March 2013
St. Mark’s News Volume 16/Issue 3
From the Curate In this season of Lent we prepare ourselves for the approaching events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. There is a quickening pace in the Gospel story: Jesus is a super star to many, and his miracles continue to build upon his mystique, both of which serve to make his enemies more and more anxious. The end is inevitable, though only Jesus and the readers seem to understand this. Indeed our Savior is instigating his own ending. He is here for one purpose: his redemptive death and resurrection. Standing before his accusers, he will be steady in the claims he has made from the beginning. He never backs down. The miracles, the sermons, every action has shown him to be the Son of God. This surety has made him too dangerous for some and has made his crucifixion certain. The Gospels each agree the Cross and the empty tomb were the end game. Our Lord is stalwart in his resolve to achieve his aim. Or is he? Before the trials, the cross, and the empty tomb, there is recorded a seeming moment of doubt for our conqueror of sin in the garden of Gethsemane. In Luke 22:42, Jesus appears to ask for “this cup” to be taken from him. It is so out of character that it takes readers by surprise. Jesus has all but forced the issue with his enemies thus far. All events have carried him to this hour, and suddenly we find Jesus prostrate, bleeding sweat from anxiety and asking God to take it all back. For the Gospel’s continuity, our Savior instantly regains his composure, seemingly climbing out of his dark place. We usually attribute this hour of fear and desperation to his humanity finally understanding the gravity of what is about to happen (the In this Issue Jewish officials are already en route to find him). The From the Curate ..................................... 1 problem being that it seems to put his divinity in check at this Vestry Highlights..................................... 3 moment: his two natures are in a tug of war with each other, Schedules for Lent, Holy Week, and but in this instance, his humanity wins. The discerning reader Easter ..................................................... 4 is left wondering about the realities of the garden. What is it Lenten Discipline .................................... 5 Outreach ................................................. 5 saying of our Lord? Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done. Luke 22:42 (NIV) In mere minutes Judas and his new compatriots will find Jesus, bind him, and carry him off to the sham-trials before the Jewish high priests and condemn him. Judas will literally give Jesus the kiss of death.
Parish Life............................................... 6 Christian Formation ................................ 8 Parishioner Highlights ............................. 9 Birthdays & Anniversaries..................... 10 ROTA.................................................... 11
Staying in the moment, his three most trusted disciples (Peter, James and John) are within a stone’s throw yet asleep. Jesus, the architect of it all, asks for an “out;” a reprieve. But it’s no use, the wheels of temple justice are in motion—Judas is coming. Doubt is afforded no lasting luxury; the great mediator must fulfill his destiny. Is this really a blemish on his stellar career?
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March 2013 For our answer we turn to the Old Testament. The Hebrew Scriptures inform us that there may be more to the scene than first understood. It is a scene with which we should be familiar, for literary history may be repeating itself. Luke wishes us to recall another man up on a high place, set apart by God, surrounded by those who are not strong enough to stay faithful. A millennium before Christ, Moses finds himself standing on Mt. Sinai speaking with and listening to Yahweh himself, unaware of his young nation’s anxieties below at the base of the mountain. He communes with God, but yet they are spiritually asleep. They are nervous that Moses is not coming down from the mountain fast enough, (much like many speculate why Judas was motivated to betray Jesus) and they compel Aaron to make a golden calf so they too can worship a “God” while they wait for Moses and the one, true God to finish up their long-winded conversation (Exodus 32:1-6). As soon as the calf is built, Yahweh tells Moses to leave the mountain because His anger is burning hot over what He sees them worshipping. Moses begs God not to destroy His people, hurrying down the mountain to destroy the calf. The intervention works, but an accounting must still be taken. Coming down the mountain (hinting of Jesus’ transfiguration) with his most trusted advisor Joshua, Moses finds the people in a chaotic spiritual frenzy around the calf. Yahweh will spare most of these wicked people, but many die. Moses gathers the few that are not mesmerized by the golden idol, the Levites, and says, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’” (Exodus 32:27) Moses, Joshua, and the Levites put down about three thousand that day. When the chaos subsides, Moses scolds the people and returns to the Lord, only to intervene a second time for those that were spared from the first onslaught: “They have made themselves gods of Gold. But now, please forgive their sin, but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” (Exodus 32:32, NIV). The Lord listens once more; He inflicts a plague upon them, rather than annihilating them completely. Though not completely unscathed, the people have been saved by God’s chosen mediator. Looking carefully, Moses uses distinct phrasing in his plea to Yahweh—phrasing that Isaiah will use in one of his most recognized poems. “But I said, ‘I have labored to no purpose: I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God.” (Isaiah 49:4, NIV) This