Sunday, April 25, 2021

Who have been, and who are, the storytellers of our lives? They may be members of our families, authors of cherished or provocative books, politicians or sages, pastors or teachers, friends or neighbors. Whoever they are, they are not simply entertaining us. And to be sure, whether we realize it or not, we are our own most powerful storytellers. Storytellers enter the mysterious world of our imagination to help us make sense of the world, and of our place in it. They help us know who we are, and who is the community that supports, embraces and challenges us. Some storytellers can stoke our fear, and some can lead us to find our courage. And the best storytellers help us discern which are the stories that, ultimately, are deadening and harmful, and which are beautiful, evocative, and life giving. And at heart, the Gospel is story.

Just to take the example of illness, appropriate to the pandemic, Arthur Frank, in his book, The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics, tells us about three “types” of stories we tell when our we, and our bodies, experience illness. All three can be powerful forms of testimony. In restitution narratives, we tell ourselves that everything will eventually get back to normal. In chaos narratives, we testify to the utter upheaval that we are experiencing, and the untethered lives we are leading when impacted by the illness. And in quest narratives, perhaps the most powerful, we determine how, even when things are truly difficult, that we find ways to grow, to connect, to learn and find great surprises, even in the midst of the unthinkable.

In Sunday’s service, we’ll enter a resurrection story involving two perplexed followers of Jesus, and a third person, a stranger, who joins them on their journey. The two are struggling to make sense of the death of Jesus. And they are baffled at the strange stories of resurrection emerging from very close-knit collection of those who knew Jesus the best. In effect, they are deciding what stories they will accept and cherish. That is key for all of us, because the stories that we embrace have the capacity to change everything.

The sermon Sunday is titled, “In This Harsh World…Tell My Story,” flowing from Luke 24: 13-20, and 28-35, which will be read by Kathy Scheid. We will have hymns, prayers and a moment for children. And musically, we will be led by the Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee.

We look forward to connecting this Sunday, when some of you who have registered will be in the sanctuary. Most of you will share with us on the Live Stream. Wherever you are, and however you connect, and whether you are new to St. Mark’s or have been a part of the community for decades, we eagerly anticipate our time together.

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Perhaps you have had someone who is generationally different from you make a keen impact in your life. One of those “some-ones” for me is Reginald Barnard, a theology professor at the first seminary I attended. The school was quite conservative, and I was very young, very timid, very green, and secretly full of doubt. Dr. Barnard was an unusual find there, and was unlike anyone I had ever met. He was incredibly bright, deeply poetic, and I found him to have a profoundly passionate faith. He marched to the beat of his own drum. And he made sure to convey that questions were a welcome and welcoming part of faith. He not only helped me salvage my faith, he helped me chart a course to a much more invigorating experience of God. And he called all of us students his “younger friends.”

Do you think generational differences matter in our faith and life? If so, how? You’ve heard the overly simplistic but still useful breakdowns of the generations: The Greatest Generation (1910-1924), The Silent Generation (1925-1945), Baby Boomer Generation (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1983), Millennials (1983-1996), Generation Z (1997–present), and Generation Alpha (2010-2025). Where do you fall in that list? How do you think that influences your life and the way you view the world?

Long ago, the Gospel of John includes of a conversation between the young, upstart rabbi named Jesus, and a more seasoned Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin named Nicodemus. That conversation is most memorable for the statement in which Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again”. Sometimes this is translated as “born from above.” However this week, as I have sat with this story, I noticed that this is a clearly intergenerational conversation. And in the flip of the traditional script in which the older mentors the younger, in this story, it is the young thirty something who is pushing the buttons of the older soul. Perhaps sitting with the story, and viewing it from that lens, could be useful for us.

We’ll play with this on Sunday, as the sermon is titled, “Questions that Can Make or Unmake a Life”. It arises from John 3:1-10, which will be read by Tom Shafer. The Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee, will lead us musically. We will have a children’s moment, prayers and hymns.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

On the Sunday after Easter in 2017, Barbara Brown Taylor was the guest preacher at Duke University Chapel. She chose the scripture passage that we will be reflecting on this Sunday, which is often referred to as the story of “Doubting Thomas.” Of course, the scripture does not actually call Thomas that, and there is more to the story.

