able to use the imported meats for an event with local veterans. I apologize to you all that we will miss out on the high-quality products that Brian brings back from Wisconsin. That said, we still need a church picnic. Apparently, the weather is going to cooperate until at least the middle of November. We will be having a church picnic on November 3, 2024, immediately following the service. The temperature that day is forecasted to be 75° with a minimal chance of rain. I will have a sign-up sheet this Sunday for those who wish to bring food for the picnic. We will invite the neighborhood via our sign out in front of the building and through this newsletter article. Please join us on November 3 for breakfast at 10:30, church at 11, and a picnic on the grounds beginning at 12:30.

Thank you for your continued love and patience with me as I pursue ordination in the United Methodist Church. I have been away from school for a while now, and I’m not sure I remember everything I need to. I have to study extra to remind myself of all the things I’ve forgotten.

My love to you all,
Mary

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