9.00 AM:  Holy Eucharist + Outreach Commissioning + Laying on of Hands, Justi Schunior, Presider; Paul Abernathy, Co-Presider

9.00 AM:  Children’s Chapel, Paul Abernathy, Leader

10.00 AM:  Sermon Seminar, Justi Schunior, Preacher

11.15 AM:  Holy Eucharist + Outreach Commissioning + Laying on of Hands, Justi Schunior, Presider & Preacher; Paul Abernathy, Co-Presider

5.00 PM:  Contemplative Eucharist, Justi Schunior, Presider & Preacher

3rd & A Streets, SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 543-0053

Service Notes and Music

This Sunday, our focus will be on outreach with the commissioning of the Outreach Board taking place at the start of both morning services.

Prelude:  Songs of Thankfulness and Praise, Tune: Salzburg, arr. James Biery (b. 1956)

Opening Hymn 135 – Songs of thankfulness and praise, Tune: Salzburg

Psalm 147:1-12  Chanted by All

Epistle  1 Corinthians 9.16-23

Sequence Hymn From miles around the sick ones came, Tune: Tucker

Gospel  Mark 1.29-39

Offertory Anthem

      (9:00) For These Blessings, Natalie Sleeth – Boys & Girls Choir

      (11:15) There is a Balm in Gilead, African American Spiritual, arr. John Barnard – Chancel Choir

Presentation Hymn119 v. 1, Tune: Dix

Sanctus and Fraction Anthem:  William Mathias

Music During Communion

      (9:00) There is a Balm in Gilead, African American Spiritual, arr. John Barnard – Chancel Choir          

      (11:15) LEVAS 62 – In Christ there is no East or West, Tune: McKee

      Hymn 469 – There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, Tune: St. Helena

      LEVAS 177 – Standin’ in the Need of Prayer, African American Spiritual, arr. Carl Haywood

Closing Hymn 423 – Immortal, invisible, God only wise, Tune: St. Denio

Postlude Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise, St. Denio, arr. J. Bert Carlson (b. 1937)

From Paul Roberts Abernathy, Rector

Since 1989, we, St. Mark’s, have had a friendship link with the Lichfield Cathedral community in the British mid-lands. The link has included exchanges of people, music, and gifts (as represented by our one of our processional crosses, which was made in Lichfield and consecrated in the Cathedral in 2002).  I post the following article on behalf of Doris Burton, our Lichfield Link Representative.

Paul

      In July, 2009, a great hoard of gold objects, more than 3500 pieces, was uncovered about 3 miles southwest of Lichfield Cathedral.  Known as “Staffordshire hoard”, it is the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered and valued at over $5 million.  About 100 pieces from this collection, the only exhibit in North America, are on display at the National Geographic Museum through March 4.

      The hoard primarily consists of objects male and martial with a few ecclesiastical items including a pectoral cross, likely used by a bishop.  Oddly, there are no coins, utensils, or female jewelry and nothing iron (there are sword hilts but no blades, shield decorations but no shields).  Most of it is broken, apparently before being buried.  Scholars suspect it may have been buried for recovery (a treasure-chest or goldsmith’s ‘stock-room’).  However, the greater possibility is disposal, i.e., re-use the weapon but remove its symbols of status.  In 650 Common Era, the approximate date of the gold, the kingdom of Mercia (today, Staffordshire) was pagan so the desecration of the crosses in the hoard suggest this was done by a pagan army rather than another Christian kingdom.

      The exhibit has references to Lichfield Cathedral and includes the fabulous ‘turn the pages’ exhibition of the Lichfield Gospel, an illuminated manuscript dating to the 8^th century.  This exhibit, digitized photos of pages from the Gospel book containing Matthew, Mark, and early parts of Luke, which is still used in very special services in the Cathedral, allows the visitor to page through this incredible book to see the illustrations and illuminations (including the winged lion of St. Mark engraved on our processional cross).  Items from the hoard were displayed in Birmingham Museum and Lichfield Cathedral to great reception and eventually, will be divided among several museums; some possibly residing in the Cathedral treasury.

      The final segment of this exhibit displays several pieces of gold still covered with dirt and the process used to clean them.  Since garnets, somewhat prevalent in the hoard, are not found in the UK, but rather modern-day Czechoslovakia, there will be much to learn as research and study of the collection gets underway.

      National Geographic Museum, at 17^th & M St., is open daily, from 10.00 AM-6.00 PM.  I encourage you to see this wonderful exhibit.

