St. Matthews Episcopal Church

Episcopal Church in Snellville, GA

 “Open for me the gates of righteousness; *
I will enter them; I will offer thanks to the Lord..” Psalm 119:19

A Word from Mother Pat+: Christ in the Wilderness

This past Sunday’s gospel was about Jesus being led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus did not wander into the wilderness by accident. He sought the wilderness of the Judean hills with a purpose in mind. He went there so that God could speak to him. Being away from the crowds and his family allowed Jesus to clear his heart and mind, so that he might gain clarity about what God was calling him to do.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are invited in this season of Lent to enter a different type of wilderness. Most of us will not literally go away from family and friends to a quiet place of isolation or silent retreat, but we can try to find a quiet undistracted space for listening to God.

Ask yourself, what are my most intrusive distractions? How can I change my day or my week to allow space for quiet time with God? It may be as simple as coming to the church for a short visit to the nave to sit in solitude; or you may find a place in your home or workspace where the intrusions are diminished so you have time with God. It may be walking the stations of the cross or slowly walking a prayer path. It can be your sacred space at home when you are alone.

In the wilderness, Jesus had few if any comforts – no food, no safe place to sleep, no one to talk to, except God. Lent is an invitation to ask ourselves, “how could going without provide space to grow?” As followers of Jesus, instead of trying to fill our life with food, people and distractions when life seems difficult and stressful, perhaps it would be in our best interest to find our own sense of desert wilderness – to be alone, but with God. How can you create that space in your life, not just during Lent, but a habit of seeking God in ways which focus on listening to God in a quiet place?

May you encounter God in this season of reflection, Mother Pat+



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A Word from Mother Pat+: Marathon

Can you run a marathon?

Some people have said that our Christian life is like running a marathon. Unlike a sprint or short race, a marathon requires endurance and stamina. Our Christian journey is that sort of long race and so we have to do spiritual training in order to have the endurance and stamina to accomplish our life’s goals. We have to train to serve. We have to master skills of prayer, study, and habits of discipline in order to live as a disciple of Jesus Christ. We even have to form a habit of worship to offer our praise to God. So during Lent we are once again going to focus you on a spiritual training plan.

Next week we will be offering each family a bag containing items for creating a Holy and Sacred space in your homes. This bag is meant to help you connect Sunday worship with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… creating a spiritual training plan not just for Lent but for the whole year.

This idea of Holy and Sacred space is not so you can stay home and watch Sunday worship on your computer or phone. This is to connect your corporate Sunday worship with the rest of your week.

St. Matthew’s has fully reopened all worship and parish programming so we hope everyone will resume in-person attendance, unless prevented by personal health reasons. The Pastoral Care Team will try to ensure that those unable to attend for reasons of health will also receive a bag for their Holy and Sacred space in their home or care setting.

Jesus’ life is a model for us. Jesus prayed throughout the day, the Jewish hours of prayer were 7 times a day. Jesus offered himself to the Father in prayer, not holding back. When we pray, we offer ourselves to God. Jesus not only committed to a life of prayer and ministry, but he trusted in God’s unfailing presence. He made himself vulnerable to God’s will just as we do when we pray. In your Holy & Sacred Space bag, you will find a prayer card for a model of short prayers throughout the day.

Yet, even in our private prayer, we are in community with each other and with others around the world who are engaged in prayer. Part of the discipline of attentiveness is this sense that we are not alone, we are part of God’s kingdom in this place and our faithfulness in prayer (regardless of the results) help bring the fullness of God’s kingdom.

Take the time to develop spiritual habits of daily prayer, regular worship, study, and occasional fasting in order to run with endurance the race which is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1-3). May you find joy in each new day, freedom in each hour, and peace in God’s presence.

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday. Mother Pat+



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A Word From Mother Pat+: Wilderness

Here we are in the middle of Epiphany.

During this prolonged pandemic it may seem like we are wandering in a never-ending wilderness. Scripture tells us stories about wilderness as both a place of renewal and a place of drought and desolation. Jesus seemed to do some of his best discernment and prayer in the wilderness. The sense of peace and quiet of a wilderness can be an enjoyable thing and yet as human beings we all long for the company of others. And that is why this pandemic has affected us in a myriad of ways, because we have felt isolated and alone. Perhaps for some of us, this time has allowed a space for our minds to calm down and we have gained new clarity about our walk with God.

The other side of the wilderness is that place of “howling waste” as described in Deuteronomy 32 and it is the place where Jesus struggled with the temptations of Satan. This too can be a place of growth as we place our trust in God to be our rock and our strength even when circumstances around us seem to oppose our every move. As Christians, we know that God is present in all circumstances, even if it does not seem so.

