Sunday, December 3, 2023

Many in my generation remember the powerful words of the Simon and Garfunkel song, “The Sound of Silence”. The song, written and performed in an era of civil and racial unrest, the Vietnam war, and growing protests, reflects the different ways silence may bless or harm us. The early verses of the song note the relative peacefulness of the dark and silent night. As the lyrics progress, the singer notes that in troubling times, people did not want say what was true, for that would “disturb the sound of silence”. In the last verse, we hear that “silence like a cancer grows,”, and that the words of the prophets are written on “subway walls and tenement halls,” but only whispered in the sounds of silence. Silence can be a sacred and generative blessing, but it can also be an indication of our cooperation with unholy forces.

“When are we to be silent?” “When are we to speak?” These questions come to us powerfully as we in the Christian community enter the season of Advent. We read in the Gospel of Luke the story of Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. When he doubted the message from the angel Gabriel that he, at his late age, would become a father of a prophet, this priest discovered himself unable to speak. It was only when he was asked what name should be given this child, and he answered, “His name is John,” that he was finally able find and use his words. Zechariah stands as an enduring witness that one of the sacred uses of silence is to prepare us to speak truth with clarity and courage.

Let’s talk about this in the worship service on Sunday. The sermon is titled, “Advent Silence: Waiting for Our Sacred Voice to Emerge.” It arises from Luke 1: 8-20; 59-64, which will be read by Dian Ludlow. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Lois Leong and directed by Gerry Sousa, will lead us musically. Dana and Nate Thomas and their family will light the Advent Candle. We’ll also celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. Join us as we sing, pray and have a time for children.

We look forward to connecting with you this first Sunday of Advent. Join us at 10:30 in the sanctuary, or visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.

Sunday, November 26, 2023

Photojournalist Ted Jackson is one of my high school friends and a long-time staff member and contributor to the New Orleans Times Picayune. Ted and the rest of the staff received much acclaim for their coverage of New Orleans during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He read on Facebook last night where I posed the questions, “Was there ever a time when you thought life was over, only to see it emerge in ways you never imagined? Speaking more socially, have you seen a community come alive after it was presumed that its life was over?” Ted’s response was, “New Orleans after Katrina, for sure. People here had mostly lost all hope for their future. After our staff won a Pulitzer for our coverage, our editor told us our new job was “to love our city back to life.” And that they most certainly did. Their Omega story helped New Orleans find new Alpha stories.

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, the language of the New Testament. In the Book of the Revelation of John, Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Commenting on this, Barbara Brown Taylor develops the notion of Alpha stories and Omega stories. Alpha stories are stories of beginning: Tell me about the day I was born. Where did you grow up? How did you get your start in your career? They help tell us who we are. Omega stories are destination stories. They tell us where we are going. “Before I die, I want to learn to play the piano.” “Now that I am at the end of my career, I have some great stories.” “The world as we know it will come to an end.” They help define, and determine, our destination. In the life of faith of a faithful disciple, Omega stories can become Alpha stories, where new journeys begin.

We’ll talk about this in the worship service on Sunday, which is “Reign of Christ” Sunday, the last Sunday of the Christian calendar. The sermon is titled, “In Our End is Our Beginning: Alpha Stories, Omega Stories.” The sermon arises from Psalm 100, which will be read by Susan Hollis Bassett, and Revelation 22:1-14, to be read by Bryan Mitsdarffer. Stephanie and Patrick Conklin, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs will sing “Wondrous Love”, arranged by Richard Walters. We’ll sing, pray, and have a time for children.

We hope you and those you love have a lovely Thanksgiving. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

One of the great things about having children in the church building is the unexpected conversations I get to share. A few days ago, a Nursery School/Kindergarten family was preparing a classroom snack in the kitchen. The preschooler started telling me about superheroes, and seemed impressed that I knew about Batman and Robin. He also reminded me how Robin often started sentences with “Holy (word or phrase) Batman!” The word/phrase related to the situation at hand, and some carried more than one meaning.

