ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH

513 NASSAU STREET SOUTH ♦ VENICE FL 34285-2816

THE MESSENGER

VOLUME 15, ISSUE 23 MARCH 2016

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

It has been said that the Lenten Season is a time for reflection, renewal and reconciliation. It is a time when we become personal with our thoughts, our feelings and our desire toward God. It is also a time when we attempt to strip away the mundane, the ordinary and become honest with God about ourselves and God’s movement in our lives.

During Lent we are asked to attend to God in a way that is different than any other season of our Church cal-endar. We ask for answers, we look for reasons and oftentimes we try to humbly connect with God through the sacrificing of our worldly needs. We take on, we give up, we look for connection with the holy. In this sacred space, we seek to understand more fully our relationship with God and we desire God to speak to us as never before. We seek to be part of the “Holy Mystery” that beckons our soul to get lost in God.

Therefore our Lenten journey is one that is holy. It is through our seeking that we engage that which is truly holy and the mystery that is God. Our life opens up anew on this journey as we try to understand what it is that we may need and what it is that God desires. And in the midst of it all, we look for clarity and answers, but unfortunately, that does not seem to be how God works in these matters. God’s time is not our time. God’s clarity is not our clarity. Our journey is more in the seeking than in the completion.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the 20th century mystic, in his work called Trust, speaks so beautifully to this thought and our desire to “be on our way and complete our journey” on our terms. Let me share it with you and may Teilhard de Chardin’s words give special meaning to this journey we are on during Lent and the life we seek thereafter. May his words speak to the wanderings of our hearts.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We would like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—and that may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you. Your ideas mature gradually—let them grow; let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

In Christ’s love, Fr. Jim+

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Please join us for our Holy Week and Easter services as we celebrate God’s Greatest Gift

Palm Sunday – March 20 Maundy Thursday – March 24 Liturgy of the Palms 7:30 p.m. – Holy Communion 8:00, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. Congregational Foot Washing Also celebrated March 19 at 5 p.m. Good Friday – March 25 Holy Saturday – March 26 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. The Great Vigil of Easter Holy Communion followed by Bring a Bell! Stations of the Cross (No 5 p.m. service.) Service begins at noon.

Easter Sunday – March 27 Holy Communion & Music

8:00, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. Nursery 9 to 10:45 a.m.

If you would like to designate Easter flowers in remembrance of loved ones or in thanksgiving for your blessings, please complete this form and return it to the church office by Monday, March 21 at the latest. (You may place this request in the offering plate.)

Please PRINT legibly. In Loving Memory of: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ In Thanksgiving for: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your Name: _____________________________________ Phone Number: ______________________ If you wish to contribute toward the cost of the flowers, make your check payable to St. Mark’s - note “Easter Flowers” on memo line. Thank you!

ECW Reminders!

Tuesday, March 1 - Fashions program presented by Nick Hartman, Venice Theater Costume Designer

Luncheon & Tea Cup Auction Fundraiser 11:30 a.m. in Gray Hall - $22 donation Make check payable to St. Mark’s ECW

If you did not get a ticket, call Barbara Willis to check availability. 497.3949.

Friday, March 4, Church Women United Potluck Grace United– Call Debra Bradac at 445.2097

Sunday, March 6, United Thank Offering Spring Ingathering— Call Jane Forgey at 860.391.2479

Tuesday, March 22, Quiet Day & Luncheon at Day-Spring. Program by The Rev. Judith Roberts. Donation of $20 per person is asked. Please prepay in order to reserve your seat. Make check payable to St. Mark’s ECW, write Quiet Day on memo line. Hope to see you there! —Barbara Willis

Thursday, March 31, Venice Dominican Republic Team meeting at St. Mark’s. See Carolyn Wolf.

