Peace and love to you all in the name of Jesus Christ,

A book called The Universal Christ was my first encounter with the writings of Father Richard Rohr. I remember being fascinated by the book and by Father Rohr’s understanding of Jesus Christ. To summarize: “Richard Rohr proposes that every human being is already ‘in Christ,’ and that Christ is not just Jesus, but a broader, universal reality. This idea suggests that the divine love expressed in Jesus is also present in all of creation, including every human being. The book encourages seeing the Christ in all things and fosters a sense of interconnectedness and unity.”

The book calls us to change our point of view. It invites us to look at everything as holy. It challenges us to stop judging, stop comparing, and stop separating ourselves from one another. Instead, Rohr calls us into a relationship with Jesus Christ so intimate that we begin to see the world through Christ’s eyes and love the world with the divine love of our God. I remember from my first reading that Rohr emphasizes this divine love begins in the mirror.

That is the barrier though, isn’t it—loving ourselves, also? We hold so many grudges against ourselves and have passed so much judgment on our own actions that we struggle to give mercy where it’s most needed. “Mercy is a way to describe the mystery of forgiveness. It is who God is.” The word for mercy in Hebrew is hesed, and it means steadfast, enduring, unbreakable love.

Steadfast, enduring, unbreakable love! Can you imagine the world if people practiced this kind of love with the human in the mirror and the rest of God’s creation? This is what heaven must be like—a place where we give up clinging to our unforgiveness, toward ourselves and others, and release the divine love that God has placed in our hearts.

As we move through Holy Week, think about what it took for God to set aside the glories of heaven, take on human flesh, and live the life Jesus lived on this earth. God gave everything. I believe God did it for love.

I pray that you encounter the Universal Christ in your life. I pray that God’s divine love so overwhelms you that you begin to see yourself—and others—as we are all seen in the eyes of Jesus: the beloved children of Christ.

Maundy Thursday: 6:00 PM light dinner, 6:30 PM service

Good Friday: 6:00 PM dinner, 6:30 PM service

Easter Sunday: 10:00 AM Easter Egg Hunt for the children; 11:00 AM Easter worship service

The Universal Christ. 2019. (Accessed April 14, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/receiving-gods-mercy/)

Good Monday, Church!

The sun is shining, the temperature is climbing, and it feels like spring is finally on its way. Let’s enjoy the pleasant days ahead—and maybe the wind will settle down before the summer heat arrives.

Sunday’s baptism was a deeply spiritual moment for me. There’s something sacred about placing my hand into the water and becoming a vessel of the Holy Spirit. I often find myself wavering between awe and overwhelming joy. If you know me well, you know my joy tends to leak out through my eyes! What a thrilling experience to baptize three young people this week—and Ian back in January. It’s clear: we’re seeing the beginnings of a youth group, and I’m excited to plan some outings for our kids and their friends. I’ll need your help, so stay tuned.

At the same time, I’m preparing funerals—living in the tension between grief and grace. Funerals are bittersweet. What breaks our hearts is the same sacred moment that frees our loved ones into the tangible presence of God. While we mourn, I believe they hear our tears… and God’s voice saying, “Welcome home, good and faithful servant.”

Grief doesn’t leave us—it becomes part of us, and processing it is essential to our well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with loss, please reach out. I have many resources and am always available to listen or walk alongside you.

And always—pray for one another. Our church family carries joys and sorrows side by side, and the prayers of a faithful, loving community do so much to lighten the burden. God hears us—especially when we lift each other up.

Blessings and love,
In the name of the risen Christ,
Mary

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Funeral for Eleanor Goodwin April 9, 2025 at 11am in the chapel at Shannon Rose Hill Funeral Home, 7301 E. Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76112. There will be a viewing on Tuesday April, 8, 2025 from 5-7pm in the funeral chapel. All are welcome. 

The St. Matthew Women’s Group will meet Thursday April 10^th@ 12noon. Everyone is welcome.

Funeral for Patsy Reeves will be May 3^rd at 11am at Saint Matthew. More details to come, but we will need a meal prepared for the family to follow the service.

