Many of us enjoyed the "pick a hymn" lottery that allowed a lucky parishioner (or priest) to choose the presentation hymn in August. But this might be an even better idea!
From the Reverend R. Justice Schunior, Associate Rector
O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I love this prayer "for the good use of leisure" from the Book of Common Prayer. I try to think through, when I get times of leisure and rest, whether it is the kind of leisure I really need or is it empty calorie leisure, that will just leave me hungry. I hope this last weekend of summer affords some opportunity for renewal and refreshment.
There are two opportunities in the next week or so for leisure with St. Mark's. One is this coming Wednesday night, September 6, "Hymns & Hoolpla". Over a variety of beverages and snacks we sing favorite hymns. Don't worry about your singing ability - just bring your enthusiasm. If you're new to St. Mark's it's a great way to meet people. Bring a snack or a beverage to share or $5. We meet in the Nave at 6:30 pm for social time then sing with a couple of breaks until 9:30 pm. Stop in late, leave early, come any time! All are welcome!
On September 11th we will have one morning service at 10:00 am. Following that service we will have our annual Parish Picnic. It'll be a great opportunity to catch up if you've been away as well as find out about all of our fall offerings. An insert in this weeks bulletin will tell you what you should bring based on the first letter of your last name. The 5:00 pm will have their own cookout following that service.
See you Sunday!
Justi
From the Arts Pillar
This is my prayer. . .
A facilitated art installation for St. Mark's Church, Capitol Hill, by Tracy Councill, MA, ATR-BC, LCPAT
At the Parish Picnic on September 11, I will lead a prayer flag printing project for anyone who would like to participate. The tradition of Prayer Flags comes from Tibet and Nepal, where messages are printed on colorful cloth and hung in strings outdoors. When the ink has faded and the cloth degraded the prayer is thought to have been fully prayed.
Our project will make use of the linoleum blocks I cut for our Advent vestments and other blocks I have cut, plus a selection of stamps and fabric markers. People will be invited to write, draw, stamp or print their visual prayers on pre-sewn strings of colorful cloth flags. As the flags are completed, we will hang them on the fences around St. Mark's, sharing our prayers with the community around us.
You are invited to bring any stamps or precut blocks you might have to personalize your prayers. Black archival ink stamp pads, colorful markers, and black block-printing ink will be provided. The flags themselves are made from a 14-color rainbow of solid color cotton fabric, so the products will be colorful and beautiful with embellishments from parishioners of all ages. The St. Mark's teens have agreed to help facilitate the printing. For questions or to contribute materials, call Tracy Councill at 301-335-1811 or email tracy@tracyskids.org.
From Doris Burton, Junior Warden
Around the House...
Your Fabric Committee at Work: Summer break over, we have begun our fall work-starting with some clean-up: On Monday, Fritz Henn, Nora Howell, and I cleared the alley between the church and yellow house of construction debris and other junk. We needed to do this to begin removing the ivy that returned to that wall: after pulling down as much as Fritz could (about 12'), herbicide was poured over the roots. When the window work begins later this fall, Associated Crafts will need to access this area and may be persuaded to pull down what we hope will be dead ivy.
Fritz also weed-whacked the 3rd Street Parking (garden). The anticipated rain garden is going to require more time/work than we'd hoped so weeds will be an issue until next spring (meantime, Cecile Jones was hard at work in the courtyard garden, weeding away in the heat, as have the others in the St. Fiacre's Guild (garden team).
We also gathered more trash-able junk: still more left-behind construction materials, unusable equipment, and assorted detritus. Thanks to Susan Sedgewick who, with Priscilla, Marlan Green's trusty truck, for yet another dump run!
Good Will got more contributions via Kenn Allen and Maureen Shea. All the unclaimed lost and found clothing, etc. was delivered. (Note: we do not collect these voluntarily: someone donated usable children's clothing, including a brand-new, tag-on christening gown. Lost and Found is only that, please.) We did find 3 keys on a frog keychain...please claim if yours.
Monday also saw the parquet floor on the chancel re-finished for the first time in more than 50 years.
Please take a minute to see this beautiful part of our 19th C chancel before choir risers return. The red
oak now gleams (below L-R: before, bare wood, newly refinished). With the replacement of the broken marble step to the high altar, Tom Getman's refinishing of the altar rail, now the floor work, the chancel is almost done: just scraping old tape from the floor, a scrubbing of the beautiful tile, and painting of the railings left to do.
We're trying a new product to see whether we might consider it for the main floor: Waterlox comes highly recommended but it would cost nearly $17,000 to fully sand off the poly and apply to the nave floor. Not now, for sure!
The water damage in Baxter Hall, the result of blocked gutters, was repaired/painted.
Critters seem to find their way into our building: last year it was squirrels above the chapel, now they and birds have gotten into the office (and one, at least, went to animal heaven providing unwanted maggots and flies in the office). Humane trapping and ultimate sealing of the opening is in process.
We also received a bid on dusting the very ceiling of the nave...something that has never been done-and another price to cause one to faint: $19,000!
