(NIV)

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Footnotes:

John 15:2 The Greek for he prunes also means he cleans.

SERMON "Stay Connected" Beth LaRocca-Pitts

God Be in My Head

God be in my head and in my understanding.

God be in mine eyes and in my looking.

God be in my mouth and in my speaking.

God be in mine heart and in my thinking.

God be at my end and in my departing.

Today at Saint Mark

A new class series for newcomers begins today at 10: 100m in the parlor. Anyone who is new to Saint Mark or who is considering joining the church is invited to attend. On Sunday, May 31, class participants will have the opportunity to join the church during Morning Worship. To learn more, contact Rev. Josh Noblitt at jnoblitt@stmarkumc.org.

Join the Faith Seekers class in room 205 each Sunday this month for What Does the Bible Say about Healing?, a new series facilitated by Mark LaRocca -Pitts. What does the Bible say about healing? How does God heal? Why do we suffer? How should we pray for healing and how can we help others in need of healing? Rev. Dr. Mark LaRocca-Pitts, hospice chaplain and "First Gentleman" of Saint Mark, will facilitate this month long series on the Bible and its various views on healing. By the end of this series, you will know the various traditions of healing in the Bible; you will be moved to provide more compassionate care for those who are ill; and, your prayers for healing will be transformed and transformative as we learn to apply these biblical teachings to our own experiences of illness.

Congratulations, Jimmy Moor!

Rev. Jimmy Moor, former Senior Pastor at Saint Mark, is retiring this year! You are invited to a celebration of his ministry on Sunday, May 31 from'4-6pm at the Wesley Center at Tucker United Methodist Church (5095 LaVista Road in Tucker 30084)

For more information, visit www.tuckerfirst.org.

Parking at Saint Mark

Because we often have guests attending events at the church throughout the week both during the day and in the evenings,

Saint Mark is busier than you might realize!

The "traditionally busy" days

(Sundays and Wednesdays)

are long gone.

This activity is exciting but sometimes creates new challenges. Please contact Christia in the church office if you would like to park at church for a local event in Midtown that is not related to a church function. When space is available, we are happy to provide that service to those in our church family; however, when we have events scheduled at church, parking for those participants remains our priority. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding!

***

Interesting day.

It was originally my intention attending class series for newcomers considering joining the church. But today was also the first day of a new series to be presented by Rev. Dr. Beths' husband; also a pastor:

What Does the Bible Say about Healing?

Just could not pass this one up.

And...
I'm glad I didn't as today's lecture surprisingly turned out being a very informative class.

"Why Believe in God?"
~(Brother Charles Walthal)~

This was the question I asked of St. Mark's "First Gentleman" Rev. Mark at the end when taking questions. Told him, this was a question the pastor of First United Methodist Church asked of us children while growing up small town of Prescott Arkansas.

Says he has an answer to this question, but wants to think about it first.