God shows up in the wilderness and surprises us today just as God did to those who lived long before us. This time of continued uncertainty and semi-isolation gives us a chance to open our hearts and know the depth of God’s presence and love, no matter what is going on around us.

I know this seems more like a Lenten reflection than one for Epiphany, but remember God surprises us in the most unlikely places. Watch and Listen for God’s surprises this week. We continue to worship together safely, so come and join us on Sundays at 8 am and 10:45 am or if you prefer a smaller, quieter worship opportunity then Wednesday at 10:30 am may be the time you find best for you.

Mother Pat+



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A Word from Mother Pat+: Annual Meeting

What a great annual meeting!  It was wonderful to see so many people in person and on zoom for the annual meeting.  Thank you for your participation in the meeting, and a special thank you to everyone who gave of their time and talent in ministry this past year. St. Matthew’s has continued to thrive even in the midst of a pandemic. That success is because of you.

I invite you to read the full ministry reports which are on-line. If you prefer a print copy, just stop by the office and pick one up. Also, if you were not in person for the meeting, we have a St. Matthew’s pen for you whenever you come to the church.

The website and other resources will be updated for the new vestry and wardens.  In case you missed it, Trisha Voiles is the new Sr. Warden and the vestry re-elected Jack Denton as Jr. Warden to provide continuity in this year of transition.  Our thanks to the newly elected vestry members who stepped up to serve on the Vestry for the next three years – Carolyn Coil, Sharon Hansen, Jay Jones & Clay Olbon.  It is always a joy to share ministry with a dedicated group of leaders.  St. Matthew’s has certainly benefitted from the gifts of Becky Olson, Elliott Griffiths, Debbie Stallings, and Kim Williamson who faithfully completed their three year vestry terms.  Those Vestry members continuing on are Mindy Barringer, Jack Denton, John Eberhart, Joan Kengla, Judith Kimsey, Karen Wilson, and Trisha Voiles.  More information will be shared by the Vestry as they organize and begin their work.  You are certainly invited to share your leadership talents not only by serving on the Vestry but by working on the ministries and committees of the parish.

For most of us, the work of finding and nominating that next rector has been invested in the nominating committee of the parish, so our work is to pray for that on-going ministry of discernment and nominating. In the next few weeks, the committee will seek your input, then put together a profile of what attributes of a new rector will best enhance the mission and ministries of St. Matthew’s. Then we wait again, for those whom God invites to explore their gifts and ministries with the nominating committee. And finally, after all the prayer, mutual discernment, evaluation and conversation, the committee will nominate a few individuals for the Vestry to consider extending a call. Even at that point, we won’t know about the progress until the mutual conversation of the vestry with a clergy person results in a formal agreement.

Pray for the process and be patient in the interim time, for God’s timetable is not always our own. Remember this is a process designed to find the best match of gifts and skills between the parish and the new rector; even though we may get impatient at what seems like a long process, behind the scenes there is significant work being done.  Pray for that work.

Below is the prayer that the nominating committee has developed for our use during this search process:

Omniscient and All-Loving God, you know the needs of this parish and its people before they are spoken; look upon us graciously, we pray. Send your Holy Spirit to guide us, unite us, and uplift us as we search together for a new rector; and to those leading the search grant minds open to your wisdom and hearts open to your love. Set our feet and our wills on the path you have laid for us, that we may walk in your ways and be your Light in the world, to the Glory of Your Holy Name.  Amen.

Remember that “Together we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”.  So, live into St. Matthew’s mission of continuing the incarnation of Jesus Christ by serving, loving, caring and witnessing to God’s love.  May we have the wisdom to discern God’s will and the courage to act. For there is much to be done in this “interim” time.

Blessings, Mother Pat+



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A Word From Mother Pat+: Growing Deeper

Perhaps on occasion you’ve wondered what the Vestry does. Well, part of the role of the vestry is to serve as spiritual leaders of this faith community. Not only do they have responsibility for the temporal (financial) affairs of the Church, but they also share with the Rector the responsibility for the spiritual health of the parish. Over the past four months, the Vestry has reflected on the core values which the parish should uphold. The first core value which ranked the highest in the minds and hearts of the Vestry is spiritual growth.

When you think of spiritual growth perhaps you imagine getting wiser or taking on new rules of life or feeling more pious in worship and prayer. However, spiritual growth is not necessarily something you can see or measure, at least not on the surface. One analogy is to consider that spiritual growth is like a plant or tree putting down deep roots, even if the part of the plant above the surface looks short and stubby or the plant is attempting to grow amid the weeds.

