We were all prepared to meet Abraham and Lot Sunday. Abraham was a very rich man who was traveling with his family and livestock. Can you imagine traveling with your family and livestock!? He made and broke camp each night. His wife, Sarah, and his nephew, Lot, were with him. Abraham and Lot had so many cattle and possessions between them that the land could not support them both.

Conflicts began to break out between their herdsmen. Abraham and Lot realized that the two groups could no longer travel together. So, for the sake of everyone they made an agreement about how and where they will live in the future. To ensure peace, Abraham gave Lot the choice of two lands. Lot chose the Jordan Valley because it was lush and green. There would be plenty of food and water for his animals. Without complaining, Abraham moved his animals and servants to the drier land.

In the story, we hear God promise Abraham many descendants. Abraham sacrificed the better land for the sake of keeping peace. The story shows us that we can work together if we try. It also shows us that compromise does not necessarily mean loss.

On another note, I purchased 12 caterpillars to release as butterflies with our kids. The little guys had their own schedule in mind and transformed into butterflies a week early. Since they have such a short life span, we released them last Saturday.The butterflies were so happy to be free that they flew across the street and high into my neighbor’s tree. Sunday when I arrived home from church, I noticed one was still flying in their habitat. Yes, you guessed it, he flew away as well! We may have to try this again.

See you in church Sunday

Cleaning supplies provided. Please bring your own elbow grease.

Greetings in the name of Christ,

I prayed as we left services on Sunday that you enjoyed the praise and worship music we sang together as much as I enjoyed the experience. I know it is not our usual to sing this genre of music; however, including these songs in our repertoire broadens our reach into the community. Folks who have never attended church may have heard these songs in other places besides a church. The likelihood of hearing a Charles Wesley hymn outside of a church is very slim. I would appreciate your input about the music on Sunday. Please email me at [email protected] if you have any comments on the music or if you have any special requests for a particular song. We are so blessed at Saint Matthew to have such talented AND flexible musicians as Blake and Shannon. They love what they do and I believe if I give them more notice, they would love it even more. 😊

I have spoken with the family of John McIntosh and they are grateful for your prayers. We will have a memorial for John at Saint Matthew when the family can travel to Fort Worth. I will let you know and we will have a meal in John’s honor. For those of you who did not know John, he was a very small man, perfect size for a sailor, with a heart the size of Texas. He loved Saint Matthew and especially loved talking to Max. He will be missed.

CHURCH CLEANING Saturday at 10am! Cleaning supplies provided! Bring your own elbow grease!!

Attendance May 26 was 61, and the offering $3070. I was very pleasantly surprised that the crowd was so big and so very beautiful. I hope everyone comes back this Sunday! It is communion Sunday. We may also learn a couple of more new songs if you are willing? My love to all, Mary

This week, we talked about showing love for others. In our scripture, Paul explains what love should look like for the church and others in the community. He says we should hate evil and cling to what is good. We should love one another like family and show honor to one another. He also said we should serve the Lord enthusiastically. We are to find happiness in hope and stand our ground in trouble. We must celebrate with those who are happy and cry with those who are sad.

Paul calls upon us to bless people who harass us and not curse them. Jesus taught us to treat one another as equals and not to think of ourselves as better than anyone else. We are not to seek revenge on those who have wronged us; we are to show respect for those who believe something differently than us. Most importantly, we are to live in peace with everyone. We are called to love.

We were extremely happy with the wonderful group of kids we had Sunday. They are all aware of the way they should treat others. And they practice this in their daily life at school. Have a wonderful week. See you in church.

Blessings

Great news! I have just received an email from the Central Texas conference office indicating that I will be allowed to interview with D-Com on August 22, 2024. Pending successful outcome of that interview process, I will be presented to the Board of Ordained Ministry in spring of 2025.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your love and support all these years; one more time I’m asking for your prayers. Blessings to all Mary.