Doris Burton, Lichfield Link Representative

(Some information from The Gold, the Angel, and the Gospel Book, by the Reverend Dr. Pete Wilcox, Canon Chancellor of Lichfield Cathedral)

From Rebecca Justice Schunior, Assistant Rector

Friends,

This Sunday is when we will honor and commission members of the Outreach Board and outreach program managers at St. Mark’s. Following the service there will be a pub lunch sponsored by the Outreach Board as well as information about the many outreach activities in our parish.

I am relatively new to this community, so I am still learning what all of these activities are and who keeps them going.  But I’m willing to bet that many of us are unaware of the quiet work that happens every day to help our neighbors both far and near.  Well, okay, some of this work isn’t so quiet.  Jack Richards can give hilarious and motivating announcements requesting casseroles.

I hope you will attend the service and stay for lunch as well – both to celebrate all those who have given so much to these ministries and to see if there is a ministry with which you might want to engage.  Personally, I am amazed at the breadth of activity here that is aimed at alleviating poverty and hunger both locally and throughout the world.  From supporting disabled children in Haiti to spending the night with a homeless family in our own church building, St. Mark’s is living into its mission “to care for others with love justice, and compassion.”

Peace,
Justi

From Marcella Gillis, Director of Youth Ministries

Marcella Gillis,St. Mark’s Director of Youth Ministries can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (202) 543-0053 x320

Camp EDOW– August 5-10
The Diocese is launching its first ever summer camp for rising 4-8^th graders at Camp Maria in Southern Maryland.  The theme is EpiscOlympics and the week will provide opportunities for swimming, canoeing, fellowship and Christian formation. More information can be found at www.edow.org/camp

Safeguarding God’s Children: Spring Sessions
The spring schedule for classes in the  Dioceses’ required child abuse prevention training (for full time church employees and volunteers working with youth) has now been confirmed. Please sign up for one of these Saturday morning sessions and encourage others to participate so that we are able safely continue and enrich our youth and family ministries!

Dates and locations:
Saturday,  2/11/12 (9:30 am - 12:30pm) - All Souls' Church, DC (Region 2)
Saturday,  2/25/12 (9:30 am - 12:30pm) -  Atonement Church  (Region 5)
Saturday, 3/24/12 (9:30 am -12:30pm) - St.John's, Broad Creek (Region 6)
Saturday, 4/21/12 (9:30 am - 12:30pm) - St. Paul's, Rock Creek  (Region 5)
Saturday, 5/19/12 (9:30 am - 12:30pm) - St. John's, Norwood (Region 3)
Saturday, 6/9/12 (9:30 am - 12:30pm) - Epiphany, DC (Region 1)

Vision 2020 Update

With an eye toward improving communications with the St. Mark’s community, I want to provide a quick update on the state of the Vision 2020 Capital Campaign and our project to renovate and expand the Parish Hall.  As was communicated via an all-parish e-mail in late January, the Vision 2020 Steering Committee is currently awaiting revised design proposals and cost estimates from our consultants, with the goal of receiving a detailed series of proposals for what we can achieve that is within the church’s financial means.  We are scheduled to receive those proposals by February 13.  Here is a timeline of the next steps:

• February 13 – Our architect and pre-construction contractor will provide to the Steering Committee revised drawings and cost estimates for options to renovate and expand the Parish Hall.  Per the Vestry’s request in December, our consultants are also revisiting the issue of whether Baxter House could be renovated and a report on that option will be delivered at the same time.  The Steering Committee will then spend a week to 10 days reviewing the options, asking questions of our consultants, and deciding what course of action to recommend to the Vestry.
• February 26 – The Steering Committee will present its revised recommendation to the Vestry.
• March 11 – The revised recommendation will be discussed with the entire community at the Annual Meeting.

We know that the delay has caused anxiety and frustration in the community – it certainly has for members of the Steering Committee.  But we believe it is critical that we take the necessary time to fully assess all the options.  The delay will mean that construction could not start until the fall of 2012 at the earliest.

Finally, we are all enormously heartened by the support of the community.  Nowhere is this support more clear than in the fact that, to date, members of St. Mark’s have pledged $1.71 million to the capital campaign, a number that exceeds our goal by 14 percent!  Thank you very much for this wonderful accomplishment!  -- Mike Townsend, Vision 2020 Co-Chair, on behalf of the Steering Committee:

Paul Abernathy

Kenn Allen

Doris Burton

Ed Corr

Linda Ewald

Phil Guire

Cecilia Monahan

Justi Schunior