This Sunday

Sermon: A Bigger Barn Won’t Help
Scripture: Luke 12:16-21

About the Concert

We would like to have had a few more people; but it was an “off” week, with lower attendance on Sunday, also. But that’s the way it works in church. The nice thing is that the concert seems to have gone as I hoped it would and I believe people found it meaningful.

You know, the “concerts” that I put together are a bit like revival services. They are intended to be worship experiences—starting somewhere and leading to the cross—which is where all worship leads.

And our other concerts are great because on those we have great singers doing wonderful music.

I think you should always make a point of attending all of our monthly concerts. The next one is on October 14. It will be me and Blake.

I know!—I know!—if Blake is singing, I am hardly necessary. But I don’t want to drop the whole thing on him. Still, the concert will be exciting because “the voice” will be in it.

By the way—thanks to Jason Hardy, Mel Creason, Linda Parker, Veta McCulloch and everyone else who worked to make the concert and dinner possible.

GOD BLESS—-MB

Lists. Making lists is a special talent of mine; completing my lists is another matter entirely. But I “press on toward the mark” as Paul would say, always hoping to experience the feeling of accomplishment. The author of Peter wrote a list for the persecuted Christians living in areas of Asia Minor. I learned today that Asia Minor, now Anatolia, is the part of Western Asia that touches Europe. Peter’s letters, and lists, were important to the new church. Keep these things in mind this week as you move forward in your relationship with God: Onto your faith, add virtue. And to your virtue add knowledge. To knowledge, self-control (good luck with this one). To self-control, add steadfastness or perseverance (NIV translation). To perseverance, godliness; to Godliness, mutual affection for each other. And finally, church, add love. I am grateful to be on this journey with you. Faithfully and as virtuously as I am able, Mary

We were all ready for Sunday School, but today we had no kids! What a disappointment. We were ready to talk about God creating living things. It was the fifth and sixth days of creation when God created living things.

The swarming of living things is a description of how all creatures inhabit the earth. God divided the animals into three categories—- sea animals, sky animals, and land animals. Each area of the earth that God created needed different living things.

Fish, sea animals, and water plants needed the nourishment of water. Creatures that lived on land and flew in the sky needed plants and they needed areas to find food and to nest.

God made all living things diverse in color, shape, and size. God knew that each creature would serve a purpose and be a contributing part of creation. God saw all that was created as good and beautiful.

Children can use their imagination to create. Children delight in the beauty around them. Maybe we should start looking at the world through the eyes of a child—slowing our pace, looking at the ground below us, and stopping to give thanks for God’s world of wonder and beauty. See you in church.

This Sunday

I’ve got the concert Saturday.

Fortunately, Mary is preaching this Sunday. You know we have something to look forward to.

Mary opened her letter from the Conference in front of the congregation last week—the one telling her that she is approved by the Board of Ordained Ministry to be ordained as an Elder, limited at the moment to just St. Matthew. “Elder” is the title we give to an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church. The limitations will be removed from Mary’s ordination after the vote in the General Conference in 2024. BUT—there is really nothing else that is needed for us at St. Matthew.

Mary is not just on the way.

For us, she has arrived.

About the Concert

For me, this week, it is all about the concert.

We have no idea what attendance will be.

We have advertised it extensively, including a mail-out to thousands in the community around the
church. We may have a good bunch. Or not.

There’s no way to know.

But I think we will have a good time.

Unfortunately, I can’t guarantee that either.

We will know what it is when it happens.

And it happens this Saturday at 6:00.

Bring some food.

This I can predict: I will be hungry.

We did seem to have a good service last week.

I believe the Spirit was working on us.

See you Saturday—and Sunday.

GOD BLESS—-MB

Hello everyone! I pray you are well and happy. We had an unexpected visitor this past Sunday during our services. A tragedy walked right into our church. I want to first say, thank you to those who responded with me to this event. It took 3 of us to talk to her and keep everyone safe. This is a great lesson for us: always respond in 3’s. We worked with the FWPD, FWFD, and MedStar to get this lost soul the medical attention she needed. Her appearance in our building was not an accident and it exposes a dire need in our neighborhood: addiction recovery services. I am going to do some research about the requirements for hosting a recovery program at St. Matthew. We have a lot of space that is currently going unused during the week. Pray with me about adding this program. The appearance of this person on Sunday also made me realize how blessed we all are, including her. Blessed by the grace and mercy of our Lord, and given a new chance every day to live in that grace and mercy. My love to you all, Mary