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The May/June 2021 issue of The Oracle, St. Matthew’s newsletter, is now available online!

Unless otherwise noted, regular Sunday and weekday offerings, are scheduled during this time.

Ash Wednesday, February 17

12:00 p.m., The Imposition of Ashes & Holy Eucharist – Rite II in the sanctuary (registration required! register here) (In-person only)

6:00 p.m., The Imposition of Ashes on Zoom, Mtg ID: 960-2682-5472 (Bulletin)

7:00 p.m., The Imposition of Ashes & Holy Eucharist – Rite I in the sanctuary (registration required! register here) (Bulletin) (In-person + livestream)

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Lent-at-Home Kits

How will your family observe a holy Lent this year? Try one of our Lent-at-Home kits for families! These are now available for pickup outside the church doors facing the lower parking lot, and in the narthex.

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Healing Eucharist Service on Wednesday Evenings

Starting on February 24, a Healing Eucharist service will be offered Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m., registration required here. These services are in-person only and will not be livestreamed.

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Stations of the Cross on Friday Evenings

Starting on February 19, join us for Stations of the Cross via Zoom on Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m.

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Lenten Book Club

What does it mean to live what you pray? When you pray the Lord’s prayer have you often thought about what the words really mean?

Join us in reading the book Living the Lord’s Prayer: The Way of the Disciple by Albert Haase, OFM. Father Haase teaches us to think about the words we pray and the meaning our prayers have for our spiritual formation and daily lives. Starting February 25th, we will begin a five-week session from 7 p.m. to no later than 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The book is available at Amazon (click here). If you cannot purchase the book, but would like to attend, please contact the church office at 215-646-4092. Please consider joining us for this Lenten opportunity.

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Adult Lifelong Learning Forum

During Sundays in Lent we will take a video pilgrimage together through the Holy Land. Offered by Saint George’s College, Jerusalem, The Holy Land video series invites one to experience the beauty, wonder and inspiration of this most sacred region.

You can view each week’s video at your convenience at any point in the week, and then join us on Sundays via Zoom for conversation and fellowship. The first video in our series is ‘The Desert.’ (Supplemental material here.) Our first Lenten forum will begin on Sunday, February 21 at 11:00 a.m.

We look forward to our Journey with Christ together with you!

Updated: 2/16/2021

Schedule for the week beginning February 7, 2021.

Sunday, February 7
8:00 a.m., Holy Eucharist w/Traditional Music in the sanctuary (registration required! register here) also available via Livestream
9:30 a.m., Holy Eucharist w/Contemporary Music in the sanctuary (registration required! register here) also available via Livestream
11:00 a.m., Adult Lifelong Learning Forum on Zoom, Mtg ID: 983-7665-6289

Monday, February 8
5:00 p.m., Youth Group Gathering at the fire pit (Canceled due to weather)

Tuesday, February 9
6:30 p.m., Vestry Meeting on Zoom
7:30 p.m., Prayer & Sharing Gathering on Zoom, Mtg ID: 913-5830-9441  

Wednesday, February 10
12:00 p.m., Noonday Prayer and Lunch on Zoom, Mtg ID: 943-8248-6248

Thursday, February 11
9:00 a.m., Morning Prayer on Zoom, Mtg ID: 923-4782-3061

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Bishop Gutiérrez will join St. Matthew’s on Sunday, January 31 for a virtual visit.

The schedule is as follows:

10:45 a.m. – Sermon prepared for St. Matthew’s by Bishop Gutiérrez will be shown as a Facebook “premiere” event.

1:00 p.m. – Zoom meeting for the entire congregation with Bishop Gutierrez (Zoom link)

2:00 p.m. – Zoom meeting with the Vestry & Father Rodney.

The November/December 2020 issue of The Oracle, St. Matthew’s newsletter, has been mailed and is hitting mailboxes this week!

You can view The Oracle online by clicking here.

The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Sunday, November 15 at 10:30 a.m., immediately following the 9:30 a.m. service. The meeting will be held in the church and will also be offered online via Zoom. Those at the 9:30 a.m. service are welcome to remain and participate in the meeting in-person. Elections for Diocesan Delegates and the Vestry will be held. The treasurer, interim rector and other parish leaders will report on the financial and spiritual “State of the Parish.”

Register to attend the 9:30 a.m. service and the Annual Meeting here.

Vestry Nominees: Nancy Austin, John Gill, Karen Sawyer
Rotating off with our thanks: Joe Buesgen, Tim Jennings, Chris Strittmatter

The 2020 Annual Report can be downloaded here.

Access Instructions:

Topic: Annual Meeting 2020
Time: Nov 15, 2020 10:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/95653292732?pwd=OVNOOHdGQWRuUjZuUElXWkFIenBmQT09
Meeting ID: 956 5329 2732
Passcode: heisrisen

One tap mobile
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Updated and reposted: 11/13/2020
Originally posted: 10/22/20202

The October 2020 issue of The Oracle, St. Matthew’s newsletter, has been mailed and is hitting mailboxes this week! This issue is chock full of information, including a letter from our Stewardship Committee, details on election season at Saint Matt’s and Prayer at the Polls, a pastoral letter from Father Peter about the election and Christian responsibility, an update from the Rector Search Committee, and an update from our Lifelong Learning Ministry.

You can view The Oracle online by clicking here.

The September 2020 issue of The Oracle, St. Matthew’s newsletter, has been mailed and is hitting mailboxes this week! This issue is chock full of exciting stuff, including details on our return to Sunday worship in the Sanctuary (with communion!), information on the new Lifelong Learning Ministry, news from the Nursery School about reopening this September 14, and an update from the Rector Search Committee.

You can view The Oracle online by clicking here.

Reflections on our Baptismal Covenant: Some thoughts on Christian responsibility in this moment of national unrest. 

In our baptismal covenant, as lovers of the Triune God at St Matthew’s Episcopal Church, we have vowed to: 

•    “persevere in resisting evil, and whenever we fall into sin repent and return to the Lord.”
•    “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ.”
•    “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves.”
•    “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.”

Therefore, we lament the role we have played in racism, both intentionally and unintentionally, in the past and today. As expressed in one of our liturgies, “We confess the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf.” Beyond personal expressions of racial prejudice, we recognize the even more destructive policies and practices of institutional racism which favor one race over others, preventing a just community. Love is always the answer. We are committed to press forward in love. We are called to listen, study, pray, and love, because we know deep within ourselves that God’s bountiful, encompassing and liberating love is for all. As followers of Christ in the world, there is much for us to do. Regardless of past failures, God is calling us right now to transform our cultures, our societies, and the future, for the good of us all. Let us not be faint of heart but rejoice in the work!

During the summer, we encourage you to pray, and to study with your families.  The attached document offers suggestions and resources to help in this endeavor.  Please click here: What does the Lord require of us?

The Rev. Canon Dr. Peter B. Stube, Interim Rector

Ftr. Peter’s sermon from our Sunday service via Zoom on Sunday, June 14th.

Next week’s service will be livestreamed from Saint Matthew’s.