FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
Today's gospel tells of Jesus' temptation in the desert. His forty-day fast becomes the basis of our Lenten pilgrimage. In the early church Lent was a time of intense preparation for those to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. This catechetical focus on the meaning of faith is at the heart of our Lenten journey to the baptismal waters of Easter. Hungry for God's mercy, we receive the bread of life to nourish us for the days ahead.
THIS SUNDAY AT ST. MARK's
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children’s Time - Sanctuary
10:00 am - Journeys in Faith - Fireside Room
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
10:05 am - Confirmation - Confirmation Classroom
10:00 am - Adult Forum - Auditorium
“With New Voices”: Introducing Luther’s Small Catechism to the 21st-Century
10:00 am - Parents with Kidlettes - Heritage Hall
10:15 am - Sunday School - School Rooms
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship - Service Sanctuary
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship - Hour Heritage Hall
4:30 pm - Bay Area Choral Guild - Songs of Isaiah - Sanctuary
DONATIONS INVITED FOR THE ST. MARK’S SENIOR CENTER LUNCHEONS!
Once a month, we provide a low-cost and delicious meal for all Martin Luther Tower residents and Seniors from St. Mark’s.
We are looking for donations of gift cards, candy, toiletries, movie tickets, hats, mittens, throws, and other household items to raffle off for the residents. The raffle would be free for all who attend the luncheon and your donations would be greatly appreciated.
Please contact Pr. Elizabeth (ekdale@stmarks-sf.org) if you can donate any items.
INVITATION TO THE SOUP MAKERS OF THE CONGREGATION
Potato Cheese, Tomato, Lentil, and Chicken Noodle . . . if you make the soup, we will eat, enjoy it and praise your soup making abilities! We will pay for the soup fixings through a Thrivent Action Grant.
We need soup for our Wednesday evening community dinners on these dates: March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5. Sign up at www.stmarks-sf.org/lenten-soup-suppers if you can make any kind (vegetarian preferable) of soup for 25 hungry people.
You can use the church kitchen to make the soup or simply drop it by - but we hope that you will stay and eat it with the rest of the community and then worship at our “With Awe and Love” service beginning at 6:45. Soup at 6:00 - worship at 6:45 - for Lent! Thank you.
TOUCH OF THE IRISH
Join us in the Auditorium on Sunday, March 12th at 3pm for an afternoon of music to benefit the San Francisco Night Ministry featuring members of the San Francisco Opera Chorus & special guests. There will be a Champagne & Chocolate Reception afterwards. Tickets: $25 at the door $20 seniors & students. www.sfnightministry.org
INSTALLATION OF PR. RON, MARCH 26, 2017
On March 26, 2017 at 11:00AM Pr. Ron Moe-Lobeda will be installed as our Associate Pastor. Dr. Phyllis Anderson will be preaching and Rev. John Kuehner, Dean of San Francisco and the Peninsula Conference will install Pr. Ron. Please note will still have our regular 9:00AM worship service that Sunday.
SPIRITUALITY AND AGING GROUP
On Mondays from 11:00 - 12:00 Pr. Elizabeth will be hosting a group on "Spirituality and Aging" in the Brockie lounge of Martin Luther Tower. This group is open to the St. Mark's community as well. This group will offer a safe place to reflect on aging issues in light of our faith - whatever our faith may be or wherever we are in our faith journey.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AT 11:00AM SERVICE
During this season of Lent at the 11:00 a.m. service, announcements will be offered at the beginning of the service so that everyone will have the opportunity to be in place for the all-important rite of Confession and Forgiveness to continue the Gathering of the worship service.
MEALS FOR THE SF INTERFAITH SHELTER
The SF Interfaith is going to provide dinners for 50 men at Caynon Kip facility in March. We need volunteers from St. Mark’s to help with the meals on March 13th and 22nd. Please contact John Elford at jbruceelford@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer.
