MessengerSt Mark’s

Volume 48, No.4 April 2008

I have just come from the memorial service for Page Swift Wuerthner where her friends from the San Francisco Opera Chorus sang (about 30 vocalists). With Jim Welch on the organ and many more singers in the congregation, the sound was glorious and uplifting, an appropriate tribute to a spirited and gracious woman! When Richard Peterson and I emerged from the memorial reception later that afternoon, at Michael’s Restaurant at Shoreline, I discovered that my car battery was dead. I had driven Richard to the reception. We had to wait for road service to arrive for I had no jumper cables. Richard said “I have a little machine in my car to re-jump the battery.”

“A lot of good that does us, Richard, we don’t have your car. We have my car, the one with the dead battery.”

“I know,” said Richard, “you don’t have one of those machines in your car.”

“That’s right, Richard, I don’t. And so we wait.”We did so in the lobby of the restaurant. I received

a recorded message on my cell phone that the service would arrive within 35 minutes. It was literally 5 minutes when I received a call from the tow truck “I’m here in the parking lot” he said. When I rushed out to the lot I said “That was really fast!”

“I can come back later if you like” he said.I laughed.“No one usually takes me up on that,” he added.Most of my Monday was “gone” by the time Richard

and I arrived back at the Church office. I had my list of goals for the week to address, including this article and about 50 other things and two meetings that evening, just another day. “Not much will be accomplished today” I thought. Then I caught myself.

From the Rector: A Day in the Life

Get ready for our Episcopal Visit! Bishop Marc will be celebrating and preaching at our 10:00 ser-vice on April 13. Don’t miss this special service to welcome the bishop into our midst. During his first visit, the Bishop performs rites designated for the Episcopate – confirmation, reaffirmation of vows, and reception into the Episcopal Church. If you are an adult in-terested in any of these mile-stones, speak with Rev. Matt McDermott.

The April 13 service will be followed by a Benefit Brunch for GAIA with live music, festivities, good food and raffle ticket winners! (see page 4 for more details!)

Bishop Marc Andrus to visit Saint Mark’s, with GAIA Brunch, on April 13!

(“Rector’s msg” cont’ on pg 11)

Looking AheadHelp us help our neighbors in Africa help themselves! See Kpage 4 for information about our Global AIDS benefit!Spring Dinner with friends! (see p. 10) K

New Morning prayer and meditation opportunities! (see p. 3) K

April 13 ______________ Bishop’s Visit to 10:00 Service and Gala Brunch for GAIAApril 18 - 20 _____________ Youth Group: “Happening “ at Marin HeadlandsMay 1 ______________________ Hotel de Zink begins! Sign up to host a dinner for our homeless guests! (see p 4)

MessengerSt Mark’s

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Adult Formation and Education

Sunday Morning

The Sunday morning Small Group, after expe-riencing the Psalms together in a whole new way during Lent and the Sundays after Easter, next plans to read Garry Wills’ latest book, “What the Gospels Meant,” in which he describes what the Gospels are, why there are four of them telling slightly different stories, and how ‘the early gatherings of believers meditated on the meaning of Jesus, reflecting on how Jesus had fulfilled Jewish hopes: it was in such gather-ings that the Gospels were gestated.’ Written in Wills’ usual brisk, clear, and provocative style, this book puts familiar texts under a new light, as Wills ‘brings years of scholarship and reflection to his analysis.’ This is wonderful spiritual dessert, and we urge you to join in! We meet from 9-10 am every Sunday in the Kennedy Room: our starting date will follow a series on “Praying the Psalms” by Molly Harrington, our gifted intern (see adjoining article). Sign-ups will be next to the poster on the Welcome table after services. “What the Gospels Meant” by Garry Wills is available at Amazon or your bookstore. For more information please call Louise at 650 854-4689. Newcomers to our ongoing group are warmly welcome.

Praying with the Psalms Series

For three weeks in April (April 6th, April 13th, and April 27th) Molly Harrington, the seminary in-tern, will be leading a Sunday morning prayer group at St. Marks. The group will meet at 9 am in the Ken-nedy Room and will be using Nan Merrill’s book, “Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness”, as a meditative guide to group prayer and reflection. There will be a few copies of “Psalms for Praying” for use, or it can be purchased from Amazon.com.

