The Lord is My Light

"When all things began, the Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was. The Word, then, was with God at the beginning, and through him all things came to be; no single thing was created without him. All that came to be was alive with his life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines on in the dark, and the darkness has never mastered it."



John 1: 1-5

Last Week at Saint Matthias

There were 90 parishioners at three services.

There were 78 guests assisted and supported by 5 volunteers "Doing the Loving Thing".

Thank you to Joan Krave, Ellen Mykkanen, Richard Reyes, Eileen Weiss, and Sue Williams for "Doing the Loving Thing".

Thank you to Danny Ontiveros, who designed and led the setup of Lewis Hall for the Saint Nicholas Workshop. Thank you to Terry Dodd, Ben Gonzales, Jerry Kelly, and Kathy Underwood for assisting Danny in the setup. <Reference the Saint Nicholas Day annotation below for the Saint Matthias families who assisted in assembling 18 beautiful Christmas Stockings for the Whittier Women's and Children's Crisis Shelter.>

This Week at Saint Matthias

Wednesday, December 20

• 10AM - Bible Study and Morning Prayer, Chapel, In-Person and via Zoom
• 7PM - Advent Compline with J.D. Neal leading, Virtual via Zoom

Saturday, December 23

• 1PM - Christmas Eve Dessert Extravaganza Set Up and Preparation, Lewis Hall, In-Person

Sunday, December 24

• THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT with the Reverand Jeannie Martz presiding
• Lighting of the Candle of Hope (Prophecy Candle), the Candle of Peace (Bethlehem Candle), the Candle of Joy (Shepherd's Candle), and the Candle of Love (Angel's Candle)
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook
• 11:30 - Saint Nicholas Day Workshop and Festive Party, Lewis Hall, In-Person

Sunday, December 24

• (On the EVE of) THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS with the Reverand Jeannie Martz presiding
• Lighting of the Candle of Hope (Prophecy Candle), the Candle of Peace (Bethlehem Candle), the Candle of Joy (Shepherd's Candle), the Candle of Love (Angel's Candle), and the Candle of Light and Purity (Christ's Candle)
• 7:30PM - Festive Music followed by celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook
• 10AM - Nursery

Monday, December 25

• THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS with JD Neal presiding
• Lighting of the Candle of Hope (Prophecy Candle), the Candle of Peace (Bethlehem Candle), the Candle of Joy (Shepherd's Candle), the Candle of Love (Angel's Candle), and the Candle of Light and Purity (Christ's Candle)
• 10AM - Festive Morning Prayer, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Our Worship

Ceremonial Lighting of the Advent Candles

FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT: Waiting for Hope

SCRIPTURE: “Stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour when your Lord will appear.”

PRAYER

God of light, as we wait through the long winter nights for the birth of Christ, help us to keep watch. Help us to tend the tiny flame of hope. Make us alert until your gift of joy arrives. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT: Preparing for Peace

SCRIPTURE: “A voice cries out in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

PRAYER

Faithful God, help us prepare our heart and home for the birth of the Savior. Show us how to make the path of our lives and our world peace-filled, so that we can joyfully receive the Messiah. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT: Proclaiming the Promise of Joy

SCRIPTURE: “I will rejoice in the Lord greatly; my whole being shall exalt in my God; for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation.”

PRAYER

Loving Creator, we give thanks for the birth of joy in our lives at Christmas. Send us forth as messengers of this Good News of great joy for all the people we meet and for all the people around the globe. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT: Responding with Love

SCRIPTURE: Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

PRAYER

God of the ages, like Mary, may our souls reflect your greatness and our spirits rejoice in you, for you have looked with favor on us and done marvelous things. May our lives be a response to the love you have shown us in Jesus, born of Mary, who lives forever and ever. Amen.

THE FEAST OF CHRISTMAS

SCRIPTURE: The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I am bringing you good news of the great joy for all the people: today in the city of David is born a Savior, who is the Christ, the Lord.”

