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But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ -- Luke 18:13-14
"All who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." Is there a truer statement in all of scripture? We all know (or have been!) people who seem to lack a certain humility and sometimes we take a certain childish delight when we hear of a politician, actor, or other famous person who has been tripped up by scandal or misbehavior. Indeed, when we encounter a self-righteous person or someone who looks on others with contempt, we say that they are "full of themselves." By contrast, in this week's Epistle reading, St. Paul begins by writing "As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come." (2 Timothy 4:6) Rather than full of himself, St. Paul has been "poured out as a libation." In other words, St. Paul has been emptied out as an offering to God.
This week, we are focusing on the BLESS practice of the Way of Love, defined as "share faith and unselfishly give and serve." That definition may well challenge us! We may think of ourselves as not having a faith worthy of sharing, or not know how to do so. We may think ourselves too financially strapped or too busy to give and serve. We may even, on occasion, forget that who we are and what we have are blessings from God. But the reality is that, when we place ourselves in God's hands, God uses our hands to serve the world in Christ's name. If we approach God humbly, we then know ourselves to be blessed and our response to that blessing is to bless others. It is in that self-emptying that we most powerfully encounter God's grace.
--Tom+
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BFF Brief: Finish Stucco, Electricity, and Fire Protection Costs
After a cold and rainy week last week, the better weather this week brought our stucco installers back to complete the stucco with the finish/color coat and the scaffolding should come down soon. Once that happens, the front landscaping can begin and we can get use of our church entrance back! We expect that landscaping to be completed by Thanksgiving. Inside, progress continues to be made on the new Parish Hall ceiling and we are inching ever closer to sheetrock being installed in the rest of the building. Our three-phase power is in and this week should also see the elevator finally being installed. Once we get over the hump of sheetrocking, we will be on the final finishing push. Our expectation and hope for a completion date on this project is late December, hopefully by Christmas!
The BFF Committee met last week and received the unwelcome news that the fire detection and protection system that the city is requiring us to install is going to be substantially more expensive than previously anticipated. While there is the strong temptation to cast blame for this in multiple directions, we believe that is counter-productive and are committed to pushing on to the completion of the project. We remain convinced that we do have the funding to bring the project to completion, but we will likely be borrowing from the St. Mark's Fund to do so, anticipating the fulfillment of multi-year pledges and, hopefully, new contributions as well. We will be paying bills through February, but there will be a complete BFF Financial Summary included in the Annual Report at our Annual Meeting at the end of January. Until then, we continue to welcome contributions and look forward to the project's completion!
-- The Building For the Future (BFF) Committee
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SPECIAL VIDEO
A Christian view of Halloween. Worth watching!
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No copy of the St. Mark's at the (Rogue Valley) Manor bi-weekly eNewsletter this week. There will be one next week. Don't miss it! Click here to subscribe!
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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THIS Sunday: Fourth for Food
Bring your blue bags!
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A reminder that THIS Sunday, October 27 is "Fourth for Food Sunday" where we will collect donations to our Food Pantry.
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THIS Sunday, October 27
at 10 am
Procession of Costumes
and Blessing of Trick-or-Treaters
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As a part of our usual Sunday School Prayer at the beginning of the 10 am service, we will have a costume procession and a prayer for children who will be trick-or-treating for All Hallows Eve. Children and youth are invited to wear your costume to church for the procession!
Adults who wish to dress up in costume are more than welcome to join in the procession and simply remain in church rather than leaving for Sunday School.
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NAME TAGS:
Are you wearing yours?
Do you know where your tag is?
Are you wearing it on Sundays?
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 As fall continues and the program year gets into full swing, we are we continue to get new people visiting St. Mark's. As a gesture of hospitality, we would like everyone to wear their name tags to church and coffee hour on Sunday mornings. Please return them to the baskets provided when finished with them. They will be returned to the church for the following Sunday.
Name tags have been cleaned out, so if yours is missing (and it isn't in your car or house), please put your name on the "Need a name tag" list or email or call TieKara at the church office and she will do a name tag printing run! A batch of new nametags was just printed, so look for yours on Sunday!
THANKS FOR WEARING
YOUR NAME TAG!
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11th Bishop of Oregon Search
Diocesan Profile released!
Applications taken Oct. 11-Nov. 1.
