October 19, 2023 | VOLUME 35, ISSUE 39

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Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost:

October 22, 2023

SCRIPTURE READINGS

Isaiah 45:1-7

Psalm 96:1-9, (10-13)

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Matthew 22:15-22

Preacher: The Reverend Jennifer Wagner Pavia

Sunday, October 22, after 10:00 AM service: Altar Guild Meeting

Saturday, October 21, 6:00 PM: Jouyssance concert in Sanctuary

Saturday, October 28, 3:00 PM: Dean Pace Memorial Service in Sanctuary; followed by Reception in Garden

Sunday, October 29, 7:00 PM: "Chamber Music at St. Bede's" concert featuring music of Beethoven, Bocherini & violinist Kirstin Fife in Sanctuary

Bible and Breakfast

Tuesdays | 9:30 AM

Luther Hall & Zoom

Dinner Church with Eucharist

Wednesdays | 6:30 PM

Luther Hall

FOOD, FAITH, FELLOWSHIP

On Wednesday, October 11, Reverend Jennifer hosted our first Dinner Church at St. Bede’s. It was a unique and lovely worship experience that combined a simple communion service, meaningful conversation, and spiritual reflection with a shared meal. The gathering felt like a loving family where some people shared about personal struggles where they ended up encountering the presence of God. The response was one of empathy, wonderment and support.

Our Dinner Church is open to all (including friends and dogs, as you see in the photo above) and offers a chance to closely connect with others and be spiritually fed while enjoying a tasty meal. Some people brought comfort food to share but this is not at all required. The only requirement is to come hungry for food, faith, and fellowship! Dinner Church will be taking place on Wednesday evenings at St. Bede’s through November 22, and we hope you will be inspired to join us! 

The St. Bede's Mission Committee would like to announce its fall/holiday project--and it's all about shoes! We will be collecting new and gently-used shoes -- and cash to acquire more shoes. Our advisors at the Salvation Army, where we will donate the shoes (their Santa Monica site sponsors a monthly service day, much like Neighbors 4 Neighbors used to do), have the following asks/advice:

The greatest need is for adult shoes. (Another notable need is for long/big sizes for men.) 

The shoes can be sneakers, hiking boots, and walking shoes-- as long as they are "comfortable for everyday wear." 

We will have a box in the Narthex to collect the shoes for folks who want to shop in stores --or shop their closet.

Please stay tuned for more details! Questions? Please ask any member of the Mission Committee.

Many of our congregation are already aware of this, but for those who may not be, we wanted to let you know that our dear friend and sister, Canon Annette Graw, is transferring back to St. Cross, Hermosa Beach. The reason is simple: Annette lives in the South Bay, where she is a leading realtor, and she has been finding the commute an increasing burden.

It’s hard to overstate everything that Annette has contributed to our parish, as well as to the Diocese and wider church. Here at St. Bede’s, Annette founded the Friends of Music and played a key role in working with Frank to organize those events, including fund-raising, publishing the printed programs and hosting the wine and cheese receptions. She was also very much involved in creating the Sisters of Bede, and the venue events concept.

She has been a Vestry Member, Clerk and Senior Warden — the latter during the period that the reconfiguration of the sanctuary space was being planned. Annette has also been much involved with liturgy as a worship team leader, and helping coordinate special services, especially the Great Vigil of Easter and the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. Annette has long been an Associate of the Order of the Holy Cross, a monastic order which used to occupy the Mount Calvary house near Santa Barbara, where we held our annual parish retreats before the building burned to the ground in the 2008 Tea Fire, leaving only the tall iron cross in the garden still standing.

In the early 2000s, Annette studied for and completed a Master’s of Theology degree at Loyola Marymount University. Most of our parishioners will know her in her role as a licensed lay preacher, whose sermons have always been very well-researched and interesting.

Beyond St. Bede’s, she has served as President of Deanery 3 (midtown and westside) and was an elected board member of the Corporation of the Diocese, which oversees financial, legal and real estate issues for the Diocese, including the sale of church properties. She has been an Assistant Secretary of Diocesan Convention, with responsibility for the keeping of minutes, and was appointed an Honorary Canon of the Cathedral in 2007 by the late Bishop J. Jon Bruno.

