For your thought:
"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed."
--Luke 1:46-48
All are welcome to worship with us on Sundays at 9:30 and Thursdays at 11:00 a.m., both virtually and in-person.
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Please come wearing a mask - Masks are required indoors - even if fully vaccinated - per our current State of NM mandate. |
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Happy Anniversary!
St. Mark's 67-year Anniversary is this Sunday on Advent 4 (December 19, 1954) of the First Holy Communion Celebrated in our current worship space (Nave and Chancel, Choir/Organ Loft).
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For a complete listing and schedule of our online / in-person offerings available, please click on the button below: |
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Useful links:
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Fill out a form to volunteer, donate altar flowers, fill out a new member/visitor form, and more!
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Access and/or edit your Member Directory information.
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Access previous sermons.
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For all Stewardship-related materials, including downloadable pledge cards, click here.
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SAINT MARK'S MISSION & OUTREACH |
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St. Mark's Christmas Pageant (Premiere, Performance and Party) |
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Happening Sunday, December 19th (In-Person and Virtually)
A huge thanks to everyone who came out to help us launch preparations for St. Mark's 2021 Christmas Pageant during our Advent Extravaganza.
Please plan to join us for St. Mark's Christmas Pageant Premiere, Performance, and Party on Sunday, December 19th.
11AM: Live Rehearsal
Anyone who plans to participate in the pageant "in person" should join us for a brief "staging" rehearsal immediately following the Sunday Morning Service. Anyone who wants to participate (whether or not you were able to participate in the filming during our Advent Extravaganza) is welcome to join in!
*4:00 p.m.: Call Time for Whole Cast
Cast members should arrive no later than 4:00 p.m. to get in costume! (If you were not assigned a costume at the Advent Extravaganza, please arrive by 3:30 to allow extra time for costuming.)
*Note: While Cast Members get in costume, we will have an "encore screening" of our 2021 Pageant in the nave for early bird audience members!
4:30 p.m.: 2022 Pageant Premiere & Performance
Join us as members of St. Mark's, young and old, share a hybrid retelling of the Christmas Story, incorporating both pre-recorded and live performance elements.
5:15 p.m. Photos and Pageant Party
Join us for fellowship around the fire in the Courtyard. Please bring finger foods to share!
If you are unable to join us in person, please plan to join us on Zoom (and invite your out-of-town friends and family members to join us virtually, too!) Join us on Zoom here.
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Needlepoint Nativity Raffle - THIS Sunday!
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Buy your raffle ticket this Sunday morning, December 19 in the narthex of St. Mark's during Coffee Hour and be entered in a drawing to win this beautiful, five-paneled, needlepoint depiction of the Nativity of Christ, created by the hand of St. Mark's member Else Tasseron. Tickets are $5 each.
All proceeds will contribute to the purchase of a chair lift to improve the accessibility of St. Mark's choir loft. The winner will be drawn at the conclusion of St. Mark's Christmas Pageant, the evening of Sunday, 12/19.
Also for sale on Sunday morning: Parishioner, Bill Cole, will also be selling his hand-painted bird magnets for $10, and groups of five official blank St. Mark's Mosaic Notecards will be available to purchase for $5.
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Luminaria Construction:
Following worship on Sunday, December 19, we will be constructing luminarias. We will be folding bags, placing sand in them and placing candles.
Luminaria Placement:
At 9:00 a.m. on Friday, December 24, we will gather for a brief moment of prayer, then set out to put the luminarias out around the perimeter of our lot and building. We will go home afterward.
Luminaria Clean Up:
After worship on Sunday, December 26, we will clean up all of the luminarias. This is an outside task, so please dress warmly. We usually end this effort with breakfast burritos.
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Christmas Eve Eucharists - All Are Welcome! |
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5 PM CHRISTMAS EVE EUCHARIST (Family-Friendly Worship)
- Familiar Carols and Holy Communion
- Safe LED Candles (for young children) and Children’s Story at Sermon
- Silent Night by Candlelight and Special Music
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Friday, December 24th at 5 p.m.
CHORAL MIDNIGHT MASS (Incense in use during this liturgy)
- Special Music featuring our St. Mark’s choir, soloists, string quartet, oboe and organ.
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Portions of Handel’s "Messiah" as well as traditional carols for ALL to sing!
- Holy Communion and Silent Night by Candlelight
- Friday, December 24 at 11 p.m., but arrive early for Prelude Music beginning at 10:45 p.m.
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Sign up here if you would like to honor a loved one and contribute to the cost of one or more poinsettias for the altar on Christmas Eve. Contribution should be $20 to $25 per plant; however, any amount will help the church with the costs. Place your check with “poinsettia” on memo line or select "Altar Flowers" from the PayPal dropdown.
