Wednesday, December 8th, the Adventure Team visited the “Trains at Northpark” benefitting the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. This exhibit is the most elaborate toy train exhibit in Texas celebrating its 11th year at Northpark. 40 vintage locomotives chug along 2500 feet of track on a journey across America.
“How often is it we think of God and use words like vengeance or a phrase like ‘terrible recompense’? Not often, I would wager. And yet we see this as a Biblical way to describe what God will do when He comes…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!
“For those of us who have seen God at work in our lives, our Psalm is a bit of a lament. As we know, it was God’s intent that His chosen people would live under His mighty hand alone. The people of Israel, whom God had set apart from all other nations would not be like them in having a king. They would be ruled by God…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!
On the cold morning of 11/30/10, St. Mark’s Adventure Team traveled to SMU’s Meadows Museum to visit 2 current exhibitions – “Breaking New Ground,” a special exhibition previewing the George W. Bush Presidential Center to be opened in 2013. Also, El Greco’s masterpiece “Pentecost” from the Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain. Painted in 1600, the painting describes events in the New Testament Book of Acts, Chapter 2, verses 1-4.
The Bodybuilding Committee is holding a “Warm Hands – Warm Hearts” drive now through the end of December. We are collecting gifts of hats/gloves and blankets.
Bodybuilding will focus on items for children and teens, but we will collect for all ages. There are many families including children and teens who are homeless today, many in our South Irving community.
While we can’t eradicate homelessness, we can demonstrate the same unconditional love given to us from the One whose birth we celebrate at this time of year.
Proceeds of this drive will be going to the various organizations serving homeless families, including Captain Hope’s Kids, Brighter Tomorrows and Austin Street.
Please provide only new unused hats and gloves (for health reasons), but blankets that are gently used and clean are welcome.
Please pray for and remember those whose only shelter may be a cardboard box. If you have any questions, please see Wende B., Kathy W., or any member of the Bodybuilding Committee!
This is just a reminder to please turn in your pledge cards if you have not already done so.
We must approve a budget on December 12th, and much of what we can approve depends on what we know will be coming in.
I know you are all familiar with how it works, and you may have already turned in your pledge card last Wednesday night or last week. If so, THANK YOU! If not, please do so at your earliest convenience.
Thanks very much,
Pere Kesner Ajax, Paulette Austin, Rev. Greg Pickens
Tuesday night, December 14th, the Women’s Guild will hold their Annual Christmas Party!
This year, in addition to the White Elephant Gift Exchange (bring a wrapped gift for this under $10), the guild will be supplying a list of “gifts” for the Homeless Advocates group to give out to some of the students in that program. Paulette will be supplying a list of items, but gift certificates to Wal-Mart or Target are always a hit with kids.
This year’s dinner will be a POTLUCK, so please sign up in the Parish Hall for what you want to bring! Don’t forget to bring your wrapped gifts. This is always A LOT of fun! The women of St. Mark’s look forward to sharing the Advent Season with you! See you there……
“‘I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.’ From a Christian perspective, believers may well have some ambivalence about Advent because it means God is coming to earth. Some of us have problems with God coming – not all believe that will be a time of rejoicing. They feel unprepared as they hear those heavy words of our prayers, ‘things done and left undone’. But it doesn’t have to be this way.” — Listen here, or download the MP3!
“Today we have the community in Thessalonica being taught how to handle Christian people; Christians who do not have boundaries. Talking about boundaries in Church ranks right up there with discussing how much money people give for the spread of the Gospel, doesn’t it?…” — Listen here, or download the MP3!