PRAYER

Loving Creator, we give thanks for the birth of joy in our lives at Christmas. Send us forth as messengers of this Good News of great joy for all the people we meet and for all the people around the globe. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Clergy Schedule

We are blessed to have the following clergy scheduled in December, January, and February to celebrate joyously with us the Holy Eucharist, lead us in the liturgy, and share their inspirational thoughts on the lectionary for the given Sunday with their sermons:  

• Dec 24 - Rev. Jeannie Martz
• Dec 25 - JD Neal (Festive Morning Prayer)
• Dec 31 - Tim Adams (Lessons and Carols)
• Jan 07 - Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
• Jan 14 - Mother Lyn Crow
• Jan 21 - Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
• Jan 28 - Mother Lyn Crow
• Feb 04 - Rev. Rob Bethancourt
• Feb 11 - Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
• Feb 18 - Rev. Hartshorn Murphy
• Feb 25 - Rev. Valerie Hart

The Rev. Jeannie Martz will be our celebrant priest, this Sunday, December 24. We welcome the return of Rev. Jeannie Martz to lead us at both the 8AM and 10AM Services in the morning and then celebrate with us at 7:30PM Service (on the Eve) of the Feast of Christmas.

You can review the inspiring sermons of our visiting clergy on the Saint Matthias Website: Saint Matthias Blog — Saint Matthias Episcopal Church (stmatthiaswhittier.org)

Fall Events - Advent - Christmastide

Saint Nicholas Day at Saint Matthias

We celebrated Saint Nicholas Day last Sunday, December 17. In addition to having Saint Nicholas visit us during the 10AM Service to retell some of the most wonderful stories of his life to the young and old in attendance, his love and generosity inspired us to assemble eighteen (18) beautiful and loving Christmas Stockings for the Women and Children of the Women's and Children's Crisis Shelter in Whittier. Major kudos to the following Saint Matthians for assisting us in assembling the stockings during the workshop: Chuck and Mary Carrillo; Dolores Corral; Glenn and Terry Dodd; Carl (Charles) Harmon; Maddy McIntosh; Marie and Avid Nimo; Cynthia Orsini-Dahl; Feppy Rahn; Lydia Reyes; Angela, Aubrey, Jacob, and Nate Warner; and Eileen Weiss.

Bible Study 

Bible Study will meet on Wednesday, December 20 at 10AM, in the Chapel, and on ZOOM.

Kathy Underwood leads the Bible Study group. The group is currently exploring the meaning of The Revelation of John inspired by the annotations of our much beloved Father Bill (Garrison).

You may connect to Bible Study via ZOOM utilizing the following connection information:

Kathryn Underwood is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Bible Study

Time: 10AM, Wednesday

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88198890910

Meeting ID: 881 9889 0910

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbP0s8r6Ar

Advent Compline 

J.D. Neal is hosting an Advent Compline service Wednesday evenings during Advent. The next service is Wednesday, December 20 at 7PM. Advent Compline provides a simple yet meaningful way to place in perspective the patience we must seek to exercise as we await the coming of the Messiah. It is a great way to “wind down” from some of the hubbub in which we can get caught up during the holiday season. 

To participate in the service, click the following ZOOM link:  

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/5134389634

To download the Advent Compline Service Liturgy, click the following link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16-enC9oI9qzCzUY_KPMPtCB41MsRJjob/view?usp=drivesdk



Advent and Christmastide Schedule

Sunday, December 3

• The First Sunday of Advent with the Rev. Rob Bethancourt presiding - Candle of Hope (Prophecy Candle)
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Sunday, December 10

• The Second Sunday of Advent with the Rev. Mother Lyn presiding - Candle of Peace (Bethlehem Candle)
• Saint Nicholas Day Observed
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Sunday, December 17

• The Third Sunday of Advent with the Rev. Hartshorn Murphy presiding - Candle of Joy (Shepherd's Candle)
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Sunday, December 24

• The Fourth Sunday of Advent with the Rev. Jeannie Martz presiding - Candle of Love (Angel's Candle)
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Sunday, December 24