poem in chapter 49 is more commonly called the song of the Suffering Servant. It is the song which was thought would identify God’s chosen Messiah; God’s chosen mediator for his people. This song identifies the Suffering Servant with this line in vs. 4. This sentence uses a significant literary pattern; a lament followed by an assurance of God’s plan mediated by the conjunction yet. Strikingly, this is the pattern we hear Jesus speak in Gethsemane; Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done. Luke 22:42 (NIV)—a word of lament followed by an assurance of God’s plan mediated by the yet conjunction. Even more salient, the Hebrew phrase for but if not parallels with the Greek word for yet according to the LXX. The Hebrew phrase, but if not, is synonymous with the Greek word for yet. It is uncanny how these three passages correlate! What is seen as a moment of providential distraction by Christ may not be one at all. Luke may be telling us something much more profound. As Moses was convening with God at the Creation of the Israelite nation, Jesus finds himself at the creation of a people once again. Luke is telling us that the Cross is another Exodus. Gethsemane is Sinai, and unfortunately the actions of His people repeat as well, they still lack faith and they still need mediation. Most importantly, God is still faithful to them to offer mediation. Isaiah’s prophecy has come true. Jesus’ words are not to confuse us, rather they are to cement his identity as Yahweh’s mediator par excellence. Whereas Moses could not stave off Yahweh’s anger completely, meaning the mass bloodshed and plague in Exodus 32, Jesus will take upon himself the all consequences of God’s
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March 2013 justice. Jesus goes so far as to tell his disciples to put their swords down as his captors approach to take him to trial, even healing the ear which one of his disciples cuts off (Luke 22:51). His coming sacrifice will be enough bloodshed for a complete conciliation. Jesus’ garden conversation was therefore not a cry for help but a call to victory; not running from, but instead confirming his death and burial and resurrection. It is a beautiful moment for Jesus. It is also a confirmation to his disciples. It is our call as well. In Luke 5:1-11, Jesus meets his first disciples. Peter and the other fishermen have not caught anything all day. Jesus charges them to cast out one more time. Frustrated, Peter replies, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, we will let down our nets” (Luke 5:4); lament, but, acquiescing to God’s plan! Tired, frustrated, a little annoyed that Jesus picked him to challenge, Peter still acts upon the master’s request. His faith, however such as it was, is rewarded. The profundity of the universe was shown in the breaking nets. Before Gethsemane the pattern reveals the literary pattern. As Jesus speaks of victory, so does Peter. Jesus’ victory is Peter’s and thus ours too. Our faithfulness, especially in the moments of frustration and ignorance is what joins us to the Master’s eternal salvation. We, like Peter, are redeemed. This is the reality of Gethsemane. Travis+
Vestry Highlights The St. Mark’s Vestry met on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. in the Bennett Wing classroom. Five new members were welcomed to the Vestry: Shelly Botkin, Nancy Kibler, J.P. Kloninger, David Johns, and Jim Nolan. Every vestry member introduced him/herself. Susan Bonnen volunteered to serve as secretary, and Kathy Genet was elected to be the Junior Warden. There has been much activity in the month since the January meeting: the Annual Parish Meeting on 1/20, the Bishop’s visitation on 1/27, and Diocesan Council Feb. 8 and 9 in Houston. On January 25, Elizabeth+, Mary Ann Huston, and Michael Huston met with the Diocesan Commission on Ministry for Mary Ann’s interview to be approved for ordination as Priest in this Diocese. She was approved. Mary Ann will be ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, June 15, in Houston. The Rector also encouraged vestry members to attend the March 2 Vestry/Wardens conference at St. Michael’s. Travis+ reported on his ministry to the youth. There is now a good number of youth who meet for Christian Formation at 10, and then stay until 2:30 for Youth Group. Each week they are cooking, playing games, and having some time for prayer or Bible Study. Mr. Overstreet presented the Finance Committee report: YTD we are at 101% of budgeted income. We
have not been billed by Austin Energy since October, and are among 25-30 area churches for whom this is the case. New Vestry member Shelly Botkin is going to see if she can speed the process up a bit and get a bill sent to us. Mr. Poynot gave the Outreach Committee report. In addition to what St. Mark’s has been doing by way of outreach, the committee welcomes ideas from parishioners. The Habitat Build is May 18, and volunteers will be needed both to build and to serve lunch. Kathy Genet reported on the choir loft improvements: new floor will be laid the week of February 24. Elizabeth+ reported that CertaPro will repaint the deck in March, due to peeling paint. Ross Ramsey, David Johns, and Kathy Genet were present at the January 23 meeting of the Building Committee, at which there was discussion about remodeling ideas and possibilities. During the season of Lent we will use Rite I at both 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The EFM group has invited members of the parish to join them for Evening Prayer at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evenings during Lent. Wednesday evenings we will gather for soup at 6, for the service in the Chapel at 7. Philip Turner is the Sunday morning adult formation lecturer, and at noon on Sundays the two senior seminarians are leading a Bible Study on the Letter to the Hebrews.
