SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION
THE WOODLANDS UMC
POINT BACK IN THE DAY I can still hear the sound of his voice. “Back in my day…” Though his was not the only voice that I ever heard express this statement just before reliving a moment of his distant past, my Papa’s recollection of his days as a young person back in the hills of North Carolina, where he walked through the snow to school, uphill both ways, remains as a lasting impression that he attempted to make on me that times were a lot tougher for folks “back then.” As an aside, we once took a family vacation to his hometown and the trail he took to school really was, somehow, uphill both ways. Yet, despite how much easier he believed my modern childhood life was in comparison to his, I also heard he and others who had lived longer than me speak reminiscently about “the good ol’ days.” These two seemingly contrasting descriptions of the days of the past left me wondering, “Was it better, or worse, back then?” Especially as we find our way out of the Covid quarantine of 2020, here’s what I’m learning. The “good ol days”, whether years ago or just prior to March of this year, were neither better nor worse than these days; they were just different. And, we cannot go back to those days anyway. God is inviting us into today, into this moment. He’s giving us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hands with which to serve. The Psalmist reminds us that “This is the day that the LORD has made.” And then goes on to pronounce, “we will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24) If you are reading this, you are alive! God is still breathing His life-giving, soul-stirring, and love-generating spirit into your lungs. And, as long as He is blessing you with this gift of His breath in your lungs, He has plans to bring His Kingdom into clearer view for you, in you, around you, and through you! Let’s give people reason to call these “the good ol’ days!”
Brent Parker, Woodforest Pastor
60 YEARS Nedra and Jerry Brandt at the front of the First Methodist Church in Texas City where they were married 60 years ago on August 13, 1960. “It has been a wonderful road of joy, blessings, and fulfilling memories. We have two children and four grandchildren. Theresa Wisda lives in Morrison, Colorado along with her husband Jon, grandson Joshua and granddaughter Emilee. Brian Brandt lives here with his wife Jill and our granddaughter Whitney Gillett, husband Ib and grandson Tyler and his wife Kaley.”
A MESSAGE FROM
LEE BREWER
PASTOR TO SENIOR ADULTS
What a joy it was to finally see some faces and to meet some of you during our communion drive-through on Sunday and at the peach bake-off event at Woodforest. It will be so good to meet more of you when we can gather together in person. The church Trustees have been in continuing consultation with health and medical experts to ascertain when it is safe and advisable for on-property events to begin again. Even now we are making plans for a partial reopening of the church for worship and events as soon as circumstances allow. In these weeks where our worship services have been only through media, we have been blessed by the music and the wonderful messages. Our church is blessed to have such a great group of people who put our broadcast services together. But it has brought home in a very powerful way how participating as a group of gathered believers changes the dynamics of worship hasn’t it? We have been created with the need for community and God provides such a marvelous means for each of us to find that community and belonging in the Church. I know when the day comes that we are gathered in worship again, many of us will truly say along with the Psalmist, “I was GLAD when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord!” That does not mean that we will be stopping our online worship. There are those who will choose to wait awhile to return for safety concerns, so we will still be broadcasting services to make sure everyone can be involved in worship. I will also be offering a study online, beginning Wednesday, September 9 at noon, “Humanity’s Search for Meaning.” It will be an eight-week study on the history of religion with breakout groups following each session to enable small groups to engage in discussion. I hope that you will join us for this Zoom presentation. The church website provides more information and a place to register. I keep you continually in my prayers! Lee