Jesus told many parables about spiritual growth using agricultural images. Based on scripture, Jesus tells us that roots matter more than stems or the height of the tree. Bigger is not always better, and in fact pruning may allow the plant/tree to send more energy to the roots allowing for a more mature and fruitful plant to emerge.

In many of his letters, St. Paul is writing to congregations who have missed the point. Paul reminds us over and over that one spiritual gift is not better than another, and that spiritual growth is not about gaining power or prestige. Set your heart on sustainability instead of looking only for visible results. The challenge for us in this season of Epiphany is not only to look for the manifestation of God in our lives, but to then use those moments to focus our energy on growing deeper roots which can sustain us in times when challenges come.

In this pandemic, we have been continuously challenged with factors outside our control, but we can still use those times of difficulty to put our energy into growing deeper spiritual practices. Be part of weekly worship in-person, if you’re able, and on-line if your health does not permit your physical presence. Commit to daily prayer for discernment and growth. Make it a point to engage in weekly study with other Christians so we are challenged to think in new ways and we get the nourishment we need to continue our journey. In a way, this pandemic has forced us to “cease” doing many of the activities we have done in the past, and the blessing of this pause allows us to evaluate how we resume our common life together. The Vestry will continue to discern how to focus on this key core value in a way which supports our individual and communal growth.

Blessings and see you soon, Mother Pat+



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Annual Meeting — Reports and Vestry Candidates 2022

Annual Parish Meeting

January 23, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in the parish hall or online via Zoom (see newsletter for details)

You will be able to vote in person or via Zoom:

Ballot Link for Zoom Meeting attendees.

 

Please view the reports here:

Annual Report 2021 Complete-Candidates and Reports

Dec 2021 Financial Stmt

St Matthews Annual Mtg Minutes 2021 2.21.21 Final



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A Huge Thank You From the Knit, Crochet & Pray Ministry

The Knit, Crochet, Pray Ministry (KCP) at St. Matthew’s thanks all people who donated money, yarn, hats, scarves, gloves or mittens to our drive for Rosebud Episcopal Mission in Mission, SD.  From this particular donation (starting our 2022 contribution), we mailed 36 hats/scarves/gloves sets, 17 hats/gloves sets, 24 extra pairs of gloves, and one pair of socks. These items were mailed last week when the temperatures were from -12-6 degrees F. The Rosebud Lakota Reservation has over 4,000 children between the ages of 4-18 years. Hence, you understand why this project is ongoing for KCP, even though our biggest collections are in the winter.

We also appreciate your donations for prayer shawls (which go to parishioners or their family/friends in need of support because of illness, death, other hardships) and/or chemo caps (which go to the Winship Cancer Institute at Emory Hospital) and/or hats and scarves for the local homeless.

Last year, KCP donated the following items, thanks to your support.

Prayer Shawls given – 89

Chemo caps – 72

Rosebud Reservation:
63 hat, scarf, gloves/mitten sets
32 hat, scarf sets
13 hats
5 scarves
10 pairs of gloves
1 pair of socks
4 headbands
Clean, but gently used:
10 hat, scarf, glove sets
5 scarves
5 pairs of gloves
4 headbands

Homeless at the Church of the Common Ground
30 hat/scarf sets
Box of flat flashlights

We are so grateful for your help, and we hope you will consider assisting us in the future.

Thanks and Prayers,

Beth DiGiovanni



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A Word From Mother Pat+: Invitation

The Invitation

I think we all have immediate reactions to an invitation we may receive. Perhaps it is a dinner invitation or an invitation to go to a movie, or even an invitation as we recently received to attend a virtual ordination last month for Karen. Some invitations we are able to accept, and others we may have to decline. Some invitations evoke a sense of joy and surprise while others give us a feeling of concern or regret.

When we accept an invitation it is an opportunity to celebrate or to deepen a relationship by spending time in the company of another person. In scripture Jesus seemed to extend invitations all the time to people on the street, in the synagogue, and almost any place you can think of. It is interesting that Jesus does not seem to judge the response. Some people asked questions; others hesitated; and still others decided to decline the invitation; but Jesus simply invited people to be part of God’s work. In John’s gospel (Chapters 1-6) you will find at least five invitations that Jesus makes, and perhaps you can see yourself in some of those responses. Jesus accepted more than a few invitations himself, like the Cana wedding feast, dinner with new friends, and of course Jesus accepted the invitation to engage in the work God called him to do. Invitations, when accepted, invite us into relationship.

