Contents; JULY 2004

Next month deadline for submissions is Sunday, June 20^th

Dear People of God,

Thank you for your prayers, your cards, calls, and care for Amy, Zella, and me as I continue to recover from

surgery. Thanks especially to Frank Brannon and Father Jim for taking services and providing pastoral care. (

Frank & Jim, I wish you would preach  less stellar sermons before I return to take the pressure off me!)

The healing process has been a learning experience for me, and a humbling time. Your love and care humble me.

I am humbled by Frank & Jim’s graciousness.

Father Jim preached on grace Sunday June 19th. In part he said grace is unpredictable. I thought I knew this

well, I have again learned that I should be more careful in assuming that I know things...some wit once said,

"God has an easy time getting most people to salvation, a few he has to make Episcopal priests in order to get

there.” (This is quoted as applying to me, not to Frank or Jim).

I have been relearning on a deeper more humbling level God’s grace, as expressed by the Saint Mark’s

community and I thank God for you and for this lesson. Please understand I am not trying to give pat answers to

God’s activity in the midst of suffering. There are no easy or pat answers for me to the question of suffering. And

I am well aware my physical pain is very minor compared to suffering in our community and the world.

What I am trying to articulate is that in this community of Faith I see God’s love, compassion, and healing Grace,

not only for me, but also for my family and others. That is a mystery of God's Love and I rejoice that we are able

to share it as a community. Please know that I am deeply humbled by all that you have done, your prayers, food,

and assistance.

God's Peace,

Battle +

Back to Contents Menu

THE GIFT OF GRATITUDE

(From Rabbi Harold S. Kushner's recent book, "The Lord Is My Shepherd:  Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-third Psalm"

I once gave a sermon on a Sabbath when the scriptural reading was the story about the prophet Elisha, found in 2nd Kings.  A poor widow comes to the prophet and laments that her husband's death left the family deeply in debt and the creditor is coming to take her sons as slaves.  She has no food save a small jar of oil.  Elisha tells her to borrow as many jars as she can and pour the oil into them.  Magically, the oil will keep flowing until every jar is filled.  She will then be able to sell the oil and settle her debts.  As predicted, the oil keeps flowing until her sons tell her "there are no more vessels," at which point it stops. 

The point of my sermon was that our ability to enjoy God's blessings is more a function of our capacity to receive them than of any limitations on God's ability to bless us.

Would you like to feel that your life is more blessed?  Get a larger cup to receive God's blessings.  Learn to respond to the sun's coming up every morning as a miracle. 

Instead of wishing that you felt better physically and could lose weight more easily, marvel at your body's ability to extract nourishment from food and to heal from illness and injury.  Are those not miracles?

Instead of lamenting the ailments that come with growing older, instead of wishing I were as young and fit as I once was, I take my medicine with a prayer of thanks that modern science has found ways to help me cope with those ailments.

In the traditional Jewish liturgy the first three minutes of the morning service remind the worshipper to be grateful that he is alive, that his body works, that he has food to eat and clothes to wear, that he has things to do today that will demonstrate his humanity, and that he has friends to share the day with. 

Our ability to receive God's blessings with thanksgiving will never outstrip God's ability to bless us.  For those who have cultivated that habit of gratitude, no matter how large a bowl we set out to receive God's blessings, it will always overflow.

 Back to Contents Menu

DARE TO BE HAPPY

 Dare to be happy

Don’t shy away.

Reach out and capture

The joy of the day.

Life is for living

Give it a try

Open your heart

To that sun in the sky!

Dare to be loving,

And trusting and true:

Treasure the hours

With those dear to you.

Dare to be kind

It’s more fun than you know.

Give joy to others,

And watch you own grow.

Dare to admit

All your blessings,

And then every day

Count them all over again.

Dare to be happy,

Don’t be afraid.

This is the day

Which the Lord hath made!!

Helen Louise Marshall

“Quiet Power”

Submitted by Pauline Hall

  Back to Contents Menu

Vestry Profile – Frank Brannon

     Each month a member of the Vestry is asked to give a brief profile of himself or herself.

