St. Marks Lutheran Church + Campus Ministry

06/14/2026

06/11/2026

05/24/2026

We had a great time at our Vigil of Pentecost Beach Bonfire! 🔥

05/24/2026

We had a great time at our Vigil of Pentecost Beach Bonfire! 🔥

05/24/2026

05/22/2026

It’s almost Pentecost and you know what that means! Vigil of Pentecost Beach Bonfire! 🌊🔥 We’ll be at Dockweiler State Beach near lifeguard station 51 from 4pm-8pm tonight. Come hang out at the beach, make some s’mores, and get a Pentecost Blessing for the summer. 🏖️🌭✝️

05/18/2026

Today, for National Little Free Library Day, we blessed our new ! The library is part of our growing Peace Park along busy Vermont Avenue and 36th Place, at the crossroads of South LA and USC. Grateful for a Mission & Ministry Grant from the for helping to make this possible! Stop by and check it out! 📚📚📚

05/04/2026

It’s almost Mother’s Day weekend, so join us this Saturday for a church cleanup as we prepare to celebrate all the maternal figures in our lives on Sunday!

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
Proverbs 31:26

Stay to help for as long as you’d like on Saturday and stick around for a potluck-style fellowship after service on Sunday 💐

04/24/2026

Ms Levira Pickett Memorial Service
Saturday, May 2, 11:00am at St. Mark’s

Ms. Pickett was a lay leader in the St. Mark’s community for many years, directing our preschool and serving meals to the hungry. She recently passed away at the age of 97. St. Mark’s will gather to remember her on Saturday, May 2, led by Pastor Brian and Pastor Matt. Come remember Ms Pickett with us.

04/24/2026

Family of God,

This week Jesus uses a metaphor of shepherds, sheep, and gates, and at the end of it, John tells us that "Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them." (John 10:6)

Not understanding is not unusual - it's part of being human! One way to grow in understanding and exploration of faith is by asking questions. So, in that spirit, this Sunday we'll have our first "Questions Sunday!"

Over the last few weeks, church members have been invited to submit questions at stmarksla.org/questions. I've read through them and thought about some reflections in response that I'm really excited to share on Sunday. Sometimes my sermons feel like a bit of a monologue, but this feels so much like dialogue - trying to dive into the real faith questions you carry with you. I can't wait to see how it goes!

One note of caution though: As Alyssa told us in her Church Council Report last Sunday, "Satisfaction is not guaranteed." I can't promise neat and tidy answers, nor can I promise answers you'll be fully satisfied with! Responses to questions aren't the end of the journey, but just one more step along it. All I can promise is that we'll dig deeper into the topics you've asked about. And if we do it right, the responses won't end the questions, but invite more of them! That's how we dig deeper and grow higher - by exploring the questions, and asking new ones.

See you Sunday!

In Christ,

Pastor Matt

04/23/2026

Family of God,

This week Jesus uses a metaphor of shepherds, sheep, and gates, and at the end of it, John tells us that "Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them." (John 10:6)

Not understanding is not unusual - it's part of being human! One way to grow in understanding and exploration of faith is by asking questions. So, in that spirit, this Sunday we'll have our first "Questions Sunday!"

Over the last few weeks, church members have been invited to submit questions at stmarksla.org/questions. I've read through them and thought about some reflections in response that I'm really excited to share on Sunday. Sometimes my sermons feel like a bit of a monologue, but this feels so much like dialogue - trying to dive into the real faith questions you carry with you. I can't wait to see how it goes!

One note of caution though: As Alyssa told us in her Church Council Report last Sunday, "Satisfaction is not guaranteed." I can't promise neat and tidy answers, nor can I promise answers you'll be fully satisfied with! Responses to questions aren't the end of the journey, but just one more step along it. All I can promise is that we'll dig deeper into the topics you've asked about. And if we do it right, the responses won't end the questions, but invite more of them! That's how we dig deeper and grow higher - by exploring the questions, and asking new ones.

This Sunday we'll sing a new song, too. Don't worry, we'll also sing plenty of familiar favorites! But we'll have just one new one with these lyrics:

Ask the complicated questions, do not fear to be found out;
for our God makes strong our weakness, forging faith in fires of doubt.

Seek the disconcerting answers, follow where the Spirit blows;
test competing truths for wisdom, for in tension new life grows.

Knock on doors of new ideas, test assumptions long grown stale;
for Christ calls from shores of wonder, daring us to try and fail.

For in struggle we discover truth both simple and profound;
in the knocking, asking, seeking, we are opened, answered, found.

See you Sunday!

In Christ,

Pastor Matt

(Hymn Text: "Ask the Complicated Questions," Text: David Bjorlin, b.1984; © 2018 GIA Publications, Inc.)

04/05/2026

Just few shots from Easter. (Lots more on FB!) Christ is Risen! The good news is alive in the world! Alleluia!

04/05/2026

Christ is Risen! The Good News is Alive in the World! Thanks be to God. :)