Hebrews 10:19-25:  “Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence…  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings,… Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”

Soon after the fire of Jan. 7, I read a “how to” booklet from Episcopal Relief and Development on how to respond to communities who had experienced a disaster. It counseled leaders to ensure that opportunities be developed for congregations to GATHER and to ENCOURAGE one another as a sure means to make progress in its recovery. Little did I know that this counsel was based in ancient wisdom. 

The passage above from the Letter to the Hebrews is one of the readings we use on Good Friday this year. The author of Hebrews was speaking to Christian Jews who were experiencing persecution for their faith – very much a disaster for the Church at that time.  He was reminding them that despite their difficulty they were inheritors of a hope filled way of life. One which allows for a way through the challenges we are facing to the real possibility of vibrant life beyond. This way of hope is still at the core of our shared Christian faith, and it speaks directly to the importance of our observance of Holy Week.

I recently read a news story about a parishioner at our sister parish, St. Mark’s Altadena. St. Mark’s was, of course, burned completely in the Jan. 7 fires. The article was about an older member and leader named Betty Butler. Speaking of the effect of the fires, she said, "We move forward after seeing lives in ashes. The ashes will scatter. They'll return to the earth. There will be things that are painful and we'll get through them. But we have our faith and we have a promise. A promise of hope in the midst of despair,’ Butler said, ‘and a responsibility to help each other.’ The losses and sorrow have Butler thinking about Lent a bit differently this year. "Faith calls you to not give up," she said, "but to give to."  To give to. Out of our pain and loss we are to so trust in the love and care of God that we can offer this love to others who are suffering as we are.

At the beginning of the month, during the prayers for birthdays, anniversaries and thanksgivings on Sunday morning, we prayed for a wonderful couple as they celebrated their 37th Wedding anniversary. It was noted that they were a “wisteria couple,” which is to say that they had been married at St. Matthew’s, at the time of year when the wisteria bloom is in its full lavender glory around the Church. As the gathered congregation prayed for this couple, I became aware that the congregation was giving its love and encouragement. And that the wisteria, which is again so beautiful THIS year, is a sign of God’s promise to be with us and to encourage us.  It is our yearly reminder that new life is always being born in the midst of loss and suffering. This is our faith, the means by which we find hope.

As we journey through the powerful Holy Week and Easter story, I want to offer my gratefulness to all of you who have been gathering together, in the many ways we do at St. Matthew’s, and encouraging each other. In addition, I want to give thanks for the many leaders who are working so hard to help us return to our beautiful campus. Make no mistake—we will return to our spiritual home on Bienveneda sooner than we might expect. Of course, there are a lot of challenges that remain to make our gathering possible. However, I want to remind you again of the beauty of our campus—the wisteria, the abundance of the Prayer Garden, the indoor/outdoor reality of our Sanctuary. All of it anticipates and beckons us to hold out hope that, though we certainly can gather and encourage each other right now, our campus will once again envelope us in its loving embrace. Hold on to hope friends—God’s incredible care for us will soon bring us visions of resurrection and new life.

In Peace,
Bruce+

Recently, 60 Minutes aired a segment on the Equity Arc Wind Symphony, whose series of clinics and a concert with the US Marine Band was canceled under DEI restrictions. The clinics and concert were able to proceed with retired military musicians stepping in to guide the young musicians. One of the pieces featured in the broadcast is American Hymnsong Suite, composed by St. Matthew’s very own music director, Dwayne Milburn. He is honored to have been a part of this important effort. Click below to watch the full concert.

Despite St. Matthew’s temporary evacuation from the Palisades, its ministries continue to flourish.

St. Matthew’s annual Stern Lecture, which hosts talks on spiritual and theological subjects by internationally known speakers, welcomed Rev. Scott Gunn, who is the Executive Director of Forward Movement, at its event in March. The Saturday morning presentation was filled with insightful conversation, as well as a lunch for all participants at St. Augustine’s, and Scott also served as guest preacher at Sunday services the following Sunday morning.

St. Matthew’s Parish School successfully resumed its excellent instruction soon after the fires at skillfully designed locations in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles. The School has developed plans to broaden class spaces for the 2025-2026 calendar year, until a return to the Bienveneda campus is possible.

