1  The Epistle – November 2019 

Th

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The monthly newsletter of 

St. Matthew’s Parish, Pacific Palisades, CA 

November 2019Volume 48 No. 3

(Continued on Page 2)

“Get up and go” is one of those phrases that seems to show up over and over again in the Bible. In the very first sentence of the book of Jonah, God speaks to Jonah, telling him to “get up and go” to preach to the hurting city of Nineveh.1 During the prophet Ezekiel’s dramatic vision in which he is called to ministry, God calls him to “get up and go” in order to hear God better.2 On the road to Damascus, Paul (who is still Saul at this point), sees a blinding light from heaven and hears the voice of Jesus. Jesus calls Paul to begin his ministry using the words “get up and go.”3

There is story after story of people who are called to “go” and serve God’s mission of peace, justice, and wholeness for this broken world.

Usually, the prophet being called admits that they do not feel ready or prepared to get up and go anywhere. For instance, Jonah turns and walks the other direction; it takes a whale to turn him around. Likewise, Paul is cursing, threatening, and persecuting the followers of Christ up until the moment he hears Jesus’s voice on that road. The people God calls rarely see themselves as suitable messengers, worthy of doing the work that needs to be done. Yet they are commanded to go nonetheless, but always with the promise that God will be with them.

This year at St. Matthew’s we are following “The Way of Love,” seven practices that help us follow Jesus. Last month we focused on the practice of “blessing.” This month we are focusing on the practice of “going”: crossing boundaries, listening deeply and living like Jesus. Leader of the Episcopal Church, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry implores, “Go into the world and touch someone’s life. Go into the world to love like Jesus loves; to give like Jesus gives; to forgive like Jesus forgives; to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God, like Jesus does.” “Go” is the spiritual practice of seeing Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors, and serving those who are most in need.

Of course, these practices are nothing new to this community. Just in the month of November alone, the opportunities to “go” abound. The Thrift Shop ski sale raised money that will be gifted to many organizations, such as the Venice Family Clinic and the Las Familias del Pueblo school. The SMPS 4th graders participated in their annual Hunger Walk to support the Westside Food Bank, and the Parish and School will team up once again to gather food for the Food Bank on November 24 and 25. All month, gift cards are being collected for the St. Joseph Center’s “Share the Sea-son” program to support families in need. This week, many volunteers will transform the gym into a magical wonderland to gear up for the annual Christmas Faire on November 22. All of the funds raised will support of our incredible Outreach Partners. In addition, on November 26, volunteers will be cooking and serving a Thanksgiving meal to the residents of Safe Place for

1 Jonah 1:12 Ezekiel 3:223 Acts 9:6

THE WAY OF LOVE: GO!by the Rev. Stefanie Wilson

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Youth. (More information about how to participate with any of these events can be found in the Carillon and Weekly Bulletin.)

If you are looking for other ways to serve, on Sunday, November 17 we will be celebrating and highlighting our outreach min-istries. After services, we will have a Ministry Fair with representatives from all fifteen of our outreach partners. Each non-profit offers unique opportunities to “go,” cross boundaries, listen, and live like Jesus.

We are all called by God to “go” and live out God’s dream for this world. Like Jonah, Paul, and countless others called before us, we are not called to love and serve God’s people because we feel ready or perfect but because there is work to be done. Paul writes, in both his letters to the Romans and the first letter to the Corinthians, that the Holy Spirit gave differing talents, abilities, and joys to each of us, all of which can be used to serve others.4

Our job is to listen to what our gifts are and figure out where those gifts fit into God’s mission. Author, theologian, and pas-tor Fredrick Buechner famously put it this way: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

As the holiday season begins, I hope you take time to pray about where God is calling you to “go,” knowing God has gifted you for this work and will not leave any of us to do it alone.

4 Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10

The Blessing of Hard Workby Amy Childress

The year was 2010. My cell phone rang as I pulled onto Evans Road on my way to yet another meeting about the house my husband and I were building. “Hello, Amy,” said the melodious voice on the other end, “it’s Kathy Bitting.”

