This Sunday+
Welcome! We are so glad you’re here with us. Visiting? Please let us greet you personally by contacting (203) 966-4515 or churchoffice@stmarksnewcanaan.org
164: St. Jerome (Lion)
The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday, January 12
8 AM — Indoor Holy Eucharist Rite I
9 AM — Outdoor Holy Eucharist Rite II
9-11 AM — Child Care
10 AM — Indoor Holy Eucharist Rite II & Live Stream (with choir)
10 AM — NO Church School
11 AM — World’s Greatest Coffee Hour
5 PM — Indoor Holy Eucharist
Special Announcements
Our next service of Holy Baptism will take place during the 10AM service. If you desire to be baptized on a future date, or to have a child baptized, please be in touch with the church office at (203) 966-4515.
Sunday’s Altar Flowers are given to the glory of God in loving memory of Will Norton by Katy and Larry Norton, Alexandra Norton and Harrison Callaway.
2025 Annual Campaign
Together We Power the Mission! We invite you to join us as we pledge our support of the 2025 Annual Fund. Our goals this year are: 1.85M, 325 pledges and 100% participation from every household. As of this week we have 230 pledges for a total of $1,416,677. Nearly 75% there!
Interested in learning more? Visit our table at Coffee Hour or please contact Nancy Walton, Director of Stewardship & Development at (203) 966-4515 or nwalton@stmarksnewcanaan.org.
Warden’s Report
The Vestry met on Monday evening, December 16. The focus of the meeting was on our financial status in 2024 (a very modest surplus) and the preliminary budget for 2025. We also discussed the Church Lighting Renovation. Finally, we nominated six people to run for election for the three positions on the Nominating Committee (who nominate candidates for Vestry). Our next meeting is on January 19, which will be in preparation for the Annual Meeting on February 2.
138: Dialogue between Faith and Science (Maltese Cross and Atom)
Sunday’s Music
Sunday, January 12
Our Opening Organ Voluntary is Buxtehude’s setting of the German hymn-tune Christ, unser Herr, zum Jordan kam (“Christ, Our Lord, came to Jordan”), which can be found in The Hymnal 1982 at No. 139. The melody appears in ornamented (“decorated”) form in the right hand, with accompanying figures in the left hand and pedal. Our Offertory Anthem, Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, is but one of English composer John Gardner’s many compositions – but it is his best-known and loved. Although the first complete appearance of this text was in 1833, it is thought that the full text could be much older: the phrase “the legend of my play” suggests a reference to medieval “mystery plays,” enactments (mini sacred operas, so to speak, very common in the Middle Ages), of Biblical stories. The general population was barely literate, and so “plays” were created to teach them contemporary understanding of Biblical events. The complete text of Tomorrow shall be my dancing day is a narrative of Christ’s life in his own “voice.” The verses after those in this morning’s Offertory anthem include Christ’s Temptation, Passion, Crucifixion, and even his Resurrection and Ascension.