This week I had been mulling over the Gospel reading for this Sunday (Matthew 25:14-30), which is known as the Parable of the Talents. It is a complicated parable to unpack with a landowner leaving on a trip, trusting three of his “servants” with different amounts of his wealth. Upon his return, his different treatment of each of them may feel quite disconcerting.

As Nadia Bolz-Weber wrote about this scripture passage (in Christian Century, 6-11-2012) “This morning, my breakfast cereal box did not contain a parable decoder ring… That’s not how parables are. They aren’t to be studied and interpreted so much as to be experienced.” And, we will reflect on, and experience, this parable together on Sunday.

We will first gather and greet one another. All children are invited to ring us into worship, with the bells. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us in music. There will also be a Children’s Moment. We will have the blessing of celebrating the baptism of Benjamin Matthew Revel Ferguson. We will also pray and reflect. Lillette Pratter Wood will read our scripture passage (Matthew 25:14-30a). The sermon is titled “Blessed Risk-Taking”.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, November 12, 2023

Do you know an individual or community whose story, against significant odds, burns bright with hope? Thomas Coombes, who works with Amnesty International, tells an intriguing story about a woman named Sara. One night in her country, she learned secret police were coming to apprehend her. To escape, she and her husband undertook a dangerous trip to leave their country. When they got to the border, they stared at a barrier, a high fence with barbed wire at the top. Her husband lost heart, and urged them to turn back. But though she was pregnant, she knew her life and the life of her infant were in grave danger. She scaled that fence, cutting herself many times, and her reluctant spouse came with her. On the other side, the border guards were reluctant to deport a pregnant women. They asked her, “Why are you seeking asylum?” She replied, “Because I am a Jew.” She was fleeing the Gestapo in her home country of France to find refuge in Switzerland. Thomas, speaking of her determined hope, says, “If she hadn’t survived, I would not be here. Sara was my grandmother.”

Jesus tells a story about bridesmaids who, in the Jewish custom of the day, were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive so he could be escorted to the wedding feast. Because the groom was delayed, the bridesmaids grew weary and fell asleep. Five of the ten had adequate oil in their lanterns, and their light remained bright. The others were not prepared, and had to go to seek oil for their lamps. When the bridegroom came, they were absent, and they missed the great moment. Jesus summarizes that faithful disciples are to keep awake, because they do not know when the great moment will happen. They are to do all they can to keep hope alive.

How do we as disciples keep hope alive in world with growing darkness. We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday morning, as the sermon is titled, “Lights of Hope in a Darkening World.” The sermon arises from Matthew 25: 1-13, which will be read by Mike Sonneborn. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will lead us musically. We will have a Mission Moment by Deb Davis, inviting us to give to those who will benefit from a nutritious Thanksgiving Meal. We’ll also sing, pray and have a moment for children.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, November 5, 2023

As we approach our observance of All Saints Day at St. Mark’s, I wonder who are the saints you see in your mind’s eye. My Mom was no spring chicken when she and Dad welcomed me to the world. In my adult years, and her older years, I lived at some distance from Mississippi, our home state. In Sunday afternoon long distance conversations with Mom, she would frequently tell me about the many funerals she had been attending. I was concerned that so much attention to so much grieving would drag her down. But I clearly misunderstood. This was my Mom’s way of honoring her friends, of saying goodbye to them, and bearing witness to their faith. She was shining a light on those who had “come out of the great ordeal.”

That phrase “those who have come out of the great ordeal” comes from the seventh chapter of the Revelation of John. In this widely misunderstood but poetically beautiful book, the writer points to a procession of those who are dressed in white. These are, most specifically, those who have died as martyrs during persecution, and are kept by God’s undying love. Still, the text also hints that these are all the children of God. For all, at some point or another, or in some way or another, “come through the great ordeal,” which is death.

This will be the theme of our service at St. Mark’s as we honor our saints. The text for the sermon comes from the Revelation of John, chapter 7, verses 9-17, which will be read by Glenda Murray. The sermon is titled, “Those Who Have Come out of the Great Ordeal: An All Saints Day Reflection.” During the service, we will read names, toll bells, and light a candle for those connected to our congregation who have died in the past year. We will also celebrate Holy Communion, as well as give congregants a chance to individually light candles for others they are remembering. The Sanctuary Choir, accompanied by Lois Leong and directed by Gerry Sousa, will lead us musically. We will sing, pray and have a time for children.

