Our God Reins

 How beautiful upon the mountains

    are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,

who brings good news,

    who announces salvation,

    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 

Isaiah 52:7

When I lived in rural Montana, I attended a weekly Bible study.  women from all of the congregations in the community would come together to praise and worship God.  A good portion of each gathering was spent in song, one spontaneous verse after another.  Most of the songs were taken right from scripture, inspired by the greatest author!  Today when I am finding it hard to express my thoughts in prayer, one of those wonderful verses will pop into my heart.  When I wanted to write about the message of the season, I found that the words from Isaiah that inspired the hymn "Our God Reigns" says it much better than I ever could.

Click here if no video appeared.

Diann Boast

Reprinted from 1998 Devotional with permission.

One Great Hour of Sharing—Lent and Easter

Lent, leading up to Easter on April 9, is our opportunity to participate in the One Great Hour of Sharing, one of the four Special Offerings of the PCUSA. In a world of disaster, hunger, and oppression, millions of people lack access to sustainable food sources, clean water, sanitation, education, and opportunity.

The funds collected at St. Mark connect us to the larger church in mission and ministry to be “repairers of the breach” (scripture Isaiah 58), focusing on material need. The three programs supported by One Great Hour of Sharing - Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the Presbyterian Hunger Program, and Self-Development of People - all work in different ways to serve individuals and communities in need. Click here for more information.

Additionally, St. Mark supports Marian Medical Mission, which works to provide clean water to communities in Africa.

You can use the special yellow envelope that was in your packet for March or you can write a check to St. Mark and indicate OGHS or Marian Medical Mission in the memo line.

Worship Prayers February 26

 

CENTERING PRAYER

 God of the first and the last, give us strength of mind, that we might walk the path of obedience and discipleship without wasting our time thinking about who is more important. Guide our thoughts and our emotions that we may be like children, totally dependent on you, welcoming all with hospitality and love. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

 CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 34 

Bless the LORD at all times; praises shall continually be in our mouths. Our souls make its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt God’s name together. 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION 

God of wisdom, forgive our foolishness. We desire what we do not need and corrupt our relationships with envy. You urge us to gentleness, but we stir up conflict. Give us your grace, that we may harvest righteousness and peace for the sake of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. (Silent Confession)

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE AND THE LORD’S PRAYER 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Click here for the full worship service.

Scripture for Feb. 25 and 26

 Mark 9:33-37

33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

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Daily Prayer February 24

 "My word shall accomplish that which I purpose," says the Lord, "and succeed in the thing for which I sent it."

Daily Readings for Friday, February 24, 2023

• Morning Psalms 22; 148
• First Reading Deuteronomy 7:12-16
• Second Reading Titus 2:1-15
• Gospel Reading John 1:35-42
• Evening Psalms 105; 130

Eternal God, as we are baptized into the death of Jesus Christ, so give us the grace of repentance that we may pass through the grave with him and be born again to eternal life, for he is the One who was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose again for us, Jesus our Savior. Eternal God, you sent us a Savior, Christ Jesus, to break down the walls of hostility that divide us. Send peace on earth, and put down greed, pride, and anger, which turn nation against nation and race against race. Speed the day when wars will end and the whole world accepts your rule. God of mercy, you are full of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in mercy, and always ready to forgive. Grant us grace to renounce all evil and to cling to Christ, that in every way we may prove to be your loving children. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Opening sentences, prayers, and blessings are from the Book of Common Worship. Readings are from the daily lectionary in Daily Prayer. Both are published by Westminster/John Knox Press.)

On Your Mark

 Weekly Questions and Thoughts Chapter Eight: 

This chapter covers a lot of ground, and it would be easy to miss the nuance contained within. Take a little while to sit with evert story and consider what each means to you today. Here are a few questions to consider. 

• The chapter begins with Jesus performing another feeding miracle. How is this one different than the one in chapter six? What is the significance of the different locations for each of these accounts? Pay attention to the baskets of leftover in both stories. The one for the Jewish audience had 12 baskets remaining, and the one for the Gentile audience had seven. What does this say to you?

 • Why did the Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus? Why do we? Does this demonstrate a lack of faith, putting God to the test, or something else? What signs of God’s love and power are around you right here and right now?

 • It seems to take Jesus two attempts to completely heal the blind man at Bethsaida. Does this symbolize a lack of power or something else? Have you ever experienced a seemingly incomplete miracle? What did you do with it? What in this story gives you hope? 

• Chapter Eight contains Peter’s famous confession of faith in Christ. The world will always have different opinions of Jesus. Some consider him a prophet, a teacher, or a wise man. Who is Jesus to you? 

• Finally, after the confession of faith, Peter challenges Jesus about the need to be rejected, to suffer, and to die. Is the message of the cross still offensive to us? Why or why not?