Other Parish Ministries continue, inviting all in the community to participate, including:

And in March, thanks to the generous hospitality of St. Augustine by-the-Sea, the Parish of St. Matthew was able to recreate its popular Outdoor Service in St. Augustine’s own Courtyard. Church in the Courtyard now takes place on Sundays at 9:15am, with its family-friendly liturgy and music by the Sultans. (The Church in the Courtyard service will not take place on Easter Sunday, but will resume again weekly on April 27.)

Keep coming to St. Matthew’s amazing, ongoing programming, and look for continuing news about our Return to Bienveneda on a regular basis.

St. Matthew’s Special Projects Manager, Jeremias Mendez, has been an integral part of the St. Matthew’s campus and community. He has supervised the production components of church services, school musicals, parish picnics, Town Fairs, Christmas Faires, speaker presentations, and the list goes on and on. Now, as he approaches his 45th anniversary of dedicated service, Jeremias is leaving St. Matthew’s for a very well-earned retirement.

Please help us wish Jeremias well by greeting him in person at church services at St. Augustine’s on May 4. To contribute to his retirement, please click the button below.

Josh Chamberlain: Where are we right now, KC Robertson?

KC Robertson: We are at… I can’t remember the name of the restaurant… Simonette! In Culver City, which is near my new neighborhood.

Josh: I know the answer to this already, but… You landed in Marina Del Rey. How do you like Marina Del Rey so far?

KC: It’s actually been a place I’ve always wanted to live. Long story short: my dad did crew at UCLA and we always had to go to the boathouse in the Marina. I’ve always loved the area.

Josh: It took me a second to figure out what you meant by crew. Like rowing.

KC: Yeah, rowing! But the experience so far has been a bit both/and. Being here is a constant reminder of not being back in the Palisades, but also I really don’t mind that Costco is right down the block. And, the capacity to be curious about the neighborhood, amid the grief, has been a nice reprieve. It’s a great area, plus it’s so convenient to be near LAX.

Josh: I remember you saying you’ve seen familiar faces in the area.

KC: Yeah, I used to bump into the Carricks at Gelson’s all the time in the Palisades. *sigh. And then, much to my delight, I ran into John, of all people, here. It was my first post-fire “bump-into” with someone from the community, incidentally at Gelson's in Marina Del Rey. It felt very—I don't know, just felt like a blanket of comfort in that moment.

Josh: Everything is different and yet nothing has changed.

KC: Yes, exactly. It’s been wonderful bumping into familiar faces right down the road. A joy really, and to have a lot of us in this area, too. Which, I consider very fortunate, with all of us being scattered. What about you? Have you run into anyone out in the wild?

In its latest round of wildfire-relief grants from the One Body & One Spirit Appeal, the special committee representing diocesan fiduciary bodies has made a $10,000 grant to each of three hard-hit parishes – St. Mark's, Altadena; St. Matthew's, Pacific Palisades; and St. Barnabas, Pasadena – to help clergy replenish discretionary funds used to assist those most in need.

“On behalf of the Corporation of the Diocese and the people of the diocese," writes Bishop John Harvey Taylor, “I extend thanks to all of our generous benefactors as well as the special advisory committee, which has devoted long hours for over two months to vetting applications and recommending grants.

The Return to Bienveneda Task Force continues to make enormous progress towards the clean up and remediation of the St. Matthew’s campus, and is committed to providing the community with clear and certain updates regarding its efforts. Click below for the latest updates.

Workers taking on debris removal, cleaning and waste disposal for Fire Recovery efforts will need the necessary training and certification, including OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) certification. Chrysalis is uniquely poised to meet this need and has launched its C-CREW Initiative: Chrysalis Clients Ready for Environmental Work. C-CREW will meet two critical needs in the community: training and certification for individual Chrysalis clients as well as trained crews of Chrysalis clients that can be contracted and deployed in cleanup operations. Click below to learn more and support this initiative.

Wednesdays at 6pm:
Evening Prayer
All are invited to come together on St. Matthew's Facebook or Instagram pages for weekly evening prayer, every Wednesday at 6pm.

Thursdays at 10am:
Rector's Bible Study
The Rector's Bible Study meets weekly on Thursdays at 10am via Zoom. All are invited!

Please email connect@stmatthews.com for the Zoom link.