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| From the Rector |  Dear Friends, Whether you have been attending St. Mark's for 50 years or 5 days, I look forward to seeing you at the Annual Parish Meeting after the service on Sunday, January 30. I am grateful for the community that is growing here and I see the Annual Meeting as an important resource for recognizing how God is using us and for strengthening our life together.
Here are the challenges that seem to me are most urgent in 2011: - Caring for those who are struggling with illness or economic hardship
- Welcoming new members into active participation and leadership
- Funding the ongoing work of the parish as the membership changes over time
- Hearing and responding to God's call, as individuals and as a congregation
The first three bullets require the fourth bullet. In order for the parish to care, to welcome and to fund the work we are called to do, we need to hear and respond to God's call. This is what is happening among us. Recently I invited a parishioner to participate in a leadership role. In order to say yes, the parishioner needed to ask several work colleagues to change their schedules. They did so, and the parishioner thanked me for the opportunity to serve. This is a sure sign of hearing and responding to God's call - gratitude for the invitation to significant commitment! I hope that many parishioners wil have such an opportunity this year. |
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At the Annual Meeting we will listen for God's call, attending to the deep desires that stir our hearts and noticing the gifts and resources we have as individuals and a a congregation.
During Lent you will be able to carry this work forward. The Lenten program, after service on Sundays, will invite you to find that commitment which will leave you grateful, glad to be able to respond to God's call to be most fully yourself.
I hope that you will arrange your calendar so that you can be at the Annual Meeting and at as much of the Lent program as possible.
Blessings,
John de Beer |
| Weather Closing |  In case this winter mimics last year, with many stormy Sundays and you wonder if there is a church service, you can do any of the following: Phone the church at 781-272-1586 to hear a recorded phone message.
E-mails will be sent if time permits.
Listen/watch WBZ News Radio 1030 AM and WBZ-TV channel 4
Website will be updated at www.saintmarksburlington.org If you question whether or not to attend church on a stormy Sunday, please consider your safety above all else. |
| From the Senior Warden |
Our mission statement, which is printed on the front page of the bulletin each week, states "Our mission is to create a place of SAFETY and support in which all God's people are given the opportunity to be transformed, as we explore our faith and our call to service." The idea of St. Mark's being a safe place for all is one that most of us take for granted and without any fear of harm. However, as the world is changing, we need to be aware of the dangers that could be present and we have taken a step forward in creating a safe place for all. Everyone who is involved with the children of St. Mark's is now required to fill out an application for a CORI check. This information is strictly confidential. CORI checks have been a part of the local school system for years and have proven beneficial. Also, the Diocese has provided us with Safe Church Online which consists of curriculum called "Safeguarding Our Children" and it is designed to increase awareness regarding sexual misconduct and abuse of power, to outline steps toward preventing abuse and to offer ways to intervene when misconduct occurs and to equip anyone in a position of parish leadership with ways of healing and rebuilding the body of Christ. All our Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, and vestry members are in the process of viewing these videos so we will become more aware of how to keep our children safe.
I hope to see all of you at the Annual Meeting and Pot Luck luncheon on January 30, 2011 immediately following the 9:30 am worship service. Annual Reports will be handed out at that time for you to take home and read at your leisure. This is a time when we have the opportunity to recognize and thank all the people who have given many hours to St. Mark's over the past year. Please join us in doing this.
With a new year upon us, please send any changes of email addresses, phone numbers, and address changes to the office at stmarksburl@rcn.com to update the database. We would like to print a new directory with your updated contact information.
Blessings to all.
Shirley Estrella |
| From the Associate | |
 We receive you into the household of God.
Confess the faith of Christ crucified, proclaim his resurrection,
and share with us in his eternal priesthood.
The Book of Common Prayer, p. 308
With these words, we invited Jacqueline Assetta to join us in Christ's eternal priesthood during her baptism on November 7, 2010. I thought about Jacqueline's baptism as I prepared for my ordination to the priesthood this past week. I thought about how, like Jacqueline, I wasn't going to be completely prepared for this moment. I thought about how both of these services bring a community of people together to pray that the Holy Spirit might empower us with gifts of loving service, courage, perseverance, and joyful gratitude.
