This week, we met a man named Paul—but when we first met him, he was known as Saul. Saul was a Pharisee, a religious leader who thought he was doing the right thing by stopping the followers of Jesus. He was full of determination—but it was the wrong kind. Saul was harsh and unkind to Christians, and he had permission to arrest them in faraway cities.

One day, Saul was walking the road to Damascus with a mission to cause trouble. But then something incredible happened.

Suddenly, a bright light from heaven flashed all around him, and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice say,

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Saul was stunned. “Who are you, Lord?” he asked.

The voice replied,

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:4–5)

When Saul got up, he couldn’t see. He had been struck blind! His traveling companions had to take him by the hand and lead him the rest of the way to Damascus. For three days, Saul didn’t eat or drink anything. He waited. He prayed. And in that waiting, something began to change deep inside of him.

Then God sent a man named Ananias to find Saul. Ananias was nervous—he had heard all the terrible things Saul had done. But God said,

“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name.” (Acts 9:15)

Ananias placed his hands on Saul and said,

“Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus who appeared to you on the road—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 9:17)

Right then, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes. He could see again—and he saw everything differently. His heart was changed. Saul was baptized, and he became Paul, one of the most important messengers of Jesus the world has ever known.

But here’s something important: Paul wasn’t changed all at once. Even after his powerful encounter, it took time. He had to grow, to learn, and to be guided by others. Big changes don’t always happen in a flash—even when God is involved. Sometimes, God works in us slowly, steadily, beautifully.

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What We Learned:

• God can change anyone—even someone who was once an enemy.
• Jesus meets us where we are, even when we’re headed the wrong way.
• Real transformation takes time and sometimes help from others.
• God’s love is patient, powerful, and always at work.

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In class, we talked about what it means to grow and change with God’s help. To celebrate transformation, each of our kids painted a colorful butterfly wind chime—a reminder that even when we can’t see it right away, God is shaping something beautiful in us. We hope they bring joy and gentle music to every home.

See you in church next Sunday!

An Unexpected Vacation

With trepidation, I just unwrapped the bandages on my wounded right knee. (I must take a bath tonight. I see the doctor tomorrow.)

Looked better than I feared. The healing process is underway. I have fairly full movement in my right elbow now. (Yeh! I can put my fork back in my right hand!) I can’t claim to be comfortable all the time, but much of the time. Going in the right direction.

My unplanned vacation from church will last another two Sundays. I will (without unforeseen difficulties) be back in the pulpit on July 6—even if Doug and Brian have to roll me down the aisle in a wheelbarrow.

Discovering God Class

My 9:45 class will resume on July 13.

Don’t want to try too much on that first Sunday.

But my “vacation time” is allowing me to work much more on my book. We’ve got some exciting stuff ahead of us.

Breakfast This Sunday

As I read it, this is a “We Bring” Sunday.

Enjoy the fellowship. At 10:30.

Watching from Home

I enjoyed watching the service from home last Sunday.

For this Sunday, someone needs to remember that the piano microphone is not presently hooked up. If it is used this Sunday, put a mic on it. (It could hardly be heard last week.)

No need to fix the piano mic connection because the whole sound and video system is soon to be rewired. If work begins while I am gone, this is one thing that will get me back to the church to check it out. I know nothing about the wiring, but I do know how the new sound booth should look.

I am excited about the new cameras. I have requested state-of-the-art slimming and de-aging cameras that will put a light halo around the preacher’s head. I will look like both Tom Cruise and St. Paul at the same time.

Jesting aside, I see the future of this church as depending heavily on the quality of the product we put on YouTube.

The new system will help us be our best in the service of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

I will see you Sunday, from my green recliner chair in my den.

You will see me on July 6.

Thanks, Mary, for your loving ministry at St. Matthew UMC.

—MB

Greetings, dear friends!

I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for each of you. Your kind words and warm hugs after the service uplift me and give me the boost I need to get through the week. I’m looking forward to the day when I can serve full-time at the church and be more involved in the weekly life of our community.

A lot is happening at St. Matthew! We host a monthly St. Matthew Women United luncheon and presentation on the second Thursday of each month. The next gathering is scheduled for July 10, so please keep an eye on the bulletin board for more details as the date approaches.

We also offer yoga classes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 AM. These classes are open to all ages and fitness levels, and there’s a chair yoga option available as well. And don’t forget our Saturday morning breakfast at 7:30 AM, lovingly prepared by Doug Kelsey. It’s a great way to start the weekend with good food and good company.

I’m currently exploring the idea of launching a grief support group led by an outside facilitator. We’ve all experienced loss in different ways—especially in recent years—and many of us are carrying grief for loved ones, for the world, or the changes happening around us. If you’re interested in helping with the planning (not leading), please let me know.

I’ll be preaching again this Sunday. Max is feeling better and reports improved mobility—thanks be to God! I’ll be sharing part two of our new series, “Words Matter: The Ways We Talk to Ourselves.” I can’t wait to be with you again.

May you experience peace, love, and the joy of God’s presence in every moment.

With love,

Mary

Peace and love to all from the first Annual Conference of the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Many things are happening in our conference, and I am thrilled to be in the service of God at this exact time in history.

Before I get to the business of this meeting, I want to ask for prayers for our beloved Max and Jackie. Max took a tumble yesterday, scraping up his hands and arms, hitting his head, and falling hard on his right knee. He was admitted to the hospital for observation and to help decrease the swelling in his knee. The scan of Max’s head was normal, and for that we thank God. His knee is very swollen, and surgery is one option to assist with decreasing the swelling. He will keep us updated about the plan. Your prayers are vitally important to his recovery.

Please refrain from calling him at this time. Max can be emailed at [email protected] or cards sent to his home address. Please email me at [email protected] if you need his address. Or call the church, and Veta can help you. Finally, you can send cards to the church:

2414 Hitson Lane
Fort Worth, TX 76112.

Now, back to the work of the annual conference. This has been a learning experience for me and another lesson in humility. I am learning more and more about the operations of this conference, called “holy conferencing.” Holy conferencing is supposed to be covered in the Holy Spirit and fueled by our commitment to God, to each other, and to our neighbors. Holy conferencing invites us to put aside our egos and our personal opinions. It invites us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the work of the gospel.

There are still some passionate conversations about how we should do the work. And by passionate, I mean sometimes contentious. In the midst of these difficult decisions, someone always stands and reminds us to breathe and to refocus on our commitment to each other.

I am humbled by the work being done by so many for the honor and glory of God. I am humbled to be a part of these ministries and to serve as God intends. I am humbled and blessed to be able to take time away from my nursing job to be here.

I will close for now. Sunday I will have a report of some very important decisions made here.

My love to all,

Mary