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Greg Boyle is a Catholic priest who lives in Los Angeles, where he established a ministry with gang members called “Homeboy Industries.” Often, when Greg travels to other cities to speak, he will take a couple of trainees from the ministry with him. On a recent trip, he encouraged the two to go buy gifts for their families to give them on their return. Jose chose a Build a Bear dressed as a nurse, because his significant other is a nurse. He programmed the bear to say, “I love you with all my heart. Come here and give me a kiss.” As they moved through TSA at the airport, the agents would grab the bear and hear, “I love you with all my heart. Come here and give me a kiss.” Many laughed, transforming that necessary but grumpy moment into a more lighthearted few seconds of real human connection.

The apostle Paul wrote that “God loves a cheerful giver.” Generosity practiced well changes the nature of connection both within the giver and in the community receiving the gift. One of the apostle’s long-term projects, even while he was establishing communities of faith, was to collect money from Christians in the regions of Macedonia and Achaia to give to poor Christians in Jerusalem. Surely, the apostle was interested in meeting the emergency needs of those suffering from famine. He also was seeking to further reconciliation between disparate groups, reflection the generosity of Jesus. He believed that generosity moves the giver away from grumpiness to deeply sacred connection.

We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Coming Full Circle: The Joy of Sacred Generosity.” The sermon flows from II Corinthians 8: 1-9; 9: 6-9, which will be read by Tony Mescher. The Gospel reading that comes from Matthew 6:25-34, will be read by Tom Shafer. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically. Patti Wright will offer a stewardship testimony. We’ll sing, pray and have a moment for children. We hope you join us.

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Miriam Wright Edelman, president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund, shared in a Ted Talk that she credits how her parents raised her, and her siblings, to the work she continues to do in life. Our parents said, “If you see a need, don't ask why somebody doesn't do something about it. See what you can do.”

Sunday, October 22 is this year’s observance of “Children’s Sabbaths” across faith and spiritual traditions. We are encouraged to focus our prayers, worship, learning opportunities, and actions around the urgent challenges and needs facing children. We are all called to address these needs in our community and beyond, and to nurture the next generations to do the same. We will explore what this means for us in worship this Sunday.

After we gather and greet one another, the children are invited to ring us into worship, with the bells. We will have a jazz ensemble leading us in music, along with the Chancel Choir and Ilze Akerbergs. There will also be a Children’s Moment. We will pray and reflect. Cooper Tucker will read our first scripture passage (Isaiah 58:10-12), followed by a Stewardship Moment from Marcia Lloyd. Whitney, Olive and Arlo Sullivan will read second scripture passage (Matthew 19:13-15). The sermon is titled “Coming Full Circle: Our Call to Nurture Current and Future Generations”.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, October 15, 2023

In one of her sermons, Barbara Brown Taylor recalls that when she was little, she liked to stand on her head. She said that doing this allowed her to see things in new ways—trees grew down and building blocks would fall up. She suggests that this kind of reversal is what Jesus taught the disciples in naming blessings; that is, they turned the predictable world upside down. Upside down blessings have a way of capturing our imagination, don’t they?

Christian Smith and Doctoral Candidate Hilary Davidson, both from the University of Notre Dame, wrote a book titled, “The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose.” In it, they write, “By grasping onto what we currently have, we lose out on better goods that we might have gained. In holding onto what we possess, we diminish its long-term value to us.” Generosity, accordingly, is one of these upside down blessings.

The irony of this moves in the direction of what Jesus meant by saying, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” Common understandings of “blessings” suggest that the most dramatic and fortuitous of blessings consist in the beneficial things that come our way. This is understandable, because God has given us a world full of goodness and provision for us to enjoy. While we must guard against the tendency to crave and hoard, or the perversions found in the “Prosperity Gospel”, it is still true that receiving good gifts is a wonderful blessing. But if receiving is good, Jesus would say, giving is better. Jesus’ blessing turns notions of giving and receiving upside down.

