Dear Friends,
As I write this, we have just wrapped up our 60th Anniversary
celebration--and what a celebration! It was good to see so many people in church, including those who grew up at St. Mark's, and those who got married here. Frank, Craig, Joann, Robin, and our guest Mark Hayes did an outstanding job with music, both for worship and for the amazing afternoon concert, at which we had choir members and music directors from other churches helping us out.
Our choirs worked many hours over several weeks to make the weekend a success. I so appreciate the time and talent that each of you shares with us
A very special thanks goes to Arlene Dempster and the 60th Anniversary Committee, who worked hard making every Sunday of the celebration special, including providing and serving cake at a very popular after-church gathering in the social hall! Many of us learned interesting things about the history and tradition of St. Mark's.
We were privileged to hear a dynamic and layered new anthem from Mark Hayes. And we also heard from our inspiring young adult missionary to the Philippines, Laura Wise, who presented us with a wonderful art work that now hangs behind the office front desk. All in all, a fun and memorable Sunday.
As St. Mark's begins its second 60 years, we are undertaking initiatives in several areas of our ministry, including worship.
As many of you know, in January and February we began something we called the Worship Excellence Project, which involved three pieces of research--two group meetings and an in-worship survey on January 26.
The goal of the project was to begin to find ways to further improve worship, especially for visitors. The facilitator for the research was Marya Chuong, who will present the results and answer questions on Tuesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. in the Social Hall. All are invited.
Some highlights of the results: The two words most-often used to describe worship at St. Mark's were "friendly" and "meaningful." What we are doing well: willingness to try new things and take risks, the relaxed atmosphere, that we are traditional yet also current, and that the service is well-connected. There were also a number of constructive observations about things like music, the length of the service, and how we greet and welcome visitors.
With these results in hand, we will be making some simple improvements to the 9:30 service immediately, and implement others at the earliest opportunity. In addition, we are looking for ways to find out more about those who are new to St. Mark's and those who are not here yet. We also are thinking about limited and low-cost experiments with additional other times and forms for worship.
Thanks so much to all of you who participated in this project!
See you in church.
Craig
Lenten Book Study
Mondays, March 10 - April 14 1 p.m. in the New Room
How can we learn to receive God's love, love God in return, grow in Christ, serve others, and give back? That's the subject matter for Bishop Robert Schnase's deeply personal book, Five Practices for Fruitful Living. Sign up today to study this powerful book during Lent.
Please call (858-273-1480), email (smumcsdoffice@gmail.com), or visit the church office to sign up. Books are available now and are $5.
Art Show Planned
St. Mark's Religious Art Festival is coming soon. There is still time to let your friends and neighbors who are artists know about our show on the theme of "Visions of Peace." Each artist may enter up to three works in any fine art medium. We will receive entries Friday, March 14, 5:30-7:30 p.m., and Saturday, March 15, 9 a.m.-12 noon. Information about entry fees and other details are in the show prospectus, which is available in the church office or the church website: www.stmarksumcsd.org.The Awards Ceremony will be Saturday, March 22, at 1:30 p.m. Dr. Pam Ogdin Rosemier will provide our special music for the ceremony. A reception will follow in the social hall.
The show will be open for viewing Saturdays March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Persons are needed to sit with the art either 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. or 1 - 4 p.m. each of those days. If you can help, contact Judy Edelblute at judyedel@san.rr.com or 858-278-0255.
Womens Retreat
April 4-6By Sandy Plutchak
What a wonderful experience it is to join with women from St. Mark's for a weekend in the mountains, to learn, worship, pray, sing, play and eat together. If you haven't signed up yet, I encourage you to do so soon. I have attended the Women's Retreat every year, and each year I return from the mountains, praising God for the great time I had, getting closer to God, and better acquainted with friends from St. Mark's. Often two, and sometimes three, generations from one family attend the retreat together, and by the end of the week-end we know that we are all God's family. We enjoy crafts, time outdoors in the beautiful mountains, and worship with wonderful singing. I always come home with songs in my heart.
I would love for all of the women of St. Mark's to join me at the Retreat this year, so that we can get to know each other better!
A Huge Thanks!
In the Community Christian Service Agency February newsletter, CCSA ran the following article:HUGE THANKS TO........
