Join Us on Our Lenten Journey
We always begin the Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday by being invited to observe a Holy Lent, a time of fasting, prayer, self-examination and preparation for the Easter Feast. We have several opportunities for you to observe Lent. Consider joining us for one or several of the Lenten offerings below.
Ash Wednesday — Wednesday, February 22
NOTE: Due to weather conditions, the 6 pm service is canceled.
Ash Wednesday services will be at 8 am and 6 pm in the main sanctuary at St. Mark’s. The morning service will be a spoken Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes, and the evening service will be a full Choral Eucharist with Imposition of Ashes. Ashes will also be available from noon until 2 pm, in the Sanctuary, and clergy will be available for prayer.
Devotionals
Once again, we have devotionals available for you from Living Compass, Living Well Through Lent 2023: Practicing Compassion with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind. They are at the back of the church and first come, first served. This is a good way to observe Lent in your own home by praying and reflecting daily throughout the 40 days from Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday.
Morning Prayer
Join us every Monday-Thursday morning via Zoom for a simple prayer service led by clergy and members of the parish. A great way to add a devotional element to your Lenten practice, morning prayer is an ancient monastic tradition that we have brought into the modern area through the wonders of technology. No experience is needed. Just come and be ready to be transformed. The link to join Zoom is on the calendar on our website.
Wednesday Soup Suppers
Beginning Wednesday, March 1, come for a simple Eucharist at 6 pm in the sanctuary followed by a soup supper in the Parish Hall. At round tables, we will have short pieces of scripture and a few leading questions to help us enter more deeply into the text and into the season of Lent. It’s also a nice way to get to know members of the parish in a smaller and more intimate setting.
Thursday Night Book Club
Join the Thursday Night Book Club over Zoom beginning March 2, at 6 pm (Zoom link on the parish calendar on our website). No experience needed. Come having read 40-50 pages for a conversation of our Lenten book, The Dean’s Watch by Elizabeth Goudge. It is a sweet book about the spiritual awakening of a curmudgeonly old Cathedral Dean (nothing, I’m sure, like your rector!) and his friendship with a local lock maker. Goodreads gives this book a 4.5-star rating, and it should be a wonderful addition to your Lenten practice.
Lenten Movie Night
Join the Rev. John Hickey for a viewing of A Simple Plan, on Friday, March 24, at 6 pm, in the Parish Hall. A film whose performances Roger Ebert in 1998 called “flawless,” A Simple Plan is an exploration of guilt and crime which is just perfect for the season of Lent. Come and enjoy the film and conversation; the church will provide snacks. BYOB.
Outreach to Kinship
This Lent, as part of our continuing commitment to our Community Partners, we would like to reinvigorate our relationship with the Kinship Community Food Center. We ask that you take note of the weekly lists of foods needed by Kinship (the only food pantry that services our zip code) and bring items to the basket at the back of the church.
Stand with Vulnerable Neighbors on March 26
More than 5,000 households in this city rely on the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) to manage their apartments. They suffer from rodents. They suffer from poor heating and cooling. They suffer harassment from the building managers. They have begun to organize, and many of them are being punished with eviction orders. HACM’s directors and employees receive government paychecks as they abuse and neglect our vulnerable neighbors. No one in the city or federal government has direct authority to take their money away. But God remembers these 4,000 Milwaukee households and loves them. They are organizing for dignified treatment, and they have asked for our help.
A large group of residents has joined us in Common Ground, a social change organization of more than 40 churches, neighborhood organizations, labor unions, and businesses. Together, we have delivered a list of reform demands to HACM’s directors. We pray that their hearts will turn; the residents have invited HACM’s directors to a public meeting so they can pledge to do better.
The residents want you there, too. Let’s stand alongside our poor, our elders, and our disabled neighbors in their distress. Join us for this public meeting on Sunday, March 26, from 3 to 4:30 pm (Location TBD). The residents need you there.
If you have any questions about any of the above-listed offerings, please contact us.