August 14, 2015 
In This Issue
From the Senior Warden
From the Junior Warden
From the Music Director
Service Notes & Music
Sunday Service Schedule
Quick Links
The Gospel According to St. Mark's

From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Associate Rector

Friends,
 
I love social media because it brings to me stories I might not otherwise hear about including a really interesting article I read earlier this summer about a church in England (also named St. Mark's) who did away with their service rota.   
 
Now some of you will not even know what a rota is, and this article is for you! A rota is a list of who is serving in a given role on a given day. We have a rota for people who read the scripture; a rota for who serves wine or juice at communion; a rota for acolytes; a rota for those who greet us at the door and hand out a bulletin and hymnal(s).
 
The idea is that there are many people who might like to be involved in a service, to try something new, but who feel intimidated by the process of becoming involved. They don't know how to be a reader or a lay server or a greeter, but they'd like a shot at trying it out. The idea is also that there are many of us who just can't plan a Sunday morning weeks in advance. Maybe I'll come to the morning service or maybe I'll make the 5pm service (I say this as someone with a spouse who would be happy to read, greet, or lay serve, but who doesn't know if he wants to come to a morning, evening, or any service at all). 
The upshot of all of this is that we're running an experiment in September. This is a month in which we still have only one morning service. During this month we'll be recruiting people as they walk in the door to read, greet, acolyte, lay serve. I don't know what will happen; it's a little scary to not have a worship plan in place minutes before we begin the service. My hope is that new people will come forward, especially kids. I hope all of us see the worship service, and St. Mark's in general, as a place where we can all participate. If we stumble over words of the Bible or mix up the phrase to say when we offer wine then I say welcome to my world. We've all been graceless from time to time and our St. Mark's is a place where we can make graceless mistakes, I hope. My prayer is that this experiment will be a public affirmation of our embrace of messiness.
 
Some of you are worried about this experiment. Training is important; graceful liturgy is important. But let's see how September goes. I hope we'll find some new worship participants and, perhaps, a graceful way of welcoming newcomers and strangers into the very heart of what we do.

Peace,
Justi
From Peter Sherer, Senior Warden
 
A Few Things of Note
 
Hi All,
 
Some news you can use.
 
We are making good progress on the Claggett deposit check front. We have about 30 0f the 55 advance deposits that we need to be able to lock down the June 11 and 12, 2016 date for us. Please give me a check on Sunday for $100 for couples and $50 for an individual.
 
A new poster for the foyer is in the works. Betsy Agle, the Communications Challenge Group and Stewart Andrews have worked hard for weeks to create a fabulous poster that describes our activities at the church. It will be very useful to orient visitors and new people and to remind all of us what an amazingly active and useful place we have created together. Look for it around Labor Day.
 
The Parish Picnic is going to be on Sunday September 13th. Be there or be square. This year it is being sponsored by the 20s and 30s and some of their older cousins the "Middle Timers" (formerly known as the St Mark's 40s and 50s). The leaders of the 20s and 30s are Lisa Ramish, Blair Ford and Jeb Ory. They will expect us to bring salads and maybe desserts but they will provide hot dogs and hamburgers. The big news - it is free.
 
Mike Townsend and Nora Howell as heads of the Canvass have rounded up 50 of us to touch base with people in September and then to canvass them in October. This approach is great news as we are trying to raise more money than last year so that the new Rector has some budget room to get us launched in the right direction. Canvasser training is on Saturday September 26th.
 
As a key step in developing the 2016 budget, the Finance Committee and the Vestry will meet with the Parish Pillars to understand the funds they will need to carry out their missions. Many thanks to the Pillars who are Joe Calizo and Lucy Brown for Christian Education, Marilu Sherer for Parish Life, Jessie Babcock and Valeri Byrd for Worship, Chris Herman and Rick Hayes for the Arts, and Marlan Green and Ruth Ann Hess for Outreach. The meeting is scheduled for Sunday September 27th.
 
Hugs all around.
 
Peter
From Doris Burton, Junior Warden

"I've got a little list," sings Ko-ko, the Lord High Executioner in The Mikado, cataloguing the socially unacceptable victims any self-respecting executioner would go after.