Listening for God

We’ll be enjoying Eudora Welty’s short story, “A Still Moment”, when we meet at 11:30 am on April 27th in the Kennedy Room. Anna Muelling, who will be our discussion facilitator, commenting about what the story says, “There are more questions than answers - but it is beautiful”.

Wednesday Evening

Our ongoing, every other Wednesday eve-ning Small Group will meanwhile be enjoying the rewards of Robert Ellsberg’s “The Saints’ Guide to Happiness”, which is full of inspiring and transfor-mative ideas born of stories about both ancient and contemporary ‘saints’. This is a book that several groups have already liked and found to be helpful in re-thinking how we approach our lives, and how we can grow our spirits, so we hope you will want to join us. We gather on alternate Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30 pm in the Kennedy Room. It’s a great time to open up, explore and share diverse new ideas, impressions and experiences, and also take quiet time for prayer and meditation together. We warmly welcome newcomers in both groups. Sign-up sheets by the poster after Services; “The Saints’ Guide to Happiness” (Robert Ellsberg) is available online or at a bookstore. For more information please call Louise Gulda at (650) 854-4689.

Small Group Opportunities

Small Groups“The Book of Psalms” March 30th with Louise Gulda* “Praying the Psalms” - Sundays in April at 9:00 a.m. with Molly Harrington* “The Saints Guide to Happiness” - Wednesdays in April (9th & 23rd) from 7-8:30 p.m with Louise Gulda* “What the Gospels Meant” - Starting in May with Louise Gulda* “Listening for God - A Still Moment” - 11:30 a.m. April 27th with Anna Muelling*

April 2008

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50 minute forum: “Living with the Spirit Series: Attentive Attorneys”11:30 a.m. Kennedy Room

Join us on May 18 for a meaningful discussion with some of your fellow parishioners who have worked or are working as attorneys in various capacities. How has their faith informed their vocation? Where has their awareness of God’s grace challenged and blessed their labors? We go well beyond the lawyer jokes and find ourselves a part of a deeper sharing. Join us!

New days and ways to pray!

Our opportunities for morning prayer and medi-tations have grown to include new modes of prayer. Join us for these new and old ways to pray at various times during the week!:

Soulful Men and Hearty Breakfasts:

Continuing with enjoyable, heartening, spiritual discussion and the sharing of a simple, but hearty breakfast, our next Wednesday morning meeting will resume on April 9, from 7:15 – 8:15 a.m. in the Li-brary. Join us!

For more information, contact Dick Tingey (dtingey@aol.com or 650.856.9285) or Matt McDer-mott (matt@saint-marks.com).

Mornings @ St. Marks

Monday: 9:30 am & 1:00 pm ..................Centering prayerTuesday: 8:30 am ...........................................Morning prayer (Book of Common Prayer)Wednesday: 8:30 am .................................Centering PrayerThursday: 9:00 am ..............................................Prayers with Anglican prayer beads (Rosary)Friday: 8:30 am ...........................................Centering Prayer

The Anglican Rosary: Prayer with balance and openness

Often we hear the word rosary and our minds drift to the Roman Catholic practice of saying the rosary with 10 Hail Marys and an Our Father at each 10-bead interval. However, saying the rosary is no longer just a Roman Catholic practice. In the mid-1980’s a group of Episcopalians were studying prayer and prayer practices, and under the lead of the Rever-end Lynne Bauman, the Anglican Rosary was born.

The Anglican Rosary is truly Anglican in that it balances the ritual and structure of using a string of beads with the openness of using whatever prayer language moves you. Using the seven small beads (called the weeks) and the four larger beads (called the cruciform beads), one can use just about any prayer or chant that speaks to the soul. For exam-ple, you might repeat the words of the Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God…” while moving through the weeks, followed by the Trisagion “Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One…” on the cruciform beads.

The rosary can be said alone, in groups, in unison, as a call and response, while sitting still, while walk-ing - the options are limitless. Intrigued? If so, join me in this rich form of prayer on Thursday mornings at 9:00 am, beginning in April in the Kennedy Room.

