31may23

It is with sadness that I am writing to share the loss of the last of the puppies that we bottle-fed from their second day of life. The Ted Lasso litter was born on Easter Day to a mother dog who was very weak and could not produce milk, so Heather and I took them in knowing we would be bottle-feeding them. The puppies had some genetic issue that did not allow them to live the long life we had hoped for. They did, however, live the relatively short lives they led, being named, held, and truly loved. I want to thank all who came and fed them during their first weeks of life. We don’t get to decide how long people or pets get to be with us, but we do get the choice of deciding how we treat them. There was not a day that these puppies weren’t loved. In the more than 800 puppies our family has fostered, we have lost several. It hurts, and yet it is still worth it. 

We have fostered children and puppies, and I can say one thing about the experience. It was worth it. The children who were a part of our lives for a part of their lives when they needed a place to be loved and safe will always be a part of who we are. We gave them what we could during their time with us, and we loved them. They made us laugh and cry. We are better for our time spent with them. 

O Lord our God, you created us with instincts to care for one another and your creation. Help us to see that the time and energy we spend loving and caring for the most needy in the world matters. Give us an awareness of when our unique gifts and experiences are just what those we encounter need and the strength of character to respond fully with the love you gave us. May we cherish the time, however long that time is, we get to spend with those we love. Let our treatment of all of the world around us be a response to how grateful we are for all that this world provides. Let our love for you shine forth in how we treat all of the created world and our actions be a response to our knowledge of you. All this we ask in your name, O God of all creation. Amen.

Yours in Christ,

Father Grant +

On The first Sunday of each month is Saint Mark’s food collection, which supports the Pantry of Broward. Please bring non-perishable food items to church on Sunday, so they can be delivered to the Pantry on Monday, June 5th. Hunger is not seasonal, although the number of donors in the Fort Lauderdale area is. The Pantry really needs our help throughout the summer. Thank you for your generosity!

The Mommy’s Morning Out Ministry will formally end on June 2, 2023. Since the school and MMO have a similar clientele, the vestry and school decided to roll the MMO into the Early Childhood Program. We are reorganizing the Ministry Center to be more convenient for the Church and making it so that our parishioners can come into the Office, and we can have a space that is more suitable for our weekday ministries.

I am grateful to all who have made that ministry special and know that our school will benefit from the employees who will move from MMO to the school. (Fr. Grant Wiseman)

This week we have two gorgeous solos for you and a lovely choir piece.

First is Michael Borosky (tenor) singing Then Shall the Righteous Shine Forth by Mendelssohn. https://youtu.be/K2ApzN3LrGY. Second is Doreen Fiorelli’s (soprano) performing O Lord be Merciful written by Homer Bartlett;

https://youtu.be/8WhX9ozmCM4. Both are amazing! Then the choir sang a gorgeous song; Let All the World in Every Corner Sing by Pethel; https://youtu.be/agaqPOFAX6c

Please enjoy these songs! And if you like our music, please subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com@saintmarksepiscopalchurchc12 (Robin Dreyfuss)

We have spent the last few Sundays expanding upon the initiatives we believe will center Saint Mark’s on the path God has set before us. However, I would like to take a step back and develop further that which drives these “initiatives”… and that is our commitment to the greatest of God’s commandments.

There was a person named Jesus who throughout his life, and by the nature of His death, made God visible to His followers. Jesus’ response to those who denied, betrayed, abandoned, tortured, and crucified Him, was intended to prove there is nothing you and I can ever do or be that can separate us from the love of God.

And so we are called to love God and one another as Jesus loved us, … UNCONDITIONALLY.

That means our love must be so freely offered that we give no thought as to whether its recipient is worthy and deserving. Jesus lived and died to show us how to live a life without sin… a life fully dedicated to ensuring the well-being of everyone we encounter takes priority over our own… a life of unconditional love. Let us strive to enable Jesus in the fulfillment of God’s plan for each of our lives. (Harry Richardson)

During the summer, many of us are traveling. The Family First Saturday events will not be held on the first Saturdays of June or July. They will come roaring back starting August 5th. We all look forward to their return.

Our church web address is www.saintmarksftl.com. To view up-to-date, easy-to-read church and school schedules of meetings and activities CLICK HERE, this is a very useful tool. If you want to receive the weekly Parish Newsletter via email please sign up at https://saintmarksftl.com/#subscribenow and complete the Constant Contact form located on the right side of the web page. If you are interested submitting an article to our weekly Parish Newsletter email dorothyseibert@comcast.net. 

Father Grant has a daily prayer blog which he starts each morning. He shares this with all who would like to pray together at www.atwinfather.com. When you go to the prayer of the day, there is an option to receive the daily prayer in your email inbox so that you don’t have to type it in every day.

While there are certainly times where a priest is the appropriate caregiver, or perhaps is someone specifically requested, the responsibility for ‘the love and care of one another’ is bestowed on each of us by baptism and commandment, and not by ordination. Congregational care is provided when faithful people are present and listening compassionately while the faith of others is being tested; and also, when we can utilize our ‘spiritual’ gifts and acquired skills to address someone’s ‘temporal’ needs. In so doing, we are preaching, practicing, and personifying Christ’s unconditional love. If God has placed upon your heart a desire to grow this ministry, please seek out a member of your Vestry and share your thoughts on how best to proceed, and how you can contribute.

Father Grant can be reached by email at gwiseman@saintmarks.com, or at 954-334-0131. Our congregation can be reached by contacting the church office . . . seeking your input.

We invite you to post on our church website blog, https://saintmarksftl.com/submit-post/, which helps us keep up with the sharing of information. All information will be reviewed and considered for posting on the church website, Facebook page, and Instagram, as well as in this Parish News.