5 St. Mark’s: A Holy-Owned Subsidairy of God’s Kingdom By Drusilla Grubb, parishioner at All Souls’, Point Loma T


here should be a sign in the window at St. Mark’s City Heights that says, “U-turns


Happen Here.”


Boy, do they! A man who arrives late, sits in the back, and leaves early to avoid having to interact with others ends up on the vestry. A prostitute becomes an activist fighting human trafficking. Incest survivors learn to value themselves again. A kid who aged out of the foster system without learning basic life skills is promoted to supervisor at her workplace. Refugees who speak no English learn to navigate a bewildering array of social services.


This ain’t your grandmother’s Episcopal parish. There’s no sanctuary, no altar, and no organ. Instead, there’s a multi-use room, a table, and a piano. The “stained glass windows” are made of broken ashtrays and Milk of Magnesia bottles.


From the Right of Eminent Domain to the Rite of Immanent Domain In the late 1990s, reeling from the loss of their sanctuary (taken by the city under the right of eminent domain), St. Mark’s 15 parishioners huddled for worship in the back of a Vietnamese karaoke bar. There were pews and stanchions, but no electricity. A cord of Christmas tree lights snaked around the corner so people could read their prayer books. Clearly, the only sensible thing to do was disband.


“If the mission is love, it doesn’t matter if you’re a little nuts.”


Not so fast!


Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is in your midst,” and somebody had ears to hear. Out went the karaoke bar, and in came a space designed for community service. Ask someone at St. Mark’s what they do, and they’ll tell you they’re taking care of the king’s business. The ethnic minorities they serve like the sound of that, “the king’s business!”


By any conventional standards, St. Mark’s lacks resources; but that doesn’t translate into paucity. Instead, operating under the loaves- and-fishes principle, St. Mark’s provides abundantly for some of God’s forgotten children. The destitute find sanctuary in the church with no sanctuary. Indeed, their sanctuary is the world and their congregation


TEN WAYS Continued from page 4


task to accomplish. Start slowly. Here are some things others have found helpful:


• Throw away your wristwatch. Many people habitually and compulsively look at their watches. You will be surprised how rarely you need to know the time, and when you do, there are plenty of ways to find out. When I stopped wearing my watch years ago, I felt liberated from a chain I hadn’t realized had bound me.


• Take a walk. A beach, park, or shady street is perhaps ideal, but you can walk nearly


Cross Section of Caring: St. Mark’s ministers to the needy, who then give back by ministering to others. A radical community of welcome, this storefront church is located at 4227 Fairmount Ave. in San Diego. Sunday services are at 8:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.


is all God’s children.


“It’s fascinating to watch,” the Rev. Mac Collins says. “I have something to do with it, but certainly no control.”


How They Help Instead of employing a janitorial service, St. Mark’s hires congregants to clean for one day a week. This gives them real work experience to show on a resume. Even one day a week of honest pay for honest work can make all the difference for people on the margins. St. Mark’s serves an astonishing cross section of desperately needy people.


Above the multi-use room three apartments are available to youths who have aged out of the foster system. They spend anywhere from 6-18 months learning to cook, budget and find work. Two or three days a week pimps are held at bay so prostitutes can learn about the importance of condoms and ways to break out of the lifestyles in which they feel caught. In collaboration with Point Loma Nazarene University, incest survivors find the support they need to loose their demons.


The parish is a waystation for refugees. Most have spent two or three decades in camps before being granted asylum in the US. They cannot afford to stay in San Diego but are here until they get hired by meat packing and other industries in the south and mid- west. Because benefits tend to run out near the end of the month, on every third Sunday


anywhere. Don’t rehearse your to-do list or stew over problems you can’t solve while you walk, but pay heed to what is going on around you—the breeze or sunshine on your face, the sounds of birds or passing vehicles, the scent of the season, the color of the grass and sky. Or walk a labyrinth. Live in the present moment as you walk.


• Make a retreat. Many monasteries offer guided retreats where a monk or experienced spiritual director assists you to disengage from your normal cares and enter a time of quiet refreshment. Retreats can be as short as a few hours or as long as a month. If the time


parishioners distribute tons, literally tons, of food to some 350 hungry people. It’s back- breaking work, but you couldn’t tell it from the joy on their faces as they parcel out much needed fruits, vegetables, rice and other staples.


Sundays at St. Mark’s Don’t plan to come to a service at St. Mark’s and participate from memory. The liturgy is unique. Even Episcopalians will need a program. During announcements it’s clear that there’s nothing parochial about this parish. Congregants are enjoined to participate in an Agape House event at SDSU, the All Souls’ Point Loma’s Home Tour, and the Cathedral’s Alternative Gifts Expo. They are also encouraged to vote. The bulletin has songs printed in English, Spanish and Karen. A familiar collection plate is passed, but then a change jug makes the rounds so that those who can only contribute a penny can participate too.


The self-proclaimed “Church in the City” has returned to ancient, Christian, home-based roots. If one family can’t pay their utility bill, another does it for them. In the words of a parishioner, “Everybody is here.”


The king’s business may not make any kind of rational sense but, as Father Mac says, “If the mission is love, it doesn’t matter if you’re a little nuts.” X


is filled with lectures, discussion groups, and projects, it’s not a retreat. You may pray or write while on retreat; many people take a lot of naps.


• Fast. Although a traditional spiritual discipline, fasting is not widely appreciated where people are defined by what they consume and possess. Nor is the purpose of fasting to lose weight and look good. There are many kinds of fasts; most include some modest nourishment. Nor is all fasting about food—one can fast from television, alcohol, sex, shopping, or spectator sports. Purposely to deny


TEN WAYS Continued on page 7


Adrian Stewart


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