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March 2013
The Season of Lent Continues The classes and programs we began in February for the season of Lent continue through the month of March. Philip W. Turner is teaching our Sunday morning Adult Formation class at 10:00 a.m. in Grace Chapel. The series is entitled “Patterns of Life in the Spirit.” Sunday, March 3: St. Thomas Aquinas’ Humanism Sunday, March 10: The Reformation and the Return to Early Sources Sunday, March 17: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Arcane Discipline There is no Adult Formation on either Palm Sunday (March 24) or Easter (March 31). Sunday afternoons at noon there is a Bible Study on the Letter to the Hebrews, being led by our senior seminarians Jeremiah Griffin and Jonathan Hansen. Evening Prayer is being offered every Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. in Grace Chapel. The theme of our Wednesday evening Lenten meditations is “Forty Days and Forty Nights: A Journey from the Wilderness to Jerusalem.” We began with readings on Temptation and Sin in February. The schedule for meditations in March is Repentance (March 6), The Cross (March 13), and Forgiveness (March 20). Soup is served at 6:00 p.m.; the service of meditations, (harp) music, and Eucharist is in Grace Chapel at 7:00 p.m.
Holy Week
Help Clean Up the Meditation Trail on Saturday, March 23. It’s hard work, but also lots of fun. Give us a few hours of your time on Saturday morning to get the trail clean! The more helpers we have the more we can accomplish. Bring your chainsaws, shovels, rakes, and other gardening tools and help get the Meditation Trail ready for Good Friday.
Holy Week is meant to be a time when we walk the way of the cross with our Lord. The stage is set on Palm Sunday (March 24) when our worship begins with shouts of “Hosanna, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” and concludes with shouts of “Crucify him, Crucify him!” On every day of Holy Week we have a worship service at St. Mark’s. On Monday (3/25), Tuesday (3/26), and Wednesday (3/27) we will have a celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 6:00 p.m. in Grace Chapel. We use the readings appointed for the week: Mary (the sister of Lazarus and Martha) anointing Jesus’s feet with oil; the warning in John that those who love their life will lose it and the injunction to follow Jesus; and the account of Jesus foretelling his betrayal. On Maundy Thursday (3/28), at 7:00 p.m. in the church, we will remember the Institution of the Lord’s Supper, and on Good Friday (3/29) we will pray the Stations of the Cross on the Meditation Trail at noon. At 2:00 p.m. we will do the Liturgy for Good Friday in the Church. The contemplative prayer group invites everyone to join them on Holy Saturday at 8:00 a.m.
ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA CHRIST IS RISEN, THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA! Easter Sunday, March 31 Festal Celebrations of the Holy Eucharist at 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 11:00 a.m. Easter Egg Hunt for the children, and fellowship for adults at 10:00 a.m.
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March 2013
Lenten Discipline If you haven’t already begun a Lenten discipline at home, it is not too late! Families can add one of the simple ideas below to their usual routine. Below is part of an article in the Sunday Paper Junior Editorial Page, Helping Children to Participate in Lent by the Rev. Amanda Gott. The first and most important thing that adults can do to help children participate in Lent is to role-model. We need to make it a point to understand the spirituality of Lent and enter into it ourselves with real devotion and joy. If Lent makes its way into our home and into our conversations and practices that children can see, they will naturally grow up in a culture that embraces Lent as a season of grace. Secondly, talk about Lent with your children. Even hold a “family meeting” to decide what you will all do together as a family to participate in Lent. Including children in this decision-making process is really important, because it changes the experience of Lent from being about arbitrary restrictions to being about spiritual practices that they can make choices about and participate in. Remember, the point of Lenten disciplines is NOT to be gloomy and miserable; rather, it is to do a few things differently so that we are more intentionally focused on our relationships with Christ and one another. Lenten Practices for the Home. It is not necessary that you do all of these things. Pick the ones that will be meaningful for your family.