• Christmas Eve with the Rev. Jeannie Martz presiding - Candle of Light and Purity (Christ's Candle)
• 8PM - Festive Holy Eucharist with gorgeous music, seasonal lectionary, and inspiring liturgy, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook
• 9:30PM - Christmas Dessert Celebration, Lewis Hall, In-Person

Monday, December 25

• Christmas Day with J.D. Neal presiding - Candle of Light and Purity (Christ's Candle)
• 10AM - Morning Prayer, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Sunday, December 31

• The First Sunday after Christmas with Tim Adams presiding (Relive the story of Christmas with scripture readings, ethereal music and prayer)
• 10AM - Lessons and Carols, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook
• 11AM - New Years Eve Celebration, Lewis Hall, In-Person

Sunday, January 7

• The First Sunday after the Epiphany of the Lord with the Rev. Hartshorn Murphy presiding
• 8AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person
• 10AM - Nursery
• 10AM - Holy Eucharist, Church, In-Person and Streaming via Facebook

Men Eating Badly 

Gentlemen of Saint Matthias, mark your calendars: The monthly meeting of Men Eating Badly takes place the first Saturday of each month. Indulge your epicurean fantasies and join the group on Saturday, January 6 at 8AM at the Greenleaf Café in Uptown Whittier, for great conversation, good food, and wonderful fellowship.

Reading Sessions with the Bibliophiles 

The Bibliophiles welcome all to participate with them in exploring and discussing some of the finest literature in the world. The Bibliophiles have two prospective books on their list for January: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrel, 2021, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok 2023. After a hiatus in December, the group is scheduled to meet Thursday, January 18 at 6:30PM.

Gifts, Ministries & Services

Daughters of the King (DOK)

The Order of the Daughters of the King is a national organization of women who follow a Rule of Life that includes prayer, service and evangelism.  The St. Matthias chapter meets on the third Sunday of each month at 2PM in the Chapel.  All women in the parish are welcome to explore this option for spiritual growth and community. For more information, contact the Church Office at office@stmatthiaswhittier.org. 

Doing The Loving Thing

Our Doing the Loving Thing volunteers continue to provide: 1) healthy sack lunches with sandwiches, fruit, and nutritious treats; 2) hygiene kits; and 3) a mail address for the homeless. The volunteers provide these services to those in need within our community Monday through Friday in the mid-afternoon.

Please note that if you have excess plastic grocery shopping bags, our Doing the Loving Thing community could use them. Please bring them to the church for our volunteers to distribute them to our guests.

Episcopal Church Women (ECW)

ECW is the umbrella organization for all women’s ministries of the church and includes opportunities for service, study and spiritual growth.  All women of St. Matthias are welcome. The St. Matthias chapter meets on the fourth Saturday of each month at 10AM in the Chase Room. For more information, contact the Church Office at office@stmatthiaswhittier.org.

Our Time

Our Time is a group of senior parishioners who enjoy the fellowship of each other, partake of arts and crafts, and invite guest lecturers to present on topics pertaining to relevant contemporary events. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 2 PM in the Chapel.

Saint Elizabeth’s Guild

The Saint Elizabeth’s Guild provides additional fellowship opportunities for the women of the church. The group meets at 12 noon on the third Thursday of each month in the Chapel.

Stewardship Campaign 2023 - Every Pledge Counts

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.

- Jeremiah 17:8

As we have reported in previous summaries, we have extended our Stewardship Campaign 2023 to the end of this year with the objective of narrowing the difference between our ambitious targets and our actual pledge totals. To date, we have reached 49 percent of our high-end pledge target in pledge count and 51 percent in dollar amount.

We have sent a second letter with pledge card and pledge envelope to those parishioners who have not yet made their pledges.

As part of this second push, our objective remains to get as close to our original targets as we can: That is, between 75 to 100 pledges totaling between $350,000 and $400,000 in income. Our pledge contributions have to cover three-quarters of our operating budget in order for us to fund a full-time rector.

