St. Mark's Weekly E-blast

We gather, connect, and serve so all may experience the love of Christ.

April 23, 2025

What a wonderful Easter Sunday!

We are so blessed here at St. Mark's with wonderful musicians. Our singers, our bell ringers, our instrumentalists, our praise team... you all give your gift of music to the gathered community, and we are grateful. Thank you for helping us worship the Risen Christ with song!

This week, we continue the Easter Season with Holy Humor Sunday. It goes by other names - Laughter Sunday, Holy Humour Sunday, Hilarity Sunday, God’s Laughter Sunday, Bright Sunday or Holy Fools Sunday. Whatever you call it, this Sunday after Easter has its roots in a number of different Christian traditions. For example, churches in 15th century Bavaria used to celebrate the Sunday after Easter as Risus Paschalis (‘God’s Joke,’ or ‘the Easter laugh’). Priests would deliberately include amusing stories and jokes in their sermons in an attempt to make the faithful laugh. After the service, people would gather together to play practical jokes on one another and tell funny stories. It was their way of celebrating the resurrection of Christ – the supreme joke God played on Satan by raising Jesus from the dead.

This Sunday as we worship, we will prove that religion isn't always serious business. After all, God created laughter!

We will also have Sundae Sunday... join the gathered community at Sanctuary for worship at 10 am, and stay for ice cream sundaes. It's a great day to have dessert first!!

It's also the last Sunday we will host the Modern Worship service at the Magee Campus. We have enjoyed the weekly service this Lenten season, but as we move to the summer, many of our winter residents will go home and our attendance will dip. We will focus our energies elsewhere and encourage everyone to gather in one of our other three services.

Easter continues this week, and for the next 47 days called "Eastertide." May we celebrate the Risen Christ each day we wake up and greet another day. May you find resurrection hope in everything you do!

See you soon,

— Pastor Lynn

Need a mid-week pick-me-up? Want a meal you don't have to cook, paired with friends to talk with? Join us at Soul Station!

Dinner this week will be a Baked Potato Bar; serving begins at 5:30 pm. The program begins with prayer and communion at 6 pm in person or online.

Prefer to join us online? Use the zoom link below. Bring your own communion elements! 

https://dscumc.zoom.us/j/81074485416?pwd=QBaxQm2tB3AhW9ot1aSqW6ov2WOlhe.1

Meeting ID: 810 7448 5416

Passcode: 016308

Come to Pastor Kim's Retirement party!

Pastor Kim has been part of our church family for nearly 40 years and has served on staff for the past 26 years. We are grateful for the many ways she has supported and served this congregation. Come help us appreciate her!

THIS SUNDAY!

April 27, 2025 - 1:30 to 3 pm

Magee Campus Fellowship Hall

Donate to a love offering by designating your check in the memo line to "Pastor Kim Love Offering." You can also give online, using this link: LINK

To access our digital guest book to leave a voice memo or upload a photo, click on this link: LINK

Ukraine Presentation: Ukrainian Democracy - Past and Present

Led by Charles Wise, St. Mark's Church Member

3 pm April 27th

When Ukraine first became a democracy, Charles headed a project in Ukraine for to assist new representatives with training and policy research. St. Mark’s member, Charles Wise will talk about this as well as what Ukraine has done to keep democracy alive during the current war. A question and answer time will follow.

Please join us for "On Your Mark's Walking Group"!  We will meet on Monday, April 28 at 9:15 am in the North parking lot of Magee Campus. Bring water, sunglasses, hat, sunscreen. Plan 3 hours, (includes travel time) for 3 miles. Walking in all weather. Contact Cheri Schwartz 602-320-2152

Join us for Theo Pub (Pub Theology) at 6 pm on Monday, April 28. This month we will be at Transplant Pizza at 1970 W River Rd, Suite 100.

See you there for good food and good conversation!

Last Market on the Move for the year will be on May 3. New time 7 am to 9 am.

Stop by and pick up 60 pounds of produce for just $10.

Worship this Easter season focuses on the myths we tell; those half-truths that we say as Christians that aren't actually true. In addition, there are lots of great things happening in worship!

May 4

"Everything happens for a reason." hmmmm...

May 11

"God helps those who help themselves." Doesn't God help everyone? Our mothers strive to!

May 18

On Confirmation and Graduation Sunday we will explore the idea that "God said it, I believe it, that settles it"

May 25

"God won’t give you more than you can handle." Really?!?

June 1

"Love the sinner, hate the sin." There's no connection here to Jordan's last Sunday and special afternoon concert!

Women’s Retreat- May 17 from 10 am to 2 pm

Welcome to God's Kin-dom

Join us for an opportunity to deepen our understanding of what it means to live under God’s sovereignty. We will discover healthier ways to engage in community and grow individually by anchoring ourselves in God’s love and guidance. Through study, discussion, and hands-on activities, we will cultivate openness and compassion for all of God’s Kin-dom. You will leave this retreat with a renewed sense of community, a stronger awareness of your identity as a Child of God, and a refreshed spirit for your faith journey.

Presented by United Women in Faith

 Register here: https://umcstmarks.breezechms.com/form/ClassRegistration0

From your Church and Society Committee

Arab American NASA scientist and Apollo mission planner Dr. Farouk El-Baz: “Man must have bread and butter, but he also must have something to lift his heart”

Join us in worship this Sunday for Arab American Heritage Month - Church and Society

On our website you will find a devotion for Arab American Heritage month and ideas for things to do in Tucson, check it out at: https://www.umcstmarks.org/racial-equity/

SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE

8:30 and 10 am Traditional service in Magee Campus sanctuary and child care in Rm 15

10 am Modern service at Sanctuary Campus with Children's Sunday School and childcare

10 am Magee Campus youth and children's Sunday School (except fifth Sundays) and child care

11:30 am Modern service at the Magee Campus - last Sunday this week

The 10 am and 11:30 am worship services on the Magee Campus are live-streamed on Sundays on our website or on YouTube UMC St. Mark's AZ. You can also watch the service at a later time. 

The April Messenger is available HERE!

Office Hours – 9 am to 3 pm Mon-Thurs, closed Friday - Sunday

Staff may be available by appointment at other times; email them using their first name followed by @umcstmarks.org