The Lion's Pause 🦁

The Lion's Pause

WE SEEK TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE WITH GOD AND EACH OTHER IN CHRIST THROUGH WORSHIP, FELLOWSHIP, EDUCATION, AND SERVICE

Rector's Ramblings

This Sunday, we will observe Palm Sunday. The liturgy begins on a celebratory note, recalling the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Then, the liturgy quickly shifts to the passion. There seems to be a disconnect between the crowds that say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” and the crowds who shout, “Crucify him!”

That is because they are two different crowds. The crowds that welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem did not fully understand the shape that his ministry would take, however, they did not utterly reject him a few days later. The crowd that gathered before Pilate on the Pavement was most likely made up of the temple authorities and other leaders of the people. They were the people demanding the crucifixion of Jesus.

The custom of dividing the reading of the passion into parts and having the whole congregation join in calling for the crucifixion of Jesus gives the wrong impression. We are not meant to call for the crucifixion. We are not meant to join with those who mocked Jesus. Perhaps our best place would be to see ourselves in the place of the women at the foot of the cross who wept at the crucifixion. This is what the collective sin of the world has brought upon the one who came to rescue us.

It is important to understand this because the idea that all of the Jewish people demanded the crucifixion of Jesus has led to antisemitism in the church. It also draws into focus the question posed by Palm Sunday. Which of the crowds will we join. Will we join the crowd that embraced Jesus as Lord? Or will we join the crowd that rejected Jesus’ reign?

Fr. RJ+

Sunday, March 24,Palm Sunday:

One Service at 9 a.m. and Brunch to Follow

Please sign up for brunch/free will offering.

Lessons

Bulletin

Live Stream

SUNDAY SCHOOL OUTREACH PROJECT UPDATE

Our Sunday School kids want to thank everyone for their generosity as you continue to support our hygiene kit outreach project, serving HOPE outreach ministries!

Service of Confirmation, Reception, and Reaffirmation was held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Medina on March 16, 2024.

Those being Received from St. Mark’s were Patrick and Alisha Wilson, and Patrick and Rebecca Watters.

Cluster Dinner Groups will resume gathering in April. This ministry consists of groups of 8-12 parishioners over the age of 21, men & women, singles & couples who gather for informal fellowship. Typically we meet in parishioners' homes for a potluck meal. We aim to meet once a month from April through November. Sign up on the posted sheet on the kiosk or contact maryannk500@gmail.com

The Diocese has continued to offer easy online giving. To use this, please select "St. Mark's Canton" from the dropdown, and choose either a one-time or recurring gift. We thank you for your continued support.

Designate a Gift to St. Mark's

A Walk in the Garden

Lenten Roses, those wonderful Hellebores, surprising the still frosty garden with their bright rosy petals, opening wide to soak up the spring sun. They are a hardy lot, able to bloom even after a cold snowy night, opening up even before their foliage appears to protect them. As spring continues to warm the garden, the foliage starts to appear, ultimately forming a large umbrella-like shelter protecting the petals as they continue to bloom throughout the spring season.

The St. Mark’s gardens are coming to life! Daffodils are springing up in the chapel woods, coral bells and ferns are peaking up through the forest floor. It is a lovely time to take a walk through the chapel and check out the beauty that God and nature are presenting to the new springtime world. Be sure to look for the Lenten Rose. It’s there - a new addition to the chapel garden, welcoming the Lenten season, and springtime at St. Mark’s.

Faithful Four Monday and Tuesday March 25 - 26

Golden Halo Spy Wednesday March 27

For daily voting please visit: www.lentmadness.org

Newsletter Additions

If you are adding something to the Lion's Pause, please submit it here by the Monday prior to Friday publication.

March Anniversaries

2 Tony and Beverly Kovacevich

4 Richard and Marcia Tirpak

13 Geoff and Bobbi Gordon

21 Christopher and Tasha Smith

22 Carol and John Hayn

27 Sara Strattan and Tom Burns

March Birthdays

1 Ken Jaeb

4 Sandy Paradis

6 Charlie Kiesling, Chuck Violand

7 Leslie Redmon

8 Beth Bletzacker

10 Kathy Sloan

11 Brooks Deuble, Colin Jenkins

12 Geoff Gordon

13 Carol Hayn

14 John Wise

18 Emmett Arnold

21 Brad Kaustinen

26 John Werren

28 Joe Hoot, Sue Little

*Please note: Your birthday/anniversary will only show up if you've completed your profile on Instant Church Directory.

