Hello, dear church!

I missed being in church with you Sunday and I will not be with you this coming Sunday either. I will be in Abilene for the funeral. I am not sure I can stand being away from you for this long! I watched the service last week and will do so again this Sunday. Thanks to all of you who have sent cards, phone calls, and texts. And to Veta for the wonderful dinner and dessert! You spoil us and we are so very grateful for you. It is very hard to lose someone you love. I know many of you have experienced this kind of loss more than once in your lives. I take great comfort in knowing that my church has my family in its prayers and holds space for us in this time of grief. You are all a blessing from God.

REMEMBER OUR CONCERT THIS SATURDAY NIGHT: DOOR’S OPEN AT 6:30 pm.  The music starts at 7:00 pm. We will have light refreshments after so that you may visit with each other and with the performers. Nicholas and Cassandra have planned a wonderful performance for us. I promise you will not be disappointed. 

Please pray for Carol Bennett. She is the proud owner of a brand-new knee! Surgery was 6/25 and she will be out for a few weeks.

I received an email today from Marilyn Thomas. Marilyn wants to donate a Yamaha baby grand piano that belonged to her late husband. If you are interested in owning this marvelous instrument, please call me or text me and I will give you Marilyn’s contact information. If I don’t hear from anyone, I will share the information with the Central Texas Conference. We have to find a home for this beautiful piano and honor the memory of Marilyn’s husband.

There are no words for how much I miss you, Mary

Hello, dear family and friends of the church,

I am profoundly grateful for all of you and for the outpouring of love on Sunday. You always know the right things to say, or not say. Grief is a hard thing to handle alone, but it does not require a lot of words. Just making space for someone to feel what they are feeling is enough. We are programmed to “do” the gospel, bring food, clothes, water, give money and time, volunteer at the church, sing in the choir… But walking with someone through grief only requires presence. I can confidently say that you are all skilled at conveying your love with your eyes, your hugs, and your presence. You bring me great comfort. I talked to someone on Sunday about a grief support group at the church. Nothing formal, and we can offer a virtual option along with the option to meet at the church. Please let me know if you are interested and we will find a day/date that works.

Don’t forget our concert on June 29th! The doors open at 6:30 pm and the music will begin at 7:00 pm sharp. Get there early for a seat. Bring a friend. Our musicians, Nicholas and Cassandra, will be singing music in honor of LBGTQ+ Pride month. It will be a great time. We will fellowship for a short time afterward with light refreshments, aka “snacks.” 😊

The funeral mass for Ronnie’s mother, Crispina Monrrial, takes place on Monday, July 1st at 10 am in Abilene, Texas at Saint Vincent Catholic Church, 2525 Westview, Abilene. Crispina’s daughters make our Eastside Community Assistance enchilada dinner every year in December to raise money for outreach. Please do not feel obligated to travel to Abilene. Just your thoughts and love are greatly appreciated.  Ronnie will be back in church when she is ready to see everyone. She sends thanks for your prayers and support through this difficult time. 

May the Lord be with you, Mary

We said “so long” on Sunday to our dear friend, mentor, and retired pastor, Beverly Tye. While it was difficult to see her leave, I know it is temporary. She is a short drive by Texas standards, only four hours to Blanco, Texas. We will miss Beverly, but she has promised to visit and to keep in touch. Reverend Tye’s sermon on Sunday morning was meaningful to me. I had not considered myself someone called to ‘kiss a frog.’ She was spot on in her description of frogs and in their place in the minds of humans, not very attractive, do not invoke joy, etc. But the sound made by the tree frogs in my yard just after the sun goes down is very soothing to me. It is a sound I can listen to for hours as I let the stress of my day peel away. Maybe God intended frogs to be heard and not seen. 

We have our first summer concert scheduled at Saint Matthew on June 29^th at 6:30 pm. Musicians Cassandra Kirby and Nicholas Garza will be performing for us. Cassandra and Nicholas are great friends of Blake’s and are well-known artists in the local music scene. The concert is free of charge and an offering will be collected to support the ministries of Saint Matthew.

Don’t forget the ladies’ luncheon tomorrow with crafting beginning at 10 am and lunch at 11:30. Blessings to all, Mary

It is a HALLELUJAH kind of day! I pray that you are also experiencing the kind of joy that comes with knowing that God loves you and that God is walking with you no matter what’s going on in your life. I am so grateful for the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit Sunday morning in our services. Your voices were beautiful as you sang both the traditional and praise and worship hymns. I’m grateful for your willingness to be flexible and to try new things. I’m excited to begin a new tradition at Saint Matthew, where we are able to learn a new song once or twice a month. I’m also profoundly grateful for the three new church members that joined us on Sunday morning. Carlene, Kathy, and Lynette have no idea really what they’re in for but I know that God is part of this and brought them to us for a very special reason. If nothing else, I know we will have great fun with them; they are always smiling! We have gained many new members this year. More so than in the last several years. And while we struggle to look around the world and find places where the church is relevant to the world, Saint Matthew continues to draw folks in who are looking for a place filled with God’s authentic people. I am so grateful to be a part of this ministry.

I had my first meeting this week with my mentor pastor, Reverend Kissa Vaughn, From Saint Barnabas United Methodist Church in S Arlington. We talked for a long time about the things I need to do to be successful with the board of ordained ministry. She also shared some wonderful programs and insights she had about doing ministry in the neighborhood where we live. I’m grateful for the time with her and grateful for another chance at coming before the board of ordained ministry. I’m living in that space right now between wanting to do so many things at the church and in the neighborhood and still having to work full time at the hospital. Please know that the hours I have after work and on Saturdays and Sundays that I spend doing church work are precious to me. The work I do as the associate pastor at Saint Matthew United Methodist Church fulfills me and lets me know that this truly is God’s calling on my life. I do not know what God has next, but I do know that God has this in God’s mighty right hand. 

My love to all of you, Mary

Cleaning supplies provided. Please bring your own elbow grease.