April 2008

From the Rector’s Desk

On my first Sunday as the interim rector I introduced you all to a little blue Episcopal teddy bear, that has happily stood in the pulpit of St. Mark’s ever since. I think many of us have enjoyed seeing him sitting proudly on the edge looking out at the members of the church. For me that teddy bear has been a symbol helping us honor the heritage and traditions of the Episcopal Church. I think we’ve been on a mutual journey together recovering our sense of identity with the help of that little blue bear.

In the Rector’s office there was another important sign that I haven’t explained to you until now. Throughout my time with you, next to my desk, I have kept a phone message I received over 30 years ago. The message has such a valuable and important reminder to me about ministry that I made it a point to have it framed so it could never be lost. At the time I received this message I was the rector of St. Luke’s in Minneapolis. A renovation project was underway which meant there were lots of phone calls with the architect whose name was Chris. One day I missed one of his calls during the noon hour. The church’s custodian, Lyle, left me the following message:

Dec. 1.

Rev. George

Christ called.

Lyle

Needless to say I’ve often laughed about the fact that on the day Christ called, I was out to lunch.

Ever since that time, I have taken that message with me wherever I have served. So it was this that I brought with me to St. Mark’s in Barrington Hills. I have felt that I was here for a reason and for a purpose. Truthfully, I think we kept on discovering new dimensions of that call on a mutual basis throughout my time with you. I hope you all have sensed that this was an important time that we had together, and that God was in this relationship encouraging us to work together.

Now I’m about to head home. Just to make sure the sign got home safe and sound, I took it with me when I drove back home on Easter Day. Now I’ll be back with you for a final two weeks. And then I’ll try to re-re-retire and that will take me back home to Minnesota. One wise person has said about home, "No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there-well or poorly." (Joseph Brodsky) I’ve been with so many of you in your homes and I know you feel that way about the places you call home.

Another apt quote fits with my impending move back home. "It used to take courage, indeed, it was the act of courage par excellence to leave the comforts of home and family and go out into the world seeking adventure. Today there are fewer places to discover, and the real adventure is to stay at home." (Alvaro de Solva) I have no doubt that my sense of adventure will continue as I discover what will emerge in this new chapter of my life.

While I was with you I was engaged in a remodeling project at home.

We took our old office (actually a separate building near our house) and subdivided it into office space, storage room and workshop. After only having a workbench in the garage for such a long time I am really looking forward to having a heated workshop in which I can work on my wood carving projects. The remodeled office will be used for writing some articles and maybe even a book or two that I’ve put on the backburner in recent years. There will also be time to attend those baseball games, plays, and concerts of our grandchildren that I’ve been missing. Caroline and I will also resurrect our social life and get to know our many friends again. We didn’t need an architect named Chris to accomplish this remodeling project, but I do feel that Christ is involved in calling me back home.

As I head back to Minnesota I will take back my many friends from St. Mark’s and hope that we stay in touch. I will also carry you in my heart with a particular concern that you are loved and challenged into being the best you can be as a parish. I trust as well that you will continue to hear in your ongoing ministry the call of Christ.

Faithfully in Christ,

The Rev. Dr. George H. Martin

Interim Rector

PS. The little blue teddy bear wanted me to remind you that you are always welcome to visit us in Minnesota. We hope to hear from you all and to see you from time to time. And thanks for welcoming us so much during this past year.

Entitlement ... Not

My late father used to get on my case from time to time: “Take time for ‘Number One’,” he’d say. And he wasn’t talking to the kiddo Vicki; he was encouraging the adult me to take time for myself, to give some priority to my own needs. He thought I was a workaholic and it worried him. I suppose it’s a right and privilege and onus of all parents to continue to be concerned for their children even when those kiddos are going gray themselves. He’d also become frustrated when I did in fact take a short break from work or indulge myself in some way because inevitably I’d then feel a little guilty about what I deemed self-doting. “You’re entitled,” he’d insist, “if anyone is, you’re entitled.”