Thomas returns to the place where the disciples were gathered after Jesus’ death, and they tell him Jesus appeared to them. Understandably, it was difficult for Thomas to wrap his mind around this. He tells the others that he needs to see the mark and feel of the nails in Jesus’ hands and to put his hand in his side to believe.

As Barbara Brown Taylor notes, “If you think about it, he wasn’t any less trusting than the rest of them… The only reason Thomas got singled out was because he wasn’t there.” Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize Jesus right away in the garden, and when she told the other disciples that he was not in the tomb, they had to check for themselves.

However, Jesus’ response was not to chastise or criticize, but to meet them where they were. He helped Mary know him by gently saying her name. He came to Thomas, and reached out his hands and offered his side for him to touch. Jesus came to his disciples with love and grace. We are called to follow his example, and to pay attention to when loving grace appears in our lives.

In our time of worship, we will share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our singers (accompanied by Nara Lee), a children’s moment, prayer and reflection, and the reading by Steven Fort and Tim Fort of the scripture passage based on John 20:19-31. The sermon title is “Then Grace Appears.”

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, April 4, 2021

I wonder if you have a favorite memory of Easter. Perhaps it was a time when you connected deeply with loved ones. Maybe it was a time when worship was alive with the joy of resurrection. Could it be an Easter as you were emerging from a really tough time in your life…maybe a time when something wrong was made right? It might have been just a quiet celebration in which you sensed that, as the fourteenth century Christian mystic Julian of Norwich wrote, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.”

One of my memories involves a mission trip I took with other friends from St. Mark’s to Mission Guatemala. On our way to the Mission House in Panajachel, Tom Heaton and our other gracious hosts made arrangements for us to visit the city of Antigua. It was almost Holy Week. Hundreds of thousands of visitors visit Antigua each year during the Holy season. There they witness the many parades and see the colorful hand-made decorations that are used for the processions. At one stop, we went into a church that was hosting a vigil. It was completely packed, and I did not initially realize that the service was in process. I felt like, and indeed I was, a tourist who was intruding on someone’s worship. I think the worshippers there were accustomed to this, but I still felt quite conspicuous.

As we move into this Easter season, I ask myself what kind of Easter is it for which I long. This has been a tremendously difficult year for so many reasons, most of which I don’t need to rehearse for you. You know them very well. But this year, I hope to be a participant in Easter, and not merely a tourist. I long for the Easter graces to bring their help to us.

We look forward to your joining us for our online Easter Celebration on Sunday morning. The sermon is titled, “The Easter For Which We Long”, arising from Mark 16: 1-8, read by Ann Munzenmaier. We will also have a Confirmation in the service as two of our youth become full members of St. Mark’s. Our Sanctuary Singers and Nara will be presenting selections from the Handel’s Messiah, and we will conclude with the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. We will also have a moment for children, hymns and prayers. We hope you join us online.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the live stream banner at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, March 28, 2021

On July 4, 1999, I gathered with church families, children and the ‘young at heart’ who were excited to be part of the City of Bloomington Parade. Connected to our “Habitat for Humanity” Vacation Bible School, just weeks before, we built a float for the parade complete with a “house”. Those there were anxiously awaiting the chance ride on the float, or walk alongside.

Then everything changed. Rumors started weaving through the crowd. Not long afterwards, someone from the city came and told me that a Korean IU student was shot outside the Korean United Methodist Church in Bloomington. There was very little information, but we would not be risking having anyone on the float that day. We were to learn that a 21-year-old, with ties to white supremacist and anti-Semitic groups, had engaged in a string of drive by shootings in Illinois and Indiana. A number of Black and Asian individuals were injured. IU student Won-Joon Yoon and former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong were killed. That tragic memory lives in many of us, and reminds us of our call to choose paths on which we will commit to speaking out and working to dismantle systemic racism and all forms of discrimination and hate.

On this Palm Sunday, we look back to those who gathered to catch a glimpse of Jesus as he sat upon a donkey. Some put branches and their cloaks upon his path, shouting “Hosanna!” Yet, that path ahead would lead to the arrest, crucifixion and death of Jesus. This upcoming Holy Week invites us to enter into the whole of the stories of Jesus’ last days on earth. How may our reflection over these sacred days help us to choose our next steps?