Screech. I pull over to the side of the road. Why was St. Matthew’s grand matriarch Kathy Bitting calling me? I was honored – and a bit flustered. Meeting? What meeting? Decisions about light fixture placement can wait. “Hi, Kathy.”

“I’m calling to invite you to co-chair the Christmas Faire. It’s a two-year commitment, you’ll be junior this year under the able tutelage of Callie Momtazee and next year, after she finishes, you’ll shepherd someone else while planning the single largest source of funding for our Outreach grants.” “I’m flattered,” I stammer.

“Do you have any questions?” “Are there a lot of meetings?” I ask. Kathy, already thinking of the time commitment “No, three or four big ones that’s about it,” Kathy answered. “Oh, that’s good.” “Why don’t you ask James and let me know,” Kathy said, “It’s a big job but it’s also a lot of fun and the funds allow our Outreach Partners to do a lot of good.”

“No one turns down Kathy Bitting,” said James after I told him the story. “Congratulations, Amy.”

Little did I know then that, that ‘yes’ would bless my life so completely. St. Matthew’s became my home through Christmas Faire. Callie was not only a superior mentor, but as a result of our Faire work, became one of my best friends. I discovered the blessing of working hard with a team of motivated and gifted people to benefit others. And in so doing, I became part of something bigger than myself I a member of a community that brings God’s work into the world. Working with fellow parishioners toward a shared goal that improves other peoples’ lives enabled me to connect with God.

I hope that the next time you’re invited to take advantage of a “volunteer opportunity” you consider it. Sure, you’re being asked to perform free labor, likely a lot of it. But it is truly an opportunity through which you might just discover a new part of yourself. And, if you’re as lucky as I was, you might also find a dear friend too.

3  The Epistle – November 2019 

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Norma Jean Gala photos courtesy of Uplift Family Services

St. Matthew’s Receives “Ambassador of Children” Award at Uplift Family Services Annual Gala

Many members of the St. Matthew’s community were on hand for Uplift Family Services’ 8th Annual Norma Jean Gala last month, when emcee Colin Hanks presented the Rev. Bruce A. Freeman and Heather Jones with its Ambassador of Children Award.

St. Matthew’s is grateful for all of the work that Uplift Family Services does for more than 2,500 children and families in need in Los Angeles, and is proud to be the recipient of this year’s award.

4  The Epistle – November 2019 

Outreach OpportunitiesUpcoming Outreach Opportunities

Many outreach events benefitting St. Matthew’s hard-working Outreach Partners are just around the corner! Want to get in-volved but don’t see something here that’s right for you? Check out a full calendar of upcoming Outreach Opportunities online now.

Through November: Share the Season

Our friends at St. Joseph Center can use a visit from Santa this year. To give hope through empowerment, please consider providing gift cards to help them have a merry Christmas this year. Find us on the patio, at Christmas Faire, or contact Brooke (brooke.crane@gmail.com) or Claudia (310-801-9693) directly.

November 22: St. Matthew’s Christmas Faire

The Parish of St. Matthew invites the entire Pacific Palisades community to join us for a Friday evening filled with frivolity, friendship and great finds for everyone on your Christmas list at the 28th Annual Christmas Faire on Friday, Nov. 22 from 6pm-9pm in Sprague Center.

Shop for all those on your list – and maybe a little treasure for yourself – at the Silent Auction which will feature tickets to various sporting events, hotel getaways, treatments from top estheticians and toys for kids of all ages. It’s a win-win; get and give simultaneously. This year’s Faire theme is “The Spirit of Giving” because, as 2 Corinthians 9:8 instructs, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance...that you may share abundantly. As always, all of the net proceeds from the evening are do-nated to the church’s Outreach Partners – providing essential funds for organizations who help those amongst us who are in need.

