From the Rector: Connection Resources
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Dear Friends of St. Mark's,
It is quiet here at St. Mark's. Our regular Monday volunteers are not here, and as you know, the church is not open for public worship. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit continues to be active among us. I want to share some information with you about developments over the past two weeks.
Online Sermons
This weekend you should have received a special edition of the Evangel containing yesterday's sermon. Several of you emailed me that you appreciated seeing the inside of the church, and that you enjoyed watching and listening to the sermon. We will continue this practice as long as our COVID quarantine continues. In order to catalogue these sermon videos, we now have the following resources:
Daily Office Online
Everyday we are praying Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer via Zoom. For those who have joined us, they are finding it to be a wonderful way to connect with fellow parishioners. About twenty-five percent of our parish has availed themselves to this online prayer. In conversing with some parishioners on the phone, I have discovered that some are afraid to join these online prayer offices, because they feel they lack the knowledge of how to do the daily office. Please do not let this prevent you from joining. At every office I arrive early, as do some others, and we frequently offer some brief instruction before we begin, and afterwards we field various questions. The best way to learn the offices of morning and evening prayer is to do them. The website currently catalogues every office, listing the page numbers of the Book of Common Prayer, the appointed psalms, the Zoom links, and other details. There is also a link to download the Book of Common Prayer for those who do not have a copy at home.
Online Giving
St. Mark's has had an online giving option for quite some time, and many use this platform. You may give by credit card or bank accounts. We have already reduced some expenses, and I hope we do not have to cut our lean budget further. We know that many people's financial situation may be changing, some for the worse and some for the better. Please let me know if the church can help. If you are able, we request that you keep your pledge current. You might also be able to pay your pledge upfront in advance. St. Mark's is grateful to everyone for their generosity. Deposits are made weekly for those who are mailing their contributions to the church. Thank you again for your support.
Online Coffee Hours
Please join us for coffee online! This past Sunday we spanned Hawai‘i, the mainland, and Europe. This is a great time to connect with everyone, and usually I give brief updates about what is happening at St. Mark's and in our diocese. The next coffee hour is on Palm Sunday. At 9:15 am we will gather for an online reading of St. Matthew's Passion, followed by the online coffee hour. Be ready to share with us what type of coffee you are drinking. We also let tea drinkers attend, and so far there have not been mimosas. I have found that the conversation makes the coffee taste even better.
Holy Week & Easter
If there is one week of the year when St. Mark's excels, it is Holy Week and Easter. Are you tired of the word "online" yet? Well, online worship continues, and this is what we will be doing for Holy Week and Easter as well. Plans are still being formulated, but a variety of videos will be forthcoming on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. The website has been updated with what we know for now:
Other Online Resources
We continue to produce the Parish Notices Leaflet and the Evangel Newsletter every week. You may also find the parish's daily prayer intentions online.
Social Media
Please like and follow us on our social media accounts. We are currently on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, and YouTube. Your following us really does help us. For instance, once we have 100 followers on YouTube, we can choose a custom YouTube domain address.
Final Words of Wisdom
Be wise with how you use all of these online technologies. With everyone working online, the risk is that we could be on the computer all day. As you seek to set boundaries for your online viewing, please remember to prioritize St. Mark's. We promise to use modern technology for holy purposes. Finally, the most important wisdom during this time is for the church to pray. Pray for those affected by COVID-19. Pray for our medical professionals. Pray for our students and their teachers who now attend school online. Pray for our diocese that we may minister effectively during this challenging time. Pray for one another and for St. Mark's. Prayer is the best way to connect to each other and to God.
With every good wish,
Father Paul Lillie +
