1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

A monthly publication for the parish of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Cocoa, Florida
Serving Brevard County since 1878
JANUARY
Highly prized
What’s
inside?
In a 1648 sermon titled “Christ Is the Life of
Believers,” English preacher Thomas Brooks
encouraged listeners to highly prize Jesus and
to remember that he highly prizes us:
The View from the Corner
Office ................................... 2
The faith journey .................. 2
“You prize great ones; the Lord Jesus Christ is
great — he is King of kings, and Lord of lords.
You prize others for their wisdom and
knowledge; the Lord Jesus hath in himself “all
the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
(Colossians 2:3, KJV). You prize others for
their beauty; the Lord Jesus Christ is the most
beautiful of ten thousand (Song of Solomon
5:10). You prize others for their usefulness; the
Lord Jesus Christ is the right hand of a
believer, without which he can do nothing.
Lunch Bunch ........................ 2
Sunday School..................... 3
St. Mark’s Prayer Team ....... 3
Pray without ceasing............ 3
The Order of St. Luke .......... 3
Central Brevard Sharing
Center .................................. 3
NEW Coffee Hour Guild ....... 3
The new year ....................... 3
Schedules ............................ 4
Keep breathing .................... 4
Birthdays .............................. 5
Home Communion ............... 5
“Take away Jesus Christ, and a believer is
nobody — nobody to perform any action, nobody to bear any affliction, nobody to
conquer corruption, nobody to withstand temptation. Oh, prize Jesus Christ!
“You are as the apple of his eye; he accounts you his fullness; you are his jewels;
therefore prize him who sets such a high price on you.”
Calendar .............................. 6
Academy “Joi-full” News ..... 7
To forgive is to love.............. 7
Resolve to listen .................. 7
Special Dates....................... 8
2015
Wednesdays @ St. Mark's - January 21, 2015
Brevard County Wasn't Born with the Space Program!
A History of Brevard County and St. Mark's
5:00 - 5:45 PM
5:45 - 6:30 PM
Wine (donations accepted) and Cheese
Dinner: Adults $10, Children $5
Reservations required by January 20, 321-636-3781
6:30 - 7:30 PM Presentation (no reservation necessary)
Despite popular belief, Brevard County wasn't born when the
space industry hit town! Rather, it has an interesting and rich
history, dating back to prehistoric times.
Come hear about how our county came to be … learn how it
leaped from containing little more than sandspurs and
mosquitoes to the hustle and bustle of the space age.
St. Mark's is a vital part of that history and it wasn't always a
busy church and academy housed in a Spanish style building.
History is a part of us, and we are a part of history!
The View from
the Corner Office
Father Jerry Beaumont
325 Wilkinson St. #321
Chelsea MI 48118
[email protected]
The faith journey
Lunch Bunch
January 2015
OK, so now we have to remember to show the year as 2015; I wonder how long it
will take me to remember. In the great scheme of life's events remember the hue and
cry at the turn of the century? For all the PR given that, the expectations voiced that
somehow, some way the world was going to come apart at its seams. I often am
reminded of, I think it was Samuel Clements who put it best, "In my life I have had
many problems, the majority of which never happened". That may not be an accurate
quote but it is how I remember it.
Our Lord is quoted on many occasions trying to get that message to us. "Consider the
lilies of the field". "Consider the birds of the air". There are others such as letting the
day take care of itself.
I can recall a column in an engineering periodical that I subscribed to years ago. It
was talking about an American engineer who was sent to Europe to work in a firm I
think in Germany (I am not sure). Like most of us young engineers he rushed from
one place to another when it really wasn't necessary. One day he was going to have
lunch with one of the resident engineers. The lunchroom was on the third floor. The
two of them started out together with the American setting a rather brisk pace. When
they came to the stairs he started bounding up them two at a time. He suddenly
realized his companion was several steps behind him so he waited for him. When
they were together again the resident engineer said, "What is the rush, we are only
going to lunch, slow down and enjoy the day".
I certainly have been guilty of rushing needlessly as you have probably also.
Frequently when I have engaged in psychotherapy with a patient who expressed
concerns about the frantic pace of life I give that person Dr. B's prescription which is
as follows:
In the morning read Matthew 6: 25-33. In the evening read Philippians 4:4-9.
The majority of those who actually tried that prescription reported that it was very
helpful to set them back on course.
Some time when you are feeling as though the world is speeding up and leaving you
behind you might try my 'script. Our Lord's insight into the human condition gives us
not only essences for the future but very practical advice for the present.