•MARY ANN AUGUSTINE, from Frontline realty, who put together the Bay Park Food Drive, which provided 6,000 food items and over 1,500 hygiene and related articles.
•CHILI'S RESTAURANT in Clairemont Square for donating 15% of total Chili's receipts collected monthly by our supporters.
•DR. GARY DIXON (on Clairemont Drive) for food items collected at his office and donated to CCSA.
•RICK KEIL for cases of water provided for walkers in the CCSA Hunger Walk.
•KELLY JEAN SOBAN for her collection of small gifts which fit perfectly into homemade Christmas stockings (several boxes of these were donated earlier in the year) and given to children of CCSA clients. What a delight for the kids!
•CHILDREN from ST. MARK'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH for gifts they made at Christmastime and pulled them in a small wagon to the worship service for dedication and then to the CCSA center.
•FIONA ASHLEY THESEIRA and KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY on Friars Road for the 85 filled backpacks donated through the CCSA Back-to-School program.
Will you help? St. Mark's Sunday School Kids Work to End Hunger & Poverty
Come Sunday morning, you will be introduced to a mindset apart from Christmas: It's, "Joy to the World". Our Sunday School kids will begin their Lenten Giving Project working with Heifer International to help hungry families feed themselves. With your help, we'll raise $1500 and buy two sheep, four goats, one heifer, and two llamas. This gift also means wool for blankets, clothing for families, fertilizer for better crop yields, rich milk to nourish children, and raise money for medicine and school tuition.
You will be hearing more each week about this gift. Please consider what you will give when the little brown arks are held in your arms' reach. People are hungry and we're going to help feed them. Let's pray: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let this food to them be blessed. Amen.
Next Week at a Glance
Sunday, March 9, 2014 7:45 A.M. Pancake Breakfast/SH
8:30 A.M. Pastor's Sunday School/NR
9:00 A.M. Youth Fellowship/Rm 10
9:30 A.M. Worship
10:45 A.M. Joyful Noise Choir/CR
12:00 P.M. Tongan Fellowship Worship
1:00 P.M. Hunger Walk Logistics/NR, Lib
Monday, March 10, 2014
1:00 P.M. Lenten Book Study/NR
5:30 P.M. St. Mark's in Prayer/Sanc
6:00 P.M. Carillon Bells/SH
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
6:30 P.M. NAMI Family to Family/SH
Nursery School Board/Lib
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
10:00 A.M. Friendship Circle/NR
5:00 P.M. Peace Ringers/SH
5:30 P.M. Bible Study/NR
6:00 P.M. Glory Ringers/SH
7:00 P.M. Finance Meeting/Lib
Thursday, March 13, 2014
10:00 A.M. St. Mark's in Prayer/Sanc
4:30 P.M. Hallelujah & Cherub Choir/CR
5:20 P.M. Chimes/SH
7:00 P.M. Boy Scouts/SH
Friday, March 14, 2014
5:00 P.M. Receive Festival Art/Narthex
Saturday, March 15, 2014
8:00 A.M. CPR/First Aid Training/SH
Hunger Walk Logistics/NR, Lib
9:00 A.M. Receive /Hang/Judge Art/Narthex
Sunday, March 16, 2014
8:30 A.M. Pastor's Sunday School/NR
9:00 A.M. Youth Fellowship/Rm 10
9:30 A.M. Worship
10:45 A.M. Joyful Noise Choir/CR
Worship Committee/Lib
12:00 P.M. Tongan Fellowship Worship
1:00 P.M. Potato Redemption/SH
*If you have any questions or would like to add an event to the church calendar, please contact Malinda Whiteley, Church Secretary at 858-273-1480 ext.10 or smumcsdoffice@gmail.com.
Staff Office Hours
Rev. Craig DorvalSenior Minister
Monday - Thursday
10:30 A.M. - 6:30 P.M.