For those of you who have already pledged, please be patient with us. Thank you for your love and generosity for supporting Saint Matthias, its Gifts, Ministries, and Services, and the Divine Love all of these imbue in us each and every day. If you use Vanco to submit your pledge, please make sure to go into Vanco and make whatever adjustments are necessary to align it with your pledge for 2024. The amount will not be automatically increased or decreased. If you have a problem making these changes please contact Stan Jamieson at stan@stmatthiaswhittier.org. 

For those of you who have not yet carved out time to complete and submit your pledge cards, it is not too late. When you receive your second mailing, please take time and complete and mail your pledge cards to us as soon as possible. Pledge your time, pledge your talent, AND / OR pledge your money in whatever capacity you are comfortable doing. You and God alone know what you can contribute. Every pledge brings us closer to sustaining the viability of our Saint Matthias community.

Help us achieve our targets for both pledge count and total dollar amount.

Stephen Ministers are lay people who are trained to work with parishioners going through challenging or stressful times, including a death in the family, job losses, divorce, and many other problems. Stephen Ministers become a friend to their care receivers and compassionate advocates for people who need to be seen, heard, and comforted; they also have resources available to make referrals to professionals if and when a situation demands it. All conversations and visits with Stephen Ministers are absolutely confidential.  If you are interested in learning more about this important program, whether you are a person in need or think you might make a good Stephen Minister yourself, please contact the Parish Office at office@stmatthiaswhittier.org.Our current Stephen Leaders are Faye Jackson, Terry Dodd and Sophie McIntosh. 

Tenant Committee

Susan Halliday, Doug Overstreet, and Helene Younger coordinate the activities of the Tenant Committee. The committee is working towards standardizing the communication and relationship with the occupants of our rental spaces.

Worship Committee

Kevin McKelvie is chairing the Worship Committee. The committee is examining our worship and liturgy with a focus on how to enrich and broaden each of the parishioner's spiritual life. 

News and Events from the Diocese

Episcopal Relief & Development: Providing Emergency Medical Support in Gaza

Since the start of the current Israel-Hamas, Episcopal Relief & Development has been supporting long-time partners in the Holy Land including Al Ahli Hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, to provide emergency medical support in Gaza. Despite being hit by two explosions that damaged buildings and claimed hundreds of lives, the hospital is still serving those who are in need of care. Episcopal Relief & Development stands with the brave staff of Al Ahli Hospital as they risk their lives to help others. Please pray for peace in the Holy Land and consider making a contribution to the Episcopal Relief & Development Middle East Fund to help meet the growing needs of all people in the region. Stay informed about the Episcopal Relief & Development Response at episcopalrelief.org. 

New Diocesan Lay Licensing Process to Begin this Fall

[Article by Linda Allport in The Episcopal News – August 30, 2023]

For more than a year, members of the Commission on Ministry, along with diocesan and Bloy House leadership, have been developing a new process for licensing lay ministers according to the canons of the Episcopal Church.

There are seven lay ministries identified in the canons eligible for licensing:

• Eucharistic minister – a lay person who administers the consecrated elements at Holy Eucharist.
• Eucharistic visitor – a lay person who takes the consecrated elements following a celebration of Holy Eucharist to members of the congregation who were unable to be present due to illness/infirmity.
• Preacher – a lay person who delivers sermons or homilies in a congregational setting.
• Evangelist – a lay person who presents the good news of Jesus Christ in such a way that people are led to follow Christ; assists with the community’s ministry of evangelism.
• Catechist – a lay person who prepares persons for baptism, confirmation, reception, and the reaffirmation of baptismal vows.
• Worship leader – a lay person who regularly leads public worship in a congregational setting.
• Pastoral leader – a lay person who exercises pastoral or administrative responsibility in a congregation under special circumstances.

In addition, our diocese will license two types of lay chaplains:

• Parish chaplain – a layperson who offers a ministry of listening, support, and spiritual accompaniment within his or her home parish community.
• Diocesan chaplain – a lay person who offers a ministry of listening, support, and spiritual accompaniment in a variety of ministry contexts outside his or her home parish community.

