15 October 2021

Dear Friends of St. Mark’s,

We have been through a period of great testing for society and the church. It looks as if we might finally be coming to a time when the pandemic will become endemic. All of us have faced sacrifices during Covid-tide, and much has changed in the world around us.

Even though the pandemic has made St. Mark’s smaller and leaner, the financial support from the core of the parish has kept the church strong. Many capital improvements have been made possible due to the generous sacrificing from parishioners. Even more impressive, everyone has maintained their pledge. On behalf of the vestry and the congregation, St. Mark’s thanks you.

Over the past month you have viewed a series of videos about stewardship in the Evangel newsletter and the website. These videos have explored the theme of Sacrificial Giving, featuring a variety of our members:

Michael Ida and Michel Reavis - Sacrificial Giving as Desire
Derrick Shimabukuro - Sacrificial Giving as Discipleship
Phyllis Shimabukuro-Geiser and Randy and Jeanie Furushima - Sacrificial Giving during a Pandemic
Sandra Leialoha - Sacrificial Giving as Outreach
Michael Ida and John Schamber - Sacrificial Giving in the House of God

As we prepare for 2022, we ask for your continued support, and we challenge you to continue your journey of proportional giving to the church. Pledge letters were mailed last week. There is also the option to pledge through the website. We are asking that everyone turn their pledge sheet into the offertory plate at the church by Sunday, October 31.

During the pandemic I discovered that my stewardship practices of sacrificial and proportional giving were of great benefit. Long before COVID came, practicing stewardship had given me the discipline to prioritize the most important things in life - God, the church, my faith, and relationships with others. The church has schooled me well for the challenges of a pandemic. My hunch is that this is true for you too. When we practice sacrificial giving, we bless God and the church, and ironically, our own lives as well.

Faithfully,

Father Paul Lillie +
Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu

Holy Cross Day
14 September 2021

Dear Friends of St. Mark's,

Our stewardship theme this year cuts right to the core of Christianity - Sacrifice. We cannot be authentic followers of Jesus Christ if we do not offer ourselves for God, and the pandemic has made us acutely aware of the importance of sacrifice. All of us have made sacrifices due to COVID. We have seen our healthcare workers become heroes. We have endured many different restrictions in regard to our parish and community life. We have foregone visits to family and friends in order to keep people safe. Sacrifice has been the operating mode for this pandemic.

Jesus tells us, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12-13). During this pandemic we have witnessed a portion of Christians who are virulently anti-mask and anti-vaccine, and they harp on their faith as the reason for their objections. What we do not hear in their protestations is Jesus’ call to love our neighbors, as well as Christianity’s mandate to give up the self for others. If we are to heed Jesus’ call to lay down our own lives for our friends, then masking up is faithfulness and getting vaccinated is paramount. One could make the argument that the ultimate Christian witness in a pandemic is to offer oneself for the test trials of vaccines, offering one’s own life for the health of the whole community. Following Jesus always involves some risk.

It might seem strange to be speaking about pandemics, vaccinations, and masks during a stewardship campaign. The non-profit financial consultants all advise churches never to broach tough subjects. We are told to keep everything “easy and light-hearted,” focusing only on the need to be generous. And yet, I think we can agree that these are not ordinary times. The world is showing us we need real substance and authentic faith. The sacrifices we have made during Covidtide have taught us that true faith comes with a cost - the cross and the sacrifice of Jesus.

Our stewardship theme this year is Sacrificial Giving. The pandemic has taught all of us to sacrifice ourselves in varying ways, and our faith has readied us well for such sacrificing. In the coming weeks you will be hearing more from our stewardship and discipleship team, and we invite you to ponder how St. Mark’s and your faith help you to offer yourself for the good of others.

Faithfully,

Father Paul Lillie +
Rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Honolulu