In our time of worship, we will share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our singers (accompanied by Nara Lee), a virtual Palm Sunday parade, a children’s moment, prayer and reflection, and the reading of the scripture passage based on Mark 11:1-11 by Jason Endris. We will also celebrate the Welcoming of New Members. The sermon title is “The Paths We Choose.”

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, March 21, 2021

“Here is a story to break your heart. Are you willing?” With these words, Mary Oliver begins a poem titled “Lead”, in which she tells the sad story of loons who came to a nearby harbor, and who died, “one by one.” She specifically mentions one who “opened the elegant beak and cried out in the long, sweet savoring of its life…” The next morning, she tells her readers, this loon, too, is lost. She then concludes, in Mary Oliver fashion, “I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.” The poet believed that life is intended to be lived with a heart wide open to the beauty and the heartbreak of the world. What about you? Are you willing?

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to a people who had been taken into exile in Babylon in the 6th century BCE. But the days are coming, said the seer, when God is going to do a new thing. A new covenant will be established with the people, a covenant unlike the one that God established with them when leading the Hebrews from Egypt. In this covenant, God will “put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” And all, from the greatest to the least, shall know God. The great search for the beautiful and the true and the good shall not be found in the pilgrimage to the holy place, or on tablets of stone hundreds of miles away. The goodness and the glory will be found where God has placed them…in our hearts and in the hearts of our community. We just have to go there and stay there and listen deeply. What about you? Are you willing?

Let’s talk about this on Sunday morning. The sermon is titled “The One Line Already Written Inside of You,” taken from a line by a poem by David Whyte. The sermon arises from Jeremiah 31: 27-34, which will be read by Cissy Mooney. The sanctuary singers, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Nara Lee, will lead us in worship. There will be a moment for children, prayers and hymns. We hope you join us in this online worship experience.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, March 14, 2021

They say that “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I’m pretty sure that’s not true. I read the other day about a dog named Henry, who had remained not adopted in a shelter for six years. But some alert tech noticed an innate ability in Henry to notice distress in others. Henry was then chosen to be trained to become a service dog…this dog no one wanted. Henry was also adopted by a mom named Yasmine, who has a son named Leo. Leo has a rare neurological condition which leaves him prone to seizures. Their adopted dog is a wonderful fit for Leo, with his incredible ability to detect when a seizure is imminent. Henry, the dog no one wanted, now works during the day as a service dog, and the rest of the day, is side by side with his best friend, Leo. Maybe, just maybe, you can teach old dogs new tricks. Better not to judge, as Jesus would say.

But of course, the saying isn’t really about dogs, is it? The saying reflects a not so complimentary assumption that we humans don’t change our ways very easily. Believing that we are rarely capable of change does serve to protect us from disappointment, I suppose, but it also directs us away from hope. And while all too understandable, it is a costly strategy to adopt.

Jesus certainly did not buy into it. The teachings and the stories of Jesus are animated by an alert attention to the possibility of transformation. Whether teaching in the sermon on the mount, responding to questions, or engaging with the sick and the grieving, Jesus anticipated that we have the capacity to change. “Follow me.” “Love your enemies.” “Blessed are the poor.” “Whoever has no sin, cast the first stone.” I’d say Jesus thought we were deeply capable of learning new tricks.

The sermon for Sunday is titled, “Maybe An Old Dog Can Learn New Tricks: The Gift of Lent and the Call to Discipleship”, arising from Mark 8: 31-38. We’ll have a moment for children, prayers, and music with the Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee. Join us on this Fourth Sunday of Lent.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Remember the time "Springs" ahead this Sunday so don't forget to change your clocks!

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Recently, I noticed that two of the calendars, hanging on the walls of St. Mark’s, are opened to March. However, they both show March of 2020, and not March of 2021. We are approaching, in the days ahead, the one-year anniversary of when our lives changed and, perhaps, felt like our worlds were shutting down due to Covid-19. While we have been living our lives, and as a community of faith, in new ways, we are yearning to turn the page.