-Lori Walton

MessengerSt Mark’s

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OutreachBrunch with Bishop + GAIA Fundraiser = Good Fun for a Great Cause

Mark your calendars! On Sun-day, April 13th, St. Mark’s will welcome the Bishop at a Musi-cal Brunch. This day will celebrate our Bishop as well as raise money for GAIA (Global Aids Interfaith Alli-ance). St. Mark’s has taken on a new project in Malawi - we are supporting “Project Lydia” that helps AIDS widows and orphans attain economic and personal self-sufficiency with skill development, education and health care services.

We will have a fabulous brunch, musical enter-* tainment, a roving magician, and an opportunity to win prizes two different ways.We have some fantastic silent auction prizes – just * a few of which include:

M3 - A Marvelous Meal every Month for a 9year. 12 fantastic gift certificates at a wide vari-ety of local restaurants – including Evvia, Cali-fornia Café, La Strada, Café Riace, Cibo, Mike’s Café, Café Sophia, Oregano, Nola’s and many more. 2 Round-trip tickets on United Airlines to Ha- 9waii, the Caribbean, Mexico or anywhere in the Continental United States.Anniversary Night Package – including a $200 9gift certificate at Flemings - the hottest new restaurant in Palo Alto, plus three wonderful gifts: flowers from Michaela’s Flower Shop, a gift certificate from Nordstrom, and a big box of candy from Sees Candy.A complete kid’s Birthday Party – including a 9wonderful performance by Magician Kim Sil-verman, and gift certificates from Baskin-Rob-bins, Diddams Party Store and Round Table Pizza.An Extreme Room bedroom makeover, includ- 9ing a thorough spring cleaning, a fresh coat of paint, a new custom duvet, simple curtains, and everything you don’t want hauled away for you.

We also have some terrific raffle prizes, including* A long weekend at a beautiful home in Lake 9Tahoe – enjoy winter sports from your door-

Hotel de Zink in May

Next month St. Mark’s has the honor of providing warm meals and shelter to over a dozen homeless members of the Palo Alto commu-nity each night. Every year since 1988, twelve churches in Palo Alto have taken turns housing clients of the Urban Ministry “Hotel de Zink.”

Our guests dine in the kitchen, or outside in our courtyard if the weather is nice, and then convert the parish hall into their personalized dormitory for the night. St. Mark’s members take turns in creating and serving a good dinner for our guests each evening.

Check with Lorna Paisley at 650) 493-1974 to sign up for an evening dinner!

step, or luxuriate lakeside during the sunny summer months.An IPOD Nano “Red” version – 8 GB video 9Nano, that also benefits Bono’s African fund-raiserSpring Daffodil Garden – 250 daffodils will be 9planted in your yard next autumn for a beauti-ful Spring garden.

As a special bonus, when you buy 5 raffle tickets * you can be entered into a separate contest to at-tend a special GAIA fundraiser featuring author Anne Lamott at a lovely private home in Marin on April 27th.The best news of all? 100% of the proceeds go to * support GAIA.

Be there!

April 2008

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From the Associate Rector: Sacred Quiet

It wasn’t meant to be a day for women only, but that’s what it turned out to be. Women gathered in a group to take time out – four hours allotted for the Lenten Quiet Day – to pray, to commune, to create.

The time began with a getting ready ritual, the burning of some incense, the acknowledgement of our sacred history with symbols of the menorah and unleavened bread, and a walk into and through the desert, a reminder of so many who have walked before us – the Israelites, our desert mothers and fathers, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

From there, we did many things – some of us read, others of us literally burned the things we were giving up, while others scribed what we were taking on – beauty, peace, compassion.

Just about everyone present walked the labyrinth set out in the center of our space. At times there was only one of us walking the path, and at others, there were several of us, passing each other by in holy silence and bare feet. When I arrived at the center of the labyrinth, I was reminded of the Greek mythological figure of Ariadne, a woman often identified as the Mistress of the Labyrinth, or the Lady of the Labyrinth. Sue Monk Kidd, in her book “The Dance of the Dissident Daughter” points out that in the ancient time of Ariadne, the labyrinth was seen a symbol of the divine womb. “For women on this [labyrinth] journey,” writes Sue Monk Kidd, “the move-ment through the labyrinth means threading the Great Womb of death and rebirth. As a woman moves into the labyrinth, she undergoes what Carolyn Heilbrun calls ‘the marvelous dismantling’. She sheds and lets go of the old. She goes through a ‘dying’”. (p.113). We may not have termed it dying, but I’m guessing we all let go of a lit-tle something as we walked the circular walk to the middle.