The kitchen dooris lockable once again. Some of the bolts either came loose and fell out or someone deliberately removed them to make the kitchen accessible. Either way, it now locks. Request: if you are responsible for some kind of damage or you see damage, please report it to the Junior Warden. We'd rather take care of it ASAP than find it after something worse, such as theft, has occurred.
Damage is an expected part of renting our building but it's discouraging, nonetheless. A renter stuck Velcro tabs on the wall outside Baxter Hall and removing them took off paint (this is why the rule is nothing on the walls except painters' tape-the blue stuff) and that was touched up this week.
On our vacation, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, we checked out the local Anglican/Episcopal Church-St. Mark's! As a curious JW, I noted how neat everything was in the nave-then returned this week to see hymnals tossed onto the book carts, willy-nilly. You can help keep our nave orderly by returning your hymnals to an empty spot on a cart. That may mean walking to another door to find space. What you don't do, someone else must. Please help us as you leave on Sundays.
From Jeff Kempskie, Director of Music
Hymns & Hoopla! All are invited to join us for Hymns & Hoopla this Wednesday, September 7th. Formerly known as Beer & Hymns, this hymn sing will include periodic breaks to eat and drink and socialize. We will have a variety of snacks and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m. and the singing starts around 7:00 p.m. Drop in any time. We'll wrap up around 9:30 p.m. Please bring a drink or snack to share or $5. Please contact Jeff if you're willing to help greet people, set up, bring food, or clean up.
Choirs This Fall
Now is the perfect time to join the choir! St. Mark's currently has four ensembles: the Chancel Choir (for adults), the Teen Choir (for teens and boys with changed voices), the Boys & Girls Choir (open to all children of reading age through 8th grade), and the Handbell Choir.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if you're interested in trying out the Chancel Choir, which rehearses Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and sings each Sunday from September through early June. If the commitment scares you, you could consider trying it for a month (or a season, like Advent) to see if you like it. We sing a variety of high quality music and we have lots of fun together! Plus, it's a great way to connect with others at St. Mark's.
Boys & Girls Choir and Teen Choir Retreats! Do you have a child that would enjoy being part of the Boys & Girls Choir? Director Libbi Rivera invites you to join her next Saturday, September 10th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Elders' Room for the Boys & Girls Choir retreat! This kick-off for the season includes a fun-filled day of rehearsing new music, playing some games, and eating pizza, soda, and ice cream for lunch. New members are especially welcome to join. Know that participation in the retreat does not commit your child to singing in the choir for the whole year, so let him/her try it out. The Boys & Girls Choir rehearses most Sundays from 11:00-11:45 a.m. (after Sunday School) and sings at the 9:00 a.m. service once or twice each month.
Know any teens who would consider singing with the Teen Choir? The group is in need of at least 1-2 individuals to enable it to sing some harmony! The Teen Choir retreat is next Saturday, September 10th from 12-2:45 p.m. in the Music Studio. All teens are invited to join! Director Nadine Hathaway will start by bringing the group out for some pizza. They'll return to the church to do some singing exercises, learn some new music, and also learn some music theory. We have some great music to look forward to this season - singing with this choir is sure to be a fun experience. The Teen Choir rehearses most Sundays from 11:00-11:45 a.m. (after Sunday School) in the Music Studio and sings about every 6-8 weeks.
The Handbell Choir Returns!
After a hiatus, the Handbell Choir is again planning to ring this year. If you enjoy music but would prefer not to sing (or would enjoy something other than singing), this group is for you! It is surprisingly fun to ring handbells. Know that no prior experience is necessary or expected. Martha Connor-Donnelly and Sarah Headley will lead the group. Contact manager Katherine Anderson if you are interested or have any questions. The group will rehearse approximately every other Wednesday from 7-8:30 p.m. and will "perform" at dates to be determined. The primary goal of the group is to have fun ringing handbells together!
Awake, Awake to Love and Work, Tune: Morning Song, arr. Wilbur Held
Opening Hymn
9 Not here for high and holy things, Tune: Morning Song
First Reading Philemon 1-21
Sequence Hymn
The Summons, Tune: Kelvingrove
Gospel
Luke 14:25-33
Offertory Anthem
Day by day, Words by Richard of Chichester, Music by Martin How - Summer Choir
Presentation Hymn
395 Creating God, your fingers trace, Tune: King
Sanctus American Folk Melody, arr. Marcia Pruner
Fraction Anthem Jack Warren Burnam
Music During Communion
LEVAS 136 I Have Decided to Follow Jesus, Indian Folk Melody, arr. Norman Johnson
LEVAS 16 You Are Near, Dan Schutte, SJ
Closing Hymn
437 Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord! Tune: Birmingham
Postlude
No. 1 from Two Pieces for Manuals, William Walton, arr. Robert Gower
Schedule of Services
September 6, 2016
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentetost
9:00 am Holy Eucharist + Laying on of Hands
The Reverend Rebecca Justice Schunior, Presider
No Children's Chapel
10:00 am Sermon Seminar
The Reverend Rebecca Justice Schunior
11:15 am Holy Eucharist + Laying on of Hands
The Reverend Rebecca Justice Schunior, Presider & Preacher
5:00 pm Contemplative Eucharist
The Reverend Rebecca Justice Schunior, Presider & Homilist
About the Gospel
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