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

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

Greetings to you, the beloved of Christ,

I pray that you were able to spend some time outside this morning enjoying the beautiful 57° weather. Fall is my favorite time of the year—cooler temperatures and sweaters. I know everyone has their favorite season, except maybe summer in Texas, with its 100+ heat and oppressive humidity.

It was wonderful to be in church with you yesterday morning. Wonderful to hear your voices as you sang those old hymns, praising God and worshipping together. I am thankful for all of you who spoke to me after church about becoming prayer warriors. Many of you expressed a willingness to pray for others and to intercede “with groanings that only the Holy Spirit can understand.” Prayer is a vital part of any ministry and our congregation, as we lift each other up. It’s also important to pray without ceasing for that person in the mirror. Talking to God is the best way I know to bring peace and comfort to your own heart. It’s also the best way I know to keep yourself out of trouble! Ha ha!

I just left Bill Parker’s hospital room. This afternoon, he is surrounded by his loving wife and his amazing sons. Bill is awake and talking to them, but he told me that this morning, he had a dream about heaven. I don’t have to tell you how much Bill loves his wife, his children, and his grandchildren. The one thing he wanted me to make sure everyone knows is how much he loves our church. Bill is an important part of many of our lives, and we are blessed to call him our friend. But I also don’t need to remind you that Bill is very sick, and your prayers are so important to him right now.

I will be attending the Eastside Ministries board meeting on Friday, September 13th, at noon, standing in for Bill Parker. While I can attend this time, I may not be able to get the day off for future meetings. We are still looking for someone who can volunteer to sit on the board of Eastside Ministries as a representative of Saint Matthew United Methodist Church. The food, clothing, and counseling provided by Eastside Ministries to the 76105, 76103, and 76119 zip codes are vital to the survival of the people in these neighborhoods. Eastside Ministries has struggled since COVID, as many of us have, but now is not the time to let our generosity and efforts lag. People need help more than ever—with groceries, clothing for their children, and with occupational, financial, and mental health counseling.

I am putting together a list of items we will need to assist in the Under the Bridge Ministry. The ladies’ group has volunteered to get us started by packing bags with snacks and hygiene products. I am grateful to all of you who are so generous with your time and talents. As I said yesterday, we can’t save the whole world, but we can do our part in our own neighborhood to be the hands and feet of the risen Christ.

My love to all of you,
Mary

Greetings to you, beloved children of God,

I cannot remember a time when I have so desperately longed for fall to arrive. Every day, I anxiously check my weather app to see how many days remain until the lows drop into the 70s and the highs into the 80s. As a child, I remember thinking how ridiculous it was that my parents and grandparents talked so much about the weather. Now, I realize just how important those conversations are. The oppressive heat and humidity we’ve experienced lately is almost indescribable. The heat radiating from the concrete surrounding us, even long after the sun sets, is stifling. Yesterday, as I drove down Meadowbrook Drive after church, I was humbled by the sheer strength and determination of a young woman I saw walking in the median, holding out her hands, asking for help from passersby. She had no protection from the sun and was barefoot. Creator God, please find her and overwhelm her with healing today.

I also participated in a ministry called Under the Bridge yesterday. This not-for-profit organization works every Sunday to prepare hot meals and bags of snacks for people living in and around downtown Fort Worth who have limited or no access to shelter, clean water, and food. You’ve heard me speak about this ministry before, and several of you have prepared and individually packaged snacks to be transported to these events on Sunday afternoons. For that, I am deeply grateful. As I worked yesterday afternoon in the air-conditioned kitchen, helping to prepare and package nearly 300 hot meals for our friends living on the streets, it occurred to me that quite a bit of the work could be done in advance during the week. My mind began to wander, and I came up with some ideas about how the folks at Saint Matthew UMC could further support this ministry. I have some interesting thoughts, and I’ll be discussing them with you during upcoming services.

On Sunday morning, as I turned the corner on Hitson (on two wheels because I was running late 😊), I noticed a new sign next to the one that read “United Methodist Church one block.” The new sign said, “Spraying for West Nile virus in progress in this zip code.” My first thought was, “Mosquitoes don’t congregate by zip code!” I was both startled and concerned. The mosquito spray used to combat the West Nile virus contains DEET, a known carcinogen. Because I was running late on Sunday, I forgot to mention this during the service, but it’s important to know that DEET is deadly to mosquitoes and dangerous for small animals. It can also cause serious health issues in individuals with respiratory or lung conditions. Please be mindful that being outdoors after dark may not be safe until the West Nile spraying has been completed. We live in interesting times and an interesting area. The amount of concrete in our neighborhoods has overwhelmed the ability of trees to help regulate the temperature. Now, at dawn and dusk—the most pleasant times of the day to be outside in August—the mosquitoes become predators, and we are their prey. Finally, just after sunset, the mosquito trucks come out to spray the neighborhood. Max’s sermon was about timing—how God knows what we will experience in our lives, when we will have those experiences, and how He sends us into this world for such a time as this. God is with us, in us, and working through us. I just pray that there are no mosquitoes in heaven.

Continue to faithfully keep one another in prayer, and put feet and hands to your prayers at every opportunity. Love and blessings to you in the name of the risen Christ,

Mary