Towards the end of our time together, we gathered to create our own Anglican rosaries, stringing together beads with crosses, forming a circle on which our hands would travel in prayer. And as a group, voices held together and we prayed. At the close of the day, we shared in the daily office, antiphonally saying psalms, to-gether giving thanks.

It was a quiet day, rich with connection, both with others and with the sacred. It was Christian community in a pure sense. May we all find time to get quiet, to connect with others, to pray to God, and to find our own sa-cred spaces.

- Lori

MessengerSt Mark’s

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Children and Families CommissionReach out and Welcome

Recent Godly Play stories and work time have shown our chil-dren the radical wel-come that Jesus taught and offered. In learning about Jesus’ life and teaching, our children have encountered what it means to be radi-cally welcoming to the lost sheep, the injured traveler and the blind man. They have learned how a lost child was found in the temple. And how when he spoke, the rabbis listened because he knew so much. Jesus’ life and stories invite our children to listen to and to love others, and these stories invite us, as parents, to do the same. Let us not be diffident, but extraordinarily welcoming in our offer of hospitality to those we meet at St. Mark’s door and in the larger community. Talk about your family’s engagement at St. Mark’s. Introduce yourself to a family you do not know. And go a step further; invite others to join you. We have so much to offer at St. Mark’s. Let’s reach out with welcome!

Are you interested in being a Godly Play Teacher or Greeter?

Email marygreene@saintmarks.com

Sunday Schedule9:45 ...........................................Children’s Music in the Parish Hall10:00..............Godly Play in PreK, K-1, 2-3, and 4-5 Classrooms10:45..................................................Children join the parish/their families at the passing of the peace

Thanks to our February and March Godly Play Teachers:Margaret Miller, Elisa Schmidt, Chris Sapita, Rachael Ramsey, Adam Ramsey, Lee-Anne McDermott, Beth Wang, Matt Santos, Sally Bemus, and Joanie King.

Raise your hand if you know God loves you!

Thanks to the Santos Family for their musical ministry!

April 2008

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Teen Talk

Upcoming youth eventsApril 6 .................................................................The Breakfast ClubApril 13 ........................................ Bishop’s visit, brunch, and raffle!April 18-20 ....................................Happening at Marin HeadlandsMay 18 ....................................................Junior/Senior Round TableJune 8 ..........................................................End of year pool party!!

Ripe for change: we discussed our food systems in this country, who benefits

from them and who gets left out

We arrive at this list of donations after heated debate over relief and

development strategies!

First food in 30 hours is holy food!

30-Hour Famine a Success!!

Twelve Youth groupers went without food for more than a day to get a taste of hunger. Here are all the good things their discipline, and your support, did for the world:

Microloans from Kiva.org $873 (9 loans)

From Episcopal Relief and Development (er-d.org)Aids Prevention Education $100 (2 workers) 9Educate Children orphaned by AIDS for a year $75 (1 child for 1 year) 9Drought-resistant seeds and tool combo $90 (2 shares--1/2 of one family’s 9kit)Mosquito Nets and Training $120 (10 nets) 9

From Changing the Present (changing the present.org)Breakfast for one year $230 (46 students for 1 year) 9Latrines for 6000 $1000 (6000 people) 9Rebuild a well $250 (1 well) 9

From UNICEF (inspiredgifts.unicefusa.org)Measles vaccine $26 (100 children) 9Retinol/Vitamin A tablets $27 (hundreds of toddlers) 9Oral Rehydration Salts $44 (2 kits) 9Theraputic Milk $17 (50 liters) 9

Total $2,852

MessengerSt Mark’s

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Notes from the Music StaffThe Power of One:Organist Herbert Nanney

In February I had the pleasure of performing the golden anniversary recital of the organ at St. Mark’s, for which I repeated the original dedication recital given by Herbert Nanney in 1958. Not only did we have a copy of the original printed program, but someone came forward unexpectedly with a tape re-cording of the original recital. It was exciting to have that recording, not only to hear what the original organ sounded like, but also to hear what an exciting program he played. After all, he was 40 years old and in his performing prime.

I was only 7 years old in 1958, and I had just had my first piano lessons at that time. Little did I know that I would one day go to Stanford and that Herbert Nan-ney, who was Stanford University Organist at that time, would become my professor. As I listened to the tape, I couldn’t help but reflect again on how literally and profoundly he changed the course of my life.

