Join us this Sunday!
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children's Time
10:00 am - Refreshments
10:05 am - Summer Book Study
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship
Season of Creation, July 13-August 3, 2014
The Season of Creation offers worshipers an opportunity to turn their full attention toward God the creator and toward their relationship with the whole creation. This summer we will complete the 3 year cycle of the Season of Creation, focusing each Sunday on a particular theme: Forest Sunday, July 13, Land Sunday, July 20, Wilderness Sunday, July 27, and River Sunday, August 3. Please join us for this special worship experience.
Summer Book Study on Sunday, July 27
Auditorium, 10:05 - 10:50
Join Pastor Bekah for a lively discussion on Rev. Mitri Raheb's newest book, "Faith in the Face of Empire" It is a challenging view of how the reality of empire shapes the context of the biblical story and the ongoing experience of the Middle East conflict. For Mitri, faith in God is the hope that there is something greater than empire. Jesus embodied that hope, and Mitri spells out Jesus' political program in relation to the Roman Empire of his time, its relevance for his community, and the political values relevant for the Middle East, past and present.
You are invited to the wedding of longtime members, Greg Jahnke & Brian Richards, who will be married on Sunday, Aug 10th here at St. Mark's during the 11:00 worship service. Greg & Brian extend this invitation to any members and visitors. Pastor Elizabeth will preside at this celebration and everyone is invited to a special luncheon in Heritage Hall after the service. Cards and greetings are welcomed, no gifts please. Should a desire to gift be in your heart they ask you to consider a gift to "ReconcilingWorks", a non-profit dedicated to LGBT justice within the Lutheran and greater community. Come join in the celebration!
St. Mark's Endowment Fund Accepting Applications for Funding
The Endowment Committee is delighted to announce that thanks to generous bequests we are now able to award grants to extend St. Mark's ministries both locally and globally. Applications and instructions will be available in early July. Watch the bulletin to learn how and when to apply. Meanwhile, dream about a project that Endowment funds could bring to reality. Questions? Send an email to endowment@stmarks-sf.org.
2nd Mile Giving in July: San Francisco Night Ministry
You can help minister to needy people on the streets of San Francisco every night. San Francisco Night Ministry provides middle-of-the-night compassionate non-judgmental pastoral care, counseling, referral and crisis intervention to anyone in any kind of distress. Through the SF Night Ministry Crisis Telephone Line staffed by trained volunteer Crisis Line Counselors, and through person-to-person encounters with ordained clergy led by our own Pastor Lyle Beckman on the streets, this ministry is available every night of the year from 10:00 pm - 4:00 am. Write a check to St. Mark's Lutheran and note "SF Night Ministry" in the memo line. -Social Ministry
Away for the weekend? Worship Wednesday evening instead!
Imagine 30 minutes of peaceful music, lovely candlelight, thoughtful reflections, and Holy Communion in our beautiful sanctuary streaming with the light of the setting sun. You don't have to imagine it - come and experience it every Wednesday evening at 6:45 in the sanctuary.
Interfaith Bible Study - Everyone Welcome!
An Interfaith Bible Study, led by Pastoral Intern Rebecca Swee, will continue at Martin Luther Tower in the Brockie Lounge on Tuesdays at 2 pm. Coffee and snacks will be provided. All are welcome. Should you have any questions, please talk with Intern Rebecca.
2 Special Chanticleer Events on August 7 & 8
St. Mark's and MLT residents are invited to two special events. On August 7 at 1:30 pm, Chanticleer will again hold a dress rehearsal at St. Mark's before going on the road. On August 8 at 7:30 pm, 50 young singers from around the Bay Area will conclude an intense week of musical studies with Chanticleer with a final concert. Everyone who has come before knows what a treat these special free concerts are.
