Sales of cookies and candy will be 8am-Noon on December 7 & also from 9:30am-Noon on December 8. For best selection, variety, and quantity, plan to shop on Saturday morning. Cookies and candies are sold by weight at $15 per pound. Free gift boxes and ribbon are provided. All proceeds go to local and global missions.
A woman, surrounded by squares of fabric, was asked what she was quilting. She responded “I am quilting a story that continues to unfold even as I sew these pieces together.” We are blessed again, this Sunday, to have a collection of panels from the AIDS Quilt here at St. Mark’s that represents an unfolding story. We are grateful to Ed Brandon who made this possible, and created one of these panels.
The National AIDS Memorial reminds us that the AIDS Quilt commemorates over 105,000 people who have died of AIDS. The “panels serve as both a memorial and a storyteller. Each panel visually documents the evolution of one of the nation’s ongoing civil rights struggles.” They invite us to remember, repent, honor the life of each person, and to advocate for and support those living with HIV/AIDS and their loved ones, around the globe. Ed Brandon and Mark Cox will share a few stories and important insights with us on this first Sunday in Advent.
The scripture passage for this week is Isaiah 2:1-5. The prophet envisions the nations (all peoples) “streaming” to learn to live by God’s Law, Rather than responding to a quest for power and wealth, or reacting to fear and prejudice, they will be moved by and internal quest and drive for peace. “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks.” The sermon title is Advent Dreams and Advent Actions: Stories in a Quilt . We will celebrate Communion together, and collect items for Backpack Buddies.
All are invited, on Sunday morning, to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, which is provided this week by the Reconciling Ministries Team. Donations are appreciated, and will go to the United Methodist Church Global AIDS Fund. Plan to come back at 5pm for Advent Night and Hanging of the Greens, including a turkey-free meal. (See details in the article included here.) If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or you have been here for decades, we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!
These days, it seems we cannot turn on the radio or the television without someone telling us how complicated our Thanksgiving gatherings are going to be next week. On face value, that is understandable in the context of impeachment hearings, primary election debates, and divergent views on political, societal, environmental and justice issues.
Yet, this week we are reminded, again, that we do not have the corner on the market of possible, or probable, tension at a shared meal. In worship this Sunday, we are invited back into the story of Jesus’ last meal with his disciples (as told in the Gospel of Luke). Jesus tells them that the one about to betray him is at the table. The disciples respond by debating which one of them it is. Later, others get into a dispute about which one of them will be regarded as the greatest.
Jesus gives thanks to God, and he serves them the meal. He tells them “the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves… I am among you as one who serves.” On this Sunday designated as “Christ the King” Sunday, we are reminded that Jesus, in word and example, is still teaching us those lessons. What is something you are thankful for today? From your place at the table, what is something you can do today to help nurture a little grace, care and justice in the life of another or in the world?
We will be blessed these next two Sundays to have a panel from the AIDS Quilt here at St. Mark’s. Its presence invites us reflect on its witness in the world and calls to each of us to remember, repent, honor the life of each person represented, and advocate for and support those living with HIV/AIDS.
This Sunday morning, all are welcome and invited to get some breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15am, gather around tables in Garton Hall, and listen to some live music- or head to an adult Sunday School class. You will see many Thanksgiving Baskets in Garton Hall, which will be delivered to individuals and families in our community after worship. If this will be your first Sunday at St. Mark’s, or you have been here for decades, we look forward to sharing this time together on Sunday!
St. Mark’s is joining with other local faith communities for a wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration. This includes friends from Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian, and Christian traditions. St. Thomas Lutheran is hosting the service this year. All are welcome. Mary Beth Morgan will be offering the reflection. If you can bring a snack for a gathering after the service, please contact Mary Beth.
In our local social media scene, there is a Facebook page for folks whose pets have gone missing. Most who initiate posts there are understandably distraught. Many of us have pets who are absconders, who when given the opportunity will run from us like Harrison Ford ran from Tommy Lee Jones in “The Fugitive.” And there are times when the Facebook community of friends actually helps find the little runaways. But whether that happens or not, it is pretty clear that the distraught owner feels a great deal of care coming from the community of fellow animal lovers. It really is good to not be alone when you are reaching out in care and love.