Premiere silent auction items include:

• Two Trojan Suite tickets to the Nov. 23 UCLA vs USC football game • One night stay in the Sunset Tower Hotel penthouse with $100 bar credit • Two nights stay at the Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection • Four tickets to the Dec. 1 Beatbuds’ Beatbash at the Fonda Theatre • Tickets to the Distinguished Speaker Series (featuring President George W. Bush and Anderson Cooper) • Six tickets to the Jan. 7 LA Lakers vs NY Knicks basketball game

November 26: SPY Thanksgiving DinnerSt. Matthew’s provides dinners for 65-75 homeless young people on the 4th Tuesday of

each month and for Thanksgiving we’re preparing two very special meals. We can use your help preparing food, making a donation or serving meals. Only $25 helps us buy a turkey or provide a side dish for many in need. To learn how you can help, contact Kathy Bitting (kbit-ting@stmatthews.com).

November 24: Thanksgiving Food Ingathering

Each week the Westside Food Bank provides meals for around 200 veterans, many of whom are homeless and half of whom arrive in wheelchairs or on scooters due to injury. Please help the WSFB as they help our vets, families and others in need and bring a bag of non-perishables to Church on Nov. 24!

December 14: St. Margaret’s Center Christmas Program

St.Margaret’s Center is seeking volunteers and donors for its annual Christmas Program on Saturday, December 14. This grant recipient of the St. Matthew’s Thrift Shop provides emergency and supportive services such as food, clothing, shelter, rent and utility assistance, immigration assistance, adult education and tutoring to over 12,000 low-income individuals each year. For more information, please visit St. Margaret’s Center’s Christmas Program Page.

5  The Epistle – November 2019 

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2020 Vestry Nominees

In January, several Vestry Members will see their terms come to an end, having spent many dedicated years in service to the Parish: Billy Jones, Dave Higley, Daniela Winter, Terry Bird and Pete Mann will retire and new Vestry mem-bers will take their places. (In addition, we bid a warm farewell to Kelly Peterson who moved earlier this year.) These retiring members were joined by previous Vestry Members Maida Hastings, Pam Mann, Paul Notaras and Shawn Silletti on a Nominating Committee to select their replacements. Justin Campeau, Phil Darrow, Jim Huser, Jana Russell, Tykie Tobin and Cyndy Ufkes have been nominated for Parish approval at the Annual Meeting to be held on January 26, 2020.

Justin CampeauJustin has been an active member of The Parish of St. Matthew since 2015. Justin and his

wife Whitney were married at the church in 2014 and their daughter Claire was baptized at St. Matthew’s in 2017. They recently welcomed their new son James in July! Both Justin and Whitney are originally from Canada, and the parish has become an important part of their community in Los Angeles. Justin serves on the Stewardship Committee and is a frequent volunteer at Safe Place for Youth. Whitney is co-chair of the 2019 Christmas Faire.

Justin is an infrastructure-focused investment fund manager based in Century City. He holds a Bachelor of Com-merce from McGill University.

Phil DarrowPhil Darrow has been a member of St. Matthew’s since 2015, and has been active as a Lay

Eucharist Minister, a member of the Outreach Commission (as its liaison to GAIA, the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance), as a co-leader of an Emmaus group and as a Stewardship Team Leader. In 2018, Phil and his wife Robin joined the parish mission trip to Malawi to observe GAIA in ac-tion, and helped organize a successful GAIA nursing scholarship fundraiser honoring David Miller. Phil has also been engaged in ministry in South Sudan and Sudan as President of the American Friends of the Episcopal Church of the Sudans, having made several mission trips to South Sudan and Sudan since 2008. He recently hosted the Episcopal Archbishop of South Sudan’s first official visit to the U.S., coordinating various peace advocacy and church leadership meetings in Washington

D.C. and New York, including sessions at the State Department, the U.N. and with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.