This month is my turn. This is my second time to be elected to St. Mark’s Vestry and to have

the honor of helping our congregation grow as a loving, caring, sharing, and compassionate

community.

     I'm originally from Michigan and graduated from Wayne State University and the

University of Michigan with a joint degree. Then I went on to receive a M.Div. at the School

of Theology at Drew University and a Certificate for Urban Ministry at the Divinity school at

Yale. This was followed on with an M.S. in Counseling. Through the fine auspices of the

United States Air Force and the United States Army, I have had the privilege of seeing and/or

living in a great many places in our world. These adventures afforded me the opportunity of

experiencing many diverse cultures and people. This has led me to, truly, with the help of

God,  "to seek and serve Christ in all persons... and to respect the dignity of every human

being."
 

     Presently I co-mentor the Education for Ministry (EFM) program with Peggy Tucker and

co-lead the Adult Christian Formation class with Lynn Kauppi. Our bishop has selected me to

serve on the Companion Diocese Committee under the chairmanship of our Senior Warden,

George Kurz. I also work as a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice and serve

part-time at the Parthenon Pavilion Psychiatric Hospital.
 

     I'm married to Pam Carr-Brannon. We have five grown children and four grandchildren

living in the Boston area, Baton Rouge, Detroit, and the wilds of Texas. Reading and

enjoying new experiences are my hobbies.

Back to Contents Menu

July Birthdays

Alan Branch                       4

Greg Noren                        5

Herb Stewart                      5

Gretchen Miller                   8

Linda Floyd                        14

Mickey Sturm                     16

Dale McDonald                  20

Chip Moore                       21

Toni Hall                            23

Theresé Sievers                  25

Russell Campbell                28

Gene Gwyn                        31

July Anniversaries

Lorna & Greg Noren                  2, 1976

Les & Pat Worsley                   18, 1970

Don & Mary Ann Campbell      24, 1957

Cindy & Steve Page                 31, 1999

Transferring In

Phillip Blansett from St. James The Less, Madison.  We warmly welcome Phillip to our St. Mark's family.

 Back to Contents Menu

 Back to Contents Menu

TRAIL BLAZING

St. Mark's is sited on a fascinating piece of property! There are over 12 acres of rolling fields, gardens, woods, and intermittent streams. For several years, Susie and Don McEwen have promoted an idea for a series of walking trails around the perimeter of our property. This idea is beginning to become a reality. This spring, Dorrence, Chris, and Tyler Stovall and George Kurz began cutting and sawing through the woods (some places - jungle) along the north side of the property to make a trail. Presently the trail runs from the property north of St. Mark’s, generally along the fence line and eventually comes out at St. Mary's garden. As it winds through the woods, they found a wide variety of ferns, mosses, lichen and other vegetation. Also, there were interesting rock outcrops and evidence of a farm pond (almost overgrown). Over the years, people have seen deer and other wildlife on the property (including one report of a bobcat!).
Eventually, a trail system could be used as a measured course for walking exercise, or just a pleasant time of diversion away from city sights and sounds. If you are interested in this, or have ideas or questions - please let us know.

George Kurz

Note from the editor:  Thanks to the Stovalls and George.  It sounds wonderful and I hope to take that stroll soon.

Back to Contents Menu 

 DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!!

Have you always wanted to learn how to dance?

Have you danced in the past and would like to get back into it? Do you just want some exercise that

is not the hum-drum routine of aerobics or the treadmill?

Well, on Monday, June 28, 2004 we had our first dance class!  There were four of us there but we

had lots of fun and had a great workout. We started off with some stretching and then went into

some ballet exercises.  Next we did a half hour of tap dancing.

We will do this every Monday evening from 7:00 – 8:00 PM.  We are not meeting on July 5th as it is a

holiday and Greg’s birthday. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, if you have never danced

and would like to, if you just want a fun kind of exercise then come one come all!  Don’t worry

whether or not you have dance shoes.  Use a hard soled shoe for tap and your socks for ballet.  It is

going to be very, very informal.  Just show up!

Remember, this is just for fun.  We are not the Boston Ballet or the Rockettes.  It is just a way to get

the blood pumping and the blood pressure lowered!

Lorna Noren

Back to Contents Menu