St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church
Our Mission: "To Love, Praise, Welcome and Serve"
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10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Pastor Elaine Hewes, presiding
The Rev. Andree Appel, The Rev. Dr. Jennifer Reece, and
Pastor Elaine Hewes, preaching
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All services and meetings will be held both in-person and via Zoom unless otherwise designated.
| | | | 4:30 p.m. Meditation/Silent Prayer (Zoom) | | | | |
10:00 a.m. In-person Meditation
10:30 a.m. Bible Study
4:00 p.m. Choir rehearsal
| | | | 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Pastor Elaine Hewes presiding | | | | 5:00 p.m. Celtic Eventide | | |
"Empowered by the Spirit"
Sermon given by The Rev. Steve Hayward on May 24th.
Click below for the video recording. A text copy is available here.
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In thanksgiving for the beautiful tulip arrangements
Cindy and Damon Beyer have provided these past two Sundays.
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The Holy Goose (part two)
In last week’s issue of the “Navigator,” I reminded us all that in Celtic Christianity (of which St. Brendan was a part), the Holy Ghost was sometimes referred to as the “Holy Goose.” And I suggested that this is a perfect name for the third person of the Trinity, because God’s Spirit is, like a goose, wild and uncontrollable.
But as I read more about the image of the goose as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, I realized that there are additional reasons to include the goose in our understanding of the life of faith, particularly as it relates to life in the Christian community. Among them, these (with thanks to the Reverend Ed Carll for his insights and wisdom on “all things geese”)…
1) As each goose flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the birds that follow… reminding us that people who share a vision help each other get where they’re going. (Flying in a “V” formation adds 70% extra flying range.)
2) When a goose falls out of formation, it feels the resistance of flying alone and moves back to use the lifting power of the bird in front… reminding us of the advantage of staying in formation and being ready to give and accept support.
3) When the lead goose gets tired, it drops back into formation, and another goose flies into “point position”... reminding us that it pays to take turns doing the hard tasks. (Also reminding us that it’s important to respect and protect each other’s skills and resources.)
4) Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those at the front... reminding us that it helps if our “honking” is encouraging.
5) When a goose gets sick, two geese drop out of formation and follow the sick bird down to help protect it… reminding us of how important it is to stand by one another in hard times.
Perhaps the Celtic Christians from the 4th and 5th centuries thought of the Holy Ghost as a Holy Goose not only for its uncontrollability and its wildness, but also because a goose would know how best to create and sustain life in community. And perhaps we at St. Brendan might adopt the goose as our mascot, committing ourselves to the practices outlined above, and maybe, in the process, even sprouting a few feathers. Who knows, with the Holy Goose as our inspiration, how high we might fly?
Honking in appreciation for you all,
Elaine
| | Giving our Priorities Shape (GPS) Action Item | | |
Our GPS focus in June will be on opportunities to act on behalf of Justice for All.
There is an immediate, urgent opportunity with the Maine Republican and Democratic primaries coming up on Tuesday, June 9. But first, please learn about the wide field of candidates and their positions. A good place to start, if you haven’t already, is with Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan website that describes all the choices on your primary ballot and provides much more information. For instance, the citizen indirect ballot initiative proposing that all students provide a birth certificate to establish their biological gender before they can participate in sports was invalidated on May 26, 2026, by Shenna Bellows, Maine Secretary of State, for insufficient valid signatures. This citizen ballot initiative can be appealed, and if the appeal is successful, it will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE in your primary
and plan for how you will rank your choices.
To learn more about gender justice issues and advocacy,
please visit the website of Equality Maine.
To understand some of Maine’s economic and equity injustices
and advocacy on those issues, please visit the website of Maine Equal Justice.
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June 3 - "Messing Around with Biblical Text" - Come and do what the rabbis of old did with small portions of the Scriptures... namely, "messed around" with them by way of doodling, imagining, creating, and writing ditties and poems in response to them until a new and deeper understanding of the text began to emerge. It will be both fun and inspiring!
