St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church
Our Mission: "To Love, Praise, Welcome and Serve"
| | 9:30 a.m. Gathering at the Meditation Garden | | |
Worship on Sunday:
10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Pastor Elaine Hewes, presiding
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All services and meetings will be held both in-person and via Zoom unless otherwise designated.
| | | | 8:30 a.m. Men's Breakfast | | | | 4:30 p.m. Meditation/Silent Prayer (Zoom) | | | | |
10:00 a.m. In-person Meditation
10:30 a.m. Bible Study with The Rev. Tim Ensworth
4:00 p.m. Choir rehearsal
| | | | 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with The Rev. Steve Hayward presiding | | |
Sermon given by The Rev. Jenny Reece on May 10th.
Click below for the video recording.
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We give thanks for the remarkable life of Frances Perkins, Public Servant and Prophetic Witness. Since 2009, Frances Perkins has been recognized in the Episcopal liturgical calendar with a Feast Day on May 13th.
The Portland Press Herald published an Op-Ed last week entitled: "Celebrate Maine's own 'Holy Woman' this May." Click here to read about her accomplishments as our country's first female and longest-serving Secretary of Labor.
The Frances Perkins National Monument is in Newcastle, Maine. Plan a visit to learn more about her life and legacy.
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Artwork by Carolyn Mor
Honoring St. Brendan
The feast day for St. Brendan is May 16th, and so we will celebrate the life and legacy of our patron saint this Sunday during worship in a number of ways. (How perfect it will be for us to celebrate St. Brendan’s work as a monk along the rocky coast of Ireland as we gather along the rocky coast of Maine, not only to sing and pray and receive the gift of the Eucharist, but also to officially receive nine new people into the St. Brendan community through the affirmation of Baptism; a watery adventure if ever there was one… Bring your raincoats not only for outdoors, but for indoors as well!)
As I read again a bit about St. Brendan, who lived in the later part of the 5th century and well into the 6th, I was reminded of a unique practice of pilgrimage used by St. Brendan and the other Celtic monks in Ireland and Scotland called “peregrinatio.” In this kind of pilgrimage, the monks would set sail in a small boat called a coracle, without oar or rudder, and let the winds and current of divine love carry them to the “place of their resurrection.”
As this practice is described by Christine Valters Paintner in her article “Pilgrimage of Resurrection: Wandering for the Love of God,” she writes, “The sea would bring the monks to a place of rest they had not chosen for themselves. The impulse for the journey was always love. It was a practice of profound trust in the One who guides and shepherds us to the place of new life… A practice rooted in a willingness to yield to holy direction… An invitation into letting go of our own agendas and discovering where God is leading.”
As we reaffirm our baptisms this Sunday, we will be reminded that this sacrament of initiation into the Christian life invites us into a similar pilgrimage… a pilgrimage in which we let the winds and current of divine love carry us to the “place of our resurrection.” And so, we will remember once again God’s call to us to get into our coracles, without oar or rudder, but with only the trust that our times and our lives are in God’s hands…
As Christine Valters Paintner writes in the conclusion of her article on St. Brendan, “In the profound practice of peregrinatio, God becomes both destination and way, companion and guiding force. God is in the call to the journey, in the unfolding of the journey, and greets us at the end of the journey.”
What better Sunday could there be for affirming our baptisms than the Sunday on which we celebrate the life of St. Brendan? So please come to remember the watery pilgrimage into which God invites us. Leave your oars and rudders at home. And we’ll all set sail in our little coracles in the direction of our resurrection.
| | Giving our Priorities Shape (GPS) Action Item | | |
As we finish our GPS focus on Caring for Creation during the month of May, you are invited to consider Advocacy as part of your commitment to working for an environment that is supportive of all of creation – humans, animals, birds, fish, soil, water, air – and the complex interdependence that exists among all of these. Forty leading environmental advocacy organizations in Maine have joined together with legislative sponsors to draw up a list of priorities for the 2026 legislative session. The list is below.
All of these bills were voted for (with some updates or amendments) and signed by Governor Mills before the end of the legislative session on April 29. Would you please consider writing to your legislator in appreciation for such positive steps on behalf of the environment and also read about the bills at the website for the Maine Conservation Alliance.