The good news is that we will still see Annette, as she has indicated that she will continue to attend our musical offerings. In the meantime, we wish her Godspeed in making the transition back to St. Cross, without the pressure of dealing with the 405 freeway every Sunday! Au revoir, dear Annette.

We thank Rea Crane for the beautiful fall decor in our Sanctuary.

Perhaps you've noticed how beautifully our church is decorated throughout the various seasons. That is due to the artistry and inspiration of our Head Sacristan, Rea Crane, who we acknowledge and THANK for her many years of dedication. Being a member of the Altar Guild is a true calling and a devotion to the greater glory of God. To care for the sacred vessels, the bread and the wine, the delicate linens and hangings, the candles and flowers is a true ministry. In preparing our Sanctuary with loving reverence, we seek to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

The St. Bede’s Altar Guild is having a meeting this Sunday, October 22, after the 10:00 AM service. If you are curious, would like to learn more or sense a calling to this beautiful and creative ministry, please join our meeting and/or let Reverend Jennifer know of your interest.

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.

I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold, service was joy.

--Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)

Heavenly Father, bless the work of our Altar Guild.

Give us loving hearts and reverent hands

in the care of holy things.

Grant that we may work

without haste and offer our service

at your Altar with quiet mind and humble spirit,

so that we may come into closer communion

with you, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A festive atmosphere . . .

Mary greets guests while Cynthia stands by

Ina & Susan are all smiles as the festivities begin

Time to get some delicious food!

Mark & Kelly dig into the salad

Penny & Amanda select mouthwatering cuisine

Parishioners & friends enjoy fellowship with yummy food

Cay, Rea & Mary compare notes after selecting venues they chose to attend

Rob, Ash, Amanda, Rev. Golie & Yaya get ice cream sundaes for dessert

Akani & Barbara are having a wonderful time

Carl & Jennine relax, happy & satisfied after a great meal with beautiful friends

A great time was had by choir members Kathy, Cynthia, Daphne, Yaya with Music Director Frank

THANK YOU SISTERS of BEDE !!!

This year's Hawaiian themed St. Bede's Party of Parties was once again a resounding success. The only thing that could have been better is to have even more parishioners & friends attend. The food was super delicous and the company full of fun. After dinner the chance to sign up for various venues opened up for parishioners. The list of 2023-2024 Sisters of Bede venues with links to the flyers can be found here. The final act was our traditional ice cream sundae bar filled with an array of delightful toppings. Next fall, be sure to mark your calendars for this terrific event!

Visit the St. Bede's website and at the top of every page, look for the "Donate" button. When you click on the "Donate" button, you will be transported to St. Bede's Vanco eGiving and Payment Process Site.

Vanco is an industry leader in online payments. More than 40,000 churches, faith-based groups, nonprofits, schools, and educational organizations trust Vanco to securely complete transactions every day. Vanco complies with PCI Level 1 standards, the highest security standard in the payment processing industry.

You are invited to set up one-time or recurring gifts using credit, debit, or bank transfer on Vanco's secure payment processing platform. Giving online through the Vanco site saves time and the hassle of remembering to bring your offering. In addition, you decrease the expense incurred by St. Bede’s from handling and processing checks and cash.

Members of the Order of St John process out of All Saints’ Church, Beverly Hills, at the end of the investiture service on Oct. 7. Photo: John Nyboer | estnyboer.com

Order of St John, supporter of healthcare in Holy Land, meets in LA as war begins in Gaza

By Pat McCaughan

Several hundred members of the Order of St John, which supports community healthcare in Israel-Palestine, began an Oct. 7 celebration of their humanitarian mission with a moment of silence and prayers for peace and healing as news emerged of the Hamas surprise attack that had killed hundreds of Israelis.

“When we went to bed last night, we did not know we would turn on the news today to the news that is unfolding in the land that belongs to Almighty God,” said the Rev. Russell Levenson Jr., sub-prelate of the order, and rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston.

“Almighty God, whose love and grace and mercy surround us on every side, look down on this your human family and especially those in the land we call holy this day. Be with the grieving. Be with the wounded and be with the recovering. Be with the frightened and worried. Be especially with those who tend and care and try to restore health and civility. And we pray for peace. We pray for peace,” said Levenson, who also served as preacher at the service of investiture and rededication, held at All Saints’ Church in Beverly Hills.