Phil and Robin live in Westwood - as does their Labrador Retriever - and have three adult children living elsewhere. Phil is a graduate of Williams College and Stanford Law School, and is a Vice President and Regional Counsel for KB Home, engaged in Southern California real estate transactions and development issues. Phil is also an avid cyclist and hiker, and when he cannot be reached, he is probably somewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Jim HuserJim and his wife, Susan, have been members of the The Parish of St. Matthew for nearly

30 years. Jim is a former Vestry member, School Trustee and President of the Day Camp Board. He has been a regular participant and leader of Emmaus groups for more than 10 years. His adult children, Annie and Emma, both attended St. Matthew’s Parish School; after living their post-college years in New York, Jim and Susan are happy to have them back in Los Angeles. Jim and Susan grew up in and maintain a second home in Cincinnati and were introduced to Bruce while he was still Rector at Redeemer Parish in Cincinnati. (He remains a regularly disappointed fan of the Cincinnati Reds.)

After a 30-year career in the private sector, Jim turned his focus to non-profit service organizations. He was a Senior Fellow with Community Partners before accepting a position as a senior executive at Hathaway-Sycamores in Pasadena, one of the largest social services agencies in LA County, providing mental health services to disadvantaged children and families, and housing for the homeless. He retired from Hathaway-Sycamores earlier this year but continues to work on a project to build temporary housing for homeless young adults.

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Vestry Nominees, continued

Jana RussellJana has been involved in The Parish of St. Matthew since she and her husband, Ted, and two

children, Nathan (SMPS ’17) and Amelia (SMPS ’18) moved to the Palisades in 2005. Jana started the Mom’s Emmaus Group, which she continues to co-lead, and co-chaired St. Matthew’s Day for several years. Jana also served on the Outreach Commission and helped run the Adopt-a-Family pro-gram. Jana also served on the Vestry from 2012-14, during which time she participated in the search that called Bruce Freeman. Jana’s husband Ted has served the Parish in several capacities, running the Men’s Emmaus Group for years and serving on both the Outreach Commission and Day Camp Board. Ted continues to serve on the SMPS Board of Trustees and recently co-chaired the Search Committee that brought Ed Kim to St. Matthews. Their children Nathan and Amelia attended St.

Matthew’s Parish School from preschool through 8th grade, attended Day Camp, and were both recently confirmed in the Parish.

Jana practices white collar litigation and runs a startup company in the legal space. She holds a B.S. degree from Cornell University and a J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Tykie TobinIn the summer of 2017, Tykie retired, sold her house in Virginia, and drove cross country with

her three cats to her new house in Pacific Palisades. Shortly thereafter, she joined the St. Matthew’s choir. Since then she has been active in Foyer Dinner Groups and started getting involved with the church’s finances as Assistant Treasurer. Tykie is also Treasurer of her HOA, volunteers at the West LA Animal Shelter, and helps take care of her two grandchildren.

Tykie’s prior professional life included 16 years at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC as Chief of Investments and 20 years working in finance on Wall Street at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. She was also Treasurer of Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia. Tykie holds a BA from the College of William and Mary, an MBA in arts management from UCLA, and an MSBA in finance from USC.

Cyndy UfkesCyndy joined the Parish of St. Matthew in 2003. Together with her husband Fred, she has watched

her sons William (age 17) and Samuel (age 15) grow up at St. Matt’s. Both boys participated in Day Camp, and were confirmed in 2018 and 2019. Fred currently serves as an usher and Samuel is a lector.

Cyndy has been active in several areas of St. Matthew’s Parish life. She has been a Sunday School teacher, worked at the Thrift Shop, served on the Day Camp Board, and has been a member of the Birthday Caller team. Currently, she is part of the Pastoral Care team as the Chair of Home Eucharist Ministry. She is active at Palisades Charter High School, serving on the board for the Pali PTSA.

Please be sure to meet these nominees at the Annual Meeting on January 26 to express your approval for their participation as Vestry members for the next three years.

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Do You Have Questions About Heaven Too?A sermon by the Rev. Christine F. Purcell, preached on Nov. 10, 2019 (Luke 20:27-38)

You know what? I wish I’d been there. I wish that I had been there that day in the Temple when the Sadducees and Jesus squared off on the question of marriage in heaven.