But mostly I thought about how we are all called to share in the priestly work of seeking and serving Christ in all people. In fact, as a priest my primary responsibility and the first action I want to take is to invite everyone to join me in this work every day. This seems to come naturally at St. Mark's, partly because John has been inviting you to do this for years, and partly because St. Mark's is full of people who are living into God's call to share in this priesthood.
So I invite you to join us in this work. I invite you to begin right now; you don't need to wait for any special day. This work starts with praying for other people. You don't have ask for anything specific, just name the people. Hold them in your heart and mind for a minute. Who is in your heart today? Your family? Co-workers? A friend who is in trouble? A boss doing a great impersonation of an enemy? I invite you to name them in prayer, to bring them into your relationship with God. Don't worry about being comprehensive. Don't worry about doing it right. Prayer is something we do with God. We are not in charge of this. We just need to hold God's hand and get started.
As members of Christ's eternal priesthood, we are called to seek and serve Christ in all people. So I invite you to look for God's presence all around you, especially in other people. God is in all people. As members of Christ's eternal priesthood, we are called to find Christ's presence in each person. Then we are called to find a way to serve them, to be a witness to God's saving love for them.This is really hard work. We can never do it alone. We can only do it with God's support. That's why we begin with prayer. And just like with prayer, as members of Christ's eternal priesthood we are called to share in this work, not to be in charge of it!
Knowing that we won't be doing this perfectly, knowing that we will be seeking God's empowering guidance, knowing that we will share many joys and challenges as we work together, I invite you to join in this work of being a priest, of bringing God's saving love to a world in need!
Your brother in Christ,
Philip
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| God and Us: News from the Vestry | |
January 30th, after church, is our annual meeting. At the Eucharist, the sermon will include four parishioners speaking about the blessings they have observed at St. Mark's. At the meeting the following agenda will be used
Opening Prayer and blessing of the food
Table discussion during the meal( Middle school parishioners will be present at each table. During the business part of the program, they will gather to synthesize the responses from the tables)
1. Blessings at St. Mark's this past year
2. Needs in the world that are calling for my response
3. Resources and gifts we have together
Verify that the Warrant was posted according to the Bylaws
Verify that a quorum is present (30 people)
Approve Minutes of annual Meeting 2010
Election of Officers, Vestry and Delegates
Treasurer's Report and 2011 Budget
Presentation by the Middle School parishioners and discussion by all.
There will be a Vestry retreat on Feb 26th. Place and time to be determined.
A Final Affairs Fair is going to be held in the future. This is a fair dealing with end of life issues. Representatives to include funeral homes, wills, Nursing home care, health care proxies, etc.
This is open to all, not just St. Mark's parishioners. We are looking for a coordinator for this program.
Consideration for a music scholarship program is being proposed. No details have been forwarded to the Vestry as of yet.
That's all for now folks, please make a concentrated effort to attend the annual meeting.
God Bless
Don |
| Choir Notes | |
With Lent beginning in early March, the choirs will start in February to prepare our anthems for Lent and Easter. These times in the church calendar lend themselves to interesting and challenging music, so it is a wonderful opportunity to try choir just for the season. This would allow you to see how you like the experience, and think about singing with us beyond Easter. The Adult Choir rehearses on Thursday nights at 7pm, and then has a quick warm-up on Sunday morning at 9am. The Youth Choir (grades 2 and higher) rehearses on Sunday after the service. Come join us as we make a joyful noise!
Our Youth Choir will sing twice during the month of February, for the first Sunday of the month, and then again for Story Sunday on February 13th. If rehearsals go according to plan, we may also sing for a third week during the month since we have so many Epiphany anthems we love to sing. Many members of our Youth Choir are also involved in other activities at St. Mark's, from Youth Group to serving on the altar, so I am grateful for their participation. I am also thankful for the older and more experienced members of the Choir who have been a huge help in guiding our newer members as they "learn the ropes".
Do you have a favorite hymn you would like to sing? I am always eager to hear any suggestions you have. Just drop a note in my folder in the church office, or stop by and speak with me after the service. Any ideas are welcome, and we will do our best to incorporate them into a service as soon as we are able to program and rehearse them with the choirs. Be sure to specify if your suggested hymn is from the Hymnal 1982 or Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Both of these hymnals have a handy index by title in the back of each book, so flip through them when you have a chance, and see what treasures you find.
