We may not have worship this Sunday because of the weather. There is no good reason to put people at risk.

How will our members know?

Simple. If the roads are dangerous, we will not have church. If there is ice on the roads, we will not
have church. But is there any question?

The weather people on TV sound pretty certain.

Listen—just the cold alone will be enough for folks to stay home. The cold itself is dangerous if the
car stalls or you get stuck.

Even if we got to church in that kind of cold, we would not be happy.

Let’s take a stand!

We will not risk someone getting hurt.

We will NOT meet for worship this Sunday.

NO service at St. Matthew this Sunday.

We can miss one week.

And live to tell about it.

Last Sunday and Coming Events

Hey! We have another soloist in our midst. Lynette’s solo last week was really beautiful. We
resumed the Pastor’s class with all seats full. (It will also skip a week, of course.)

The choir was scheduled to resume rehearsal this Sunday. That will be delayed one week to Feb. 1st.

And on Feb. 1st, all of our worship forces will be back in place for a great service.

See you—but not THIS Sunday.

God Bless
revmaxb@tx.rr.com

Greetings, friends and family of Saint Matthew,

I bring you peace and love in the name of the baptized Christ. I pray that you found meaning in our worship on Sunday as we remembered our baptisms—or leaned into the promise of baptism still to come. The sacredness of the water, the community of saints gathered together, and the presence of the Holy Spirit made it a deeply meaningful moment for me.

I was baptized multiple times in my previous faith tradition. As a United Methodist, I now understand how unnecessary that was. Still, I remain grateful for the first time I was baptized. I remember, at six years old, feeling the urging of the Holy Spirit on my heart to make Jesus the Lord of my life. The church of my childhood baptized new followers of Jesus, and I remember feeling different afterward—changed in a way I could not fully explain. John Wesley described these moments as having a “heart strangely warmed,” and he taught that baptism is a sign of the promises we make to God: to renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, repent of our sins, live as disciples of Jesus, and participate fully in the life of the church.

I am grateful that we touched those eternal waters together on Sunday. I am grateful for your love, your support, and for the ways you work faithfully to keep this church alive and strong. God never intended us to walk this path alone—without God or without one another. Our baptisms bind us together in God’s divine love.

I also want to share joyful news: Anna is home from the hospital. Thank you so very much for your prayers and support. Once again, God has worked a miracle in our lives. The car was destroyed, but the frame around the interior did not bend. She was kept safe within it, cushioned by the airbags and held in the presence of God. Life can change so quickly, with every breath.

I pray for joy unspeakable to fall upon your lives. I pray for a peace that cannot be explained to fill your hearts. Remember your baptism. Remember that you are God’s beloved.

Every year, Jesus traveled with his parents, Mary and Joseph, to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The city was crowded with families, prayers, and songs as people gathered at the temple to remember all that God had done.

When it was time to go home, Mary and Joseph started the journey with the others, thinking Jesus was nearby with friends or relatives. But as the day went on, they realized he was missing. Worried, they rushed back to Jerusalem and searched everywhere for him.

After three long days, they found Jesus in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening and asking questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at how much he understood. When Mary finally spoke, she said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you” (Luke 2:48).

Jesus answered, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Even as a boy, Jesus knew where he belonged—close to God, learning and growing in faith.

What We Learned

• Jesus loved being close to God and learning about God’s ways.
• It’s okay to ask questions and learn more about our faith.
• God welcomes us into God’s house, just like Jesus.
• We grow in faith when we listen, learn, and stay connected to God.

I told you Sunday that, as I understand things now, I will be replaced as your pastor.

I have a few months left to serve, but I will set the date of my departure from preaching and leading worship.

And it will not be a complete departure.

I will continue to teach my class on Discovering God, which will also be set up as a podcast.

This will continue to be helpful to the church.

It will be my ministry.

On Sunday, we committed ourselves to be yoked to Christ and to let him lead.

That is what we are going to do.

There are disappointments in life.

But if we let our Lord lead, we are guaranteed to end up with him—and where he wants us to be.

The Pastor’s Class

Discovering God class resumes this Sunday, the 18th. It will be so good to resume our journey. Time: 9:45.

Breakfast this Sunday

It’s a “Winston” Sunday—but feel free to help.

At 10:30.

God Bless
revmaxb@tx.rr.com

Greetings, family and friends. I bring you peace and love in the name of God made flesh!

Sunday morning was a difficult morning for all of us. No one was prepared to hear the news that Max had for the church. I know that I am not alone in feeling a bit confused and worried. I wish I could tell you what was happening and where we are going from here as a church. The upcoming days and weeks will answer whatever questions we have and calm our concerns.

What I can tell you is that God is always present with us. God does not leave any of us alone, even when we sometimes feel anxious and overwhelmed. In Matthew 18 and Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the shepherd leaving the 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep. Jesus wants them to know and wants us to know now that we are God’s beloved, and God will pursue us relentlessly to shower us in God’s love. Jesus was comparing the actions of the shepherd with the actions of God when one of us is “lost.” The interpretation of this parable clearly lets us know that individually, there is nothing God will not do to be in relationship with us. What we forget is that a shepherd watching over a flock of sheep is not God. While the shepherd cannot be in two places at once, God never leaves the 99 alone. God is all-powerful, always present, all-knowing, and all-loving. God can be with the many while seeking us all out individually. We read in Psalm 139, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

I have a note on my computer at the hospital. Just a small visual reminder of the good news of Jesus Christ. The note says, “do not let darkness have the final word!” No matter what we face, we are never alone. No matter how great the suffering, how scary the situation, or how sad our hearts become, God made flesh is more powerful than all of it. The Almighty creator of the universes and of things seen and not seen watches over us and walks beside us continuously. We cannot go away from God; we cannot flee God’s presence. God knows where we are, even when we feel lost.

My love to all of you,
Mary