Parish Happenings

Update from Father Gary
May 8, 2020

Good morning, beloved. Praying you are well.

Bishop Greg will update us on reopening on May 15.

My best guess is we will reopen early to mid June.

Your safety is our priority thus we are hard at work planning the right steps now.

I miss you all!

Fr. Gary+

Update from Father Gary
March 26, 2020

Dear Friends,

This is a quick update about our services, our church, and our school.

First, we are following the lead of Bishop Greg and shutting down the church office and building, including outside groups that use the facilities. As Carolyn and I are both now working from home, we are responding to emails, and I am also available on my cell phone. This closure is until after Easter and I will let you know when we reopen.

We will pick up the mail once a week and I will make bank deposits, so we can keep things running financially.

Second, as to our services - unfortunately we can no longer offer "drive-through" communion. People over 65 are advised to stay home and, well, that is the majority of our members. I can't ask you to come out and put yourself at risk. You can still watch on Facebook Live. Carolyn can send you a link so that you don't have to have a Facebook account.

But here is what you can do: On Sunday during our 10:30 AM mass I will consecrate the elements of bread and wine and also ask the Holy Spirit to consecrate bread and wine set aside for this purpose in your home. Take a little bread, a little bit of wine for yourselves and have communion with us. Honestly, I have no idea if this will create the sacramental presence of Christ in the elements in your home - but hey, it won't hurt either. I did run this by the Bishop (asking for a friend) and he did not tell me "no". All he said was, "Hey, Jesus healed at a distance." There you go - implied permission from the chief liturgical officer of the diocese. Or as close as it will ever get anyway.

Last, as to the Academy - we are closing the offices down there as well. All staff and faculty are working from home, and students will be engaging in online learning come Monday.

This is an unprecedented time in the life of our community, nation and world. Let us not lay aside our duties to pray and keep watch with Christ. A friend of mine always said during stressful times, "Trust God. Keep Marching." Let us trust God and keep sitting at home.

May the peace of the Lord be always with you.

Fr. Gary Jackson+

--
Peace,
Gary+
Fr. Gary L. Jackson, Jr.
St. Mark's Episcopal Community
stmarkscocoa.org/

stmarksacademy.org/
4 Church Street
Cocoa, FL 32922
321-636-3781

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that's counted truly counts." Einstein

Daily Office

Deacon Steven plans to live stream Daily Morning Prayer every morning except Sundays at 8:30 AM and Deacon Nancy will live stream the Daily Office of Compline at 8:30 PM every evening.

You can find the services in the Book of Common Prayer, or online, by going to
https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/daily_prayer_anytime.php.

A page will come up with the current date. There is a dropdown box to choose the Daily office you want for that date, and you can pick Morning Prayer or Compline to get the prayers.

Pipe Organ Update

The pipe organ installation is completed.

The Al Glover Family
Outdoor Chapel & Classroom

The Al Glover Family Chapel & Classroom is coming soon!

The Feast of St. Mark
April 25, 2019

Dear St. Mark's Community,

We have some very good news to share with you regarding the Al Glover Family Outdoor Chapel and Learning Center. Our progress had been held up by a right-of-way overlay on the property where the Chapel and Classroom will be built. Last night, the Cocoa City Council voted to vacate the overlay, allowing us to move forward with our plans for construction. We are thrilled to report that the we have resumed work on the plan this morning and we are going full steam ahead! We still have quite a bit of work to do; however, we are optimistic that our long awaited project will be completed this fall.

We hope you are as excited about this news as we are. If you have any questions, please let me know.

--
Joi M. Robertson
Head of School
St. Mark's Episcopal Academy
2 Church Street
Cocoa, Florida 32922
(321) 639-5771

Developing the gifts and talents of students since 1956

Florida's Space Coast civic leaders gathered June 2 to celebrate the 140th birthday of
St. Mark's Episcopal Community, Historic Cocoa Village. The celebration included the groundbreaking of the Campus of The Future 1878-2078: The Al Glover Family Chapel & Classroom.

From left: Michael Ayers, CEO, Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce; Marcia Gaedcke, President, Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce; Pamela Gunthorpe, Investor and Community Relations Manager, Economic Development Council of Florida's Space Coast; Delores Spearman and Dick Beagley, Co-Chairs; St. Mark's Episcopal Community Campus of The Future; Father Gary Jackson, St. Mark's Episcopal Community; Tami and Russell Glover; The Right Reverend Gregory Brewer, Bishop, The Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida; Joi Robertson, Head of School, St. Mark's Episcopal Academy; Jeri Blanco, Deputy Mayor, Cocoa; Henry Parrish, Mayor, Cocoa; Nancy Elliot, Chair, Historic Cocoa Village Association; Robyn Greene, Chair, Main Street Cocoa; Jennifer Sugarman, President & CEO, Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, and, Sue Davis, Chair, Space Coast Inspiration Awards.

St. Mark's Virtual Services

You may watch our services on
Facebook or on our YouTube channel.

Starting this Sunday we will stream one service of Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM. We will resume Eucharist when we can meet in-person again. We will alternate between Rite I and Rite II on Sundays, and this Sunday we will use Rite II. Please join us via Facebook Live or YouTube at 9:00 AM.

Daily Prayer for May 24, 2020
https://prayer.forwardmovement.org/daily_prayer.php?d=24&m=5&y=2020&office=MP

Sunday, May 24, 2020 at 9:00 AM - Morning Prayer Rite I
https://www.facebook.com/St.MarksEpiscopalChurchCocoa/videos/683897302448941

The Altar and Chapel Flowers are given to the Glory of God, and in celebration of St. Mark's Episcopal Academy 2020 graduates: Jordan, Suzy, Chase, Max and Noah, and Jamye Rainwater, this year's recipient of the SMEA Distinguished Alumni Award, and in loving memory of those honored on Memorial Day.

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/St.MarksEpiscopalChurchCocoa/videos

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzKnxUooJkddXWKaVI7lQ8Q

Easter Service

St. Mark's Feast of the Resurrection, April 12, 2020

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqINnRgx8q8

Jeremiah 31:1-6
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
Colossians 3:1-4
Matthew 28:1-10

Processional: Hymn 207 Jesus Christ is Risen Today
https://hymnary.org/hymn/EH1982/207?media=text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMwPEmUMP7U

Gradual: Hymn 204 Now the Green Blade Riseth
https://hymnary.org/text/now_the_green_blade_riseth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27p98aLPZPI

Recessional: Hymn 210 The Day of Resurrection
https://hymnary.org/hymn/EH1982/210?media=text
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh9f0nyz5wE

Your continuing support is appreciated

Your continuing support of St. Mark's ministry is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all who have mailed checks to St. Mark's, and given online.

The checks are picked up from the post office on Friday, and counted and deposited the next week.

PREFER ONLINE GIVING? It is available for St. Mark's Episcopal, Cocoa via Parish Giving www.parishgiving.org or use online bill pay to have your financial institution send a check to St. Mark's. Thank you!

Weekly Calendar

ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE WHEN THEY RESUME.

To receive regular updates, sign up for emails at c.hawkins@stmarkscocoa.org, or via Flocknote:

Join our flock and keep in touch

Roof replacement

St. Mark's new roof, replacing the one that was damaged by hail, is being installed by Barfield Roofing.