Greetings in the name of the risen Christ! I pray that peace and joy are filling your hearts and lives this week as we enjoy God’s beautiful answer to a week of sub-freezing temperatures. I am so very grateful for the sunshine and milder weather—especially for our siblings living without shelter. Hopefully, this one week of freezing temperatures will be our only one this year.

We have some exciting things happening at church! This Sunday, February 8, we will celebrate the 99th birthday of Keith Butterfield. We’ll be enjoying fried chicken with all the trimmings. The Kelcey family is generously providing the chicken, and we ask that each family bring a side dish as you are able. An occasion this monumental calls for a special birthday cake, and I have ordered just such a cake for our celebration.

I look forward to seeing all of you this Sunday for a full morning together: 9:30 AM for choir practice, 9:45 AM for the Discovering God class, 10:30 AM for breakfast, and 11:00 AM for worship. We offer these opportunities to support the fellowship of God’s beloved children.

The St. Matthew Women United group will gather for lunch on February 11 at noon. There is a sign-up sheet at the church for the potluck meal. We will also be joined by nurses from the Texas Health Fort Worth Heart and Vascular Program, who will share heart health education with attendees. If you would like to listen to the presentation from home, please let me know at mary.teague@saintmatthewumc.com, and I will create a Zoom link for you.

Looking ahead, we will hold our Ash Wednesday service on February 18 at 6:00 PM. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent. If you have not previously participated in this service or the Lenten season, I encourage you to join us this year. The United Methodist Church observes Ash Wednesday as a time to begin preparing our hearts for Easter.

Ash Wednesday emphasizes two themes: our sinfulness before God and our human mortality. The service helps us remember that both have been overcome through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Throughout Scripture, ashes are used in rituals of repentance and mourning, as people seek forgiveness and renewal. During Lent, followers of Jesus are encouraged to observe periods of fasting, repentance, moderation, and spiritual discipline—always with the knowledge that Jesus Christ is victorious over sin and death, and that we are beloved children restored through grace.

Easter is the holiday that sealed my decision to become a United Methodist. The sacredness of the Ash Wednesday service and the season of Lent, as we prepare our hearts for the events of Calvary, are deeply meaningful in my life. I pray that you will join your siblings at St. Matthew during this coming season—and in all seasons.

Blessings and love to all,
Mary

I suppose we have canceled church before, but I don’t remember it. This time, there was no choice.

This Sunday will be cold, but the roads are clear.

We will have church.

I will teach my class at 9:45 a.m.

We will have breakfast.

(It’s a Winston Sunday.)

Choir rehearsal will begin.

And we will gather at the Lord’s Table.

All of our worship forces will be back in place for a joyful service. I also want to remind you of Lynette’s beautiful solo at our last service.

Come, let us worship.

God bless,
Rev. Max Brennan
revmaxb@tx.rr.com

A question to ponder:
If someone asked you for evidence that Jesus is Lord, what would you say?

Hello friends and family of St. Matthew,

I pray that, along with peace and wisdom, God has blessed you this week with warmth and comfort. My heart has been especially full of prayer for our siblings who are living without access to shelter. Recent news stories have highlighted the number of people who spent this past weekend living in tents during the extreme cold. I am deeply grateful for the efforts of organizations that serve our unsheltered neighbors, including Under the Bridge Ministries, When We Love, and many others. If you are able, please find a way to help.

If you or someone you know needs assistance with utilities, groceries, or transportation, please call the church at 817-451-6980 or email us at pastor@saintmatthewumc.com.

I would also like to thank Brian McCosky for securing the church during the cold temperatures this weekend. The inside of the church is warm and dry. At the same time, we continue to monitor the parking lots for safety, as ice remains about five inches deep in some areas. The south parking lot—the larger lot next to the Fellowship Hall—is clearing nicely. The smaller north lot has areas that receive little sunlight during the winter months. If you venture out for worship on Sunday, please use the south parking lot for your safety.

This Sunday is Communion Sunday. Like the remembrance of our baptism two weeks ago, we will recall the last night Jesus spent with His followers in the upper room. Through the symbols of bread and wine, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus’ body and the shedding of His blood. We will acknowledge that we have not always lived as Jesus lived—that we have not always loved one another, offered comfort and healing, or served God as we know we should. We will confess these shortcomings and, covered in grace as we share the table together, remember again that God loves us all equally and unconditionally.

We celebrate communion as a means of God’s grace in our lives, focused on the restoration of our relationship with God. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. If you are unable to be with us in person, please have a piece of bread and something to drink ready so that you may participate in communion virtually. We are bound together by what these sacraments represent—the overwhelming, never-ending, precious love of God.

Until Sunday, peace be with you.

Mary