2005

St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
3100 Murfreesboro Pike
P. O. Box 741
Antioch, Tennessee 37011
615-361-4100

  Click on Page Number 2005

Dear People of God,

The season of Lent is a time of reflection and self-examination. It is a season in which we may deepen our silence in worship and in our personal prayer life. I invite you to remember that in classical Christian understanding there are two ways in which we pray, active prayer and silence, listening to God.
 

Again in classical Christian understanding the highest form of prayer is the way of silence, listening for God. As you know we offer centering prayer Wednesdays and Saturdays here at the church. We also have our outdoor labyrinth which offers another form of contemplative prayer, listening for God.
 

I also invite you to come early to church and take time for some silent prayer before the service. I know that quite often we are a noisy bunch before church and honestly our space does not lend itself well to providing quiet prior to the service. However, we will, during Lent ask people to be silent as they enter and to speak in hushed voices if they need to speak.
 

Let us take the opportunity to deepen our silence in community this Lent. I have always found that to be a very powerful prayer.

God's Peace,

Battle+

Almighty God, as your Son our Savior

Was born of a Hebrew mother,

But rejoiced in the faith of a Syrian woman

And of a Roman soldier,

Welcomed the Greeks who sought him,

And suffered a man from Africa to carry his cross

So teach us to regard the members of all races

As fellow heirs of the kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Nominees for 26th Presiding Bishop named

[Episcopal News Service] The Joint Nominating Committee for the Election of the Presiding Bishop has today announced the names of those bishops it will place in nomination for election as 26th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church.

[Full text of the committee's announcement, including procedures for nominations from the floor, is posted at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_71136_ENG_HTM.htm. The 29-member committee is chaired by Bishop Peter J. Lee of Virginia and Diane B. Pollard of New York.]

The nominees' names will be formally submitted to the General Convention at a joint session on June 18, 2006, the day prior to the day appointed for the election of the 26th Presiding Bishop by the House of Bishops.

The bishop elected will succeed the 25th Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III, whose nine-year term concludes later this year.

The 26th Presiding Bishop will be installed November 4, 2006, at Washington National Cathedral.

The nominees are:
The Rt. Rev. J. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta
The Rt. Rev. Edwin F. Gulick, Jr., Bishop of Kentucky
The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Bishop of Nevada
The Rt. Rev. Henry N. Parsley, Jr., Bishop of Alabama