These days one of the things it is my privilege to do is assist 14 people in this congregation as they prepare for Confirmation or Reception in the Church. So we study the Baptismal Covenant – which is at the core of Confirmation – and the creeds, but we also range all over the place with discussions about the Church, its history and teachings and non-teachings and all that. Then yesterday, in conversation with one of our bishops, I found myself plunging into an exchange about confirmation. When I told him about our 14, he said: “Don’t forget to teach them about that prayer that I get to pray.” I think he was actually referring to two prayers, one the bishop pronounces just before the laying on of hands and one during that ministration. In the first, the bishop will pray: “... Send them forth in the power of [the Holy] Spirit to do the service you set before them...” and in the second, as he lays his hands on each of their heads, he will pray that the Holy Spirit “empower her/him for your service.” The italics are mine because it is precisely to those words that Victor was alluding in our conversation yesterday. Take a look at the prayers yourself – hey, take a risk and spend a moment or two with the whole service – and give yourself a moment to think about what that means in your life [the prayers are on page 418 and the whole service on pages 412-419 in the BCP].

Which takes me back to my Dad and his several-times-uttered comment to me that I was “entitled”. The root of the word means to have an intensely [that’s the force of the Latin in] valid basis for a claim of say, a good or a service. There are times when I’m driving that I err in that department; I somehow get the impression that I am entitled to the road, more entitled than anyone else currently traveling beside or ahead of or behind me. Wrong. So: No, Dad, you were wrong about this one, and my Confirmation so many years ago tells me so. I’m not entitled to be the only road hog; I’m not entitled to have others wait on me or for me; I am not entitled to my way or no way; I’m not entitled to be right every time; I’m not entitled to do something because it feels good to me and who cares how it affects others; I’m not entitled. At least not in those ways. I was en-titled at my baptism “Christian” and that gave me certain rights and privileges which I share with every other child of God. But it also gave me responsibilities to and for those other children of God and for “this fragile earth, our island home” [BCP, Eucharistic Prayer C, page 370]. And it is in the sacramental rite of Confirmation that I am reminded – and actually vow to carry out – that service to the world is my duty. And to that duty and privilege I am indeed entitled.

So in this season as 14 among us take to heart service to others versus the wrong kind of entitlement, I encourage the rest of us to think on this seriously so that we disavow self-centered entitlement and get on with the service to which each of us has been called. And how about our doing it gladly and gratefully in this season of the Great Fifty Days of Easter?

– Vicki Garvey

From the Senior Warden

April will be an important month for us at St. Mark’s. The Vestry looks forward to meeting and interviewing our final Rector candidate on April 15. Should that meeting and a subsequent one with Bishop Lee be successful we look forward to positive news on that front by month’s end.

Given the imminent departure of George Martin on April 20 and the likelihood we will not have a permanent rector until late summer, we are in the process of interviewing candidates to serve as a temporary rector through the summer. The candidate we choose will provide us stability both on Sundays and part-time during the week as well as provide pastoral care. I hope to announce the result of this process before George leaves us this month.

Many of you undoubtedly have noticed some very positive changes in the halls of the day school wing. Rick Cavenaugh and a helper replaced all the light fixtures over the course of a number of weekends. Additionally, over spring break, the downstairs hallway floor and some classroom floors were also replaced. Thank you Rick.

Jill Meyer and I will be attending a leadership program April 7-9 at St. Michaels. Entitled 12 Keys to Effective Church, the session is conducted by well-known church leadership expert Ken Callahan. George Martin has arranged a group price for St. Mark’s so I urge anyone interested in attending to please call Lis at the parish office.

Our Vestry initiative groups have begun to show progress. Our methodology for greeting and following up with visitors has been re-invigorated, our Easter services were listed in all the local newspapers and our Website is going to be given a major facelift, just to mention a few things.

