Greetings in the name of our Risen Lord,

It was such a joy to have Max back with us on Sunday—especially on a communion Sunday. And it was wonderful to see everyone. If you weren’t able to join us in person, we missed you and hope you were able to catch the service online. Julian Rodriguez’s rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow gave me goosebumps. We are truly blessed at Saint Matthew to have musicians of such incredible talent.

Speaking of gifted musicians, don’t forget: we will be hosting an Eastside Community Assistance Benefit Concert on September 20th, featuring a local gospel choir called MSB. This is shaping up to be a major community-wide event, and we are praying for a crowd of 190–200 people. All Eastside Community Assistance churches are being invited to help with marketing and ticket sales, and your help is needed! There’s a sign-up sheet on the board in the hallway—please lend a hand where you can.

For the first time, we will be selling tickets to this event. Tickets are $25 per person, and that includes both the concert and a meal afterward. If you are able, please consider buying an extra ticket or two for those in our congregation or neighborhood who might not be able to afford it. The meal will be hosted in the Fellowship Hall, the overflow Sunday School rooms, and at picnic tables outside, as needed. We want our neighbors to know that we are here, we care, and we welcome them. As soon as we receive marketing materials from the choir, we’ll start spreading the word in the neighborhood.

I’ve spent the past week trying to live what I preached during the last three Sundays. I’m working hard to breathe before I speak, to speak with love and compassion, and to remain quiet when God tells me to be still. I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to serve this church and to share these kinds of messages with you. Remember, everything is a communication with God. You will never look into the eyes of someone whom God does not love and accept. God’s love is unconditional, inclusive, and overwhelming.

Under the Bridge Ministries still needs men’s summer shorts, T-shirts, clean underwear and socks, and shoes (size 12 and up). If you don’t have these items to donate but are able, perhaps consider purchasing a pair of shoes or a bag of socks to support this important ministry. They serve 250–300 people every Sunday in downtown Fort Worth—rain or shine.

I am so deeply grateful for all of you. Each of you carries your own burdens, faces your own crises, and walks through your own valleys. And yet, you still show up for one another. Watching how you give—your time, your hearts, your prayers, your resources—is truly inspiring. It humbles me every day, and it remains one of the greatest honors of my life to serve beside you in our shared calling: to tell others about Jesus and to stand against injustice and oppression.

With love and gratitude,

Mary

URGENT: Special Offering for Guadalupe Flood Relief – Tomorrow at Church

Our hearts are heavy as we witness the devastation caused by the flooding along the Guadalupe River, which has already claimed at least 27 lives and left many without homes.

Tomorrow during worship, we will collect a special offering to support the relief efforts led by the Rio Texas Conference Disaster Response Team. All funds will be sent directly to them and used to provide critical supplies like flood buckets, emergency cleanup, and support for displaced families.

Our goal is to raise $2,000 to send immediate help where it’s most needed.

Want to give electronically? You can make a secure donation now through our PayPal campaign: https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=3WZVX49XX4JK4

100% of your gift will go to immediate disaster relief efforts.

I’m Back

For what it’s worth, I’ll return Sunday after a three-week absence following my collision with a concrete slab.

Great thanks to Mary for her loving and excellent work in my absence. I know you’ve enjoyed her sermon series—and so have I.

And online, Mary ended up doing a couple of solos last week when all help deserted her.

She was preacher and songleader. (Shannon and Julian were out, and Blake left early.)

But Mary’s a singer. She’s in our choir—one of her many hats.

I’m excited about being back.

If ministry were not at the heart of my life, I would have retired years ago.

But I warn you—I’m not moving very fast.

I know! I know!—I moved like a turtle before the accident.

Well, now I move like a dead turtle.

Been Watching

I’ve been watching online like many of you.

I now realize that the primary microphones for picking up the organ are the ones on the pulpit and lectern. These are usually off at the beginning of the service, which makes the organ sound distant online.

Big in-house. Distant online.

We also hear almost no congregational singing, which is why Mary sounded like she was doing a solo. This is also why we mic Blake, Shannon, and Julian during the hymns.

Breakfast This Sunday

If Winston is present, he’ll be doing breakfast.

Feel free to help. Breakfast is at 10:30.

Come early and eat. This fellowship time is lovely.

My Class

I’m easing back into things.

Preaching and Communion will be enough for my first Sunday back.

My class, Discovering God, will resume the following week—July 13.

Our topic: What NDEs Tell Us About Salvation—Who Gets In, Who Doesn’t?

New Procedure

I’m asking our musicians to get music titles to me by Wednesday morning by email or text. (It may not work this week.)

If you have announcements, get them to the church office—or to me—by Wednesday morning.

There will be an announcement page in the bulletin so that we do not have to take worship time for announcements—at least not much of it.

Veta will run the bulletins on Thursdays.

This Sunday

It’s Communion Sunday.

My sermon title is: All Are One

We’ll talk about the first great truth of our existence: that we are all one with one another—and one with God.

I’ll share a couple of wonderful and surprising stories.

We will sing.

We will gather at the Lord’s Table.

And I will have the joy of being back in church.

Come—let us rejoice together.

God Bless,

MB

Words That Carry Us Closer

Every breath we take, every move we make—everything we do is done in the presence of God.

Over the past three weeks, we’ve explored how words matter—how communication is not just between us and others, but between us and God. We talked about the way we speak to each other, the way we speak to ourselves, and the way we speak to God.

And what we’ve discovered is this: it’s all conversation with God.

We are commanded to love our neighbor—that’s how we speak to each other.

We are created in God’s image and pursued by grace—that’s how we speak to ourselves.

And when we pray, worship, sing, study, and serve—that’s how we speak to God.

I hope you’ve found something meaningful in this sermon series. I know I have.

Please lift up our dear friend and church member Linda Pruett in prayer. She experienced a stroke last week and is now recovering at home. Her daughter is with her, and she’s doing well—but prayers are deeply appreciated. If you’re one of our Methodist chefs, a few small meals would be helpful in this season of healing.

And now… Max is back!

This Sunday, I encourage you—if you’re able—to be present in the pews. If not, send him a note or a message to let him know you’re glad he’s back. I’ll be sitting in the pew myself, feet up, simply ready to be fed by whatever word God has placed on Max’s heart.

I love you all,

Mary