The Experience Returns to St. Mark's on June 17, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

I am happy to announce that The Experience, the popular youth choir from Christ Lutheran Church will make a return visit to St. Mark’s on Sunday, June 17th. If you were at the concert in 2009, you remember the excellent, high-energy program they presented. You probably also remember the clap of thunder that caused all of our lights to go out so that the last number was performed under the glow of cell phones, flash lights, and candles!

 In 2009 there were about 80 youth and adults, but now they have grown to a touring group of more than 100! When Mark Glaeser, their director called, and asked if they could perform here again, I told him they would be most welcome - but that I couldn’t commit to housing for 100 people. As a result, we will only need to house about 40 youth and adults while the rest will stay in a hotel.

These are the things we need your help with:
1. Overnight housing for 40 persons to include breakfast and a return trip to St. Mark’s on Monday morning 2. A Sunday evening meal of burgers and fixin’s. We need people to cook the burgers and to prepare side dishes to bring to the church.
3. Come to the concert – and invite your friends! If you can help with these items, please let me know via email (vespers@comcast.net).

You can subscribe to their iTunes account at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/christ-lutheran-christ-lutheran/id432118947

Keeping A Holy Vigil

“. . .and darkness covered the face of the deep. . .”
“. . .and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves. . .”
“. . .see the deliverance that the LORD will accomplish for you today. . .”
“. . .listen, so that you may live. . .”
“. . .and you shall know that I am the LORD. . .”
“Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish.”
“. . .there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.”

In our day and time, churches will be packed for Easter Sunday because it is thought of as the most significant date on the church calendar. St. Augustine would not have concurred. He called the Easter Vigil “the mother of all holy vigils” for on this night “the whole world is awake and watchful.”

We gather in the courtyard around a fire then enter into the darkened nave to hear the story of creation. Next we hear many of the Old Testament’s great narratives of God protecting and nurturing his people: the devastation of a great flood followed by a fresh beginning, the parting of the Red Sea as God’s people passed through it unharmed and then witnessed the destruction of their enemies, Abraham making the journey to sacrifice the son he loved, Jonah praying from the belly of a fish, and finally three men being rescued from a fiery furnace.

We celebrate these stories with musical responses: hymns sung by the assembly, handbell anthems, and music by the Festival Choir.

This is a night to listen and proclaim, to remember our baptism, to celebrate the eucharist, and to sing “Alleluia!”

This is truly the most significant liturgy of the year. Please come to witness the “strong signs” and “powerful words” so that you may be sent into the world proclaiming the good news! Remember to bring a bell (any size, shape, or color) to be rung as the altar candles are lit and we sing joyfully “This is the feast of victory for our God!”

The Easter Vigil is Saturday, April 7th, at 7:00 p.m. Remember your bell!

Lutheridge Handbell Weekend 2012

Members of our handbell choirs made their annual trek to Lutheridge, a Lutheran conference and retreat center in Arden, NC, last week. We arrived late in the day on Friday, enjoyed dinner, and then launched right into an intense two hour rehearsal. The weekend was taken up with more rehearsals, workshops, worship, and plenty of eating!

While there, we were also able to visit with Pastor and Karla Trexler who are always as happy to see us as we are to see them. (Pastor Trexler is a former pastor of St. Mark's and a past bishop of the Florida Bahamas Synod.)

For the first year (that I know of)we had more ringers than we have bells! We borrowed some extra bells and I rang on the advanced track with ringers from Lakewood United Methodist Church.

The workshop clinicians were Michael Helman and Tim Waugh. We have played their handbell compositions in the past. On Easter Sunday, we will play Helman's "Procession for Easter."

This year we were very happy to have Pastor Hanson and Sue Hanson join us for the trip.

Ash Wednesday Worship on February 22nd at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM

"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." On Ash Wednesday we receive the sign of ashes, an ancient symbol that reminds us of our mortality. We also begin our 40 day Lenten journey praying for those who are preparing for baptism and looking to the joy of Easter. The Festival Choir is hard at work preparing for this important service in the life of St. Mark's. Please come on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7:00 p.m. Bring a friend! Music by Paul J. Christiansen, J. S. Bach, Marty Haugen, Daniel Schutte, and others.

The 10:30 morning service is without the choir.

Write a Prayer for Advent

Our Wednesday evening Vespers service will continue through Advent with some modifications to the service music. For the Hymn of Light we’ll sing a hymn Christians have been singing since the ninth century – “Creator of the Stars of Night.” You can find it in Evangelical Lutheran Worship at hymn no. 245. We’ll switch to an Advent Psalm based on the tune we know as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Finally, the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) will be sung to Deo Gracias which is often sung to the text “Oh Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High.”

We are asking for your help in composing the prayer section of the service. You are invited to write prayers for the assembly in this time of hope and waiting. We are looking for fully written prayers rather than a list of prayer requests. You might wish to use the prayers from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (pages 72 – 83) as a guide. Before the service begins we will announce the names of those who have written prayers. If you wish for your prayer to remain anonymous, just let us know.

For more help on writing prayers, I found this excellent article on the internet:
http://www.examiner.com/protestant-in-richmond/liturgical-writing-101-the-collect-prayer-form.

You may submit your prayers to Tony Cruz at vespers@comcast.net. Hard copies will also be accepted!

Singers for Advent and Christmas are Welcome

Have you thought about singing in the choir but decided the commitment is too long? Then make a seasonal commitment! We would love to have any singers who would like to join the Festival Choir for the Advent/Christmas Season. We meet in the music suite on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 and will begin music for Advent and Christmas on Wednesday, November 30th.

The Festival Choir sings at the 11:00 service each Sunday. We will also be singing a service of Advent Lessons & Carols at All Saints Episcopal Church on December 11th. The only other major event is Christmas Eve. A thirty minute service of music by the choir and bell choir starts our 10:30 p.m. Christmas Eve worship service.

You might also like to sing in the Matins Choir. This group meets each Sunday in the music suite at 8:00 a.m. to prepare liturgical music and a musical offering for the 8:30 service.

All singers are welcome!

Bach Vespers Thank You

Thank you to all who participated in our Bach Vespers service featuring cantata no. 180, “Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele,” as the musical offering. There were 28 singers (including the soloists) and 10 instrumentalists, all using their gifts to glorify God through music. Thank you to each of them for their hard work.

Thank you to Jane D. for leading a soprano/alto sectional rehearsal. Thank you to Ellen O. for hiring the orchestra. Thank you to Frank S. for guiding us through the German diction – something he’s been doing for about 20 years. Thank you to Pastor Hanson for his reverent presiding. Thank you to each person who came to participate in this worship service.

Started by St. Mark’s former Cantor, Jim Rindelaub, this tradition is more than 20 years old at St. Mark’s. It is a rare chance to hear the music of Lutheranism’s fifth evangelist, Johann Sebastian Bach, in its intended setting in worship. We could not continue this tradition without generous financial support. Thank you to each person who has contributed to keep this important expression of our faith alive. We are especially grateful for a gift of $5,000.00 from the Ardell N. Smith Family Trust. Please remember, you may give a gift to Bach Vespers any time during the year. Simply designate “Bach Vespers” in the memo line on your check.

Plans are in the works for our next Bach Vespers service, so please watch The Messenger and The Lion’s Roar for information.