“No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you are welcome here!”

March 15, 2024

Dear Pali Pres,

I recently came upon a powerful piece in Plough Magazine on the theme of repairing relationships. Given all that is going on in the world right now, and given how each of us carry within us a least a few regrets, burdens, and unhealed wounds, I found this article to be especially touching in how it articulated the restorative power of personal forgiveness. Within the article were writings on repair and reconciliation from spiritual authors including Teresa of Ávila and Desmond Tutu. However, it was an excerpt from the book Interior Freedom by theologian and priest Jacques Philippe that spoke to me the most. I share it with you now in hopes that Philippe’s words and message will speak to your heart too and help lead you closer to “interior freedom.”

There are times in every life when we find ourselves in situations of trial and difficulty, either affecting us or someone we love. We can do nothing. However much we turn things over and examine them from every angle, there is no solution. The feeling of being helpless and powerless is a painful trial, especially when it concerns someone close to us: to see someone we love in difficulties without being able to help is one of the bitterest sufferings there is.

Many parents experience it. When children are small, there is always a way of intervening, helping them. When children are older and no longer heed advice, it can be terrible for parents to see their sons or daughters turning to drugs or launching destructive love affairs. Much as the parents want to help, they cannot. At such times we should tell ourselves that even if we apparently have no way of intervening, we still, despite everything, can continue to believe, hope, and love. We can believe that God will not abandon our child and our prayer will bear fruit in due course. We can hope in the Lord’s faithfulness and power for everything. We can love by continuing to carry that person in our heart and prayer, forgiving them and forgiving the wrong done to them and expressing love in every way available to us, including trust, self-abandonment, and forgiveness. The more devoid of means our love is, the purer and greater it is. Even when externally there is nothing to be done, we still have inner freedom to continue to love. No circumstance, however tragic, can rob us of that. For us, this should be a liberating and consoling certainty amidst the trial of powerlessness.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Matt

Click HERE to RSVP.

Change for Change

This Sunday the Children and Family Ministries (CFM) Committee will be launching our “Change for Change” ministry, and your participation is greatly appreciated. Here’s how it works:

1) Pick up a “Change for Change” donation box after worship on March 17th or 24th. Each donation box will be unique and hand-crafted by our children in Sunday School! 2) Fill the donation box with your spare change (bills and checks are fine too!). 3) Bring your donation box with you to church on Easter Sunday, March 31st, for a special dedication.

Every penny collected through these “Change for Change” boxes will go to the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness to help spread the hope and joy of Easter to those who are less fortunate. Let’s all chip in to help make a change in someone’s life.

With Love,

Lucy Garcia and The Children and Family Ministries (CFM) Committee

Helping Hands

The ministry of Helping Hands at Pali Pres is a group of people who are willing to help with cookies (baked or bought) and/or meals (prepared or bought) to those in our church family when there is a memorial service or someone is ill and needs helps with meals.

Please contact Pastor Grace if you would like to join this ministry!

Pali Pres Prodigals

The season is upon us; softball season, that is! Yes, game one for our church softball team, The Pali Pres Prodigals, is right around the corner! Come on out and cheer them on!

Monday, March 18th, 7:15pm

Field One

Cheviot Hills Rec Center, 2551 Motor Ave, 90064

Lost & Found

Have you lost something recently? Email Will Saunders in the church office with a description of what you’ve lost and we’ll tell you if it’s in our Lost & Found!

You can also make your donation and dedications online here! Please forward your receipt to Will in the church office after your transaction is completed. If your dedication verbiage does not fit in the online portal, please email your dedication to Will when you forward the receipt.

Join us for our Livestream Worship!

Join at 9:50am on Sunday Morning to enjoy the prelude, with worship beginning at 10am.

Sunday Refreshments

Bringing refreshments on Sunday mornings to share with our church is a loving and very important ministry. Thank you to all of you who have been doing this so faithfully. Please contact Refreshment Coordinator Jan Gong to sign up to serve.

Thank you to Cynthia Block & Lynn Anderson for last week's refreshments! This week's goodies are brought to us by Sylvia Boyd!

Sunday Sanctuary Flowers

A BIG thank you to our Deacons for providing last week’s sanctuary flowers! This week’s flowers are in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day!

We invite all of our church members and friends to provide donations for flowers to adorn our sanctuary, along with a special dedication of your choosing. The cost is $75 per week.

Please contact Will Saunders and the church will order flowers from a local florist to be placed in the chancel on Sunday morning.

Our Deacons will distribute the flowers to one of our members/friends after the service.

Thank you for helping make our sanctuary even more beautiful!

Sunday Sermon Teaser

What does traditional Japanese artwork, Pastor Matt’s old pair of blue jeans, and the teachings of Jesus all have in common? Come join us in worship on Sunday to find out!

Give to Pali Pres

Don't forget, you can easily give your tithes and offerings through our website!

Save the Dates

Saturday, March 16th: Mah Jongg & Ladies Luncheon

Tuesday, March 19th: Session Meeting

Wednesday, March 20th: Intergenerational Dinner and Easter Basket Decorating

Thursday, March 21st: Interfaith Mass Wedding Vow Renewal

Sunday, March 24th: Palm Sunday

Sunday, March 24th: Palm Sunday Concert

Thursday, March 28th: Maundy Thursday Service at Brentwood Pres.

Friday, March 29th: Good Friday Service at Pali Pres

Sunday, March 31st: Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 14th: Deacon Sunday

Sunday, May 5th: Ladies’ Tea

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

-Psalm 42: 9-10