READ MORE HERE

Al Ahli Arab Hospital has been ministering as a Christian witness in Gaza City since 1882. The institution was founded by the Church of England’s Church Mission Society and was later run as a medical mission by the Southern Baptist Conference from 1954 to 1982. It then returned to the Anglican Church. Photo: Mary Frances Schjonberg/Episcopal News Service

Airstrike reportedly hits Anglican-run Ahli hospital in Gaza, raising fear of mass casualties

By David Paulsen

Al Ahli Arab Hospital, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem that serves patients in Gaza, was hit Oct. 17 by an apparent airstrike, fueling reports of mass casualties and adding to an already volatile situation in the Palestinian territory, as Israeli soldiers prepare for an expected ground assault on the militant group Hamas.

The Palestinian Health Ministry, which is run by Hamas, put the initial death toll at 500 or more people. Since then, Palestinian and Israeli sources have disputed the cause of the destruction. After Palestinian officials blamed an Israeli airstrike, the Israeli military said it had evidence suggesting the blast was caused instead by an errant rocket fired by Islamic Jihad, a Hamas allay.

Within hours of the strike, Anglican and Episcopal leaders had issued statements condemning the latest violence for indiscriminately striking a hospital at a time when Palestinians in Gaza were desperate for a safe haven.

“Initial reports suggest the loss of countless lives, a manifestation of what can only be described as a crime against humanity,” the Anglican diocese that operates the hospital said in a written statement. “Hospitals, by the tenets of international humanitarian law, are sanctuaries, yet this assault has transgressed those sacred boundaries. … An urgent appeal resonates for the international community to fulfil its duty in protecting civilians and ensuring that such inhumane horrific acts are not replicated.”

READ MORE HERE

The Rev. Juan Jimenez has led St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Anaheim, California, for 23 years. With its partner church, St. James’ in Newport Beach, St. Michael’s is working with Habitat for Humanity to build 24 affordable townhouses. Photo: Lynette Wilson/Episcopal News Service

Los Angeles diocese set to develop affordable housing on 25% of church-owned land

Joins faith-based effort to help alleviate a regional, statewide crisis

By Lynette Wilson

Lack of affordable housing has long dominated the conversation at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Anaheim, California, and has figured into the pastoral care provided by the Rev. Juan Jimenez in the 23 years he’s served the congregation as vicar.

“These are poor people who mostly work in the service industry, in hotels, and they need a place to live,” he told Episcopal News Service during a late-summer conversation in his office.

St. Michael’s Church is in a quiet, primarily single-family residential neighborhood about two miles from Disneyland. Jimenez serves families mostly of Mexican and some from Central American descent. He has watched families leave the area because they cannot find affordable housing, particularly post-pandemic, as Sunday attendance has decreased from 400 to about 160.

St. Michael’s, along with its partner church, St. James’ in Newport Beach, is working with Habitat for Humanity to build 24 affordable 1,500-square-foot townhouses at a projected cost of $10 million.

“You have to take care of your neighbor, or what are you doing,” Jimenez said. “Not only am I trying to meet their spiritual needs, but also their material needs. I live, every day, the housing situation.”

READ MORE HERE

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls church to prayer following attack on Anglican hospital in Gaza

We have all been invited in the last few days to join with Archbishop Hosam Naoum and the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, as well as Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, to pray fervently for all those who have been hurt, harmed, or killed in this conflict.

My heart aches when I remember visiting al-Ahli hospital in 2018 during Holy Week to meet the medical teams and all the people of that remarkable ministry. They were passionately committed to anyone who had need.

I know personally how faithful Episcopalians are in praying. During my surgery and recovery, you have prayed for me and for my healing, and I am more grateful and thankful than words can say. 

Right now, I ask you to pray fervently for the birthplace of the Abrahamic faiths and for all its people. Pray for those who have been hurt, harmed, or killed—regardless of who they are or who did it.

Pray also for the leaders and people of the entire region, that they will remember God’s mercy, and that they will find the way to a just peace where all may live in safety and security as God intends. 

Pray this week for President Biden, that he may be an advocate for immediate humanitarian access for those who desperately need food, water, and medicine—and for comfort and consolation for those who have been displaced and those who are grieving loved ones.

Please join me in praying:

For Peace: Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn

but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the

strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that

all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of

Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and

glory, now and forever. Amen.

Prayers for the World, Book of Common Prayer, p. 815.

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