Yet, it is important to mark and honor this time, and share our stories, experiences, insights and reflections of this time. They include deep sadness and loss, joy and hope, frustration and uncertainty, incredible courage and unexpected blessings. In all of these, our stories will speak to future generations.

This Sunday, we go back to a story of Jesus as a youth. Jesus and his parents traveled, with many others, to Jerusalem for Passover. However, when the travelers started home, Jesus stayed behind. After three days of searching, Mary and Joseph, found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Rabbi Emerita Sandy Sasso reminds us of the importance of “listening to God’s echo in our lives” which often comes from sharing across generations and different life experiences. This Sunday, we will explore what this mean for us, as people of faith, in the unique time and place we find ourselves.

In our time of worship, we will share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our singers (accompanied by Nara Lee), a children’s moment, prayer and reflection, and the reading of the scripture passage based on Luke 2:41-52 from the Keller family. We will also celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion. You are invited to have bread and juice (or what you have at home) available. The sermon title is “The Gift of Story.”

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, Ferbruary 28, 2021

Rev. Phil Amerson, who will be preaching the sermon for St. Mark’s this Sunday, writes, “A photograph hangs in my study of Elizabeth Eckford and Hazel Massery as they stand together outside Little Rock Central High School. It was taken by Will Counts, a distinguished photo journalist. He was friend to many of us. This is not the first photo Will took of Elizabeth and Hazel. Forty years earlier, in 1957, Will photographed the ugly scene. An angry crowd is yelling abuses toward a young African American woman (Elizabeth). Another young white woman (Hazel), is pictured screaming hateful invectives toward Elizabeth. Will died in 2001 but his two photographs continue to give witness to Will's faith and commitment. Will never lost contact with these two and forty years later helped bring them together. The relationship of Elizabeth and Hazel would never be an easy one... but there was a relationship restored. Shortly after the 1997 photograph, Will and I talked about the struggles, grace and restoration that took decades to begin to unfold.

“Our nation, our church and our families are passing through a time of brokenness, pain and violence. Political and cultural divisions tear at the fabric of our society. Many of us are estranged from others, even in our families. Long simmering damages, bigotries and grievance have risen to the surface. Each of us, and all of us, are challenged now with the difficult questions. "Who is beyond God's care?" If you are like me, you have "unfriended" persons on Facebook, or avoided contacts with certain others. Perhaps, like me you have had painful exchanges. Is there a way forward? Can we remain true to our core beliefs and still find ways to seek a common good? "Who is beyond God's Care?" begs the question, "Who is beyond our care?" The story of Sarah and Abraham in Genesis 17 speaks of an everlasting covenant throughout future generations. And for Jesus' followers, what might we learn this Lenten Season? What suggestions do you have? How can we find ways to address such troubling questions?”

We will work with these powerful questions in the service at St. Mark’s on Sunday. Phil’s sermon is titled, “Photoshopping the Family Portrait,” arising from Genesis 17: 1-7, 15-16. We will have an anthem presented by the Sanctuary Singers, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Nara Lee. There will be a children’s moment, hymns and prayers. We hope you join us online for this service.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Do you ever remember seeing a rainbow just at the moment you needed to see one? Or, said in other words, have you ever received a sign of hope during a stretch when things were really going down the toilet? So these days with this prolonged and difficult pandemic, with so many expressions of meanness around us, with weariness of heart within some of us, perhaps we all need some rainbow love just now.

Some years back, Anne Lamott remarked in a social media post that she had just had a great idea for a new book that she would title “DOOM”. There were so many things going wrong…friends with serious illnesses, political turmoil, injustice, environmental degradation, and a very old and failing beloved dog. Then she went outside and “accidentally looked up”, and saw a rainbow “giving her the eye.” She writes that her pastor reminds the congregation from time to time that one can trap bees on the floor of a mason jar without a lid because they don’t look up…just walk around muttering and walking into glass.

