Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Let It Be, Saint Matthew! Whisper words of wisdom and let it be.

Blessings and peace to all in the name of Jesus Christ. I am thoroughly enjoying finding these secular songs that carry a gospel message—and even more, I’m enjoying hearing you sing them! What a wonderful time we had on Sunday, seeing your faces light up as you sang Let It Be. We’ll have more Sundays like this because I’ve gathered an entire list of songs with powerful gospel truths, even if they aren’t traditional hymns. Lessons from the gospel about obedience are not always easy to preach or to hear, but pairing them with good music helps those lessons settle in our hearts. Thank you for your joyful participation!

This Saturday, October 25 at 6 p.m., we will host the All People’s Church Choir as they perform the musical Lazarus. Dinner will be served immediately after the performance. Please join us if you can—and if you’re able to help with setup, cleanup, or by bringing desserts, your help will be greatly appreciated.

I leave you with the words of Jesus and the strategy of Moses. From Luke 6: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Do good and lend without expecting anything in return. Be merciful as God is merciful. Do not judge or condemn. And from Deuteronomy 6: Know the commandments of God and keep them on your heart. Teach them to your children. Talk about them with each other every chance you get. Keep visible reminders of the things Jesus commanded us to do.

May you grow in grace and truth as obedient children of God. And in all these things—Lord, Lord, let it be!

Love,
Mary

God Provides for Elijah in the Wilderness

Elijah was a prophet who loved and obeyed God. One day, God sent him to speak to King Ahab, who had turned away from God and led the people to worship a false god named Baal. The Canaanites believed Baal was the storm god who sent rain and made crops grow. But Elijah told the king the truth—it was not Baal who brought rain and life, but God alone.

King Ahab didn’t want to hear that message, and Elijah had to flee for his life. He hid near a quiet brook, where he had no food and no one to help him. But God did not forget Elijah. Each morning and evening, ravens flew to him carrying bread and meat, and he drank water from the brook. God cared for Elijah even in the wilderness.

After a while, the brook dried up, and Elijah had to move on. But he had learned something powerful: Baal wasn’t the one who gave rain—God was. God protects and provides for His people. Just like Elijah, we can trust that God will take care of us, even when times are tough.

What We Learned

• God is the true source of life, not false gods or idols.
• Even when Elijah was alone, God was still with him.
• God uses surprising ways—like ravens—to provide for us.
• We can trust that God will never abandon us, no matter what we face.

We are all planning for the very near holiday season—please be in church Sunday so we can start making plans for a Christmas play for all our kids! And by the way, it seems Santa will be able to work us into his schedule this year. I’ve called! See you Sunday!