March 24, 2019

Worship Schedule 88:30 AM English Worship Service 9:46 AM The 9:46 Crowd (Adult Forum) 10:00 AM English Worship Service 11:05 AM Sunday School combined English/Spanish 11:06 AM The 11:06 Crowd (Adult Forum) 12:00 PM Spanish Worship Service

Join us for our midweek services today (Wednesday the 20th). Al Meyer will share at the 10:30 AM service how his faith has sustained him through life. Joseph Triolo will share how his faith impacts his daily life as a high schooler at the 7:15 PM service. Come on out to worship the Lord and support our brothers. Next Wednesday, March 27th, Mike and Shanon Hardy will talk about God in their marriage at the 10:30 AM service and Peter Pate will speak about God in scouting at 7:15 PM.

A message from Pastor Triolo

Dear Friends in Christ, I attended a solidarity vigil at Azhar Bloom Mosque in Fairfax Monday evening to show love and support for our Muslim neighbors following last week’s massacre at the hands of a white supremacist in New Zealand. Among the speakers were faith leaders within Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, as well as representation from the county. I was moved by their words. Imam Sami Kosak, leader of the mosque, said something that struck me as particularly powerful. After saying that God created all of humanity and that God wants us to love one another, he said that when a brother hates us, we must ask “Why does my brother hate me?” He then went on to say that we must help our brother get to know us. I think there is risk in these words. One might be tempted to blame the victim, but that is not his point and he should not be heard that way. Rather, his comments are meant to encourage dialogue. God created and loves us all. We ought to go out of our way to interact with our neighbors, particularly those who are different from us, that we might learn about each other and be demystified for each other. We must find ways to show love and respect for each other, while maintaining our own identities. In the opening announcements this past Sunday, I reflected on St. Patrick’s Day and my own experience as a boy. I am of Italian, German, French, and English descent. My grandparents didn’t like Irish people and I’m pretty sure they weren’t crazy about Italians either. “He’s a real guinea, that one,” were words my beloved grandmother would say from time to time, and in my presence. Italians and Irish people were the recent immigrants. They had different cultures (beliefs and practices) from other more established groups. Today, people across the US, most with no Irish blood, celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. My mother and brother and their families gathered for a traditional corned beef and cabbage meal (my mother and brother are obviously not Irish, and my sister-in-law is Puerto Rican). We had the same meal in our home, though Christina is about one quarter Irish. My point? I hope is it obvious. The immigrants of today, with their different beliefs and practices, are our sisters and brothers. They are created by God and loved by God. As we get to know each other and begin to understand our differences, we learn what is good in the other and begin to appreciate and even celebrate one another’s cultures. Take Halal food as an example. Halal and Kosher are very similar. Jews and Muslims believe life is in the blood (not literally). Therefore, an animal’s blood must be drained before consumption. And, as the animal is sacrificed, a prayer is said to God thanking the creator for the sacrifice the animal is making for our sustenance. Is that not a beautiful practice? Does it not put to shame our slaughter houses and genetically modified mutants? Yet people are suspicious of Halal because they don’t understand it. We have a responsibility—and a call from God!—to love our neighbor. This means getting to know them. It means helping them to know us. When our neighbors do not like us, it is usually because they do not understand us. I think Imam Sami is right. I think it is as much our responsibility to help our neighbors to know us as it is theirs to help us to know them. May God help us to love one another as God has first loved us. God loves you and so do I. In the name of our Triune God—one of eternal mutual love and respect—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, + Pastor Albert

Dear Friends,  Making connections takes time and energy. It’s about investing in relationships and loving people. It is also a lot of fun! Some of you have already met some of my new friends. Lou and Isabella joined us at our recent Shrove Tuesday on Sunday talent show. We played a brass trio together. Others have met Laura and Bob. They joined me at Greenspring where we played a trio for two clarinets and horn for our Lutherans at their Greenspring service. I invite you to come and make some connections with my new friends at our chamber music concert this weekend at the Lyceum. It should be a fun program. I’ll be playing in the brass trio, the trio for clarinets and horn, and Edelweiss for brass quintet. There will be additional music for other chamber ensembles. The event is also free! :-) See you in church, + Pastor Albert

Announcements

Welcome to the following new members into the St. Mark's congregation: Jim Donegan Will and Lisa Huerth Lochlan, Leyton, and Lewis Huerth Robert and Jennifer Mertz Abby Mertz Marti Terry

St. Mark’s Annual Spring Congregational Meeting  Sunday, April 7 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Dinner will be prepared by our Youth with a free-will offering as a fundraiser.

