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

March 22, 2024

Dear Pali Pres,

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday, which begins the holiest week of the Christian year. We will start our worship service with a jubilant singing of All Glory, Laud, and Honor as we wave our palm branches during the refrain. It is a day of joy and celebration for Christians around the world as we remember Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem.

However, in the midst of our celebration we must also keep in mind the reason for Jesus’ trip—to be arrested, convicted, and then killed. That is why Palm Sunday is also known as “Passion Sunday.” Going back to the fourth century, the church has embraced the paradox of Palm/Passion Sunday, concentrating on both the glory and the passion of Jesus Christ.

It is an important tradition to keep observing, both in our church and in our personal walks of faith. To simply skip from the “Hosannas” of Palm Sunday to the “Hallelujahs” of Easter does a great disservice to Jesus Christ and his sacrificial gift to the world. We must be willing to embrace the full meaning of this most holy week by remembering the entire story of Jesus—his glory, his suffering and death, and his resurrection.

I hope you will join us here at Pali Pres as we journey through Holy Week together. This Sunday, in addition to morning worship, we will have a special concert by our chancel choir at 2pm, “Ride On, King Jesus!” Later in the week, on Maundy Thursday, we will gather at Brentwood Presbyterian Church at 7pm for a service of communion, reflection, and beautiful music. Then, on Good Friday we will host a special service in our sanctuary (7pm) focusing on the final hours of Jesus’ life through a dramatic reading from the Gospel of Matthew. I do hope you can attend one, if not all, of these services as we all prepare our hearts and souls for the glory of Easter Sunday.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Matt

Dear Pali Pres family,

I am excited to invite you to a special musical presentation on Palm Sunday at 2 PM. This concert, titled “Ride On, King Jesus!” is a Holy Week musical reflection on our yearning for Jesus’s salvation and the passion of the Christ.

Highlights of the program include famous numbers from Bach’s monumental B Minor Mass, Faure’s heartfelt Requiem, Stainer’s beloved Crucifixion, and Pergolesi’s gut-wrenching Stabat Mater (Mary’s mourning in front of the Crucifix), coupled with masterpieces by such reputed composers as Palestrina from the Renaissance period, 20th-century composers Samuel Barber and Herbert Howells, and contemporary composers Robin Mark, Will Todd and Moses Hogan.

Jointly presented by our chancel choir, staff vocal quartet, organist Austin Ho on the piano, and guest musician Megan Gillespie, we sincerely hope that you will "Ride On" alongside us in this meaningful musical journey.

Dr. Pierre Tang, Director of Music

Change for Change

Our “Change for Change” ministry is now underway, and your participation is greatly appreciated. Here’s how it works:

1) Pick up a “Change for Change” donation box after worship on March 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

Pali Pres Prodigals: Keep Watching The Skies

Pali Pres Prodigals: 17

IKAR: 2

For a brief moment in the second inning of Monday’s Pali Pres Prodigals 2024 season debut, all of Cheviot Hills Rec Center came to a complete standstill and turned their heads skyward as a SpaceX rocket cascaded across the L.A. night sky. Recreators and spectators reveled under a living metaphor for humankind’s boundless dreams and possibilities. Little did anyone know, it was also a sign from the stars for Pali Pres, as the Prodigals began to launch softballs into the sky like so many Starlink satellites. People’s heads would remain craned to the skies for the rest of the evening.

Our new recruits, Mario Martini (PPP dad), Michael Aragon, Jim Palladino and Charlie Ellis are worth their weight in frankincense. Mario and Charlie combined for 9 RBIs. Michael made a stellar play behind home plate on a foul tip and wore out the base paths all night. With Mario, Jim and Charlie joining Eric Williamson, we very well may have the best outfield in the league.

Prodigal veterans Dave Olson (husband to Miss Ashly [PPP teacher], who was robbed of a couple great hits of her own) and Dave Vazquez, shattered the firmament with homeruns. Keith Shishido continued his reliability in the leadoff spot.

Pastor Matt shows no signs of slowing down, as he walled off the third base all night and lasered every throw to a veritable black hole at first base in KC Robertson (Priest at St. Matthew’s Episcopal). In addition to James Park at short, the entire left side of the field proved a barren lunar wasteland for the opposition.

A fair warning to anyone planning to visit Cheviot Hills Rec Center on Monday nights from here on out: watch out for space junk, and Prodigals dingers, falling from the sky!

There are no games scheduled for Monday, 3/25, in observance of Cesar Chavez Day.

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 Jan Gong for last week's refreshments! This week's goodies are brought to us by The Park Family!

Sunday Sanctuary Flowers

A BIG thank you to our Deacons for providing last week’s sanctuary flowers! This week’s flowers are in observance of Cesar Chavez 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

As we reflect on Palm Sunday’s events, how can we begin our Holy Week this year? We hope to see you on Sunday when we can learn together!

Give to Pali Pres

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

Save the Dates

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

Monday, April 1st: Church Office Closed

Monday, April 1st: Pali Pres Prodigals Softball, Game 2

Sunday, April 7th: Sunday Funday

Sunday, April 14th: Deacon Sunday

Sunday, May 5th: Ladies’ Tea

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a Donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

- Zechariah 9: 9-10