The Lion's Pause

WE SEEK TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE WITH GOD AND EACH OTHER IN CHRIST THROUGH WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, EDUCATION, AND SERVICE

Tuesday, October 31, marked the 506th Anniversary of what most people consider to be the beginning of the Reformation. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German Augustinian Priest, nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg. These Theses were primarily a challenge to the practice of the sale of indulgences. 


In 1516, the Dominican Friar, Johann Tetzel had been sent to Germany to raise money for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by selling indulgences. Luther objected to the notion that a person could purchase the release of souls from purgatory.  


Although Luther did not intend to start the Reformation, the pope did not receive Luther’s Theses with a spirit of charity. In Thesis 86, Luther asked, “"Why does the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with the money of poor believers rather than with his own money?" The Theses set off a chain of events that divided the Western church into Protestants and Catholics, a division that has remained now for more than five centuries. 


Although the division of the church is a sad occurrence, many of the doctrines that were recovered through the Reformation are vital to the Christian life. Luther recovered the theology that Christianity is not about humanity approaching God. Instead, Christianity is about God coming to humanity.  


Fr. RJ+ 

Stewardship Letter to Parish

If you would like to share your pledge with the office instead of through hard copy, please email Katie here:

Email the Office

Forward Day by Day devotions are currently on backorder. We hope to have them in soon.

Thank you!

Sunday, November 5: All Saints' Day

Holy Eucharist at 8 am and 10 am

Lessons

Bulletin

Live Stream


Wednesday, November 8

Evening Prayer, 4 p.m.

Zoom Bulletin

Christmas is coming….and so is Thanksgiving! It is time to donate to Thanksgiving Baskets Downtown, led by our sister church, St. Paul's, and A Community Christmas. Both organizations need our financial support and donations will be divided between the two groups. No longer do we need to bring food to the church. Stark Fresh coupons are given for containers to select their own food. A turkey or voucher is also given. As for A Community Christmas, I have requested that we adopt two families of four. You may wish to volunteer to shop for the gifts. Intake day for all gifts is Tuesday, December 5. Any extra money will be donated to A Community Christmas to assist in aiding families who are not selected for adoption this year. 

Sue Little

Altar Guild is again offering red poinsettia plants at $15.00 per dedication. Payment in cash or by check to “Altar Guild” must accompany your order. Please note if you expect to take a plant home or if you only wisht to have a dedication mentioned in the bulletin. Altar Guild is financially responsible for the altar flowers during the year, so money is always needed. Monday, November 27 is the deadline for accepting orders. Poinsettia plants may be picked up after each Christmas Eve service unless instructed otherwise. Forms are available at church.

Thank you! Susie Hines, Kathy Wise

A Pastoral Word from Bishop Thomas Brown: Read Here

🎶Let Us Rejoice and Sing!🎶


It was so nice to hear the cheerful voices of the Sunday School children singing at the 10:00 service. As the saying goes, singing is good for the soul. And the voices of the congregation can be heard singing our beautiful Sunday service every week. There are many voices singing out there and if you are interested in joining the choir, please let your voice be heard! We are small but mighty and would welcome new voices. We practice Sunday mornings at 9:00. Remember, if you can sing the Birthday song, you can sing in the choir!

Our relationship with Hope Outreach Ministry has the potential to grow. There is a need for a church to provide four to six people to serve lunch at Hope Outreach on the third Sunday of each month. The people of St. Mark’s have supported this ministry for a number of years through various donations. Most recently, our Sunday School has prepared hygiene kits that are distributed there. 


Serving lunch on the third Sunday of the month provides us with the opportunity to get to know more about the ministry and the people who are served there. It is a joyful environment where no one is turned away. Volunteers would need to arrive at Hope Outreach Ministry, located at 1530 Superior Ave. NE in Canton, between 11:30 and noon on the third Sunday of the month. 


If you are interested in serving in this ministry, please email Fr. RJ at rjohnson@stmarks-canton.org

The Diocese has continued to offer easy online giving. To use this, please select "St. Mark's Canton" from the dropdown, and choose either a one-time or recurring gift. We thank you for your continued support.
Designate a Gift to St. Mark's

NOTABLE - Bob Morrison

 

After church one Sunday a few years ago, a gentleman approached me at the organ bench with a suggestion for communion music. He identified himself as a retired school/church musician who had inherited a Radio Shack synthesizer from his dad.


These keyboards offer a variety of musical sounds plus drum beats and even some weird effects. Ron Hill demonstrated his device for me and said that, using the harpsichord effect would provide a gentle tinkling offering - just perfect for meditative moments. (One word of caution: pushing the 'demo' button releases a rock and roll excerpt quite out of character for a devotional service.)


