St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church
Our Mission: "To Love, Praise, Welcome and Serve"
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Worship this Sunday:
Healing Service and Holy Eucharist
Pastor Elaine Hewes, presiding
Page Eastman, reflector
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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) | | | | |
9:00 a. m. Pastoral Care Ministry meeting (Zoom)
10:00 a.m. In-person Meditation
10:30 a.m. Advent Bible Study
3:45 p.m. Choir rehearsal
5:00 p.m. Advent Vespers - Barbara Putnam, reflector
| | | | 10:30 a.m. Education and Spiritual Development Ministry meeting | | | | 10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Pastor Elaine Hewes presiding | | |
We would like all pages or photos of pages to be in the office by November 30. Please bring your page to church on Sunday, or email a photo to
Lynne (office@stbrendans-me.org) and to Elaine.
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St. Brendan will be "nut-free"
Many of us have various allergies, including nuts. In the future, please refrain from bringing food for coffee hour that contains nuts. Please check the packaging of processed foods (e.g., crackers) to ensure they were prepared in a nut-free facility. Thank you.
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We have told the story and next week, we start all over again! We will retell the story. We will rehearse the story, because that is what we are doing. We are rehearsing, not merely repeating: rehearsing, taking our roles, practicing our parts, practicing until the story lives in us, until the story lives through us, practicing, practicing, practicing, rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing until …
Until the show goes on! Until God’s kingdom comes!
Continue reading Rev. Timothy Ensworth's greeting here.
Click below for the video recording of his sermon, "Unflagging Hope."
A text copy is available here.
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To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything God has given us – and God has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.
Thomas Merton
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Advent at St. Brendan’s
This year our Advent theme will be “Light Carried in a Jar” to remind us that even as we wait to celebrate the story of Jesus’ birth, the light that Jesus brought to the world is already with us, and can be carried in ordinary, everyday, down-to-earth ways; even in each of us, no matter how ordinary and down-to-earth we may feel. (The inspiration for this theme came from the work of a company in South Africa called “Sonnenglas.” Google “Sonnenglas/Social Impact” and see if it doesn’t inspire you too!)
We will be offering many opportunities to contemplate the mystery of the light of Christ, both “already-with-us and on-the-way” during this Advent season. We invite you to participate in any and all of the opportunities listed here:
1) This Sunday, November 30, we will begin the season of Advent with a healing service, as is our practice on the months when we have five Sundays. Our reflector will be photographer Page Eastman, who will talk about the ways in which light informs her work. As is always true during our services of healing, there will be an opportunity for receiving individual prayer for healing and the laying on of hands.
2) On Wednesday mornings, December 3, 10, and 17, from 10:30-12:00, our Bible study will weave together our Advent texts and the poetry of Wendell Berry. We will be using a guide that will be available for those who come in person as well as in digital form for those who join us over Zoom. Please let Miriam know if you would like a digital copy. Email: mantichino@gmail.com
3) On Wednesday evenings at 5:00, we will have Advent vespers, gathering for prayer, silence, candle-lighting, music and reflection. Our reflectors will be Barbara Putnam (December 3), Barbara Kourajian (December 10), and Jonny Wheaton (December 17).
4) On Sunday, December 21 after worship, we will have our annual Christmas pageant in the parish hall. Many St. Brendan folk have used their imaginations and their artistic abilities to create a “book” called the “ABC’s of Christmas.” We will show this book on a large screen, interspersing music throughout the telling of the story. Please come to see the beauty of our St. Brendan creations and to hear the story of Jesus’ birth in a way you may have never before imagined!
5) On Tuesday, December 24 at 4:00, we will gather for a Christmas Eve service of lessons, carols, candlelight, prayer, and reflection. Of course, we will ponder the mystery of “Emmanuel God with Us,” and will consider anew the question of what it means for us to say we follow the One who is the Light of the World.
Blessings on your Advent season. As the Quakers say, “The light of God is within each of us.” May each of us know the light of Christ that is deep in our heart, and may we carry that light to our beautiful suffering world in whatever ordinary, down-to-earth way we can. Even as we wait to celebrate the birth of the light of Christ, may we practice Christmas. And by our practicing, may the Christ child be born again and again (as T.S. Eliot says), in the “very craziest of second comings.”
Pastor Elaine
| | Giving our Priorities Shape (GPS) Action Item | | |
Slow Down. Quiet. It's Advent. You are invited to take these words to heart. Post this Advent calendar (available in the church entryway) in your kitchen or bedroom. Subscribe to one or more of the daily Advent emails listed below under "Advent Devotional Resources."
Come to Vespers on December 3, 10, and 17 and reflect together on our Advent theme –"Light Carried in a Jar" – the Light of God's love shared in a myriad of ordinary ways through open hands, hugs, smiles, music, poetry, making and sharing bread or soup with family or neighbors, writing a letter of comfort and solidarity to a grieving friend....
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Join us to share in prayer, music, and silence on December 3, 10, and 17 at 5:00 p.m.
Barbara Putnam will be our reflector on December 3rd. Feel welcome to come a little early to sit in silence. We will have the candles lit by 4:45.
Click below for the Zoom link.
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What fun items are appearing
in Alfred's Box!
Below is the most recent list of requested items:
- 4 alphabet posters -- order this item here
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3 writing tablets -- order this item here
- Girls Size 4 boots
- 2 teenage boys would love Nike sweatshirts and Nike duffel bags. Size medium & large; dark colors (blue or black) please. These boys play basketball.
