FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
The psalm sets the tone this day: “Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!” Happy are those who have “become the righteousness of God” in the merits of Christ Jesus. Happy are those for whom the forgiveness of God has “rolled away . . . the disgrace” of former times. Happy is the father at the return of his prodigal son. Happy are we that our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. Rejoice!
This Sunday at St. Mark's
9:00 am - Holy Communion with Children’s Time - Sanctuary
9:50 am - Sunday School - Sunday School Rooms
10:00 am - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
10:00 am - Adult Forum - Heritage Hall
Relentless Hope: What can Martin Luther add to our contemplations about the role of the prophetic imagination in the church? - Pr. Elizabeth
10:00 am - Confirmation - Youth Room
10:00 am - High School Youth Gathering - Break Room
10:00 am - Journeys in Faith - JIF Room
11:00 am - Choral Eucharist Worship Service - Sanctuary
12:15 pm - Refreshments and Fellowship Hour - Heritage Hall
12:30 pm - Young Adult Luncheon - Fireside Room
7:30 pm - Junior Bach Festival - Sanctuary
Adult Forum at 10:00AM
Sundays – March 10 – April 7
10:00 AM in the Heritage Hall
RELENTLESS HOPE: EXPLORING OUR BIBILICAL WITNESS IN A TIME OF DESPAIR
Drawing upon the book, “The Prophetic Imagination,” by Walter Brueggemann, Pastor Elizabeth and Pastor Ron will delve into some of the themes of this prophetic treatise and address questions about our public worship and witness in this modern world.
March 31- Pr. Elizabeth - What, if anything, does Martin Luther have to add to our contemplations about the role of the prophetic imagination in the church? Does the theology of the cross speak to us today and help us be faithful to the gospel of Jesus in these challenging times? How do we nurture relentless hope in our own lives and in the community of St. Mark’s? Come and discuss these questions and others that we raise together.
April 7 - Pr. Ron - The contemporary church must ask itself: How are we to navigate our current social climate in the way of Jesus? Is social justice an integral part of our faith and practice? Why or why not? Come and explore these questions and bring your own.
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GATHERING THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 31
The high-school youth will be gathering this Sunday, March 31 in the Break Room of the Urban Life Center at 10:00 a.m. to check in with each other, and participate in the discussion facilitated by Erin Scheller. If you are in high school, you are encouraged to participate in this monthly fellowship.
YOUNG ADULT GATHERING AT ST. MARK’S
You are invited to get together with the Young Adults(18-32) at St. Mark’s this Sunday, March 31, at 12:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room for a simple luncheon and an opportunity to make some new acquaintances as well as to get to know each other a little better. We will share in some formal introductions facilitated by Pastor Ron as well as have the opportunity to meet and get to know our new pastoral intern, Sonja Pilman. You are more than welcome to invite your friends to join us for this casual gathering and conversation.
JOIN US FOR JOURNEYS IN FAITH
New to St Mark’s? Thinking about your faith journey and a community to support it? Thinking about becoming a member of St Mark’s? You are invited to join in on the newest group of Journeys in Faith! We meet on Sundays at 10:00 in the Urban Life Center in the Journeys in Faith room. Join us as we reflect together on our lives of faith. For more information, contact Liv Beck (beckliv@gmail.com; 415-205-3292)
UPCOMING MOSAIC TELEVISION SHOW WITH PR. ELIZABETH
Please tune in (or record) Pr. Elizabeth’s upcoming shown KPIX Channel 5. She interviews Laura Magniani who has dedicated her work and life to the abolishment of the death penalty and ending the abusive practice of solitary confinement of prisoners as a management tool. Laura works for the American Friends Service Committee and is a Quaker. This show will air on two Sundays: April 14 and 21 at 5:00 am.
LENTEN OFFERING BOXES TO SUPPORT WILDFIRE VICTIMS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Giving something up for Lent? Put the amount you would have spent on it every day into your St. Mark’s Lenten box. The money you deposit into your St. Mark’s Lenten box during the 40 days of Lent will be donated to the community of Paradise Lutheran Church in order to assist their members who were victims of the wildfire in 2018.
During the season of Lent, we are invited to care for the hurting and vulnerable through our giving. You may pick up your box in the Narthex. Fill your box – decorated by St. Mark’s Sunday School children – with bills and coins, or write a check to St. Mark’s with “Lenten Box” or “Wildfire Victim” in the memo line. Please turn in your box as a part of your offering on or before Easter Sunday. Thank you!
WINTERFAITH SHELTER WALK
The San Francisco Interfaith Council is sponsoring the annual Winterfaith Shelter Walk to raise funds to support the Interfaith Winter Shelter. The Walk is next Sunday, April 7 at 1:30 p.m. at Lake Merced in SF (meet at the parking circle at the intersection of Lake Merced and Sunset Blvd.). To register, donate, and/or obtain more information, you may visit: http://winterfaithshelterwalk.dojiggy.com.
EASTER VIGIL RECEPTION VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Vigil Reception on Saturday evening, April 20, following the Vigil Worship service, is one of the most festive and joyful receptions of the year. Traditionally, we “break the Lenten fast” at the Easter Vigil reception with rich and delicious food such as fresh strawberries, baked goods, and other goodies.
We are looking for volunteers to help with the reception - Lindsey Carlin is our reception coordinator. Please contact her at lindseycarlin5@gmail.com if you would like to support and be a part of the festive Easter celebration. Thank you!
