The Gospel According to St. Mark's

We apologize for the confusion around the date, but our goal is for the greatest number of people to be able to participate in the important work of choosing parish leadership. Thank you for your patience!

Blizzard Update

As you probably have heard, a possibly record breaking winter storm is heading our way. Remember, the church office follows the federal government in terms of delays and closings. The church office will be closed at noon today. Assume any Saturday activities have been canceled.

The Players have canceled their weekend performances.

For this Sunday, the nursery will be closed. Metro has already canceled bus and train service. Justi and Peter will discuss on Saturday morning whether services can go forward or whether we should cancel church or whether there is some compromise. Either way, we will send out a special e-Gospel and update the website by Saturday afternoon. Regardless of what amount of snow falls this weekend, please use extreme caution when traveling or choosing to travel. Keep safe and warm!

From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Associate Rector

Friends,

I want to let you know about some important work happening in the parish. The Communications Working Group (CWG) is a committee formed out of the vestry's list of challenge areas that we discussed as a parish at last year's Shrine Mont on the Hill. The CWG was charged with improving all areas of communication in the parish.

Our website is clearly a communications vehicle that needs work. Information is out of date; it's hard to make updates; it's wordy and hard to navigate. The CWG worked quickly to identify a website developer and, last month, they chose Openbox 9 to create the new site. This is a company with extensive experience working with churches and that understands the ways in which we are different from a typical business client.

St. Mark's is a parish with an impressive amount of activities going on at any given time and a wonderful variety of opinions and perspectives. We want to make sure these voices and opportunities are represented in the new site. We also want to make sure it is inviting and welcoming to newcomers. In fact, we will prioritize newcomers who frequently use websites to find and evaluate churches before they visit.

I have invited parish pillar chairs or their representatives to a meeting about the new site at 10 am on Sunday, January 31 in Baxter Hall, but all parishioners are welcome to attend. The CWG welcomes input and thoughts from the parish, but we also need to move quickly (we hope for the new site to go live this spring). Our current site is not working for us and our community deserves a clear, updated, and compelling presence on the internet. If you have questions, please see me or Thia Hamilton.

Peace,

Justi

From Doris Burton, Junior Warden

Around the House...notes from the Junior Warden

snow part I: Last Sunday's snow didn't stick but before I could send useful information, predictions began coming for this weekend. To my chagrin, I learned finding a snow-removal service is not easy in DC. Green's Maintenance is contracted to shovel up to 6" but if the predictions are accurate, this will be a tad more than that. And, some of the companies charge a lot-one asked for a $2000 retainer for up to 10" and a $4000 retainer if predictions over 12" are made. Really?

I have hired a company to shovel. Please do not risk life, limb, or health to help us out...stay inside and let others take care of clearing walks.

Use your judgment when planning for Sunday. There will be an announcement on Saturday re: Sunday that will be sent via the Gospel mailing list, not the Yahoo group. If there is a service, there may not be coffee, depending on the ability of our team to get in to make it!

There are tubs of salt by the doors: you are welcome to spread salt on walkways if you think more is necessary but do not expect the steps to the nave vestibules or to the undercroft to be shoveled. Please go thru the foyer and plan to exit the same way.

Snow Part II: Martha Huizenga shares this information for DC residents: For clearing sidewalks, here's the basic rule: 'All residential and commercial property owners must remove snow/ice from the sidewalks around their property within the first eight hours of daylight after the storm ends.' DPW inspectors are out the day after a snow event issuing warnings first.

This is the important piece: Residents who live in their own home and are 65 years old or are a person with a disability can apply for an exemption.

Fines are $25 for residential properties and $150 for commercial properties. Read more here. For FY2016 Sidewalk Safety Rules and general information on DPW's Snow Team see here.

Update 1: Last week, I shared this bit of information re: cell phones: avoid using the word 'home' or 'husband/wife/spouse/partner'. Use a code to call your home phone (a special word not associated with your name or address).

