The Gospel reading for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, Luke 12, 49-56, cites fire, water, and division. Fire signifies warmth and gathering; Jesus laments that he wishes the fire “was already kindled” on earth, that his people were already a community of God. Jesus speaking about water reminds us that in baptism, the spirit washes…
Pastor Beth asked us, ‘Why do we give?’. Many people responded. She then asked, ‘What moves us to give?’. Again, many responded. In today’s Gospel, Luke 12:32-40, Jesus is talking about Holy Giving which is a sacred holy act. What does sacred holy giving look like? Pastor Beth shared a personal story with us and…
In the Gospel reading (Luke 12:13-21), Jesus told a parable about a man so rich that he had no room to store all his crops so he decided to knock down his barns and build larger ones. He then would feel secure and could eat, drink, and be merry for several years. Jesus told the…
Arthur Wesley K became the newest kid in our St. Mark family on 7/24/16. Wearing a beautiful family baptismal gown, Arthur was presented for the sacrament of Holy Baptism by his parents, Joe and Rachel K, and sponsors Brock and Bethany C. Our Father has called Arthur by name, and he is forever a “blessed…
The Gospel of Luke (chapter 11) says, “Knock and the door will be opened for you”. On this 10th Sunday after Pentecost, we were reminded that God always hears and answers prayer. When Jesus first taught his disciples The Lord’s Prayer, he encouraged them to child-like trust and persistence in prayer. When we pray for…
What’s better than an early morning hike in the summer in the beautiful Pacific Northwest? Well, it’s definitely better if you are hiking with friends of all ages from St. Mark! On Saturday, July 23, sixteen brave souls started out at at 8:30 am at the Comet Falls trail head just 4 miles past Longmire.…
Last week, The St. Mark Championship Trophy-winning Intergenerational Softball Team beat a previously undefeated team with a huge margin (14-2, see post “Magic #14). This week, we played that same team…and they were out to settle the score! Despite the game loss (score of 2-13), we had many “wins”. Amanda C owned an inning as catcher, making all…
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus lovingly answers Martha’s concern about her sister Mary. We too have concerns especially after a week or so of truly troubling news. In our county, there have been shootings, killings, the deaths in Nice, France and the political unrest in Turkey. What is going on? Is this violence happening more or…
On 10/18/15, the congregation welcomed Sage W into our St. Mark family through the sacrament of baptism and by singing member Trudy H’s song, “A New Kid in Our Family”. Sage is the daughter of members Lara and Dan W, and sister of Cascade, who had previously been baptized into our family. Lara’ father, a retired Lutheran Pastor,…
The garden is fully planted and we are starting to seriously harvest almost every day. Thanks to Gary D. and his daily dedication and transportation of produce to the Thurston County Food Bank. We are at about 1000 pounds as of July 15th! We are having work parties every other Saturday: July 16, and 30,…