The Lion’s Tale

The Newsletter of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church

 Lake City, Minnesota

July 2008

“With God’s help and in Jesus’ name we

Priestly Ponderings

	Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; bring offerings and come into his courts. (Psalm 96:8)

 

Random thoughts on a warm day:

Ah, summertime, summertime. The weather is warm, the sun is shining and it’s often the best time to get away for the weekend to head to a cabin or spend the day out on the lake. Because we often go through such long winters, summer is a time we want to make sure we take advantage of pleasant weather, either to have fun or take on some outdoor project.

Summer in Minnesota is a wonderful time to spend weekends fishing, golfing, boating, puttering in the yard and so much more. It is also easy for that enjoyment to become a distraction that keeps us from attending to our spiritual lives.

Although I pray that you may all have an enjoyable, relaxing and/or productive summer I also pray that you will resist the temptation to take a summer vacation from church.

Heavenly Humor:

Three boys are in the schoolyard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a poem and they give him $50." The second boy says, "Well my Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a song and they give him $100." The third boy says, "That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, calls it a sermon and it takes two people to collect all the money!

Grace  & Peace,

Father John J

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“Saint Mark’s on the Park”

If you missed Fr. John’s Blessing of the Boats on Saturday morning, June 7^th, it was marvelous!  For an hour or two the sun came out, there were 40 to 50 people there, the harbor and boat people loved it, and I feel it will now be an annual event.

The Junior & Senior Wardens are meeting with Fr. John on Tuesday mornings the week before our monthly Vestry meetings to discuss upcoming Vestry agendas and things in general.  The total Vestry between now and year’s end will be working on a 2009 St. Mark’s plan of action as well as putting together yearly plans probably as far out as five years.  They will be looking at where we want to be spiritually, with a close eye on our financial situation as to what we can afford.

Fr. John will be gone two Sundays in the near future.  July 6^th he will be on vacation and August 3^rd he and Jen will be in Russia with their adoption proceedings.  Both of these Sundays we will have Morning Prayer services led by St. Mark’s lay persons.  Please do not let this affect your attendance at church.  Fr. John is going to have personnel well trained!

Thirty-one persons have signed up for St. Mark’s Relay for Life team.  The event is Saturday, August 2^nd.  I will put out a team newsletter in July like I did in June.  A sign-up sheet for walking times will be put up in the Guild Hall soon.  Three special moments to attend during the Relay are: 1) The opening ceremony at 5 P.M. in Patton Park; 2) The lighting of the luminaria bags along the walkways at 9 P.M.; and 3) the healing service in our church sanctuary, which will be approximately 11 P.M. (starting time to be decided).  Again, if anyone has any ideas on something we could do this day to really show off St. Mark’s, please contact me.

Have a safe and wonderful 4^th of July!

Lorne McDonald,

Senior Warden

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Vestry Update

Vestry Meeting Minutes - June 22, 2008, 11:30AM

Vestry Meeting was opened with prayer led by Fr. John Jankowski.

Members present:   Fr. John Jankowski; Lorne McDonald, Senior Warden; Larry Roberson, Junior Warden; Judy Siebenaler, Treasurer; Kyle Roberson, Junior Vestry; Lynne Sprick and Zeke Wellslager

Members absent: Barb Mathias, Lois Zoromski & Diane Wenger

Discernment of Mission & Ministry:  Vestry Homework. Gift Discernment.  Discussion of questions by Vestry determining what our values really are.  This will be continued at future meetings.

I.                   The Minutes of the May 21, 2008 Vestry meeting:

The minutes of the vestry meeting were reviewed.

Zeke Wellslager made a motion to approve the minutes, seconded by Kyle Roberson. Motion carried.                                                

II.                The Treasurer’s report for May, 2008:

Reviewed and discussion of future deadlines related to end of year.  Lorne McDonald made a motion to approve the report, seconded by Zeke Wellslager.  Motion carried.             

III.             Committee Reports:

Worship Committee- Attempt to schedule meeting in July.                                                       

Stewardship –  ECW – Altar Guild – No reports

Outreach – Plan for next Vestry meeting discussion of where contributions will go this year.

Region V –   Youth – No reports

IV.              Senior Warden Report:  1) Fr. John Jankowski, Lorne McDonald and Larry Roberson are meeting monthly on the Tuesday before Vestry meeting.  2) Healing Service for August 2^nd  is already planned; a lay person could do it, but may get another priest or ecumenical minister involved.

V.                 Junior Warden Report:  1) Water fountain is repaired; 2) Air conditioner not working; breaker out; Larry will call to have it fixed on Monday, 3) Guild hall thermostats difficult to use; 4)  Dimmer switches need to be changed; 5) Zeke Wellslager painted and glazed the door and window; 6) Mailboxes/literature stand to be moved; 8) Rutz Organ coming Wednesday—air conditioning will need to be fixed before they can work on organ.

VI.              Priest’s Report:  1) Noted new people attending service this week; 2) Asks that parishioners continue to make an effort to attend church here or elsewhere if traveling; 3) Ordered curriculum for Sunday School; 4) Sunday adult classes to be offered this fall.  May include Alumni Sunday—to continue discussion at next meeting.

VII.           Old Business:

a.      Safe Church Training – being worked on.

b.      Housing Allowance signed by Vestry and Wardens

c.       Zeke Wellslager made a motion and Larry Roberson seconded purchasing paint for the Guild Hall and accepting Bunny Anding’s offer to paint Guild hall.

d.      No parking in front of church side of street or in the parking lot next Sunday during Water Ski Days.  Larry Roberson will contact City Hall for signs.