I met Professor Nanney in 1972 when I entered Stan-ford. Although I had declared chemistry as my major, my real love was music--specifically the pipe organ, which I had studied at the Mozarteum in Salzburg on a previous semester abroad. The first thing I did after buying my chemistry textbooks was to look up Her-bert Nanney, professor of music and organist at Me-morial Church.

My first lessons with Herb were totally illuminat-ing. I may have been pretty good at playing the notes, but he made me realize how much more there was to music than just the notes. He had me work on César Franck’s Chorale in E Major, and I still have written in my score the various comments he made to get me to play more effectively: “flare nostrils! heave bosom! suffer! snarl like a dog with a bone!” He was passion-ate about most everything, and his job was to help his students feel that as well.

His enthusiasm and ability for playing the organ were legend. Often he decorated hymns at Memo-rial Church services with Hollywood-style endings he called “MGM Amens.” He scandalized us by playing Bach trio sonatas in rumba rhythm. He was the life of every party, improvising whole pieces on people’s

phone numbers or playing “Happy Birthday” in the style of Bach, Mozart, Debussy, and Stravinsky. When he set about to give a serious recital, however, we felt the depth of his feeling for the music and sincerity of his playing.

During that first year at Stanford, my chemistry and physics classes were a real grind, while I found nothing but pleasure in practicing the organ for four or five hours a day. When I whined to Herb one day about my chemistry classes, he looked me in the eye and said, “Why don’t you pursue a career in music? It’s what you love, it’s what you’re good at, it’s what you’re meant for.” That was all I needed to hear. He literally and profoundly changed the course of my life, and I believe that in one way or another all of his students would say that about him.

The greatest compliment anyone could pay me or any other student was that it was obvious we studied with Herb Nanney. For his influence on me and his inspiration, I will always honor Herb Nanney.

-Jim Welch

Church Mouse

Gracious Me! I seem to have found a kindred soul! As I quietly pitter around this church, making sure everything is in order in my own little part of this world, who do I keep running across but Virginia Mose-ley! She’s a lot like me, quiet and studi-ous and always will-ing to help out. She’s one of the behind-the-scene angels that helps get things ready with a sweetness that personifies the spirit of love and kindness. Thank you Virginia, for your service of hospitality and gentleness.

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FridayApril 25, 20087:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Jerusalem Baptist ChoirEast Palo Alto

Apostolic ChurchInspired Latin Gospel

Tongan Assembly of GodIsland Flavor

New Sweet Home Cogic Choir

Filled with the Spirit

A Benefit Concertfor East Palo Alto Student Scholarships

atGRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH

3149 WAVERLEY ST., PALO ALTO, CA

Grace Lutheran Church 650-494-1212 E-mail: office@gracepa.org

Interfaith Network for Community Help (INCH) 650-941-1360

Sponsored by INCH and Comerica Bank

SaturdayApril 26, 20087:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Maranatha Hope of GloryMass Choir & Praise Team

Praise DancingFoothill Gospel Choir

Yolanda RhodesGospel Diva

Sons of JabelBig Band Gospel

St. Bede’s Hosts Fiddler Benefit Concert

The San Fran-cisco Scottish Fiddlers will perform a rousing concert at St. Bede’s in Menlo Park that will be followed by a champagne reception. The concert benefits the Swing Pavilion Project at The Bishop’s Ranch. Over $3.7 million of the $4 million needed has been raised for the driveway, parking, plaza and 4,000 square foot meeting facility that addresses a long recognized need to better serve diocesan groups. The walls of the building are rice straw bales, plastered on the interior with earth plas-ter made from Ranch soil. Low profile solar panels lining the roof are among many other “green” fea-tures. Come listen to some fine fiddling and help put the finishing touches on the project!

The concert is on April 5 at 4:00 pm at St. Bede’s (2650 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park). Cost is $20; $10 for students; tickets may be purchased at the door. For more information, see the St. Bede’s website (http://www.stbedesmenlopark.org/) or The Bish-op’s Ranch website (http://www.bishopsranch.org/).

