June 19, 2015 
In This Issue
From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior
From the Senior Warden
From Stewardship
Youth & Family Ministry Update
Service Notes & Music
About the Gospel
Quick Links
The Gospel According to St. Mark's

From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior

Friends,

 

The attack, this past Wednesday night, on a church in Charleston, which resulted in the death of nine people, was a horrific assault. I sent out a special message yesterday notifying our community that there would be prayer service at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 15  14 15th Street NW this evening at 7pm. I'm sure it will be a heartbreaking and healing time. I also let you know that we have kept our Nave open the past two days for those who wanted and needed a place to pray. Lord have mercy.
 

This event is an intersection of gun violence and racism that has been the thread connecting too many news stories in the past few years. For me, it began with the murder of Trayvon Martin, swept up the massacre in Newtown, and culminated in our service "All Mothers' Children" that took place just a month ago on Mother's Day. The fact that we are once again faced with a tragedy that feels unbearable as we prepare to celebrate Father's Day is so very painful.

 

But the truth is that it is not unbearable. The people of Emanuel Church AME have been bearing it for over one hundred years. Racism, violence, terrorism, and yet they still keep gathering together; they still have faith. If I feel tired and frustrated, if the tedium of horror after horror is too much for me, I remember our nation's history. Mother Emanuel will endure; and our struggle for justice will endure.

 

With that said, let me be clear: it's okay to feel grief and anger and hopelessness. This was a traumatic event, and I'm aware that some part of St. Mark's trauma might come from the fact that our recently retired rector is a charismatic African American priest who now resides in South Carolina. We have also made efforts to confront racism and be diverse; we have also made efforts to confront gun violence. If you are hurting, please let the church know how we can help. I'll be addressing this event in my sermon on Sunday; we can keep the church open for prayer; anyone can speak with me privately; we can talk about how we might continue to be a place of love in justice especially in light of this event. It's a good time to listen.

 

This is hard, dear ones. I'm so grateful for this community that upholds us in all the work we are called to do.

 

Peace,

Justi

From Peter Sherer, Senior Warden

 

Last Saturday at Shrine Mont on the Hill over 100 people contributed their ideas and enthusiasm to meet the twelve challenges facing the church now. Managers of each challenge presented draft plans to their small groups and received very valuable feedback. These new ideas will be incorporated into final plans in July and will guide our collective efforts over the next two years.

 

I will be reporting the progress we are making against the challenges during the year and our new Rector will inherit a church that has a management roadmap. That is a big deal and will provide focus during our transition.

 

For those of you who had to miss, Saturday started off with delicious breakfast goodies provided by the Vestry under the leadership of Karen Wiedemann and Fritz Henn. After our work on the challenges we had a spectacular lunch of Shrine Mont-like cuisine compliments of Penny and Brock Hansen and their lunch crew. Thanks also to Blair Ford who jumped in to help prepare and clean up with Peter Mosely. After lunch we had an absolutely hysterical square dance. Big fun all around.

 

A major highlight on Saturday was that Michele Morgan, our Interim Rector, joined us and contributed many valuable ideas to several challenge groups. By the time she finished preaching to a full house on Sunday everyone was wildly enthusiastic about having her with us for the transition. She will be joining the staff on Monday June 29th and I hope you will seek her out and welcome her personally soon after that.

 

On Sunday we had a wonderful informal service followed by a fabulous Pub Lunch under the leadership of Jim Steed and Linda Ewald.

 

It took a lot of people and thought to produce our successful weekend. Thanks to all for getting our transition off to such a promising start.

