Gryphon 11/04

“We at St. Mark’s are on a journey seeking God in you, ourselves and all creation”

Weekly Schedule

The Season is upon us,…no not that season the Advent season! This is a time of preparation, of watching and waiting in great expectation for that Other Season. Advent is mostly accompanied by hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating traveling to see family and friends. It is a time of making plans and being excited about what is to come. The Church perhaps in some sort of cosmic wisdom for nigh two thousand years has invited us to slow down, to watch and wait. To take notice of the events unfolding in the midst of our lives. I know it’s hard to feel like there is all the time in the world with the world or at least our culture gearing up in such a frenzy, yet in the life of the Church, the life of faith there is all the time in the world. The Event we wait and watch for, the coming into the world of the Christ is not one that is dictated by our culture nor by our sometimes-frenetic efforts to have a "perfect" Christmas. No the Event is taking place midst all our activities. The coming of the Holy One is taking place in the still small corners of our lives. The moments we care to notice others less fortunate than ourselves. The moments we take time to truly remember those in harms way. The moments we pause to forgive and ask for forgiveness. In the Season as we wait expectantly for the next I invite you to slow down, take a breath, enjoy your loved ones, celebrate the gifts that God so abundantly bestows upon you. Here is praying you a Holy and Blessed Advent.

Contact us:

St. Mark’s Website – http://www.stmarksantioch.org

The Reverend Battle Beasley via email: pathwayspartners@yahoo.com

Electronic submission to the Gryphon’s Roar: submitgryphon@aol.com or nanaljn@aol.com

Friends, money, hecklers, politics, food, humor and more coming to St. Mark's Sunday, Dec. 12th. Our Annual Parish Meeting and a Daughters of the King Breakfast!!!

THE GRYPHON

The Gryphon is the newsletter of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and as such welcomes articles and suggestions from ALL parishioners. This is your venue for expressing thoughts you would like to share, important events in your families’ lives, suggestions you might have to make our parish life better. Please do not hesitate to use it.

Lorna Noren,

Editor

A UMNS Feature
By Tamie Ross*

     Every one of us, says the Rev. Jo Ann Mann, thinks at some point in our life about ending it.
     Teenagers who hardly know the life they’re throwing away. A corporation’s chief financial officer, caught in misconduct. Christians who dress in their Sunday best and put on a smile to greet each other before worship.
     “Absolutely, Christians think of suicide. When they are hurting, people often go to church looking for help. And when people ask you how you are, you say, ‘Fine,’ “ said Mann, an elder in the United Methodist Church’s Florida Annual (regional) Conference. “That’s what you’re supposed to say at church.”
     Mann has spent years in the Florida Conference and as a U.S. Army chaplain counseling, educating and warning people about suicide risks: No one is immune. Everyone is susceptible. We all must listen better to those around us asking for help in ways we might not realize.
     Suicide is a fleeting thought for most, an “I wonder what would happen” moment that lasts a few seconds and dissipates.
     But for those in true crisis, that moment lasts longer. Sometimes it becomes an idea, taking on a form of its own. It swirls around the brain, eventually sticking. With time and thought, suicide becomes an option or even a preoccupation for those who conclude they have control over nothing about their destiny but its conclusion.
     Mann, who is certified to teach two-day Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training workshops, says everyone should know the danger signals. Moreover, everyone should be able — and willing — to help prevent someone from ending his or her life, and to lead that person to professional care.
    Since her retirement from the Army in July, and on the heels of a one-year sabbatical from her work in Florida, Mann spends her days in a home in South Carolina, reading and writing about suicide prevention. She attends Rehobeth United Methodist Church in Columbia.
     What can United Methodists do to keep themselves and those they love from killing themselves? She wonders.