A common metaphor for that care in the Scriptures is “shepherd”. Often it is God who is the shepherd as we read in the very well-known Twenty Third Psalm. And in the Christian Scriptures, in Luke, Jesus speaks of the shepherd who goes in search of the one lost sheep ... the absconder. In the Gospel of John, Jesus likens himself to the Good Shepherd, whose care for the sheep includes a protective love for them entails taking risks. And in Jeremiah 23, the “weeping prophet” who is speaking to those going into exile laments the faithless “shepherds” (leaders) who have divided and abandoned the people of God. Jeremiah promises that God will raise up shepherds who will truly care for the sheep.
In short, this is true: it is not only God who shepherds, nor a few select leaders. We are all called to be shepherds and as a community, to organize around the shepherding love for all of God’s people. The community of shepherds will not run from danger, nor abandon the flock to pursue greener personal pastures. It is not just the solitary soul who goes after lost and discouraged ones. The community of shepherds organizes itself to be welcoming, affirming, inspiring and brave.
We’ll talk about this in worship at 10:30 on Sunday, as the sermon is titled “A Community of Shepherds”, arising from Jeremiah 23:1-6. The Chancel Choir, led by Gerry Sousa, will lead us in music. We will also celebrate Holy Communion. We’ll look forward to seeing you in worship on Sunday.
Pub Theology provides a place to relax with food and beverage and a fun group of thinking disciples to talk a little theology. The theme for this month’s discussion is an article from the New Republic (September 20, 2018) titled “The Struggle for a New American Gospel: A liberal's search for God and faith in a divided country”. You may contact Jimmy Moore for a copy. There will also be copies on the registration desk at church. We would love for you to join us at Nick’s on November 18 at 6:30.
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Exodus 3:1-15
Do you know some people who have made a difference in the world and in your life? If you do, who are they, and why did they have such an impact? If some of these folks are coming to mind, you will recognize that several things about them are likely true. They probably had fairly ‘normal’ lives in which they sought to make a living, have friends and/or family, and live honorably. At some point, they became convinced that the choices they made in their lives mattered, and whether from a sense of duty or delight or a combination of both, they made decisions that impacted other real human lives. What do these special ones and the calling they embraced teach the rest of us about our own callings?
In the third chapter of Exodus, we read of Moses shepherding in the mountains when he came upon a bush with a flame coming from its center. In this burning bush, Moses hears the voice of God calling to him to lead the people of God from their bondage in Egypt to a spacious and fertile land. For Moses, understandably, seeing a burning bush was a strange thing. But what was stranger still was that God was reaching out to him, with all of his inadequacies and failings, to undertake this great calling. Indeed, we often find ourselves not up to the challenges that God places before us in life.
We will work with this in a special way at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church this Sunday. On that date sixty years earlier, the Rev. Dr. Joe Emerson experienced his first Sunday as pastor of St. Mark’s. This Sunday, Joe will share with us some of his memories and reflections from those years. During his pastorate at St. Mark’s, the church experienced significant growth and built the sanctuary that is still the worship home of the congregation. And during those years, Joe went to Selma, Alabama during the tumultuous time of the Civil Rights Movement to march with Dr. King and many others who were seeking to encourage a more just society in our country and in that region. We really look forward to hearing what Joe has to share.
And in the spirit of this theme of calling, Jimmy Moore’s sermon is titled, “Strange Callings and Sacred Journeys”, arising from Exodus 3:1-15. The Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa, will lead us in worship. We look forward to a special time this Sunday at St. Mark’s.
We’ve made arrangements with FARMbloomington to have a fundraiser dinner for the St Mark’s ASP group on Tuesday, November 5th at 6:00pm. The cost of this dinner, which includes a salad, entrée and dessert, is $20 per person (drinks not included). FARMbloomington will generously donate $10 to St Mark’s ASP for each person who attends. Come enjoy a wonderful dinner with family and friends while raising funds for ASP! Everyone is invited.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, October 30 with your entrée choice of Stone Oven Pasta (with vegetables, mushrooms, and parmesan cream sauce) or Meatloaf (grass-fed beef with sautéed greens and mashed potatoes) to events@farm-bloomington.com and reserve your seats.
