Not being a life-long Episcopalian and not coming from a family of faith, the twelve days of Christmas was always a long song filled with weird gifts. Who in their right mind gives eight maids a milking? Seriously…who does that? Somewhere in my adulthood the concept of giving God lavish praise for the gift of Jesus suddenly made sense. One …

CHRISTMAS AND EPIPHANY ~ submitted by Clifton Flemister The Christmas Season is the second of the seasons in the Church Year. It starts on December 25 (Christmas Day) with the Feast of the Nativity and lasts for 12 days, including two Sundays. Christmas is a very happy time for Christians. It is the time Christ’s birth is celebrated. Among the seasons, …

YEAR END MUSINGS ~ submitted by Krys Clark Like some people, for me this time of year is always a time to reflect. I examine my thoughts and goals from last year. Did I do everything I wanted to? What did I do? What do I want to accomplish this upcoming year? My goals for last year were what I thought, at least at …

Greetings fellow superheroes! It has been my pleasure to bring the F.L.A.S.H. stewardship program to you again this year. St. Matthew’s has been making me feel loved and has shared hope with me for over 50 years now. Our congregation has more recently been focused on sharing that hope, love, and resources with our surrounding community. There is no greater joy in life …

December 23rd Flight from Bangor to Washington DC Most of us try to sleep while we hurtle through middle space between stars and city lights, between where we were and where we will arrive. Miles above darkened churches where tomorrow we gather to sing Silent Night tipping unlit candles toward the fire till every face is a circle of light. The woman …

There have been a number of questions, concerns and offers made about the cross (crucifix) seen on the screen during the streaming services. Also, many of you have seen the cross with Jesus (crucifix) at the Pray.Think.Love House. You have most likely noticed that the left arm of Jesus is missing. This is the story of how Jesus lost his arm. First, …

We celebrate with our 2018 St. Matthew’s Poet-in-Residence Julia Baker Swann on the recent publication of her first poetry book, The Moon is Always Whole. Congratulations, Julia!! Julia is finishing her MA degree in Theopoetics and Writing at Bethany Theological Seminary this coming May. Her book is available on Amazon. Let’s continue to support and pray for Julia!

Dear beloved children of God who call St. Matthew’s home, I invite you to prayerfully consider how you can use your gifts and assets to support our mutual mission at St. Matthew’s. As we look back at 2020, we have had to adapt and pivot our witness to Christ in more ways that I can count, but we have prevailed. …

We are thrilled with the results of the recent St. Matt’s survey. Here are some responses to the question, “What do you like most about St. Matt’s?” The warmth and friendliness of the congregation, the shared joy in worshipping together, spiritual guidance, being part of a global church, the music ministry, opportunities to serve, etc. There are more, but those were …

Dear Siblings of St. Matthew’s, An Advent Birthing comes upon us! A church cannot exist in a vacuum. During this current pandemic, it has become exceedingly clear that faith communities (especially ‘mainline” denominations), already fragile before its appearing, are now wondering how they will recover. This fragility was evident even before the pandemic by an exodus of those who decided …