3117 Motley Dr Mesquite TX 75150 Phone (972) 279-8042 Fax (972)613-5959

April 2017

Sundays Mondays Tuesdays Wednesdays

9:45am

Sunday School

11am Worship

7-8pm

Boy Scouts

10:30 am

Bible Study in

the Coffee Cup

classroom

6:30

Choir

Rehearsal

Lectionary for April

April 2

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Psalm 130 (UMH 848)

Romans 8:6-11

John 11:1-45

April 9

Matthew 21:1-11

Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29

April 16

Acts 10:34-43

Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

Colossians 3:1-4

John 20:1-18

April 23

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

Psalm 16 (UMH 748)

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

April 30

Acts 2:14a, 36-41

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19

1 Peter 1:17-23

Luke 24:13-35

Page 2 The Marker

Everything is not as it seems. As I have driven to and from the church during the past three weeks it has become obvious that everything is not as it seems. Roadsides that were covered with weeds are now aglow with bluebonnets. All of a sudden I have yellow, purple and pink irises blooming in my flower beds. Trees that looked dead and barren are now splashed with whites, greens, reds, and yel-lows. Everything is not as it seems. As we approach Easter Leslie Weatherhead tells us that if we had gone to the upper room in Jerusalem on Good Friday night, we would have found the door shut and barred. Inside we would have found a small group of despairing, humiliated, trembling men and women.

Life was over for them…They had hoped that Jesus was the Messiah who would redeem Israel. He had promised so much and they had believed in him. But now he was dead and they were stuck here, frightened…and in danger. But suppose you had gone back to the same house a week later. The windows would have been open, the doors unbarred. Through them we might have heard laughter and the singing of psalms and the plans of those who, within a few weeks of the murder of Christ, were preaching his gospel and declaring his risen glory. (Leslie Weatherhead, “The Sunday after Easter.”)

After Easter, Mary was changed from a mourner to a messenger, Thomas was changed from a doubter to a believer, Peter was changed from a denier to a preacher. Paul was later changed from a persecutor to a missionary. That small group in the upper room was changed from a sniveling band of has-beens to the Church of Jesus Christ! They had the personal experience that everything is not as it seems. Natalie Sleeth in her wonderful Hymn of Promise reminds us time and time again that everything is not as it seems. She writes: In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed an apple tree; In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter, there’s a spring that waits to be… In our end is our beginning, in our time, infinity; In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity. In our death a resurrection; at the last a victory… She is right. Everything is not as it seems! As we celebrate Easter on April 16, we gather with a global community that celebrates the fact that Jesus Christ, crucified, dead and buried, rose from the grave. We celebrate that death is not the end of our journey, but that it is a step into the beginning of a new journey. We celebrate that no matter how dark, how bleak and how hopeless life may seem in this world, new life is always possible. We celebrate that when we enter those tombs where it seems there is not a way out, there is always an exit. Easter is the celebration that everything is not as it seems! Thank God that this is the case! Happy Easter!!! PS: Invite and bring a friend or neighbor with you to St. Mark's celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ this Easter.

Page 3 The Marker

Pastor Edwin and his brother

Edmon underwent surgery on

Tuesday, March 21. Edmon

donated a life saving kidney to

his brother, Pastor Edwin. Praise

the Lord! Everyone is home and

healing!

April 9-Palm Sunday

Join us at 11:00 am for Palm Sunday worship!

April 13-Maundy Thursday

On Thursday, April 13, we will gather at 7:00 pm to celebrate

Holy Communion as we remember Jesus gathering with his

disciples in the Upper Room to celebrate Passover.

April 14-Good Friday

On Friday, April 14, we will gather at 7:00 pm to remember

the crucifixion of Jesus. We will hear the Passion Story and

sing hymns related to the cross. The service will end with no

benediction as the benediction will be proclaimed as we

celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Ben

3-Harold Beathe

8-Faith O’Neill

9-Sean Grigar

10-Gladys Cupp

13-Brad Weddle

14-Betty

Grant

15-Ninna

Zarate

16-Carol

Barton

18-

Lisa Pinkston

19-

Rosemary

Hill

20-Emanuel Cauriz

23-David Grant

23-Billy Gray

23-Anthony Hill

28-Jean Hearn

Prayers for our St. Marks family unable to

worship with us today

Shirley Beathe, Gladys Cupp, Linda Heath, Don Bragg,

Edna Fields, Bob McReynolds, Janice Barton, Don and

Mazelle Ross, Eileen Mark

Requesting prayers

Jane Kennon, Stan Little, Keith Mumaw, Tom Marks,

Chris Mumaw, Sandra Pugh on the death of her sister

Pat Malley, Barbara Holland, Ben Robertson, Virginia

Spurger, Zarate family on the death of Pastor Edwin’s

uncle, Maximo Zarate, Jean Hearn and Family on the

death of Bill Hearnn, Nelda Walker, Lance Carnal, Gayle

Jones, Joan Rose, Ila Dennis on the deaths of her

brother and niece, Mary Grigar-Brown, Tomasa Gorospe

The Easter Season, also known as Eastertide or the Great Fifty Days, begins on Easter

Day and ends on Pentecost. Focusing on Christ's resurrection and ascension and the

sending of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost), Eastertide is the most joyous and celebrative

season of the Christian year. We celebrate the good news that in Christ’s death and

resurrection we, and all creation, are continually being made new by God’s

love and saving grace.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 8:00 UMM

2

9:45am Sunday School

11am Worship

3

7:00

Boy

Scouts

4

Bible Study

10:30

5

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal

6

UMW Sunshine

Circle Meeting

10:00 am

7 8

Easter Egg

Hunt 10

Youth

Spaghetti

Dinner

6-8

9

9:45am Sunday School

&11am Worship

Palm Sunday

Praise Band 1:30

10

7:00

Boy

Scouts

11

Bible Study

10:30

12

6:00 Food, Fun, and

Fellowship

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal

13

Maundy

Thursday Service

7pm

14

Good

Friday

Service 7

pm

15

16

Easter Sunday

9:00 Garden Service

9:45am Sunday School

&11am Worship

17

7:00

Boy

Scouts

18

Bible Study

10:30

19

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal

20

11:00 UMW

Birthday

Luncheon

21

Garage

Sale

Setup

22

Youth

Garage

Sale 9-3

23

9:45am Sunday School

&11am Worship

24

7:00

Boy

Scouts

25

Bible Study

10:30

26

5:00 Admin Council

6:30pm Choir

Rehearsal

27 28 29

30

9:45 Sunday School &

11 am Worship

CHURCH STAFF 3117 Motley Drive

Mesquite, TX 75150

Phone

972-279-8042

Fax

972-613-5959

E-mail

stmarks-office@att.net

Pastor Edwin Zarate

Pastor, Ext. 101

April Lang

Administrative Assistant,

Ext. 100

Eric Moellering

Music Director; Ext. 100

Nancy Good

Organist; Ext. 100

John Barton

Treasurer