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On October 1, the Search CommitteeArvo for the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Oregon released the Diocesan Profile and is preparing to receive names of candidates. Applications will be received from October 11 to November 1. If you know of anyone who you would consider a good candidate for Bishop of Oregon, please direct them to this web site:
https://www.oregonbishopsearch.org/
The election will be in June 2020 and the ordination and consecration will be January 2021. Please continue to pray for this process and for potential candidates. Thank you!
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131st Diocese of Oregon Convention - Oct. 25-26
Please keep our delegates and the Convention itself in your prayers.
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This week our parish delegates to Diocesan Convention (David & Debra McFadden, Bob Wille, and Rev. Tom) will travel to Salem Convention Center for deliberation and voting along with delegations from other churches. Please keep this meeting in your prayers.
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Don't Forget!
Our Pledge Ingathering is Sunday, November 10
at both services. Please continue to pray about your
financial support of St. Mark's in 2020!
Don't have a pledge card? Pick one up at church this Sunday, stop by,
call the church office, or click here to submit an online pledge form.
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COMING SOON:
Thanksgiving Boxes (Bags)!
Donations accepted @ $30 per bag
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 Our Outreach Committee is gearing up for our annual Thanksgiving Box (this year, Bag) assembly! Our goal is to assemble 280 bags of food plus turkeys to help families through a half-dozen local elementary schools have a great Thanksgiving Meal. One bag and turkey costs $30, so we are encouraging people to sponsor at least one bag. For more information, contact Kit Nilles or the church office. Please put "Thanksgiving Bag" on the memo line of a check or donate here and designate for "Outreach Fund" (NOT Food Pantry). Thanks for your support!
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Annual Giving Campaign
Continues this Sunday
with the BLESS practice!
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 This week we continue our Annual Giving Campaign with the theme "Turn to the Future: The St. Mark's Way of Love." Borrowing from our Presiding Bishop's "Way of Love" program, each week we are highlighting a single practice on this "way" and link it to our own individual lives and church life.
This week, we focus on the practice of BLESS: Share faith and unselfishly give and serve. Several years ago, The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) put our a campaign with the theme "Blessed to be a Blessing." It is when we know ourselves to be blessed that we are willing, even eager, to share, give, and serve. How are YOU blessed to be a blessing?
A reminder that you are invited to use the information and pledge card you should have received as a reminder to pray about your physical (involvement), financial (giving), and spiritual (prayer) support of St. Mark's in 2020. We will gather these cards at our Ingathering Sunday on November 10. If you want to submit your pledge online--after an appropriate amount of prayer and conversation, of course--you may do so by clicking here. Also, beginning this Sunday, Pledge Packets will be available in the church.
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Sunday School CONTINUES!
Meet at the back of the church for procession and prayer.
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Sunday School: God Space
With our new space as yet unfinished, this will (once again!) be a transition year for us. Sunday School has re-started in Dagwell Hall (our old education building) but with a new name: God space!  We will be creating a sacred space in which children can make that divine connection each week through prayer, song, and story. Join us!
Teaching Assistants Needed!
 Interested in Children's & Youth Ministry? We're always looking for Teaching Assistants for our Sunday School. See Geni or Natalie or contact the office via email or telephone (541-773- 3111) to volunteer. We will work with your schedule!
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Ministry Opportunity:
8 am and 10 am Service Coffee Hour and Welcome Coordinators Needed!
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 Are you organized, able to make phone calls or send emails, and willing to help us make sure we have a coffee hour EVERY Sunday? Well, we need you! We are recruiting a Coffee Hour Coordinator for both the 8 and 10 am services (i.e. two coordinators). The coordinators would make sure that every coffee hour has one or two hosts who are willing and trained to host it, both recruiting and training new people to host. See or contact Francis Plowman (8 am) or Bill Dames (10 am) for more information or if you are interested.
We are also recruiting Welcoming Coordinators foe each service who will coordinate our newcomer greeting and follow-up system for each service, making sure that newcomers are appropriately welcomed, tracked, and connected to the life of the congregation. If you are interested in doing this at either service, see or contact Rev. Tom.
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Monday Morning Bible Study
Continues Mondays, at 10 am
in Hafer House Library
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 Come join us in Hafer House Library at 10 am every Monday morning for our Bible Study on the Gospel of Matthew.(there is always coffee available...)!
PLEASE NOTE: No Bible Study on Monday, November 11 (Veterans Day).
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Rector's Reflections