Well, I had never heard of such an idea. I've always been a bit conflicted about what to do musically during communion. A robust choral anthem doesn't lend itself to contemplation, and asking the congregation to sing a hymn seems strange since the people are coming and going from the chancel, so I've usually played quiet hymns on a soft organ stop.


But here was a novel idea, so I told Ron to go for it. He researched works of Baroque masters who wrote especially for the harpsichord, and it turned out to be charming. He also assisted at the piano for hymns and once, as a prelude, accompanied himself singing a Gospel song. His charming wife Peg kept me informed of his health and availability, and as time went on these issues limited his appearance with us. He once told me that he and Peg "had found God here at St. Mark's" - what a kindly and encouraging thought.


As his health declined he said he'd like to give that synthesizer to St. Mark's, which made me quite happy. One memorable usage of it was for Natalie Sleeth's lovely anthem "Feed My Lambs" which calls for two flutes. In the past, I've had two flautists do these parts, but I wondered if we might substitute the keyboard for the live players, and I asked Bruce Schutrum to work this out - and work it out he did. Using a special technique that divides the keyboard into two different sounds, he found two flute effects, one like a conventional flute and the other more like an end-blown recorder - two differing sounds from the same keyboard - and it was just perfect.


More recently Sally Little has done both harpsichord and flute styles and we're working on a hymn with a jazz flavor by Teresa Wilhelmi for piano and synthesizer (suggested by the parish musician at Trinity UCC, Anthony Montagno.)


God called Ron to His heavenly home a short while ago. Thanks to Dr. Gary Giammarco and Gracie I was able to attend the memorial service at a church in Hartville which Ron also attended.


So, now, every time we use that device, I want to list it as "The Ron Hill Synthesizer." Such a blessing!

November Birthdays

3 Lindsy Wise

5 Mandy Pelger

7 Zachary Clark

23 Nathaniel Clark

25 Beth Crowl, Nora Smith

27 Kent Clark

28 Fletcher Clark

30 Sandy Turner

 

November Anniversaries

21 Dave and Marcia Kiesling, Gary and Livvy Mull


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Prayer Concerns


Vonda Temelkoff, Henry Aegerter, Jim Weaver, Jane Schutrum, & Ron Brookes


Family and Friends:  Nori Shawk (Friend of Brynn Pelger); Heidi Hoekstra (friend of Father RJ); Alison and Johnny Willoughby (friends & grandson of the Willoughbys); Middle East  & Heather Armington (request & friend of the Watters); Jane King; Paul Kit’s family (son of Maxine Kit); Lee, Theresa, & Addelyn (friends of the Hixons); Don Siegfried; Darin Hill (friend of Derek & Emily Gordon); Elaine Campbell (friend of the Turners); Sammy (friend of Leslie Redmon); Bob Rownd (friend of John Werren & Anne Coen); Judy Heisser-Turner (sister of Bert Heisser); Melanie & Trish (friends of Paulette Frech); Broden Burt (Son of Ben and grandson of Chris & Carol Burt); Pam Lagodich & Bill Allen (friends of the Mulls); Pat Walter & family (friend of Barb Whitehouse); Don Martin & Mark Osterhage (classmate & neighbor of the Watters); Alycia Geis (Karen Violand’s friend’s daughter); Michelle Graber (Bobbi Gordon family/friend); Janet Sheatzley-Morgan (sister of Barb Siegfried); DaNay Jackson (friend of Ron Brookes); Allison Cornell-Hood, Jody Serentsis, & Anne Higgins (daughter & friends of Diane Cornell); Finnigan Savage (friend of Pam McCarthy); Gail (sister-in-law to the Rands); Lynnda Hoefler & Jimmy Little (friend & son of Sue Little); Yanette Pysher (Vonda Temelkoff’s cousin); Tony Donahue (friend of the Boyds); Marc Hostetler (brother of Susan Hostetler); Baby David (acquaintance of the Nadels).


For those who have died.

For those in the armed forces.


PRAYER CHAIN:

St. Mark's has a group of prayer warriors who pray for the specific needs of those on the prayer chain. If you would like to place yourself or a loved one on the prayer chain, please contact Bobbi Gordon at ggordon24@sbcglobal.net


Prayer requests may be placed on the private Prayer Chain or on the Prayer Concerns list appearing in The Lion's Pause and Sunday bulletin or in both places. Please let Bobbi know your preference. Unless otherwise instructed, names will be listed as we receive them. Please update Bobbi or Katie on the status of your friends or family members as to when they may be removed from the prayer lists.

Contact Us:

Fr. RJ

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515 48TH ST. NW CANTON, OH 44709

330.499.2662 | OFFICE@STMARKS-CANTON.ORG

WWW.STMARKS-CANTON.ORG

We seek to unite all people with God and each other in Christ through worship, fellowship, education, and service.

St. Mark's Church

The Episcopal Church

The Diocese of Ohio

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