27 SEPTEMBER 2023
Firstly, I want to thank everyone who has made donations for St. Mark’s as part of Foodland’s Give Aloha program. The Vestry is grateful of your support, as every donation truly helps. Donors may give up to $249, and St. Mark’s will receive that gift plus a matching percentage from Foodland.
I also want to thank our Evangelism and Discipleship Team for their stewardship work. While I was on sabbatical they faithfully met, planning this year’s theme and offerings. Susan Shea and Matthew Perkins have given excellent video talks for this year’s campaign, and all the pledge materials have been posted on the website.
Thanks are also due to everyone who attended last Sunday’s sabbatical forum featuring my pilgrimage to England. It was wonderful to have so many people in attendance, and I hope everyone enjoyed the photos and commentary. I will be using more of the material in the upcoming Sunday forums.
Beginning this Sunday, and continuing throughout October, we will have forums at 12:15 noon focusing on the question, “What is the Parish?” Other ways of asking the question include, “Why are churches necessary in Christianity?” or “Why does an authentic Christianity require life in community?” We will use scripture to jumpstart our conversations, and we will draw on our Anglican/Episcopal heritage for clarity and understanding. If you are new to the Episcopal Church, I highly recommend that you attend these sessions, and if you have been an Episcopalian for a long time, these forums will help you articulate with better intention what you are already intuiting.
Finally, September 29 is the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels, and we will celebrate with a Solemn Mass at 6:30 pm. In our society, pop culture frequently reduces angels to cute figurines, and even Christians promote quite a bit of disinformation concerning angels. As we gather to worship the Triune God adorned by countless angels this Michaelmas, we will do what we can to set the record straight. Our God is full of majesty, dread, and awe, and the heavenly hosts that worship God day and night eternally, are central to the vision glorious.
St. Michael and All Angels, pray for us.
Father Paul Lillie +