Need to log in? Go here.

Bob's Music Notes

On my eighth birthday, I enrolled in the Peabody Preparatory Department Music Conservatory. I also attended Miss Alice M. Crater's Country School. My brother Dick, three years my junior, however, was not fond of schooling and struggled to keep up his grades. And I was not kind to this sibling. Richard had trouble distinguishing between m's and n's, so it became a family joke to ask "Amy nail today?"

At the time I thought this was so funny, but now I realize it wasn't so to Richard. His talents were inherited from our father who could do anything with wood (something I did not inherit). In time, Dick made a fine career out of this skill. He became a salesman for Skarie Woodworking Tools in Baltimore.

When I visited Richard some years later with my little son Scott, we watched as he exhibited his woodworking prowess, and in moving a piece of wood he made a scratch on Scott's forehead. Aunt Elizabeth, seeing this, said, "Where did you get that scratch?" and Scott said, "Uncle Richard hit me with a board." Elizabeth said, "It was an accident, wasn't it?" and Scott said, "No. It was a board!"

Eventually, Dick moved to Venice FL, and actually built fourteen homes there (except for electrical and plumbing) with his own hands, which resulted in a back injury. Venice, at this time, was a sleepy village. The mayor owned a restaurant and did his civic duties from a booth. With the back injury limiting Dick's construction work, he began to think of doing something else, and a visit to the mayor's eatery proved to be the answer.

Prayer Concerns

Ten Gall, Vonda Temelkoff, Henry Aegerter, Jim Weaver, Jane Schutrum, & Ron Brookes

Family and Friends: Mary Anne Strand (Father RJ’s aunt); Doug (friend of Marcia Tirpak); Joanne C. (Florida friend of the Kieslings); Tom (brother-in-law of AnJane McConville); Kit Caspar (Carol Hayn’s brother); Jody Shumway (Co-worker friend of the Rand’s daughter); Father Amjad & Molly Samuel (acquaintance of friends of Father RJ); Dr. Mallamaci (acquaintance of Bobbi Zollinger); Jolanda Mull, Kirk Schuring, Pam Lagodich, & Bill Allen (sister-in-law & friends of the Mulls); Earl Hoot (father of Joe Hoot); Ashley Stockman (friend of Katie & Ryan Kuceyeski); Mitz Cushing, Harold Freedman, & Tim Swihart (aunt of Bobbi & friends of the Gordons); Larry Aclaska & Judy Heisser-Turner (acquaintence & sister of Bert Heisser); Lee, Theresa, and Chuck Boone (friends & cousin of the Hixons); Nori Shawk (friend of Brynn Pelger); Johnny Willoughby (grandson of the Willoughbys); Heather Armington & Mark Osterhage (friends of the Watters); Elaine Campbell (friend of the Turners); Sammy Coates (friend of Leslie Redmon); Bob Rownd (friend of John Werren & Anne Coen); Melanie & Trish (friends of Paulette Frech); Pat Walter & family (friend of Barb Whitehouse); Alycia Geis (Karen Violand’s friend’s daughter); Don & Janet Sheatzley-Morgan (husband & sister of Barb Siegfried); DaNay Jackson (friend of Ron Brookes); Allison Cornell-Hood & Anne Higgins (daughter & friend of Diane Cornell); Finnigan Savage (friend of Pam McCarthy); Jimmy Little (son of Sue Little); Yanette Pysher (Vonda Temelkoff’s cousin); Tony Donahue (friend of the Boyds); Marc Hostetler (brother of Susan Hostetler); David (acquaintance of the Nadels).

For those who have died.

For those in the armed forces.

PRAYER CHAIN:

St. Mark's has a group of prayer warriors who pray for the specific needs of those on the prayer chain. If you would like to place yourself or a loved one on the prayer chain, please contact Bobbi Gordon at ggordon24@sbcglobal.net

Prayer requests may be placed on the private Prayer Chain or on the Prayer Concerns list appearing in The Lion's Pause and Sunday bulletin or in both places. Please let Bobbi know your preference. Unless otherwise instructed, names will be listed as we receive them. Please update Bobbi or Katie on the status of your friends or family members as to when they may be removed from the prayer lists.