Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Phil. 4:4-7
Today there are many people whose world has been turned upside down. Many people are doing things they never thought they would ever have to do.
I can remember when my world was turned upside down. I remember thinking that I was never going to be the same. In July of 2018, my dad was put on hospice and we were told to prepare for what was to come. Let’s just say that I was a daddy’s girl even as an adult. I am the baby of the family so I was spoiled rotten. I can remember driving to my parents’ home from the hospital and thinking: I need to quit my job; I need to move back home; I need to help my mom take care of my dad. After speaking with my mom, she wouldn’t let me quit my job and move back to help her. So over the next several weeks I cut back on my hours at work, just so that I could drive to San Angelo to spend the night with my parents. Sometimes it meant getting there late in the evening and leaving early in the morning. I love my sleep, but this was a sacrifice I was willing to make in my upside down world. Then the day came when I got that unwanted call, that my dad only had a few days of life. I jumped in my car with absolutely nothing but my wallet and phone to take an hour and a half drive to get to my dad’s side. That drive seemed like it was never going to end. I can remember just praying, singing worship songs, and of course lots of crying. About halfway through my drive I felt peace and comfort start to just take over. Then I began to think and tell myself: you’ve got this because God’s got you!
The last days of my dad’s life were spent with lots of praise and worship and just praying. One of my favorite memories is when we played my dad’s favorite song “Levanto Mis Manos” (In English: When I Raise My Hands). The song talks about raising your hands to worship even when you don’t have the strength. The next thing we saw was my dad raising his hands to just worship and praise. In my dad’s upside down world, he just praised God to the very end. My dad went to be with Jesus on September 21, 2018.
I tell you this story to remind you to never stop praising, even when your world is upside down. Some days it’s going to be more difficult to bring out a praise, and other times it will be easy!
When your world is upside down, let God’s word rise up out of your heart and come out your mouth!
Father God, we love you and thank you for our many blessings. Many of us come to you today with overwhelming feelings of not knowing what will happen next, which is scary for most of us. We ask for peace and comfort in these times. We also ask that you will help us to praise you in the storms just as much as we do in the good times. In Jesus name, Amen!
surround the long cafeteria-style tables from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day of the week in an old YMCA building near De Zavala Elementary School.
“One day dad said: I want to do more Lord, I want to do more, I feel like I’m not doing enough,” Ivy recalls. “So when you ask the Lord that, be ready because he’s going to answer you and be ready to accept it.”
Ivy says her family started feeding about two or three people a day that her father would just find on the streets.
Through a lot of fishing trips, which is where Mariano did a lot of thinking and convening with God, he realized that feeding the hungry was his calling. From that point on, Mariano new what he needed to do.
“I’ve seen my parents have nothing and still give something and that’s mainly how the ministry began,” she told Dr. Walker.
Today, the Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry feeds about 100 to 120 people every day. Ivy says that number has grown as the local economy continues to struggle due to low oil prices.
“We always want the spirit of God to be in here. Always. Because that’s what brings comfort. It’s not Jason and I. I’m just the tool. It’s the spirit of God that comes in this place and gives comfort,” she tells Dr. Walker, emphasizing that worship is not an obligation in order to get a meal.
The Midland Soup Kitchen Ministry does not receive any government grants. It only survives upon the generosity of churches, organizations, and individuals.
“This [check] is going to be amazing. This money here, it’s been prayed for and I can say that,” she says, holding back tears, “because our whole kitchen needs new flooring. Things need to happen in this ministry. This is an old building. This [money] helps us buy food, pay the bills, because if the gas is not on and the lights are out, I can’t feed.”
“This helps us in all aspects of the ministry and, like I said, if it wasn’t for [First Methodist Midland] and the Lord Jesus, we couldn’t do what we do.”https://www.facebook.com/Midland-Soup-Kitchen-Ministry-766027770099887/?fref=ts.
