Good News for December 8, 2024

Are you interested in growing your spiritual life? Would you like to learn about various methods of prayer? Are you looking for a way to serve our community?

The Daughters of the King invite all women of St. Mark's to attend our Open House on Sunday, December 8, at 11:30 AM in Room 16. We will describe what our chapter of Daughters does and what being a Daughters means to us. Please join us.

Are You Looking for a Special Christmas Gift?

Let me help you make shopping easy. Why not order a personalized St. Mark's Coffee mug for that special person. For a $25 donation to St Mark's, you will receive a beautiful mug with their name and a special verse. Every penny of your $25 donation will go to St. Mark's and you will be giving someone this unique gift specially made for them. If you would like to order one or more, email EB at hospitality@stmarks-upland.org and she will email you an order form as well as sample verses.

Advent and Christmas at St. Mark's

St. Nicholas Dinner, Dec 8 at 4PM

Christmas Dedications in by Dec 15

Blue Christmas, Dec 22 at 8AM

Nativity Pageant, Dec 22 at 10AM

Set up for Christmas, Dec 22 following the 10AM service

Christmas Eve, Dec 24 at 2PM w/Band, 9:30PM w/Choir and Prelude Music Concert

Christmas Day, Dec 25, one service at 10AM w/Organ and Cantor

Christmas Lessons and Carols, Dec 29

Click here for full list of events.

Hospitality Location on Dec 8th Has Been Moved

Because of preparations for the St. Nicholas Dinner, in the Parish Hall for this Sunday Dec 8th, hospitality time is being moved outside to the area in front of the church where tables and chairs will be set up and refreshments will be available.

Children's Chapel Service this Sunday

This Sunday, the lesson will be on Advent 2: the Holy Family as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

Children from ages 3-10 are welcome to attend Children's Chapel located in the room behind the altar on the left-hand side. Chapel begins at 9:50 with sign in, lesson begins at 10. Your child will join you for the communion service.

Celebrate the St. Nicholas Dinner with Your St. Mark's Community!

Nativity Play Meeting, Sunday December 8 and 15

If you have already signed up for a part or want to participate in the nativity play, please join Susan Mackall at the back of the church after the 10 am service.

Youth Group News, December 15

On the 15^th, we will address Christmas cards for St. Mark’s homebound parishioners and then move to the sanctuary to assist the Liturgical Arts Guild hang the stars.

The Youth Group is for all young people in 6^th grade and up. We meet at 11:30 am in Room 18 off the Parish Hall. If you are training to be an acolyte on December 1^st, the training begins by the altar right after the service. Go there first and then join us in Room 18.

Advent/Christmas/Epiphany Questions

“What does the “P-X” mean on the altar?”

The Greek letters X-P (Chi-Rho) begin the word “Christ.” Roman emperor Constantine made X-P the military insignia of the imperial legions after the victory at the Milvian Bridge. Prior to battle Constantine saw a fiery cross in the heavens above the statement, “In this sign you will conquer.”

Have a Happy XPmas!

“What does the color purple mean?”

For centuries, the church approached Advent as a mini-Lent*, highlighting repentance, prepare, and purple. The third/pink candle signified a mid-point reprieve from the solemn tone of the season. In the last century, many parts of the church have shifted to themes of hope, joy, and expectation with purple now representing Jesus’ royalty. Some churches decorate with “Sarum” blue. A relatively new custom is to name the candles: hope/Prophecy, peace/Bethlehem, joy/Shepherd, and love/Angel.

*Compare with “St. Martin’s Lent” or “Christmas Fast” - a seven-week-long Advent spiritual practice beginning on Nov 12, the Feast Day of St. Martin.

“Was Christmas originally a Pagan Holiday?”

According to Dan McClellan, Bible and Religion Scholar, “things like gift giving and revelry were certainly borrowed from the celebration of Saturnalia. And many times, we have Pagan communities converting to Christianity and continuing some of their traditions. So, we have Pagans bringing evergreen boughs into the home decorating with them. And then Protestants innovate on that in the 16th century in Germany and decorate full trees and then bring them into the home for Christmas. And already by 200 CE-ish we have Christians identifying the 25th of December as Jesus' birthday based on ancient traditions about the date of someone's death relating to the date of their conception - nine months later we have their birth. And those calculations predate the arrival of Sol Invictus celebrations in Rome on the 25th. And Saturnalia seemed to be mostly celebrated the week before.”

What difference does it make to Christmas to have Pagan influences/origins? An interfaith world? A commercial/secular context?

St. Mark's Book Club, Dec 21

On Saturday, December 21st we will meet to discuss Kate Morton's 2008 novel, "The Forgotten Garden" at Nancy Kinney's home. I hope all can attend to ring out the year in good cheer.

The plot of this novel is driven by the mystery of why a four-year-old girl is abandoned on an Australian wharf in 1913. Told from three perspectives, it is the story of Nell's search to find her birth family interwoven with her mother's efforts to create a meaningful life and her grandchildren's endeavors to finally solve the abandonment mystery. Inspired by Morton's own family history, it explores living with and overcoming loss - of trust, of identity and loved ones. According to Goodreads, this Gothic genre-inspired tale "is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory."

