St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church

Our mission is: St. Mark Cares: welcome, worship, witness

Annual Meeting April 11th at 11AM

Offered via ZOOM and in person option.
Annual reports are available in the church office or electronically.
Please call if you would like one ready for you or sent to your email.

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.
While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.
- Luke 24:50-53

It was so good to be able to gather for worship over the last few weekends, as we continue to stay safe by practicing social distance guidelines, and receiving the gift of science in vaccinations. As May is upon us, I look forward to spring activities and being among you.

The month of May is always a busy one for families, schools, and ministries, it seems. There’s the celebration of Mother’s Day, Synod Assembly, college graduations, spring concerts and productions, athletic events, Pentecost, end-of-year banquets, and the Memorial Day weekend. I pray that this year we will be able to gather together to celebrate these important events in a safe way.

And almost every year, snuck into the calendar on a Thursday in this busy month, is the day where we remember the Ascension of Our Lord (this year, it’s May 13th). It seems to come and go with little notice – without the fanfare of Christmas or Easter. And yet, the ascension of Jesus into heaven forty days after His resurrections is an absolutely crucial piece of the salvation story! It is the moment where our Savior and King takes His rightful place in the position of all honor and authority, the position from which He continues to operate even today, ruling over all things and directing the mission of the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. From heaven, Jesus…

• Prepares a place for us so that we may live with Him forever (John 14:2-3).
• Intercedes on our behalf before the Father, always speaking as our Advocate (1 John 2:1).
• Sends forth the Holy Spirit to empower the church and gift Christians for service in the mission (Ephesians 4:8).
• Fills the whole universe, keeping His promise to be with us always (Ephesians 4:10).

And because you are joined to this same Jesus in baptism and live by faith in Him, your destiny is glory, as surely as Jesus reigns from heaven (Colossians 3:1- 4). So if you find yourself drifting, wondering where to find hope and meaning for life, don’t hang your head and look down! Don’t look around at everyone else! Look up, to where Christ is! For where He is, there you will be also. And trust that even now Jesus is in the position of all authority and power, and that He is always exercising His authority for the good of those who love Him. There is no power on earth that can match His. There is no evil that can overcome His ultimate good. Jesus is ascended, and our hope is secure! Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pr. Travis Fisher-King

St Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church is a congregation of
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA
in the Southeastern Iowa Synod (hotlink: seiasynod.org)

Read about upcoming projects and events at St. Mark in the
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