Lastly, I’d like to thank the members of the Alter and Flower Guilds for their talents and efforts at Easter. The church was lovely.

Ned Loughridge

Senior Warden

EASTER SEASON

At St. Mark's we're approaching Easter as a SEASON not just one day. This means that for seven weeks we're trying to keep the Easter flowers alive and we're singing Alleuia with joy. We're reading lessons from Acts which remind us of the Easter message on the lips of the first disciples. And we hope that the members of St. Mark's keep coming every Sunday to celebrate this gift of life and hope. The sign out front of our church says it best "Celebrating Easter Every Sunday." ghm

Giving Thanks

Farewell Appetizer/Dessert Party for George and Caroline Martin. Please join the St. Mark’s Vestry on Friday, April 18th, 7-9pm in the Anniversary Room for a celebration of good wishes, appreciation and an opportunity for St. Markians to thank George for his help in leading St. Mark’s into discovering its new identity. The Social Life Committee requests that parishioners with last names beginning A-K bring an appetizer and wine and those with last names beginning L-Z bring a dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. If you prefer, your favorite specialty from either category would be most welcome. Please RSVP to the church office, 847-381-0596 by April 15th. See you there.

The Flower Guild invites you to . . .

“April in Paris”…this fun event is hosted by the Flower Guild to thank all of you for your support and sponsorship of the weekly altar flowers and holiday celebrations. You will also have the opportunity to reserve a Sunday to sponsor flowers in the upcoming year. Please join us in Fellowship Hall on April 13th after the 10:15 service for a party in gay Paree style and food with a French flair!

Leadership & Ministry Fair

The Diocese of Chicago will host a Leadership and Ministry Fair on Saturday, April 19, from 9:00am – 4:00 pm at the Lutheran School of Theology. The fair will offer a keynote address by Bishop Jeffrey Lee in addition to 60 learning opportunities on topics related to vestries and bishops committees; aspirants, postulants, those in discernment; congregational development and vitality; effective groups; formation; Hispanic ministry; mission and outreach; music; spirituality; stewardship; technology; youth and young adult ministry; and more. For a schedule, descriptions of learning opportunities, and registration forms log onto the diocesan web site at www.episcopalchicago.org

Advance registration is $25 per person ($20 for groups of 4 or more from the same church) and $10 for students, and seminarians. Please register as soon as possible to get you first choice of workshops. For more information contact Ann Cothran at 312-751-4206.

United Thank Offering

Little Blue Boxes - Do hope your blue box is feeling the pressure of fullness! The honorable tradition in the Episcopal Church called The United Thank Offering started over 125 years ago by the Episcopal Church Women. This offering takes all the coins and daily contributions of people throughout the church and then brings them all together in what is called an “Ingathering.” Having collected what is now millions of dollars each year, this money is then sent off to help churches around the world. It is all about mission and helping others. We handed out Little Blue Boxes in church during March. If you did not receive a box, you can find one in the narthex. Our first “Ingathering” will take place in May and will be coordinated by Cornelia Skoulund and Shirley Horn. Typically, people not only put their coins in their blue boxes, but many will write out a nice check on the day of the ingathering. ghm

Passages

We welcome into the household of God:

Lucciana Tru Pazdan, daughter of Alyssa & David Pazdan, baptized March 22, 2008.

Estella Kate Viers, daughter of Hilaria & Derek Viers, baptized March 22, 2008. Estella is the granddaughter of Debra & Dale Sands.

We offer congratulations to:

Jennifer Mc Donnell & Brian Loring who were married in St. Mark’s on March 29, 2008. Brian is the son of Nancy & Mike Loring. The Rev. Alvin C. Johnson, Jr. officiated.

We offer our condolences to: Jim & Sue Wilder on the death of his mother, Constance Wilder, who died March 18, 2008. Memorial gifts may be direct to her alma mater: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago

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