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

Today, we were still discussing the twins Jacob and Esau. We talked about how different they were.

Esau had been hunting and came into the house to demand Jacob give him something to eat immediately. Jacob agreed to feed his brother, but wanted something in return; so after he thought a while, Jacob promised Esau soup right away if he would just give him his birthright.

Esau agreed to this on the spur of the moment without thinking through what he was really giving away for some food. When he later realized what he had given away for something he wanted immediately, he got very angry and threatened to kill Jacob.

Jacob now had his brother’s birthright, but to receive the inheritance he must also receive the full blessing from their father, Isaac. Isaac was now an old man and had lost his eyesight The only way he knew he was speaking to Esau was by smell and touch. Rebekah got some of Esau’s stinky clothes and put a hairy animal skin on his arm, so his father would think it was Esau. Though Isaac still questioned the identity of Esau, Jacob said that he was Esau and Isaac bestowed his blessing on Jacob.

When Esau discovered that he had been robbed of his father’s blessing, he wanted to kill Jacob. Rebecca sent Jacob away and Isaac finally gave Esau a blessing.

Everyone in this story must have been completely overwhelmed. When there is chaos all around us, we sometimes lose our ability to see clearly.

See you in church Sunday to continue our story. Blessings,

It’s Not Just for Us

Sermon this Sunday: “What Jesus Said about the Gay Issue.” We may not need this sermon, but a lot of people do.

Last time I spoke on a controversial subject (“Jesus Invented Woke”), 400 people joined us on-line for the service. They did not all stay for the full service, but many of them did.

We have the capacity to teach people the Gospel truth who are beyond the walls of this church.

One reason so many Methodist churches left the denomination is because too many preachers failed to proclaim the simple and honest truth about the gay issue: God does not care about sexual orientation. Bigotry needs to end.

Request: until we can get the new close-up lens for our second camera (our best camera), please make sure those front pews have people in them.

At the moment, we must show the eight or ten front pews from time to time. We can have good attendance and the church look empty if no one is sitting forward.

Your help is appreciated.

Big Things Coming

Bake Sale and Silent Auction—Saturday, Nov. 18—10:00 to 2:00.

The next day–Thanksgiving Dinner after worship–Sunday, Nov. 19.

“The Christmas Show”—plus dinner—plus Santa—on Saturday, Dec. 16—6:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service—on Christmas Eve at 6:00 p.m.

See you Sunday!!
God bless—

Note: We received the heartbreaking news today that Darrell, son of Peggy Becker, has died. (Both were in our choir a few months ago.) We will let you know more when we know more.

Greetings to everyone in the name of Jesus the Christ,

I am grateful for the wonderful crowd we had this past Sunday and for your engagement in the topic of leading the UMC into the future. As a reminder, Bishop Saenz has a vision for the congregations from north Texas that includes these 5 Strategic Priorities:

1. Multiplying Followers of Jesus

2. Championing Children and Youth

3. Maximizing Care and Healing

4. Pursue and Embrace Diversity AND Inclusion

5. Telling Our Story

Our straw poll indicates that our interest lies in championing children and youth, maximizing care and healing, and pursuing and embracing diversity and inclusion. I believe that #1 will happen naturally if we are focused on #2, 3 and 4. I also believe that telling the story of the UMC can be interwoven in some of the activities of #2, 3 and 4.

Our next step is to meet with the church staff and volunteer leadership to create a plan for each of these 3 priorities and set an annual calendar with activities that support each priority. If the Holy Spirit compels you toward any of these activities, please send me an email, [email protected].

Even if you are not able to come to the church, there will be things that can be done remotely to support these priorities. I look forward to working side by side with you as we move forward in our journey to being great ancestors of our faith tradition. Blessings, Mary