MARTIN LUTHER TOWER’S ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting of the Martin Luther Tower Corporation, whose Members are the MLT Board and the St. Mark’s Church Council, will take place on Tuesday, March 21st at 6 pm in Heritage Hall. A review of 2016 and activities for 2017 will be followed by the election of new Trustees of the Board. MLT residents and St. Mark’s members are invited to attend the meeting to hear reports, ask questions, and have dessert.
WELCA WORKSHOPS - SATURDAYS, MARCH 11, 18, AND 25
WOMEN AND JUSTICE, 10AM TO NOON IN HERITAGE HALL
Women of all ages are invited to learn about and discuss some of the many issues addressed in the ELCA’s upcoming Women and Justice social statement titled “Faith, Sexism, Justice”. Issues include: sexism, violence against women and girls, the misuse of scripture against women and girls, and economic sexism. There will also be opportunities to provide feedback for the draft social statement.
Teenagers are especially encouraged to attend on March 25, when we plan to study and discuss “Mis-representation” - how women and girls are depicted in media.
Childcare will be provided, and light refreshments will be served.
PREPARING FOR LONG-TERM CARE
Did you know that developing a long-term care strategy can help you: Preserve your independence? Protect income and Assets? Reassure your family about the future? Please join us for a complimentary presentation to learn more. Saturday, March 11, 2017 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. J P Murphy Club House, 1960 9th Avenue (at Pacheco), San Francisco. RSVP to Linda Jackson at Thrivent Financial at 415-437-7370 or email linda.jackson@thrivent.com. Lunch will be served.
BAY CHORAL GUILD PRESENTS "SONGS OF ISAIAH” MARCH 5TH 4:30 PM
The Bay Choral Guild March program features a world premiere - "Songs of Isaiah,” composed by Artistic Director, Sanford Dole - the second in their year-long series of commissioned works. Also on the program are J. S. Bach’s sublime Motet #1, “Singet dem Herrn", Pergolesi's joyous "Magnificat", and works by two modern English composers “Stabat Mater” by Paul Mealor, and “Ave Maris Stella” by Cecilia McDowall, all accompanied by harp and string orchestra.
Tickets are available online or at the door.
http://baychoralguild.org/tickets
General $25, Senior $20, Student $5
WOMEN'S MONTHLY STUDY GATHERINGS
All women are welcome to come and study together at our evening and/or morning Women of the ELCA Gatherings. In March our groups will meet on:
Evening Gathering – March 7 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Jo Chadwick’s home in Martin Luther Tower. All women are invited to come for dessert and fellowship for the first half hour and then discussion until 8:30. This month we will finish our discussion of Resilient Reformer: The Life and Thought of Martin Luther by Timothy Lull. .
Second Tuesday – March 14 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. All women are invited to come for study at 11:00 and then at noon to eat their sandwich or salad and share fellowship. Drinks and dessert will be provided. Our Bible Study of Galatians will focus on “Heirs of the Promises” as found in the March issue of Gather Magazine.
If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Smith at 415.285.7438 or suzathome@comcast.net.
UPCOMING MOSAIC TELEVISION SHOW WITH PR. ELIZABETH
Be sure to watch (or tape) the March 12 Mosaic show hosted by Pr. Elizabeth!
She interviews Gary Dreibelbis who wrote the book, “The Gospel According to Sesame Street”; Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council regarding religious institutions developing housing in San Francisco - including St. Mark’s development; and then discusses the meaning of Lent with Mosaic producer, Hugh Burroughs. KPIX (Channel 5), 5:00 am, on March 12.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS
Don’t forget to “Spring Forward” on March 12th and set your clocks 1 hour ahead.
PEOPLE NEEDED FOR THE VIGIL RECEPTION
After the Easter Vigil on April 15, there will be the Celebration of Easter and the Reception for New Members. If you are interested in being part of this important event, whether planning, set-up, bringing finger food, or clean up, please contact Suzanne Smith (suzathome@comcast.net or 415/285-7438. Thank You.
