COVID Corner

A Note from Amanda to Families

Did you know there is a new Instagram page

dedicated to featuring what's going on with young

people in our community? If you have an

Instagram account make sure to follow along:

@stmarksyp

If you don’t, no worries! We'll post everything on

Facebook, on our webpage (stmarksumcsd.org/

youngpeople) and here too.

Children’s Lenten Offering and Blessing

Thank you to all who offered gifts to BirthLine

during our Lenten season. Although they were

delivered post Easter, the gifts were blessed,

given, and received with grateful hearts.

Check out the electronic Messenger for a

video of the blessing.

Wedding Anniversary

Quarantine Style by Alana Sedgwick

Anniversary in quarantine saved us a lot of

money. No cruise, no airplane ride, no jewelry,

no expensive dinner out.

We celebrated our 47th at Chez Sedgwick with

candlelight, a rose, and a tablecloth on the

table. Dinner was a prime rib pulled from the

freezer left over from Christmas a year ago.

Because we dated for 10 years before we got

married, our dinner’s theme was “A Journey

Back to the Summer of 1963.” We had hours

of Reminiscing thanks to my “Sentimentality

Box.”

How’s THAT for a Sentimental Journey?

Happy Anniversary to Alana and Skip! And

thank you for sharing.

Interfaith National Day of Prayer Videocast on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 6 P.M.

You are invited to join Rev. Jeri, Rev. Lydia, Adam Marshall-Lopez, PB UMC musicians,

and others as together we light candles and combine our prayers.

www.PBUMC.com/Live

Left: Humor

found by Beth

Dugan.

Right: Rev.

Tom Davis

Zooms to

church.

The Kneier

kids model

their masks

and send

their

electronic

thank you

to Pam

Rader.

(CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE)

Worship as of July 1st: Speaking of the new pastor, she along with the rest of the St. Mark’s

worship team have decided to resume worship back in the St. Mark’s sanctuary, no longer doing

worship with Pacific Beach United Methodist Church as of July 1st. This is because Pacific Beach

United Methodist Church is also receiving a new pastor and it is important for both churches to begin

a new chapter of their lives under the leadership of their new pastors. I suspect St. Mark’s folks will

be ecstatic to see worship in their own sanctuary once again.

The worship will continue to be virtual until further notice from our governing authorities regarding

large gatherings.

May Sermon Series - Creativity: Finally, our sermon series for the next 5 weeks centers around the

themes of art, creativity and imagination. We decided to focus on these themes as they are the anti-

dotes to our suffering and helplessness. Adam Marshall-Lopez, a ministry candidate at Pacific Beach

United Methodist Church and the one who preached at our Good Friday service, will be preaching in

honor of Mother’s Day and how God, our ultimate mother, breathed all of us into creation and is still

creating anew even now. Especially now. She is using the chaos of these present times to create

beauty, hope, and fresh beginnings. I hope you will tune in this Sunday at 9 a.m. to watch.

In this together, Rev. Lydia

Peace with Justice Sunday – May 17 Sunday, May 17 is Peace with Justice Sunday.

Funds are used to enable the UMC to have a

voice in advocating for peace and justice through

a broad spectrum of national and international

ministries. Moved by Christ’s love to pursue

reconciliation and peace, honoring the dignity of

every individual made in God’s image, The UMC

is unwilling to turn a blind eye to injustice.

Because you give:

• Methodists spearhead a peace ministry uniting Arizona

border communities

• Methodists in Liberia are being equipped to implement

the denomination’s Social Principles to address social-

justice issue

• Pennsylvania students are educating their community

about sex-trafficking at home and abroad

• Austin Region Justice for Our Neighbors has the tools

to support refugees and immigrants through advocacy,

education and legal services

These initiatives, and many others, are how your

generosity can help bring peace and justice to a

hurting world. Please consider a donation.

Please keep all those in prayer who are experiencing grief, chronic illness, addiction, loss of direction and disenfranchisement. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Our military personnel:

Brook Bossen, Coast Guard Kris Brendal, Army

Robert S.Chisholm, Navy Craig Clemans, Marines Paul Clemans, Air Force Blake Cross, Navy Nathan Streeter, Navy Lenny Hezelett, Navy Henry Hoadley, Navy Michael Hunter, Navy Milo Riegle, Marines Robert Tarango, Navy Dylan Weitzman, Army

You are invited to participate in the St. Mark's prayer chain via email. Prayer requests will be sent to you via an email account you provide; you will not be asked to do anything other than offer your private prayers for requests you receive. To participate, please email Donna Newby at donewby@san.rr.com.

