Claymont Preschool at St. Mark

 This past spring, Claymont Preschool at St. Mark concluded its 60th school year! It was concluded with several celebrations, including a Mother’s Day gathering in our Two Year Old Class, our Pre-K Spring Sing, and our annual end of year whole school picnic. In June, we hosted three weeks of Summer Fun with many of our preschool students where they explored painting using many different techniques. 

Claymont Preschool at St. Mark will be welcoming students to the 2023-24 school year on August 28th. We are looking forward to seeing our returning families, as well as welcoming many new families to our school! We have a few spots left in select classes. So, if you know anyone who is looking for a Preschool, we hope you send them our way! 

EQUAL EXCHANGE IN THE NARTHEX ON AUGUST 20TH

Small farmers focused on sustainable agriculture! 

• Soil health 

• Water retention 

• Biodiversity 

• Disease control 

• Carbon sequestration 

St. Mark supports this mission to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just, environmentally sustainable, and foster mutually beneficial relationships between small farmers and consumers (that’s us!). 

Credit, Debit, (swipe or tap) accepted.

Worship Prayers for Aug. 13

 

CENTERING PRAYER Holy God, you speak to us in a voice unexpected and come to us in ways we do not recognize. Never leaving us to our own devices or defenses, you are the ever-present, all-powerful God. Call us out in faith again and again, until we learn to walk with you in steadfast love and faithfulness, and in peace. In the name of him who comes to us upon the waters, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

CALL TO WORSHIP God speaks peace to the faithful, to those who turn to God in their hearts. Where God dwells, steadfast love and faithfulness meet. God gives what is good and we respond with abundant praise!

PRAYER OF CONFESSION Lord Jesus, we call upon you. Save us! We are intimidated by our circumstances, distracted from your purposes, drowning in doubts and fears. We are presumptuous about your will, belittling others and magnifying ourselves. We envy the blessings of others, secretly despising their dreams. We have hardened our hearts to the suffering of our brothers and sisters, feeding ourselves in face of the injustice that holds them captive. Lord Jesus, who searches our hearts, lift us from sin and help us to walk with you in faith, humility, and brotherly-sisterly love. (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. 

Scripture August 12 and 13

 Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28

Joseph’s Dreams

37 Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, the land of Canaan.

2 This is the account of Jacob’s family line.

Joseph, a young man of seventeen, was tending the flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives, and he brought their father a bad report about them.

3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate[a] robe for him. 4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.

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Footnotes

1. Genesis 37:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verses 23 and 32.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

12 Now his brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, 13 and Israel said to Joseph, “As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.”

“Very well,” he replied.

14 So he said to him, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.

When Joseph arrived at Shechem, 15 a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, “What are you looking for?”

16 He replied, “I’m looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?”

17 “They have moved on from here,” the man answered. “I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’”

So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. 18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.

19 “Here comes that dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.”

21 When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. 22 “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.

26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels[a] of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

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Owen Carter Jones - http://www.gallery.oldbookart.com/main.php?g2_itemId=30588

Prayers for August 11

God is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for God's good pleasure.

Daily Readings for Friday, August 11, 2023

• Morning Psalms 84; 148
• First Reading 2 Samuel 12:1-14
• Second Reading Acts 19:21-41
• Gospel Reading Mark 9:14-29
• Evening Psalms 25; 40

God our creator, yours is the morning and yours is the evening. Let Christ the sun of righteousness shine forever in our hearts and draw us to that light where you live in radiant glory. O Lord, our creator, by your holy prophet you taught your ancient people to seek the welfare of the cities in which they lived. We commend our neighborhood to your care, that it might be kept free from social strife and decay. Give us strength of purpose and concern for others, that we may create here a community of justice and peace where your will may be done God of glory, you see how all creation groans in labor as it awaits redemption. As we work for and await your new creation, we trust that you will answer our prayers with grace, and fulfill your promise that all things work together for good for those who love you. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

(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.)

August Message

 “August” by Ellwood Roberts (Selected excerpts only. For full poem visit Discovery Poetry) 

Now sober August comes—the scene, 

Beneath the Summer's sun still fair; 

The Summer months are nearly past, 

Regretted much, they glide away, 

A parching drouth consumes the land, 

The sultry heat a storm forebodes. 

The storm comes on, 

Refreshing floods of rain descend; 

The drouth is gone, but with it all 

The glory of the Summer-time; 

The leaves will soon begin to fall, 

The season now has passed its prime. 

All Nature's voices tell the tale— 

Of Autumn speak, and breezes all, 

That o'er the fields of stubble blow, 

Proclaim the coming of the Fall.  