I've got a list, too, only mine isn't 'little' -- it's quite long and is a catalog of all the unacceptable building issues that didn't get attention as we focused on our extensive renovation (and you thought, after all that construction, "everything" was done!). For months, the Fabric Committee has been generating a list of nave issues needing attention and your "lord high executioner' took out one 'victim'...our hard-worn nave floor.
 
The refinished Nave floor dries. 
This week, Arundel Floors buffed and sealed the Nave floor. We're trying a new product: "Street Shoe" promises to be a far more durable polyurethane coating lasting 10+ years. It is a water-based product (no fumes), has a 90% cure rate in 24  hours, rel  eases fewer than 250 hydrocarbons per liter, and is LEED compliant. It's more expensive but some of the cost will be born by a generous contribution from the Dance Studio. The chairs are back in place and the Nave is ready for Fall.

And, several folks from the Players dusted the rafters of the side aisles. You've never seen dust until you've seen these:

The dust from the anteroom spilled into the Chancel
 
This duster was white!
 
 
 
 



Jerry Dale, of the St. Mark's Players, swears the rafters of the chapel anteroom have never been dusted--so thank a Player next time you see one!
   
Fabric doesn't merely implement projects; they're also part of 'the Village' who cares for our property: on July 28, five intrepid members (Charlie Rupp, Fritz Henn, Nora Howell, Jack Richards, and Manciple Jack Burton) joined me clearing the utility closets of old furniture, windows (?), junk, and left-behind construction materials with Susan Sedgewick making a 'dump run' the next day.
 
Bit by bit, we are 'executing' the remaining building issues...stay tuned for the next verse.
From the Director of Music

Dear St. Mark's,

With September approaching, this is a good time to consider participating in the music program at St. Mark's.  We have an exciting season shaping up - including singing the Earth Mass (Missa Gaia) on Oct. 4th - and would love to have new people join us!

The Chancel Choir, which rehearses in the nave on Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 starting Sep. 3rd, is open to high school students and adults.  No prior experience is necessary, but the ability to match pitch is required.  Please note that we are in particular need of basses at the 11:15 service, so to all the men with lower voices, please think about joining us.

The Boys & Girls Choir, open to children in grades 1-8, will start the season with a retreat on Saturday Sep. 12th from 10am-3pm.  The rehearsal days/times are still to be determined. 

The Handbell Choir rehearses downstairs in the Elders' Room most Wednesdays from 7-8:30 starting Sep. 9th. This fun group requires no prior experience with handbells.  All are welcome! 

There are other opportunities to participate in the music program, such as if you play an instrument or wish to sing a solo or duet sometime.

If you are "on the fence" or are otherwise interested but unsure if you can sing or ring, please let me know and I would be happy to meet with you and give you some feedback and encouragement.  I also wish to remind you how much fun it is to make music!

Peace,
JEFF

Prelude  
 Elegy,  George Thalben-Ball (1896 -1987) 
     - Dr. Donna Whited, guest organist 
 
Opening Hymn
427 When morning gilds the skies, Tune: Laudes Domini
 
Offertory Hymn 
665 All my hope on God is founded, Tune: Michael 
 
Presentation Hymn
705 v. 3 adapted, Tune: Forest Green
 
Sanctus
S 130 from Deutsche Messe, Franz Schubert; arr. Richard Proulx
 
Fraction Anthem
S 164 from Deutsche Messe, Franz Schubert; arr. Richard Proulx
 
Music During Communion
LEVAS 117 I'm Goin'-a Sing When the Spirits Says Sing, African American Spiritual
LEVAS 150 Jesus, the Bread of Life, Grayson Warren Brown
 
Closing Hymn
420 When in our music God is glorified, Tune: Engelberg

Postlude
"Crown Imperial", Edward Elgar (1857-1934) 
    - Dr. Donna Whited, guest organist

Schedule of Services 
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
 

10:00 am Holy Eucharist 

The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Presider  

 

11:00 Sermon Seminar

The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Preacher

 

5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist

The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Presider and Homilist

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