May you and yours enjoy a happy healthy 2015.
PAX,
Fr. Jerry
Faith is better understood as a verb than a noun, as a process than as a possession. It
is on-again-off-again rather than once-and-for-all. Faith is not being sure where
you’re going, but going anyway. A journey without maps.
—Frederick Buechner
The Lunch Bunch will reorganize for the new year.
Questions or suggestions? Sandy Baldwin, [email protected] or 321-253-8601.
2
THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
Sunday School
St. Mark’s
Prayer Team
Pray without
ceasing
—C.H. Spurgeon
The Order of
St. Luke
Central Brevard
Sharing Center
NEW
Coffee Hour Guild
Sunday School welcomes all children ages 3 and up who are toilet trained and
comfortable being in the Sunday School room without a parent. Miss Vicki has an
informational form for all parents to fill out. The classroom opens at 9:55 AM.
Children are brought into the service to rejoin their parent at the Peace.
The telephone Prayer Chain has been updated to an telephone/email Prayer Team so
more people have the opportunity to participate as their schedule permits. If you
want to join the Team or have a prayer request, please contact Carolyn at the church
office: [email protected] or 636-3781.
The more we pray, the more we shall want to pray. The more we pray, the more we
can pray. The more we pray, the more we shall pray. He who prays little will pray
less, but he who prays much will pray more. And he who prays more will desire to
pray more abundantly.
OSL (The Order of St. Luke the Physician) members are available during
Communion on Sundays and Thursdays for prayers of intercession and healing.
Thank you for your continuing support of The Central Brevard Sharing Center.
Suggested items to share: canned meats and fruit, peanut butter and jelly, pasta,
spaghetti sauce, powdered milk, instant mashed potatoes, oatmeal (individually
packaged), rice, macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles. They also welcome unused
toiletries, tooth paste and tooth brushes.
Thanks to Beverly Jones, we have been enjoying “yummy” Coffee Hour Meals for
the past few years. Starting in January 2015, Beverly is taking a well deserved leave
from her Sunday Gift to us. Therefore, we would like to form a COFFEE HOUR
GUILD which would supply simple Sunday morning treats consisting of cookies,
donuts, muffins, or other easy items to go with our morning coffee and juice!
The guild will have five (5) teams, one for each Sunday of the month. Please
volunteer for one of the teams that will serve on Sundays to be repeated each month.
(1st Sundays, 2nd Sundays, 3rd Sundays, 4th Sundays and 5th Sundays). We would like
each team to have members from both 8:00 and 10:00 services.
Sandy Baldwin will be coming around at all Coffee Hours to answer any questions
and to sign up volunteers for our 2015 Sunday Coffee/Fellowship Hour. You may
also contact her by phone, 321-253-8601 or by email, [email protected].
Let’s continue to enjoy our fellowship time after service on Sundays with this new
volunteer opportunity for us here at St. Mark’s!!
The new year
“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the
new year.”
―Vern McLellan
3
THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
Schedules
JANUARY 4
2 CHRISTMAS
JANUARY 11
1 EPIPHANY
JANUARY 18
2 EPIPHANY
JANUARY 25
3 EPIPHANY
FEBRUARY 1
4 EPIPHANY
FEBRUARY 8
5 EPIPHANY
LAYREADERS
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Borger
Bisbey
Lector, OT
Borger
Lector, Epistle
Duff
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Wright
Costello
Lector, OT
Wright
Lector, Epistle
Norman
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Blakeslee
Barber
Lector, OT
Blakeslee
Lector, Epistle
Pekar
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Bisbey
Borger
Lector, OT
Bisbey
Lector, Epistle
Adovasio
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Costello
Wright
Lector, OT
Costello
Lector, Epistle
Dickenson
8:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Barber
Blakeslee
Lector, OT
Barber
Lector, Epistle
Duff
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Brown
Mims
Lector, OT
Brown
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
ALTAR GUILD/
FLOWER GUILD
1
USHERS*
8:00 AM
Stevens
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Anstey
Schorr
Lector, OT
Anstey
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Hickman
Meers
Lector, OT
Hickman
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Anstey
Brown
Lector, OT
Anstey
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Mims
Meers
Lector, OT
Mims
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
10:00 AM
Lay Eucharistic
Ministers
Brown
Anstey
Lector, OT
Brown
Lector, Epistle
Acolyte, PC
2
3
4
1
2
8:00 AM
Bisbey
Knodel
8:00 AM
Pekar
Jones
8:00 AM
Shawler
8:00 AM
Stevens
8:00 AM
Bisbey
Knodel
10:00 AM
Belle
Hickman
HOME EUCHARIST*
Perdue
10:00 AM
Davis
10:00 AM
Anstey
10:00 AM
Wagner
10:00 AM
Williams
10:00 AM
Belle
Hickman
Costello
Barber
Spearman
Baldwin
Anstey
Hickman
Kinast
*If you will be unable to serve your scheduled time, please trade days or call Beverly Jones, 639-7104.