Rev. Jeri Newell-Davis
Associate Minister
Tuesday - Friday
9 A.M. - 3 P.M.
Spencer Topham
Youth Director
Tuesdays: 2 pm - 6 pm
Wednesdays: 9 am - 1 pm
Thursdays: 9 am - 11 am
Fridays: 9 am - 1 pm
1st, 2nd & 3rd Sundays: 9 am - 11 am
Malinda Whiteley,
Church Secretary
Monday - Friday
8 A.M. - 3 P.M.
About Us
St. Mark's United Methodist Church3502 Clairemont Drive
San Diego, California 92117
858-273-1480
To contact any member of our staff, visit our staff information page.
Rev. Craig Dorval, Senior MinisterRev. Jeri Newell-Davis, Associate Minister
M'Lu Colbourn, Director of St. Mark's Preschool
Frank Williams, Music Director
Craig McIlwain, Organist
Jo Anne Hammond, Director, Carillon Bells
Robin Haber, Director, Glory Ringers and Peace Ringers
Christina Peer, Director, Chimes
Cheryl Eubanks, Children's Choir Accompanist
Spencer Topham, Youth Director
Marya Chuong, Website
Malinda Whiteley, Church Secretary
Angel Cardenas, Church Custodian
"Oh, divine Fire,
burst aflame in my life -
spontaneous combustion
to turn all that traps or crushes growth ..."--Heidi Mann
In This Messenger
Fruitful Living
Women's Retreat
Will YOU Help?
St. Mark's in Prayer
Potato Redemption
The newsletter can also be found on our website.To stop the paper Messenger,
contact the church office by email, or phone: 858-273-1480.
Time to Spring Forward
It's time to spring forward! Be sure to set your clocks forward an hour before going to sleep this Saturday night.St. Mark's: Facebook
Find daily meditations, photos, conversations, and more. Just click on the above link.
Pastors Sunday School
We will study the lectionary texts, which follow the church calendar. It's an informal study, always open to all, at 8:30 a.m. in the New Room, just behind the church office.
Below are the lectionary reading for this week:
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7Psalm 32
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11
First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 2: 15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. 16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”
3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any animal of the field which Yahweh God had made. He said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?’”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees of the garden, 3 but not the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden. God has said, ‘You shall not eat of it. You shall not touch it, lest you die.’”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t surely die, 5 for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate; and she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too. 7 Their eyes were opened, and they both knew that they were naked. They sewed fig leaves together, and made coverings for themselves.
Psalm 32: By David. A contemplative psalm.
1 Blessed is he whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom Yahweh doesn’t impute iniquity,
in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me.
My strength was sapped in the heat of summer.
Selah.
5 I acknowledged my sin to you.
I didn’t hide my iniquity.
I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh,
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Selah.
6 For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.
Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him.
7 You are my hiding place.
You will preserve me from trouble.
You will surround me with songs of deliverance.
Selah.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go.
I will counsel you with my eye on you.
9 Don’t be like the horse, or like the mule, which have no understanding,
who are controlled by bit and bridle, or else they will not come near to you.
10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh.
11 Be glad in Yahweh, and rejoice, you righteous!
Shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart!
Romans 5: 12 Therefore as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned. 13 For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come. 15 But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16 The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification. 17 For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ. 18 So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.
Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. 3 The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”[a]
5 Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will put his angels in charge of you.’ and,
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you don’t dash your foot against a stone.’”[b]
7 Jesus said to him, “Again, it is written, ‘You shall not test the Lord, your God.’”[c]
8 Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. 9 He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me,[d] Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” [e]
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and served him.
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 4:4 Deuteronomy 8:3
b. Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11-12
c. Matthew 4:7 Deuteronomy 6:16
d. Matthew 4:10 TR and NU read “Go away” instead of “Get behind me”
e. Matthew 4:10 Deuteronomy 6:13
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John Wesley’s Notes/Commentary:
First Sunday in Lent
Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Verse 16, 17. Thou shall die - That is, thou shalt lose all the happiness thou hast either in possession or prospect; and thou shalt become liable to death, and all the miseries that preface and attend it. This was threatened as the immediate consequence of sin. In the day thou eatest, thou shalt die - Not only thou shalt become mortal, but spiritual death and the forerunners of temporal death shall immediately seize thee. See note at "ver. 17"
II The general contents of this chapter we have Rom. v, 12. By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. More particularly, we have here,