BIBLE STUDY OF EXODUS

CONTINUES

January 13 through March 16 with

the Rev. Judith Roberts Wednesday Morning 10:30

a.m. in Gray Hall

Women of Faith & Fun

Our March program considers special needs of Seniors who have reached a point in their lives when they desire personalized care but still want to maintain their inde-pendence. Our guest speaker, Mrs. Linda Miller, owns a beautiful, spacious pool home, minutes from the beach in Venice, where single persons or couples are welcomed and invited to bring their pets. Unlike larger retirement facilities, Mrs. Miller accepts a limit of five clients, which enables the staff to offer individual care and companion-ship. Clients are encouraged to attend activities in the surrounding area, maintaining their interest in the world around them. This is a new concept in care of the elderly, and we may know someone who is looking for just such an opportunity. We will meet on Monday, March 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the church office building. Beverages and light refreshments will be served at 6:30 with the program starting at 7:00. All in-terested persons are welcome. Please sign up on the sheets posted in the narthex or Gray Hall.

The concert scheduled for Saturday March 5 has been CANCELED. We hope to have the Choir of All Souls Memorial Episcopal Church of Washington DC with us at some future date.

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A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support the Youth Group at their Valen-tine's Day dance fundraiser. All proceeds from the fundraiser will go toward the High School Youth Group's mission trip to Philadelphia this summer. We are thankful and blessed to be part of such a supportive and giving congregation! Thank you!!

We will be hosting our Annual Easter Egg Hunt & Brunch on Saturday, March 26, at 10:30 a.m. in Gray Hall. We will start with the telling of the Easter story followed by the hunt, food, games, and crafts. Please sign up to let us know if you are attending!

Youth Sunday will be held the weekend of April 3. Our young people will take charge of the service, preaching, singing, and serving! We hope you will join us for worship that weekend!

—Jackie Overton

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Family promise update

Suzanne Skalski and Charlotte Stafford have been working tirelessly to ensure that Family Promise gets off to a good start. Each has shared stories with me concerning their work over the past few months. I asked Suzanne to share one of the stories. Some of us at St. Mark’s have been busy working with Family Promise to help homeless families and children. We hope even more of you in our St. Mark’s Community will join us in this worthwhile endeavor. Family Promise has been a very rewarding experience for me! It’s wonderful to be able to reach out to these families and help give them the tools they need to move forward in their lives.

One family that entered the process in October just signed a lease on a house and now they are all under one roof. A couple of weeks ago I went to locate furniture for them. At Divine Consign on James St. I introduced myself and said I was from St. Mark’s and a was Coordinator for Family Promise Program that helps homeless families and children. Would they have any furniture available for me? A woman shopping in the consign-ment store overheard my conversation and came right over to me. She introduced herself as Marie and told me her community had just had a huge tag sale the past weekend and had lots of good furniture left over that would be hauled away on Thursday morning. Would I please come and check it out. We exchanged phone numbers. I was able to find a number of items at Divine Consign that worked for the family. Later that after-noon, there was a message for me to call Bert, a resident of Japanese Gardens. When I spoke to Bert, he read off a long list of furniture items that were available to us. I called Jennifer Faganbaum, Family Services Coor-dinator at the Family Promise Day Center, knowing she had a truck and a large trailer. She said she would be prepared to pick up items if I would go over early the following morning and screen them first. The following morning I met Bert and looked over the items that had been stored in a large boat trailer and covered with a tarp. After a quick check, I called Jennnifer and she arrived 30 minutes later with the trailer. Bert asked a neighbor, Chuck, to help us and the four of us proceeded to fill the trailer with furniture. I helped transport some items to the Day Center. Valerie Walton, the director, greeted me and told me she had just spoken to a women’s club in Japanese Gardens about Family Promise Would you believe that it was the same communi-ty that I had made contact with through Marie at Divine Consign! God works in mysterious ways. What a blessing to have met Marie and these other wonderful people at Japanese Gardens. They are all very support-ive and will be putting items aside that we might use for our families. Last week I received another call from Bert to come and pick up a box of dishes, some lamps, a microwave and some other small items.

