Friday, August 22, 2025

Winding Down and Gearing Up

 Friends, 

 

Thank you all for the warm reception that you gave our guest preacher Kathy Kipp, as well as her family and friends who were visiting, last weekend. Back when I was interviewing here many years ago, one of the references that I contacted said, “St. Mark loves its pastors very well.” That has been true in my experience, and it seems to be true for guest preachers also. Thanks again.

 

This weekend is full of good. On Saturday is our Meet Me at Muldoon’s following worship. Come worship, come listen, come eat, come dance … just come! And, Sunday, we have three things for you. At 8:30 the Lectio Divina group will meet in the Conference Room of the Administration Building. Then, this is the last Summer Choir opportunity. If you show up at 8:30 promptly, you’ll be all ready to lead worship by 9:30. Our Choir Director, Ryan Yoder, is kind of magical like that. And finally, on Sunday, our older children will leave for Eco Club after our Young Church time. As I said, this weekend is full of good. 

 

Then, next Sunday, August 31, we will have a unique worship experience. You’ll love it. (That’s a teaser, folks!) 

 

Now, to gear up for our post-summer church life. I hope you’ve been reading the Faith in Action weeklies, and marking your calendars. You’ve got our “Text Study” series that begins the first week of September on your calendar, right? And the Choir Retreat for September 6th, followed by the All Church Picnic for September 7? Then, on Monday, September 8, St. Mark has invited the Presbytery of Los Ranchos to join us in a four-week online study of the book, Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor, from 7:00 – 7:45. Please contact SueJeanne Koh If you have questions. My goodness, the good just keeps on happening. 

 

And there are other things happening in our area among our ministry partners in Orange County. 

-              On Saturday, September 6, the Orange County United Way is having a “kickoff walk” from 8:00 - 9:30am to introduce a new community-wide, 5-year plan to serve Orange County together. A two-mile walk is planned for each of the 34 cities of Orange County. Click here for more information and to register.  

-              On Thursday, September 18, the Presbytery of Los Ranchos will host Rev. CeCe Armstrong and Rev. Tony Larsen as guests. They will also lead the Presbytery worship service at 7:00 PM, at Orange Canaan Presbyterian Church (right across the street from Glenn Martin Elementary!) Click here for more information. 

-              The OC Pride Parade and Festival will take place September 27 at the OC Fairgrounds. St. Mark is joining several other churches in the presbytery to enter the parade. If you would like to be part of the planning, please contact me here and I will send you a zoom link for a planning meeting, Monday, August 25, at 7:00 PM. 

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So much good to do – good things, good trouble, and good work. 

 

Be blessed,

Mark of St. Mark

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