Palm Sunday service @ 11am with Potluck lunch to follow. Please stay for our family meal, the food will be amazing and the company will be grand!

Maundy Thursday light meal at 6pm on Thursday April 17, 2025 followed by Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 pm.

Good Friday light meal at 6pm on Friday April 18, 2025 followed by Good Friday service at 6:30 pm.

Easter Sunday: 10am Easter Egg hunt for the children. Be there at 0950. The hunt starts precisely at 10am. Easter Services at 11am.

Mother’s Day is May 11, 2025.

Peace and love in the name of Jesus Christ to you, God’s beloved children!

I’m home from Arizona and so thankful for the time I spent with my grandmother. I must make a correction—she isn’t 98 as I had shared—she’ll be 99 years old on September 15th! Her mind is still sharp, and her spirit is strong. Though she faces some age-related challenges like arthritis, she remains healthy, happy, and deeply faithful. Like many at her stage of life, she finds herself asking the question Keith has also voiced: “How much longer, Lord?”

It’s a question that speaks to something deep within us—a longing for heaven. As we grow older, many of us begin to miss the promise of eternity and look forward to that day when we shall see God face to face. The apostle Paul expresses this so beautifully in 2 Corinthians 5, where he writes about our earthly lives being like a tent, while in heaven we have a “permanent house, made not by man, but by God.” Paul goes on to say that in “this present frame, we sigh with deep longing for the heavenly house.”

Do you feel that longing too? If you do, I would love to hear your thoughts. Let’s talk about it sometime.

We continue to lift up our beloved members who are unable to attend church in person. The joy and light that we experience when gathered in fellowship is something we should pray God shares with each of them in abundance. I’d also like us to begin thinking about a visitation and card-writing ministry soon. Reaching out to others with love and encouragement can make all the difference.

Love and blessings to all,
Mary

P.S. I just spoke with Joyce Mitchell, and she shared that Dan is not doing well. Please join me in praying for them both. Lord, hear our prayer.

Peace and love to all of you in the name of Jesus Christ,

The Saint Matthew UMC newsletter happens every week, 52 weeks a year. I have had a “corner” in the newsletter for longer than I can remember, but my newsletter articles are usually late getting submitted to Jason. I wish it were not true, but my organizational skills paired with a calendar that looks like mine create problems with meeting this Tuesday at 4 p.m. deadline. Today (Monday), I have set an intention to get my newsletter article written and submitted for editing on Sunday after church or Monday by 3 p.m. at the latest. I am sharing this with you because that reinforces my commitment to do this. Jason is very patient with me every week, but he also has a calendar that looks like a hurricane, and so I want to be respectful of his responsibilities and time. By setting an intention and not just a reminder, I am making a promise to myself to do better.

I wonder what other intentions I need to set in my life? My intention this season of Lent has been to draw closer to God. Reading, praying, meditating, and physical movement have all been centered around this intention since Ash Wednesday. Jesus “steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,” knowing the fate that awaited (Luke 9:51). To be more like Jesus, we must also “set our face” toward whatever is in front of us. Pick one thing when you read this newsletter. Write one word about the subject toward which you will set an intention. Share your word with someone you trust, and then tell God. And if you want to share it with me, please email me: mary.teague@saintmatthewumc.com.

My love to all of you!
Mary

P.S. We raised $3,675 toward payroll at Eastside Ministries! Thank you for your continuously generous spirit. I will keep you posted about their future and our part in keeping this vital ministry open in East Fort Worth.

Hold on with all your strength! Sometimes, that’s all we can do—hold on for dear life. Hold on to the God who created us and loves us beyond measure, to the point that even Calvary was not too much to endure. We are God’s beloved children.

For some of us, simply being held is difficult. Letting go and trusting God takes a strength we didn’t know we had. I feel that way this week as I struggle to make sense of what’s happening in our world, on our streets, and in our lives. I’ve wrestled with trying to fix things, when what God asks of me right now is to be still.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

Be still, beloved children, and know that God is with us.