If you have any questions, please contact James Thomas at jthomas@iu.edu or 812-361-8193.
It was likely an ordinary February day, in 1969, when a small committee was formed to explore the possibility of starting a Nursery School at St. Mark’s. The following October, St, Mark’s Nursery School began with one class of three-year-olds. Since then, well over 100 teachers, hundreds of children and families from Bloomington and all over the world, have been blessed by this incredible ministry.
As we prepare to celebrate the 50th Birthday of the Nursery School & Kindergarten this Sunday, I imagine that the seed for this may have been someone simply saying “I wonder if we might start a Nursery School?” Nurturing a sense of wonder remains a cornerstone. Mary Jane VanHook, who was the Nursery School Director for decades, had this quote from Rachel Carson posted in her office: “For a child to keep alive her inborn sense of wonder, she needs at least one adult with which to share it, rediscovering with her the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in,” The same is true for our spiritual growth.
This Sunday, we hear from the Gospel of Mark of a time when people were bringing children to Jesus so he might bless them. His disciples try to send them away, but Jesus said “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to those such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.” Jesus started with a small group of disciples, and nurtured a sense of wonder with them by his example, and in parables and possibilities. We are called to nurture this, as well.
We begin every Sunday with breakfast anytime between 9:00-10:15 am. Nursery School alumni and friends, of all ages, will be participating in worship leadership. We welcome and celebrate the presence of everyone in worship, from all faith and spiritual traditions or none in particular. Please stay after worship for a great 50th Birthday Party with lunch, birthday cake, singing, Aaron Messer (the amazing balloon guy) and more. (See the expanded article in this newsletter for more information.) There is no cost for breakfast or lunch. Donations are appreciated to support the Mary Jane VanHook Nursery School Scholarship fund. If you are a Nursery School alum, teacher, parent, friend, part of the greater community, or didn’t even know we had a Nursery School, we look forward to worshiping and celebrating together this Sunday!
Do you have a favorite “prayer” scene in a movie? Perhaps you’ve giggled as you watched “Meet the Parents” at the prayer that Greg offers at the dinner table of his prospective parents-in-law, weaving in the prayer from “Godspell”, “O, Dear Lord, three things we pray.” Or perhaps you’ve watched as Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof” laments the fact that his horse has developed a bad leg, suggests that God has done this during a fit of divine boredom, saying “'Let's see, what kind of mischief can I play on my friend, Tevye.” Or maybe you have been moved as George Bailey, having come to his better self in “It’s a Wonderful Life”, exclaims, “I want to live again. I want to live again.” All of these tease us to ask the questions, “What is prayer? What does prayer invite of us?”
Rev. Jimmy Moore, preaching
Jeremiah 29:1-7
Have you ever been in a place in life where you never thought you would be, an exile from all that was familiar. If you have, and if you know those who have, perhaps you can resonate with the words of Frederick Buechner, who writes, "We carry inside us a vision of wholeness that we sense is our true home that beckons us." He adds, "…woe to us if we forget the homeless ones who have no vote, no power, nobody to lobby for them, who might as well have no faces.” He also says, “Woe to us if we forget our own homelessness.” Many in our world know true exile and homelessness, either because of extreme poverty or because their home lands have become unsafe. And many more live with what Walter Brueggemann calls a sense of dislocation, a sense that we are not “home”. And how we respond to all of this is a vital spiritual issue.
Youth trip to the Fowler Pumpkin Patch: 4:00-6:00 pm
Pumpkin decorating and pizza at St. Mark’s 6:30-8:00 pm
Pumpkins, hayrides, corn mazes, a petting zoo, and more are at Fowler Pumpkin Patch (4932 N Greene County Line Rd Bloomington, IN)! All youth grades 7-12 are invited to meet at Fowler’s and enjoy all that the pumpkin patch has to offer on Saturday, October 5th from 4:00 PM-6:00 pm. After we attend the pumpkin patch, we will car pool back to SMUMC with our pumpkins from 6:30-8:00 for pizza and pumpkin carving/decorating. Friends are welcome, but must have a liability form on file with SMUMC. Please RSVP to Rodney Long (rodneylong@smumc.church), Director of Youth Ministries.
