October 2012 Matt's Missive

Vol. XXVII, No. 10 Universal City, Texas October 2012

Matt’s MissiveMatt’s MissiveMatt’s MissiveMatt’s Missive

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Our Mission:

To be a strong community of faith rich in the Episcopal tradition serving Jesus Christ; welcoming the seeker; providing a caring church family; effecting spiritual change;

reaching into the world with the love of Jesus. www.stmattuc.org [email protected]

A Wife’s Point of View

By Barbara Means

focus on my prayer book; and I was unable to recite the prayers I grew up with and knew so well. I could only sit in the silence and relative solitude of the ICU and say, what became my repeated and unending prayer, “Please, dear God, do not let him suffer, and please help me.” And, all the while, I felt Jesus saying to me, “Be not afraid.”

At our ages, death is not a subject foreign to us. We have talked about it and are relatively prepared. We also are well aware that it will be sooner rather than later. But this was so sudden and so unexpected. At my last sight of him before the hospital, he was not breathing and his eyes rolled back. I admit selfishly asking God to let me see him smile at me one more time – making that my last memory, if it was His will to take him home now.

Then the miracles continued. John began to awaken, to look at me, and then to smile. I began praying, almost unceasingly, “Thank you, God; thank you, God; thank you, God.” His living through that initial weekend was only the start of a series of miracles – almost daily signs of unexpected achievements regained.

During those first five days, when I was still unable to articulate anything but the simplest of prayers, when I felt that I was in spiritual limbo, I knew I was not alone. I knew and literally felt enveloped in prayer and the loving and caring of our St. Matthew’s family. This, along with my incredible family, sustained me.

John was in a coma for five days, in the hospital for a little more than three weeks, and in a rehab facility for over three weeks, where he continues outpatient therapy. By all accounts, he has made a miraculous recovery. And I have made a very real discovery — one about the community of prayer and its power.

You are all poignantly aware of the accident earlier this summer when John had a heart attack as he dove into our community’s swimming pool. This message is about my helplessness as I watched this man I love, unable to do anything to “make it better” – and more specifically, a story of the ups and downs and the vagaries of my spiritual journey throughout such a difficult time.

In retrospect, I realize that my getting to John was the first “miracle” experienced during those long weeks of hospitalization and rehab. I say this be-cause John and I were at the pool alone, and I can’t swim! How did I manage to get to him in the deep end, pull his dead-weight body up, and keep his head out of the water long enough to get help? How could I do this when I cannot swim? I not only can’t swim, but I am actually afraid of the water, having seen a young girl drown when I was a child. God had to be working through me, because I could not possibly have done that by myself.

When I realized something was wrong — watching this former swim-team member almost belly-flop as he dove into the water and then began to flail — I began screaming for help. We were alone, but my yelling finally brought a maintenance man from a nearby house to help get John out of the pool. Not long thereafter, someone who knew CPR arrived. It is estimated that John was without oxygen for about five minutes.

Did I pray? I do remember crying aloud, “Please, dear God, help me.” And He did. No question about it.

Throughout the next five days, when John was in a coma and on life support, I found it hard to pray specific prayers. I was spiritually numb. I was unable to look for solace in the Bible; my eyes could not

Matt’s Missive The Rev. Tim Vellom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rector Margaret Palmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-editor Hope Ince . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Co-editor

MATT’S MISSIVE (USPS 0112718) is published once a month, 12 times a year, by

ST. MATTHEW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

810 Kitty Hawk Road Universal City, Texas 78148 210-658-5956

Periodical postage paid at Universal City, TX 78148 Postmaster: Please send all Forms 3579 to

Matt’s Missive,

P.O. Box 2337 Universal City, TX 78148

RACAP News By Kathy Ercoline

The “1-2-3 For Life” Class will run from

10 a.m. – 12 noon on Saturdays, October 20th & 27th and

on November 3rd & 10th. Watch the Sunday bulletins for

further information. If you have any questions, please

call Jayne Dunlap at [email protected].

A grateful “thank you” goes to all who so generously contributed to RACAP this month. Your response to the pantry emergency helped fill the shelves for a short time. Unfortunately, with the record number of clients we have seen daily, the shelves have been emptying very quickly. Please remember RACAP when you are grocery shopping.

While we can always use cash donations, any paper products, or non-perishable foods, here some other shopping ideas:

Also, at this month's board meeting it was announced that one of RACAP's freezers has quit working and is beyond repair. The freezer was a donation and served the pantry well. If anyone has a freezer that is in good working condition and that they no longer want, please contact Audrey Blumenthal, Mary Dunham, or Kathy Ercoline. Mark your calendar: Harvest Sunday, November 4

th,

marks the beginning of our Holiday food drive.

“Thank you for helping us help others.”

Food for Families is a practical ministry providing meals to members of our congregation during times of illness, death, or hospitalization. If you are going through one of these difficult experiences and need help with your meals, please notify the church office. Mendell Morgan or Jackie Schaefer, the ministry chairs, will coordinate the response.

