The Rector's Diary~
reporting the day to day doings of the rector
of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Beaumont,
for your edification and entertainment
The Rev. Frank E. Fuller
  • May 3 (Saturday):  Vestry retreat from 9:00 to 2:30--we have such a fine bunch of vestry folks.  Serious
    talk about serious subjects, but great and buoyant spirit and a lot of fun as well.  You will doubtless hear
    more about this, but the main themes I heard were the need to redouble stewardship efforts, attendance, and
    reaching out toward younger families and youth to help the church grow.  The only serious shock was the
    admission that not all our vestry members check first thing each morning to see what the Rector's diary
    reports from the day before.  So, maybe we need to start a leetle contest—say, shorter sermons the weeks
    a majority of the vestry e-mails me every morning with replies on the daily diary?  Hmmm.... On a much
    more serious note, a lovely requiem eucharist and memorial service for Betsy Davis, with the most priceless
    trio sung by her family members.  What a blessed departure; what a blessing to all of us who were there.

  • May 2 (Friday):  Day off.  Down to church to set up for the vestry retreat Saturday.  Exciting moments with
    John Nelson helping nab a would-be vandal breaking into the "Y".  In the evening a bit of last minute prep
    for the retreat and then out to the airport to retrieve Betty from her Virginia expedition.  Nice day.

  • May 1 (Thursday):  Morning Prayer with staff.  Pastoral office visit with a parishioner.  To St. Stephen's for
    clericus (monthly lunch meeting with neighboring clergy) for mutual encouragement and harmless
    ecclesiastical gossip.  Errands and then back to All Saints School for an hour with the fifth grade boys.  
    Back to the office for productive meeting with vestryman Gerald Condon.  Returned phone calls for an hour,
    signed welcome letters to 130 new neighbors moving to the Beaumont area, then went looking for barbeque
    and home.

  • April 30 (Wednesday):  Breakfast with David Cook, discussing the need for work on planned giving and the
    foundation.  Morning Prayer with staff, office work til after noon.  Helped Hannah work out an online
    discussion board for the youth group.  Errands and then home for finishing plans on the vestry retreat coming
    up and phone work through early evening.  Wow—there went April!

  • April 29 (Tuesday):  Led morning chapel service and preached at All Saints School—on St. Paul as a
    recovering bully (the change from persecutor to apostle).  We are all in recovery, one way or another, aren't
    we?  Morning Prayer with staff.  Disappointing news that our prospective curate has felt his call back to his
    home area on the east coast rather than here after graduation.  God bless him anyway, and us as the search
    continues.  Celebrated Holy Communion, highlighted with my eyeglasses' lens popping out just as I read the
    St. Matthew 6:22ff ("the eye is the lamp of the body, so if your eye is healthy..."), providing an edifying
    spectacle and the easiest sermon illustration ever in 34 years of preaching.  Met with boys of the 5th grade
    class at All Saints School in the afternoon, getting to know them and talking about teamwork.  Supper at
    Mazzio's with Hannah O. and the St. Mark's Youth new Planning Pod setting plans for the next few weeks
    and summer.  

  • April 28 (Monday):  Morning Prayer and staff meeting.  Missing Tim, who is on well-deserved vacation for
    the week—he is such a gift to us.  Phone  work from the office, lunch, meeting with Hannah O. for youth.  
    Met with Ninette Teel about altar guild and other matters.  Attended All Saints School board of trustees
    meeting—I love to listen to Steve McGrade's (The Chairman) enthusiasm. So many blessings.

  • April 27 (Sunday/Easter VI):  Excellent services this morning, preaching on what it means for Jesus to give
    us his Spirit, a God we can trust.  Afterwards, a truly lovely indoor picnic in the Gilbert Building in
    celebration of our "St. Mark's Lights Up our Lives" spring festival.  OK, I wimped out about our procession
    to bless the oaks for Rogation Day—the mixed signals about the weather and having the picnic indoors just
    did that in.  Always next year...but the way everyone came together to make the weeknight program shape
    up and the picnic shine was too fine for words.  Well done, everybody!  Home for the evening, with Dean
    taking the service; a little phone work looking for helpers for Some Other Place and other needs, and a bit
    of work on the web pages, and so to rest.
For previous entries see Archives.
  • May 9-10 (Fri-Sat):  Drove down to Corpus Christi to be able to be at the funeral of old friend and mentor
    Dr John Etheridge.  Wonderful celebration and visits with old friends and colleagues, then back in the car
    and home.  Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints.

  • May 8 (Thursday):  Began the day with a meeting at Tanner Hunt's office with his colleague concerning ways
    to strengthen the church's financial future. At the office rejoiced to find the staff honoring Dean Calcote on
    the occasion of his 49th anniversary of ordination to the Sacred Order of Priests–for which God be thanked–
    with a theologically very appropriate and rich chocolate cake.  News of the arrival of new pew cushions–let
    all our glutes praise the Lord and magnify him forever! Various calls and home in the afternoon for more
    research and conversations in search of clergy help.