Scripture for Ash Wednesday

 Mark 8:31-9:1

New International Version

Jesus Predicts His Death

31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Way of the Cross

34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”

Footnotes

1. Mark 8:35 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verses 36 and 37.

Peace Meal

 

In 2006 St. John's Episcopal Church, located adjacent to Tower Grove Park in St. Louis City, began a free fellowship meal for all, which was served every Saturday from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic in March of 2020, we have served complete bagged meals at the door.

We call this meal program the Peace Meal Project because we know that a meal is only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing poverty, inequality, and loneliness. This ministry is focused exclusively on serving a meal; we do not collect or distribute clothes, food items, or transportation tickets. But we believe that sharing a fellowship meal together brings us closer to the reign of God that we hope for: a community of justice, peace, and dignity for all people.

St. Mark is one of the earliest of the ten current supporting churches. Every 2 months or so, St Mark members carpool to St John’s to lovingly prepare and serve a home cooked meal.

Worship Prayers for February 19

 CENTERING PRAYER 

It says in the Bible, O God, that you created the world through your Word. Your Word is powerful! And so are our words. They can heal, create a smile, be a declaration of love; but they can also hurt and destroy a sense of self-worth. Give us your wisdom, God of the Word, so that as a church and as individuals, we use our words to build up and not to destroy. Amen. 

 

CALL TO WORSHIP 

The Holy One is our sovereign. 

Let us praise God’s great and awesome name!  

Mighty ruler, lover of justice,  

you have established fairness among us. 

  

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION  

Glorious God, you are all wisdom and a lamp to our feet, yet we fail to listen to you and neglect to follow your guidance. Forgive us, heal us, and lead us on, that we may walk in your ways and be happy in your refuge; in Jesus our Christ we pray. Amen. 

 

 

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH 

Q. What is our chief end? 

A. Our chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy God forever. 

 

INVITATION TO THE OFFERING  

Our God has revealed to us a law and a love that leads us into becoming God’s own children. Therefore, let us gratefully give from that which has first been given to us, our lives, our talents, and our possessions. 

 

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING/ DEDICATION  

God of mountaintops and valleys, be our vision of you clouded or brilliantly clear, we faithfully add our gifts to those being given all around us. Bless these offerings that they may be transfigured into your presence in the world. Amen. 

For the entire bulletin and order of worship, click here.

Scripture for February 18-19

 Mark 8: 1-10

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

By Bernardo Strozzi - 

8 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

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http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Bernardo-Strozzi/The-Miracle-Of-The-Loaves-And-Fishes.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8151360

Daily Prayer February 17

If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Daily Readings for Friday, February 17, 2023

• Morning Psalms 130; 148
• First Reading Isaiah 65:17-25
• Second Reading 1 Tim. 5:(1-16) 17-22 (23-25)
• Gospel Reading Mark 12:28–34
• Evening Psalms 32; 139

---

New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us the desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord. God of all times and places, in Jesus Christ, lifted up on the cross, you opened for us the path to eternal life. Grant that we, being born again of water and the Spirit, may joyfully serve you in newness of life and faithfully walk in your holy ways. God of all joy, fill our souls to overflowing with the fullness of your grace. Lord, remind us of your triumph over the tragedy of the cross, and your victory for us over the powers of sin and death, so that we may reflect your glory as disciples of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

With God's help and love may your lives be blessed and your labors fruitful as you offer yourselves gladly in the service of our common Lord.

(Opening sentences, prayers, and blessings are from the Book of Common Worship. Readings are from the daily lectionary in Daily Prayer. Both are published by Westminster/John Knox Press.)

Worship Prayers for February 12, 2023

 CENTERING PRAYER

 

Good and generous God, you bless us with favor and count us as your people. Freed by your grace, let us extend your generosity to others, sharing our bread with the poor, pleading the cause of the afflicted, and receiving all who assemble in your name with the warmth of your love and the richness of your hospitality; in the good name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

 

 

CALL TO WORSHIP (Psalm 146)

 

The LORD sets the prisoners free;

the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.

The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

the LORD loves the righteous.

The LORD watches over the strangers;

he upholds the orphan and the widow.

Come! Let us worship our God together.

 

 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

 

God of favor, we are not true to you. You chose the poor in the world, but we dishonor them. You plead the cause of the afflicted, but we crush them. We do not love our neighbors as ourselves. We favor the rich and despise the poor. We dismiss the needy with empty words. Soften our hearts and make straight our ways. Heal our unbelief and turn us back to you.  (Silent Confession)

 

 

 

OFFERING

 

Those who are generous are called blessed. Better than silver and gold is our God’s favor. From the riches of God’s grace, let us present our gifts of gratitude to bless those in need. Let us pray…

 

Generous God, thank you for these gifts we bring from your abundance. Bless both gifts and givers to show your love to all those in need. We pray this through our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, healer of the sick, advocate of the afflicted, provider of the poor. Amen.

For the complete bulletin, click here.