Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Author: Max Brennan

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
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    Big Weekend!

    SATURDAY—SILENT AUCTION AND BAKE SALE—You know this will be fun.

    And helpful. Buy your cake for Thanksgiving.

    (Some of you can buy the one you baked!)

    And for those with a competitive spirit, fight it out at the silent auction. Lots of stuff—baskets stuffed with cheeses, chocolates, and all kinds of goodies.

    And lots of items to gift to other people this Christmas.

    So, come—and let’s have fun—

    AND!!!—MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL—LET’S MAKE A LITTLE MONEY FOR THE CHURCH!!!

    Thanksgiving Sunday

    Thanksgiving with your family on Thursday—but with your church family this Sunday.

    We have our big Thanksgiving meal together this Sunday after worship—a St. Matthew tradition.

    And in worship, we will sing songs of thanksgiving.

    My sermon: “Thank God, It’s True”

    Scripture: Matthew 7:7-11

    The March to Christmas

    It’s about to begin—and I’m ready for it.

    I missed Christmas at the church last year—ill with COVID.

    Sunday after this Sunday is “Christ the King” (Mary preaching), and then, on Dec. 3, Advent begins.

    And on Saturday, Dec. 18—surely you know—

    THE CHRISTMAS SHOW.

    But let’s not get ahead.

    This Sunday—the church Thanksgiving.

    Pot-luck dinner after worship.

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Silence Can Be Harmful

    My sermon title for Sunday: What Jesus Said about the Gay Issue.

    Do we really have to talk about this?

    Yes! We do!

    Silence is part of the problem.

    We have let the bigots set the agenda. The preachers who know the truth have been afraid to say the truth.

    Some preachers were shocked when their United Methodist congregation voted to leave the UMC.

    But so many of these preachers had never led their people toward the truth.

    The Gospel must be proclaimed! We must be willing to speak God’s unconditional love for all people.

    We must make it clear that, with God, there is neither “male nor female, Jew nor Greek, slave nor free.” Nor gay or straight.

    These are not categories that God cares about.

    We must be willing to say that Paul was wrong and Jesus was right on the issue.

    But did Jesus even talk about it? Yes!

    And quite clearly.

    We will look at the passage called “Jesus’ definition of marriage” this Sunday.

    What he ends up saying is really interesting: that one size does not fit all. He lays down the rule and then says it can’t apply to everyone.

    Why? Because people are different.

    People come in a variety.

    People have different needs.

    The law was unbending.

    But love meets us where we are and takes us to where we need to be.

    This Sunday at 11:00—and after that on recording.

    +++

    No concert this month.

    Christmas Show in Dec.

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    It’s Not Just for Us

    Sermon this Sunday: “What Jesus Said about the Gay Issue.” We may not need this sermon, but a lot of people do.

    Last time I spoke on a controversial subject (“Jesus Invented Woke”), 400 people joined us on-line for the service. They did not all stay for the full service, but many of them did.

    We have the capacity to teach people the Gospel truth who are beyond the walls of this church.

    One reason so many Methodist churches left the denomination is because too many preachers failed to proclaim the simple and honest truth about the gay issue: God does not care about sexual orientation. Bigotry needs to end.

    Request: until we can get the new close-up lens for our second camera (our best camera), please make sure those front pews have people in them.

    At the moment, we must show the eight or ten front pews from time to time. We can have good attendance and the church look empty if no one is sitting forward.

    Your help is appreciated.

    Big Things Coming

    Bake Sale and Silent Auction—Saturday, Nov. 18—10:00 to 2:00.

    The next day–Thanksgiving Dinner after worship–Sunday, Nov. 19.

    “The Christmas Show”—plus dinner—plus Santa—on Saturday, Dec. 16—6:00 p.m.

    Christmas Eve Candlelight Service—on Christmas Eve at 6:00 p.m.

    See you Sunday!!
    God bless—

    Note: We received the heartbreaking news today that Darrell, son of Peggy Becker, has died. (Both were in our choir a few months ago.) We will let you know more when we know more.

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Communion This Sunday

    Matthew tells us that Jesus amazed people by talking as “one having authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

    Jesus didn’t quote scripture before he spoke.

    He even contradicted scripture at times: “It was said, ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ but I say to you…”

    Jesus would say “amen, amen” before he spoke, not after. (That’s the “verily, verily” of the old King James version.)

    He was declaring what was coming to be true before he said it—and with reference to no authority beyond himself.

    And Jesus said things no one had ever said before.

    Things like: “Love your enemies.”

    Search all the ancient writers for that idea. You won’t find it. It is certainly not in the Old Testament.

    “Love people that do not love you,” he said. “Love those who persecute you.”

    He pushed an entirely new concept of God—a God who “is kind to the ungrateful and to the wicked.”

    People had never heard anything like that before—and most of them didn’t like it.

    Most people don’t like it today. Most Christians don’t like it.

    That’s why people cling to biblical inerrancy. This allows them to lift the old images of God over the God we know through the teachings of Jesus.

    It’s like Jesus said: “When people have tasted the new wine, they say the old is better.”

    Jesus is not all that popular. Many Christians pay little attention to him.

    + +

    Sermon on the Sunday after this one: What Jesus Said about the Gay Issue.

    Did he talk about it?

    Yes, of course.

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Topic a Week from Sunday

    You don’t need the sermon I will be preaching Sunday after this, but many beyond our church do. Ignorance is rampant. Ugliness is growing. We need to make it clear that Jesus was aware that people are different, and differences must be accommodated.

    We need to continue to say that “gay” and “straight” are not categories God cares about.

    They are differences that make no difference to God.

    Although we don’t need to be convinced, I think all of us will be interested in some remarkable scripture in Matthew.

    Following that sermon, I will begin the series I talked about Sunday.

    Communion Sunday

    Mary up to Bat.

    Mary has been in Puerto Rico because of her serious addiction—to golf! She has been helping a friend run a tournament.

    (I agree with Mark Twain: “Golf is one way to ruin a good walk.”)

    But Mary is back to preach for us Sunday as we begin the eventful month of November.

    We will gather at the Lord’s table.

    All Saints Sunday

    You will have a chance to turn in the name of someone you loved and lost this year. We will read out the names in the service, along with those in our church who have passed since November a year ago.

    All Saints Sunday.

    Julian Rodriquez will sing his first solo for us.

    Kristi is out, so Blake will play the whole service for us.

    I hope you are looking forward to the grace of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas in our church.

    God bless—MB

    (Hey!—remember breakfast every week at 10:30. And don’t eat all the donuts before I get there!)