Epiphany is that season where we encounter the mystery and the wonder of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry, and this is the season that we are invited to participate with God in the work of God’s kingdom. Recently I read that Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry said, “We’re all invited to throw ourselves into the arms of Jesus”. Now that is quite an invitation! I imagine that for those of us introverts, the idea of throwing ourselves into the arms of Jesus might be more than we want. However, I do believe that God continually invites us into relationship, and each day we make a decision to join God in the work of ministry and service, or we find other invitations more compelling.

In your quiet time and in your prayers, listen and watch for the invitation to engage with God, using spiritual disciplines of prayer, study and worship to grow in God’s love and grace.  May your life be filled with Godly invitations.  Mother Pat+



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A Word From Mother Pat+: Perseverance

How long Lord, do we have to wait?

I am not good at waiting! If someone puts me on hold on the phone, I look around for something else to do. But in every day there are times when we must simply wait. When night comes, we can’t rush the dawn – it simply is not in our power to do so. We can get up and turn on all kinds of electric lights, but we can not make the daylight come any sooner than God plans.

In this season of the Church year that we call Advent, we enter a season of waiting. Many of you are like me and you dislike waiting in line or waiting in traffic and you may even dislike waiting for dinner to cook. That is why I like to microwave everything! Sometimes we are so impatient that we try to figure out which grocery line is moving the fastest or which lane of slow traffic will get us there more quickly. But Advent is not like that. Waiting in Advent can’t be rushed. Advent is always four weeks in length and no amount of hoping and praying will bring Christmas any sooner.

So here we are in the third week of waiting and perhaps we have already fallen into the chaos of the world rushing to buy presents and hurrying to get decorations up? As Christians, we are supposed to prepare for Christmas in a different way. We are invited to slow down, not speed up. We are invited to wait to light that beautiful green tree until Christmas actually arrives. We are encouraged to prayerfully seek out gifts for others which remind them of the love God has for us.

The primary reason for gift-giving at Christmas time is to remind us of God’s great gift of love to each of us. Perhaps you can slow down enough to pray each day and to attend worship each week. Come and slow down for just a few minutes in the presence of God. Then you can go out into that busy world renewed and refreshed. The waiting of Advent is somewhat like the waiting of a couple for that new baby – it is the waiting of anticipation and it is the waiting of mystery and hope.

Light your Advent wreath candles (one each week, so we are up to three) and say a short prayer every day recognizing that each candle represents the Light of Christ coming closer and closer to our hearts and lives. May this season bless you with a sense of God’s peace and may you find yourself ready to welcome the Christ Child this Christmas with an open heart.

So how long Lord do we have to wait? Just long enough, God tells us, so that our hearts once again become mindful of Christ’s love and just long enough so that we become a hopeful people ready to light up the world for God.
God’s peace, Mother Pat+



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A Word From Mother Pat+: The Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is a circular ring symbolizing the unbroken and unending love of God. The green symbolizes life everlasting and the four blue candles mark our earthly time of waiting and anticipating the coming of Christ.

In the last 20 years, the Church has elected to use sarum blue in Advent instead of purple to mark the difference between the purple of Lenten penitence and the Advent season of waiting and preparation. The tall white center candle focuses our attention on the light of the world, Jesus, whose presence is central to our lives. The white center Christ Candle is not lit until all the other candles are burning, so in a way it reminds us how important our own lives are in helping bring light to the world while we wait on Christ’s return. The Advent wreath continues to be used through the Feast of the Epiphany, with all the candles blazing to mark the light of God in the world during the season of revelation – Epiphany.

The four blue candles can symbolize many things; however the themes of each week tend to reflect the lectionary readings – Week 1: Anticipation of the coming Messiah – Christ child; Week 2: Preparation for the Light of Christ coming into the world; Week 3: Rejoicing for God is near us; and Week 4: Hope for the Prince of Peace comes into the world. Others see the four candles as reminders of the four gospels or the ever brightening light of Christ coming into the world to banish sin and darkness. When purple and pink candles were used, the purple was for penitence and the third week pink candle was a “lighter” purple to allow for Joy to lessen the penitential nature of the season.

Since the change to Sarum Blue for the Advent season, the focus has been one of anticipation, preparation, joy and hope that we might wait expectantly for God to act in our lives and in the world. May this Advent provide you a quiet space so you can prepare your heart and mind for the gifts God has for you. In this first week of Advent simply take time to wait in prayer for God to guide you – Anticipate with joy the days to come.
Have a blessed and holy Advent. Mo Pat+



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At St. Matthew’s, our MISSION is to continue the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, by serving the greater community through loving its children, caring for the unfortunate and witnessing to the healing power of God’s love.