I. The innocent tempted, ver. 1-5.
II. The tempted transgressing, ver. 6, 7, 8.
III. The transgressors arraigned, ver. 9, 10.
IV. Upon their arraignment convicted, ver. 11-13.
V. Upon their conviction sentenced, ver. 14-19.
VI. After sentence, reprieved, ver. 20, 21.
VII. Notwithstanding their reprieve, execution in part done, ver. 22-24, and were it not for the gracious intimations of redemption, they and all their race had been left to despair.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. We have here an account of the temptation wherewith Satan assaulted our first parents, and which proved fatal to them. And here observe, (1.) The tempter, the devil in the shape of a serpent. Multitudes of them fell; but this that attacked our first parents, was surely the prince of the devils. Whether it was only the appearance of a serpent, or a real serpent, acted and possessed by the devil, is not certain. The devil chose to act his part in a serpent, because it is a subtle creature. It is not improbable, that reason and speech were then the known properties of the serpent. And therefore Eve was not surprised at his reasoning and speaking, which otherwise she must have been. (2.) That which the devil aimed at, was to persuade Eve to eat forbidden fruit; and to do this, he took the same method that he doth still.
1. He questions whether it were a sin or no, ver. 1,
2. He denies that there was any danger in it, ver. 4.
3. He suggests much advantage by it, ver. 5. And these are his common topics. As to the advantage, he suits the temptation to the pure state they were now in, proposing to them not any carnal pleasure, but intellectual delights.
Verse 1. Your eyes shall be opened - You shall have much more of the power and pleasure of contemplation than now you have; you shall fetch a larger compass in your intellectual views, and see farther into things than now you do.
Verse 2. You shall be as gods - As Elohim, mighty gods, not only omniscient but omnipotent too:
Verse 3. You shall know good and evil - That is, everything that is desirable to be known. To support this part of the temptation, he abuseth the name given to this tree. 'Twas intended to teach the practical knowledge of good and evil, that is, of duty and disobedience, and it would prove the experimental knowledge of good and evil, that is, of happiness and misery. But he perverts the sense of it, and wrests it to their destruction, as if this tree would give them a speculative notional knowledge of the natures, kinds, and originals of good and evil. And,
Verse 4. All this presently, In the day you eat thereof - You will find a sudden and immediate change for the better. See note at "ver. 1"
Verse 6, 7, 8. Here we see what Eve's parley with the tempter ended in: Satan at length gains his point. God tried the obedience of our first parents by forbidding them the tree of knowledge, and Satan doth as it were join issue with God, and in that very thing undertakes to seduce them into a transgression; and here we find how he prevailed, God permitting it for wise and holy ends. (1.) We have here the inducements that moved them to transgress. The woman being deceived, was ring-leader in the transgression, 1 Tim. ii, 14
1. She saw that the tree was - It was said of all the rest of the fruit trees wherewith the garden of Eden was planted, that they were pleasant to the sight, and good for food.
2. She imagined a greater benefit by this tree than by any of the rest, that it was a tree not only not to be dreaded, but to be desired to make one wise, and therein excelling all the rest of the trees. This she saw, that is, she perceived and understood it by what the devil had said to her. She gave also to her husband with her - 'Tis likely he was not with her when she was tempted; surely if he had, he would have interposed to prevent the sin; but he came to her when she had eaten, and was prevailed with by her to eat likewise. She gave it to him; persuading him with the same arguements that the serpent had used with her; adding this to the rest, that she herself had eaten of it, and found it so far from being deadly that it was extremely pleasant and grateful. And he did eat - This implied the unbelief of God's word, and confidence in the devil's; discontent with his present state, and an ambition of the honour which comes not from God. He would be both his own carver, and his own master, would have what he pleased, and do what he pleased; his sin was in one word disobedience, Rom. v, 19, disobedience to a plain, easy and express command, which he knew to be a command of trial. He sins against light and love, the clearest light and the dearest love that ever sinner sinned against. But the greatest aggravation of his sin was, that he involved all his posterity in sin and ruin by it. He could not but know that he stood as a public person, and that his disobedience would be fatal to all his seed; and if so, it was certainly both the greatest treachery and the greatest cruelty that ever was. Shame and fear