 

Hugs,

Peter

From the Stewardship Chair

One of our key priorities during this year of transition is to enhance connections within the community, and there are a number of initiatives underway to make that happen.  One way to get involved is to join the Stewardship team, which is focused on our annual Canvass, or fundraising, effort.  It has been more than a decade since St. Mark's has undertaken an every member, face-to-face Canvass, but we believe it is particularly important to do so this year.  In order to make that happen, I am seeking a large core of volunteers.  Here's how things will work.  We need about 50 volunteers who are willing to be "askers."  Each will be assigned about 5-6 pledging members and will be asked to reach out to those members by phone this summer.  The focus of those calls will be to thank the members for making a financial contribution in 2015 and to "check in" with the members about their experience of St. Mark's.  We'll arm the Stewardship team with information for these calls, including answers to frequently asked questions about what's going on at St. Mark's.  Then in October, each Stewardship team will reach out to the same 5-6 pledging members and set up a face-to-face meeting to ask for a financial pledge for 2016.  The meeting can be a lunch, a coffee, a house visit, a walk in the neighborhood, a get-together in Baxter Hall after a service - anything at all.  Again, the Stewardship team will have all the information needed to respond to questions about parish finances and other issues.  We hope that this process will allow for an honest and open discussion about giving to St. Mark's and about the experience of being a member of our community.  We also hope it enhances and strengthens relationships within the community.  Sound interesting?  Have questions?  Please contact Mike Townsend at stmarksstewardship2015@gmail.com to learn more or to join this important effort.

  - Mike Townsend, Stewardship Chair

 

Youth & Family Ministry Update

The Search Committee is pleased to announce that Caroline McReynolds-Adams accepted the offer for the position of Director of Youth & Family Ministries on June 13th.

Caroline graduated from Belmont University in Nashville with a BA in Religion and the Arts and received her Master of Divinity (with a Certificate in Religion in the Arts and Contemporary Culture) from Vanderbilt.   She spent the past two years as the Youth and Worship Arts Assistant at West End United Methodist Church, Nashville.  We expect Caroline to be in DC sporadically over the summer and start fulltime with us on September 1st. 

Thanks to everyone who provided support and input during our yearlong vision and search process, particularly to Pam Lacey for keeping our youth program energized and organized since Marcella Gillis' departure.   

 

Prelude

Andantino from Six Organ Pieces, Frank Bridge (1879-1941)

Opening Hymn

11 Awake, my soul, and with the sun, Tune: Morning Hymn

 

Sequence Hymn

LEVAS 204 Think of His Goodness to You, Words & Music by R.C. Ward

 

Offertory Solo

Walk Together Children, Traditional Spiritual, arr. Moses Hogan

     Marika Klein, soloist

 

Presentation Hymn

371 Thou, whose almighty word, v. 3, Tune: Moscow

 

Sanctus

WLP 858 American folk melody; arr. Marcia Pruner

         

Fraction Anthem

WLP 866 Owen Burdick

 

Music During Communion

Wohl euch, ihr auserwählten Seelen, (Happy ye whom God has elected)

     J.S. Bach (1685-1750) - Marika Klein, soloist

LEVAS 112 Come, Holy Ghost, Tune: Lambillotte

 

Closing Hymn

492 Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness, Tune: Finnian

 

Postlude

Allegro marziale from  Six Organ Pieces, Frank Bridge

Schedule of Services 
Sunday, June 21, 2105
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
 

10:00 am Holy Eucharist + Laying on of Hands

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider

   

11:15 am Sermon Seminar

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Preacher

 

5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider and Preacher 

About the Gospel
St. Mark's uses a third-party vendor to send emails to parishioners, friends, and neighbors who have signed up to receive the weekly Gospel newsletter. You are receiving this email because you expressed an interest in St. Mark's by completing a Newcomer's Card at a service, attending an event, or asking to subscribe.

If you no longer wish to receive this weekly newsletter and other email updates from St. Mark's, please click "SafeUnsubscribe" at the bottom of this message. Your web browser will open and a page on our vendor's website, Constant Contact, and will ask you to verify the address you want removed from this list. Type in your email address, press the yellow button that says, "Yes, Unsubscribe Me," and our mailing list vendor will automatically remove your email address.

If you do want to receive this weekly email, but want it to be sent to a different email address, please click "SafeUnsubscribe" below, and then go to the St. Mark's Gospel webpage to enter the email address at which you'd prefer to receive the Gospel.

The Gospel is archived online at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs180/1108958702238/archive/1116389439140.html.