JANUARY 4
2 CHRISTMAS
JANUARY 11
1 EPIPHANY
JANUARY 18
2 EPIPHANY
JANUARY 25
3 EPIPHANY
FEBRUARY 1
4 EPIPHANY
FEBRUARY 8
5 EPIPHANY
ACOLYTES
Team 1
10:00 AM
PC
Co Mims
FS
Ca Mims
SS
J Mims
CC
R Finegan
OSL
H Finegan
THURIFER
Team 2
10:00 AM
PC
K Canada
FS
M Cole
SS
M Cassis
CC
K Davis
OSL
M Cassis
THURIFER
Team 3
10:00 AM
PC
C Jones
FS
M Baughan
SS
B Menyhart
CC
K Menyhart
OSL
Team 4
10:00 AM
PC
S Shamlin
FS
R Wagner
SS
X Robertson
CC
J McClure
OSL
THURIFER
THURIFER
Team 1
10:00 AM
PC
Co Mims
FS
Ca Mims
SS
J Mims
CC
R Finegan
OSL
H Finegan
THURIFER
Team 2
10:00 AM
PC
K Canada
FS
M Cole
SS
M Cassis
CC
K Davis
OSL
M Cassis
THURIFER
BOAT
BOAT
BOAT
BOAT
BOAT
BOAT
The Acolyte schedule is emailed. If you are unable to serve, contact Karen Shamlin at [email protected] or 212-8771.
Keep breathing
Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, said many Christians live on a
“spiritual roller coaster,” going from one emotional experience to another in a
worldly way, feeling “frustrated and fruitless.”
To counteract that, Bright recommended a spiritual breathing exercise as a
reminder of God’s love and forgiveness. Simply exhale as you confess your sins
and impurities. Then inhale to receive life and forgiveness — and to be filled
with the Holy Spirit, who empowers you to resist sin and temptation.
4
THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
Birthdays
7
Bernadine Crawford
Megan Smith
8
John Anderson
Betty Harrison
11 Lee Brandt
16 Elizabeth Frederick
Fran Scalera
Betty Sutton
17 Lia Smith
18 Delores Knapp
Carol Towns
12 Persia Morgan
W. E. Rich
19 Theresa Murphy
3
Damian Hosmer
13 Marge Newbern
23 Father Jerry
4
Maureen Brower
14 Willy Clark
Edward Reinhardt
5
Earl Johnson
24 Beverly Jones
Andrew Menyhart
Sandra Wagner
6
Kinsley Belle
15 George Adams
Deborah Dively
26 Kris Davis
Audrey Dewey
Ouida Joyner
Denise Pugliese
Sylvia Stanley
28 Karen Brandt
31 Susan Blakeslee
Tom Newbern, Sr.
Please call the church
office, 636-3781, to add
your name to our birthday
list.
25 Jory Rood
ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND ACADEMY
Website: www.stmarkscocoa.org
Website: www.stmarksacademy.org
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
4 Church Street, Cocoa, Florida 32922
Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Telephone: (321) 636-3781
FAX: (321) 632-9858
THE BISHOPS OF THE DIOCESE OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
The Right Reverend Gregory O. Brewer
THE PARISH STAFF
The Reverend Thomas W. Gibson, Rector
Academy Head– Joi Robertson
Parish Musician - Tim Hartsfield
Parish Life Coordinator – Beverly V. Jones
Assistant Organist – Linda Cox
Parish Administrator – Carolyn Hawkins
Sextons – Dale Taylor, Shane Cassis
THE VESTRY
Father Gibson
Sandy Baldwin
Barry Brown
Marla Glover
Ray Knodel
Nancy Loiselle
Jane Perdue
Steve Ridder
Delores Spearman
Richard Wagner
We are an old established church. We go back to the founders of our
country. We have a great Christian school in which young people are
welcomed from all faith perspectives. We sing traditional hymns and
hear beautiful music. The homilies encourage us to explore rather than
explain faith. We push aside easy answers. We enjoy our fellowship. We
meet interesting people. We view science as a partner, not an adversary.
