Welcome Back for Start-Up Sunday!
Make sure to attend the 10 a.m. service this Sunday, September 11th, as we welcome back our Cathedral Choir, Sunday School Programs, and our 5:15 Service! Please note that our Tuesday 12:10 service also resumes this week.
There are many wonderful changes to celebrate at the cathedral, including new members of our staff, the growth of ministries, new opportunities to connect with our surrounding communities, and the beginning of The Season of Creation at St. Luke's!
We hope you can join us this Sunday, as we give thanks for the many blessings that have been experienced by our community.
Please be sure to stay following the 10 am service for our St. Luke’s Ministry Fair to learn more about the incredible work being done by members of the congregation and how you can get involved!
We look forward to welcoming you back to the cathedral for the fall!
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Introduction to The Season of Creation | |
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The Season of Creation is celebrated each year in September by Christians worldwide. Its purpose is to renew, repair, and restore our relationship with God, all creation, and each other. St. Luke’s will be celebrating the Season of Creation from September 11 to Oct 2.
Season of Creation offerings at St. Luke’s that are planned include:
-Sunday Services September 11–October 4 will feature creation-themed prayers and music.
-Thursday E-Pistles on September 7–October 1 will feature creation-themed reflections written by members of St. Luke’s Public Policy and Environmental Action Team.
-A book discussion on Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth will be held Monday nights on Zoom from 7-8:30 PM Mondays Sept. 12 and 26, Oct. 3, 10, 24, 31 and Nov. 7 and 14. Parishioners from St. Alban’s will be joining us.
- A Labyrinth Walk for Creation will be held 9–11 AM on Saturday September 17. A one-hour En-ROADS Climate Workshop will be held in Emmanuel Chapel following the 10 AM service on September 25.
- The Blessing of the Animals will take place on the State Street lawn beginning at 9:45 on St. Francis Day, October 4
Read Full Article Here
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Ecological Saints
(A blog from our neighbors at St. Alban's on 'Ecological Saints' by Meredith Tipton)
Rachel Carson (1907-1964) Marine Biologist, Nature Writer and Climate Activist
“We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost’s poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth super highway in which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork in the road- the one less traveled by- offers our last, our only chance, to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth.”- Rachel Carson
The word, “Ecology” became a known and popular term during the 1960’s. It was during this time that agricultural technologies were having a devastating unintended impact on creation. As a result of Carson’s studies and research, she wrote Silent Spring in 1962. In this book, she described the environmental impact of pesticides and the fundamental interconnectedness of life. Carson’s insights laid the foundation for the emergence of the concept of “sustainability” in 1987.
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Watershed Stewardship Workshop
On September 25, St. Ansgar Lutheran Church will host a Care of Creation Sunday, with a Watershed Stewardship workshop beginning at 12:00 noon.
We have been invited to participate to learn more about how we can foster watershed health in our community.
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Book Discussion Group: Refugia Faith
Due to several requests, the book discussion on Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth will be held on Zoom rather than in person Monday nights from 7-8:30 PM Mondays Sept. 12 and 26, Oct. 3, 10, 24, 31 and Nov. 7 and 14.
It is not too late to order your copy of the book. Please read the introduction for the first meeting, but if you can’t get the book in time, don’t worry and come anyway! You can order the book at your local bookshop or Amazon. For more information contact Sarah Braik or call 207-415-6556. Please see the Zoom Link below to tune in!
Zoom link
Read Full Article Here
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Sacred Ground - A Film Based Dialogue on Race and Faith
All are encouraged to join St. Luke's next Sacred Ground circle. Sacred Ground is a film and reading based dialogue, grounded in faith. Small groups are invited to walk through chapters of America’s history of race and racism, while weaving in threads of family story, economic class, political and regional identity. We will start the St. Luke's group on Saturday, October 1, 2022. This first meeting will be from 10:00- 2:00 in the Upper Hall, co-facilitated by Judd Hume and Jean Smart.
If these times don't work, other Sacred Ground Circles led by the Dioceses of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont will be starting this fall.
Read Full Article Here
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Carter Heyward Book Release
The Maine Council of Churches and The BTS Center have invited world-renowned theologian and Episcopal priest, Rev. Dr. Carter Heyward (one of the “Philadelphia 11” women ordained in 1974, two years before the Episcopal Church authorized ordination of women) to lead us in a conversation about her upcoming book, The 7 Deadly Sins of Christian Nationalism: A Call to Action (Rowman & Littlefield, September 2022). Rev. Dr. Heyward will address the rise of white Christian nationalism and offer perspectives for moving forward with hope and action. Bangor Theological Seminary Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics, Rev. Dr. Marvin Ellison, will facilitate the online event on September 21 at 4:00 pm.
If you are interested in registering, click here for more information.
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Try on the Cathedral Choir!
New season, new director, new lease on life... Isn’t it time for you to check out the Cathedral Choir? Our first rehearsal is tonight, Thursday, September 8th from
7-9 PM, in the choir room in the undercroft.
Enter through the doors off the parking lot (from Park St.). Fear not: Your showing up does NOT oblige you to commit to a life of choral singing here! Come and see if this is a community and a ministry you'd like to engage with. No audition required. Christian Clough, our new Canon for Music & Liturgy, would be happy to discuss the program with you, as would many returning choir members. For more information, contact Christian Clough.