     “It’s an easy answer, in theory,” Mann said. “We have to care. We have to listen. We have to love people and make time for them.”
     It sounds simple. But in practice, taking time from our own busy lives to notice and help others who are struggling can be tough.
     The General Conference of the United Methodist Church has had a longstanding resolution for awareness, study and funding for educational programs to increase suicide prevention. The resolution, “Suicide: A Challenge to Ministry,” was reworded last spring, with dual emphasis placed on prevention and helping those affected by suicide.
     Last May, General Conference also approved $375,000 to fund work proposed in a resolution called “Teen Sexual Identity and Suicide Risk,” brought by the Women’s Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. The resolution cited statistics that show teens dealing with issues of sexual identity are two to three times more likely than other youth to attempt suicide.
     The funding will help a United Methodist task force with research, to publish educational materials, and to suggest resources and programs for families, congregations and pastors on the issue.
     The Rev. Jackson Day, pastor of the Grace United Methodist Church in Upperco, Md., has worked with the General Conference on suicide issues and had a major role in rewording the resolution. He also serves as vice president of the National Conference of Vietnam Veteran Ministers, working with veterans suffering from “Post Traumatic Spiritual Disorder.”

Historically speaking, Day said the United Methodist Church has gone from demonstrating suicide’s “wrongness” as a way of deterring others to an approach of awareness, education and an invitation to work with preventive efforts in communities.

     Day was inspired to focus on suicide prevention after his work with Vietnam veterans and the aftermath of a suicide attempt by a family member.

"Suicide, for the most part, is really the result of mental illness that affects a person's ability to think and make decisions," Day said. "Those left behind will suffer anyway, but the old way of thinking made things worse."
     By speaking out on this topic, Day said United Methodists can make a difference in the lives of others on a personal level, with secondary regard to statistics.
     "On a national and regional basis, the church is making a difference by aligning its efforts with those of other groups," Day said. "At a congregational level, you're dealing with specific individuals. You're not thinking of large numbers. Every person there has the opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone else."
     Teens, the most at-risk age group, pose the greatest communication challenges, Day and Mann said.
     As every generation is labeled by consensus, the current group of teens has been called dark and troubled by some groups. Others say this is just a reflection of popular culture - literature, music and other arts - and a society struggling with social issues and an international war on terror.
     At his congregation, Day said the teens are encouraged to talk about their feelings, and he believes most of the young people take life seriously.
     "Teens have their own way of joking. ... Beneath the veneer, though, teens take the appropriate things very seriously," Day said. "If someone's talking about suicide, they know there is something significant going on that needs immediate attention."
     Keeping hope alive is the key, Mann said. For Christians, this is assumed, but it never should be.
     "The common denominator among people who kill themselves is a loss of hope," Mann said. "When you lose hope, it's real hard to keep going. We have to let people talk and not judge them when they're having a crisis of faith, as is obviously the case when someone is thinking of ending their life."
*Ross is a freelance journalist based in Dallas.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., newsdesk@umcom.org.
********************
United Methodist News Service

This question was recently posed by Lynn Kauppi in our Sunday School class. I gave an answer that made sense to me at the time: I’m Episcopal because St. Mark’s is Episcopal and St. Mark’s is my family. St. Mark’s is where my boyfriend (Bob) and his sons (Will and Parker) were attending church when we started dating, so Andie (my daughter) and I attended church with them. St. Mark’s is where Bob and I were married, by Scott Lee on June 8, 1996. St. Mark’s is where our two children (Maryn and Connor) were baptized in 1998 and 2000. So, when Lynn asked that question, it seemed easy for me to say that “whatever St. Mark’s is, that’s what I am”.

However, as the week progressed past that Sunday School question, I thought deeper about it (which is usually the case with good Sunday School questions). I realized that it’s important to me to be Episcopal and to be linked to the Diocese of Tennessee so that we can all go to Camp Gailor Maxon together, up at Monteagle. It’s important to me to be Episcopal so that my tithing can support the outreach of St. Mark’s and the Diocese: Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Luke’s Community Center, and Room in the Inn, to name a few. It’s important to me to be Episcopal so that I can be linked to a Diocese in Ecuador and the church of Santiago Apostal. It’s important to me to be part of the national Episcopal Church: a thoughtful, opinionated group of individuals making important statements about love, about hope, and about faith. It’s important to me to be part of the Anglican tradition of contemplative prayer.