We’ll discuss this in service on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Coming Full Circle: A Theology of Blessed Generosity.” The sermon flows from Psalm 84, read by Charlie Nelms, and from Acts 20: 32-38, which will be read by Laura Baich. Charlie Nelms will also bring a stewardship testimony. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us musically. We’ll, sing, pray and have a time with children.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Do you hold memories of moving to a different location, or to a new place, that you would later call home? I believe my family moved around ten times, in my growing up years. This included four different states with moves to apartments, flats, military housing, staying with grandparents, and then our own family homes. Anticipating a move can bring a myriad of emotions: excitement, anxiousness, wonder, fear, sadness, curiosity and hope. It may be taking a leap of faith. Yet, in the midst of this kind of change, there are often unexpected blessings we receive from those we meet along the way, or in the new place we call home.

This Sunday, we will spend some time in the Book of Genesis, which our Children’s Sunday School classes have been exploring. We enter into the story of Abram (Abraham). The translation from “The Commentary on the Torah” (based on Genesis 12:1, 2b) reads “And YHWH said to Abram, ‘Go from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I’ll show you . . . I’ll bless you and make your name great. And be a blessing!” As with many journeys, it was not without challenges, but also one that brought great blessings. We’ll explore this together in worship.

After we gather and greet one another, the children are invited to ring us into worship, with the bells. The Chancel Choir will lead us in music, accompanied by Lois Leong. There will also be a Children’s Moment. We will pray and reflect. We will also be offering a Sending Forth blessing for friends in our St. Mark’s family who are moving to other places. Mark Cox will offer a moment of sharing, and read our scripture passage (Genesis 12:1-9). The sermon is titled “Taking a Leap of Faith, Blessed by Circles of Care & Generosity”.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Kati Mani, an Australian freelance writer with a love of travel, once wrote an article about a trip she took to Italy. While there, she was fortunate to share a Sunday lunch with a large, gregarious family in Florence. As mealtime approached, and the polenta and polpettine were nearly ready, someone asked: “What is the chief difference you have noticed between Australian culture and Italian culture?” With wonderful aromas emanating from the kitchen, she noticed the playful children in the house. She realized the answer was running all around her. While the Italian food was going to be fabulous, it was the enthusiastic gathering of family for the meal that made the Italian experience so unique. She concluded, “…Florence has taught me that the experience of eating, not just the food itself, is something to be savored.”

At the center of Christian faith is a meal. This meal, through the centuries, has been practiced differently, and given varied theological meanings. Even today, one of the prime reasons that churches are not unified is the varied way the sacrament has been interpreted. In some of the earliest churches, disagreements around the meal were more social. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, we see that Communion was attached to a larger, full meal. Paul realized that not everyone was being given equal treatment at the meal, and those of means were eating before others. This resulting division was a denial of the very purpose of the holy meal. This table of communion should help us love more, not less.

We’ll talk about this in worship this week as we mark World Communion Sunday. The sermon, taken from I Corinthians 11: 17-26, is titled, “Widening Circles that Reach Out Across the World.” The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong, will sing two anthems. We’ll have a moment for children, sing and pray together, and celebrate Holy Communion.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, September 23, 2023

The poet John O'Donohue once wrote, "I would love to live like a river, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding." Reading that, I have a curiosity about those of you how actually know how to swim. How does knowing that you will not sink, but rather will be upheld in the water, impact your life, "spiritually" or otherwise? Speaking more metaphorically, for those who have found a way to be "carried" by grace at a challenging time when you would otherwise have been overwhelmed, how did you come to realize that?

This past May, I went to an adult “Learn to Swim” school in Phoenix, Arizona. It had long been on my bucket list to learn how to swim. It was an intriguing experience, to be sure, and I’d bet good money that I’ll be talking about it in the sermon on Sunday. Now to be clear, I can’t say that I can now swim like a fish, because that simply is not the case. But in a few short days, I learned that if I managed my breath and did not panic, my body has a natural buoyancy. Before I attended the class, I was afraid of going in water that deeper than chest height. By the end of the week, I was, with confidence jumping off the board into water that was ten feet deep. Somehow, I learned that I could be “held” in the water.