seized the criminals, these came into the world along with sin, and still attend it. The Eyes of them both were opened - The eyes of their consciences; their hearts smote them for what they had done Now, when it was too late, they saw the happiness they were fallen from, and the misery they were fallen into. They saw God provoked, his favour forfeited, his image lost; they felt a disorder in their own spirits, which they had never before been conscious of; they saw a law in their members warring against the law of their minds, and captivating them both to sin and wrath; they saw that they were naked, that is, that they were stripped, deprived of all the honours and joys of their paradise state, and exposed to all the miseries that might justly be expected from an angry God; laid open to the contempt and reproach of heaven and earth, and their own consciences. And they sewed or platted fig leaves together, and, to cover, at least, part of their shame one from another, made themselves aprons. See here what is commonly the folly of those that have sinned: they are more solicitous to save their credit before men, than to obtain their pardon from God. And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day - Tis supposed he came in a human shape; in no other similitude than that wherein they had seen him when he put them into paradise; for he came to convince and humble them, not to amaze and terrify them. He came not immediately from heaven in their view as afterwards on mount Sinai, but he came in the garden, as one that was still willing to be familiar with them. He came walking, not riding upon the wings of the wind, but walking deliberately, as one slow to anger. He came in the cool of the day, not in the night, when all fears are doubly fearful; nor did he come suddenly upon them, but they heard his voice at some distance, giving them notice of his coming; and probably it was a still small voice, like that in which he came to inquire after Elijah. And they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God - A sad change! Before they had sinned, if they heard the voice of the Lord God coming towards them, they would have run to meet him, but now God was become a terror to them, and then no marvel they were become a terror to themselves. See note at "ver. 6"
Psalm 32
PS 32 The happiness of them whose sins are forgiven, ver. 1, 2. The necessity of confessing our sins, and of prayer, ver. 3-6. God's promise to them that trust in him, ver. 7-10. An exhortation to rejoice in God, ver. 11. A psalm of David, Maschil. Title of the psalm. Maschil - Or, an instructor. This psalm is fitly so called, because it was composed for the information of the church, in that most important doctrine, the way to true blessedness.
Verse 2. Imputeth - Whom God doth not charge with the guilt of his sins, but graciously pardons and accepts him in Christ. No guile - Who freely confesses all his sins, and turns from sin to God with all his heart.
Verse 3. Silence - From a full and open confession of my sins. Old - My spirit failed, and the strength of my body decayed. Roaring - Because of the continual horrors of my conscience, and sense of God's wrath.
Verse 4. Hand - Thy afflicting hand. My moisture - Was dried up.
Verse 5. The iniquity - The guilt of my sin.
Verse 6. For this - Upon the encouragement of my example. Found - In an acceptable and seasonable time, while God continues to offer grace and mercy. Waters - In the time of great calamities. Not come - So as to overwhelm him.
Verse 8. I will - This and the next verse seems to be the words of God, whom David brings in as returning this answer to his prayers. Mine eye - So Christ did St. Peter, when he turned and looked upon him.
Verse 9. Will not - Unless they be forced to it by a bit or bridle. And so all the ancient translators understand it.
Verse 10. Sorrows - This is an argument to enforce the foregoing admonition.
Romans 5:12-19
Verse 12. Therefore - This refers to all the preceding discourse; from which the apostle infers what follows. He does not therefore properly make a digression, but returns to speak again of sin and of righteousness. As by one man - Adam; who is mentioned, and not Eve, as being the representative of mankind. Sin entered into the world - Actual sin, and its consequence, a sinful nature. And death - With all its attendants. It entered into the world when it entered into being; for till then it did not exist. By sin - Therefore it could not enter before sin. Even so - Namely, by one man. In that - So the word is used also, 2 Cor. v, 4. All sinned - In Adam. These words assign the reason why death came upon all men; infants themselves not excepted, in that all sinned.
Verse 13. For until the law sin was in the world - All, I say, had sinned, for sin was in the world long before the written law; but, I grant, sin is not so much imputed, nor so severely punished by God, where there is no express law to convince men of it. Yet that all had sinned, even then, appears in that all died.
