December 23, 2015 
In This Issue
From the Senior Warden
From the Music Director
Service Notes & Music
Christmas Services Schedule
Sunday Service Schedule
About the Gospel
Quick Links
The Gospel According to St. Mark's
Around the House....notes from the Junior Warden
The JW is trying to forget pipes and gutters and boilers for just one day...
 
The most famous of all stars, the one leading the Magi to Bethlehem, was a puzzle to astronomers until Johannes Kepler argued it was the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in 7AD. Others since have either expanded or refuted his conclusion.
 
Dr. Michael Molnar, an astronomy profession at Rutgers University, annually questioned by his students about the Star, recently proposed what he thinks might be its identity but the research took him from astronomy to astrology. A Roman coin depicting a ram and a star led him 'to learn what astrologers of two thousand years ago would have looked for in the sky' to predict an unusually important event.
 
Three Magi-wise men, likely astrologers or astronomers-might have seen an occultation: a moon passing in front of Jupiterwhile in the zodiacal territory of Aries the Ram--that could have been interpreted as signaling the birth of the king of the Jews. Molnar calculated a rare occultation with Jupiter as a morning star ("in the East") on April 17, 6 BC.
While scholars continued quibbling following his presentation at a 2014 colloquium on the star, many agreed he has identified a phenomenon that had meaning for those who saw symbolism in celestial objects.
 
There'll be no visible stars Christmas Eve if the meteorologists are right. I'll still look up when I leave St. Mark's after the Festival service, hoping for just one to break through and remind me that stars sometimes do lead us to the place where wondrous things happen.
 
(Admittedly and freely adapted from "Recognition", On Wisconsin, vol. 116, Number 4) 
From Peter Sherer, Senior Warden
 
Next Steps in the Rector Search Process
The Discernment and Search Committee (DSC) recently met with the Vestry to formally hand off the results of their long, faithful and excellent work to the Vestry. Their description of their process was published last Sunday as an announcement and I include it here to insure the widest possible audience.
 
"OUR ROLE HAS ENDED BUT THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
 
"On December 13, the entire Discernment and Search committee met with the Vestry. We recommended four candidates, unranked, for the position of 12th rector. Each candidate has the potential to be an exceptional leader of St. Mark's. In November 2014, the DSC was charged to present one preferred candidate and two alternates. We reached this point after hours of discussion, coming to consensus that the additional work required to complete the discernment could most expeditiously be done by the Vestry. We believe that we have created a solid foundation on which they can build, and we have strived to provide information and guidance that will help them do so efficiently. The process remains on schedule. We love this community and are grateful to have been given the opportunity to perform this act of stewardship. We are grateful to the Vestry for their welcome and appreciation, their wise and candid questions, and their willingness to complete the work of calling our next rector. We are grateful to St. Mark's lay leadership and staff for their support over the past fifteen months and to the entire parish for the energy, participation, and appreciation. And we are grateful to one another for hard work, faithfulness, careful listening, and good humor."
 
My comments continue. Based on the advice of their consultant from the Bishop's office, the DSC has agreed that the process they followed in recommending the four candidates and their conclusions about them will remain confidential.
 
The elected Vestry members and the Wardens will take it from here and make a final selection of our next rector. The candidates have asked that the process remain confidential since not all their churches know that they are considering taking a new job. That means that while the Vestry will be working hard on this process over the next several weeks we will not be sharing our activities with the congregation until a final offer has been accepted. Thank you for your support and patience.
 
Highlights of the Vestry Meeting Last Sunday
The Vestry gratefully accepted a very generous gift from Suella and Fritz Henn of $60,000 that Suella wanted to underwrite two areas. The first is a new "rain garden" that will built on the 3rd Street side of the church this summer. The garden is naturally watered by rain and the considerable environmental savings are reflected in grants to the church from the DC government. The second area of support is to allocate $30,000 toward paying off the renovation line of credit at the National Capital Bank.
 
The Vestry acknowledged the faithful work of Mike Townsend and Nora Howell in leading the 2015 canvass. As of last Sunday we have $734,000 in pledges and about 100 pledges outstanding. Mike estimates that we will raise about $850,000 this year when all the pledges are counted. This is less money than the Finance Committee estimated will be required for the 2016 budget and means that the Vestry will face difficult decisions in January as they create a final budget for next year.
 
Andrew Stafford our Treasurer presented the formal audits for 2013 and 2014 which the Vestry approved. The Finance Committee will forward the audits to The National Capital Bank along with other documents that support the extension of the line of credit.
 
The Bishop informed the Vestry that our former parishioner Otis Gaddis has decided to leave the Episcopal Church priesthood. While this is a pro forma announcement from the Bishop, those of you who are friends with Otis might want to be in touch.
 
The business portion of our meeting was foreshortened because the Vestry wanted to discuss next steps in the rector selection process as well.
 
Merry Christmas to all.
 
Hugs
 
Peter 
From Jeff Kempskie, Director of Music

Dear St. Mark's,

Early music ensemble Armonia Nova will offer their annual Twelfth Night Concert titled Heavenly Vision: A Celebration of Epiphany and the Winter Solstice at St. Mark's on Saturday, January 9th at 7:30pm.  The concert will feature seasonal music performed on the harp, vielle, baroque violin, and by a countertenor.  Freewill offering - No tickets required.

I hope you'll consider joining us for this lovely event. 

Peace,
JEFF 

Prelude

What Child is This, Richard Purvis - Jason West, guest organist 


Opening Hymn
107 Good Christian friends, rejoice, Tune: In dulci jubilo
 
Song of Praise
96 Angels we have heard on high, v. 1, Tune: Gloria
 
Hymn after Lesson I
86 O Savior of our fallen race, Tune: Gonfalon Royal
 
Hymn after Lesson II
82 Of the Father's love begotten, Tune: Divinum mysterium
 
Hymn after Lesson III
LEVAS 24 Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, African American Spiritual
 
Hymn after Lesson IV                                         
92 On this day earth shall ring, Tune: Personent hodie
 
Offertory Hymn
115 What child is this, who, laid to rest, Tune: Greensleeves
 
Sanctus S 128  William Mathias
 
Fraction Anthem S 152  Ambrosian chant, adapt. Mason Martens
 
Music During Communion
Hymn 110 The snow lay on the ground, Tune: Venite adoremus
Hymn 114 'Twas in the moon of wintertime, Tune: Une jeune pucelle
                                            
Closing Hymn
100 Joy to the world! the Lord is come, Tune: Antioch
                                                                                                                                     
Postlude 
Joy to the World, arr. Fred Bock - Jason West, guest organist
Christmas Services Schedule

Thursday, December 24
 
4:00 pm    Christmas Pageant + Family Eucharist   
 Reception follows 
  9:30 pm   Congregational Caroling
10:00 pm   Festival Eucharist

Friday, December 25 
10:00 am  Holy Eucharist    
                     Second Combined Service with Christ Church - Washington Parish

Sunday, December 27
10:00 am  Lessons & Carols + Holy Baptism + Holy Eucharist                  
                     N.B. Sunday School classes will not meet; the Nursery is closed. 
 5:00 pm  Contemplative Eucharist  
Schedule of Services 
Sunday, December 27, 2015
The First Sunday after Christmas
 
10:00 am Lessons & Carols
The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider & Homilist
N.B. Sunday School classes will not meet; the Nursery is closed.

5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist
The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider and Homilist 
About the Gospel
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