Sunday, February 12, 2023

Each Sunday, in worship, we conclude our prayer time by saying the “Lord’s Prayer”. David Owen, who served as a pastor at St. Mark’s for years, and who is greatly missed, wrote about this prayer in his book “Getting There from Here”. He notes that the last words we say, ending in ‘forever, Amen’, were not Jesus’ words, but were added by the early church.

David reminds us that “One of the mysteries of life is that time and eternity- that is “right now” and “forever” exist side by side…Time and eternity are not separated by a thick, impenetrable wall, but by a soft yielding curtain.” (150-151). In the last few weeks, here at St. Mark’s, we have celebrated the lives of three wonderful people, who are also incredibly missed. At the same time, the love, care and gifts they shared, are living on through others and blessing our world.

In our time of worship, we will pray and reflect, sing hymns, and share a Children’s Moment. Misty Smith will read our scripture passage based on Luke 11:1-13. There will also be an important update from our Refugee Task Force. Our Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us in music. Patrick Conklin will also sing a solo of “The Lord’s Prayer” by Albert Hay Malotte. The sermon is titled “Love that Knows No Bounds”.

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.

Owen, D. 1995. Getting There From Here: Meditations for the Journey. Bloomington, IN: Saint Mark’s United Methodist Church, pp. 149-155.

To connect to our livestream worship Sunday morning, click the link on our website www.smumc.church. The service starts at 10:30am. Livestream starts at 10:25am