Turn off the TV and Internet one night a week and play family games, or do some other fun activity together as a family. Add a new prayer time—something short and simple—to the family’s daily routine. Plan to eat at least one simple meal each week, perhaps a soup supper or a rice-and-beans meal. An emphasis on simplicity is customary during Lent both to reflect Gospel values and to be in solidarity with those who are living in poverty. Eating simply is also a practice of good stewardship—stewardship of your money and the environment in which our food grows. Put the money you save in a box, jar, or piggy bank to donate to a charity of the family’s choosing after Lent. Each week let each person draw (as in, from a hat without looking) the name of someone else in the family to do something special and nice for. That “something nice” can be as simple as giving someone a hug, making something special for them, or helping with a chore.
Outreach For March the Outreach Committee is collecting dried beans on behalf of El Buen Samaritano. Help stock the food pantry by bringing your donations to the Parish Hall!
Save the Date! May 18 St. Mark’s will participate in a Habitat for Humanity Build. We need 20 volunteers to build and additional volunteers for the lunch crew.
Don’t Forget! Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 10.
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March 2013
Parish Life First Friday Book Group The First Friday Book Group will NOT meet in March. The next meeting will be on Friday, April 5 at 11:00 a.m. The April book is Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The book for May (May 3) is Plainsong by Kent Haruf.
Women’s News Lent is the journey that allows us to seek a spiritual atmosphere. Lent is the time to direct our attention to 40 days of prayer, meditation, and spiritual renewal. "Silence is a source of great strength" -Lao Tzu Ladies, please note we are scheduled on March 13 for the Lenten Soup Suppers. Soups should arrive by 5:45 p.m. to be eaten at 6:00 p.m. Soup providers also serve and clean up. Don't forget to wear green on Sunday, March 17th for St. Patrick's Day . . . or you might get pinched! PLEASE NOTE: There is NO BUNCO on March 25 due to Holy Week. Easter is March 31.
Remember to Keep a Smile on Your Face and Love in Your Heart!
From the Garden Spring is on the way again, with live oak leaves peppering the walks, sticky weeds, chickweeds, and the promise of bluebonnets along the highways. This year’s early Easter may be one of fewer blooms on the grounds, but they will sprout a little later. While erratic rainfall is challenging us gardeners to plant more and more drought hardy choices, the plantings around our entrance are thriving due to the steady hands and good planning of Joanne Foote and Dee Ann Thomasson! McKinney Isle will soon be a beacon of color to greet us, too. Our mild winter has done little damage to our perennials, so if spring rains finally come we will be in good shape. We recently tuned up the sprinkler system, repaired broken heads, and resumed once-aweek irrigation. There is a project out there for anyone who wants to “adopt a spot!” Let’s hear from you! Diane Brewer, Coordinator
Moms’ Café St. Mark’s Moms’ Café invites Day School and parish moms to join the group for conversation, sweet treats, and coffee during the March 6 meeting. The group will be discussing Brene Brown's book, The Gifts of Imperfection. We will focus on Guideposts 3-7 (pg 63-104) this month. You do not need to have read the book to join in! Please contact Suzanne Smith, Suzanne_Weidner@hotmail.com, for more information.
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March 2013
Middle School and High School Youth Sunday Morning Youth Class. During February, the Christian Formation Youth Class, which includes Middle and High School students, has had a full house at 10 a.m. We’ve been having an ongoing discussion on how to read the Gospel of Luke. But there is always room for whoever wants to come! As always, there are tasty treats to eat while we talk, provided by Danielle Adkins. Youth Group. If you have stayed after the 11 o’clock service in the recent weeks you have surely noticed the kitchen overrun with future chefs. That’s right; St. Mark’s youth are wielding knives…and making high-quality food. The kids are deciding how their time is spent: they get to know each other while chopping, stirring, and eating all manner of ingredients. In short, it’s an Agape meal in South Austin each Sunday afternoon. We eat, play, and pray as One Body. And the teens decided all of this. All youth are welcome and adult help is welcome! If you would like to be an honored guest with us, please contact Travis at tsmith@stmarksaustin.org.
