May 2014
St. Mark’s News Volume 17/Issue 5
From the Rector Alleluia, Alleluia! Christ is Risen, the Lord is Risen indeed. Alleluia, Alleluia! Easter day may be past, but the Easter season has 7 Sundays. On those Sundays during the Easter season we will hear accounts of Jesus’ postresurrection appearances, and about the significance of who he is. Our gospel on April 27 was the story of the invitation extended to Thomas to touch the wounds in his hands and side; May In this Issue 4 is the encounter with the risen Lord on the Road to Emmaus; May 11 is Good Shepherd Sunday; May 18 we will hear the promise that Jesus has gone to From the Rector .........................1 prepare a place for us in our Father’s house; May 25, in anticipation of the Vestry Highlights ........................2 feasts of the Ascension and of Pentecost we hear the promise that he will send Caffeine Ministry ........................2 May and June Events .................3 another Advocate, the Spirit of truth; and finally, on June 1 is Jesus’ great Congratulations ..........................4 prayer for the unity of those who believe in him: “ . . . may they be one, as we Parish Life ..................................4 are one.” Parishioner Highlights ................6
This Easter season is an opportunity to look for signs of the risen Christ in our Christian Formation ....................8 Birthdays & Anniversaries ........10 lives and the lives of those we love. It might also be a time to continue any of ROTA .......................................11 the spiritual disciplines we might have taken on during the season of Lent. One question that is often asked in anticipation of Lent is, “If something needs to be given up for 40 days, why not just give it up?” I would argue that there is precedent for a season of fasting. But if we have taken on some discipline for Lent (more faithful prayer, more scripture reading, acts of charity, almsgiving) why give it up on Easter? Some years ago one of our parishioners took on an entirely new discipline for the Easter season, and wrote a letter a day for 50 days to people who were important to her. Is there some new discipline we might want to take on for these 50 days of the Easter season? During Lent, and now during this Easter season, I find myself being thankful to, and grateful for, the people of St. Mark’s. Lent may be a season for “giving up,” but it was a season for many doing much….and this Easter season promises to be as full and busy. During Lent many of you made a point of being here Wednesday evenings for soup and worship. You brought soup and you cleaned up. There has been some request for your help or participation nearly every weekend: the Habitat Build (March 22), the Meditation Trail clean up (April 12), the Altar Guild and friends work party (April 19), the Chicken BBQ and picnic (May 3), the Golf Tournament (May 10), the Feast of Lorenzo on Friday, May 23. In addition, several of our gardeners worked on “their” beds to ready them for spring and for Easter. And during Holy Week we had services every evening/day with a Seder on Monday evening following the service and a most moving Maundy Thursday service with the choir singing the music of Mozart as part of the Mass. Many of you brought eggs for our Easter egg hunt, whether or not you had children participating. So to all of you who cooked, who cleaned, who polished, who mulched, who gardened, who built, who sang, who worshipped, who enriched the mission and ministry of St. Mark’s…..thank you! On the night before he died for us, our Lord gave us a new commandment: to love one another as he loved us. Thank you for being a community of faith, faithful to this commandment to love one another. I thank God for each one of you and offer prayers for a joyous Easter season. EZT+
Page 1