VIII.        New Business:

a.      Discussion of Tax payments to IRS

b.      Fr. John Jankowski off July 6^th and August 3^rd

c.       Larry Roberson will conduct Morning Prayer Service on July 6^th

d.      A.C.T. may need to use building here.  This needs further discussion regarding insurance coverage, electrical safety issues, etc.

e.      Beginning in September the Wednesday Morning Breakfast Club will use our kitchen.

The next vestry meeting is Sunday, July 20, 2008, at 11:30 a.m.

Motion to adjourn by Lynne Sprick, seconded by Larry Roberson.  Motion carried.

Closing prayer led by Kyle Roberson

 Respectfully submitted,

Lynne Sprick, Vestry Clerk, pro tem 

***NOTE:  THESE MINUTES HAVE YET TO BE APPROVED.

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????????    Because You Asked   ????????

Question: Why are we using the contemporary version of the Lord’s Prayer rather than the traditional version.

We often think of the traditional version (Our Father who art in heaven) as being the ‘original’, and the contemporary version (Our Father in heaven) as a new modification. However, although neither form exactly replicates the wording of the prayer as presented in the gospels, it is the contemporary version that is in many ways a closer reflection of the texts from which the prayer is derived. (See Matthew 6:9-15, Luke 11:2-4, and Mark 11:25-26)

Because of this, it is important that we be equally familiar with the contemporary form of the prayer even though I realize that many of us still cherish the traditional form that we have learned and used for so many years.

In addition, using different prayer forms and service hymns for different seasons of the liturgical year help to call our attention to the ongoing cycle of the Church year. That is why rather than simply alternating the form of the prayer from Sunday to Sunday, we switched to the contemporary version after the Easter Season, when we began the season after Pentecost. You probably noticed that at the same time we switched from the Gloria at the beginning of the service to a different “song of praise.”

If you want to know more about liturgical seasons, there is a nice summary of the church year on www.wikipedia.com.

But don’t worry that we won’t be using the traditional version anymore. As seasons change, and for certain services we will have many opportunities to return to that familiar text as well.

Finally, if you are not sure which version is going to be used during the service, you can tell by what invitation to begin the prayer I use from page 363 of the Prayer Book. If I say, “we are bold to say” it is the traditional version. If I say, “we now pray” it is the contemporary version.

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Around St. Mark’s

ST. MARK’S ON THE WEB

You can visit www.stmarkslakecity.org to check schedules or find additional news about what’s going on at St. Mark’s. You can even find the Lion’s Tale newsletter posted on-line under the “NEWS” tab of our web site.

WEEKLY BIBLE DISCUSSION GROUP

Every Tuesday morning we gather in the parish hall at 9:00 AM with coffee and treats to discuss the readings for the following Sunday. Because readings are from the Sunday cycle, you will not fall behind if you miss a session, so feel free to drop in whenever you are available. Please invite friends, neighbors and others who may not be St. Mark’s members to come also.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES

We need additional volunteers to help during worship so that our current “short list” of volunteers doesn’t “burn out.”  Please sign up if you are willing to acolyte, usher, read, run the MIDI or be a Eucharistic Minister. A sign-up sheet is on the door by the kitchen in the parish hall.  Training sessions will be scheduled for July 26^th.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Christian Education Committee will be meeting on July 9^th.  Anyone interested in being a member of the committee or being a Sunday School teacher, please contact Fr. John. 

VACATION

Fr. John will be taking a week of vacation beginning July 1^st.  He will provide an order of service to be used for Morning Prayer on the Sunday he is gone. In case of an emergency, please contact Lorne McDonald at (651)-345-2371.  Also, Fr. John & Jen have received notice that the trip to Russia to meet their adoptive daughter has been postponed until August.

LOMI LOMI

Lori Luck offers Lomi Lomi healing treatment, luxurious facials and primal diet counseling and will donate 25% of the cost of your treatment to St. Mark’s in your name.  To contact Lori, you may call her at 612-802-9353.

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Around the Diocese:

SUPPORT EPISCOPAL COMMUNITY SERVICES

Episcopal Community Services is a volunteer program that is grounded in faith, sustained by hope, and acting through love to strengthen and support adults, youth, children and families at risk and in need. Each month we will conduct a supply drive to support their efforts. Shopping lists are on the table in the parish hall near the mailboxes. Please take a list and bring one or more items each month in support of this valuable program.

JULY:  Create a Birthday Party In a Bag!

Many low-income parents cannot afford to buy the supplies to throw their child a birthday party.  You can make a child’s birthday truly special by creating a party kit in a birthday-themed gift bag.  Suggested items:  Cake mix, Frosting, Candles, Streamers, Balloons, Disposable cameras, Unsigned birthday cards, Goodie bags, Candy, Party favors.

St. Mark’s Staff

Saint Mark’s Vestry

Additional Contacts

If you would like to begin to receive or stop receiving the Lion’s Tale, please let us know by calling 651-345-2674.

If you would like to add any person(s), thanksgivings, concerns or other issues to St. Mark’s prayer list for special intercessory prayer, please call the church office at 651-345-2674 or drop the name/concern in the prayer basket at church.

Visit us at: www.stmarkslakecity.org