WOMEN’S MONTHLY STUDY GATHERINGS
All women are welcome to come and study together at our evening and/or morning Women of the ELCA Gatherings. In April our groups will meet on:
First Tuesdays – April 2 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Conference Room in the Urban Life Center. All women are invited to come for dessert and fellowship for the first half hour and then discussion until 8:30. This month we will discuss Tara Westover’s book, “Educated: A Memoir”.
Second Tuesdays – April 9 from 11:00am to 1:00pm in the Fireside Room. All women are invited to come for study at 11:00 and then at noon to eat their sandwich or salad and share fellowship. Drinks and dessert will be provided. Our Bible study will center on “Seeing the Risen Christ.”
If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Smith at 415.285.7438 or suzathome@comcast.net.
PROPERTY TEAM DAY SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2019 9:00AM-12:00PM
All members of St. Mark’s are invited to join the Team as we prepare our Church for Palm Sunday and Easter. We will tackle our ToDo list of minor repairs and cleaning. Enjoy fellowship and treats while we continue our stewardship of this beautiful building. Please contact Tim Bohan if you are able to attend, timelain@pacbell.net 415-694-9499
ST. MARK'S MEN'S RETREAT
Now is the time to make preparation for our next Men’s Retreat to be held at the Mercy Center in Burlingame on (Friday and Saturday, June 7-8) (4:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.). Under the theme, “The Connection between My Faith and Daily Life,” we will explore topics such as our faith journeys, our experiences in the Church, the challenges of our society, our relationship with God, and our involvement with the St. Mark’s community. The retreat will include 3 meals, single-room occupancy overnight, and our meeting room where we also will gather for worship at the end of the retreat. The cost is $160 (or $70/day = $140 for commuters) to be paid to St. Mark’s and earmarked for “Men’s Retreat”. To register, you may use the Welcome Card and give it to Pastor Ron, email Pastor Ron at moe-lobeda@stmarks-sf.org, or respond to the forthcoming email about the retreat. The registration deadline is Monday, May 6 as we need to submit an accurate count to Mercy Center by then. This event is a great opportunity for the men of St. Mark’s to come together and strengthen the relationships that we already have with one another.
UNDERSTANDING PALESTINE THROUGH THEATER!
Come and see “Scenes from 71 Years”: stories of family and friends revealing the real human story of daily life in the shadow of the Separation Wall in Palestine. Presented by Golden Thread Productions and Palestinian-Irish playwright Hannah Khalil; cast includes members from the Bay Area Palestinian community; U.S. Premiere. April 5 - May 5, 2019 at Potrero Stage, 1695 - 18th Street, San Francisco. Tickets: $15 - $38 ; call 415-626-4061 or email: boxoffice@goldenthread.org.
TWO SANCTUARY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: COURT ACCOMPANIMENT & COORDINATING
The St. Mark’s Sanctuary Team is hosting a Guardian Angel training in Heritage Hall on May 18th from 9 am - 12 noon. This session will train you to volunteer in immigration court by offering spiritual accompaniment, providing physical accompaniment, and sharing resources for unaccompanied migrant children and single-parent families going through immigration court. Mary Campbell, director of AMMPARO ELCA in Chicago, will lead the workshop. The training prepares volunteers to accompany in teams of two (ideally one a Spanish speaker, though this isn’t required) at immigration court in San Francisco. No legal experience is needed, and the time commitment is very flexible.
Why are we doing this? As sisters and brothers in Christ, our church is called to bear witness to the conditions impacting so many communities, and to work to find solutions that will acknowledge the humanity in all of God’s children. Join us in making a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.
Furthermore, for a volunteer interested in a deeper, more regular opportunity to support sanctuary, the St. Mark’s Sanctuary Team and Sierra Pacific Synod Guardian Angel seek a Volunteer Coordinator who would spend 4-5 hours a week communicating with a court clerk about upcoming cases, and connecting Guardian Angel volunteers to accompany specific people.
Interested in either training to be a Guardian Angel volunteer or stepping up as the Guardian Angel Volunteer Coordinator? Reach out to a member of the St. Mark’s Sanctuary Team.
St. Mark’s Sanctuary Team: Kathryn Anderson, Liv Beck, Laura Evenson, Allana Helland, Jason Jennings, Pastor Ron Moe Lobeda, Cora Rose, Mary Ritter
SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHEDULE
April 14: Big Group: Palm Sunday lesson and activity.
April 21: Easter: No Sunday School
April 28: Big Group: Passover meal and lesson.
May 19: Bay to Breakers, no Sunday School
May 26: Last day of Sunday School PARTY!!
THIS WEEK AT ST. MARK'S
WORSHIP LEADERS THIS SUNDAY
Director of Music...Dr. Timothy Zerlang
Assisting Ministers...Jennifer Sun (9); Linda Jackson, Evangeline Dai (11)
Lectors...Dianne Velleno (9); Cora Rose (11)
Communion Ministers...Mark Semonian, Kate Kickerbocker (9) Richard Seefeldt, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda (11)
Altar Guild...Cory Schoolland
Acolytes...Violet Battaglia, Jesse Peirce
Sacristan...Evangeline Dai
Ushers...Randy Schieber, Evan Schieber, Alison Schieber (9); Jerry Lundblad (11)
Fellowship Hour Chairs...Donna Dindia, Chuck Lewis
Next Week’s Fellowship Hour Chairs...Eva & Matt Dober