Fall classes for Laity and Clergy at Bloy House

[The Episcopal News] Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles, has added two new online formation classes for lay people and clergy. Both are required for the new lay ministry licensing program recently established by the Diocese of Los Angeles..

The fee for formation classes is $25.



Introduction to the Bible for Lay Licensing

Tuesdays, January 9, 16, 23, and 30; 7 - 8:30 p.m.

While this course has been designed for the new diocesan lay licensing program, the topic is of general formation interest as well. How did we get the Bible we have today, and how do we best read and interpret it? We will cover the composition and construction of our Hebrew and Christian scriptures and pay close attention to the diverse voices and major themes that we encounter. These discussions will develop tools for interpretation and study of our sacred scripture. Facilitated by the Rev. Jerry Sather of St. John Chrysostom Church, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Linda Allport, dean of Bloy House. This course is required for licensing of lay preachers, evangelists, and pastoral leaders, and recommended for worship leaders and catechists. 

Church Business

Holiday Office Hours

The Parish Office will be closed from Sunday, December 24, 2023, through Monday, January 1, 2024.

Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Corporation of the Saint Matthias Episcopal Church will be held on Sunday, February 11, 2024.  Please mark this date on your calendar and make every effort to attend.  More information related to this event will be forthcoming.

Answers to Your General Questions

Giving Statements

Effective immediately, the following changes will be made to the mailing of giving statements:

• Instead of quarterly statements, we will now mail statements, semi-annually (twice a year) Mid-Year and Year-End.
• If you file quarterly taxes and you require a quarterly statement, please let us know and we will mail the requested statement to you.
• When you receive the mid-year statement review it carefully and advise us of any errors or omissions that may have occurred during the first half of the year.

Implementation is intended to reduce the many hours of preparation and mailing of statements and it also reduces the cost of mailing (paper, stamps, envelopes and labels.)

Answers to any of your Vanco Questions

If you are experiencing any challenges with your Vanco account such as changing your pledge percentage or your donation amount, please reach out to Stan Jamieson, our Vanco expert. He may be reached via email at stan@stmatthiaswhittier.org. He will be happy to assist you.

Contact the Office with Any General Inquiries

If you have general inquiries about St. Matthias and are not certain who to ask, please send your questions and concerns to office@stmatthiaswhittier.org. Messages can be seen by our Parish Administrator, Sophie McIntosh, and other members of our parish leadership team. We will respond as soon as possible.

On the Cover:

Title: The Lord is My Light

Notes: To purchase artworks by Mike Moyers, visit https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/

"An abstract impression inspired by the music of the Taizé community."

"It is an honor and a joy to share my work with you. For years, I have illustrated, designed and directed many book covers, ads, logos, commercials and campaigns. However, my deeper side is the life of a fine artist. I love to paint with the palette knife to keep my work loose, textured and bold. You will see that I paint all kinds of subjects. My deepest passion, however, is to use fine art to communicate matters of faith.

I firmly believe that art is a communion with the soul. Through my art, I strive to make known the beauty and wonder of life and faith. The pieces in this exhibit are inspired by things that have touched my life in a meaningful way. They range from plein air and impressionism to abstract and conceptual. My hope is to successfully communicate those inspirations so that you might be touched as well."

[from: https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/about ]

Date: 2014

Artist: Moyers, Mike

Object Function: Painting

Country: United States

Permalink:

https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57147

(Use this link to refer back to this image.)

Copyright Source: Mike Moyers, https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/

Copyright Permission: The artist has granted permission for the non-commercial use of this image with attribution. The artist must be contacted for other uses.

Attribution: Moyers, Mike. The Lord is My Light, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57135 [retrieved December 19, 2023]. Original source: Mike Moyers, https://www.mikemoyersfineart.com/.

Saint Matthias Episcopal Church

7056 Washington Ave., 

Whittier, CA 90602

562-698-9741