I remember the Sunday forty-five years ago that I became a member of St. Luke’s.  We sat on the second row, and Dr. Shamblin asked for those who wanted to join to come forward.  Although I had grown up in the Presbyterian church in Waco, I was sure St. Luke’s United Methodist was where I belonged.  I vowed to uphold the church with my prayers, presence, gifts and service.  After church I went into the chapel parlor and felt welcomed by Dr. and Mrs. Shamblin.  It was a special occasion.

You see, there was a young man named Tom Wier – my new husband – with me that day.  Tom was already a member.  We had met through a colleague from work, and I was grateful to know that we would worship together as we started our marriage.  Both of us had Methodist ministers in our family background.

We joined the Friendship Class – a group of young couples that we enjoyed.  The class was self- taught by its members, and we had great times at Christmas parties with white elephant gifts, some pot luck gatherings, and most of all a chance to grow spiritually within the group.  In 1979 our first son – Thomas Randal – was born, and he was happy to go to the nursery on Sundays with other children that we knew.  And such special caregivers as Mrs. Nance.

The class was small, and the support and love was an important part of our lives as young parents.  Eventually, as some of the members changed locations, the attendance dwindled and the class was discontinued.  We still enjoy keeping in touch.

Not long after this, Suzanne Davis, a good friend from the Mothers’ Circle, invited us to visit her class.  Originally called the Study Class, it is now the Gene Decker Study Class named after our longtime teacher and dear friend.  Dr. Decker, a French professor at the University of Houston, shared his many gifts – his amazing Biblical scholarship, his great passion for helping people in need, his kindness and wonderful sense of humor.  Gene encouraged us all to continue learning and caring for each other and growing in our faith.  Sadly, in 2011 we lost our great friend.  He will always be remembered and cherished.

Our second son, Patrick was born soon after we became active in the Study Class.  The class grew in numbers, and early activities included picnics in the park across from the church, Santa Claus at Christmas in the Blanton Building, Angel Tree shopping for gifts to donate to kids in our community, and small dinner groups with cookouts in backyards.

Both Tom and Patrick were baptized by Dr. Underwood with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a great-grandmother with us.

On Christmas Eve our family tradition centered on church at one of the early services.  Patrick was four the year he first went to the altar for communion alongside his grandparents, brother and mom and dad. Over the years we attended services before dinner at home with family.

As the boys went to Sunday School, I served as a greeter for their classes.  For a few years I helped with kindergarten children.  Mrs. Virginia King became a good friend during this time and was a wonderful example of serving in the church.   My son Tom was so fortunate to have Mr. and Mrs. Claridge for his fourth grade teachers.  Over the years both boys were blessed to have such wonderful class leaders as Gene Graham, Jim Henderson, Hayden Harris, Bill Evans, Mary Zink, Martha Emerson, Brenda Lockett and many others.

Later on I taught fifth grade with Brucks Hall, a well loved man who taught Sunday School for over 50 years.  The kids in the class were lively and interested in learning about the Bible.  They enjoyed being together each Sunday morning, and I had an equally good experience.  Brucks had taught for so many years, and I was grateful to participate with him.  I was new and loved getting to know the boys and girls and what they were doing each week – at school, in sports and music and how they interpreted the life of Jesus and his disciples.  They learned much about the map of the ancient world and how people worshipped in those times.

In the summer our group of friends from the Study Class spent a week at Mo-Ranch near Hunt, Texas.  All of us – especially our children – loved swimming in the Guadalupe, soaking in the cool rapids, h

iking on the nature trails, gazing at the stars at night.  Many strong relationships were forged there, and today second and third generations of this class have come to this beautiful part of God’s creation. We’ve enjoyed singing folk songs accompanied by a guitar, and a picnic at the river on Sunday evening has been the setting for many stories and laughter and hugs as we return to this time together.

In 2001 both Tom and Patrick were in college, and an opportunity presented itself to me.  I accepted a position in Welcoming Ministry at the church.  My job involved coordinating volunteers to help with the many lunches, dinners, receptions that made St. Luke’s a place of hospitality and friendship. This was a completely different job description for me. I loved working in the church kitchen with three wonderful ladies who were talented cooks.  Theresa, Sarah and Ella opened their arms and hearts to me and many members who helped prepare dinners for such events as the Administrative Board meetings, luncheons for United Methodist Women and Men, the Board of Missions, Caring Ministries, Day School Directors, confirmation dinners, and annual gatherings of Perkins School of Theology.  I made new friends who showed up without fail to set tables, provide centerpieces, and serve as hostesses for all who attended.  I also learned many cooking skills from my mentors who taught with a sense of humor and patience.

During the five years I worked at the church I loved being part of the staff under Dr. Jim Moore.  One favorite event each month was Staff Worship in the chapel.  Each department organized a worship time with hymns, scripture, and prayers. I enjoyed learning new hymns and reciting responsive scripture together with other staff members as we took time out from day to day projects and programs.

When I retired from this position in 2006, I was eager to samp

le the small groups that were forming.  I will always be grateful to Peter Miller and Bill Denham for leading us in Bible studies where we read, prayed and learned together.  I found that with eight or ten people gathered around a table together, I could pray out loud for my family, close friends, and people in need locally and further afar.  It became easier to speak directly to God and to ask for guidance, to share my faith story.

My children are grown now and living in other cities.  One is a linguistic professor in Tibilisi, Republic of Georgia.  We have been fortunate to visit a country with ancient churches and monasteries and people who speak a different language but open their arms to us.  My younger son has moved to Denver and loves the mountains, the climate and his work in sports marketing.

As we look back on these years, we are blessed to have close friends in faith who support us as we support them.  Dr. Pace inspires us with his sermons each week, and our Music Ministry is amazing.  We have chosen to be in this place, and we will stay.