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

A sentence in Thomas Merton’s prayer for peace stood out to me this week. He wrote, “Save us from the compulsion to follow our adversaries in all that we most hate, confirming them in their hatred and suspicion of us.”

The prayer was written in 1962 in a time when some were calling for a preemptive strike by the United States against the Soviet Union. The logic, or rather illogic, was that we should destroy them before they could destroy us. The assumption was that they intended to destroy us. I am guessing there were similar voices in the Soviet Union who could point to the voices in the United States to confirm our mutual fear and hatred for one another.

This is not limited to international affairs. George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin in an altercation that started because Zimmerman thought Martin was suspicious. On a more subtle level, it happens in interpersonal relationships. One person assumes another person does not like them, so they begin to look for reasons not to like that person. Often, this leads to things like spreading rumors, building coalitions, and other illogical behaviors. We are acting preemptively, doing the very thing we hate in the other because we assume the other is doing it to us.

The only way to break the cycle is to trust God enough to love one another as Christ loved us. Christ loved even those who mistreated him. In the many divisions our world is stricken by today, may the church be known for acting with preemptive love, giving even our adversaries no reason to confirm any hatred or suspicion.

RJ+

Eagle Scout Award

Aiden Lynge received his Eagle Scout Award on April 4, 2024 in a Court of Honor ceremony surrounded by fellow scouts, supporting Eagle scouts, friends, and family. He is shown here with his mother and father, Garth and Misty Lynge. Aiden's Eagle scout project of renovating the Betty Fortney Sanctuary in the Woods was greatly appreciated by the parishioners of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, and services resumed in the beautiful outdoor chapel last summer. Aiden will graduate from Hoover High School this year and will be attending the Culinary Institute of American in Hyde Park in the fall to continue his studies. We wish Aiden all the best!

Sunday, April 21:

8 and 10 a.m.

Lessons

Bulletin

Live Stream

Monday, April 22:

Knitting, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, April 24:

Zoom Evening Prayer, 4 p.m.

Bulletin Zoom

Servers this Sunday, April 21:

Eucharistic Ministers:

-8 am: Diana Cornell

-10 am: Mark and Kim Nadel

Acolyte: Karen Violand

Ushers: Geoff Gordon, Rick Werren

Altar Guild: Carol Popovich, Karen Violand, Kathy Wise

Servers next Sunday, April 28

Eucharistic Ministers:

-8 am: Diana Cornell

-10 am: Bruce Schutrum, Carol Hayn

Acolytes: Karen Violand, Danny Holihan

Ushers: John Willoughby, Kent Clark

Altar Guild: Carol Popovich, Karen Violand, Kathy Wise

From time to time, St. Mark's experiences unexpected expenses just as we all do. Most recently, our water conditioner needed a complete rebuild costing $2,816. If you would like to help with this cost, please note "water conditioner" in the memo line of your check.

Thank you, Geoff Gordon

Help keep our Sunday School Hope Outreach account funded with a donation to purchase bars of soap and washcloths! No donation is too small and the funds help support a fantastic St. Mark's ministry. You can also drop off bars of soap and washcloths in the Narthex.

🧼Want to donate online? Head to the online giving page and leave a comment "Hope Outreach".

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

Newsletter Additions

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

April Birthdays

1 Marcia Kiesling

8 Drew Pelger

9 Tom Temelkoff

10 Barbara Whitehouse

12 JD Arnold, Susie Hines

20 Katie Cerrone-Arnold

21 Kim Nadel

26 Sandi Kaustinen

27 Karen Violand

*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

Newly retired and enjoying Florida's weather provoked me to decide that Kathleen and I should move to Venice and build on the golf property I had purchased. When our four-month rental was completed, back to Canton, Ohio we went to our 19th Street home.

For all the southern amenities, I was amazed to find Canton quite welcoming. The day we arrived was a perfect spring delight: birds singing, flowers blooming, our house so welcoming, the joys of the south just a memory. Things were going nicely down at my Methodist Church under Al Lucas's musical leadership. Come Sunday, we decided to visit St. Mark's Episcopal Church where Father Sloan was the rector. Over the years I had encountered him at some ecumenical events and appreciated his kindly spirit. We felt comfortable worshipping there.

But some unwelcome changes began to appear. When we had moved to the Ridgewood district on 19th Street, Kathleen said she would want to live there till she died. But she began to have problems with stairs. Our house had a basement and an upstairs and lots of steps leading to the garage as well.

As the year progressed we began to think of Florida again, but this time, just a two-month rental, and I was beginning to question the joys of the tropics. Upon returning to Venice, I discovered that the golf community had lowered the prices of their unsold lots which meant that if I decided to sell my lot, there was no way I could recover my purchase price, but, not to worry - there was still a year to go before I had to start building, plenty of time before the deadline, and a daily fine.

Prayer Concerns

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

Family and Friends: John Fortney (brother of Cindy Brown); Lynn McBride (father of Beth Crowl); Bletzacker/Stutz families (death of Beth’s brother, Jeff); Joel Harris (friend of Derek & Emily Gordon); Pastor Marilyn from Hope Outreach; 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); Jolonda 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); Tim Swihart (friend 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. Jeff Stutz, brother of Beth Bletzacker

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.