ST. MARK’S NEWS • VOLUME 23 • ISSUE 3 • MAY 2019
From the Rector Dear St. Mark’s family, I’m carrying with me so many sweet memories of my first Holy Week with you. Our Palm Sunday procession was gorgeous. And I’ve never participated in a marching “Glory Laud and Honor” that managed to stay in rhythm all the way into the church! Impressive, people. The rearranged furniture of Grace Chapel was meant to provide an initial shock to the system at our Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday Eucharists. Being in a different-but-familiar space was meant to wake us up into acknowledging that in Holy Week we inhabit a different-yet-familiar kind of time. Carol Oppel offered a series of three lovely, tone-setting homilies. On Thursday, Cecilia invited us into the Triduum proper and before leaving we all, together as one family, tenderly, somberly prepared ourselves for Good Friday by stripping the altar. The blowing out of the hanging candle—symbolizing that Christ’s presence now mysteriously eludes us; no consecrated bread or wine remain on the premises—was a particularly touching moment for me. On Good Friday, we marched with the cross and with one another, nostrils filled with the aromas of fresh cedar (thank you meditation trail clean-up crew!), taking turns station-to-station embodying the interdependence that always exists in the body of Christ. Our children discovered Easter eggs at each station—filled not with candy but with symbols of Christ’s cross-laden journey: Band-Aids, rosaries, nails, shrouds, and small crosses. At the Good Friday liturgy we prayed earnestly for our desperate, hope-hungry world. Then, of course, the Great Vigil of Easter: What a night! What an overwhelming crowd! Oh, choir, you brought me to tears. Oh, sweet little baptized children, how beautiful you were to behold! Oh, you petrified pew-sitters, eyes pried open in fear watching your rector approach with a baptism-soaked rosemary branch! Some may say I got carried away with the Easter Proclamation but I say unto you, YOU CANNOT BE TOO EXCITED ABOUT THE RESURRECTION! To share that night with you filled my heart to the brim. Those with eyes to see will have noticed the debut appearance of our new set of Easter-white altar vestments, purchased with St. Mark’s memorial funds, dedicated to the glory of God in the memory of Bob Peterek. Easter morning, as ever, was a holy chaos ear-to-ear grins and unadulterated grace. If Lent was about preparing our hearts and minds to renew our baptismal vows at the Vigil, this Easter season at St. Mark’s is about being raised out of those baptismal waters yet again to be embraced yet again by one’s community of faith. Our leadership team was overwhelmed by the number of you that signed up to join an Easter Home Group, and my prayer is that many new and deep Christian friendships are formed as you enjoy the more intimate fellowship made possible by our gracious hosts and small group leaders. My challenge to you is to be bold and courageous in these groups. Dare to share your real self, your real story, your real struggles, with one another. Dare to be known, really, by those you worship beside week after week. As you share your stories with one another, dare to ask follow-up questions. Notice the bravery in vulnerability of those
In this Issue From the Rector ........................ 1 Parish Life................................. 2 Caffeine Ministry ....................... 4 Outreach ................................... 5 Day School News ..................... 7 Parishioner Highlights ............... 8 Seen Around St. Mark’s ............ 9 May Celebrations .................... 10 June Celebrations ................... 11 ROTA................................. Insert
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