To know Christ, grow in Christ, and share Christ's love.

May 17, 2007

Dear Friends,

I write during a week of special festivities!

ETSS Graduation

Earlier this week, on Tuesday, May 15, St. Matthew’s hosted the Commencement Service and Holy Eucharist for the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest.  The church was filled to capacity to bestow degrees upon deserving students, honorary doctorates on worthy benefactors and leaders, and to hear the Commencement Address from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori.  Her sermon can be heard in its entirety on the St. Matthew’s website – www.stmattsaustin.org.  In her sermon she gave significant details of her recent visit to the Episcopal Diocese of Honduras and the many ways she sees the Episcopal Church there fulfilling its mission to serve those in need.   In developing her words to shape an understanding of pastoral ministry for those graduating, she was making the point that pastoral work, soul work, is attending to the most pressing needs of human living.  In Honduras (her example) the church was meeting basic needs like hunger, housing, clothing, - building blocks necessary for a person or family to be safe and to explore their own spirituality.  Her key word for the graduates was to “love the people that God sets before you.”  Respect their dignity.  Wise words – I am still learning.

Kindergarten Graduation

Another special festivity was Kindergarten Graduation at St. Matthew’s School.  This is another service of leave-taking.  In my “sermon” I told the children to never forget that St. Matthew’s loves them and that they are always welcome and invited to “come home.”  At the end of the service, the children sang two songs.  One of them is called “I Am a Promise” and it reveals the sweet and profound truth that these children are a bundle of gifts, promises and potentialities – each of them brimming with curiosity, God’s love and joy!  So it is with each of us, if we dare to look deep within and claim the very belovedness bestowed upon each of us by God in baptism. 

Kevin Schubert        

Last month I announced that we will soon have a third full-time ordained minister on the staff at St. Matthew’s.  Kevin Schubert will begin his work with us on Monday, June 18.  He will be ordained a deacon on Saturday, June 23, at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston.  All that desire to attend his ordination are encouraged to go!  Susan and I will be there!  As a deacon, Kevin will read the gospel, prepare the table for the Holy Communion, serve communion, preach, and say the dismissal at the conclusion of the liturgy.  Our task is to help Kevin learn how to be a deacon and a priest.  While we are doing that, we will enjoy his obvious pastoral and leadership skills with families, youth and young adults!

Youth Mission Trip June 3-8. 2007

We have just this week received details of our Middle School mission trip to work in downtown Houston in conjunction with Christ Church Cathedral.  Some 14 of us will spend 5 nights and days learning and working in various ministries in downtown Houston.  Each day has a theme such as Urban Poverty, Addressing Urban Hunger, Life on the Edge, and Life in Transit.  We will work in shelters, feeding ministries, housing ministries and other important life sustaining ministries, most of which were founded by Episcopal congregations.  Keep us in your prayers.

Bible Basics for Youth

It will be my pleasure, again, to teach youth on Sunday mornings in the month of June.  Our topic will be called Bible Basics.  We will go through the writing and development of the Bible, explain the Old and New Covenants, study the prophets, and read the through the New Testament with special emphasis on Jesus, his teachings and the meaning of his death and resurrection.  This class is open to any member of the congregation age 12 and older but will be focused on the youth in attendance.  We will meet June 3, 10, 17 and 24 on Sunday mornings at 9:15AM in Room B-18.

Sunday school through June 24 – then we will take a break!

All our Sunday school classes, for all ages, will continue through June 24.  We will then take our annual sabbatical from Sunday school through July until Sunday, August 5.  We will resume with classes for all ages on Sunday, August 12.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees

I have accepted an invitation to serve on the Board of Trustees of St. Stephen’s School, which is, as you know, is a diocesan school of the Diocese of Texas.  Although I have much to learn about this school and its national and international impact, I enter this process grateful for the opportunity to represent St. Matthew’s.  This will be a three year term.

Discipline of Prayer

Finally, I want to encourage each of you to maintain, or begin, a discipline of prayer.  Our lives are so involved and stressful; we can simply lose our consciousness of God’s presence in us and around us.  I continue to keep a discipline of contemplation as well as I am able - which is not well enough.  As the Psalmist sings “God is our refuge and strength.”  How can we know that when our hearts and minds are so distracted?  Times of silence day by day can mean so much…

Faithfully in Christ,

Merrill