October 16, 2015 
In This Issue
Youth & Family Ministry Update
From the Associate Rector
From the Junior Warden
From the Music Director
Service Notes & Music
Sunday Service Schedule
About the Gospel
Quick Links
The Gospel According to St. Mark's
From Peter Sherer, Senior Warden

The Canvass is in Full Swing
Canvassers are actively contacting us to set up meetings. Please get back to your canvasser when they contact you to set up a time that works on your calendar. We are hoping to finish our face-to-face meetings by November 8th.
 
Bread for the World Speaker on Sunday
On Sunday the 18th at 3:30 pm Bishop Jose Garcia will speak in the Adams room. Bread for the World is a grassroots, ecumenical voice that urges our nation's policymakers to support government programs that aim to end hunger at home and abroad. Bread was founded in 1974 by the Reverend Arthur Simon; Bread has grown into a large, well-organized citizens' movement. Parishioner Peter Nye has participated in Bread for the World Lobby Days, attended a national gathering, canvassed voters, taught a class session using Bread's materials, and organized an Offering of Letters (which is a Bread campaign of writing letters about hunger issues to members of Congress); he is organizing this event. For more information, see Bread's website at Bread for the World or ask Peter Nye (P_nye@yahoo.com).
Sunday School Parents
Please remember to bring your completed registration forms with you this Sunday or ask your child's teacher for a copy. We want to make sure that we have accurate contact information and permission to attend St Mark's events off site.
 
The Vestry meets this Sunday at 1:15 pm in The Elders Room
The Vestry will consider a number of financial motions and approve Michael Summey and Kim Bayliss as new members of the Endowment Board. Joey Rick, The Canon for Congregational Vitality, who has been working with the DSC will brief the Vestry on its responsibility to approve the hiring of the next Rector. All are welcome.
 
Hugs
 
Peter
From Caroline McReynolds-Adams, Director of Youth & Family Ministries
 
Dear Parents,

There are a couple of exciting new options for children during the 9am and 5pm services that will begin this Sunday!

For the 9am Service:

Children's Chapel is back! For those of you who are unfamiliar, this program was designed to make a more creative, playful, child-friendly space available for young children during the first half of the 9am liturgy on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Sundays of the month (the 2nd Sunday is our Family Service). We all go upstairs to the Dance Studio to light a candle, sing some songs, draw our prayers, and do a special confession ritual with stones and water that kids LOVE. This year, Justi, Michele, and I will alternate leading Children's Chapel. It is really a wonderful way to provide children with some impactful spiritual time in their a way that interests them.
There are a couple of new elements of Children's Chapel this year:

GATHER IN THE NAVE: This year, we are asking all families and children to go to the Nave for the 9am service as you normally would. There will be cards and crayons available when you walk in for your child to begin drawing their prayers. Shortly after the service begins, Michele will announce Children's Chapel and at that time I will lead all interested kids upstairs to the Dance Studio. After out time together,  I will lead us back to the Nave during the offertory for Eucharist and the remainder of the 9am service.

OFFERTORY: As a new element of Children's Chapel this year, we will pass around a basket for kids to give an offering. At the end of the year, we will help the kids decide for themselves which  group, organization, or cause about which they are passionate that they can give that money to. This will allow them to feel some ownership in the service and will help teach them about responsible giving. If willing and able, please send your child with some spare change to contribute.

For the 5pm Service:

In an effort to provide our 5pm kids with a designated space during the service, we will have a special kids' rug in the Nave with crayons and coloring pages during the Eucharist portion of the liturgy. When parishioners circle around the alter before the Eucharist, Michele will invite children to the rug for some fun, quiet time coloring before they rejoin the circle to take communion. It is our hope that this will help children feel more involved and welcome during the service.

Be sure to read the weekly Youth E-News for reminders and updates about these and other programs, and please let me know if you have any questions regarding either of these service options. Thank you for helping us continue to explore new ways to make St. Mark's a fun, friendly place for our youth!

Peace,

Caroline

From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Associate Rector

Friends,
 
For the next couple of months the Liturgy Planning Team has decided to use a confession during our worship service. The use of a confession during the service has been a bit of a fraught topic around St. Mark's. There are those of us who hear any kind of language about sin and immediately picture a stern authority figure pointing the finger of blame right at us. Those that feel this way come by it honestly; certain strands of Christianity rail against sin as a way to control and to hurt others, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized among us. This kind of abuse is antithetical to any notion of a loving community or a loving God.
 
So I want to be careful when I talk about the benefits of a corporate confession. For while a view of humanity as thoroughly sinful seems harmful, I do believe that there is a human need to acknowledge wrongdoing. We look at the world around us and see that things aren't as they should be. We should be taking better care of the earth; we should be sharing more with our neighbors; we should be less violent; we should be less racist. We each, no matter how well-meaning we are, play a part in our collective sinfulness.
 