The singer in Psalm 42 tells a lyrical story about longing for spiritual home while in profound exile. In the first stanza, this desire to be in the Temple is like a thirsty deer craving water from a river. In the second stanza, the psalmist describes an experience of desolation that is like being overcome with “billows and waves”. In the midst of that oceanic stress, the singer sings, “Why are you cast down, O My Soul? Hope in God.” Somehow, the psalmist learned to swim in the troubled waters of abandonment and exile. In some way, the singer found hope, and was carried by the surprise of the Divine unfolding.

We’ll talk about this Sunday at St. Mark’s, as the sermon is titled, “Deep Calls Unto Deep: When the Waves Roll Over Us,” arising from Psalm 42, which will be read by Eleanor Lahr, and Matthew 14: 22-32, which will be read by the Brass family. Stephanie Conklin, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will sing “God of the Deep”, composed by Dan Forrest. We’ll have a Mission Moment by Linda Crawford and Nina Taylor about the upcoming Craft Bazaar. We’ll have a moment for Children, prayers and singing together.



If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Regardless of the year in which you were born, it is likely that your generation had/has “superheroes” of some kind. A number of those may have had epic origin stories. The Bible has more than a few accounts of unlikely and/or miraculous births, including Isaac, John the Baptist and, of course, Jesus. In Children’s Sunday School this month, the theme is “Creativity” with a focus on God creating the earth, living things, people and helpers. All of this is under the umbrella of Celebrating Wonder. This Sunday, they are focusing on “God Creates People”.

There is a familiar story of a child who asks his parent where he came from. Not having prepared for this question, the parent nervously replies with a disjointed response. The child, looking confused, says “Oh, my friend Pat says he comes from New Jersey.” Creation itself (of nature, animals, and people) is both ordinary and extraordinary.

This Sunday, we are going to explore the same scripture passage as our children will be in Sunday School. It is based on Genesis 1:26-2:4. We will be guided by the wisdom of Christian scholars, Jewish Rabbis and others across ages and life stories. How might we more fully embrace and care for the gift of the whole of God’s creation? Let’s wonder together.

After we gather for worship and greet one another, the children are invited to ring us into worship, with the bells. There will also be a Children’s Moment. The Chancel Choir will lead us in music, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs. We will pray and reflect. This weeks scripture passage comes from Genesis 1:26 - 2:4. The sermon is titled, “What’s Your Story?”, “What’s Our Story?”

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, September 10, 2023

In a story line from the television program, The West Wing, Chief of staff Leo McGarry is a recovering and closeted alcohol and drug addict. A junior staff member discovered his secret and leaked the story. Senior staffers loyal to Leo learned of this and fired her on the spot. As she was leaving the West Wing, with her box of possessions in hand, Leo asked to see her in his office. He talked to her honestly about his addictions and disclosed her that he hadn’t had a drink or taken a pill in six and a half years. Leo then said, “When you saw my personnel file, when you saw I'd been through treatment, what when through your mind?” She replied, “My father used to...You have all these important decisions to make in your job, every day, all the time, decisions I can't even...people's lives.” Leo responded, “Karen, what you did caused a lot of problems…but I’m not sure it wasn’t a little brave. Did you like working at the White House?” “Yes sir,”, she said. “Okay, why don’t you go unpack your carton, and you and I will give each other a second chance?”

Forgiveness changes stories and writes new ones. Or as poet David Whyte would say it, when we forgive, we “allow ourselves to be gifted by a story larger than the story that first hurt us.” Faith communities are called to be doing this creating of larger, more sacred stories.

Jesus invited us to approach a clear strategy when working for forgiveness. First, if someone offends us, we are to visit with them and discuss the matter. Second, if that doesn’t resolve things, we are to bring along two or three trusted others. And then, if that does not bring about healing, we may take the matter to the larger community. And finally, if that does not work, we are to regard this erring one as a tax collector or gentile, and Jesus always treated these with love. When we read these words in context, it is clear Jesus is not giving us a way to kick people out. This is instead a way to encourage the community to tell the truth, and to find new ways of loving, including loving those who can make it tricky to love them.