Music Notes The coming weeks promise to be busy ones for the St. Mark’s music ministry. You may have noticed the changes taking place in the choir loft. The crumbling, squeaking floor has been replaced with sturdier tiles. We’re adding new pews and storage compartments for choral music. The lighting will soon be improved. Although these improvements to our physical church building are important and a true cause for celebration, we should always remember that the real heart of St. Mark’s is our people. During this time of Lent, I am especially grateful for the many folks—Altar Guild, Acolytes, Lectors, Ushers, Joanne and the office volunteers, clergy, and (of course!) choir members—who enrich our worship during this special time of reflection. Here are some dates to remember as we journey through Lent and enter Holy Week: Wednesday Evenings in Lent: Harpist Lisa Lamb plays for the 7:00 p.m. Chapel services. Wednesday, March 13: No Choristers Rehearsal (Adult Choir will rehearse). Palm Sunday (March 24): Choristers and Adult Choir lead the procession at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 27): Extended Adult Choir Rehearsal (6:30-8:30). No Choristers rehearsal. Maundy Thursday (March 28): Adult Choir sings Palestrina and Mozart for the 7:00 p.m. service. Easter Sunday (March 31): Festival Music for Choir, Trumpet, and Organ at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. Please plan to attend the special service of Festal Evensong at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. Glorious hymns, Anglican chant, and the profound liturgy of Evening Prayer will combine to create a powerful worship experience. Save the Date: Summer Activities for St. Mark’s Children Sunday, June 2: The annual Heifer Living Gift Market will be held on the lawn at 11:00 a.m. Join us for the fun! th
June 17-21: Vacation Bible School for children 4 years through 6 grade. There will be childcare for young children of parent leaders. Please talk to Cathy Nelson if you are interested in helping with VBS this year. We’d love to share this great experience with both you and your children!
Camp Allen camps and events for children ages 8 through 18 years open on June 9. Check the board in the Parish Hall for applications, or go to Camp Allen’s website. Registration is under way! http://www.campallen.org/summercamp/calendar, for online registration, registration forms, information, and the calendar for campers and counselors.
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March 2013
Christian Formation For Children and Youth (by Cathy Nelson, Director of Religious Education) We are making our way through the last four Sundays of the Season of Lent. In Church School classes the children of St. Mark’s continue to focus on stories of Jesus’ life, from birth to death and resurrection, in a sort of journey to Jerusalem in preparation for Easter. We will take a break on Palm Sunday to make palm crosses in a multi-generational event before the procession at the 11:00 a.m. service and on Easter for the Easter Egg Hunt. Last month, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Class took turns telling the story of Jesus from birth to death, using felt figures on a felt board. The story was condensed to highlight the most important details but it was helpful to hear in one sitting. It was fun to watch the children be “in charge” of the story, reading the narrative and placing and removing the pieces at the appropriate times. One boy asked if the class could tell the story again next week. Part of the enjoyment was from using this new storytelling medium and from telling the story themselves, but the other piece of their satisfaction was hearing the story. Children and adults alike need to hear the story over and over again. This story is the story of our faith. According to the author of a book about how congregations can nurture children as disciples of Jesus Christ more effectively in our modern culture, even only one hour a week in Church School has a remarkable influence in our lives as we revisit and better understand our relation with God. In Growing Up Christian, A Congregational Strategy for Nurturing Disciples, by C. Ellis Nelson, we are told that children begin to form an image of God very early in their lives, mostly based on their emotional relationships with their parents and other care-givers. By the age of three, most children have a “primitive image of God” that is unique to themselves. And that image does not change, it is “reconciled with ongoing experiences” and built upon by the religious and moral instruction we receive and the events of life. A story that I heard recently illustrates this well. Two three-year-olds who attended St. Mark’s Day School a few years ago were heard by their teachers discussing the trinity. After singing the song Jesus Learned About God, one boy asked how Jesus could learn about God when he is God. The other boy answered him by saying that Jesus wasn’t God, he was God’s son. The teachers intervened before an argument began. In order to make sure our children hear our beliefs about God, the beliefs that form our lifestyles in the midst of our secular American culture, we must be the ones to share them with our children. Beginning at birth, how parents relate to their children forms the emotional images of God that will be with them throughout their lives. And the role-model of parents at home, at work, at church, as maturing disciples themselves, along with the parents’ help as children grow and develop their own ideas of God and a “set of behavior patterns” are vital to their children’s growth as disciples. The Church also has a role to play in the education of our children, complimented by the relationships that underlie the actual instruction and participation in worship and education programs for children, teens and adults. Nelson is very clear that our focus is on nurturing and not educating children and adults, both within families and in the Church. “Regardless of the word used, what is important for the spiritual formation of children is parents who respect them from birth, as the parents model and explain the Christian way of life.”