Because I have questions about heaven too. And I suspect I am not alone. Questions like, well, first of all, does it exist? That one was pretty settled for me; Lord knows I’ve preached it often enough! Until a few weeks ago, when someone very dear to me died suddenly. And I found myself struggling with where is he?

And assuming heaven does exist, that there is life after death on some different plane “in the nearer of presence of God” (and isn’t that a great phrase?), and my dear one is there (and if anyone deserves to be there, he does), is he still him there? Will I still be me? Will we recognize one another?

So many people who’ve lost loved ones have said to me, “I just have to believe that I’m going to see him, or her, again.” I want to believe that too. And I imagine most of you do. And you know those Sadducees in this morning’s Gospel that we just heard: even though Luke says that officially, at least, they don’t believe in the resurrection, I think some of them would like to believe it.

So who are these people? The Sadducees were faithful, sincere, upper class intellectuals who are understandably suspicious of Jesus, and want to know what he’s made of. They seem to be trying to trap him, as a way of testing his teaching chops. So they have come up with this absurd question having to do with Levirate marriage. Outlined in the book of Exodus, it was practiced widely in the ancient Middle East as a means for ensuring the continuation of a tribe. If a man dies without an heir, his brother then marries the dead man’s surviving wife in order to father a child on his behalf. So if one after another of seven brothers steps up, and then dies without issue, whose wife will that poor woman who outlives them all be, in the resurrection?

These Sadducees have lost loved ones, just like you and I have. They’ve buried spouses and parents and children. So I’m won-dering whether their asking about who this woman will be married to in the next life isn’t just a gotcha question. Maybe it’s also expressing a deeper concern.

You know how sometimes the question someone asks isn’t really the question they’re asking? Like when a three-year-old asks his parents when his new baby sister will go back to the hospital. His real question might be more along the lines of “why did we have to bring her home in the first place? Wasn’t I enough?” Or when a tired wife, at the end of the day, asks her equally tired husband if he’s going to take out the trash, she’s probably really asking “are you just going to sit there, or are you going to be helpful?” Or when a prospective employer asks a young married job interviewee where she sees herself five years from now, it may be because they can’t ask her “so, are you going to work like gangbusters for awhile and then go out on maternity leave?” “Whose wife will the woman be, in the resurrection?” The deeper concern behind that one could be, will human relationships extend into that new place? Will we be able to hold and be held by the people we love? That’s what it would be for me.

At first blush, Jesus’ response seems to be “no.” Life in the age to come is different, he tells them. Different in such fundamental ways that the structures that organize life as they know it – as in ownership and marital rights – those structures simply don’t apply

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there. We can translate that for our context however we want to; the bottom line is that whatever lies ahead for you and me, and for all those who have gone before us, is not going to be just more of what we’ve known here. “Heaven” is not a place where what makes for a good life here is reconstituted there, with wings on it, somehow.

Heaven is also not an opportunity to take care of unfinished business. The Sadducees’ issue is the continuation of a tribal line. Yours and mine is probably some other version of resolving missed opportunities. Opportunities to have been better spouses or mentors or friends. To have made different choices as to how we spent our time, our energy, and our gifts. Opportunities to have become better human beings in the life span that we are allotted.

Now, this may not feel like good news – because like the Sadducees, our imaginations are limited. We can’t help ourselves; we are earth-bound, time-bound mortals whose consideration of these difficult questions is framed by our experience of what is good, meaningful and important. Of what gives us joy. Fortunately, we are also capable of realizing that we have those limitations. And can, at times, articulate what we don’t know.

Many of you may remember a book that came out in 2012 by Dr. Eben Alexander called Proof of Heaven. In 2008, this Harvard trained neurosurgeon contracted severe gram-negative bacterial meningitis, an infection that attacked his cerebral cortex, rendering him comatose for seven days – after which he regained consciousness. He came back. It’s a fascinating read.