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Winter Rosary for Resurrection & Remembrance |
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Monday, December 20th, 7:00 p.m.
In person at St. Mark's and on Zoom
As we move through seasons in the natural world, so too we move through seasons of grief. As we move through each season, different memories may bubble up, and our grief might take on a variety of different qualities. In each season prayer, remembrance, and community are essential sources of support for our journey. We invite you to join us for our Winter Rosary for Remembrance this coming Monday, December 20th, at :00 p.m. Mountain time, in person at St. Mark's or online via Zoom, for a quiet time of prayer, silence, poetry, and song. These gatherings are open to all, and we warmly welcome you, along with any other family members who might be interested, to join us.
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Bakers Needed for The Feast of Epiphany |
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The Feast of the Epiphany (celebrated Sunday, January 2 at St. Mark's) honors the story - in the gospel of Matthew - of the three kings' visit to Jesus. They bestowed gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The first day of the Epiphany season, also happens to be the first day of the Mardi Gras season, which precedes Lent. King Cake is a New Orleans tradition that dates back to the 1870s. The cake is colorful and typically has a plastic baby Jesus inside. The cake is shared by all, but the person who discovers the small plastic baby in one of the king cakes will become one of the Magi for the day, or wise ones, and be asked to offer a simple toast in the Parish Hall.
Also, there’ll be a scavenger hunt around the church to locate a doll baby Jesus.
Do you have baking skills? Email us here if you’d be willing to help bake a King’s Cake for this event.
Come to worship that Sunday, then enjoy the Feast of the Epiphany -- St. Mark's style. This joyous event will occur in the Parish Hall after the liturgy concludes. It is sure to be a time cherished by all, and all ages.
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Closures During the Holiday... |
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The offices of St. Mark's will be closed from Monday, December 27 through Thursday, December 30. Sunday liturgies (including December 26th) will be held at their regular time of 9:30 a.m; however Thursday, December 30th we will not be having the following:
- 10:30 a.m. - 25-Minute Contemplative Silence
- 11:00 a.m. - Midweek Holy Eucharist
The offices will reopen on Monday, January 3, 2022. If there is an emergency, please contact the office at 505-262-2484. We will be checking messages.
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Socks and Gloves Collection Box |
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St. Mark’s is collecting NEW pairs of sock and gloves during the month of December. We will distribute them to charities which assist our friends who may not have the means to stay warm this winter. Your abundant generosity is appreciated. |
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The Return of Wine to St. Mark's: Bring Your Chalice to Church |
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Beloved of God, we will begin serving consecrated wine at the Eucharist again each week beginning this Sunday December 5th.
We are inviting households to bring their own cup to receive wine as a household if possible. We will also have small glasses for individuals or that can be shared among a household available. Wine will be served at the back of the church at stations where those desiring to receive wine can go after receiving bread.
If you have served as a Eucharistic Minister or Visitor or would like to help with this ministry of administering consecrated wine, please let Fr. Christopher know (email him here).
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Advent Study: All Creation Waits
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All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings
By Gayle Boss
Illustrated by David G. Klein
Join one of our online book groups for Advent at St. Mark’s.
Open a window each day of Advent onto the natural world. In twenty-five portraits depicting how wild animals of the northern hemisphere ingeniously adapt when darkness and cold descend, we see and hear as if for the first time the ancient wisdom of Advent: The dark is not an end but the way a new beginning comes.
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Check Out the New Art Exhibit! |
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Come check out the beautiful works created by the members of the Rio Grande Art Association; now hanging in our Sacred Arts Gallery (otherwise known as the Parish Hall). Works may be viewed Monday-Thursday 9-2 and on Sundays between 9-12. 20% of all sales goes to supporting the St. Mark's Arts Ministry |
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Advent through Epiphany Schedule |
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All are welcome to give and/or pledge to St. Mark's by:
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Mail (St. Mark's has a secure mailbox and is checked regularly): 431 Richmond Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.
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You may give electronically through the Diocese of the Rio Grande Parish Donation site and check the box next to "Albuquerque-St. Mark's". Just fill out the rest of the information and click the Next button at the bottom of the page. Please make sure fill out "special instructions or comment" to let us know how to apply your gift (i.e.: pledge, congregational relief fund, etc.).
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You may give electronically (including pledge payments) to St. Mark's - securely via PayPal® - anytime. Please consider checking the box that reads, "I’d like to add to my donation to help offset the cost of processing."
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Presiding Bishop Michael Curry's 2021 Christmas Message |
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“The Christmas stories are reminders that this Jesus came to show us how to love as God loves. And one of the ways we love as God loves is to help those who are refugees, those who seek asylum from political tyranny, poverty, famine, or other hardship."
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