All Women of St. Mark’s are invited to attend a WELCA circle meeting in April. Martha: St. Mark’s Lounge Tuesday, April 2 @ 10:00 AM                 Hostess: Julia Hale                 Program: Cherry Moser – Chapters 10 through 12 - And It Was Good by Madeleine L’Engle Deborah: Hostess: Gayle Parsons gparsons3@cox.net - 703-644-4485 Tuesday, April 2 @ 7:30 PM                 Program: Bev Dahlin discussing music as prayer   Esther: Friendship House Wednesday April 3 @ 9:30 AM                Hostess: Janice Carr                No Program: Will attend Lenten Wednesday services after short business meeting. Tabita: St. Mark’s Lounge every Friday @ 7:00 PM                Leader: Mirna Melara The April Project is a monetary gift for Community Family Life Services ( www.cflsdc.org ) – the designated in-kind offering for the May SWO convention on May 4.

Next Military Packages Collection: Sunday, March 31   Our recipient this month is Mike Bliss and his cohorts—he was suggested by one of our contacts who is a friend of Sandy Lind. Mike reports: “ We are part of an Air Force unit that is responsible for the maintenance of aircraft. The aircraft our team works on are the KC-10, E-3, U-2, and Global Hawk. We are located in Al Dhafra, UAE. I am on a one-year deployment as is much of my team. We are from all over the US—Michigan, Florida, Wyoming, and Colorado to name a few. I'm a father of four and a grandfather twice over. I've served for 28 years and this is my fourth time deployed.”   He canvassed his team and they came up with the following possible suggestions for items to send:   Homemade baked goods—some favorites are: brownies, buckeyes, banana bread, chocolate-chip cookies, snickerdoodles; Also, beef sticks/jerky, dry roasted peanuts, granola bars, Swedish fish, Twizzlers, chewable salt tablets, M&M’s, and coffee, especially Kona coffee (ground, NOT K-cups).   Thank you so very much for your continuing generous support of our deployed service members via this project.

Midweek soup and services: 10:30 AM English service is followed by soup in the Fellowship Hall.   6:30 PM soup supper in the Fellowship Hall is followed by 7:15 PM services: English services will be in the sanctuary and Spanish services will be in the lounge. ***Notice the earlier-than-normal time of 7:15 PM.***   Holy Week begins on Sunday, April 14: Palm-Passion Sunday services are at our regular worship times: 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM, English and  12:00 NOON, Spanish. Holy Wednesday Prayer Service in Spanish is at 7:00PM with soup to follow.  Holy Thursday services in English are at 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM.  Good Friday services in English are at 12:00 NOON and 7:30 PM; Spanish Service is at 6:30 PM.

This summer we are going to ROAR into life with our summer VBS! Save the dates of June 23 – 27, 2019 for a Roaring good time! More information to come! We need some volunteers to help make this a successful VBS. Please look through the list below and email Rachel Bowerman at Rachel.Defassio@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer! Searching For: Assistant Director Decorator Guru Craft Guide Small Group Leaders Station Leaders Storyteller

St. Mark's Youth Group

Shekinah DC ELCA Synod Junior High Youth Retreat March 15 th – 17 th , 2019 Koinonia is a Greek word that means “fellowship, sharing in common, and communion.” Koinonia is living in community in Christ. The term shows up for the very first time in Acts 2:42 and is used 20 times in Paul’s writing. This was our theme for the weekend as we had fun, learned and connected as community through large and small groups with others churches, as well as time together in our St. Mark’s group. Thank you for your prayers and support to make this weekend possible! “They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” - Acts 2:42-47 NRSV

Left to Right: Michell Romero, Yovani Flores, Stephanie Ogle, Ceasar Espanol, Maureen Murphy, Raiden Westburg, Albert Triolo, and Kevin Westburg

Ministry Team March 24

Altar Flower Dedications

Communion Cards.  Please don’t forget to fill out a communion card each time you  worship . Cards are located in the pew racks. If your address has changed, you can include that information so the church office can update your records. In addition, use of the card allows the church office to enter your communion and attendance in the official church records. Thank you.

Kristin's Message based on the lectionary of the week by Kristin Berkey Abbott .

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