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Bishop Brown to join us for Confirmation at the 5:15 Service on September 25th
We are delighted that Bishop Thomas J. Brown will be back to St. Luke’s for a service of Confirmation, Reception, and Renewal of Baptismal Vows at the 5:15 service on September 15. This service was to be held originally in June but had to be postponed due to health concerns related to Covid-19. We thank members of the youth confirmation class who have had this service put off several times for their patience and flexibility! This service, open to all, is a special opportunity for those who wish to reaffirm their faith or to formally become part of the Episcopal Church and St. Luke’s. If you are interested in being confirmed, in being received into the Episcopal Church, or in renewing your baptismal vows, there is space for you. Please contact the cathedral office for any additional information.
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Calling All Worship Participants
Smoke, fire, streamers, and sticks…who wouldn’t want to play with those, especially in church?
The Cathedral Church of St. Luke’s has a long tradition of using incense, torches, streamers,
banners, processional crosses, and verges (those symbolic “sticks” that the vergers carry).
With the retirement of two invaluable head vergers, Thurl Headen and David Savage, we’ve
entered a rebuilding and recruitment mode. We’re seeking people of any age who would like to serve in one of the following roles:
Vergers – think stage managers
Crucifers – carrying the processional cross
Torchbearers – carrying the torches in the processions
Thurifers – carrying/swinging the censor to emit the incense
Boat bearers – carry the incense to be added to the censor
Streamer bearers – those who create magic with streamers in processions
Banner bearers – those who carry banners representing aspects of the Diocese
Acolytes – the training ground and ministry of all of the above
Read Full Article Here
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St. Elizabeth's Toothpaste Collection Drive
Please help us to collect toothpaste for our communities in collaboration with other parishes throughout the Diocese! We need your help! Other congregations have collected hundreds of tubes of toothpaste and we only have a few so far. Bring them in!!!
See the poster announcement below for further details.
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Proposed Communications Strategy:
Cathedral Communications Group
The Cathedral Communications Group (CCG) will be a group of St. Luke’s volunteers who are committed to the support of our Cathedral Communications Specialist, Avery Schott, to ensure quality and consistency across all publications on the website, E-pistle, and community publications.
The CCG will be broken into 4 main task forces, allowing volunteers to participate at their comfort level.
These task forces pertain to:
1) Proofing, editing, and approving content
2) Social Media Involvement
3) Outside Publicity and Outreach
4) Appearance and Welcoming
If you are interested in learning more about the role of each task force, please read here.
Read Full Article Here
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Community Spotlight Opportunity | |
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Have you ever wanted the opportunity to share your story, interests, or work through an
E-pistle cover letter?
Now is your chance to reach out to fellow parishioners with an E-pistle cover letter through our new 'Community Spotlight'. This is an addition to our regular outreach and communications features.
If you are interested in being featured prominently in our E-pistle through a 'Community Spotlight' please contact the cathedral communications email with your submission details or any questions that you may have.
Submissions should be no longer than five paragraphs long and will also be posted as a blog on the St. Luke's website.
We will begin featuring submissions starting in the month of October.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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Public Policy and Environmental Action Team | |
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The St. Luke's Public Policy and Environmental Action Team will meet Tuesday, September 13th from 6-7 PM. We will be strategizing increasing voter participation, collaboration with the young adult group and other topics. All are welcome.
Click here to join us. For more information email Sarah Braik.
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A Christian Life of Faith:
Signs and Thresholds Along the Way
So much of what we do at St. Luke’s is designed to help others. What about nurturing and exploring our own spiritual lives? What about our questions and struggles of faith, our relationship (or not) with God?
Beginning September 18, Dean Shambaugh will lead a Sunday morning class called “A Christian Life of Faith: Signs and Thresholds Along the Way.” Join us at 9 am in the chapter room.
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Women Sharing Stories:
A Staged Reading of 8 Original True Stories by Senior Writers
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The second Thursday of each month we will gather for Community Suppers in the Lower Hall. We need members of our community to prepare and donate specific side dishes to make these important gatherings break-even.
A notice will go out asking for a specific side dish (e.g., salad, green beans, stir-fry vegetables, potatoes, bread) in the epistle, bulletin, a sign-up sheet at each supper, and posted on the bulletin board.
To volunteer and get on the Community Supper email list, please contact Dawn Brennan-Daly.
To learn more about St. Luke's Community kitchen please visit their webpage.
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Bach Virtuosi Administrative Position Job Posting
The Bach Virtuosi Festival is an eight-day summer festival held primarily at St. Luke’s with one concert at Etz Chaim. The festival is seeking a new administrator. This is a permanent, salaried position, ideal for someone who wants to work from home on his/her own schedule. For eleven months of the year, you would work remotely for an average of 10-15 hours per week. During the month of the festival, the administrator would work up to 40 hours per week from home and on-site as needed.
Salary will be commensurate with experience and skills
The current administrator, Ellie Chatto, is stepping down to do more traveling, but is available to help with the transition.
The job description is attached.
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- The Sunday 5:15 service resumes this Sunday and the Tuesday 12:10 service resumes this coming week
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We look forward to hosting the Casco Bay UkeFest on October 1, 2022 from 9 am to 4 pm. The day will feature morning workshops for all levels of players as well as afternoon concerts! The Ukefest is excited to feature Amy Conley as a special guest for the festival. You can read more about her work and music here.
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To read about other events at the Cathedral please visit our events page on the St. Luke's website.
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