What we don’t often remember are the remarks that follow this poetic opening. In verses 9-13 the author tells “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecc. 3:1, or so the author of Ecclesiastes tells us. You know the passage, “…a time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace.” Ecc. 3:8 You may have heard a popular 1960’s pop song by the Byrds titled “Turn! Turn! Turn!”. The song takes its theme from this book of the Bible.

 

What we don’t often remember are the remarks that follow this poetic opening. In verses 9-13 the author tells us that God has indeed given us a time for everything. Pointed out is a time for work and a time for enjoyment. “I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live.” Ecc. 3:12 The author self-proclaims that it is good to stop and enjoy this awesome earth that God has created for us to live in. Work is fine, and toil is natural, but God never intended that we dismiss playtime ignoring the wonder and delight of the days we are given.

 

August is here. Summer will eventually turn into fall and fall into winter. And so it goes, year upon year, decade upon decade, and century upon century. This we cannot change. And if we could, we might choose not dare to tamper with what God made “good.” The sunny hot days will fade away, and the fall colors will soon arrive. “Not yet!” you say but “Soon” says Fall. Summer bids us “Enjoy the summer days!’ Ecclesiastes bids us “Enjoy the changing times.” God bids us “enjoy the days you have been created for!”

 

Peace and blessings, Pastor MP

Blood Drive August 20

 PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AMERICAN RED CROSS 

St Mark Presbyterian Church is proud to partner with the American Red Cross and be a part of all they do for our community. Our blood drive is important to patients in need, but the collection and distribution of blood is just a small part of all the Red Cross does. The enormity of what the Red Cross accomplishes every day is astounding and this is one of the reasons we chose them as one of our core community outreach partners. 

Every hour of the day, more than 1,200 people in America are assisted by the American Red Cross. More than 17,000 people every day receive lifesaving Red Cross health and safety training. Every day, the Red Cross provides more than 1,100 services to military members, their families and veterans. About 170 times a day, Red Cross workers help families affected by a home fire or other disaster. From a blood supply standpoint: The Red Cross – needs to collect more than 13,000 blood donations and more than 2,500 platelet donations each day. 

The blood collected by the Red Cross helps millions of patients in over -2,500 hospitals and other facilities across the country. 84 percent of blood donations are given at blood drives - hosted by generous sponsoring organizations like ours. At St Mark Presbyterian Church, we are proud to hold blood drives every quarter in partnership with the Red Cross, giving us all an opportunity to make a difference. 

Our next drive is coming up on August 20, 2023 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm in Gleason Hall at 601 Claymont Drive, Ballwin. MO 63011. We have many open appointment slots to fill. There are many ways you can help, but most importantly we hope you come out to donate and help spread the work by promoting our drive to family, friends and on social media.

Worship Prayers for August 6

 CENTERING PRAYER Life-changing God, you have touched us and transformed us to reach out to all who hunger for what only you can give. Keep our feet in your paths and bless us to multiply blessings to others, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer and Lord. Amen. 

 CALL TO WORSHIP Our covenant God raises us up and transforms us. Our covenant God is near to all who call out in truth. God meets us in our greatest need. God satisfies us with divine presence and provision. In gratitude, let us worship God. 

PRAYER OF CONFESSION God of compassion, too often we wrestle all night with worry instead of resting in you. We have asserted our own goodness instead of awakening to yours. We have turned away those who are hungry for your help instead of trusting you and feeding them from your limitless supply of blessings. Forgive us, heal us, and help us hold on to you. (Silent Confession)

PRAYER OF DEDICATION Loving and generous God, you provide for us and bless us in more ways than we can number. We give these tithes and offerings to tell of your wondrous and steadfast love so that those who do not yet know you may also know your love. Amen.

Scripture for August 5 and 6

 Genesis 32:22-31

Jacob Wrestles With God

Doré, 
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel 
(1855)

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because of his hip.

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Prayers for August 4

God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them

.

Daily Readings for Friday, August 4, 2023

• Morning Psalms 88; 148
• First Reading 2 Samuel 5:1-12
• Second Reading Acts 17:1-15
• Gospel Reading Mark 7:24-37
• Evening Psalms 6; 20

Eternal God, we praise you for your mighty love given in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and the new life we have received by his resurrection. We thank you for the presence of Christ in our weakness and suffering, the ministry of Word and Sacrament, all who work to help and heal, sacrifices made for our benefit, opportunities for our generous giving. God of grace, let our concern for others reflect Christ's self-giving love, not only in our prayers, but also in our practice. We pray for those subjected to tyranny and oppression, wounded and injured people, those who face death, those who may be our enemies. Eternal God, your love is stronger than death, and your passion more fierce than the grave. We rejoice in the lives of those whom you have drawn into your eternal embrace. Keep us in joyful communion with them until we join the saints of every people and nation, gathered before your throne in ceaseless praise. (Add your prayers.) Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by 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.)