We deeply appreciate all who have graciously helped with this ministry in the past, but we never know when a need will arise. If you can cook or purchase a meal, make a delivery, or otherwise offer a helping hand, please call Mendell (653-3782) or Jackie (375-3456).

Jell-O, canned fruits, dried beans

Juice and non-cream soups

Bags or boxes of dried pastas

Canned pasta with meat

Diabetic or sugar-free items

Ministry Focus: Food for Families By Mendell Morgan

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus: Cindy Hite passed into the nearer presence of our Lord early

Friday, September 21st, after a brief but valiant battle with cancer. Her dear husband Don and many members of their family were with her when she died. Please

hold Don and all Cindy's family in your prayers in this time of loss and grief. May Cindy's soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercies

of God, rest in peace.

Your servant in Christ Jesus,

Tim Vellom+

Thanks to the enthusiastic support of the St. Matthew’s family, our Memorial Garden is ahead of schedule. The construction of the pathways was completed on September 18th. We hope to have the pathways pavers installed by the middle of October. A letter was sent to all those who pledged to determine the inscriptions for pavers and benches. Engraving will be done once the money has been received. Once the pavers have been inscribed, they will be installed (distributed throughout the paved pathway). For the benches, once we receive the wording for the engraving, a graphic artist will work up a layout; this will be returned to the donor for final approval prior to the benches’ being engraved.

Looking ahead, we encourage interested individuals to volunteer to help plan the spring planting of the garden. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex for that purpose.

Memorial Garden Update By John Sampson

A note of thanks was received from the Heidi

Search Center, saying, “We are overwhelmed by your donation [the leftover sale items] and want to express our deepest thanks to you and your parishioners . . . . Your donation will help us keep all our services free of charge.” The entire letter is available in the office.

Thursday, October 4: Lunch Bunch, 12:15 p.m., Creasy

Hall.

Sunday, October 7: Potluck Luncheon, 12:15 p.m.,

RACAP Ingathering, Creasy Hall.

Sunday, October 7: Youth Group, 6 p.m., Creasy Hall.

Tuesday, October 16: Vestry Meeting, 6 p.m., Creasy Hall.

Friday, October 19: Game Night for Adults, 6:30 p.m.,

Creasy Hall.

Saturday, October 20: Afternoon Tea & Fashion Show,

1- 4:00 p.m., Creasy Hall.

Sunday, October 21: Youth Group, 6 p.m., Creasy Hall.

Thursday, October 25: Dining Out, 6:30 p.m., La Hacienda

on Redland Rd.; Contact: John &

Barbara Means @ 830-358-7525.

Sunday, October 28: Chili Cook-Off, 4:30 p.m. Creasy

Hall.

October Calendar

From the Senior Warden . . . Dear Friends: As Robert Browning said, “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp — or what’s a heaven for?”

As we move into the last quarter of the year, I want to share with you how we have reached well beyond our grasp, and in so doing, have seen the wonders of faith. Consequently, despite several difficulties, St Matthew’s is having a great year. Let’s look at two really noteworthy examples of how we have reached — the recent “Rummage” Sale and the Memorial Garden and grounds.

When we set the budget late last year, we counted on a large sale to help make ends meet. I had never really thought the yard sale we had in 2011 could be topped by one in 2012. Historically, we had made a couple thousand dollars each year. We reached beyond our grasp and prayed. The 2012 budget included the larger amount, but we expected that a budget adjustment about this time of the year would be needed. The result of our reach beyond our grasp — a sale net of over $10,000, exceeding even last year’s record amount by more than the average from all the previous sales. Two critical things placed this highly unlikely grasp within our reach. First, many of you donated a lot of used items, and some donated valuable furniture and jewelry. Without this, there would have been no record sale. And second, we had the right mix of people who organized and conducted the sale.

Now let’s take a look at the Memorial Garden and our grounds. While several of you have worked hard at making the front of the church yard look very pleasant and inviting, for many years we had nothing more in our backyard than a couple of acres of weeds. But some people had a vision to reach beyond their grasp, and look what’s happening. The result is nothing short of amazing. We didn’t have the money to do this at the beginning of the year, yet here we are three quarters into the year, and we have enough money to install bricks and pavers — the first step in a long process toward the memorial garden. We have pledges and cash in hand to make things happen, and without impacting the budget. How did this happen? Someone stepped up to be the leader, and many of you supported the effort. Sounds a lot like the Rummage Sale — another reach exceeding our grasp.

That’s what St. Matthew’s provides — a way to experience reaching, and, in the end, experiencing something quite remarkable. But not all efforts are successful, and it is easy to become frustrated at a reach that doesn’t quite make it. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. It just means success is difficult. As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” So we must keep up our enthusiasm and continue to reach beyond our grasp. By doing so, we will find something about heaven here at St. Matthew’s.

God bless you. Bill Ercoline, Senior Warden

Chili Cook-Off!

Roses and Lace Roses and Lace Roses and Lace Roses and Lace

Tea and Style ShowTea and Style ShowTea and Style ShowTea and Style Show

Saturday, October 20Saturday, October 20Saturday, October 20Saturday, October 20

1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. –––– 4:00 p.m.4:00 p.m.4:00 p.m.4:00 p.m.

