The Lion's Pause

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

Reminder: An updated digital directory is on the St. Mark's website and is updated every few months. If you need the link/password, please email Katie in the office.

Rector's Ramblings

In Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas Merton wrote, “The more I am able to affirm others, to say ‘yes’ to them in myself, by discovering them in myself and myself in them, the more real I am…this does not mean the vapid and careless friendliness that accepts everything by thinking nothing. There is much that one cannot ‘affirm’ and ‘accept,’ but first one must say ‘yes’ where one really can.”

I do hope you won’t tire of reading Thomas Merton quotes.

Merton was speaking of interreligious dialogue. However, it seems to me that we need something like this in our present political dialogue. In fact, it is probably a good rule for life in general.

The internet and social media could have the effect of bringing people together. Instead, they seem to be tearing the world apart. I have, for the most part, given up on having any meaningful dialogue on social media because the platform seems to invite people to say “no,” to everyone with whom they have any disagreement. Unfortunately, that appears to be bleeding into the rest of life. Instead of listening for something to affirm in others, our society is increasingly listening for what we reject in the other.

The desire to reject the other is exactly the opposite of Christ. Christ came not to reject, but to invite. He could see himself in each person, because each person was created in the image of God, and Christ is God incarnate. There was not a single person he encountered in which he could not find something to affirm.

If we are in Christ, that means there is no human in whom we can find nothing to affirm. There is no human in whom we cannot find something of ourselves. When our initial reaction to someone is to say reject them, perhaps it would be helpful to pause, remind ourselves that they too bear the image of God, and look for something about them that we can affirm.

Fr. RJ+

St. Mark’s Sunday School is continuing with their hygiene kit outreach project serving Hope Outreach Ministries. Check out their message in the video below!

Sunday, February 4th:

Holy Eucharist at 8 and 10 a.m.

Lessons

Bulletin

Live Stream

Wednesday, February 7:

Evening Prayer, 4 p.m. on Zoom

Bulletin Zoom

Lenten Potluck Dinners:

February 21, 28, March 6, 13 at 6:30 p.m.

Pictured below: St. Mark's Sunday School kids decorating bird houses for the outdoor chapel.

Special thanks to Leslie Redmon for gifting the bird houses.

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

Begins

"Ash Thursday"

February 15

Newsletter Additions

If you are adding something to the Lion's Pause, please submit it here by the Monday prior to Friday publication.

A note from our Weaver Liaison, Geoff Gordon:

One of the many wonderful things about St. Marks is that we are blessed that our building does not sit empty six days of the week. Weaver Day School (WDC) brings life to our building throughout the week during the school year. In 2023, we created some additional shared space and now enjoy an updated library and a well appointed conference room. WDC also purchased a new back door and an improved security system.

Our relationship with WDC began in August 2017. At that time, the annual lease was $24,000. As WDC has grown, so has the contribution to St. Marks. In 2024, WDC's lease generated $37,800 to St. Marks and accounted for 17% of our income.

Growth can present challenges and conflicts for space, dates, etc. As these situations arise, please feel free to contact me directly.

Thank you,

Geoff Gordon

February Anniversaries

6 Bill and Beck Rand

18 Ashely and Jess Hostetter

23 Brad and Sandi Kaustinen

February Birthdays

4 Rick Werren

5 Lesley Kiesling, Caroline Willoughby

7 Tom Turner

11 Peggy Peretzky

22 Lauren Hoot

23 MaryAnn Kiesling

*Please note: Your birthday/anniversary will only show up if you've completed your profile on Instant Church Directory.

Need to log in? Go here.

Bob's Music Notes

Elmer Davis operated a piano/organ store out of his home on Shorb Avenue. He was the piano tuner at First Methodist. He asked me to be a teacher of folks who bought spinet organs from him, and it was an interesting adventure to show folks new chords and melodies on Gulbransen spinets.

Mr. Davis was a tall, gangly fellow, slow of speech and always of a kind disposition. So, when given the opportunity to buy a piano for my new home, I sought his advice. Kathleen and I had bought a home previously occupied by Clara Gravis, now deceased, who owned a 1914 Mason & Hamlin - but her nephew claimed the instrument until he discovered it was too big for his apartment. He said it would be mine for $300, a sum I did not have. I asked him if I could pay for it in installments and he agreed.

To make sure the was a worthy investment, Kathleen and I picked up Mr. Davis and drove to the nephew's apartment to examine the instrument. Mr. Davis said this was a fine piano and even offered to buy it for himself! Then the bombshell announcement: the nephew said he would need the payment immediately, not in installments.

Driving away from this encounter, Kathleen and I were lamenting this new roadblock to the purchase of the piano. Mr. Davis, in the back seat, said, "What's the matter?" and I told him that there was no way I could come up with $300 to buy the piano.

"Turn the car around," said Davis - and back to the nephew's apartment we went. Mr.

Davis reached into his pocket and peeled off three one-hundred-dollar bills! I was flabbergasted. He said, "Pay me back when you can."

I was now the owner of a grand piano!

Prayer Concerns

Barrie Thorp, Pat Julian, Ten Gall, Vonda Temelkoff, Henry Aegerter, Jim Weaver, Jane Schutrum, & Ron Brookes

Family and Friends: Jody Shumway (Co-worker friend of the Rand’s daughter); Father Amjad & Molly Samuel (acquaintance of friends of Father RJ); Dr. Mallamaci (acquaintance of Bobbi Zollinger); Jeanette Moore (Louise Moore’s daughter); Jolanda Mull, Dr. Sandy Lopater, Kirk Schuring, Pam Lagodich, & Bill Allen (sister-in-law & friends of the Mulls); Earl Hoot (father of Joe Hoot); Ashley Stockman (friend of Katie & Ryan Kuceyeski); Mitz Cushing, Harold Freedman, & Tim Swihart (aunt of Bobbi & friends of the Gordons); Larry Aclaska & Judy Heisser-Turner (acquaintence & sister of Bert Heisser); Lee, Theresa, and Chuck Boone (friends & cousin of the Hixons); Nori Shawk (friend of Brynn Pelger); Johnny Willoughby (grandson of the Willoughbys); Middle East & Heather Armington (request & friend of the Watters); Jane King; Elaine Campbell (friend of the Turners); Sammy (friend of Leslie Redmon); Bob Rownd (friend of John Werren & Anne Coen); Melanie & Trish (friends of Paulette Frech); Pat Walter & family (friend of Barb Whitehouse); Don Martin & Mark Osterhage (classmate & neighbor of the Watters); Alycia Geis (Karen Violand’s friend’s daughter); Don & Janet Sheatzley-Morgan (husband & sister of Barb Siegfried); DaNay Jackson (friend of Ron Brookes); Allison Cornell-Hood & Anne Higgins (daughter & friend of Diane Cornell); Finnigan Savage (friend of Pam McCarthy); Jimmy Little (son of Sue Little); Yanette Pysher (Vonda Temelkoff’s cousin); Tony Donahue (friend of the Boyds); Marc Hostetler (brother of Susan Hostetler); 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.