Suzanne Skalski Family Promise Volunteer and Coordinator St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Yes, God does work in mysterious ways. We learned in our training that, even though those working in Family Promise are helping families get a new start in life, the reality is - our lives are enriched as well. Thank you to all who have become involved in this ministry. We welcome anyone else who wishes to help. You can call me (Lunetta Knowlton) at 941.484.9952 and I will be happy to pass your name and information along.

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME starts Sunday, March 13. Remember to set your clocks and timed devices back one hour upon retiring Saturday evening March 12.

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With a crusing theme, St. Mark’s Preschool & AfterSchool 14th Annual Silent Auction & Dinner sets sail Saturday, April 16, 5:00-8:30 p.m. We will be docked at St. Mark’s Gray Hall, 508 Riviera St. Venice.

Your formal invitation will be mailed in March, but before then we are seeking auction donations and sponsors. Art Galleries and Art Auctions are a highlight of cruises that we

wish to include in our event. If you are an artist or a craftsperson, we hope you will donate a piece of your work. We will be showcasing donated art work with the artist’s biography plus a description of the art piece. It will be a delightful art gallery that attendees can bid on.

Besides art we seek gift certificates, jewelry, gift baskets, toys, home interior items, pet items and whatever else your imagination thinks of. All donations are tax deductible and appreciated. We can arrange to pick up or you can bring items to the Preschool office. Just call 941-484-8707 for further information.

This year the focus of the auction is to raise funds for a new school bus for Before and After School Care and for field trips in the summer. Our old bus is constantly in the auto repair shop to be fixed, and its air conditioner is past the point of working properly. The new bus costs approximately $55,000. We have reached almost halfway to our goal of having enough funds for a new bus this year. With a lot of support and continued donations, our hope is to have a new school bus for this coming school year. Thank you in advance!

NOTES OF THANKS

Rev. Judy

Deacon Keith

love. Serving as your Interim Associate has been a privilege and a delight, the best gift of all. Memo-ries of these years are precious to me. With Mickey Mouse as my official time-keeper, I hope to continue being part of the great outreach and pastoral care efforts this parish offers. As young Mr. Grace says on ARE YOU BEING SERVED?, "You've all done very well." May God continue to bless the work and witness of St. Mark's.

With grateful thanks and love,

I am very remiss in sending out many thank-you notes. I most likely will never get them done and mailed. Pam and I want to thank all of you for your cards, letters, wishes, and food during Pam’s lengthy illness. What a special blessing you people of St. Mark’s are to us.

Dear St. Mark's Family,

The January 17 'Farewell' party was FUN, encouraging me to take seriously this business of retirement. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for laughter, fellowship, food, lovely gifts and the warmth of your

The Venice Community Orchestra under the direction of Bob Delfausse will present an exciting appreciation concert for the work St. Mark's does in the community. There will be a freewill donation to continue the support of our outreach ministry. Wednesday, April 20, 6:30 p.m. If you plan to attend the dinner at 5:30, please sign up as usual either in the narthex or Gray Hall.

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Divine Consign James Street Furniture

Showroom is desperate for volunteers.

Call the store at 941.485.3366 and

speak with Paula Del Colle or Tom

Gaines. Also seeking consignments!

Singles United will meet for lunch at San Marco located at 305 West Venice Avenue on the Island. Join us at 1 p.m. on Sun-day, February28. And bring your friends! We will discuss ideas for activities. RSVP to Bernice 941-493-6078.

There are references in this newsletter to

three different concerts. Did you see them all?

