Supporting Our Answer to God's Call

Quick Note: This week I have an essay that was published on a blog called The Politics of Scripture. My essay is “Christ the King and the Challenge of Symbols” and you can find it here. 

St. Mark is a unique church. There is vibrancy and joy in the air when we gather. There is purpose and meaning to our worship experiences. There are children of all ages who know that they are the church. We say, “All are welcome” as an extension of God’s steadfast love, which overcomes all of our barriers and welcomes our differences. We hear God’s call to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly,” so we give generously to local service organizations, refugees, farmworkers, schools, and homeless services locally, while supporting an orphanage and girls’ school in Kenya, as well as medical ministry and community organizing partners in Nicaragua. We walk alongside local service organizations to encourage and empower their work. We take the Scriptures seriously and find in them the “words of life,” not just rules and traditions. We support the arts in many varieties. We pray for those who are grieving or dance with those who are celebrating. We coalesce our voices to make a difference on matters of LGBTQIA rights, honoring Black lives, Indigenous lives, Brown lives, and standing up against Asian American/Pacific Islander hate. We write letters to support the struggle against hunger, gun violence, and the suppression of women’s choices. We work to ensure health care, nutrition, and access to viable food choices no matter where one lives. We support mission partnerships in the Presbyterian Church (USA), as well as with some of our sister churches in Orange County. We make mental health resources available to all ages. We study deep issues of foreign policy and personal issues of mindfulness or relationship-building. Phew! That’s quite a litany.

 

I’m not bragging. I’m certainly not bragging about myself and not even bragging on you (which I like to do!) I am simply presenting the span of topics that our Elders oversee month after month and our Staff empower week after week. But note this: Many churches are vibrant. Many churches are committed to justice. Not many churches are both. That’s a harsh truth. I’m not kidding when I say that St. Mark is truly a unique church. 

 

Your contributions enable us to do all these things and do them well. And in order to be open to where God is taking us in the future, we need three things: A facility that is fully operational; a staff that is fully compensated; and a robust mission budget that reflects our priorities. Those are our three largest budget items and we need all three of them to be fully funded. 

 

So, how can you help that happen? First, please hold the pledge card that you received this week and ask yourself, “How you I ensure that our church remains both vibrant and dedicated to justice?” We need generous folk in order to do our work well. Second, consider the church in any estate planning you may do. Our Finance Commission can guide you if you have any questions. And finally, pray. Pray at the beginning. Pray without ceasing. Pray while listening. Pray with your feet. Pray with your checkbook. Pray with one another. 

 

And may God bless you as you continue being the unique church called St. Mark.

 

Mark of St. Mark