St. Mark's on the Web (Best viewed on a full screen)

                       "St. Mark's Newsletter"

 Home Page

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

3100 Murfreesboro Pike

P. O. Box 741

Antioch, Tennessee 37011

615-361-4100

P. O. Box 741

Antioch, Tennessee 37011

615-361-4100

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

Weekly Schedule

Sundays           8:00 AM            Holy Eucharist

9:15 AM            Sunday School

           10:30 AM           Holy Eucharist

2^nd Sunday        9:00 AM            Breakfast

Wednesdays     6:00 PM            Centering Prayer

                        7:00 PM            Choir Rehearsal

Fridays             8:00 PM            AA Meeting

Saturdays         8:00 AM            Centering Prayer

The Right Reverend Bertram Herlong     Bishop of Tennessee

The Reverend Battle Beasley               Rector

Frank Brannon, M. Div.                        Pastoral Care Coordinator

George Kurz                                       Senior Warden

Greg Hall                                            Junior Warden

Karen Seufert & Les Worsley               Treasurers

Lesley Branch                                    Clerk of the Vestry

 Next month deadline for submissions is Sunday, December 19^th

Dear People of God,

Merry Christmas and Blessed Epiphany! As we celebrate these

two festive seasons of the Church year we are invited to be

both shepherds and magi. Shepherds, who lived in the wilderness

with their sheep, protecting them, finding food and water

for them very rural and some would say “backwoods” folk.

Their life was very focused, food, water and shelter for their

sheep and themselves. The magi were an all-together different

cultural experience. From the East who knows how much of the

world and its ways they may have seen. And if they were not

wealthy they certainly knew how to support themselves and their

camels. Shepherds and magi, both with their own set of skills and

knowledge. Both with their own worldview, yet brought together

to witness the coming of the Messiah. Shepherds looking after their

own in a certain geographical area. Magi wandering far beyond the

borders of their own country and culture seeking a child they would

recognize as though he were their very own.

You and I are invited on this journey to look out for our own, to nourish

and strengthen body, mind and spirit of those members of our church family.

And are invited to wander far beyond ourselves beyond our comfort zones

to encounter Christ in the world outside our “borders.”

God’s Peace be with you on your journey.

Battle + 

THANK YOU

St. Mark’s has received a letter of thank you from the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity.  The body of the letter appears below.  I apologize that my scanner would not scan it well enough to paste the actual letter here.

December 20, 2004

Dear Rev. Beasley,

We want to take a moment to thank you for your recent donation of $100.00

to the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity on 12/17/2004.  We truly appreciate

your thoughtful gift to us, and for your continued support. 

It has been a wonderfully busy year for us here at the Nashville Area Habitat for

Humanity.  We built 25 houses this year in our all Habitat community of Providence

Park.  Recently they held their first “Fall Fest”, a neighborhood block party complete

with trains and a climbing wall.  What a pleasant change for our families, many of

whom lived in unsafe neighborhoods.

 We have watched the community of Providence Park begin to flourish and it is

because of generous donations such as yours that we are able to see this happen. 

On behalf of our families, board of directors, volunteers and staff we thank you for

your ongoing support.

 Sincerely,

 Chris McCarthy

Chief Executive Officer 

The Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian ministry that builds decent homes for our Nashville neighbors in need.                                

ANNUAL MEETING

 On December 12, 2004 St. Mark’s held the annual meeting.  The budget for 2005 was accepted as

it was presented.  Anyone wishing a copy can contact Karen Seufert, Treasurer. 

The three members who left the vestry this year are Sandy Winters, Greg Hall and Susie McEwen. 

Our new vestry members are Andrea Tucker, Herb Sievers and Steven Failor and will each serve for

three years.  Kelly Stovall will be our alternate in the event one of the others cannot finish out his/her term.

January Birthdays

Parker ClenDening         10

Jeff Miller                       16

Dean Meyer                   17

Steven Failor                  21

Birth Announcement

Congratulations to Stacey and Andrew Gregory on the birth of their son, Jackson Robert, on December 9^th.  Weight 7 lbs. 6.2 oz. Length 20”.  According to proud grandmother, Elizabeth – “He is beautiful!”

From Paul Tillich’s sermon, “You Are Accepted”

Grace strikes us when we are in great pain and restlessness.  It strikes us when

we walk through the dark valley of meaninglessness and empty life.  It strikes us

when we feel that our separation is deeper than usual, because we feel we have

violated another life, a life which we have loved or from which we are estranged….

It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear,

when old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair

destroys all joy and courage.  Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks

into our darkness, and it is as though a voice were saying: “You are accepted,

accepted by that which is greater than you, and the name of which you do not know. 

Do not ask for the name now; perhaps you will find it later.  Do not try to do anything now;

perhaps later you will do much.  Do not seek for anything; do not perform anything;

do not intend anything.  Simply accept the fact that you are accepted!”

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PRAYERS

Greg and I want to thank you for all your prayers before, during and after his surgery. 

 His surgery lasted eight hours instead of the normal two to four hours they expected. 

There was more damage than they expected once they started.  He was in SICU for

the whole week being moved to a ward on Friday afternoon.   He came home on Sunday

and is healing nicely but is very tired and has the strength of a baby.  He welcomes company

if there is anyone who would like to visit.  His recovery is expected to take about eight weeks. 

He told me that he did not expect to survive the surgery and it was only through God’s grace

and your prayers that he did.  We are blessed to be a part of the wonderful community of

St. Marks and love all of you.

 Lorna 

THE WHISPER OR THE BRICK

      A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar.  He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

     As his car passed, no children appeared.  Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag’s side door!  He slammed on the brakes and spun the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.  He jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid that was standing there and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, “What do you think you are doing, boy?”  Building up a head of steam he went on, “That’s a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.  Why did you do it?”

     “Please sir, please.  I’m sorry, I didn’t know what else to do,” pled the youngster.  “I threw the brick because no one else would stop…”

     Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car.  “It’s my brother, sir,” he said.  “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.”  Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair, sir? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”

     Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat.  He lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be okay.

     “Thank you and may God bless you, sir,” the grateful child said to him.

     The man then watched the little boy push his brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

     It was a long walk back to his Jaguar…a long slow walk.  He never did repair the side door.  He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention.

     God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts.  Sometimes, when we don’t have time to listen, only a brick can get our attention.  We can listen to the whisper – or wait for the brick.