LD 1870: Making polluters pay for climate damages
LD 1949: Protecting Mainers from skyrocketing utility costs
LD 646: Addressing stormwater pollution
LD 785: Wabanaki sovereignty
LD 362: Funding Land for Maine’s Future
LD 2141: Conserving the lakes and farmland of Maine
LD 1730: Expanding access to clean, affordable solar energy
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On Sunday, March 15, the Outreach Ministry made a presentation about our work after coffee hour to those members who attended church that day. We talked about our mission and shared the names of a number of non-profit organizations to which we awarded grants. Our focus includes providing scholarships to graduating students, providing funds to food and housing organizations, and supporting national and international organizations. Our church budget also allocates 1% of pledge income to the Episcopal Church Relief and Development Fund. That amounted to approximately $1866.
We requested suggestions for organizations we might consider funding. Charlie Putnam suggested the Island Pantry, Penny Plumb suggested Bagaduce Equine Rescue, and Jim Adams suggested Hancock Habitat for Humanity. Emily Hawkins recommended that we ensure that any organization we contribute to is financially sound. At our meeting on May 13, we voted to give these three organizations a grant.
At our April Outreach Ministry meeting, Dud Hendrick, a Vietnam veteran living in Deer Isle, gave a very powerful presentation about his involvement in the Veterans for Peace organization. Later this summer, Dud has agreed to make a presentation to the congregation and community so all can hear his powerful story.
On Wednesday, May 13, the Outreach Ministry held its monthly meeting. We awarded a $1000 scholarship each to 6 graduating seniors from Deer Isle-Stonington High School, and 3 scholarships to graduating seniors from George Stevens Academy. All these students will be attending college in the fall. Given the fact that the number of scholarship applications continues to increase, we decided that we need to have a thoughtful discussion about scholarship offerings in the future.
We approved grants to the following organizations:
- CAMP KOOKY- $1250- scholarships for younger students who attend summer camp at the Island Community Center in Stonington.
- BISHOPSWOOD- $1000 for campers at Bishopswood, our diocesan summer camp for young people in Hope, ME.
- BAGADUCE EQUINE RESCUE- $250 for an organization in Penobscot that deals with horse health and injuries.
- HANCOCK COUNTY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY- $500 towards this organization, which is going to build a house in Blue Hill.
- ISLAND PANTRY- $500 This organization, located in Stonington, provides food to area residents (N.B. The Pantry is experiencing increased requests for assistance given the state of the economy).
- HEALTHY ISLAND PROJECT- $500 This organization provides food and meals primarily to island residents.
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SIMMERING POT- $500 As you all know, this is the organization that delivers soup and bread to island and peninsula residents on Mondays. St. Brendan members deliver meals weekly and cook the meal on the 4th and 5th Mondays.
John Arrison talked about his work on the Deer Isle Conservation Committee and how proud he was of all the people who picked up waste on 1.1 miles of Rt. 15 on both sides of the road. John also revealed that Deer Isle has received a $70,000 grant to study groundwater and stormwater. He wondered if St. Brendan’s members living in Deer Isle might become involved in this study.
There was extensive discussion about the work our diocese is doing in support of the Wabanaki Alliance. Elaine asked Tom if he would make a presentation after church on a Sunday. We are also going to invite John Diffenbach to speak with us about the work the diocese has been doing in support of the Wabanaki Alliance.
The Outreach Ministry
| | Education & Spiritual Development Ministry | | |
"My soul finds rest in you alone . . ."
Psalm 62:1
Zoom Meditation/Silent Prayer at 4:30 p.m.
Readings, poems, and prayers are shared before a period of silence.
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10:00 a.m. Wednesdays
In-Person Meditation/Silent Prayer at St. Brendan
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Bible Study
Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
Our study of “Sowing Tears, Reaping Joy: The Bible and Brahms' Requiem"
continues on Wednesday.
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Bill Scaife – 1
Ann Tarlton – 4
Jennifer Reece – 5
Rich Paget – 5
Cynthia Pease – 8
Meg Graham – 12
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Neil Haley – 13
Kaz Pickens – 15
Tom Yaroschuk – 17
Anne Burton – 22
Bunny Reardon – 27
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Let's celebrate!
