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                                                                  January 2003
The Gryphon’s Roar St. Mark's  Newsletter
A message from  the Rev. Battle Beasley
The Happy Virus         Poems of Hafiz       
Daughters of the King           
The Practice of Prayer        
People and Places
DIOCESAN CYCLE OF PRAYER

The Gryphon's Roar

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The Reverend Battle Beasley      

                                                                                      

Dear people of God,

As we enter the New Year and the season of Epiphany the Good News abounds. 

We began the year with an increase in our pledged giving but more importantly an increase in the number of us who are involved in the ministries of St. Mark’s. We ended the year with a burst of outreach primarily to 2nd Harvest food bank. We gave well over two hundred pounds of food in December in addition to your participation in the virtual food drive [again over $ 200] and over $500 from our outreach budget. 

I am continually uplifted by your generosity and you commitment to the work of God in this place. Some people have asked about the St. Mark’s Discretionary Fund. This money comes from the loose plate offering on the first Sunday of the month. In the past year I have been able to help people in your name by buying over $700 of medicine, $300 in rent or temporary shelter, over $400 in food and nearly $300 in other bills. All of this is done as the ministry of Christ through you and me, and I am grateful to be able to participate with you in this place. 

The season of Epiphany is the season in which we are called to shed the light of Christ through out our communities. As we celebrate the ministry we have done in the past weeks and year let us rekindle the light of Christ that indwells us and shed that light into hearts and lives that have not heard how much God loves them. 

Rejoice give voice to the Good News God is working God’s purpose out in our lives and in the life of the world.

Peace, 

Battle  + 

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DAUGHTERS OF THE KING

St. Mark’s Chapter 

WHO WE ARE:

 We are members of a lay order for women in the Episcopal church.  Our objective is to bring women and girls into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, through his Church.  As Daughters, we pledge ourselves to a Rule of Life – a lifetime of daily prayer and service and personal evangelism.  We are young and old, rich and poor, beautiful and plain, community leaders and quiet women, doctors, teachers, secretaries, executives and housewives, sinful and wavering, generous and strong.

 WHAT DO WE DO?

 We vow to pray daily for the spread of Christ’s Kingdom, for God’s blessing on the work of our Order, for the spiritual growth of our parish.  We have undertaken many projects in the Church and community.

 We are planning an intake program in January, 2003.  We invite all interested persons to come and join us.  Feel free to inquire about our work.  Our members are Pam Carr-Brannon, Debbie Colvin, Maria Christenson, Carey Hardison, Betty McKee, Mickey Sturm, Pauline Hall.

 FOR HIS SAKE

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DIOCESAN CYCLE OF PRAYER

Each month we will be publishing the Calendar of Prayer for the Diocese of Tennessee.  It begins on the first Sunday of Advent, 2002 and runs through Year B of the Eucharistic Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer.

 HOLY NAME DAY – January 1, 2003

The Episcopal Diocese of Litoral (Ecuador)

The Rt. Rev.Alfredo Morante-Espana, Bishop

 CHRISTMAS II – January 5, 2003

            Church of the Epiphany, Lebanon

            Church of the Epiphany, Sherwood

 EPIPHANY I – January 12, 2003 The Baptism of our Lord

            The 17th Annual Convention, Diocese of Tennessee

            January 25-26, 2003

 EPIPHANY II – January 19, 2003

            St. Paul’s Church, Murfreesboro

            St. Paul’s Church, Franklin

 EPIPHANY III – January 26, 2003

            Church of the Holy Comforter, Monteagle

 EPIPHANY IV Presentation of our Lord in the Temple– 2/2/03     

            St. Timothy’s Church, Erin

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The Happy Virus

               I caught the happy virus last night
       
             When I was out singing beneath the stars.

                       It is remarkably contagious -


                                    So kiss me.

The Subject Tonight Is Love. 60 Wild and Sweet Poems of Hafiz. Versions by Daniel Ladinsky. Printed by permission Pumpkin House Press.

 

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THE PRACTICE OF PRAYER

TODAY

            The desire to pray is within us all, but the practice of beginning each day with prayer often becomes another item on the agenda, an item which becomes easier and easier to postpone as the duties of the day command our presence and attention.

           Like all good habits, the practice of prayer requires a commitment.  Wiill you commit the first ten minutes of tomorrow to be with God in prayer?

           Begin right now by asking God to help you remember your desire to begin tomorrow with Him:

           “Lord, I want to meet with You first thing in the morning for at least ten minutes.  Tomorrow, when the alarm clock rings, I have an appointment with You.”

           Remember the promise revealed through His word:

           “His mercies are renewed each morning, so great is His faithfulness…Good is the Lord to one who waits for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”  Lamentations 3:22-25

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THANK YOU

Below is a letter sent to Saint Mark’s from Rev. Bob Dedmon, his wife Judy and daughter Jennifer.  Battle wanted all to be able to read it.

“Dear St. Mark’s Church,

Jennifer, Judy and I deeply appreciate the prayers of St. Mark’s Church during a time of crisis for our family.  We thank you for all your cards.  We all remember and love St. Mark’s and we feel your prayers and care.  Jennifer wants you to know that she remembers you and loves you.  We know that God will help us through the next several months, and that every day of Jennifer’s life for many years ahead will be a gift from God and the gift of your prayers.

                                    Faithfully,

                                    Jennifer, Judy and Robert Dedmon”

 

 Greeting Card Recycling

For over thirty years the children of St Jude’s Ranch have been recycling greeting cards.  The children precision trim the cards and glue them onto pre-printed card backs which are then sold to the public through their newsletter, Gift Shop or by word of mouth.  The recycling program includes Christmas, Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day, Easter and other special occasion cards, as well as postcards, or just about anything else you can think of that starts with a used greeting card front.  Their most popular requests are for angel and teddy bear cards.

Each child is paid fifteen cents for each card that he or she makes.  This money is divided between spending money, savings, and their Home Fund (for special group outings).  This program is part of St. Jude’s commitment to break the welfare cycle and to teach the children to learn to earn. 

  Please help this program and give me any Christmas cards you plan to throw away.  If you don’t see me at church, you can deposit any cards in the box marked “Card Recycling”.

Thanks for your support, and Happy Holidays!

Lesley Branch

 

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