Happy New Year! I pray that you are all warm and getting caught up on your rest.

Santa’s helpers, the McCoskys, spent Monday afternoon at the church working (again!!). Brian and Nan were able to get all of the Christmas decorations taken down, including the ornaments from the trees! What a blessing these two are at St. Matthew. What that means for you, if you are of a mind to help, is that the ornaments and decorations need boxing up and the large tree in the sanctuary disassembled. We can take care of the sanctuary tree on Saturday morning, January 3rd at 9:30, as I announced this last Sunday. Thank you again, Nan and Brian, for getting the meticulous and slow part of this work done. We will have everything boxed up and put away for another year before services on Sunday.

I also announced that on January 11, 2026, we would be honoring Courtney Moore for her work with St. Matthew and installing our new business administrator, Amber Hartwell. We will be rescheduling that event to January 18, 2026. On January 11th, we will still have our “Multiplication Masterclass” after church. The webinar starts at 1:00 pm. We will eat lunch at the church before the class. Please let me know if you plan to attend. Seating will be limited, as will the food available, if I do not know you are coming. The purpose of these classes is to build the membership of the church by making our ministries relevant to our neighborhood. Our sanctuary holds 100+ folks comfortably and 180 if we squeeze together. Let’s all work together in 2026 to sustain the life of Saint Matthew by ministering to our Fort Worth neighbors.

Greetings to our neighbors on the World Wide Web!! I am grateful to all of you who continue to be a part of the life of Saint Matthew from afar. We would be struggling without your prayers and support. Please let us know when you are online. There is a link on the broadcast to report your attendance.

Stay warm, my friends. We have a new year coming, a new chance to bring the good news of the gospel to folks who are starving for a bit of good news. As Max said on Sunday, be at peace knowing that you are loved by God eternally.

Blessings,

Mary

Sometimes exciting things happen when we least expect them. We might be busy with homework, chores, or helping around the house when something surprising comes our way. God often shows up in moments like these, right in the middle of ordinary life.

In our lesson this week, we discussed the shepherds who were tending to their sheep when angels appeared and shared the joyful news of Jesus’ birth, as recorded in Luke 2. The shepherds were ordinary people doing everyday work, yet God chose them to be among the first to hear about the Savior. Even though they were afraid at first, they trusted God’s message and went to see baby Jesus for themselves.

The story of the shepherds reminds us that God’s love is for everyone and that God can use anyone to share good news. We do not have to be famous or important for God to work through us. Just like the shepherds, we can share kindness, hope, and joy with others and help spread God’s love in simple ways each day.

What We Learned:

• God meets us in everyday moments
• Jesus came for everyone, not just a few people
• Good news is meant to be shared

IT’S CHRISTMAS

I am filled with expectation.
I have been deprived for weeks!
I get to come back to church tonight.
Christmas Eve!

Yes, I’m doing OK after my knee replacement surgery.
I pulled a muscle in my groin area, which has set me back a little. I’ll be moving slowly.
But I get to return!
What joy!

Usual time: 6:00 p.m.
Usual beautiful service—perhaps a bit more beautiful than usual.

The choir is doing a Handel piece from The Messiah:
“And the Glory of the Lord.”

I hope to see you at the Christmas Eve worship.
And our love to those who are unable to come due to health, or for any other reason.

And this coming Sunday—Dec. 28—
it is called “The First Sunday after Christmas Day.”
It is still the season. We will sing some carols we don’t usually sing.

My sermon will refer to the rather unusual Christmas I have had.
No breakfast.

I watched last Sunday from home and enjoyed it so much.
Thanks to Mary for her beautiful work over these last weeks.
(Mary is a gracious presence.)

And the next Sunday, on January 5th, we will celebrate the beginning of a New Year.

Life can be rough.
But we will not be discouraged.
With Jesus Christ, the best is always yet to come.

God bless.

Congratulations to Julian and Josh.
May God be with them as they build their lives together.

I bring you peace and greetings in the name of the newborn Christ. As we bring our Advent season to a close, we have come to realize that this season has called us into a deeper understanding of the birth of Christ. I ask that you remember these things.

First, we have experienced Christ’s light breaking open our world from the inside out through an encounter with a humble king who chose gentleness over force. Second, we encountered the peace of a servant king who chose to leave the splendor of heaven to be with us. Third, we discovered an unexpected sense of peace in the midst of a world that feels on fire. And finally, remember this above all else: for all of eternity, you are loved.

I wish you good tidings of great joy this season.

Mary