The dandelions are thick and filled with bees, and we are filled with gratitude as we come together at The Garden Project this Sunday.
Honor the flowers and the pollinators,
Sing with the Tree Swallows and
Dance around the May Pole.
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We hold in prayer the family and friends of Jeff Eaton, Sandy Lentz's nephew,
who died this past Monday.
We hold in prayer the family and friends of Tom Cone, Bunny Reardon's
brother-in-law, who passed away last week.
May God's strong love hold the Eaton and Cone families at this time.
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Stephen Whiteley
Julie M.
Danny Judkins
Cathy Johnson
Meg Graham
Charlie Putnam
Judson Brown
Caroline Dane
Mike S.
Jennifer Hutchinson
Meredydd Cooper
Henna Torrey Roy
Liz Leuthner
Jerry
Agnes and Billy
Julie and Tom
Gwyn Murray
Sally
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Beth Kyser
David
Preston Henderson
Mollie Ann Meserve
Tammie and Jason Cox
Tyler Goss
Kate Hallen & Bob Blum
Mimi Maslan
Semantha
Judy Miller
Megan
Bishop Thomas Brown
Naomi
Anne Burton
Hewit
Mary Ann and Terry
Nishah
David Morrish
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Corbin
Rebecca
Pam B
Jaxson
Heather Corey
Stephen Gill
Bill Scaife
Brent Was
Gary and Wellesley
Mary Lawrence Hicks and family
Nancy Greene
Peter Brown
Seth
Linda Shepard and family
Lindsay Bowker
Marcia Scott
Carol Stoneburner
| | We pray, also, for those who love and care for them. | | |
We continue to hold in prayer those in our community who have recently lost loved ones; among them are the Stoneburner, Sherman, Hewes, Putnam, Wright, and Clauson/Hewes 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 Sarah Mullally, Archbishop of Canterbury; Hosam, Bishop of Jerusalem; Sean, our Presiding Bishop; and Thomas, our Bishop.
In the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer, we pray for Good Shepherd, Rangeley, Emmanuel Lutheran Episcopal, Augusta, and for those who advocate for the poor and the oppressed.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Anglican Church of Papua
New Guinea.
On the Island and Peninsula, we pray for the Congregational UCC, Brooksville.
| | | Seventh Sunday of Easter
We begin today the final week of Easter. Last Thursday we celebrated Jesus’ ascension to the Father and his glorification. The Gospel reading today is a portion of the prayer he prayed on the night before his death, in which he consecrated his offering of himself to God, and prayed for us that we might be made part of his offering. In baptism we have, in fact, received the benefits of that prayer.
The reading from the Acts of the Apostles is the beginning of that book. Luke describes Jesus’ ascension and the promise that he would shortly empower his friends with the Holy Spirit. We are told that the disciples, including Jesus’ mother, then spent the remaining days together in prayer waiting for that gift of the Spirit, which would come upon them on the Day of Pentecost.
In the passage from 1 Peter, we are exhorted to live lives in keeping with our vocation given in baptism. If we are to suffer, let it be for doing good, not because of wrongdoing. Such righteous suffering deepens our union with Christ. We are already assured by Jesus’ resurrection that no suffering can destroy the eternal life we have been given.
We gather week by week to celebrate the Eucharist. The Ascension reminds us that in the Eucharist Jesus is not made present by being brought down to us; he is present because in the Eucharist we are taken up to where he is. For a moment, we are not only in the world but we become citizens of the eternal Kingdom.
Notes on the Sunday Readings and Seasons of the Church Year. Copyright © 2009 by Michael W. Merriman. Church Publishing Incorporated, New York
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Office Hours: Tuesday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Pastor Elaine Hewes
Tel: 207-479-5651
elaine.hewes@gmail.com
Emergency Contacts:
| | Warden - John Arrison, 207-505-2474 arrison17@gmail.com | | Warden - Allen Downs 207-348-2560 agdowns53@gmail.com | | |
Emily Hawkins - Treasurer
Cindy Beyer - Clerk
Beth Carter
Kassie Grey
George Pazuniak
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