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CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF AURORA (RORY) ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ-SOTO
(Mother of choir member, Julian Rodriguez)
Saturday May 18, 2024 @ 1130am
Saint Matthew UMC
2414 Hitson Lane
Fort Worth, Texas 76112
in lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the GoFundMe page set up to assist with funeral expenses.
https://gofund.me/60175303
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The Great Miscalculation
Paul told the Corinthians, “We will not all die.”
He was saying that many of them would still be living when the Lord came again.
But everyone Paul was writing to died.
And so did Paul.
Paul was so certain Jesus was returning soon that he advised people not to marry (I Cor. 7:32+).
No reason to bother. Jesus was coming soon.
We are glad to say most Christians ignored him.
(Except the Shakers. They are all gone. There were no children to continue the faith.)
This was the great miscalculation of the early church—the idea that Jesus would soon return.
But instead of dropping an obviously faulty idea—the church hung on to it.
For 2,000 years!
And all that time, preachers have been telling people Jesus is coming soon.
For 2,000 years!!!
And this idea is based on another equally bad idea: that this world God has made is evil, cursed, hopelessly broken.
So God wants to shut it down. End it—as soon as possible.
But the first creation story tells us God looked at his creation and declared it “good.”
And in the Beatitudes, Jesus tells us we are all “blessed,” even with all the pain we may live with.
And God keeps sending us here—into his world.
It’s like the school all souls must go to. This world is where we have the freedom to grow in grace and understanding.
The world has a purpose.
The world serves God’s purpose.
Sorry, all you endtimers.
I don’t think God is calling it quits any time soon. Stop the nonsense.
The Lord has already come. He is with us now.
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PENTECOST
With Dinner!Pentecost is one of the BIG THREE—Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.
No, it doesn’t have the pull of the other two—but it should. It is our Big Red Day—the only Sunday officially designated for red paraments. (We sometimes keep them up a few weeks—just because they are beautiful.)
Wear something red—if you have it. (If not, don’t worry.)
We have lunch after worship—and we all bring. (If you can. If you can’t, don’t worry.) Bring something good. I’m hungry.
The sermon on Sunday will be: “There Is Power Available.”
But—No Breakfast!
On dinner days, the kitchen is busy with dinner preparation. So no breakfast this Sunday. Eat that egg before you leave home. (Or stop by the Golden Arches.)
A Production Number
The Anthem last Sunday was HUGE.
With a guest playing bass guitar.
And several people—including Mary Teague—doing solos.
And we had quite a few guests for Mother’s Day.
We thank God for inhabiting our worship and filling our hearts with joy.
God Bless—MB
ON MY MIND—the folks we love who are sick and others who have lost loved ones. May God’s grace and comfort be with those who need it most.