Susan Dearborn |
| Pastoral Care Notes | |
On January 16th after the Sunday service, the Pastoral Care Team held a Sunday brunch. We celebrated the past year, talked about the bimonthly contact role, and heard from Jean Allan and Sue Thompson about their experiences. More people signed up for some of the functions. Most importantly, Marcia Doiron volunteered to be bimonthly coordinator for February and March, and Emily Howser volunteered for April and May. Thank you Marcia and Emily!
We also had some table discussion to solicit ideas for ways we might improve and grow the pastoral care team. One suggestion is that we tell more stories. Do you have a story to tell - about a card that arrived just when you needed a boost, food that helped you get through a rough time, or a visit when you needed it? If you do, and you would like to share it with your friends at St. Mark's, please contact one of us.
- Deb Smyth and Catherine Owens |
| Women's Group News | |
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper
March 8, 2011 at 6:30 PM
On Tuesday, March 8th the Women's Group will be hosting the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner. Please join us at 6:30 for a wonderful dinner of pancakes and all the fixings, prepared by the lovely ladies of the St. Mark's Women's Group.
In order to ensure we have enough food prepared for all of your families and friends, there will be a sign up sheet in the Narthex. Please indicate how many guests you will be bringing. There will also be a sign up sheet for supplies and for volunteers to help with set up, serving and clean up. All the proceeds from the dinner will be donated to People Helping People.
If anyone has any questions or is in need of transportation feel free to contact
Linda Kelley at 781-883-8972 or email Linda or
Rosemarie Tieri at 781-272-1558 or email Rosemary or
Judy Gustafson at 781-229-2688 or email Judy
April Women's Group Fieldtrip
On Sunday, April 10th we will be attending the Burlington High School Musical - Beauty and the Beast. The play begins at 2:00 PM. All the women of St. Mark's are invited to attend. The cost of the tickets is $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for seniors. A sign up sheet will be posted in the Narthex.
Tickets have to be paid in advance as they must be ordered. Anyone interested in attending must sign up. Please give your payment to Linda, Kelley, Judy Gustafson or Rosemarie Tieri.
- Linda Kelley |
| Lion in the Limelight - Bob Jankowski | |
 Wife: Jen Sons: Adam and Matthew (twins) age 13
Grew up: Wakefield, MA
St. Mark's: Long time helper in grounds projects, Usher
Q: What is your favorite memory of a vacation?
A: Family trip to Niagara Falls when I was a boy.
Q: Who is your best friend?
A: My boys, Adam and Matt... and Jen!
Q: What is your Wish for 2011?
A: Health! To get stronger; then go on a vacation trip with our family.
I grew up in Wakefield, MA. My parents are still there. I have a brother and a sister, both now live in NH. We are close and stay in touch. I love sports. In high school, I was the basketball team manager and traveled to all the games and I wrote articles about the team for the paper. Senator Scott Brown was a star on the team, averaging about 20 points per game. In a game against Melrose, he scored 40 points and the crowd cheered him on.
My cousin was best friends with Jen, who lived in Burlington. We went on a blind date, on June 28, 1981. We went to the Royal Hawaiian Restaurant in Burlington. We dated for four years and married on June 16, 1984. It was a hot day. Rev. Bill Seaward married us.
I used to candlepin bowl a lot, in Wakefield and Melrose. My average was 103. I am not bowling now, while I am taking care of my cancer. When I get stronger, I will bowl more.
I love football and basketball. I used to be a Patriots season ticket holder for four years, back in the old stadium. We had great tailgate parties.
Burlington is a nice town with a lot of nice people. I have met a lot of them by being a Mason (Master twice) and Eastern Star in Billerica. We also do a lot of things as a family. The boys play Pop Warner football, and Youth Basketball, and are Boy Scouts. The boys are Pop Warner All American Scholars. [The PWLS All-American Program requires a minimum 96% grade point average to apply for All-American status]. I met a lot of parents by going to as many of their games and activities as I can.