Sometimes, there are signs of hope present which can lift even the most discouraged spirits, but you have to shift your gaze to see them. In the early chapter of Genesis, there is the story of Noah, in which an ark is built to contain animals and people who would repopulate the earth after the destructive flood. And then, God promises to establish a covenant with the earth and all living creatures. Never again would such a disaster destroy the earth. And the sign of this promise would be the rainbow. “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:16). Almost as though with the rainbow, God had posted a giant sticky note on the world as a reminder to bless the world. In other words, look up, and maybe when you need it, you will see the rainbow, or some other gesture of promise and hope, “giving you the eye”.

We’ll talk about this in worship on Sunday, the first Sunday of the Lenten season, as the sermon is titled, “Reweaving the Rainbow”. The biblical text is Genesis 9: 8-17, and will be read by Mary Beth Hannah-Hansen. There will be a moment for children, prayers and music by our sanctuary singers, directed by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Nara Lee.

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

In her poem “Sometimes”, Mary Oliver includes these words of guidance: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. The season of Epiphany begins and ends with the voice of God inviting us to pay attention and to listen. It begins with the baptism of Jesus, and ends this Sunday with the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus.

Jesus and a few of his disciples go up to a high mountain. I imagine Peter, James and John were not anticipating Jesus’ clothing would turn an unearthly dazzling white; Moses and Elijah would be appearing and having a conversation with Jesus, and they would hear the voice of God saying to them “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” They may have been confused, but their souls were also stirred.

They did not stay up on the mountain. They came down to where they are to live out what Jesus is telling them in both words and actions. We to are invited to pay attention to those moments that stir our souls that are phenomenal and those that show up in our everyday lives.

In our time of worship, we will share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our singers (accompanied by Nara Lee), the video of the images many of you sent of soul stirring moments, a children’s moment, prayer and reflection, and the reading of the scripture passage based on Mark 9:2-9 from Mary Wheeler. The sermon title is the line from Mary Oliver “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” (From the poem “Sometimes” by Mary Oliver, in Red Bird, Beacon Press, 2008).

If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

If you have ever been in a boat on the north end of Lake Monroe, there’s a good chance you have seen a bald eagle’s nest high in the trees on the western shore. Eagles’ nests typically measure four to five feet in diameter and two to four feet deep. They are built largely of sticks and branches, with some softer material such as leaves, grass and corn stalks in the center, which helps provide comfort and safety for their eggs to hatch. But when the young are ready to fledge, or take their first flight, the parents will start removing some of the comfortable material from the nest, signaling that it is time to move to the next phase in life.

Eagles are mentioned prominently in the Scriptures. Psalm 91 speaks of being safely covered under the wings of God, like the shelter provided by eagles for their young. But there are also passages that speak of God’s ‘stirring’ the nest, meaning to push the young eagles so they may learn to fly, and then catching them on their wings until they learn to soar on their own. Isaiah 40, in particular, says those who are weary from exile and are also fearful of leaving its comforts shall “mount up with wings like eagles.” Those of us who are weary of the exile of COVID, injustice and political and social tension can understandably long to be sheltered under the protective wings of God. But we can also sense God calling us to leave the nests of safety to move to the next phase of our discipleship.

We’ll talk about this on Sunday, as the sermon for the morning is titled “Exodus, Exile and Eagles: Hope for the Weary and the Homesick”, arising from Isaiah 40: 21-31. The biblical text will be read by Liz McDaniel. We will have a moment for children, hymns and music by the Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee, and prayers. We will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion virtually. Have bread and cup nearby as we partake together.

Whether you are new to St. Mark’s, or have been a part of the community for years, we look forward to connecting this Sunday. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.

Sunday, January 31, 2021

The traditional baptismal liturgy of the United Methodist Church includes the following question: "Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?" A few weeks back, I said in a sermon that the Christian life was a continuing embrace and living out of the implications of our baptism. So, part of that involves our identifying evil in the world, and resisting it with all of the graces God gives us. And because evil, injustice and oppression present themselves in many different forms, we are called to be as deeply reflective and profoundly curious as we are to be determined and righteous.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, soon after his baptism and temptation, Jesus encounters a man “with an unclean spirit.” This man cried out when he saw Jesus, asking “What have you to do with us?” Jesus rebuked him, and spoke to the evil within him, telling it to vacate the man’s life. The man convulsed, and the spirit “crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.” This amazed those who witnessed the powerful love Jesus displayed that day.