Vote for your favorite decorated pumpkin! Bring your spare change for our youth fundraiser!
After worship on Sunday, October 6th, and before and after worship on Sunday, October 13th, the decorated pumpkins will be on display in Garton Hall. Stop by and take a peak! We are inviting the congregation to vote on their favorite pumpkin as they are able and willing by placing spare change in the container next to the pumpkin(s) of their choosing. All money collected will be donated to a single charitable cause as determined by the youth of SMUMC.
On the first Sunday of every month at the 10:30am worship service, you are invited to bring food items for the Community Kitchen Backpack Buddies program. Through this program, each Friday, approximately 400 children in need from local elementary schools are sent home with a backpack of food. These backpacks help meet basic weekend food needs of their families. A list of items requested is below. Please place the Backpack Buddies offering on the altar in worship on the first Sunday of every month, or you may leave your items during the week in the collection box in Garton Hall. Backpack Buddies Food List
Individual fruit cups (applesauce, tropical fruit, pears, etc.); dried fruit
Instant oatmeal (individual portions)
Macaroni & Cheese
Small boxes of cereal; Granola/fruit/cereal bars
Easy-to-prepare food items (instant mashed potatoes, dried soups, beans, meal helpers, rice or pasta meals, etc.)
Canned or pouch chicken or tuna
Small bread mixes (cornbread, muffin, biscuit, etc.)
Since 1983, Head Custodian Dennis Morgan has been a faithful and reliable presence on the St. Mark’s Staff. Each morning he is a friendly face greeting nursery school children and families. He has supervised our custodial staff and works to keep our building and grounds safe, clean and welcoming. And he has partnered with our trustees on many capital projects of improvement.
Dennis will be retiring from St. Mark’s on October 13. Plan to come to the service that morning during which we will recognize Dennis, and stay for a reception following. We look forward this time of honoring Dennis for his thirty six years of service to St. Mark’s. There will be a basket for cards and notes for Dennis.
World Communion Sunday
Phil Amerson, preaching
Lamentations 3: 19-26 and II Timothy 1: 4-7; 14
Phil Amerson writes:
My grandfather had a way of inviting neighbors to visit. He would say, 'The latch string is on the outside', meaning 'You are always welcome at our table.' Those who heard his words knew they were wanted. We live in a season of lamentation — of fear, exclusion, tears, and a widely held experience of unwantedness. As a friend recently shared with me, 'I have difficulty finding a sense of hope, a sense of direction.' Where might we find a home, a place of wantedness?
We are pleased to share that the Pastor-Staff Parish Committee has approved naming Alayna Gray as St. Mark’s Director of Children’s Ministries. Alayna has been serving for many months as the part-time Interim Coordinator of Children’s Ministries.
Alayna and her family (husband, Walt, and children, Bryce and Macy) have been part of the St. Mark's community for a number of years. Alayna has deep roots at St. Mark’s, as this was her family’s church when she was growing up. Her professional experiences include being a teacher, principal, coordinator of early childhood religious education, and more recently teaching in the IU School of Education, and supervising student teachers.
We are grateful to Alayna for accepting this more full-time role, and for the gifts she will continue to share with our children, families and the St. Mark’s community!
Since 1983, Head Custodian Dennis Morgan has been a faithful and reliable presence on the St. Mark’s Staff. Each morning he is a friendly face greeting nursery school children and families. He has supervised our custodial staff and works to keep our building and grounds safe, clean and welcoming. And he has partnered with our trustees on many capital projects of improvement.
Dennis will be retiring from St. Mark’s on October 13. Plan to come to the service that morning during which we will recognize Dennis, and stay for a reception following. We look forward this time of honoring Dennis for his thirty six years of service to St. Mark’s.