TO ALL ROUND ROBIN XXIII BRIDGE MEMBERS

You and your spouse are invited to attend a covered-dish supper on Monday, April 18 at 5 p.m. in Gray Hall. Prizes will be awarded at that time. Reminder: All scores must be in by April 8 Questions? Call Linda Hubbard at 941.484.8565 or Tom Hubbard at 941.525.3647 YES, I will attend the Round Robin supper on April 18. (Number in party _____)

I WILL bring (check one): Casserole Main Dish �

Salad �

Dessert � RSVP no later than April 6. Name: ____________________________________ Phone: ______________ Return to: St. Mark’s Bridge Group 513 Nassau Street South Venice FL 34285 Or drop in offering plate no later than Sunday, April 3.

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At their Tuesday, March 15, meeting, the Mark’s Men will be addressed by one of our own, Mr. Bob Perkins. Bob is a veteran journalist of 25 years with a distinguished career in television and radio broadcasting. Bob spent nine years as the evening news anchorman on KDKA-TV news in Pittsburgh and also held broadcasting positions with WOAI-TV and KENS-TV in San Anto-nio, Texas. A graduate of the Northwestern University School of Speech, Bob has extensive experience in Radio and Television interviewing. He con-ducted media training for managers and executives of such companies as Kop-pers, Westinghouse, Mellon Bank and Rockwell International while a partner of SPS Communications. Sign up on the one of the blue sheets, either in

Gray Hall or the narthex. If you sign up, please show up as food is ordered based on number indicating they will attend. Chef Blow will insure you enjoy a great meal. A $10 donation is asked to offset the cost of the food. Looking forward to seeing you on the Ides of March.

Amplified phones for the hearing impaired will be distributed in the Community Room of the church of-fice building on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. Call Donna Jones at 366.0260 for details on how you can get a free amplified phone provided by the Community Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

NON PROFIT ORGU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDMANASOTA FLPERMIT #900

The good person out of the good treasure of

the heart produces good... —Luke 6:45a

Clergy: James H. Puryear (Rector), John Lawrence

(Assisting Priest), Judith Roberts (Assisting Priest),

Len Brusso (Assisting Priest), Keith Backhaus

(Deacon), Joyce Treppa (Deacon), Lynne Greene

(Deacon, retired)

Vestry: Susan Stewart (Sr. Warden), Bob Adams

(Jr. Warden), Joanne Beinner, Karen Dehne,

Jim Duval, John Haseltine, Adam Kendall,

Linda Moore, Susan Park, Steve Plichta,

Jane Rexinger, Paul Skulitz, Michael Knowlton

(treasurer), Debbie Pfender (clerk)

Church staff: Peter A. Madpak (Choirmaster &

Organist), Jackie Overton (Youth), Lorna Stuart,

MD (Parish Health Initiatives), Sandy Albanese

(Parish Admin.), Carlotta Woolpert (Admin.

Assistant), Maury Leman (Finance), Vicki Mahon

(Sexton), Jim Gietek (Assistant Sexton)

ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 513 NASSAU STREET SOUTH

VENICE FL 34285-2816 church located at: 508 Riviera Street

941.488.7714 church fax: 941.484.0596 preschool: 941.484.8707

HOMEBOUND

FAMILY

Bella Vita Trudy Cors Gardens of Venice Rocky & Bonne Bryan Lee Phillips Harbor Chase Barbara Gerrish Manor Care Jean Albanese Sunset Lake Village Natalie McLaren Village on the Isle Warren Clements At home Jo Bell

WE ’ R E ON T HE W E B !

WWW . ST M AR KSVE NI CE . OR G

L IKE U S ON FACE B OOK !

Tampa Spiritual Ensemble

The Tampa Spiritual Ensemble will be performing at St. Mark’s on Friday, April 15, at 7 p.m. Don’t miss this concert featuring a blend of some of the finest voices in the Tampa Bay area. Free and open to the public courtesy of St. Mark’s Friends of Music supporters.

St. Mark’s Book Circle meets the third Tuesday, March 15, at 10 a.m. in Gray Hall. Join us as we discuss:

The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry By Gabrielle Zevin Ellen Miles, facilitator

All are welcome—even if just to listen. Stop by and pick up our 2016 reading list.