In an interview he gave a couple of years after the book came out, Dr. Alexander said “the human brain and mind will never have a theory of everything. We can never possibly understand the grand workings of this universe or the workings of its divine creator.” But of one thing he is absolutely sure, he said. His near-death experience convinced him that all of us are possessed of eternal conscious existence, and that the source of that eternal existence is an infinitely loving creator whose unconditional love is infinitely healing.

Jesus simply said “God is God not of the dead, but of the living. For to him all of them,(them being Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, long dead patriarchs) all of them are alive.” They are children of God. They (and all of us) are children of the resurrection. And with just those few words, Jesus parts the veil, a tiny bit, between life here on earth and the life beyond this one. And he does this is in a way that really does offer us all comfort and hope.

First, because Jesus meets his interlocuters, the Sadducees, where they are. He addresses them on their terms. The Sadducees held only the five books of Moses – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy – to be the Law; whereas the Phari-sees included the Prophets and the writings – the rest of what you and I know as the Old Testament. So Jesus uses the story of Moses and the burning bush found in Exodus. A story where God makes Godself known in the form of a living thing that cannot be killed. If there was ever a sign of life persisting through death, that’s one.

In the same way, God is meeting you and me where we are, here in the early twenty-first century. In our thought world, where the antagonism between science and religion, a centuries-old legacy of the Enlightenment, is now being recognized in many quarters as a false choice. As scientists discover that our expanding universe is beyond our capacity to comprehend or measure, and posit entanglement theories of affects they cannot see or explain. As the idea of God is making more and more “sense.”

And second, there is comfort and hope in that Jesus’ response to the Sadducees goes to that pressing question of identity. Will I be me? Will you be you? God identifies Godself in relational terms, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, particular individu-als who for God are all alive. So then why wouldn’t you and I conclude that our identities will persist, somehow, in ways that are certainly beyond our knowing after our deaths?

And I would even suggest that there are times when those individual identities press harder on that veil between this life and the next. I’ve heard some stories. And you may have too. For me, last Sunday, as we finished saying the names of those we have loved and lost in the All Saints Necrology, and the Choir began to sing the exquisite “In Paradisium” from Faure’s Requiem, my mother, who used to play it when I was a child was right here. The love was right there.

So. Does Jesus answer the real question for the Sadducees about marriage in heaven? Does he answer all of yours and mine about what awaits us there? No, he doesn’t. And we wouldn’t have the capacity to comprehend what lies beyond this life, even if he did.

But he’s pretty clear that death does not have the final word. There is more. More for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; for our grand-parents, parents, spouses, children, siblings and friends. For all of those we love but see no longer.

Because life is eternal. And love is immortal. And death is a horizon; and a horizon nothing more than the limit of our sight.

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Upcoming EventsMark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events

NovemberNovember 18: Troop 223 Info Meeting

5th and 6th grade girls and boys (and parents) are invited to learn about joining our parish Scout Troop 223 at an informa-tional meeting on Nov. 18. For all the deatils and to RSVP, please contact Greg Frost (frostfamily@frostinvestigations.com).

November 22: Christmas Faire from 6-9pmSave the date for this year’s Christmas

Faire supporting the many deserving Out-reach Partners of St. Matthew’s. Visit www.stmatthews.com to learn more or make a donation. To volunteer, email the team at christmasfaire2019@gmail.com.

November 24: Thanksgiving Food Ingathering

Each week the Westside Food Bank provides meals for around 200 veterans, many of whom are homeless and half of whom arrive in wheelchairs or on scooters due to injury. Please help the WSFB as they help our vets, families and others in need and bring a bag of non-perishables to Church on Nov. 24!

November 25: Interfaith Thanksgiving Service

Join fellow Palisadians as we give thanks for our unity and diver-sity in song and prayer. This year, the service will be held at Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at 890 Toyopa Drive on Nov. 25 at 7:00 pm. Refreshments will follow the service.