I’m Linda ClenDening, and I wanted to share these thoughts with you as a Vestry member. I’m glad to have been serving St. Mark’s on the Vestry for one year, and look forward to two more years of service. Thank you for your trust and faith in me and this St. Mark’s family.

Recipes And Reflections

The “Perfect” Christmas Gift

After you have your own copy of St. Mark’s cookbook (You DO have your own copy, don’t you?!), consider the many folks who would also like a copy of this 427-recipe treasure: sisters, aunts, mothers, daughters, sons (especially the young bachelors on their own), all the in-laws, baby sitters, newlyweds, neighbors, former neighbors or parishioners . . . your own list includes a large number of possibilities. So, reduce the stress of Christmas shopping AND make a significant contribution to the welfare of our neighbors in one easy step. Profits from the sale of the cookbooks will benefit Second Harvest – with a cash donation to the satellite pantry at Hamilton United Methodist Church to purchase basic foods not supplied by the Second Harvest organization: eggs, milk, butter, cheese. A small portion will be set aside to support our own “God’s Little Quarter Acre,” which we hope will provide even more produce for the Hamilton Pantry during the next growing season.

Purchase the books at church ($10 each) on Sundays – there is a basket at the back of the church with books in it. If you want several (and we hope you do!), please call or e-mail Susie McEwen ( don_sue73@tds.net) and let her know how many books you need. She’ll bring them to church for you.

GROUP SPIRITUAL DIRECTION

The dates for our spiritual direction group have been changed for the next two months - Dec. 7 at 7pm and Jan. 11 at 7:30 pm. Then, beginning in February, we'll meet on the first Tuesday night each month at 7pm. Please mark your calendars!

December Birthdays

December Anniversaries

Baptisms

In November, we welcomed Zella Anne Beasley and Alec Michael Jacobs into the household of God through Holy Baptism. Zella Anne was baptized on All Saints Day. She is the daughter of Amy Harwell and Battle Beasley. Alec Michael was baptized on Sunday, November 7^th. He is the son of Helen and Mike Jacobs.

Marriage

On Saturday, November 6^th, we celebrated the marriage of Bridget Meyer and Justin German. Bridget is the daughter of Dean and Becky Meyer of Antioch. Justin is the son of Melvin and Janie German of Summerville, Tennessee. Here is their new address:

On November 30^th, Tanya McLaughlin, daughter of Greg and Lorna Noren will be awarded a scholarship from the Richard and Virginia Peck Scholarship Committee. It will be presented to her at an awards ceremony at MTSU by one of the professors who nominated her. Family and friends are invited to attend.

Friday night at St. Ignatius: Four big pans of lasagna - - gone. A pot of green beans with ham and potatoes - - gone. Seven rooms taken. A clothes pantry scoped out and “liberated” in 5 minutes. “Wow, these are big lunches,” say fifteen men as they grab up the grocery sacks containing sandwiches, sodas, Twinkies, oranges and other items as they leave to board the van to return to downtown Nashville on Saturday morning.

What motivates 15 men to come to a strange church in Antioch and spend the night on mattresses on the floor? The answer is the cold and the welcome from God’s people to feed, house, wash clothes and serve them for one night in various churches and synagogues in greater Nashville. St. Mark does this once on the 2^ndFriday of each month November through March. We serve Christ in homeless men by being innkeepers (those who stay over night), cooks, lunch makers and care givers. Liz Gilliam is the head inn keeper. She recruits and schedules St.Markans to do what needs to be cheerfully, non-judgementally done.

Our next Room in the Inn will be on December 10-11. I will be serving as head inn keeper for this one due to Liz’s surgery the day before. I need three men to serve as inn keepers, three people to bring in dinner for 15 on Friday night, three people to bring in breakfast (you can bring the fixings the night before or bring it by 6:15 on Saturday) and two people to bring in lunches. See me at church or call me at 360-8341. Christ in fifteen men are counting on us. St. Ignatius provides the rooms, the shower the laundry facilities and the supplies. “Will you come and follow me, if I but call your name?”

Dear Friends and Family,

You would love Meghan! She is bright and witty, and has such spirit, patience, and determination. I met her and her mother and baby brother Jude on a flight a year or so ago. Since then, we have become e-friends.

