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                The Gryphon’s Roar            

                              "St. Mark's Newsletter"

The Reverend Battle Beasley      

Dear People of God,

Here we are in the midst of Lent, I want to suggest to you that this season of the church year is a wonderful time to renew ourselves in the pattern of a disciplined spiritual life. A pattern of prayer, reflection, action, prayer. 

Prayer is the bedrock activity of our spiritual life and it is best if our prayer life contains both active and contemplative prayer. 

Active prayer is simply our talking to or with God. 

Contemplative prayer is simply our being still and listening for God. Take a look at the Psalms for this pattern of prayer. The psalmist talks to God about joys, sorrows, doubts, anger, fear, in short about all of life’s experiences and emotions. And the psalmist also reminds herself and us to “be still and know that God is”, to quiet the soul and listen for the still small voice the prophets heard and proclaimed. 

Wednesday nights during lent we will have an opportunity in community to share and strengthen ourselves on this journey. I urge you to avail yourselves of these opportunities. 

Lent is not a time of gloom and doom. Lent is a time for us to renew our relationship with the One who creates us out of abiding Love for us. It is a time indeed when we might rejoice in that love and deepen our experience of God’s love for us in our daily lives. May your Lenten journey bring you closer in word and deed to the experience of the heart of God that holds us all in Love.

Battle  + 

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CONTEMPLATIVE OUTREACH

UNITED IN PRAYER DAY

 Saturday, March 15, 2003

9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Sisters of Mercy Convent

2629 Pennignton Bend Road

Nashville, TN  37214

We invite you to join us for our annual United in Prayer Day.  This day celebrates the worldwide network of contemplative outreach united in a silent bond of centering prayer around the globe.  The featured videotapefor this day is: Reflections on 9/11

With Father Thomas Keating.

 Activities of the day will include 

 Prayerful silence will be observed throughout the day.

 For registration forms, please contact Gretchen Miller 794-6720

 Learn how to listen and hear what God is saying to you.

THANK YOU LETTERS

Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee

            On January 24, 2003 Second Harvest Food bank sent a letter to Battle thanking the people of St. Mark’s for their generous donations.  We sent 323 pounds of food to Second Harvest. 

Second Harvest is the only hope that many people have in their struggle to provide food for their families and donations such as this make a very big difference for in their lives.

Saint Luke’s Community House

             In January Battle received a letter from St. Luke’s Community House thanking the people of St. Mark’s for their generous monetary gift of $235.00.  

Because of generous donations like this they have been able to open an additional classroom and hire a part-time social worker to give more support to the growing senior population.  They are also designing a computer training program for adults and a reading program for children and their parents.

LENT SCHEDULE

 Wednesday nights during Lent we will continue our tradition of simple soup suppers followed by the service of Compline.  

On two occasions we will experience a form of contemplative prayer. Ash Wednesday service will be the imposition of ashes starting at 6:30 followed by supper at 7:10. 

All other Wednesday nights will begin with supper at 7 p.m. This is a wonderful time for fellowship and quiet reflection to help us in our Lenten observance. 

Please plan to make this a part of your Lenten experience.

** A LETTER FROM JENNIFER **

Dear my Saint Mark's Family,

I want to thank you so much for the beautiful blanket. I feel the love with the hands and signatures, that means a lot to me. 

Thank you for the continuous cards. I appreciate them. Hopefully I will only have 3 more chemos. I can't wait to get this chemo past me. I hate it. 

My 20th birthday was nice thank you for the Birthday card. That made my day. Hopefully March 2nd my mom and I can visit.

 I miss you. 

Love Jennifer  

Mom and Dad say hi also!

St. Mark’s Talent Gala AND 2003 Fall Event

            Our Vestry has approved two more exciting events and designated profits to the air conditioning and heating unit fund.  

Saturday, May 31st, Maestro John Seufert and St. Mark’s frazzle, dazzle performers will have you laughing and hollering.  

Give the Maestro a call to reserve your place in the program and start practicing your routine now!  If you haven’t been to one of St. Mark’s talent shows, get prepared.  You can’t image the fun we’ll have!

 The 2003 Fall Event will be Friday and Saturday October 25th and 26th.  How about a pumpkin patch, hay rides, a scrumptious supper, a delicious lunch and all day shopping for jams, cakes, crafts, books, and white elephants?  Don’t you want to be part of the fun now and join in the planning?  

Susie McEwen, Patricia Worsley, Pauline Hall and Elizabeth Gregory are standing by to hear how you would like to participate.  Please call one of them soon.

Centering Prayer Retreat
March 9-11, 2003
St. Mary's Retreat Center
Sewanee, TN

The Rev. Thomas Morris, Rector of Trinity Church in Spruce Pine, NC, will lead a centering prayer retreat at St. Mary's Retreat Center in Sewanee, TN beginning Sunday, March 9 through Tuesday, March 11.  

Centering prayer is a contemplative method of prayer in which one consents to the presence and action of God in one's own life. Through the language of silence, participants learn to rest in God and to respond the inspirations of the spirit. 

This retreat is designed for beginners as well as long time practitioners. Partial scholarships are available. 

To register, call Contemplative Outreach of Middle Tennessee at 615 373-0613 or e-mail COMidTN.

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