Greetings from the rain forest! I am writing to you from Puerto Rico, surrounded by palm trees, pinkish sand and…RAIN.  Gallons and gallons of rain with more predicted for the remainder of the week. While I am not able to play golf, I am able to enjoy the peacefulness of the golf course and the sounds of the ocean.

When I return on Sunday, I will be bringing a message to you about the plans that the UMC has for those congregations that stayed United Methodist. If it feels like we have been having this discussion for years, we have. My first knowledge of the movement of some away from the gospel and toward exclusivity came during my last year at Perkins in 2018.

For five-plus years, our Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors have been distracted by the extremists in our congregations who, as Paul describes, “see through a glass darkly.” The verse concludes, “but then, face to face” we will see God.

I cannot wait for that moment when the risen Savior welcomes me to that plane of existence where nothing is dark, nothing is unseeable. Until that time, I am so very grateful to be loved by a congregation like Saint Matthew.

It is beginning to rain again, or it may have never stopped. Either way, I am breathing and relaxing, waiting for the sun to shine. I look forward to being with you soon.

Mary

WE HAD A WONDERFUL LESSON THIS WEEK. Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac was older when he married Rebekah. They had been married many years before Rebekah became pregnant with twins.

When they were born, they were quite different. Esau was born first, with hair, much like a robe, all over his body. Jacob was born next, holding on to Esau’s heel.

Even though they were twins, they were very different.

We had twins in class on Sunday, Bill and Cindy Wheeler’s grandsons, and their sister, Rebecca. It made talking about the twins Esau and Jacob even more interesting.

Esau was an outdoors type of guy; he loved to hunt and spend time in the fields. Jacob stayed in the house and helped his mom cook.

We discussed what was known as “a birthright.” This went to the oldest son, and they would inherit the family wealth. Esau was the oldest and would receive all the family wealth. He wasn’t too concerned with this; he wanted to be outside.

As their father Isaac was getting old, he had lost most of his sight. Their mother, Rebecca, devised a plan to have her husband, Isaac, bestow the family’s birthright on her favorite son, Jacob. She dressed Jacob with animal fur on his arms and went to Isaac to have the birthright bestowed on him.

Jacob had made a wonderful stew for the family. Esau had been out in the fields hunting; when he came in, he was very hungry and wanted something to eat right away. Jacob said he would give him a bowl of his soup if he would give him his birthright. Esau was very hungry and agreed to the request just to get a bowl of this warm delicious soup.

After Esau had the soup, I wonder what he thought.

Despite our differences, our uniqueness makes each of us a special part of God’s family. See you in church on Sunday so we can continue our travel with Esau and Jacob. Blessings

Last Sunday

I counted only eight — that’s EIGHT! — in our choir last Sunday, but what a lovely noise we did make singing a beautiful arrangement of Fairest Lord Jesus.

I am so proud of our choir.

And our choir director.

And our organist.

I felt good about our service last week.

I hope you were uplifted.

The choir will not sing this Sunday. No rehearsal.

Kristi, our organist, will be out. Julian, our newest choir member, will sing a solo. (And I assume Blake will play piano for the service.)

This Word to Jason

I always give my sermon title here each week, partly so Jason (Hardy) will be able to put it online. But—Jason—I will send it later.

I have several sermons (and scriptures) in mind and as of Monday evening I do not know which I will preach this Sunday.

Closing Out the Year

We are able to estimate—with some confidence—that we will be able to close out the year with all bills paid (including Conference apportionments) if we bring in $17,000 a month for the next two months—in other words—what we need every month to meet our budget.

This is good news.

But it does mean that we will need to be faithful for the rest of the year—and it may be necessary for some of us to think about a special Christmas gift to the church.

We have done a lot this year—including paying for the new playground.

We are grateful for the St. Matthew which is—and for the St. Matthew which will be in months and years to come.

We move on—with Christ our Lord.

He is the Rock on which we stand.

Let us worship him—this Sunday.

GOD BLESS—-MB

Greetings to all of you in the name of the risen Christ! I hope you are experiencing the love and blessings of God as you read this newsletter. Fall is coming this week and I am thankful for a break from the summer temperatures. Fall also brings flu, COVID,  and other inconvenient illnesses to our communities. Remember to take care of yourselves and each other during this time when your immune systems will be challenged. Sleep, healthy meals, hand washing, and avoiding large crowds are vital to maintaining your good health. If you feel sick, please stay home and rest. 

I will be out of town this weekend but will return on November 5^th to share the message and vision for the Central Texas Conference of the UMC from Bishop Ruben Saenz. In advance of this message, please think about the following questions: “What does our church do well?” and “What does our church need to do better?” These two questions are part of the process that Bishop Saenz has asked us to work through as we strive to multiply followers of Jesus and to become relevant to the neighborhoods we serve. I am excited to share with you and to move forward in our ministries to this broken world. I pray for all of you continuously, thanking God for your presence in my life. Blessings, Mary

You may recall that God promised Abraham that he would have as many descendants as there were stars in the sky. Abraham and Sarah finally greeted their son Isaac. Today we learned that Isaac was an older man when he married Rebekah. They had been married for many years but had no children.

Rebekah finally became pregnant with twins. It was a difficult pregnancy. It seemed that the twins were fighting in the womb. She asked God why they were fighting. God answered that there were two nations in the womb. One people will be stronger than the other. Esau was born first, with Jacob quickly following, holding on to the heel of Esau.

The twins were very different. Esau liked to be outdoors with the animals, to hunt, and to be active. Jacob liked to stay close to Rebekah and help her with household chores and with the cooking. The Bible story tells us that as they got older, the difference split the family apart. This story reminds us that despite our differences, our uniqueness makes each person a special part of God’s family. God claims us just the way we are.

While we discussed our story, our kids had a wonderful time completing some wonderful artwork and they promised to bring their completed pictures back next week to share with us.

Our swings were being used again by 2-year-old Audrey when I arrived before church. I gave her grandparents a tour of the classrooms, and they were happy to learn what a beautiful building we have.

Jade, Alec, and Remy checked the swings out after church! What a wonderful playground we have! See you Sunday.