  • May 7 (Wednesday):  Preached at All Saints School chapel on Paul's arrest in Jerusalem and how God uses
    the failures of our lives to bless us the most sometimes, then to Morning Prayer with staff.  Office work til
    after lunchtime, then home for long afternoon on the phone restarting search processes.  

  • May 6 (Tuesday):  Morning Prayer.  Good visits with several folks, including chairman Pat Murphy about
    getting our Stewardship Committee meetings started and Elizabeth Gwin in the office about the wonders of
    life and family.  Celebrated Holy Communion at noon with a nice group present, then out for errands (having
    to miss the downtown clergy lunch meeting, with regrets).  To All Saints School for a class with the 5th
    grade. Home for an hour of phone work and then back to All Saints for supper and the marvelous Open
    House and Art Festival–revealing so much talent and dedication among our students and faculty alike. What
    Celia Coleman does for art education is a miracle!   Several answers to prayer today—God is so good to us!

  • May 5 (Monday):  Morning Prayer and staff meeting.  Jan out of the office for jury duty, so we can't spend
    money–this can be good.  Phone calls and usual office routine through the morning.  Received sad news that
    one best old friend and mentor, Dr. John Etheridge, died today in Corpus Christi; he gave more than he
    took, and he rests in Christ's peace.  Met with Hannah for youth work supervision, then to errands and
    home to an evening of phone work.

  • May 4 (Sunday/ Easter VII):  Excellent sermons this morning at both services by Parson Calcote, and
    exciting morning in Sunday School exercising I Corinthians chapter 3—and the need not be carried away in
    our support of any particular leader or party.  Special and poignant relevance to PECUSA's travails: we
    follow Christ, no particular party or partisan, and we have no commission from him to abandon where we
    are posted by him, until and unless we are driven out.  "It ain't the Alamo if you cut and run."  If that doesn't
    make sense to you, give me a call.  A very fine party to welcome and bless Hannah Overall in her new role
    as full-time Youth Minister.  I meant it when I charged everyone to send her a note expressing support and
    keep  her in your prayers.  Lovely evening service with 38 present.
  • May 15 (Thu): Late to the office due to work at home, then ante-communion due to low turnout for the
    Thursday service.  An hour of returning phone calls and then a fine lunch with our chancellor, John Newton
    III, who is off to Virginia next week to celebrate graduation of John Newton IV from Virginia Seminary–and
    are we not all proud of that!  Good phone visit with Bishop Rayford High on a variety of subjects this
    afternoon, as well as with several others, and prep for vestry, then home to enjoy the evening with Will and
    Betty, as he leaves for Virginia to visit his grandmother for a few days.  

  • May 14 (Wed.):  Drove to Waco today to help Will move from Baylor for the summer; he will work at
    Camp Capers (near Comfort), the West Texas diocesan camp.  Remarkable storm on the way up–knew
    how Luther felt when he took the frock.  Enjoyed talking to Hugh Magers among others while on the way,
    catching up on a variety of things.  College dorm rooms at the end of the semester are a preview of
    Purgatory.  I do recommend, however, that every parent spend a four hour car ride with each of their
    children at least once a year—it is a great joy to have sustained conversation with our dearest and best, and
    all too rare in these busy days.  Rejoiced to be home.

  • May 13 (Tues.):  Morning Prayer with staff, following up calls and notes from yesterday, then meeting briefly
    with the Adult Education committee before celebrating Holy Communion at noon, observing the 459th
    anniversary of the introduction of the First Book of Common Prayer: we've come a long way, baby.  Met
    for a long visit with Pat Ritchie, then home to begin a New Testament Greek class for the younger Leister
    lads (and anyone else that wants to tag along).  Evening going over calls and followup to the staff planning
    day.

  • May 12 (Mon.):  Spent a most encouraging day with the parish program staff looking at plans for the coming
    year over at our house—we are truly blessed to have such creative and dedicated people serving St.
    Mark's.  To the church for the monthly meeting of the vestry Executive committee, and then spent a very
    pleasant evening with the Daughters of the King at their meeting.  Pat Ritchie gave a remarkable and
    illuminating presentation on her work for hospice and in her preparation for the permanent diaconate.

  • May 11 (Pentecost Sunday):  Wonderful Pentecost Sunday with good attendance, probably due in no small
    part to Mothers' Day and the good example of many moms through many generations.  Celebrated and
    preached at 8, taught I Corinthians 4 at Sunday School—the truly mysterious and gracious power of God in
    the apostles he sends us then and now.  Preached at 10:15 and was grateful Howell Gwin had remembered
    to prompt us to renew the tradition of the red and white roses in honor of our mothers, living and dead.  A
    lovely lunch with the Clark's and Nancy Neild, then back to the office to finish prep for the Staff planning
    session Monday and answer calls from Friday and Saturday.  Very pleased to say we now have five of us
    committed for the southeast Mexico medical mission in June, including Dr. Robert Birdwell, David Walston,
    Helen and Hannah Overall and myself.  Hallelujah!  Anyone who wants to help, we need to make
    contribution for the cost of medications, so donations are exquisitely needed and soon.