Throughout the year the rector and other ministry leaders write columns that are featured in the parish newsletter, the Evangel. The columns have been catalogued on this webpage.
I was at a concert not too long ago, and the organizers made several announcements about silencing cell phones. Notices were included in the program, and signs were also posted upon entry into the church. Thus it was particularly humorous that when the concert began, someone's cell phone rang with decibel raising volume. People gasped, and people frowned. Hands were clutching chests and hearts as people rolled their eyes in disgust.
Last Friday Bishop Fitzpatrick ordained two deacons at St. Mark's who will eventually be ordained priests. Deacon Hannah Lee travelled from Guam to be ordained, while Deacon Erin Richardson Severin returned from Sewanee for the occasion. It was a joyous day, and we look forward to the celebrations when both are ordained priests. Deacon Erin discerned her call while a parishioner at Saint Mark's.
This past Sunday was the first Sunday in Lent. We say that Sundays are “in” Lent rather than “of” Lent, as Sundays are always celebrations of the resurrection. If you are following our Shape of Lent booklet, this week we have given up sweets and treats, and next week we fast from unnecessary spending. If you have not picked up a Shape of Lent booklet yet, there are copies in the Church and Parish Hall.
This Lent we will have two visitations of the Bishop. On Friday, March 14, Bishop Fitzpatrick will be at St. Mark’s to ordain two deacons who will eventually be ordained priests. The mass is at 11:00 am, and one of the ordinands is Erin Richardson Severin. Erin went through discernment at St. Mark’s, and she is in her final year of seminary studies at the School of Theology at Sewanee. All are most welcome to attend the mass.
Last Sunday at the Rector's Forum I presented our parish Shape of Lent booklet. If you were not able to attend, copies have been placed in the Parish Hall and the Church. The Shape of Lent has been a labor of love of some parishioners since last summer.
Ash Wednesday is less than two weeks away. Last Sunday was Septuagesima, seventy days before Easter; this coming Sunday is Sexagesima, sixty days before Easter; and March 2 is Quinquagesima, fifty days before Easter. If you are doing the math, you quickly discover these Latin titles are symbolic. These Sundays are often called Pre-Lent, and in some churches the color has already changed to violet, and the alleluias have been removed.
This past Sunday we celebrated the ancient feast of Candlemas. I mentioned in the homily that if this feast falls on a Sunday, it supersedes the Sunday after Epiphany. Some churches leave their nativity scenes out until Candlemas, as for many this is the feast that officially ends the Christmas cycle. Sunday was the fortieth day after Christmas, when we hear the final childhood story of Jesus - his presentation in the Jerusalem Temple where Simeon and Anna greet the Holy Family.
This Sunday is the fortieth day after Christmas, and according to the Gospel of Saint Luke, it was when Mary and Jesus brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. It is there that Simeon and Anna greet the Christ Child with joy, for the Messiah has entered the Temple. The Kingdom of God has arrived.
I want to begin by thanking everyone for our joyful annual meeting last Sunday. Everyone was in good spirits, and the meeting ran smoothly. Thank you to the vestry for providing the lunch, and gratitude is due to Dr. Michael Ida for his financial presentation. It was also good to see the Parish Hall filled with our parishioners for the meeting.