We’ll chat about this in worship at St. Mark’s this Sunday. The sermon is titled “Forgiveness: A Story Larger than the Story that First Hurt Us.” The sermon arises from Psalm 32, which will be read by Pam Vanzant and Matthew 18:10-20, to be read by Leigh Richey. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs and directed by Gerry Sousa, will sing “Song of Assurance”, composed by Mark Patterson. Ken Beckley and Charlie Matson bring a mission moment concerning an initiative regarding memorial trees and plaques on sanctuary chairs. We’ll have a moment for children, sing hymns and share prayers together.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, August 27, 2023

What are you called to do in this world? How does one decide? Scott Neeson was the president of Twentieth Century Fox from 2000-2003. Before leaving to take a new position with Sony Pictures, he decided to do some backpacking in Cambodia. While there, he was startled to see children begging for food and scouring the dumps for anything to eat. About the same time, he received a phone call from an actor who was angrily refusing to board a private jet because the amenities were not up to his standards. The actor said, “Life is not meant to be this difficult.” Given what hunger and poverty he had seen, the petulant demands of the privileged actor were more than he could handle. He thought to himself, “I don’t want this to be my life.” Scott initiated changes in his personal and professional life and, in 2004 he began to work fulltime for the Cambodian Children’s Fund. He said “I get up in the morning and can’t wait to get to work. How many people can say that?”

“Calling” matters a great deal, but it is not simply about the career we choose. James Fowler would say, “Vocation is bigger than job or occupation or career. Vocation refers to the centering commitments and vision that shape what our lives are about.” In this large sense, in career and in personal life, what are we called to do and be in the world?

At a time of great change for Israel, a young boy heard God say, “Before you were born, I consecrated you to be a prophet to the nations.” The child, Jeremiah, initially resisted, saying, “I am not up to this. I am only a boy.” But God responded, “Do not be afraid…I am with you to deliver you.”

This Sunday at St. Mark’s, we’ll have a chance to engage the invitation to service that comes to us all. Tom Heaton, who served as a pastor at our church from 1998-2002, will preach the sermon, “Called, Equipped, and Fearless”. The sermon arises from Jeremiah 1: 4-10, which will be read by Legene White. Janice Arvesen will read the Gospel passage, which is Matthew 4: 18-22. We will be led musically by the Chancel Choir, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, as they sing the anthem, “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal.” We will have a moment for children, the prayers of the people and Amy Thomas will bring a Mission Moment about the work of Thriving Connections.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Into our contentious world comes one of the most often cited of the teachings of Jesus: “Do not judge.” How does that impact the way we build community? Studies show that attitudes toward perpetrators of various ill deeds vary greatly depending on whether they are “in my group” or “not in my group”. Imagine you are driving down the street and are cut off by the person in another vehicle. You initially respond angrily, but then notice that the offending car carries a bumper sticker of your favorite sports team. Time and again, drivers in this situation soften their response to the other driver. They are “like us”, and therefore, easier to forgive. We “see” them differently.

In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis described “hell” as a vast, grey city, a city inhabited only at its outer edges, with rows and rows of empty houses in the middle. These houses are empty because everyone who once lived in them has feuded with neighbors and moved. Then they quarreled the new neighbors and moved again, leaving empty streets full of empty houses behind them. That, says Lewis, is how hell got so large—empty at the center and inhabited only on the fringes—because everyone in it choose to leave instead of turning towards one another in truth and love. The call of Jesus is to return to the center of our community.

In Matthew 7, we read Jesus say, in the context of judging others, “Why do you look at the speck that is in the eyes of your kindred, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” In his reflection on this passage, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.” Loving faith helps us see the world, ourselves, and others as God would have us see.

Let’s talk about this in worship at St. Mark’s this Sunday. The sermon is titled, “The Opening of Eyes and the Grace of the Beloved Community.” The sermon arises from texts in the sermon on the mount, namely, Matthew 6:22-23; 7:1-7, to be read by Chuck Foster. Lisa Hamilton will read Psalm 19. We will be led musically by the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs. There will be a moment for children, prayers, and we will sing together.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream.