Shirley Estrella, Senior Warden

Jack Heidbrink, Junior Warden

Angela Anderson, Treasurer

Tracey Healey, Clerk

I believe this is a strong team who will provide faithful and effective leadership for the vestry and congregation in the times of change which are ahead for all of us. At the time of writing, the nominating committee was completing its vestry slate. Here too there will be a combination new leadership and prior experience. Thank you to all who have served so well and to those who are stepping up. The Annual meeting will be held as the first part of worship on Sunday, January 25. We will hold elections, look back at the 50 years of our history, and look forward to where God is leading us as we play our part in the change that is coming.

P.S. You can hear Brian McClaren in person at the Diocesan Spring Learning Event on March 7th at Boston University, from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

Happy New Year!  I always love the beginning of a new year.  It makes me feel renewed and re-energized. For a couple years I even made New Year's resolutions. I promised to be more patient, more understanding, more laid back. I would be good until February or so when all the stresses in my life would get the better of me. Shoveling snow and freezing fingers would definitely make me forget about being patient. Breaking the resolution would upset me for a day or two and then I would move on.
 
So instead of having the inevitable failure looming in front of me I decided to stop making resolutions. I wasn't going to set myself up anymore. But then this year I saw a production of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. The actors were so amazing that I was completely drawn into the story. I traveled with Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. After Scrooge sees himself through the eyes of the ghosts he realizes the importance of celebrating Christmas with a generous heart. And so he promises to live every day like it is Christmas day.
 
For many days after I wondered what it would be like to live every day as if it were Christmas?  What would I have to change about myself? What could I keep the same? I looked at the way Jesus lived his life and found my answer. I would have to learn to be joyful every day. I use the word "learn" because choosing to be unhappy is the easier route. In my interactions with people it seems that being joyful isn't normal. Most people would rather talk about why they are unhappy and they usually have a long list. I too have a list of complaints for anyone who is willing to listen.
 
To be joyful everyday would mean letting go of a lot of stuff. There are so many little things that keep me from being happy. For example, I really don't have to let traffic make me so unhappy. It's out of my control so why let it bother me? When I let myself really know this, I feel happier. Sometimes other people's mistakes made me sad as well. But again it is out of my control. 
 
So this year I made a Christmas resolution: to feel the joy of Jesus' birth every day. In the past few days I've been trying and let me tell you it is hard work!  I hope you will join me in this challenging but joyful resolution!
 
Joy to the World!
 
Sarah Manly
Associate for Multigenerational Ministry 

 

Dear Friends,

 

In less than a month I will be stepping down from a leadership role at St. Mark's. It has been an extraordinary time. Had I not volunteered to be treasurer six years ago, I would not have begun to grow in faith and trust in God's love. I would not have learned to listen for God's voice. I wouldn't be on the path I am now. I remember that annual meeting almost four years ago when I was not only going to step down as treasurer but was going to leave St. Mark's. I remember sitting there after Jackie announced her departure and knowing, as clearly as if a voice had spoken, that I couldn't leave those who had become so dear to me in those circumstances. I listened and I chose to stay.

 

I want to thank all of you who chose to stay as well - in the face of changes in the Episcopal Church that you found difficult, in the face of the anger and grief and confusion in the time before and after Jackie's departure. I particularly want to thank those of you who stepped up, who served on vestry, who re-formed our outreach initiatives, who re-formed our Sunday School and Youth Group, who helped with administration and worked on property. I don't dare try to name all of you for fear I will forget someone.  I don't know how many of you felt that you were letting God work through you, but it certainly felt that way to me!

 

I thank God for bringing us Roger Moulton, and then John de Beer and Sarah Manly. Their gifted leadership taught us and inspired us and encouraged us, and never took anything away from us.