In the Godly Play class for Pre-Kindergartners and Kindergartners and the Godly Play Two class for 1st and 2nd graders, the children continue to hear the stories from Jesus’ life in the series The Faces of Easter: Jesus’ Desert and Discovery Experience; Jesus as Healer and Parable-Maker; Jesus Offers Bread and Wine; and The One Who was Easter and Still Is.
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March 2013
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The 3 , 4 , and 5 graders will meet with David Genet and parent helpers to hear more of the stories of Jesus’ ministry: Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13); Ananias & Sapphira (Acts 4:32-5:1-11); and Phillip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:26-40). The Middle School and the High School class will meet with Travis Smith and teachers Danielle Adkins, Jay Brown, Kathy Genet, and Harry Lipp for Bible study. The stories this month are Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and The Rich, Young ruler (Luke 18:18-30) and the Cost of Being a disciple (Luke 14: 25-35); The Lost coin (Luke 15:8-10); and The Widow’s Offering (Luke 21:1-4).
The Easter Egg Hunt is on Easter Sunday, March 31, so we will begin to collect Easter eggs for our traditional hunt this month. Plastic bins will be designated for the eggs in the Parish Hall. Please bring one dozen pre-stuffed eggs per child for the hunt by Sunday, March 24. Thank you! Parent and youth help will be needed! The youth will be asked to help hide the eggs during the 9:00 a.m. service and to direct the children to their hunting areas, helping children out as needed.
Parishioner Highlights Dick and Dodie have combined the Highlights section titles (Family, St. Mark’s Involvement, Occupations, and Interests) into a short and sweet narrative that should whet your appetite to get them know better. A good place to do just that is either on Sunday morning or at our Wednesday evening service as they are regular attendees. We are sorry that Katrina uprooted them but so glad that they chose Austin and St. Mark’s as their new home. Beth Chenoweth
Dick and Dodie Wells We followed our daughter and her family to Austin after Katrina, first living in an apartment on Barton Hills Drive and then moving to the Oak Hills area. We began attending St. Mark’s when we lived on Barton Hills Drive, found it warm and friendly, and joined in 2006. During our time at St. Mark’s, Dick has preached, taught classes, and ushered. Dodie has served as a lector and as a member of the Altar Guild, the Martha’s, and the Shower ministry, as well as ushering.
We both retired after leaving New Orleans where Dick finished up his career as a Presbyterian minister serving as campus minister at Tulane University. Dodie completed 28 years as a chemistry teacher at a private school in Uptown New Orleans We have enjoyed retirement in Austin as it has given us an opportunity to pursue several of our interests. Dick has done a great deal of reading in Theology. Currently, he is keeping his mind active by attending classes at The Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He is also involved in the Austin Philatelic Club. Dodie is a member of the Butterfly Forum, Zilker Docents, and the Native Plant Society and chairs the outreach program for the local section of the American Chemical Society. But for both of us, our most important activity is spending time with our 8-year-old grandson, Santiago.