Ponder This….as the Church celebrates Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life on April 9th

“Christianity stands or falls with its revolu-tionary protest against violence, arbitrariness and pride of power and with its plea for the weak. Chris-tians are doing too little to make these points clear rather than too much. Christendom adjusts itself far too easily to the worship of power. Christians should give more offense, shock the world far more, than they are doing now. Christians should take a stronger stand in favor of the weak rather than considering first the possible right of the strong.”

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

MessengerSt Mark’s

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Reaching out to friends

How can I help? This is usually the first thing that comes from my lips when I hear of someone in the hospital, or even at home too sick to go to the gro-cery store. It is usually very easy to stock up on a few more supplies and drop them off, or cook a bit extra so a home cooked meal is at their door step. If only I knew that help was needed!

Saint Mark’s is a community of compassionate and capable people who help each other in times of need. This is how we can be God’s hands and feet, here and now. It is very easy to be of service – often we can eas-ily fit it into our daily schedule, and truly make a dif-ference in the lives of others.

We are putting together a confidential email list of occasional volunteers who are willing to be notified when a practical need arises. It could be driving an elderly parishioner to church, or to a doctor’s appoint-ment. It could be a meal, or a simple grocery store run. It could be an emergency childcare situation. Our vision is to have a large web of folks who are willing recipients of email notification that a need exists. It will be up to you to respond, if you are able to do so, and there is no obligation to respond. At any point you can ask to be removed from the list. If we have a big enough pool of recipients, most likely someone in the group can help out!

In the last week alone parishioners have provided about 10 meals, offered a dozen rides, watched each other’s children, and all grew happier as we helped one another out. It is a wonderful way to become in-volved, quietly and at your own convenience.

The In-Reach Commission consists of Nancy Crewd-son, Mary Greene and Lori Walton. We have other ideas, and will be rolling them out over the coming weeks. The first step is to establish a group of willing helpers.

Can you help too? Send an email to AskAndY-ouShallReceive@saint-marks.com to get on the dis-tribution list, or call Katie Yates, Lori Walton, or Mary Greene at the Church Office 650-326-3800, or Nancy Crewdson 650-325-2593.

-Nancy Crewdson

Spring dinner with friends!

The Membership commission has organized dinners this spring for anyone interested in an infor-mal opportunity to socialize with other parishioners. These dinners are pot-luck and hosted by members of the parish in their homes (who live within 10 minutes of St Mark’s) and are meant to be simple an relaxing, an opportunity for parishioners to come to know each other! Dinners will occur the first two weekends in May. Stay tuned for sign-ups on the Welcome table!

For more information or to sign up contact Mego Tracy (650.323.1447 or mego.tracy@gmail.com) or Anne Anderson (650.560.9234 or aa@andpac.com) or see the “sign ups” at Church.

St. Mark’s Community

Stewardship Thanks!

We are very grateful for all who have made a 2008 financial pledge to support the ministries of St. Mark’s! You have made a difference and have helped us reach our goal. Thank you!!

Save the date!

Our annual potluck Church Picnic will be Sun-day June 8th from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Games, food, fun! Join us!

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I heard beautiful music at a service for a beautiful and gracious person who had passed on to a different place. I was reminded that “the list” is just a list, that people are important, that, yes, batteries die, but compared to a person, it is nothing. Sometimes you get things done from your list and sometimes you don’t! That’s not important. People are important. The love and glory evidenced in a memorial service is important. Meeting strangers at a reception who have in common, initially, only a connection through one person can serve as a reminder. Strangers have much to share when confronted and connected by the passing of a loved one. People, again, are important. The way we treat each other, the way we deal with frustration, the way we simply wait or simply laugh with others, friend or stranger, determines our worth, our happiness, and our influence.

May God bless us all with such opportune moments.In Christ,

(“Rector’s msg” cont’ from pg 1)

A Meditation for April 15th

The main reason for having money is to give it away. After there is enough to get your teeth fixed and the proper shoes, the main thing about money is that it can be a powerful agent in the service of love. You can ease people’s pain with it -- not all of their pain, but some. You can save people’s lives with it. You can use it to make the world more beautiful and more safe. You can learn the peculiar pleasure of say-ing “No” to yourself in order to say “Yes” to someone else’s need, and you wonder why you never realized before how much fun that is.