1. There are currently six active Methodist churches in Midland.
FALSE
2. The Methodists were the first to erect a sanctuary in Midland.
FALSE
3. The stained glass windows along the north sanctuary wall depict four founders of Methodism.
FALSE
4. The first handbell program was started in the 1950s for young boys in grades 7-9.
TRUE
5. Midland Methodists are expected to become perfect.
TRUE
6. The current sanctuary is the third one erected on this site.
TRUE
7. The Chrismon Tree we erect each Advent Season is a Methodist tradition that spread to other denominations.
FALSE
8. The first contemporary services held by First Methodist took place at the Midland Community Theater.
TRUE
9. One of the pastors appointed to this church was expelled from the Methodist faith during his time here.
TRUE
10. The current longest organized active adult Sunday school class is the Fellowship Class.
TRUE
11. Boy scout troop 152, sponsored by the Methodist Men, was organized in 1939.
FALSE
12. Only one person has ever served as pastor for First Methodist more than once.
TRUE
13. The tenure, or length of service, of Midland pastors changed dramatically after World War II, beginning in 1947.
FALSE
14. The Midland Methodist Church had a parsonage before it had a sanctuary.
FALSE
15. The chapel contains artifacts from the three previous sanctuaries.
FALSE
16. The first pipe organ in the church was installed in 1955.
FALSE
17. The first church plant by First Methodist Midland was St. Mark’s on North Main.
FALSE
18. The Boone Bible Class, an adult group organized in 1930, was named in honor of the pioneer Daniel Boone, who was a lifelong Methodist.
FALSE
19. Descendants of two of the original six Midland church founders still attend First Methodist.
FALSE
20. Dr. Tim Walker is the 42nd senior pastor of First Methodist Midland.
TRUE
Committee Co-Chairman Ron Stroman welcomed everyone and thanked them for their patience in the long and challenging process of bringing this project to fruition. Alan Hale then gave a masterful speech, reminding everyone of the long heritage of First Methodist in being a central part of Midland and the downtown area.
The members of the Building Committee were recognized for their dedication and hard work. In addition to Ron Stroman and Alan Hale, these included Co-Chairman Tim Culp, Burgess Wade, Cathy Norwood, Ed Runyan, Erin Black, Lori Miller, Shan Moon, and Senior Pastor Tim Walker.
Then Shan Moon, Donors Paula and Jim Henry, and Tim Culp did the groundbreaking honors. Applause and smiling faces reflected the energy everyone felt to have the project officially underway.
Dr. Walker briefly donned his hard hat to add his thanks for everyone’s support and led the group in prayer. Associate Pastor Kurt Borden also thanked the congregation for their dedication to creating a new meeting and worship space in a more contemporary style and also offered up a brief closing prayer.
As everyone departed for one of the two worship services there was a clear feeling of joy and energy created by this new phase in the life of First United Methodist Midland.
May Estes fondly recalled how, as the holidays approached, local merchants added gift items to their stock. The Midland Hardware and Windmill store had toys for sale. A jeweler named Linz came to town with a trunk of diamonds–brooches, bracelets, rings and other glittering items–and would come display them in people’s homes upon request.
Taylor’s Drug Store offered a wide variety of items and, according to May, Charlie Taylor “had marvelous taste.” The drug store would have Dresden china, Bisque, cut glass and, of course, toys.
Charlie Taylor was also a strong supporter of First Methodist, known then as Midland Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He pledged funds for construction of the 1907 brick church and served as a church steward for a number of years.
Every church in town had Christmas trees–huge ones for the children. The Sunday School teachers would appoint a committee to decorate the tree and we were not allowed to see it until Christmas Eve. There would be dolls and toys hung on or placed around the tree with a child’s name on each one. Santa would call the names and members of the church would pass out the presents. It was a happy time for us.
In 1917 Beth Fasken, joined her husband Andrew in Midland. Andrew worked as manager of the vast Fasken ranch located west of Midland in country that Beth said, “God had forgotten.” She was glad when the family purchased a home in Midland, across from the Methodist Church.
Her second Christmas in town proved memorable. “The second Christmas in Midland, we had enough snow to have a snowman in all the gardens around town, but that night an overheated stove destroyed our residence by fire.” The family soon recovered however. They moved from town again, fifteen miles to South Camp, “a comfortable, convenient home in every way. Coal oil stove in summer. Wood stove for cold weather.”
Times and traditions change. Coal oil stoves are gone. Snowfalls still come at Christmas, though rarely. Often the weather is more balmy than bitter.
December 2014