Join us for St. Matthew’s annual Afternoon Tea with fashions, music, and a silent auction. As always, we are asking for tea cups and saucers and/or teapots that you might lend for the occasion.

Tickets will be available shortly. Cost is just $10.00 for food, fun, and entertainment.

For more information, talk to any of the following: Wilma Heberling, Nina Thomas, Suzi Hopkins,

Karen Moore, or Kathy Ercoline.

For Your Information: We have now

begun the search for a new parish secretary. All

the details are posted on the Diocesan website,

www.dwtx.org/index.php/diocese/Help_Wanted.

For additional information about the position,

you can go to the website or you can contact the

church office at 658-5956.

A Pictorial Review of St. Matthew’s - September 2012

. . . plus we had our first look at the two separate coffee

stations that Melissa got for us — no waiting in line now!

We wrapped up August with Dining Out at Pompeii’s on

the 30th

.

After breakfast on September 9th

, we set out apples and

treats to welcome everyone back to Sunday School.

Hope and David got the adults off to a good start in the

library . . .

Then we all came together to enjoy our monthly potluck

and get our fall schedule officially on its way . . .

. . . while the children started their program in the

Christian Ed. Building.

. . . Bill talked to us about our Mission Statement, progress

on the Memorial Garden, and how we can “Serve the Lord”

through various ministries here at St. Matthew’s.

Just to make the day complete, John showed us the

foundation for the walkway in the Memorial Garden—it

is ready for the pavers!

We had a lovely finger-food luncheon coordinated by

Kathy, Jayne, and Melissa . . . . . . and a time for checking out the ministry displays

and enjoying the food and fellowship while . . .

On the 23rd

we celebrated St. Matthew’s Day and Ministries

Sunday; we listened to Fr. Wilkinson as he talked about the

gospel and St. Matthew as our “gift from God” . . .

. . . then we moved to Creasy Hall, where Jayne had the cake

ready for us to start our “Patronal Feast of St. Matthew.”

Postmaster: Send address changes to

MATT’S MISSIVE

P.O. Box 2337 Universal City, Texas 78148

SECOND CLASS PERIODICAL

October Ministry Schedule

Duty October 7 October 14 October 21 October 28

Altar Guild Diane Woods Terry May

Audrey & John Blumenthal

Kathy Mulligan Olive Salyards

Hope & David Ince

Cooks Sean & Cat Francis Bud & Kimberley Erwin, Tom & Lenore Mihara

Ince Family Ian & Michelle Goff

8 a.m. Servers &

Readers

Suzi Hopkins (S) Jan Bonner (R)

Mike Thomas (S) Nina Thomas (R)

Wilma Heberling (S) Michelle Goff (R)

Susan Brown (S) Barbara Duffield (R)

10:30 a.m. Servers Wayne Mudge Vince Michel

Wayne Mudge Mendell Morgan

David Ince Barbara Duffield

Wilma Heberling Sean Keane-Dawes

10:30 a.m. Readers Wilma Heberling Wayne Mudge

Kathy Mulligan Barbara Duffield

Lisa Merrifield Diane Woods

Vince Michel Mendell Morgan

Acolytes Billy Baskin Bud Erwin Myia Mauceri Amber Gaston

Vince Michel Cynde Mauceri Ellen Barnhart Madelaine Borrego

Christopher Carter Hope Ince Devin Bradlaw Rebecca Francis

Tom Barnhart Kimberley Erwin Crystal Francis Marley Bartholomew

8 a.m. Hosts John & Mary Hamilton Frank & Pat DePasquale Ron & Jayne Dunlap Don Carey

10:30 a.m. Hosts Francine Baskin (A) Billy Baskin (B)

Tom Barnhart (A) Tish Barnhart (B) Diane Woods (D)

Margaret Palmer (A) Tom Palmer (B) Margaret Palmer (D)

Bill Ercoline (A) Kathy Ercoline (B) Kathy Ercoline (D)

Prayers of The Peo-

ple

Wilma Heberling Bill Ercoline Barbara Duffield Jacob Mauceri

9 Bean Soup Minis-

try

Ann Vellom Terry May & Diane Woods

Ann Vellom John & Barbara Means

Home Communion Sean Keane-Dawes Mendell Morgan

Barbara Duffield Tish Barnhart (8:00) Pam Calvert

Cynde Mauceri Dave Ince

8 a.m. Prayer Minis-

try

Barbara Duffield Don Carey Barbara Duffield Joan McClain

10:30 a.m. Prayer

Ministry

Barbara Duffield Mendell Morgan

Bob Jones Barbara Duffield Mendell Morgan

Bob Jones

Children’s Church Liz Sampson Mary Bartholomew Liz Sampson Mary Bartholomew

AudioVisual Christopher Carter Molly Baskin Ellen Barnhart Jacob Mauceri

Lockup/Security Wayne Mudge Terry May Vince Michel Mendell Morgan