November 26: Thanksgiving Outreach Dinner

St. Matthew’s will provide Thanksgiving for many young individuals served by our Outreach Partner, Safe Place for Youth. We can use your help preparing food, making a donation or serving meals. Only $25 helps us buy a turkey or provide a side dish for many in need. For more info or to sign-up contact Kathy (kbitting@stmat-thews.com).

DecemberDecember 2: Centering Prayer at 7:30pm

Why not take some time out of your busy week for a bit of spiritual support? Come to the Chapel for Centering Prayer. Most Mondays at 7:30pm.

December 5 at Noon: Saints Alive - Best Christmas Books with

Diesel, A BookStoreJohn Evans and Alison

Reid of DIESEL will lead us in a lively, literary discussion

over lunch, just in time for Christmas! Buy your $15 tickets on the patio or online (www.stmatthews.com).

December 6: Music Guild Concert: A Baroque Christmas Holiday Concert at 8pm

The Chamber Orchestra and Choir join forces to present a joyful start to the holiday season featuring music by William Boyce, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and Antonio Vivaldi followed by our traditional audi-ence sing-along of the Hallelujah Chorus, from Handel’s Messiah. Get your tickets now (www.musicguildonline.org).

December 7 and First Saturdays: Pray The Rosary at 8:30am

Praying the rosary is a lovely and contemplative spiritual practice, which takes about 20 minutes. For more info, contact Anne Jaskoski (awinsomespirit@verizon.net).

December 7:Advent Quiet Day with Ravi Verma from 9:00 am to Noon

Back by popular demand, Ravi Verma of Stillpoint: The Center for Christian Spirituality leads us in our Ad-vent Quiet Day - Advent Waiting: Waiting in God, Waiting for God. Please RSVP if possible to join us in this preparation for the com-ing of Christ: connect@stmatthews.com.

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Scout Troop 223 Informational Meeting For Parents of Prospective New Scouts – Boys and Girls

Who: Parents of 10-12 year old boys and girls in the 5th or 6th grade.

When: Monday November 18, from 7 to 8 p.m.

Where: St. Matthews Church, 1031 Bienveneda, Pac. Pal. Parking accessed via the 2nd driveway. Parents, Troop 223 is the premier scout troop in the United States. Scouts is an educational program, in which we use the outdoors as part of our classroom. We teach boys and girls how to make moral and ethical choices and our troop specializes in teaching leadership. We also teach independence and self-confidence. We will teach your son/ daughter how to be a better spouse, parent, community leader, and CEO. Mike Lanning has been the Scoutmaster for over 60 years. This November he is graduating his 819th Eagle Scout, far more than any other Troop in the nation. The rank of Eagle Scout is a coveted honor that will help your son/daughter get into a college of his/her choice, as well as get jobs, and is something he/she can keep on his resume forever. We are requesting that if you are interested in joining the troop, you attend one of the Informational Meetings. We are having our Open House on Monday, December 2, at 7:30, for girls, and Tuesday December 3, at 7:30, for boys in the Parish Center at St. Matthews, which is up the 3rd driveway. These meetings are geared more for your sons and daughters. Your son/daughter will join our patrols and participate in a typical troop meeting. You may want to visit our public web site http://www.troop-223.org/. Please let me know if you can attend. If you have any other questions about the troop, please feel free to e-mail or call me. We would also like to invite you to some upcoming events, as our guests: November 26, Annual Eagle Court of Honor. 7:15 at Sprague Hall, St. Matthews. We will be awarding 18 scouts with scouting's highest honor. December 7-8, Camp Josepho camp out. 8 a.m. Saturday till 10 a.m. Sunday; Palisades. Boys/girls will be grouped with their friends, and put into our existing patrols and will participate in a Round Robin activity. They will eat dinner provided by the patrols. January 11-12 camp out, Malibu Creek State Park. Your son/daughter will join the troop in February. Troop 223 New Scout Leaders: Greg Frost 310-291-4653 Frostfamily@frostinvestigations.com Mike Lanning - Scoutmaster

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Known for its fascinating selection of titles, stunning author events, enthusiastically diverse staff, and urban California aesthetic, DIESEL is the cutting-edge, high octane, community-radiating, independent neighborhood bookstore we all dream of hanging out in and getting inspired by. John Evans and Alison Reid of DIESEL will lead us in a lively, literary discussion, just in time for Christmas!