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March 2013
Celebrations March Birthdays Samuel Smith
03/01
Silvia Gates
03/10
Becky Poynot
03/21
Bennett Whalen
03/01
Cecilia Smith
03/10
L.A. Williams
03/21
Cheryl Beesley
03/02
Debbie Thornal
03/10
Matt Schulz
03/22
Brady Bludworth
03/02
Tom Hourin
03/11
Julia Zuniga
03/22
Bonnie Brode
03/03
Brett Pitt
03/11
Emily Rogers
03/24
John DeMarines
03/03
Ann Williams
03/12
Reagan Tso
03/24
Max Genet
03/03
Phil Aboussie
03/14
Christine Duke
03/25
Evan Overstreet
03/03
Joey Albers
03/14
Nicholas Forrest
03/25
John Bernard
03/04
Carmen Smith
03/14
Christopher Considine
03/26
Emily Black
03/04
Gregg LaMontagne
03/15
Jon Nogarede
03/27
Aimee Tennant
03/04
Landon Phillips
03/15
John Rogers
03/27
Ken Whalen
03/05
Tara Pitt
03/15
Sarah Stasney-Chun
03/27
Robert Borja
03/06
Lindy Siegismund
03/15
Carol Cofer
03/28
Drew Edgerton
03/06
Jim Ramsey
03/16
Mike Brode
03/29
Jean Main
03/06
Luke Smith
03/16
Amanda Lindeman
03/29
Liz Davis
03/07
Patricia Bullock
03/18
Elizabeth Minne
03/29
Asher Eaton
03/07
Nancy Bachschmid
03/19
Mark Santos
03/30
Roy Smithers
03/07
Hunter Rogers
03/19
James Spindler
03/30
Ross Ramsey
03/08
Lauren Davis
03/20
Nicholas Stoner
03/30
Jennifer Santos
03/08
Dominic Mayor
03/20
John Delamater
03/31
Mitchell Stoner
03/09
George Anthony Pazdral
03/21
Piper Williamson
03/31
Nico Williamson
03/09
March Anniversaries Sue & James Crowson
03/02
Cheryl & James Beesley
03/17
Carolyn & James Wier
03/20
Eve & Sean Nunes
03/04
Barbara & David Sharpe
03/18
Joanne Foote & Ariston Awitan
03/21
Becky Brownlee & Ross Ramsey
03/07
Jeannie & Glenn Lightsey
03/20
Judy & Dave Elkins
03/30
March Caffeine Ministry 3rd Early – Joe and Shannon Eaton
10th Early – Jill Collins and Jonea Raney
17th Early – Phillip Harwell and Susan Baxter-Harwell
24th Early – Darcy and Eric Goff
Late – Amalia & Manuel de la Rosa
Late – Liz Davis and Barbara Dody
Late – Bob and Doris Edgar
Late – Sam and Nancy Greer
31st – Easter Early – Marthas Late – Kathy and David Genet
Early: Arrive 15 minutes before 9 a.m. service, make lemonade, set out cookies, etc. (Coffee will already be made.) Late: After 11 a.m. service, replenish cookies, and other supplies. After hospitality time, clean up all containers. Complete instructions are in the kitchen above the coffee maker. *If you are unable to make your time, contact the vestry member for March, Bo Overstreet.
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March 2013
ROTA March 3
March 10 Youth Sunday
March 17
March 24* Palm Sunday Youth Sunday
March 31 Easter
April 7
LECTOR
Jon Dullnig
Amelia Sondgeroth
Pattie Rose
Nancy Middlebrook
Jonea Raney
Jill Collins
LEM & ACOLYTE
Pattie Rose
Nancy Middlebrook
Jonea Raney
Pattie Rose
Jill Collins
Pattie Rose
USHERS
Jon & Judith Dullnig
Jonea Raney Jill Collins
Danielle Adkins Stephen White
Ed Shipsey Al McKinney
Beth Chenoweth Mary Smith
Jonea Raney Jill Collins
LECTORS
Becky Janes (1) Ken Whalen (2)
Youth
Mike Thomasson (1) Virginia Acker (2)
Youth
Meredith Childs (1) Kevin Childs (2)
Bill Kibler (1) Nancy Kibler (2)
LEM
Mike Thomasson (only one needed)
Kim Buckner Jeremiah Griffin
Jonathan Hansen Carol Oppel
Vivian Orndorff Mike Thomasson
Bill Kibler Lynn Edgerton
Carol Oppel Vivian Orndorff
Abbe Kelly Will Kelly Abigail Goff Claudia Janes Mark Breen
Connor Fuhrman Davis Fuhrman Ethan Fuhrman TBD
Connor Lightsey Suzanne Lightsey Claire Dempsey Ryan Dempsey
Carson Buckner Katey Orndorff Clay Buckner Clara Bogard
Abbe Kelly Will Kelly Julia Comer Claudia Janes
Dee Ann Thomasson
Mike Brode Phil Aboussie Ross Ramsey
Ken Whalen Ariston Awitan III Dan Bogard
John Edgerton Casey Edgerton Kevin Cromack
Mark Breen Mike Brode Ken Whalen John Edgerton