 

In her letter Sarah talks about choosing to take joy in Jesus's birth every day. I believe we always have choices - we can choose to listen to God or turn away, we can choose to let God act through us or we can sit back, we can choose to change and grow or we can stand still. One of my favorite texts is from a letter written by a monk, Fra Giovanni Giocondo, in 1513. I offer it as a gift of thanks to you all:

 

Life is so full of meaning and of purpose, so full of beauty - beneath its covering - that you will find that earth but cloaks your heaven. Courage, then to claim it: that is all!

Peace!

Catherine Owens

 

We have recently had a few miscommunications about the altar flower reference in the Sunday bulletin, and would like to clarify the process for donating flowers. If you would like to donate flowers in memory or celebration of someone special, or to the Glory of God, please put your name and the number of arrangements (one or two) on the flower chart on the bulletin board outside the Sacristy. Most importantly, please fill out a flower slip and put it, with your payment, in Senada's folder in the office. Senada will contact you if she has any questions. Please do not leave it (or any other note for Senada) on the desk. A number of people use the desk and it could get lost. 

Would you like to have some fun and help plan a Tea Party? If you have ever been to a Tea Party, hosted one, or would like to, please join us at the planning meeting in the choir room on Jan. 18th after the service.

In the mid 1970's, the late Rev. Bill Seaward asked each household to donate a tea cup and saucer to the church. These were to be used at a "Silver Tea" which was held each time the Bishop visited us to preside over confirmation. We also used silver tea sets of trays, creamers and sugar bowls which made a very elegant presentation. These lovely cups and saucers are stored in the kitchen cabinets and they are the inspiration for the tea party.

 

If you cannot make the meeting but have some ideas, please speak to me.

 

Shirley Estrella  978-694-9663
Sherlstar@comcast.com

Sally, along with Lisa Blaney, teaches 6th through 8th grade Sunday School, serves on the Altar Guild, and is a nominee for vestry membership.
 
Sally grew up at St. James Episcopal Church in Arlington. She enjoyed the relationships and sense of community that she found there. Although she had drifted away from community during college and after, she wanted her children to have that same experience. When Alison was born Sally joined St. Mark's.
 
Sally, who was on the vestry when Jackie McGrady left, admits she almost left St. Mark's as well. "It was relationships I had made with the people here that kept me coming," she said. Sally not only kept coming but stepped up to help take on teaching responsibilities for the 6th to 8th grade Sunday School. "I love teaching the kids. I love their questions, even though I don't always know the answers. They are so interested in the history, in what really happened, in how and why the Episcopal Church is different from other religions. I love that we are a community that encourages questions, and doesn't just give easy answers."
 
When asked about her vision for St. Mark's in the future, Sally said she would like to see us find a way to support our own members and the people in our town, people who are struggling financially or for other reasons. "Not necessarily offer financial help ourselves - maybe just be able to help them find other sources of assistance," she said. And she is looking forward to beginning Covenant! in February. 

- Marge Douglass

 

This was truly a case where part of me heard the words coming out of my mouth and silently screamed, "Are you insane?!?" I am not good at all with formal prayer. The task involved selecting a model from the six forms in the Book of Common Prayer, then writing the individual prayers so that they followed the theme of the liturgy. I literally spent hours working on it, and several times found myself resorting to my own rather incoherent prayer to keep myself from panicking completely! Nonetheless, it was incredibly exciting to realize that the Prayers of the People not only can but should vary from the text in the BCP.

 

Too, John and Sarah invited me to be part of the planning for Advent and Christmas, and I recently worked with them and Susan Dearborn to plan the Celebration of New Ministry. So I was very excited to see a Liturgy course this Spring called 'Shaping Liturgy: Ritualizing Life in Community.' The description reads, "The course will guide students in an examination of the history, ritual structure, and theology of the rites of the Episcopal Church with two specific goals in mind: 1) to enable students to lead their communities in the existing rites, and 2) to encourage students to design new rites for their local communities based on the structures and theology of the existing rites." How cool is that!!!  I can't wait!!!