Worship this Sunday:

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist

Pastor Elaine Hewes, presiding

Scripture readings for this Sunday (notes are below)

Acts 9:36-43

Revelation 7:9-17

John 10:22-30

Psalm 23

The bulletin can be found here.

Join us in-person or online. Click below for the Zoom link.

Saturday, May 10

9:00 a.m. Women's Breakfast at Stonecutters Kitchen

Monday, May 12

4:30 p.m. Meditation/Silent Prayer (Zoom)

Wednesday, May 14

12:30 p.m. Outreach Ministry meeting (Zoom)

1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Mandala Workshop

4:00 p.m. Choir rehearsal

Saturday, May 17

8:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast

Sunday, May 18

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Timothy Ensworth preaching and The Rev. Donna Downs presiding

Looking Ahead

Wednesday, May 21

2:00 p.m. Service for The Rev. Persis Williams at St. Francis, Blue Hill

And I remind us of all of this because at its heart this story is not only about Saul’s transformation from tadpole to peeper in the presence of the risen Jesus… but about our transformation as well… The story inviting us to ponder the meaning of the invitation that lives at the heart of the Christian faith…the invitation to “come and die”… 

Sermon given by Pastor Elaine Hewes on May 4th.

Click below for the recording. A text copy is available here.

We are grateful for the steadfast work of Woody Osborne and Pete Dane, coordinators of a cadre of volunteers who deliver Simmering Pot soup weekly. This week, they had the pleasure of delivering a bouquet of spring flowers courtesy of the Brooklin Garden Club with each soup delivery.

Clergy Day Gifts

On Monday and Tuesday of this past week, I was in Portland for the annual clergy conference of the Maine Diocese of the Episcopal Church. As is true every year, this gathering provides the opportunity for the Episcopal clergy of Maine to worship together, to pray together, and to have conversations about the challenges and the blessings of parish life. It also offers opportunities for Bishop Brown to speak to the clergy about the issues he thinks are most important for us to consider in the cultural and spiritual moment in which we find ourselves.

All of the above were gifts for me in the aftermath of a busy Holy Week and Easter celebration. But the greatest gift was our keynote speaker Brian McLaren; theologian, writer, and former pastor, well-known for challenging the Church’s (with a big “C”) tendency to domesticate, tame and sweeten the Christian faith so it no longer has any meaning, life, fire or passion. During his day with us, Brian McLaren continued to do what he does best, and challenged us to think about ways our liturgy (if opened up in new ways) might actually provide people with experiences “of God” rather than just words “about God.” 

Brian McLaren left us much to think about. And Bishop Brown promised us there will be follow-up conversations about the possibilities raised during our time with Brian McLaren as we seek to enlarge our vision of liturgy, worship, and our life together as Christians. So there will be more to come on this subject. But I wanted to invite you to experience something Brian McLaren suggested we might pay attention to as we consider what it might feel like to experience God’s presence in the community of faith…

So, just as Brian McLaren invited us to do, I invite you to Google “Jacob Collier – The Audience Choir – Live at 02 Academy, Brixton.” I’m not going to say anything else. Just watch the video and consider what Brian McLaren might be suggesting as we ponder different ways of offering experiences of God in the community of faith. (And I’m not necessarily suggesting we need to do just what Jacob Collier is doing in this video… I simply offer it, as Brian McLaren did, to get us thinking in new ways about liturgy and what it might look like to invite folks into an experience of God.) 

I’m not sure the Diocese knew what effect Brian McLaren might have on us as church leaders. But it felt a bit like Easter and Pentecost all rolled up into one beautiful gathering, and once you let Easter and Pentecost out of the bag, you never know what might happen! 

Our GPS Action this week is a call for advocacy and solidarity on behalf of the Wabanaki tribes of Maine. On this coming Wednesday, May 14, the leaders of the tribes will address the Maine State Legislature during a lobby day for tribal rights. Just as they did two years ago, the five Chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations in present-day Maine will deliver a historic State of the Tribes Address before the Maine Legislature, speaking to the issues facing their Nations, and to the pressing need for recognition and respect for Wabanaki self-determination.  Click here to learn more about this sovereignty issue. 

The Wabanaki Alliance asks folks from all over the state to show up in person at the State House on the morning of May 14 to help them in their advocacy, talk with legislators and be in community together.  Please share this registration form with family and friends, and as the day approaches, the Alliance will follow up with more specific information (directions, an agenda for the day, streaming options and more).

Conscious Aging

with Cynthia Bourgeault

June 2 - June 30

No matter where you find yourself on the timeline of your life, the one thing we human beings all have in common is that we’re all aging. Beneath the endless surface variations, life itself seems to follow the same universal pattern, often pictured as a parabolic curve. The curve begins at birth as we come bursting out of the womb seething with life force and raw potential. It rises to the height of its powers in midlife, then slowly recedes, winding its way toward diminishment and dissolution.

This e-course will help you draw directly upon the power of your consciously achieved selfhood to bridge the gap between physical diminution and spiritual evolution. That teaching is what sets this e-course apart from other “aging gracefully” courses and brings you into alignment with the spiritual and contemplative traditions.