We share one bread and one cup. We share the joys and sadnesses that
life presents and support each other on our journeys. We differ in belief,
yet pray together!
Home Communion
If you or a member of your family would like to receive home
communion, please contact Beverly Jones at
[email protected] or 321-639-7104.
5
THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
Calendar
JANUARY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
1
FRIDAY
2
Wedding Stickland/Pugliese
NEW YEAR'S
DAY
4
5
2 CHRISTMAS
8 AM Holy Eucharist
- Rite I
9:55 AM
Sunday School
10 AM Holy
Eucharist - Rite II
11
6
Academy
Teachers Return
12
7
8
Academy
Students Return
5:30 PM Holy
Eucharist
7:15 PM Choir
10:35 AM Bible
Study
13
14
15
16
17
23
24
30
31
10:35 AM Bible
Study
5:30 PM Holy
Eucharist
7:15 PM Choir
19
20
21
22
10 AM Healing and
Holy Eucharist
Martin Luther
King Jr. Day
8 AM Holy Eucharist
- Rite I
9:55 AM
Sunday School
10 AM Holy
Eucharist - Rite II
Church Office closed
25
26
Academy Holiday
10:35 AM Bible
Study
5:30 PM Holy
Eucharist
6:30 PM Vestry
7:15 PM Choir
27
28
29
Academy
Open House/
Breakfast
3 EPIPHANY
8 AM Holy Eucharist
- Rite I
9:55 AM
Sunday School
10 AM Holy
Eucharist - Rite II
10
10 AM Healing and
Holy Eucharist
8 AM Holy Eucharist
- Rite I
9:55 AM
Sunday School
10 AM Holy
Eucharist - Rite II
2 EPIPHANY
9
10 AM Healing and
Holy Eucharist
1 EPIPHANY
18
SATURDAY
3
5:30 PM Holy
Eucharist
10 AM Healing and
Holy Eucharist
10:35 AM Bible
Study
7:15 PM Choir
PRAYER TO END EXTREME POVERTY
"The world now has the means to end extreme poverty, we pray we will have the will."
6
THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
Academy
“Joi-full” News
Joi M. Robertson
Head of School
Developing the gifts
and talents of students
since 1954.
2 Church Street
Cocoa FL 32922
321-639-5771
To forgive is to
love
Resolve to listen
Dear Parishioners,
If you, or someone you know, is
interested in an Episcopal education,
taught by gifted endorsed teachers, please
consider attending our in school Open
House at St. Mark’s Episcopal Academy
on January 38th, 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Please email me at
[email protected] or call
639-5771 for more information or to
make a reservation. As always, private
tours are available.
Peace, my friends! Hope to see you soon.
Joi M. Robertson
Head of School
[email protected]
We must develop and maintain the
capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of
the power to forgive is devoid of the
power to love. There is some good in the
worst of us and some evil in the best of
us. When we discover this, we are less
prone to hate our enemies.
—Martin Luther King Jr.
Christian philosopher Paul Tillich said, “The first responsibility of love is to
listen.” Yet in our fast-paced culture, truly listening to someone has become a
lost art.
The intricate Chinese written character for the verb to
listen offers wise insight about how to listen to people
so they feel heard. The symbol is actually a
combination of characters for ears, eyes and an open
heart. Basically it reads, “I give you my ears, my eyes
and my undivided attention.” What a great image of
being fully engaged during the act of communication!
James 1:19 offers two wise resolutions for the year ahead: Be “quick to listen”
and “slow to speak” (NRSV). Practicing the skill of active listening is a muchneeded way to minister to other people, serving as Jesus’ “ears” in a hurting
world.
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THE MASTER KEY – JANUARY 2015
The Master Key
SAINT MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
4 CHURCH STREET
COCOA, FLORIDA 32922
THE MASTER KEY
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U S POSTAGE PAID
COCOA, FLORIDA
PERMIT NUMBER 124
JANUARY 2015
If you want to be added to/deleted from St. Mark’s email list, please contact Carolyn at [email protected]
Special Dates
JANUARY 1, 2015
Nw Year's Day
JANUARY 6, 2015
Epiphany
JANUARY 11, 2015
Baptism of the Lord
JANUARY 19, 2015
Martin Luther King Jr.
Birthday Observance