This Sunday

Sermon this Sunday—The Power of Trust
What holds us back from God?
What stands between us and God?

In the scripture this Sunday, a paralyzed man has complete trust in Jesus to fix his situation and goes to extraordinary lengths to get what stands between him and the Lord out of the way.

The anthem, a beautiful arrangement of The Old Rugged Cross, will come right after the sermon this week, not right before it.

Pastor’s Class

We will consider the most remarkable experience I have ever had—a time when God answered a prayer in a way I did not think possible, even for God.

That’s at 9:45.

Breakfast

It’s a “Winston Sunday.”
Feel free to help.
At 10:30—before worship.

This is a great season in the church.
Expect a wonderful Sunday.
See you in worship.

God Bless
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Blessings and peace, dear siblings,

We are now halfway through the Lenten season. I pray that this time of leaning into God has been meaningful and transformative for you. God is so good to always be standing and waiting for us with open arms.

Please join us for several opportunities to gather and serve together this month. Saint Matthew Women United will meet this Thursday at 10:30 a.m. to assemble hygiene bags for our friends with Under the Bridge Ministries. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by a speaker from the organization. There will also be a funeral on Saturday, March 21, for Diana Eades’ sister. More details can be found in the events section of the newsletter.

Holy Week begins March 29 with Palm Sunday. We will have our annual Easter family meal, and this year we will also celebrate Keith Butterfield’s 99th birthday. More details will be shared soon.

I love you all, and I pray every day at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for you, for our beloved community, and for our world.

Mary

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday.
“Spring forward.” Set your clocks ahead and lose an hour of sleep.

Already I miss it.

Personally, I could use some sleep right now. Physical therapy day always wears me out. But I can tell it is helping. The treadmill helps too. Getting there—slowly but surely.

This Sunday

The sermon is titled “The System Is Working.”

Most people believe we are part of a broken system. God made the world, something went wrong, and now we are stuck living in the mess. But that is not what Jesus says. His message is far more hopeful. Life, it turns out, is better than we often think. Come and be uplifted.

The choir will also share something special. What did church music sound like in the time of Shakespeare? We will find out as the choir performs an anthem by Orlando Gibbons, who died in 1625. Beautiful—and fascinating.

Pastor’s Class

We will be talking about the purpose of life.

And yes—we believe we actually know what it is.

Class begins at 9:45 AM.

Breakfast

It is a “We-Bring Sunday.”

Which means the breakfast comes from all of us. Good food and good fellowship.

Breakfast begins at 10:30 AM, before worship.

This is a great season in the life of the church.

See you Sunday.

God Bless,
Max
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I pray this newsletter finds you feeling peaceful. Peace can seem like a long shot in a world where it often feels as though trouble never takes a break. It is easy to get caught up in watching every headline and every difficult story unfolding around us. Much of what we see is sad, frightening, and deeply heartbreaking. We cannot control most of what happens in the world, except in the way we participate through our voices and our votes.

What we can control is how these things affect us and how we respond to one another. Even when we do not understand the cruelty or the reasons behind so much suffering, we can choose to love the people around us right where we are. Jesus reminds us, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Our prayers do not fall on deaf ears. They are heard by the Creator of the universe, and the God we love and adore loves us deeply in return.

In a world filled with trouble, we are called to live as Jesus taught us—with compassion, kindness, and faith that God is still at work. When the world feels heavy, try not to let fear take control of your heart. Instead, lean into the love of Christ and the community we share.

We also have several things coming up in the life of our church. Easter Sunday will be here before we know it, and we could use some help getting the church grounds ready. Brian McCosky has spent the last two days working hard on the flower beds on the north side of the building. We would greatly appreciate help cleaning up the flower beds on the south side so everything looks welcoming and beautiful.

As we prepare for Easter, we want everyone who visits to see the many blessings God has given us and to know that we are good stewards of those gifts.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Love,
Mary