Parish of St. Matthew www.stmatthews.com

Advance tickets to Saints Alive are $15 on the patio after Sunday services or online (via the link on our Website). Tickets may be purchased at the door for $20. Guests of

all ages are welcome! For more info or to RSVP: SaintsAlive@stmatthews.com.

Thursday, December 5 12pm in the Parish Center

SAINTS ALIVE! Best Christmas Book Recommendations

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RDial 310/573-7787, then the extension

The Rev. Bruce A. Freeman, Rector (Ext. 130) bafreeman@stmatthews.com

The Rev. Christine F. Purcell, Associate Rector (Ext. 129) cpurcell@stmatthews.com

The Rev. Stefanie G. Wilson, Assistant Priest (Ext. 183) swilson@stmatthews.com

Ms. Missy Morain, Director of Program Ministry; (Ext. 139) missymorain@stmatthews.com

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Ms. Lyris Amador, Director of Administration (Ext. 180) lamador@stmatthews.com

Ms. Andrea Bostick, Director of Development (Ext. 182) abostick@stmatthews.com

Mr. Josh Castellanos, Facilities Coordinator (Ext. 175) jcastellanos@stmatthewsschool.com

Mr. Craig Ehlers, Chief Financial Officer (Ext. 126) cehlers@stmatthews.com

Mr. Greg Heidt, Director of Facilities and Opera-tions (ext. 108) gheidt@stmatthews.com

Ms. Jennifer McCarthy, Director of Communica-tions (Ext. 128) jmccarthy@stmatthews.com

Dr. Dwayne Milburn, Director of Music (Ext. 179) dmilburn@stmatthews.com

Mr. Jeremias Mendez, Special Projects Manager (Ext. 133) jmendez@stmatthews.com

Dr. Haesung Park, Parish Organist, hpark@stmatthews.com

Ms. Shawn Silletti, Administrative Assistant (Ext. 1oo) ssilletti@stmatthews.com

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The Rev. Kristin Barberia, School Chaplain (Ext. 125) kbarberia@stmatthewsschool.com

Mr. Edward Kim, SMPS Head of School (Ext. 146) ekim@stmatthewsschool.com

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a Christian community, and

Welcome all, wherever they are in their journey,

Nourish all who seek unity with God and each other in Christ, and

Serve all, striving to do Christ’s work in the world.

Sundays

8:00 am The Holy Eucharist

(with infant and toddler care available)

10:15 am Choral Eucharist

(with infant and toddler care available)

Mondays7:30 pm Centering Prayer

Wednesdays

10:00 am The Holy Eucharist

Staff Directory

Weekly Services

Requests for Prayers

Please pray for Julie Greissinger, Mar Jen-nings and Howard, Carol Lanning, Sam Hill, Christie, Sean Mitchell, Ellen Baker, Loretta, Elizabeth, Isabel, Sherry, Mark, Alan, Kyran, Bruce, Howard, Tracy, Jon, John, Kathy, Andrew, Randy Smith, Fred Simmons, Austin Chambers, Steve Kerr and Elizabeth Barabas.

We also remember those who have died in the hope of Christ’s resurrection: Art Spring, Mary Kelly and Charles Edward Smith, Jr. Please know that in addition to your praying for these persons, they are prayed for regularly throughout the week by clergy and by members of our Intercessory Prayer Group.

If you would like to add, keep, or remove someone from this list, please call The Rev. Christine Purcell at 310/573-7787, ext. 129. Prayer requests will automatically be kept on the list for one month only.