Verse 14. Death reigned - And how vast is his kingdom! Scarce can we find any king who has as many subjects, as are the kings whom he hath conquered. Even over them that had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression - Even over infants who had never sinned, as Adam did, in their own persons; and over others who had not, like him, sinned against an express law. Who is the figure of him that was to come - Each of them being a public person, and a federal head of mankind. The one, the fountain of sin and death to mankind by his offense; the other, of righteousness and life by his free gift. Thus far the apostle shows the agreement between the first and second Adam: afterward he shows the differences between them. The agreement may be summed up thus: As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; so by one man righteousness entered into the world, and life by righteousness. As death passed upon all men, in that all had sinned; so life passed upon all men, (who are in the second Adam by faith,) in that all are justified. And as death through the sin of the first Adam reigned even over them who had not sinned after the likeness of Adam's transgression; so through the righteousness of Christ, even those who have not obeyed, after the likeness of his obedience, shall reign in life. We may add, As the sin of Adam, without the sins which we afterwards committed, brought us death; so the righteousness of Christ, without the good works which we afterwards perform, brings us life: although still every good, as well as evil, work, will receive its due reward.
Verse 15. Yet not - St. Paul now describes the difference between Adam and Christ; and that much more directly and expressly than the agreement between them. Now the fall and the free gift differ,
1. In amplitude, ver. 15.
2. He from whom sin came, and He from whom the free gift came, termed also "the gift of righteousness," differ in power, ver. 16.
3. The reason of both is subjoined, ver. 17.
4. This premised, the offense and the free gift are compared, with regard to their effect, ver. 18, and with regard to their cause, ver. 19.
16. The sentence was by one offense to Adam's condemnation - Occasioning the sentence of death to pass upon him, which, by consequence, overwhelmed his posterity. But the free gift is of many offenses unto justification - Unto the purchasing it for all men, notwithstanding many offenses.
Verse 17. There is a difference between grace and the gift. Grace is opposed to the offense; the gift, to death, being the gift of life.
Verse 18. Justification of life - Is that sentence of God, by which a sinner under sentence of death is adjudged to life.
Verse 19. As by the disobedience of one man many (that is, all men) were constituted sinners - Being then in the loins of their first parent, the common head and representative of them all. So by the obedience of one - By his obedience unto death; by his dying for us. Many - All that believe. Shall be constituted righteous - Justified, pardoned.
Matthew 4:1-11
Verse 1. Then - After this glorious evidence of his Father's love, he was completely armed for the combat. Thus after the clearest light and the strongest consolation, let us expect the sharpest temptations. By the Spirit - Probably through a strong inward impulse. Mark i, 12; Luke iv, 1.
Verse 2. Having fasted - Whereby doubtless he received more abundant spiritual strength from God. Forty days and forty nights - As did Moses, the giver of the law, and Elijah, the great restorer of it. He was afterward hungry - And so prepared for the first temptation.
Verse 3. Coming to him - In a visible form; probably in a human shape, as one that desired to inquire farther into the evidences of his being the Messiah.
Verse 4. It is written - Thus Christ answered, and thus we may answer all the suggestions of the devil. By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God - That is, by whatever God commands to sustain him. Therefore it is not needful I should work a miracle to procure bread, without any intimation of my Father's will. Deut. viii, 3.
Verse 5. The holy city - So Jerusalem was commonly called, being the place God had peculiarly chosen for himself. On the battlement of the temple - Probably over the king's gallery, which was of such a prodigious height, that no one could look down from the top of it without making himself giddy.
Verse 6. In their hands - That is, with great care. Psalm xci, 11, 12.
Verse 7. Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God - By requiring farther evidence of what he hath already made sufficiently plain. Deut. vi, 16.
Verse 8. Showeth him all the kingdoms of the world - In a kind of visionary representation.
Verse 9. If thou wilt fall down and worship me - Here Satan clearly shows who he was. Accordingly Christ answering this suggestion, calls him by his own name, which he had not done before.
Verse 10. Get thee hence, Satan - Not, get thee behind me, that is, into thy proper place; as he said on a quite different occasion to Peter, speaking what was not expedient. Deut. vi, 13.
Verse 11. Angels came and waited upon him - Both to supply him with food, and to congratulate his victory.