Clearly, passages like this are hard to handle, and raise all kinds of questions about the interpretation of scripture. But they also invite us to ask questions about the nature of evil and our response to it. Remembering the baptism liturgy, we are called to keep an eye out to note evil when it presents itself, to stare it in the face, and to speak to it, resisting it with all of the graces God gives us. Practically, we may ask…what does that look like?

We will explore this on Sunday morning, as the sermon is titled “Deliver Us: A Primer on Speaking to Evil”. The Biblical text, Mark 1: 21-28, will be read by David McFarland. There will be a moment for children, prayers, and music led by our Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee.

Whether you are new to St. Mark’s, or have been a part of the community for years, we look forward to connecting this Sunday. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.

Sunday January 24, 2021

Years ago, Madeleine L’Engle wrote a poem titled “The Risk of Birth, Christmas 1973”. She painted a picture of the time and context in which Jesus was born, in relationship to the time of Christmas in 1973. Twice she referenced a comet slashing the sky. Earlier in 1973, scientists predicted a stunning appearance of the “comet of the century” around Christmas. However, only a faint spot of the comet appeared, and it was deemed a spectacular disappointment by many.

The word Epiphany may first bring to our minds the story of the magi following a great star in the sky, which led them to Jesus. This Sunday, we are reminded that epiphanies are more often not spectacular, in that way. In the Gospel reading this week (Mark 1:14-20), Jesus was walking alongside the Sea of Galilee. In the course of his walk, he invites four fishermen (Simon, Andrew, James and John) to follow him. There wasn’t any fanfare, but something in them was moved, likely in a way they could not put into words.

Epiphanies of where God may be calling us to grow sometimes come to us when we least expect them, and may feel more intuitive. Yet, we find ourselves seeing or beginning to consider our relationships with God and one another in a new way. Like with the first disciples, there isn’t a flash in the sky that illuminates all we seek. We are invited to not ignore, but nurture epiphany moments in ourselves and in our communities, and help create the beloved community that is rooted in God’s perfect love.

In our time of worship, we will share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our singers (accompanied by Nara Lee), a children’s moment (with friend, Nicholas), prayer and reflection, and the reading of the scripture passage based on Mark 1:14-20 from Nicole and Donald Griffin. The sermon title is “Nurturing Epiphany Moments”, and there will be a moment of sharing from Maria Schmidt. If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with you on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.

Sunday January 17, 2021

Langston Hughes, African American poet perhaps best known for his poem which begins, “Hold fast to dreams…” had another poem which opens with a question: “What happens to a dream deferred?” Does it dry up, he wonders? Does it sag like a heavy load? Or does it explode? These are deeply powerful question which invites us to be curious and attentive to the heart of our faith and the faith of our hearts. What are your dreams? What is the state of your dreaming? Are you ever discouraged? Are you discouraged now?

Our nation will mark the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on this coming Monday, January 18. In our minds, we may hear the familiar sound of Dr. King’s voice as he proclaimed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” And clearly, Dr. King would have noted that, collectively, we have seen some elements of that larger dream fulfilled.

But events of this Wednesday past in Washington, DC, are impossible to separate from a growing meanness among us. Some of the language we heard carried racist overtones, and we are witnessing an increased willingness by some to resort to vicious words and even violence. And so, some have noted another sermon of Dr. King’s, delivered one month before his assassination in 1968, titled “Unfulfilled Dreams”. Though it might be tempting to see Dr. King as always confident, this sermon arises from a clear struggle with discouragement. In it, he compares life to Schubert’s “Unfinished Symphony” and says, “life is a continual story of shattered dreams.”

So we enter this Sunday of remembering Dr. King’s lofty dream at a time when our collective dreaming is on shaky ground. The sermon for Sunday is titled “The Determination of Deferred Dreams”. The Biblical texts are Joel 2: 28-32, read by the Hitchcock family, and John 1: 43-51, read by Beth and Alicia Rosales. We will be guided musically by our sanctuary singers, led by Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Nara Lee. We will also have a time for children, prayers and hymns.

Whether you are new to St. Mark’s, or have been a part of the community for years, we look forward to connecting this Sunday. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.