Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Author: Max Brennan

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Advent One

    Does God intervene in the created order?

    Put more simply, does God meddle in our lives?

    This, from an ABC report many years ago:

    An abusive husband killed his wife and tried to kill his eight-year-old son. The child was stabbed six times but was able to phone 911 for help.

    ANTHONY: My dad killed me with a knife, and I am gone.

    911: OK, how did that happen if you are talking to me?

    ANTHONY: My dad was killing my mom and like, you’re next. And he killed me. But I kind of survived. Can you help?

    911: Are you bleeding?

    ANTHONY: Uh-huh.

    911: Where are you bleeding from?

    ANTHONY: From my stomach.

    911: Are you there by yourself?

    ANTHONY: My mom is dead, and I am the only survivor.

    The police found the child covered in blood and rushed him to ICU.

    He made a full recovery.

    He also made a remarkable claim.

    As he lay bleeding, he heard a voice telling him to play dead until his father left.

    The child said, “God helped me. He sent his angels. The angels told me to call 911.”

    The voice said, “I will save you.”

    If all of this is true, we live in a world in which all of us are watched over, cared for.

    And from time to time. God is willing to intervene in our lives.

    But how does this sit with you? Does this fit your understanding of reality?

    Let me know. Send me an e-mail. Does God meddle in our lives?

    [email protected]

    +++

    The Christmas Show

    Sat., Dec. 16, 6:00 p.m.

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Eastside Dinner

    If you missed it last year—you don’t have to miss it again. Next week, Ronnie Sullivan’s family is cooking a big enchilada dinner for us as a fundraiser for Eastside Ministries.

    This is a great event.

    Sign up Sunday.

    Check Mary’s Corner for day and time.

    First Sunday of Advent

    This Sunday.

    First of four Sundays.

    And this is the way it falls every few years—Advent Four is on Christmas Eve.

    So, Sunday morning, Dec. 24, it will be Advent that morning and Christmas Eve that evening.

    Yes—it is a Divine Plan designed to get Methodists to go to church on a Sunday evening.

    Pomp and Circumstance

    Yes, Advent brings with it a little “pomp and circumstance,” as you will note this Sunday morning.

    And, by the way—the tree will already be up and decorated and the poinsettias will be in place.

    This decorating will begin Saturday morning.

    The “Douglas Breakfast” is at 8:30.

    (And speaking of breakfast, the Winston Breakfast on Sunday mornings is a joy. Partake of it. 10:30 every week. But do not eat all of the plain glazed donuts before the Senior Pastor gets there!)

    Keep this in mind: Both “The Christmas Show” on Saturday, Dec. 16th and the Christmas Eve Service on Sunday the 24th are at 6:00 p.m.

    And worship this Sunday is at 11:00.

    But you knew that.

    So—I do hope you can be present.

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Most people get it wrong.

    We sinned, people say, and this caused a separation between us and God.

    Not so.

    God created a distance between us and God—and this allowed us to sin.

    This is clear even in the symbolic language of the story of Adam and Eve.

    God places the forbidden trees in the midst of the garden—tells Adam and Eve not to touch them—and leaves the garden.

    They must make a choice. To be human is to choose. To be human is to have freedom to choose.

    It is the seeming absence of God that allows Adam and Eve to try the fruit.

    The Garden of Eden was like heaven. We cannot grow as human beings in heaven—and God wants us to have this human experience.

    So, God has placed us here—and given us a little distance.

    Like the mother who knows her child will never learn to walk if she carries him all the time.

    She puts him down and steps back, watching him at every moment.

    This is Kierkegaard’s analogy: He says the mother must be both fully present and seemingly absent at the same time.

    The child will fall as he learns. He will get some bumps and bruises. But the child will learn to walk.

    Kierkegaard is actually talking about God.

    God is always with us.

    But God has given us the freedom even to deny God’s existence.

    It must be this way—if we are to be human.

    If we are to have the freedom to grow in grace and understanding.

    We must choose love—in a place where love is not always easy.

    +++

    The Christmas Show

    Sat., Dec. 16, 6:00 p.m.

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Big Weekend!

    Yes–it was.

    The bake sale and silent auction raised $1,687.

    Wonderful!

    Julie Maxwell, in charge of the auction, is an old hand at such things. People gave some good stuff. The cakes were delish. (The ones I tasted.)

    Sunday we had a great service with many guests and a good Thanksgiving dinner after.

    Unusual Calendar This Year

    Advent One is not the Sunday after Thanksgiving this year. This Sunday is Christ the King. Mary is preaching. No choir this week. Julian Rodriquez is bringing our solo.

    The last three choral anthems have gotten a lot of comments. Three weeks ago, we had Julian on the flute. Then the guest on the cello. And this last week, just a lovely melody and beautiful words.

    All “mighty purdy,” as folks around Kemp used to say.

    Time to Prepare

    Let me use this space for some “housekeeping” business. The big tree needs to go up after this Sunday.

    And we need a smaller tree (six ft.), decorated with lights, to be placed up on the chancel the night of The Christmas Show. So, it will be moved in for the show—and out after the show.

    We will need a third tree for the fellowship hall (for the children and Santa).

    (Do we have someone in charge of trees? Do we have a Tree Committee? I leave all of this up to the Tree Committee—if we have one!)

    I’m ready for Christmas.

    I had COVID last year. Missed it all.

    No church service. No decorations on my tree.

    Fortunately—the Lord is born every Christmas without my help.

    See you Sunday.

    And God bless—

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Someone wrote me to say: “The only place for women in the church is sitting in pews with their heads covered.”

    According to Paul, God doesn’t even see us as male or female, Jew or Gentile. And God doesn’t see people as gay or straight. This from a near-death experience:

    +++

    When I got to heaven, I asked about my sexuality. I had been concerned all my life. The angel directed my attention to a large screen.

    On the screen, I saw two points of light engaged in intimate relation. The angel asked which was male and which was female.

    I said, “I don’t know.”

    The angel said, “That light is what God sees, for God sees the soul. Gender is a temporary thing. It will not always be with us.”

    The angel said God never makes a mistake in the way we are made.

    And God knows how each of us will be challenged and how we will be blessed.

    We are called to grow spiritually as we are.

    +++

    So—Jesus was being literal when he said we are the light of the world.

    Some folks want gay people, women, people of color, immigrants, and many others to put their light under that “bushel” Jesus talked about.

    But Jesus told us to shine–all of us. Shine–as we are, where we are.

    God doesn’t abide by the labels we put on people.

    God doesn’t see Baptist, Methodist, Muslim or Jew—nor American or foreign.

    God just sees his children—fighting over labels that don’t count.

    +++

    Fun silent auction and bake sale tomorrow—10:00 to 2:00. Come!