Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

Greetings, dear friends!

I want you to know how deeply grateful I am for each of you. Your kind words and warm hugs after the service uplift me and give me the boost I need to get through the week. I’m looking forward to the day when I can serve full-time at the church and be more involved in the weekly life of our community.

A lot is happening at St. Matthew! We host a monthly St. Matthew Women United luncheon and presentation on the second Thursday of each month. The next gathering is scheduled for July 10, so please keep an eye on the bulletin board for more details as the date approaches.

We also offer yoga classes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:00 AM. These classes are open to all ages and fitness levels, and there’s a chair yoga option available as well. And don’t forget our Saturday morning breakfast at 7:30 AM, lovingly prepared by Doug Kelsey. It’s a great way to start the weekend with good food and good company.

I’m currently exploring the idea of launching a grief support group led by an outside facilitator. We’ve all experienced loss in different ways—especially in recent years—and many of us are carrying grief for loved ones, for the world, or the changes happening around us. If you’re interested in helping with the planning (not leading), please let me know.

I’ll be preaching again this Sunday. Max is feeling better and reports improved mobility—thanks be to God! I’ll be sharing part two of our new series, “Words Matter: The Ways We Talk to Ourselves.” I can’t wait to be with you again.

May you experience peace, love, and the joy of God’s presence in every moment.

With love,

Mary

Peace and love to all from the first Annual Conference of the Horizon Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Many things are happening in our conference, and I am thrilled to be in the service of God at this exact time in history.

Before I get to the business of this meeting, I want to ask for prayers for our beloved Max and Jackie. Max took a tumble yesterday, scraping up his hands and arms, hitting his head, and falling hard on his right knee. He was admitted to the hospital for observation and to help decrease the swelling in his knee. The scan of Max’s head was normal, and for that we thank God. His knee is very swollen, and surgery is one option to assist with decreasing the swelling. He will keep us updated about the plan. Your prayers are vitally important to his recovery.

Please refrain from calling him at this time. Max can be emailed at [email protected] or cards sent to his home address. Please email me at [email protected] if you need his address. Or call the church, and Veta can help you. Finally, you can send cards to the church:

2414 Hitson Lane
Fort Worth, TX 76112.

Now, back to the work of the annual conference. This has been a learning experience for me and another lesson in humility. I am learning more and more about the operations of this conference, called “holy conferencing.” Holy conferencing is supposed to be covered in the Holy Spirit and fueled by our commitment to God, to each other, and to our neighbors. Holy conferencing invites us to put aside our egos and our personal opinions. It invites us to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in the work of the gospel.

There are still some passionate conversations about how we should do the work. And by passionate, I mean sometimes contentious. In the midst of these difficult decisions, someone always stands and reminds us to breathe and to refocus on our commitment to each other.

I am humbled by the work being done by so many for the honor and glory of God. I am humbled to be a part of these ministries and to serve as God intends. I am humbled and blessed to be able to take time away from my nursing job to be here.

I will close for now. Sunday I will have a report of some very important decisions made here.

My love to all,

Mary