June 10 - An invitation from Herm Kidder to learn about dealing with addictions. Through the telling of his own personal story, Herm will give us insights into the premise of his talk, which is this: "The Good News is that habits, even addictions, are not hopeless. They can be altered through the use of language and planned action." All of us deal with some kind of addiction, and we can learn so much from one another. Herm has much to share. Come to listen and to ask questions.
June 17 – Have you ever wondered what the Meditation/Silent Prayer opportunities on our weekly calendar are about? Silent Prayer is a practice of many religions. Sitting in silence allows us to create a space for a rendezvous with the Divine. Being in this space over time allows us to develop a relationship with God. Whether you are new to silent prayer or have been doing it for years, please join us to learn more about this practice and to share your experiences.
June 24 – Centering Prayer – Many people who try Centering Prayer have difficulty feeling they are "doing it right." Many books have been written about it, and there is a lot of advice. But the most important thing is your intention to spend time with God. Then relax and know that no matter what you experience, God has been with you. Come and learn more about this form of silent prayer, and if you have tried this practice, share your experience with us.
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Many of us are aware of the suffering that continues in Gaza. And most of us wonder how we can help alleviate some of that suffering. To find out more about the situation there and one way to help, click here. | | Summer Parking at St. Brendan | | |
With the expected increase in attendance at our services and other events, we must endeavor to park our cars more efficiently. Please:
- Park BETWEEN the sticks.
- Head-in parking is much easier and more accurate than backing in.
- Do not park close to Rt. 15 on the church side of the parking lot. That blocks the necessary line of sight for those exiting the parking lot.
- Additional parking is available on the grassy area behind the Parish Hall. Park according to the plan below, driving your car head-in as close as possible to the outer edges. The first car should park in spot R1 or L1. (We may be able to fit only 3 cars rather than 4 per side, and that is OK.)
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Back entrance to the Hall
| | Education & Spiritual Development Ministry | | |
"Now you are full of the light of the Lord . . ."
Ephesians 5:8
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.
"Messing Around with Biblical Text"
Come and do what the rabbis of old did with small portions of the Scriptures.
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Bud Fisher – 2
Rick Alexander – 6
Nina Dayton – 12
John Lofty – 14
Sue Stoessel – 15
Jean Wheeler – 18
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Dennis Eaton – 19
Louise Lavine – 25
Bill Reardon – 26
Damon Beyer – 26
Chick White – 26
Julie Pierson – 26
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This student art exhibit features the incredible work students created while exploring the question, "What makes our community special and what challenges does it face?"
This event is the culmination of a partnership between Project Launch and Photovoice Worldwide, made possible through funding from the Island Institute, the Island Education Foundation, and a small group of generous individuals.
| | We pray for those in special need: | | |
Harry Vickerson
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
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Sally
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
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David Morrish
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
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 the Cathedral of St. Luke in Portland and for all LGBTQ+ people struggling for acceptance.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Eglise Anglicane du Rwanda.
On the Island and Peninsula, we pray for the Reversing Falls Sanctuary, Brooksville.
| | | Trinity Sunday
The First Sunday after Pentecost is a celebration of the Holy Trinity. This is not, however, a celebration of a doctrine, but the celebration of the God whose self-revelation is as an interaction of love between Persons. The doctrine came about as the Christian attempt in human language to express our experience of God: an experience that we are God’s children, we are the brothers and sisters of God incarnate, and we are people who find the Spirit of God living in us. Thus, the names given to God’s action toward us and God’s own being are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The first account of creation is our reading from the Hebrew Scriptures. While the original writers had no idea of God as the Holy Trinity, Christians have noted that in the act of creating, God, God’s Word, and the Spirit or Wind of God are used as terms for God’s action. In the New Testament reading, we hear in its concluding Grace the earliest Christian formulary of the Trinity, a passage familiar from the closing of Morning and Evening Prayer.
God is most clearly revealed as the Trinity of Persons in Unity of Being in baptism. It is there that we are adopted as children, thus made brothers and sisters of God’s Son, and filled with the Holy Spirit of God. As we celebrate the Eucharist, we find our lives as a community drawn into the community of love that we name the Holy Trinity.
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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