In Our Prayers

St. Mark’s Messenger (USPS 516-260) is published weekly

by St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 3502 Clairemont

Drive, San Diego CA 92117. Periodicals Postage paid at

San Diego, CA POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

St. Mark’s Messenger, 3502 Clairemont Dr, S.D., CA 92117

St. Mark’s Messenger

Vol. 47 Issue 18 Keeping In Touch

Pastor’s Bible School Wednesdays @ 1 P.M.

Join Rev. Jeri on Wednesdays at 1P.M. via Zoom as

we explore the Lectionary Passages of the week. A

Zoom link will be sent by email each Wednesday

morning. Here are the passages for Sunday, May 10

• Acts 7:55-60

• Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

• 1 Peter 2:2-10

• John 14:1-14

As well as Sunday, May 17:

• Acts 17:22-31

• Psalm 66:8-20

• 1 Peter 3:13-22

• John 14:15-21

Dear beloved St. Mark’s community,

There’s a lot of information in this letter, including my moving out date

so please read until the end.

Palm Sunday came and went. Easter Sunday came and went. And

now, Mother’s Day will come and go under this pandemic.

When I initially wrote all of you about ceasing our in-person worship, I

honestly thought it wouldn’t be more than three weeks before we

gathered back together again. We are now approaching our third month

of social distancing.

Before, I wasn’t able to share with you how all of this would unravel

because this pandemic was unprecedented. Medical and political

professionals were trying to understand all of this in real time, as it was

happening. As such, I had to reign in my urge to control and take it one

week at a time. I couldn’t make any promises to you as I didn’t know

what the future held.

Now, after several months of researching, praying, listening, and

observing, I am able to share with more certainty on how the following

months may unfold.

Saying Goodbye: The first matter is my being able to say goodbye. It

breaks my heart that I will not be able to say goodbye to all of you in the

context of a gathered Sunday morning worship service as the ban

against large public gatherings probably won’t be lifted until late

summer or early fall. HOWEVER, I still want to see your faces and say

goodbye! That would mean a lot to me because you have meant a lot to

me. Therefore, I will be in the church parking lot on Tuesday, May 26th

and Thursday, May 28th from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a drive-thru goodbye!

Come with your cars and face masks and we will share our heartfelt

goodbyes as we maintain a careful social distance.

Our official move out date is Monday, June 8th so that the Board of

Trustees can prepare the parsonage for your next pastor, the Rev.

Darin Arntson, who will begin her appointment here officially on July

1st. Don't worry, virtual worship will continue every Sunday morning

even after I move out. (CONTINUE NEXT PAGE)

May 5, 2020

858-273-1480

Rev. Lydia Sohn Senior Minister

St. Mark’s Digital Friendship

Pad Check-ins for May 3:

36 and counting

Sunday, May 3, 2020 9:00 a.m. via Livestream

www.pbumc.org/live

Next Week @ A Glance

Wednesday, May 6, 2020 10:00AM Music Appreciation/Zoom 1:00PM Bible Study with Rev. Jeri/Zoom 4:00PM 6-12 Graders Mindfulness Meetup/Zoom

Thursday, May 7, 2020 10:00AM Coffee Chat w/ Rev. Jeri/Zoom 4:00PM Cherub Hallelujah Choir/Zoom

Sunday, May 10, 2020 9:00AM Worship at pbumc.org/live followed by Zoom fellowship

Monday, May 11, 2020 2:00PM Coffee Chat w/ Rev Lydia/Zoom (New Time)

Wednesday, May 13, 2020 10:00AM Music Appreciation/Zoom 1:00PM Bible Study with Rev. Jeri/Zoom 4:00PM 6-12 Graders Mindfulness Meetup/Zoom

Thursday, May 14, 2020 10:00AM Coffee Chat w/ Rev. Jeri/Zoom 4:00PM Cherub Hallelujah Choir/Zoom

Nursery School Soft Open & Carnival Becomes On-line Auction

Too excited to rest,

this preschooler is

happy to be back.

The preschool has opened for about 10 chil-

dren of essential workers. In addition, they

are ramping up to open for more students

with new regulations in June. The infant

room is in need of up to 20 crib sheets and

they are gratefully accepting donations for

this.

Since the annual fundraising carnival in April

was canceled, the silent auction is moving

on-line! This is the school’s largest fund-

raiser. Look for details on how you can

participate June 1-5.