Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Author: Max Brennan

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    FIRST THING— THE CONCERT!!!

    It’s a big deal—as are all of our concerts.

    “Blake the Great” does much of the singing.

    And there will be plenty for the congregation to join in on—such as the rousing opening hymn, Revive Us Again.

    That’s what we do at these concerts: We get our spirits revived. We are lifted and encouraged by the Gospel. And—we have a good time.

    Cindy Wheeler is fixing the meal for everyone.

    Please—do come.

    This Saturday at 6:00—Oct. 14.

    Dinner after.

    I Am Back

    We had a great time. We visited five states and drove many hundreds of miles, (I’ll share some things with you in a couple of weeks.) But this is my last vacation until I have knee replacement surgery. It was worth it—but very, very difficult.

    I will sleep in my own bed tonight.

    And that’s a beautiful thing.

    This Sunday—Beverly Tye

    We were sitting in a restaurant with Rev. Beverly Tye and a few of our members a few weeks ago.
    Beverly was talking about her faith journey and I asked her to share what she was saying with us in a sermon. And she will—this Sunday.

    Sermon title: Under Construction

    This is something to look forward to.

    Thanks to Mary

    Big thanks to Mary for keeping the ship afloat by herself these last two weeks (something she can do easily). I have not seen our services online. I could not access them through my phone, nor could I even get e-mails. I have some catching up to do.

    I hope all of you are well.

    And I long to see you—

    SATURDAY and SUNDAY!

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    An Atheist Meets a Miracle

    Emile Zola (1840-1902) was a prominent French novelist and an atheist.

    He hated Catholicism.

    He particularly hated the claim that Mary had appeared to a peasant girl in Lourdes in 1858.

    Lourdes became a place of pilgrimage. And there were reports of healings.

    Zola determined to prove it was all a fake.

    On the train down to Lourdes, he saw a young girl named Marie, age 16, who had three diseases for which there was no cure at that time: advanced lupus, TB, and huge ulcerations on her legs.

    Her face was eaten away, distorted by the lupus, and “oozing blood.”

    Zola decided then and there she would be his test case. And he was standing by, along with a doctor, when Marie entered the baths.

    She came out changed.

    Her face looked normal.

    It was clear that she was healed.

    The doctor said, “Ah, Monsieur Zola, behold the case of your dreams.”

    Zola said, “I do not want to look at her; she is still ugly to me.”

    The doctor accompanied her to the hospital. Her lungs were clear. She had no medical problems. And she remained healthy many years later.

    Zola said, “Were I to see all the sick at Lourdes healed, I would not believe in miracles.”

    I include a couple of healing stories in the book I am still working on, Discovering God.

    Such accounts are not hard to find, even accounts verified by doctors.

    But where do you stand on this? Does a God who heals fit in with your theology?

    Let me know.

    Write to me at the e-mail address below.

    Does God heal?

    I love hearing from you.

    [email protected]

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Vacation

    I know Vermont is lovely.

    As I write this, I haven’t seen it yet.

    I am doing my bit in this newsletter before I leave.

    I just wrote last week’s bit.

    I will get up from my computer in a minute and finish my packing.

    But I do want to remind you of the concert coming up on the 14th —Saturday at 6:00.

    Yes, that’s still over a week away, but make your plans now to attend. Stick a reminder on the refrigerator. Use some gum to stick a note on your bedpost. Or—just keep it in mind.

    We are having a great time in Vermont.

    Or—at least—I’m sure we will.

    (Still packing to go.)

    But I do already miss you.

    Stay safe till we return.

    And–

    GOD BLESS—-MB

  • Friday’s Word

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    An Unseen Presence

    On 9/11, the center of impact on Building Two of The World Trade Center was the 81st floor. Only four people who worked above that floor survived.

    Ron DeFranco was one of them. But he says he did not make the descent through fire, smoke, and darkness alone. An unseen presence was with him.

    When he hit a wall of debris blocking the stairs, he crouched on the floor to get under the smoke. He was in despair.

    A voice said, “Get up!”

    It was insistent.

    The voice addressed him by name and told him he could do it.

    All the way down he felt pushed, guided, sometimes even lifted.

    “An angel led me through the fire,” he said.

    Moments after he made it out, the building came down.

    Another person buried under the rubble that day saw Christ standing before him. He knew he was safe.

    These stories are told in John Geiger’s bestseller, The Third Man.

    (Not a good name for this kind of experience, but it has a history.)

    I shared with you recently the story of popular singer M.I.A. (her stage name).

    She was in an isolated place with no phone service and was so ill she believed she was dying.

    Then Jesus appeared to her, silently loving and encouraging her.

    M.I.A. was Hindu and didn’t like Christianity.

    But she was faced with a new reality.

    She said, “When you need help, it is Jesus who comes to save you.”

    Accounts like these are too numerous to ignore.

    How do you deal with them? Do they fit your theology?

    Do they lift you or trouble you? Let me know.

    My e-mail is below.

    [email protected]

  • Max’s Corner

    Max Brennan
    Categories:

    Vacation

    As I write this, it is late Monday, and I am getting ready to leave.

    Mary will be holding down the fort—and lifting your spirits with her preaching.

    I do want to remind you of the upcoming concert on Saturday the 14th at 6:00 p.m.

    Blake will do much of the singing.

    Cindy Wheeler will fix a great meal for everyone.

    Do plan to attend.

    And bring a friend, if you have one.

    I’ll be watching Sunday.

    Love to all.