Please contact Maggie Vizio at: bookclub@stmarks-upland.org

Holiday Office Hours

The parish office will be closed the following holidays:

Dec 25-30 for Christmas

Jan 1 for New Year's Day

Men's Coffee Fellowship - Wednesdays, 10:30AM

Meet at Starbucks located at the Colonies Crossroads, 1943 N Campus Ave, Unit D, Upland, 91784. For info, contact John Flasher.

Attention Knitters and Crocheters

If you wish to be of service to St. Mark's and the wider community, the Fiber Arts Guild makes prayer shawls and men's lap robes for those who are sick or facing difficult situations. We also make baby blankets for those celebrating an addition to their family. For More Information...

Children's Chapel

Children from the ages 3-10 are welcome to attend the children’s chapel at the fount of the church on the south side. We begin at 9:50 AM with sign-in, and lessons begin at 10 AM. Your child will join you for communion.

Outreach

Kitchen Volunteers Needed for Breakfast with Santa, Dec 14

The Foothill Family Shelter is holding their annual Breakfast with Santa for the shelter residents on Saturday, December 14. They are in need of volunteers who could help prepare and serve the food at this event. If you are available, please contact Carol Morgan at venuerental@stmarks-upland.org

Haitian Chocolate is Here!

After a long delay owing to unusually hot weather in Wisconsin (because Singing Rooster started as a ministry of the Diocese of Wisconsin, and that's where the warehouse is) the Haitian chocolate bars are here! We will have them in church this Sunday the 8th. Suggested minimum donation, $6 per bar. (Under retail cost even if you order multiples online.) Flavors include a new twist -- "dark milk" (50%, includes a small amount of milk). This year's flavors are: Pure Dark (70%), Pure Dark Lemon Ginger, Dark Milk Peppermint Crunch, Dark Milk Cafe au Lait, and Dark Milk Toffee Sea Salt.

The Haiti Fund is very grateful to you for supporting the sale of other arts and crafts on November 10th! As all of the items were donated, we raised a little over $900, which is nearly one month's payroll for the school. Thanks to those of you who support the Haiti Fund regularly and to our earlier coffee sale, we have been able to send $6000 to Haiti so far this year, or six months of salary costs, and the income from the art and chocolate sales will put us over the mark so that we can send another $3000 shortly. 150 children are safe in school in rural Haiti because of YOU.

Toys for TOUCH Toy Drive, Dec 15

St. Nicholas exemplified generosity, especially towards children and those in need. In the spirit of St. Nicholas Day, St. Mark’s invites you to carry on his legacy of compassion by participating in our Toys for TOUCH Drive. From November 24th through December 15th, please donate an unwrapped toy for a child or teenager in need. You can drop your gift in one of the collection boxes located in the Narthex or Parish Hall.

If you’re joining us for the St. Nicholas Dinner, bring an unwrapped toy to the event to reduce your ticket price from $15.00 to $10.00. Thank you for helping us spread the joy and generosity of St. Nicholas to those who need it most.

Thank you, Betty Farrell

Helping Hands Hot Meal Ministry

Can you provide a meal for a parish member? You don't need to be a gourmet chef - just a person with compassion. You can cook or call UberEATS. Please contact Jennifer Stone at helpinghands@stmarks-upland.org

Deanery 6, Diocese and Beyond

Paint Pour Adventure

Tickets are $40 per seat and the donation goes directly to the church fund. Each ticket includes one beverage and an array of finger foods. Other beverages can be obtained with a small donation. As this is considered an adult event, we are asking that only children over 12 be invited.

Click here to purchase your ticket today.

Intergenerational Learning

The Napier Initiative oﬀers seniors the opportunity to experience intergenerational classes at the Claremont Colleges at no expense. In addition to learning from assigned readings, class “Elders” participate fully in class discussions and projects. My class last spring introduced me to exciting new ideas and critical thinking on important issues while I shared my relevant life experiences with the class. I experienced ﬁrsthand the talent and inspiring personal values my younger classmates brought to the classroom. The following courses are oﬀered this spring:

(1) “People & Power: The History and Practice of Community Organizing”; (2) “Political Economy of Food”; (3) “Feminism and Science” and (4) “Human-Centered Design”.

If you would like further information about the classes and/or how to apply for admission to them please contact Paul Turner or call the office, (909)920-5565.

Upland Annual Art & Music Festival, Dec 5-7

Creation Care

The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore...if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity- then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.

David Suzuki

Episcopalchurch.org/creation

Worship Videos

Tell Out, My Soul

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Savior of the Nations, Come

Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus

Stewardship & Finance

Last day for 2024 Contributions

Last minute contributions for the 2024 year should be dated and postmarked no later than Tuesday, December 31. Early submission is always appreciated.

Donating from IRA Accounts

Required minimum distributions (RMD) are the least amounts of money you must withdraw from your traditional IRA account each year, once you reach a certain age. If you make a qualified charitable contribution directly to St. Mark's for some or all of the RMD, that amount will not be taxed. Your financial advisor or IRA customer service can provide additional details on how to make this type of donation to St. Mark's.