The previous list of requested items is available here. If you are off-island, you can have your online purchases sent to Woody Osborne. Thank you for your generosity.
| | Advent Devotional Resources | | |
Slow down. Quiet. It's Advent.
Jay Sidebotham's Advent poster calendar is available at church beginning this Sunday. This calendar offers ideas for prayer, helping others, and being thoughtful about the true meaning of Christmas.
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The Rev. Thomas Mousin (rector at St. Peter's, Portland) shares his annual Advent calendar, which he creates in partnership with The Rev. Merry Watters. This partnership is now in its thirty-sixth year!
Reading the appointed scripture for each day helps us to focus on the Christmas story as it has been revealed to us over the course of human history. Learn more and download the free calendar here. To receive the daily email devotionals that Tom sends to accompany the calendar, click here to subscribe.
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AdventWord
Forward Movement convenes another year of AdventWord, an inspirational online Advent calendar featuring a daily prompt word selected from the Sunday lectionary readings. Followers receive a daily meditation and visual image inspired by the day’s word and are invited to share their own personal reflections, art, poetry, or other creative expression.
Sign up to receive the daily email meditation. AdventWord is an offering of Forward Movement, a ministry of the Episcopal Church. Learn more about this ministry at forwardmovement.org.
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Living Well Through Advent 2025
Practicing Generosity with All Your Heart, Soul, Strength, and Mind
Living Well Through Advent is a free daily devotional shared by the Living Compass group. It offers daily scripture and reflection to guide our journey of expectant waiting this Advent season.
Click here to sign up for this daily email devotional.
| | Education & Spiritual Development Ministry | | |
"Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. . . "
Romans 13: 12-13
Zoom Meditation/Silent Prayer at 4:30 p.m.
Readings, poems, and prayers are shared before a period of silence.
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In-Person Meditation/Silent Prayer at St. Brendan
Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.
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Advent Bible Study
Wednesday, December 3rd at 10:30 a.m.
In person and on Zoom
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November Birthdays
Andrew Stoessel – 29
December Birthdays
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Skip Greenlaw – 12
Connie Mayo – 13
Andree Appel – 21
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Mimi Gerstell – 23
Jim Anderson – 29
| | One of the biggest sources of waste in the world, including right here on Deer Isle, is FOOD. If you are interested in learning more about how farmers and processors in Maine are finding innovative ways to solve this problem, you might be interested in joining Maine Food Convergence in this webinar. Click here to sign up. | | |
Advent Study Offering: Five-Week Course on Matthew's Gospel
Fridays, Nov. 21 - Dec. 19, 11 a.m. - noon
In person at St. Margaret's, Belfast, and online
All are invited to join a group at St Margaret’s, Belfast, for a free, online and in-person short course on Matthew’s Gospel, which is the focus of Lectionary readings for Year A starting in Advent 2025.
Matthew’s Gospel is the first in the canon—that is, the 27 books of the New Testament. It is one of four New Testament gospels, through which we learn about Jesus and his followers. Matthew’s focus is on Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), a grounding with which Matthew’s audience is very familiar, but which we as Episcopalians are not. A Jewish text written after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the war against Rome in 66-70CE, Matthew wrote intending to present the contours of Judaism in the context of that catastrophe for Jewish followers of Jesus.
To join the course or if you have questions, please email the instructor, Canon Deirdre Good, for a course outline and online materials before Nov. 21.
Canon Deirdre Good, Th.D., a parishioner of St Margaret’s, and a licensed lay preacher in the diocese, taught New Testament and Christian Origins at the General Theological Seminary in New York City for 28 years. For more information see deirdregood.net.
| | We pray for those in special need: | | |
Henna Torrey Roy
Liz Leuthner
Jerry
Harry Vickerson
Helen and Gibbie Nauman
Mimi Gerstell
Agnes and Billy
Barbara K.
Julie and Tom
Gwen Murray
Sally
Beth Kyzer
David
Preston Henderson
Mollie Ann Meserve
Heidi (Jonny's mother)
Tammie and Jason Cox
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Tyler Goss
Kate Hallen & Bob Blum
Judith Jerome
Mimi Maslan
Semantha
Judy
Megan
Bishop Thomas Brown
Naomi
Anne Burton
Hewit
Mary Ann and Terry
Nishah
David Morrish
Corbin
Rebecca
Pam B.
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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
Tony Stoneburner
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 Sherman, Hewes, 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 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 St. Dunstan's, Ellsworth and for the basic right of all people to adequate shelter.
In the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, we pray for The Anglican Church of Australia.
On the Island and Peninsula, we pray for Sargentville Chapel Circle, Sedgwick.
| | | First Sunday In Advent
On this Advent Sunday, the liturgy is centered on the second Advent of Christ, when he will return as judge and establish the Kingdom of God. In today’s Gospel reading Jesus tells his followers that his return will be sudden and with no warning. Therefore, we are to live at all times as though his return is imminent.
In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah foresees that Kingdom as God’s reign over a united and peaceful humanity. All people will know themselves to be the children of God and brothers and sisters to all other people.
The second reading from Romans exhorts us to live as though we were in the last days. We are to live as though the Kingdom has come, shunning darkness and living in the light of God’s presence.
The Advent theme that points to Jesus’ first coming in his birth becomes the sign for us of the Advent yet to come. As we gather in the Eucharist, we find in our liturgical action a foretaste of the unity and peace of God’s Kingdom. We recognize that in this in-between time (between Jesus’ first coming and his second) we ourselves are caught up in the Eucharist into the 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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