07
Apr 2023
On Sunday, we had marathon worship service, filled with powerful music and Scripture. It would have been long even without Communion, but I grossly underestimated its length for a Communion Sunday! I’ve now used up all the time we saved on the weeks we’ve run short!! As I was looking at the arc of Holy Week here at St. Mark’s, it was important for me for us to read through the liturgy of the passion, making it a Palms and Passion Sunday rather than a simple Palm Sunday. Our Maundy Thursday service......
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On Decisions and Voting
This past week, the Covenant Council met at St. Mark’s for its regular meeting. As you know, this is the committee in the church tasked with keeping us on target with our ministries and...
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Welcome to Lent!
This is our first Sunday in Lent. Lent began with Ash Wednesday this week and continues until Easter Sunday. It’s 40 days, plus Sundays. This season, we invite you to read through the Gospel...
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Happy Anniversary!
What were you doing 20 years ago? 20 years ago, I was appointed to my second churches, a two-point charge just south of Marshall, Illinois. Ron and I had been married almost two years,...
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Grace / Sacraments
On Sunday as we join around the communion table, the pastors will pray, “Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world until Christ comes in...
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Learn. Love. Grow Together.
I have been asked to cover the blog this week by Pastor Lynn, who has been on vacation. She’s asked me to write about the “Learn. Love. Grow Together.” seminar scheduled for 9 a.m....
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Help for Ukraine
As we watch the news from Ukraine, it’s easy to feel helpless and fearful. As in other times of social anxiety, our Methodist tradition has direction for us. The United Methodist Church speaks against...
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On Feelings and Science
By now you’ve received and hopefully read the letter from the Lay Leaders about the relaxing of the mandate for wearing masks in our church buildings. Each of our Lay Leaders is on the...
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All Things
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 Really? All things? I can’t do all things. I can’t do a gymnastics routine or fly a helicopter or cure cancer or...
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Holy Week
Sunday, March 28, is Palm and Passion Sunday, which is the start of Holy Week. We’ll be blessed with a recorded worship service at 9:45 a.m. that includes lots of music – a...
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