To take a hard look at ourselves and own up to where we have fallen short is not an exercise in self-flagellation and its purpose is not to make us feel bad about ourselves or to feel guilty. The purpose is actually to give us hope. Acknowledging brokenness in the world means that we expect that this brokenness will not last forever, even though it may seem that way. Hearing the words of God's forgiveness reminds us that falling short does not prevent us from receiving God's love.
 
We will be using a variety of confessions in our worship so that we can experience different flavors of this practice. Some words we use may challenge you, others may inspire you. As always, if you really like what we use or if you really don't like what we use, we want to hear from you. The Liturgy Planning Team is always looking for new members with strong feelings about worship! 
 
Peace,
Justi
From Doris Burton, Junior Warden

I am out of town until late October. In my absence, former JW Charlie Rupp is serving as Interim JW in my absence, ably assisted by members of the Fabric Committee. No one knows the building as well as Charlie. Please direct your questions/needs to him at stmarksjuniorwarden@gmail.com. A list of equipment and supplies for your use are in the rack beneath the Info Board in the Foyer.
From Jeff Kempskie, Director of Music

Dear St. Mark's,

The music program is in need of 3-4 more participants.  Can you help out? 

Our first need is rather specific: the Chancel Choir needs 2-3 basses to sing at the 11:15 service.  You may know that choral music is almost always written for four parts.  From high to low, the voice parts are soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.  The bass part is generally comfortable to sing for the majority of men.  Sometimes there are low, grumbling notes, sometimes there are slightly higher ones, but often the music falls within the middle range of the average man's voice.  If you are a man who attends the 11:15 service, I ask you to strongly consider singing with us.  You would be most welcome to attend one Thursday night rehearsal (7:30-9:30pm) and see what you think.  I'd also be glad to meet with you individually to hear you sing and give you a little feedback, if desired, to let you know whether or not I think you have the potential to successfully sing with the choir (if that's your concern).  As I like to say, prior experience is helpful but not required.  If you come to me with the ability to match pitch, like most people can, plus the willingness to give it a shot and put a little effort into learning the music, you could definitely sing with the choir successfully.  Even if you have a mild interest - say you haven't sung since high school or college, or in the back of your mind you've always wanted to try - please contact me and make yourself known. 

The second need of the music program at this time is 1 more ringer for the Handbell Choir.  You'd be surprised how fun it is to ring handbells!  Like singing in the choir, it's helpful if you've had some musical experience in the past, but it is by no means required.  The majority of handbell music is written for a minimum of 10 ringers; we currently have 9 members.  The group rehearses most Wednesdays from 7-8:30pm.  Once again, please let me know if you are even the slightest bit interested!  Come speak with me after the 9:00 or 11:15 service, call me at 202-543-0053 ext. 303, or e-mail me.

Lastly, I've uploaded audio recordings of the music from the Earth Mass on October 4th!  Click here to access them.  Enjoy!  Please DO NOT post these recordings anywhere else online.  If you wish to share them with anyone, simply send them the link to the webpage.  Also, if you were inspired by the Earth Mass and wish to contribute to the music program to help offset the cost of hiring the instrumentalists and singers and to make similar projects possible in the future, know that you can mail a check to Jeff Kempskie at the church or drop one in the collection plate on Sunday.  Checks should be payable to St. Mark's and need to be clearly marked with "Music Fund" in the memo.

Peace,
JEFF 
 
Prelude
O God Beyond All Praising, Thaxted, arr. Robert Buckley Farlee (b. 1950)
 
Opening Hymn
492 Sing, ye faithful, sing with gladness, Tune: Finnian
 
Sequence Hymn
158 Ah, holy Jesus, Tune: Herzliebster Jesu
 
Offertory Anthem
Seek to Serve, Lloyd Pfautsch - Chancel Choir
 
Presentation Hymn
424 For the fruit of all creation, v. 1, Tune: East Acklam
 
Sanctus & Fraction Anthem - Susan Calvin Fletcher  
 
Music During Communion
Here Is Bread and Here is Wine, Words & Music by William Flanders
My Eyes for Beauty Pine, Words by Robert Bridges, Music by Herbert Howells
   - Chancel Choir
Hymn 712 Dona nobis pacem, Traditional Latin.
 
Closing Hymn
Hymn 583 O holy city, seen of John, Tune: Morning Song
 
Postlude
Morning Song, Morning Song, arr. Wilbur Held (1914-2015)
Schedule of Services 
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
 
9:00 am Holy Eucharist + Laying on of Hands
The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Presider

9:00 am Children's Chapel
Ms. Caroline McReynolds-Adams, Leader

10:00 am Sermon Seminar
The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Preacher 
 
11:15 am Holy Eucharist + Laying on of Hands
The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Presider and Preacher 
 
5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist
The Reverend Michele H. Morgan, Presider and Homilist 
About the Gospel
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