-Barbara Cawthorne Crafton Geranium Farm

The Ascension

With waves the ocean soothes the dark still-ness of the shore With words the mind would calm the awful inner quiet. Offerings to the nothingness on which we trespass. Our imprint no deeper than a breath on a mirror. Though delighted by the wonder of your return, To glimpse you is already too much for their eyes. At your cadence of voice a bird stirs in the heart, Its wings spread such brightness nothing can hold its form. You are no longer from here, yet you still linger In the lightness, wed to the dance you awaken, As if in drudged-down lives, the song of your new hands Could raise the soul towards horizons of desire. You slip through a door of air. Memory comes home, bright as a dead tree drawn to blossom by the moon

-John O’Donohue Conomara Blues

Ascension day in 2008 is May 1st. Stay tuned for information about a joint Episcopal service at Stanford Memorial Church!

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Permit #51Palo Alto CA 94303

St. Mark’s MESSENGERSt. Mark’s Episcopal Church600 Colorado Ave(between Cowper and Middlefield)Palo Alto, CA, 94306-2510

St Mark’s Episcopal ChurchSunday Schedule

8:00 a.m. The Holy Eucharist (St. Mark’s Chapel)9:00 a.m. Adult Education Hour10:00 a.m. Choral Eucharist (Church) Children’s Programs6:00 p.m. Youth Group (Parish Hall)

Church Office Telephone (650) 326-3800Fax: (650)326-2186email: stmarkpa@pacbell.netChurch StaffRector: The Reverend Matthew McDermottAssociate Rector: The Reverend Lori WaltonDeacon: The Rev. Richard Peterson (Emeritus)Children/Family Ministries Coordinator: Mary GreeneYouth Ministries Coordinator: Liz GravesAssisting Clergy: Rev. Dr Rebecca Lyman, Rev. John Butcher, Rev.

Joanne SandersMusic Directors: Rebecca Maggi, Tom ColohanChurch Organist: James WelchOffice Adminstrator: Katie YatesBusiness Administrator: LeeAnne McDermottTreasurer: Maureen Kennedy

St Mark’s Calendar

St. Mark’s website: www.saint-marks.com

Sunday8:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist (St. Mark’s Chapel)9:50-11:30 a.m. Child Care (Eastside classroom 2)9:00 a.m. Adult Education Hour (Kennedy Room)10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist w/Music (Church)KidsWorld Infant Care and Toddlers (Eastside classroom 2) Preschool (Eastside classroom 1) Kindergarten & First grades (Westside classroom 1) Second & Third grades (Westside classroom 1) Fourth & Fifth grades (Clubhouse-Church 2nd floor)6:00 p.m. Youth Group (Parish Hall, Youth Room, Library)

Monday9:30 a.m. and1:00 p.m. Centering Prayer and Meditation (Kennedy Room)

Tuesday8:30 a.m. Morning Prayer (Kennedy Room)7:30 p.m. Compline (St. Nicholas Chapel)

Wednesday8:30 a.m. Centering Prayer and Meditation (Kennedy Room) 12:15 p.m. Holy Eucharist with Healing Rite (St. Mark’s Chapel)

Thursday9:00 a.m. Prayers with Anglican prayer beads (Kennedy Room)730 p.m. Choir Rehearsal

Friday8:30 a.m. Centering Prayer and Meditation (Kennedy Room)

Sunday, April 6 Easter 39:00 a.m. “Praying with the Psalms” Series (Kennedy Room)10:00 a.m. Youth Group - “Breakfast Club”

Wednesday, April 97:15 a.m. Men’s Breakfast (Library)7:00 p.m. Small Group - “The Saints Guide to Happiness”

(Kennedy Room)Sunday, April 13

Easter 49:00 a.m. “Praying with the Psalms” Series (Kennedy Room) Bishop Marc Andrus’ visit (10:00 a.m service)11:30 a.m. GAIA Benefit Brunch (Parish Hall)

Friday, April 18 - Sunday, April 20 Youth Group - “Happening” at Marin Headlands

Sunday, April 20 Easter 5

Wednesday, April 237:00 p.m. Small Group - “The Saints Guide to Happiness”

(Kennedy Room)Sunday, April 27

Easter 69:00 a.m. “Praying with the Psalms” Series (Kennedy Room)11:30 a.m. Listening for God (Kennedy Room)

Thursday, May 1 Ascension Day “Hotel de Zink” begins

Ongoing Events Special Events