AUGUST 2020 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
POINT PASSING IT ON
A MESSAGE FROM
Do you have a favorite recipe? Have you ever shared it with someone?
PASTOR TO SENIOR ADULTS
For many years I remember walking into my Mamaw’s house for Thanksgiving and there was always a thin layer of flour on everything in or near the kitchen! She was one of those “a pinch of that” or “a dollop of that” type of cook so it was hard to get any real recipe out of her, but boy did I love to see her work her magic. After many hours of flour flying and ovens heating, we would have a plethora of savory and sweet treats lined up in which all of us could indulge. I always wanted to be able to cook like my Mamaw! Recently, as my older daughter got married, I wanted to pass on some recipes to her so she could begin to make her own memories with gatherings of friends and family. As I collected recipes from my own storehouse and asked friends to share theirs, I was reminded of how many stories are connected to recipes; stories of family reunions, birthday parties, holidays, and anniversaries and how important it is to share those things that are most important to us. It also reminded me of the words from Deuteronomy when Moses was urging God’s people to pass on their faith and all that they learned to their children. “Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. (Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NLT) Our faith and our experiences with God, like our favorite recipes, should be passed down to our children and shared with our friends. The times when God has provided, healed, comforted, strengthened, and inspired become the lessons that others can learn from and lean into. My prayer is that we all find a way to share our faith and our stories of God with those around us. P.S. – My favorite recipe was Apricot Fried Pies! I’d love to know your favorite recipe – email me at skent@twumc.org
LEE BREWER
In Romans 1:11,12, Paul says: “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith.” That is indeed my own longing as I begin my ministry here at The Woodlands. However, it looks like it may be awhile before I have the great privilege of getting to meet you in person! I want each of you to know how thankful I am to the Lord and to this church for the opportunity to join the staff and church family at The Woodlands. I have been in ministry for over 40 years now, and I can honestly say I am as excited about what the Lord has in store for the coming days as I was in the beginning of my ministry. The staff here is clearly an amazing group of people and ministers who love the Lord, are talented, dedicated, and so welcoming and supportive. What a blessing! It is impressive how involved this church is in so many areas. The seniors program has such a variety of activities and groups for growth, service, fellowship and worship. I can’t wait until we can gather again, and I can be a part of it all. And, I am already working on some special gatherings and activities in the days ahead when circumstances allow. On a personal note, I graduated from Cy-Fair High School when Cy-Fair was surrounded only by cow pastures. The Houston area is certainly a far different place than it was back then! But I am glad to be back in Texas and back home again. My parents are still living in Tomball. Oh, and I am also a Baylor grad so I look forward to meeting any fellow Bears in the church! Anticipating wonderful days to come as we serve the Lord together.
Susan Kent, Pastor of Women’s Ministry and Worship
Lee Rev. Lee A. Brewer, PhD, Minister of Pastoral Care and Senior Adult Ministry