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St. Mark's in Prayer
Be in prayer for St. Mark's. The church is beginning a period of discernment and positive challenge, and prayer is very important. All are invited to join Rev. Craig and Rev. Jeri for two weekly communion and prayer times in the sanctuary during Lent, on Thursday mornings from 10 to 10:30 (starting this Thursday, March 6), and Monday evenings from 5:30 to 6 (starting Monday, March 10).
First Aid & CPR Training
On Saturday, March 15, St. Mark's is offering Adult/Child/Infant First Aid & CPR training. The class time is 8 A.M. - 2 P.M. and is free with lunch included. Registration is required and limited to 12 people. Please contact Rev. Jeri at the church office to register.
The Great Potato Redemption
Join us in the Social Hall after worship on March 16 after morning worship for The Great Potato Redemption. Your Inviting & Welcoming Committee promises to put the taters in the oven in plenty of time for an Irish potluck meal to be shared among us. Here's the scoop so we'll all eat happy. Last names beginning:
A to G, please haul some chili
or a veggie dish.
H to M, please escort a dessert.
N to R, please fetch a tater topping.
S to Z, please lug a green salad.
Lenten Devotions
Adult and family Lenten devotions are available in the church office. Please be sure to come by and say "Hi" and pick one up.
Hunger Walk
The Community Christian Service Agency (CCSA) will hold its Annual Hunger Walk on Saturday, March 15 at DeAnza Cove on Mission Bay. Please be sure to sign up on the patio following worship on Sunday. All ages are encouraged to participate. If you can't walk, please support someone with a pledge.
39er March Luncheon
Monday, March 17, at 11:30 a.m. in the Social Hall. There will be rousing Irish sing-along and entertainment. Corn beef & rainbow dessert provided. Please share a potato dish. Questions and RSVP to kwscanlon@gmail.com or call Karen 858 272-7357.
Memorial Service
The Memorial and reception for Donna Gutzler will be held at St. Mark's on Friday, March 14, at 10 a.m.
In Our Prayers
♥ Rose Marie Pierce♥ Charlotte Liles and Family
♥ Tracy Taylor
♥ Joni Maraver
♥ Karen Dismukes
♥ Ricky Dean
♥ Lisa Denton
♥ Mildred Braman
♥ Lois Ramsey
♥ Walter Hebdon
♥ Julie Nelson
♥ Greg Erdman
♥ Lorretta Schaffer
♥ Shirley Jennings
♥ Renae Pierce
♥ Joe Ramsey
♥ Franki Benson
♥ Gene Hagar
♥ Gwynn Cannon
♥ Dana Robinson
♥ Rod Barrett
♥ Bill Burton
♥ Mitch Boyer
♥ Molly and Mack Barrett
♥ Margaret Westfall
We Remember Our Military Personnel, including
♥ Kris Brendal, Army♥ Robert S. Chisholm, Navy
♥ Craig Clemans, Marines
♥ Paul Clemans, Air Force
♥ Blake Cross, Navy
♥ Robert Davis, Navy
♥ Brandon Dempster, Navy
♥ Samuel England, Navy
♥ Lenny Hezelett, Navy
♥ Michael Hunter, Navy
♥ Brady Jackson, Army
♥ Jeremy Munson, Navy
♥ Daniel Ness, Army
♥ Milo Riegle, Marines
♥ Casper Stalnaker, Navy
♥ Nathan Streeter, Army
♥ Robert Tarango, Navy
Our presence in worship on Sunday, March 2 was 278.
Quilt Show
Bring your friends and family for a morning or an afternoon out to St. Mark's this Saturday, March 8. In the Sanctuary from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. you will find an array of beautiful quilts spread over the pews and hanging on the walls. Some quilts are more than 100 years old, and some may be as new as last week. Included in the $5 admission fee is a visit to the market place in the Social Hall where you can purchase quilt items and good quality fabric at greatly reduced prices.
This is a fundraiser for St. Mark's United Methodist Women and their support of world-wide missions.
Altar Flowers
Providing altar flowers during a worship service is a wonderful way to share in the celebration of a special occasion and to honor a loved one. Please stop by or call the church office to reserve your special date.
Links
St. Mark's Website Youth News
St. Mark's School
St. Mark's UMW News
Upper Room Daily Devotion
The United Methodist Church
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St. Mark's United Methodist Church
3502 Clairemont Drive
San Diego CA 92117 United States
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