A parishioner responded with this correction/addition: "Assuming someone does not have smart phone or does not use the password feature, having home/spouse in the contact lists has great advantage of helping emergency responders. Yeah, people can still scam the recipient of calls.

The newer smart phones actually provide this capability even if the phone is password protected so that emergency responders can learn certain contact info, blood type, allergies to medications and current medications. In an emergency, this information can be really important."

Also noted is that your smart phone allows emergency services to locate you by the signal; if you have only a landline, they can locate you by phone number.

Update 2: Styrofoam: For more on FoamFreeDC go to http://doee.dc.gov/foam

While you're watching it snow: Consider prayers to St. Medardus. He is the patron saint of weather, good or bad, especially storms, and is depicted being sheltered from rain by an eagle, an event that supposedly happened when he was a child.

Now, I've just heard another storm is on the charts for Jan 29...Blessed St. Medarsus, we ask....

From the Vestry

Everyone who volunteers at St. Marks does it in a different way. We'll share some of their stories in the upcoming weeks in Egospel. But each person knows that volunteering is giving the gift of you to the church.

From vestry member, Mary Thuell

I've felt fortunate to be on the vestry for my entire three-year term. It's been wonderful to work together with such a talented group of smart, dedicated people to help build our church community together and help move it forward. Although it has been a significant commitment, my efforts have been rewarded by my sense of connection and investment in St. Mark's and the opportunity to closely participate in its development.

From Jeff Kempskie, Director of Music

Dear St. Mark's,

I hope you'll consider joining us for a lovely Choral Evensong Service sung by the Chancel Choir on Sunday, February 7th at 5:00pm in the nave. The Magnificat & Nunc dimittis will be by Gerald Near and the anthem will be "Transfiguration" by Craig Phillips. A small reception will follow the service. If you're planning to watch the Super Bowl that evening, know that the service itself will finished by 6:00pm. That should hopefully allow enough time for you to get home (or wherever) and still see the opening kick off if that's your thing.

Looking ahead, the Cantate Chamber Singers will be presenting a unique concert at St. Mark's on Saturday, February 27 at 5:00pm. Cantate will collaborate with the Bowen McCauley Dance Company ("Metro D.C.'s premier contemporary dance company," the

Washington Post) for a spirited joint performance of Brahms's Liebeslieder Waltzes as well as the premier of newly commissioned choreography to Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb. Cantate will also perform Bach's double choir motet Singet dem Herrn. General admission tickets are $35, $15 for students. A reception will follow the performance.

Peace,

JEFF

Service Notes and Music

Prelude

He Comes to Us as One Unknown, Repton, arr. Robert J. Powell (b. 1932)

Opening Hymn

409 The spacious firmament on high, Tune: Creation

Offertory Anthem

He Comes to Us as One Unknown, C. Hubert Parry, arr. John Ferguson - Chancel Choir

Presentation Hymn

119 v. 1, adapted, Tune: Dix

Sanctus S 128 William Mathias

Fraction Anthem S 152 Ambrosian chant, adapt. Mason Martens

Music During Communion

WLP 763 As we gather at your Table, Tune:Raquel

Hymn 513 Like the murmur of the dove's song, Tune: Bridegroom

Hymn 606 Where true charity and love dwell, Tune: Ubi caritas

(9:00) This Little Light of Mine, African American Spiritual

Closing Hymn

616 Hail to the Lord's Anointed, Tune: Es flog ein kleins Waldvogelein

Postlude

Trumpet Tune in E-flat (Homage to the 18th century), David N. Johnson (1922-1987)

Schedule of Services

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Third Sunday after Epiphany

9:00 am Holy Eucharist

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider

10:00 am Sermon Seminar

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Preacher

11:15 am Holy Eucharist

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider and Preacher

5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist

The Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Presider and Homilist

About the Gospel

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