She loves music and is hoping to major in music in college. However, circumstances have prevented that — so far. Wheelchair bound, she found that Ave Maria College in Naples was not accessible enough, although the school met the federal requirements. Meghan has eight brothers, ranging from an older one in school at Notre Dame to little Jude. She helps her mom homeschool the younger boys. Both her parents grew up in Nashville and graduated from Father Ryan.

Please say special prayers for her as she faces even more challenges.

Thank you.
Peace and love,
m
Marcia

Here’s Meghan’s note:

Hi, Everybody!

I’m sorry I haven’t written to all of you in so long. Things have been very confusing for me for the past few months and I was trying to wait until things settled a bit, but I realized that I might never write if I did that!

Some of you know that I decided to enroll in UAF, the local university here. I was going to take classes at the downtown campus and through correspondence, which would minimize the accessibility issues I had on the main campus. However, a week before classes began I had to have an emergency appendectomy. The surgery went well, but it took away all my energy and exacerbated my already existing problems with muscle pain and spasticity. At first, I tried to put up with these difficulties so I could at least finish the semester, but a few weeks into the school year I had a bit of a physical breakdown. Because of this, I got very behind and had to withdraw from my classes. I went to the doctor and he recommended that I get a baclofen pump. (Baclofen is a medicine which reduces spasticity. It can be taken orally, but is much more effective in an implanted pump, because the medicine does not have to go through one’s system. You may remember that I was supposed to get a pump two years ago, but I had a spinal leak during the testing trial for it and had to wait until the leak healed to get the pump. Unfortunately, the doctor had an incompetent receptionist who never re-scheduled the surgery, despite the fact that we called back four or five times. Then, Dad went to Iraq, My grandmother died, Jude was born, I went to Ave Maria and came back and we moved, so I just sort of let the ball drop on it. I have decided to pursue that, but the surgery and care I need are not available here in Alaska, so we will have to move. We should know soon if my dad’s request for re-assignment has been approved and where we are going if it has been. I will let you know! Please pray for me!

I hope you and your families are doing well. I will write to each of you individually soon. I’m sorry this is so long!

God bless and keep you.

Below is a letter from St. Lukes thanking St. Mark’s for their generous donation.

On behalf of St. Luke’s Community House, I thank you for the contribution of $100.00.

The need for St. Luke’s programs and services always intensifies during the holiday season.

Therefore your gift is most important. We are so grateful that you believe in our mission and

want to make a significant difference in the lives of those who come to St. Luke’s looking for

Daughters of the King Corner

Introduction and Study—The Daughters invite women and girls who are interested in joining our Order to participate in the introductory training. Anyone who has participated and worked through the National Study Guide for Preparation for Admission into the Order or the Daughters of the King will tell you that it is a wonderful opportunity for spiritual growth. You will also be blessed by making stronger bonds with other women who are on the same journey. Class begins at 10 am on Saturday, January 8^th at St. Mark’s. We look forward to learning with you!

Breakfast — Everyone at St. Mark’s is invited to enjoy a continental breakfast provided by the Daughters on December 12, immediately following the first service. This breakfast will take place at the same time as the Annual Business Meeting, so we hope that you will come with open minds and empty stomachs.

Regular Meeting—The next regular meeting of the DOK will be Sunday, December 19^th immediately following the first service.

This poem was written by Sister Mary Anselm of the Community of Saint Mary Convent and was submitted by Betty McKee who was a good friend of the Sister. Betty herself has been an associate member of the Community since 1971. Battle and Scott Lee also knew Sister Mary Anselm.

Be a Pilgrim in July 2005

The Dioceses of Tennessee 2005 Medical Mission trips to Ecuador will be the weeks of July 11 to July 15 and July 18 to July 22. Our own St. Mark’s Committee met in November and decided the best dates for us to visit would be July 21 to July 28. That way if someone wants to also do the Medical Mission they can participate the second week and stay for the Santiago Apostal visit.

Thanks to everyone who signed greeting cards and brought calendars and stickers for our Christmas package to our friends at Santiago Apostal!