Big Weekend!

Yes–it was.

The bake sale and silent auction raised $1,687.

Wonderful!

Julie Maxwell, in charge of the auction, is an old hand at such things. People gave some good stuff. The cakes were delish. (The ones I tasted.)

Sunday we had a great service with many guests and a good Thanksgiving dinner after.

Unusual Calendar This Year

Advent One is not the Sunday after Thanksgiving this year. This Sunday is Christ the King. Mary is preaching. No choir this week. Julian Rodriquez is bringing our solo.

The last three choral anthems have gotten a lot of comments. Three weeks ago, we had Julian on the flute. Then the guest on the cello. And this last week, just a lovely melody and beautiful words.

All “mighty purdy,” as folks around Kemp used to say.

Time to Prepare

Let me use this space for some “housekeeping” business. The big tree needs to go up after this Sunday.

And we need a smaller tree (six ft.), decorated with lights, to be placed up on the chancel the night of The Christmas Show. So, it will be moved in for the show—and out after the show.

We will need a third tree for the fellowship hall (for the children and Santa).

(Do we have someone in charge of trees? Do we have a Tree Committee? I leave all of this up to the Tree Committee—if we have one!)

I’m ready for Christmas.

I had COVID last year. Missed it all.

No church service. No decorations on my tree.

Fortunately—the Lord is born every Christmas without my help.

See you Sunday.

And God bless—

I am grateful for all of you and feel so very blessed to be a part of this congregation. I pray that you have a peaceful and love-filled Thanksgiving. As you gather with friends and family, remember to take care of yourself by avoiding crowds, washing your hands, and staying away from folks who are ill.  Remember in your prayers our folks who are hospitalized or recovering. Send a card or make a phone call when you can.  

December will be here very quickly, and it will be another great month for us. November 26^th is Christ the King Sunday and I look forward to bringing you a message of hope and joy as we wrap up this ordinary season and move into the expectancy of the Advent season. Advent begins December 3^rd, and “Hope Sunday” is the theme for the first Sunday of Advent. Each Sunday of Advent has a theme: hope, peace, joy, and love.

Stay warm and rest; the season is upon us! Love, Mary

We are still learning about the twins- Jacob and Esau.

Just as we started talking about the twins, we were totally shocked when one of our twins walked in!! Robert walked in with Julie Ann!!

We were all so excited that they were visiting. Robert has gotten so much taller that we couldn’t believe our eyes! They are doing very well in school and get to visit often with their grandma and cousins they didn’t know. As we got over the excitement of having Robert with us, in walks Kaylee. She is quite a beautiful young lady. Of course, she also is doing very well in school. They will be in high school next year and Julie Ann is a 3rd grader. They started coming to our Sunday school class when Kaylee was 8 and Julie Ann was 3.

We all loved these kids beyond words and everyone in church was so happy to see them! The timing was perfect because Robert got to have fried chicken for lunch!

I was also very happy that I looked up and Jason popped in! He should have been resting, but he needed to check on us! My day was filled with joy that I got to see all these kids that I love so much!

Hope you all enjoyed lunch as much as we did! See you Sunday.

Blessings

Big Weekend!

SATURDAY—SILENT AUCTION AND BAKE SALE—You know this will be fun.

And helpful. Buy your cake for Thanksgiving.

(Some of you can buy the one you baked!)

And for those with a competitive spirit, fight it out at the silent auction. Lots of stuff—baskets stuffed with cheeses, chocolates, and all kinds of goodies.

And lots of items to gift to other people this Christmas.

So, come—and let’s have fun—

AND!!!—MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL—LET’S MAKE A LITTLE MONEY FOR THE CHURCH!!!

Thanksgiving Sunday

Thanksgiving with your family on Thursday—but with your church family this Sunday.

We have our big Thanksgiving meal together this Sunday after worship—a St. Matthew tradition.

And in worship, we will sing songs of thanksgiving.

My sermon: “Thank God, It’s True”

Scripture: Matthew 7:7-11

The March to Christmas

It’s about to begin—and I’m ready for it.

I missed Christmas at the church last year—ill with COVID.

Sunday after this Sunday is “Christ the King” (Mary preaching), and then, on Dec. 3, Advent begins.

And on Saturday, Dec. 18—surely you know—

THE CHRISTMAS SHOW.

But let’s not get ahead.

This Sunday—the church Thanksgiving.

Pot-luck dinner after worship.

Greetings dear congregation, 

I have just left the hospital room of Eloise Rhodes, our oldest living congregation member at St. Matthew. Eloise woke up and smiled when I talked to her. She remembered many names as I spoke to her, sending love from all of you. Please pray for Eloise’s comfort and peacefulness. Pray also for her family who will be making some difficult decisions over the next few days.

Eastside Ministries Annual Fundraising Enchilada Dinner will be held at St. Matthew UMC, Tuesday, December 5, 2023 @ 6:00 pm. RSVP’s are required. We will have a sign-up page on the bulletin board this Sunday. Vegetarian option will be available.

The memorial service we had last Friday for Darrin Charbonneau was well-received by all who attended. The event also shined the light on a meaningful way for St. Matthew to remember Darrin. A “Life Fund” will be established on behalf of Ian Charbonneau, Darrin and Carla’s 10-year-old son. Donations to this fund can be made in memory of Darrin. I am starting the fund with $100 dollars this week and I encourage you to contribute what you can. The seed money will be placed into a managed account for Ian and will be available to him when he is ready to make decisions about college or whatever he chooses. If you would like to participate, please bring your gifts this Sunday and place them in the plate at offering time.  

The Tarrant County Department of Public Health is tracking specific respiratory illnesses on the website, including COVID-19, influenza and RSV. While COVID-19 is not as prevalent, it is still active in our community, along with RSV and influenza. I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU: Stay away from crowded places or wear a mask in those spaces; practice social distancing and thorough hand washing; stay home if you are ill and avoid folks who are ill. I had a brief “flashback” Sunday morning as everyone was leaving the church. I forgot for a moment that it is 2023 and panicked when I saw everyone standing close together in the doorway. We need to protect those among us who are at high risk for contracting any illness. The best way to do this is to follow the previous four recommendations. My love to you all, Mary