Cynthia

Support Health Care in Maine

On Wednesday, May 14th, at 1:00 p.m., Maine AllCare will be at the Cross Office building in Augusta to tell the Legislature that it's imperative they make a plan to ensure that Mainers continue to have healthcare. Medicaid, Medicare, and the ACA are all threatened by cuts to the federal budget. It's up to the Maine Legislature to make a plan to cover the healthcare of Mainers. Maine AllCare, which has been advocating for universal healthcare in Maine for over a decade, has submitted three bills this session.

Click here to learn more about these bills and ways you can support them.

Bible Study on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

May 14th - No Bible Study

May 21st - Bible Study

May 28th - Bible Study

"We are God's work of art . . ."

Ephesians 2:10

Meditation/Silent Prayer

every Monday at 4:30 p.m. by Zoom



Readings, poems, and prayers are shared before a period of silence.



May Birthdays

Bill Scaife – 1

Ann Tarlton – 4

Jennifer Reece – 5

Rich Paget – 5

Cynthia Pease – 8

Meg Graham – 12

Neil Haley – 13

Kaz Pickens – 15

Tom Yaroschuk – 17

Anne Burton – 22

Bunny Reardon – 27

News from Near and Far 

We pray for those in special need:

Beth Kyzer

David

Preston Henderson

Mollie Ann Meserve

Heidi (Jonny's mother)

Tammie and Jason Cox

Tyler Goss

Joyce Dunn

Kate Hallen & Bob Blum

Judith Jerome

Isabelle Valencia

Mimi Maslan

Susan Manne

Semantha and Lee

Emily Gibson

Judy

Megan

Bishop Thomas Brown

Naomi

Robert B. Tobin

Anne Burton

Hewit

Mary Ann and Terry

Nishah

David Morrish

Corbin

Rebecca

Pam B.

Jaxson

Heather Corey

Stephen Gill

Brent Was

Bill Scaife

Gary and Wellesley

Mary Lawrence Hicks and family

Nancy Greene

Peter Brown

Seth

Linda Shepard and family

Mary Ann Shaw

Lindsay Bowker

Marcia Scott

Tony Stoneburner

Carol Stoneburner

We continue to hold in prayer those in our community who have recently lost loved ones; among them are the Putnam, Wright, Clauson/Hewes, Pierson, Wade/Scaife, Dahlen, Stoessel, and Miller/Budd families.

We pray for those struggling with addiction and mental illness and their caregivers.

We pray for all those receiving care through Neighbor Care and for all the relocated residents of the Island Nursing Home and their families.

We pray for the victims of gun violence -- in our cities and towns, in our schools, in our places of worship, and in our homes.

We pray for the victims of the violence of armed conflicts around the world. We pray for those made refugees by the violence of armed conflicts. We pray for the victims of terrorist attacks everywhere.

We pray for all who suffer the effects of domestic violence and the violence of bullying in our schools and workplaces.



We pray for our nation, our president and vice-president, and all elected and appointed leaders.

We pray for all peacemakers and all those who work for justice; may we be found in their ranks.

We pray for all those serving in the armed forces of our country.

We pray for Justin Welby and his family; Hosam, Bishop of Jerusalem; Sean, our Presiding Bishop; and Thomas, our Bishop.

In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for Trinity, Saco; Parish of St. Mary & St. Jude, Northeast Harbor.

In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Nippon Sei Ko Kai.

On the Island and Peninsula, we pray for the Reversing Falls Sanctuary, Brooksville.

Fourth Sunday of Easter

This day in the church year is traditionally called Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd of his people was connected very early in the church’s life with Holy Baptism. The Good Shepherd is the most common decoration in baptisteries in church buildings from the second and third centuries. This image was reinforced in the church’s art, liturgy, and music by the Old Testament’s use of the shepherd image to express the care God has for all people.

In the Book of Revelation, a portion of which is read this year on every Sunday of Easter, we hear today the description of the gathering of all the redeemed. Their white robes are the sign that they have been baptized, for in earlier times the newly baptized were clothed in white. This custom is preserved in many places with christening gowns. The redeemed rejoice, for Christ is in their midst as the Good Shepherd.

Our reading from Acts today describes the ongoing work of the risen Christ through the church. Peter raises Tabitha from death. The great excitement which the early Christians felt was their discovery that Jesus continues to live in his faithful people.

As in John’s vision of the heavenly worship so in our Eucharistic gathering Christ the Good Shepherd stands in our midst leading us to the springs of the water of life.

Notes on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2009 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York

Warden - John Arrison, 207-505-2474 arrison17@gmail.com

Warden - Lis Ingoldsby, 207-348-2586 lisingo@msn.com

Dan Reardon-Treasurer

Emily Hawkins-Clerk

Beth Carter

Woody Osborne

George Pazuniak

ST. BRENDAN THE NAVIGATOR EPISCOPAL CHURCH, 627 NORTH DEER ISLE ROAD, DEER ISLE Mailing Address: P.O. Box 305, Deer Isle, ME 04627

(207)348-6240 • OFFICE@STBRENDANS-ME.ORG

www.stbrendans-me.org