Being part of a community means a lot to me. People come up to me to say hello. I am social, and like to make people feel comfortable. I usher at St. Mark's. It makes people feel welcome, friendly. I like working outdoors. And I like to cut grass. Howard and I put down the first lawn fertilizer last year, and it looked pretty good. I used to read the Bible readings in church. Shirley asked me to, and I tried to learn all the words to be ready. When I get better, I'd like to do more of that.
I work at Walmart in Hudson, MA. I like my job and I love the people I work with. I work at night, so you don't see me around so much in the morning. Walmart has been very good to me while I have been dealing with my cancer this year. They held my job for me until I got back. They have been very good to me.
I want to thank St Mark's for all the support, and all the prayers, a lot of prayers. John de Beer came to see me in the hospital, at Mass General, and Winchester. Catherine brought me communion. The church has been really good to us.
(reported by Rick Eaton)
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| Nursery |
 Please let Elizabeth Grace know if you would like to volunteer in our nursery during Sunday service or if you can donate any gently used infant items! |
| Notes from EDS | |
As some of you know, I just finished a two week intensive course on the history of Christianity up to the Reformation. Fifteen centuries in two weeks. It was intense. I had to take the first in-class "names, dates, locations" type of test I've taken in 25 years. I actually made myself flash cards when I was studying. Scary!
And it was wonderful. I learned so about our own, Roman tradition, and even more about Christianity outside that tradition.
One of the many things I learned was that Christianity came to the British Isles very early, and developed in its own way. It was organized along more tribal lines, led not by an episcopal hierarchy but from local abbeys or monasteries that were centers of hospitality, education, and worship. Both women and men were leaders. People saw few boundaries between the sacred and secular. Creation was good, and God was deeply present in the world. It was a mystical and deeply incarnational form of Christianity. Then the Roman church sent missionaries to England, and eventually, at a meeting with representatives from the Roman and Celtic traditions in 663, the King decided that the English church would follow the Roman tradition.
I had thought that the Celtic spirituality that is one thread of the emergent church today was a sort of "new age" invention. I hadn't realized it had very real roots and, had one meeting come to a different end, we might have had two different, but equally legitimate historical Christian traditions to draw upon. Such a loss...
As part of this class, we held a compline (evening worship) service in the Celtic tradition. One reading in particular captivated me, expressing as it does a deeply personal, even intimate relationship with God. I would love to hear how you respond to it.
I lie down this night with God, And God will lie down with me; I lie down this night with Christ, And Christ will lie down with me; I lie down this night with the Spirit, And the Spirit will lie down with me; God and Christ and the Spirit Be lying down with me.
- Catherine Owens |
| Lector and Chalicer Schedules | |
LECTORS
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Date |
HS/Psalm |
New Testament |
Prayers of the People | |
Feb 6 |
Steve Cunha |
Jeremy Grace |
Catherine Owens | |
Feb 13 |
Story Sunday | |
Feb 20 |
Rick Eaton |
Mark Lamourine |
Sally Toye | |
Feb 27 |
Shirley Estrella |
Catherine Owens |
Steve Cunha |
CHALICERS
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Date |
Crucifer/Chalicer |
Chalicer 2 | |
Feb 6 |
Sally Toye |
Pat Doleman | |
Feb 13 |
Story Sunday | |
Feb 20 |
Sue Heidbrink |
Shirley Estrella | |
Feb 27 |
Steve Cuhna |
Norm Dooley |
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| Regular Schedule | |
Holy Eucharist and Church School both begin at 9:30 am on Sunday. Church School children join the congregation at the peace. After service we have coffee hour in the parish hall.
Morning meditation is held on Tuesdays from 7:00 to 7:30.
On the first Sunday of the month Sunday School combines with our regular service for a special Story service.
The Bible study group meets on Sunday in the parish hall after coffee hour to study the lessons for the next Sunday. No special background or education is required, and you do not have to attend every week. Please join us when you can!
The Youth Choir rehearses after service on Sunday. The Adult Choir rehearses on Thursday at
7:00 pm.
The Youth Group meets on the first and third Sundays after the service.
Vestry meets at 7:00 pm in the Choir Room on the second Monday. Vestry meetings are open to all, unless otherwise announced.
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