Senior Trip to the Peninsula on August 13
Join Pastor Elizabeth for a trip to the "Peninsula" on Aug. 13, Wednesday, 10:00 - 3:00. We will begin with a delicious, home-style breakfast or lunch (your choice) at the famous Peninsula Creamery in downtown Palo Alto. For more than 85 years, the Peninsula Creamery has been owned and operated by the same family serving delicious breakfasts and lunches as well as the best milkshakes around. After eating, we will take a short ride over to the Stanford Shopping Center and have free time for strolling and browsing at this beautiful outdoor mall. On our way home, we will drive through Stanford University and find out why the campus is affectionately referred to as "The Farm". (Meet at Brockie Lounge at 10:00 sharp.) Bring $10 for your meal at the Peninsula Creamery and $2 for gas money. To RSVP please contact the MLT office at 415.885.1084.
Hymnfest Tickets now available!
Mark your calendars and get your tickets for St. Mark's upcoming Hymnfest on September 21st. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear what happens when one of the finest organs in the Bay Area is paired with one of the country's leading organists David Cherwien. This musical event will be followed by a reception and silent auction to benefit the Salvadoran Lutheran Pastoral Support Fund. For tickets, and more info visit http://stmarkshymnfestival.brownpapertickets.com.
Do you love to arrange flowers?
If so, we need volunteers to purchase and arrange flowers for Sunday morning services. The budget is $50, paid by the donor for that Sunday and Flower Mart badges are provided by St. Mark's. If you would like to take part in this important ministry, please let Louis Gutierrez (twopugs98@yahoo.com) or the church office know. Our two flower arrangers, Louis Gutierrez and Sharon Reinbott will do some demonstrations to help newcomers to this ministry.
Trip to Cordero de Dios with St. Mark's in November 2014
The El Salvador group at St. Mark's will travel to Cordero de Dios on Tuesday November 25 (probably around 12:30am), and return Sunday evening, November 30. We encourage all parishioners, including families with children, to consider making this trip to walk with our brothers and sisters in Soyapango, El Salvador. Come join us for this family friendly pilgrimage. We ask that potential travelers make a final commitment by August 1. Talk to Pastor Elizabeth, Pastor Bekah, Liv Beck beckliv@gmail.com or Mary Ritter mlrpeds@aol.com if you have questions or are ready to commit to go. -St. Mark's El Salvador Committee
Potential Trip to Luther sites in Germany in October 2015
Join Pastor Elizabeth and Pastor Hans on this special trip to Germany as we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. We will begin our 11 day pilgrimage in the Rhine Valley and end our travels in Munich. In between we will visit some of the most "famous" sites where Martin Luther lived, preached, nailed his 95 Theses, taught, was born and died. From the lovely town of Leipzig, home to the 13th century Thomas Church immortalized by Bach, to Augsburg where Luther defended his 95 Theses, we will travel together, dine on wonderful German cuisine, and explore our Reformation faith. The tentative dates for this trip are a departure on Oct. 30 and a return to San Francisco on Nov. 9. To make this trip work, we need a minimum of 21 participants. Friends are welcome. For more information, please contact Pr. Elizabeth at Ekdale@stmarks-sf.org and 415 928-7770 ext. 2300.
High School "Lock-in" at St. Mark's on September 13th
High school youth are invited to an overnight lock-in on Saturday, Sep. 13th. Gary Schilling will give a tour of the nooks and crannies of the church and Pr. Lyle will give an overview of the Night Ministry. Contact Pr. Bekah if you're interested in attending!
Interfaith Food Pantry Dates
The Interfaith Food Pantry is held every Saturday at the Old First Presbyterian Church. Here are the St. Mark's dates in 2014: August 16th, October 4th and November 15th. All Faiths Dates in 2014: August 23rd, October 11th, December 6th. For more info, contact Wendy Figliuolo at Northern.cal@gmail.com.
Worship Leaders for this Sunday
Assisting Ministers...Rebecca Swee (9); Sharon Reinbott, Ed Chitty (11)
Lectors...Suzanne Smith (9); Rachel Letchumanan (11)
Chalice Bearers...Jeremy McClain (9); Rebecca Swee, Cora Rose (11)
Refreshment Hour Chairs...Barbara Bock, Tina Hogan