Connor Fuhrman Davis Fuhrman Ethan Fuhrman TBD Mark Breen
9:00 a.m. SERVICE
7:30 SERVICE
TIME MINISTRY
ACOLYTES
USHERS
Dick Wells Dodie Wells Glen Baumgart
Dee Ann Thomasson
Dick Wells Dodie Wells Glen Baumgart
GREETERS
Barbette & John Cooper
Meredith Childs Kevin Cromack
Cindy & Dan Bogard
Kim Buckner Michael Meigs
Cindy & Dan Bogard
TBD
LECTORS
Matt Lamon (1) Liz Davis (2)
Rex White (1) Dodie Wells (2)
Suzann Dvorken (1) Dave Elkins (2)
Karen Milton (1) Michael Meigs (2)
Kimberly Horne (1) Rex White (2)
Steve Niemeyer (1) Barbara Dody (2)
LEM
Jeremiah Griffin (only one needed)
Vivian Orndorff Dru Cabler
Mary Ann Huston Jim Casparis
Jonathan Hansen Liz Davis
Jay Brown Jeremiah Griffin
Brenda White Rex White
ACOLYTES
TBD TBD Elijah Gallardo Evan Overstreet
Patrick Camp Max Genet Joseph Genet Claire Cabler
Michael Brode Bonnie Brode Asher Eaton Luke Thiessen
Wes Johns Ariston Awitan IV Matthew Awitan Evan Overstreet
Carey Stangl Matt Forrest Ben Forrest Sam Forrest
Henry Olivas Lark Anthony Yvonne Chavez
Frank Severn Jean Severn Jay Doran Jodie Doran
Carolyn Wier Jim Casparis Henry Olivas Frank Severn
Carolyn Wier James Wier Bo Overstreet Rick Tennant John De Marines
Shelly Botkin Ryan Marquess
Lark Anthony Barbara Dody
Shelly Botkin Ryan Marquess
TBD
Altar Guild Work Party 9 a.m. Meredith Childs-TC Lynn Edgerton Liz Davis Doris Edgar
Millie Casparis-TC Judy Elkins Henry Olivas Barbara Dody Pat Bullock
Jonea Raney-TC Jill Collins Carolyn Wier Pat Bullock Cynthia Archer
11:00 a.m. SERVICE
Sara Thiessen
USHERS
Carolyn Wier James Wier Bo Overstreet Rick Tennant John De Marines
GREETERS Jean & Frank Severn
Winston Baxter- Harwell Emmaline Baxter- Harwell
Julia Comer Jim Casparis Charles Brewer Bob Peterek Manuel de la Rosa Jim Nolan Ryan Marquess Jay Doran Diana Stangl-TC Helen Anderson Karen Milton Susan BaxterHarwell
Depositor
Frank Severn
Diane Brewer
Jim Casparis
John De Marines
Bo Overstreet
TBD
WED. 6 p.m.
March 6
March 13
March 20
March 27
April 3
April 10
Lector
Soup Supper/Eucharist
Soup Supper/Eucharist
Soup Supper/Eucharist
---
Rex White
ALTAR GUILD
Jonea Raney-TC Jill Collins Carolyn Wier Cynthia Archer
Sat. 9:00
Dee Ann Thomasson-TC
Dodie Wells Tina Stonebarger Bev Hicks
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Vestry Andrew Poynot, Sr. Warden Kathy Genet, Jr. Warden
Vestry members: Dan Bogard, Susan Bonnen, Shelly Botkin, Kim Buckner, Lynn Edgerton, Becky Janes, David Johns, Nancy Kibler, J.P. Kloninger Jim Nolan, Bo Overstreet, Ross Ramsey, Rex White
Deadline for the April 2013 St. Mark’s News is Friday, March 15, 2013. Please submit your article by email as an attachment to: office@stmarksaustin.org.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 2128 Barton Hills Drive Austin, TX 78704 512.444.1449 www.stmarksaustin.org office@stmarksaustin.org
Committees
Staff
Acolytes: Jay Brown, Carol Oppel, Mary Cromack, Kim Kiplin, and Kim Buckner Altar Guild: Millie Casparis Building Committee: Amelia Sondgeroth Christian Formation: Cathy Nelson Communications: Pattie Rose Daughters of the King: Jonea C.S. Raney Women of St. Mark’s: Yvonne Chavez and Judy Elkins Facilities: Ray Smith Finance: John Edgerton Outreach: Becky Poynot and Laurie Mayor Parish Life: Brenda White Pastoral Care/Health Ministry: Jonea C.S. Raney Stewardship: Amelia Sondgeroth Ushers: Henry Olivas
Rector The Rev. Elizabeth Zarelli Turner Curate The Rev. Travis Smith Director of Religious Education Cathy Nelson Organist/Director of Music Mark Reed Seminarians Jeremiah Griffin Jonathan Hansen Vivian Orndorff Head of Day School Gina Newton Parish Administrator Joanne Foote Newsletter Editor Becky Janes
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED