The Weekly E-Pistle

Thursday, December 5th, 2024

A Note from the Interim Dean

about our Search for Clergy Leadership



On Wednesday, November 20, the Lesser Chapter gathered with our search consultant, the Rev. Pamela Mott to consider the nominations for the four committees that will search for our next Dean. We had robust interest and wonderful nominees. 

After the meeting, we learned that some nominations made late in the process were inadvertently omitted from consideration. Additionally, following our meeting, members of our Vestry raised questions about the process of populating the committees that necessitated further conversation and consideration. 

All this is to say, that the work of the Vestry around establishing the search committees is ongoing. 

A substantial part of the December Lesser Chapter meeting (December 18) will be to talk about our search for new clergy leadership with the Rt. Rev. Thomas Brown, our Bishop. 

I’m grateful for your deep commitment to the Cathedral of St. Luke and for prayers in this time of transition. 

The Rev. George R. Stevens

Interim Dean

P.S. As we enter the second week of Advent, I want to share a quote about the season that’s been especially helpful to me. Henri Nouwen says, ‘“The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.”

UPCOMING

Collecting Signatures for the "Safe Schools,

Safe Communities" Initiative

This Sunday, December 8

During Coffee Hour

This Sunday, parishioner Gus Goodwin will be collecting signatures for the "Safe Schools, Safe Communities" community initiative, after church during coffee hour. To learn more about this initiative, please read the description below:

The "Safe Schools Safe Communities" citizen initiative to pass an Extreme Risk Protection Order law in Maine will  help keep our kids, families, schools and communities safe by empowering family members to get help when a loved one is in crisis.  

Extreme Risk Protection Orders provide a much-needed tool for families and law enforcement to intervene before a crisis becomes a tragedy. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for American children and teens. Other states have used these laws to disarm people who threatened school shootings. Additionally, these types of laws are effective in reducing incidents of suicide – the leading cause of firearm death in Maine, especially among men.

The goal is to do everything that we can to prevent gun violence and by signing the petition, you will show support to encourage the Maine legislature to pass an ERPO Law.  If they fail to take action then this petition will let us put this common sense proposal to prevent gun violence out to the voters. 

The Safe Schools, Safe Communities campaign is a coalition effort by gun responsibility advocates, health care and mental health professionals, teachers, gun owners, veterans groups and faith leaders, including  The Maine Council of Churches and the Episcopal Diocese of Maine.

5:15 Service Potluck

This Sunday, December 8

Following the conclusion of the 5:15 Service

Lower Hall

Following this Sunday's 5:15 service, please join us for a potluck in the Lower Hall for a time of fellowship.

The potluck menu will consist of a hearty soup, bread, salad and dessert. The kitchen will be available to prepare a dish starting at 3PM.

With any questions please contact Tim Wilkins via email.

Jonathan Radtke to be Ordained to the Transitional Deaconate

Ordination to the Transitional Diaconate

Thursday, December 12 at 7:00PM

Trinity Episcopal Church, 580 Forest Avenue, Portland

We are delighted to announce that the Commission on Ministry and Standing Committee of the Diocese of Maine has approved Jon Radtke for ordination to the Transitional Diaconate, with ordination to the priesthood likely in June.

Jon's ordination to the Transitional Diaconate will take place at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 12 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 580 Forest Avenue, Portland. All are most welcome to attend. 

As a member and leader, Jon has served St. Luke’s for 30 years in many roles including, Lay Reader, Christian Education Coordinator, Junior Warden, and guest preacher.

Following a discernment program, the Cathedral of St. Luke sponsored Jon’s application for Postulancy in 2020. Jon has since completed a program with other postulants from Region I to further prepare for ordination. In 2023, the Lesser Chapter of St. Luke’s approved Jon’s application to become Candidate for Holy Orders. For the past year Jon has been completing his field placement as part of the ministry team at Trinity Episcopal Church, Portland.

Blessings Jon!  

Paul Winter's Winter Solstice Celebration

Friday, December 13, 2024 at 7:00PM

Hannaford Hall

88 Bedford Street Portland, ME 04101

Join the Paul Winter Consort in a joyous and profound celebration of this season of renewal and the greater family of life.

The Consort will include Paul Winter on soprano sax, cellist Eugene Friesen, Brazilian pianist Henrique Eisenmann, Bulgarian bassist Peter Slavov, Brazilian drummer Rogerio Boccato, and the renowned voice of Theresa Thomason.

For tickets visit the link here.

The St. Luke's Altar Guild December Polishing Party

Saturday, December 14

10:00AM-12:00PM

The Upper Hall

The St. Luke’s Altar guild is having a silver and gold polishing party to get ready for the holidays!

Join us 10AM–12noon Saturday 14 December in the Upper Hall. 

Everyone is welcome! You don’t need to be part of the altar guild to participate.

Coffee and goodies will be provided. Contact Kate Leschey with any questions.

Christmas With Renaissance Voices

Saturday, December 14

7:30PM

&

Sunday, December 15

2:00PM

The Cathedral Nave

Join Renaissance Voices and maestro Harold Stover, for their Christmas Concerts at the Cathedral.

Concerts will be held at 7:30PM on Saturday December 14 and at 2:00PM on Sunday December 15.

The program features music of Juan Esquivel, Sally Herman, Celia McDowell, and more!

Tickets are available for purchase on the Renaissance Voices Website here.

Updates from the Episcopal Youth Service Corps

Next Event To Take Place December 15, from 12-2:30PM

St. Peter's Episcopal Church

678 Washington Ave, Portland

The Youth Service Corps had a fabulous time together on Sunday (Nov 24) at Trinity Episcopal Church. There were 15 youth and 14 adults, from 8 different churches, in attendance! We packed meals for End Hunger New England that will be distributed to local food banks. If you were there, thanks so much for your help!

Our fourth Youth Service Corps (YSC) event will take place on Sunday, December 15th from 12 to 2:30 pm at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Portland. We will gather together to enjoy pizza, hot cocoa and cookies while we pack warmth kits to then deliver to Maine Needs.

If you have youth who are interested in attending, please contact Amber Burks via email or via text: 207-239-7159. 

If you haven't already filled out a YSC Participation Form, please do so at your earliest convenience and email it to Amber.

Please RSVP no later than December 12th, to ensure enough space and pizza for those who want to participate.

The Cathedral Choir Presents a Service of Lessons and Carols

Sunday, December 22

4:00PM

The Cathedral Nave

Join the Cathedral Choir on December 22nd at 4:00PM for a service of Christmas Lessons and Carols.

This service will serve as our first liturgical celebration of Christmas.

Please invite friends, neighbors, and family!

This offering provides an excellent opportunity to welcome in the wider community to our beautiful space and to experience a moving worship experience.

With questions please contact Christian Clough, Canon for Liturgy & Music

Christmas Service Schedule

Nominations Open! 

Annual Meeting to be Held Sunday, February 2 at 11:30AM

Cathedral Nave

Nominations for Vestry, Senior Warden, and delegates to Diocesan Convention are being received by the Nominating Committee of the Lesser Chapter. 

Members of the Nominating Committee are: Sam Allen, Catherine Hyde, Dan McDonald and the Rev. George Stevens. 

At our Annual Meeting, scheduled for Sunday, February 2 at 11:30 a.m., we’ll elect a Senior Warden for a two year term, three vestry members for three year terms and five delegates (as well as alternates) for Diocesan Convention. 

Please contact the Rev. George Stevens for ‘Job Descriptions’ or to nominate yourself or someone else. Please contact George via email.

Please note: please have permission of the person you’d like to nominate before submitting their name. 

COMMUNITY NOTES

Eco Tips & Announcements

from the St. Luke's Public Policy

and Environmental Action Team

Check out the November update of “Maine Won't Wait,” the four year plan for climate action released by the Maine Climate Council on November 21. 

To read the plan, click here.

See the goals of the plan below:

• Reduce Maine’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Maine has made meaningful progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we must reduce these emissions at a faster pace to ensure that we meet the state’s 2030 and 2050 targets and do our part to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century. 
• Strengthen Resilience to Climate Impacts Maine must take action to ensure that our people, environment, economy, and society are more resilient to the impacts of climate change that are now occurring. While mitigating the causes of climate change and better preparing Maine for its impacts requires significant public and private investment, inaction will cost Maine substantially more, and those costs will accelerate over time. 
• Create Jobs and Economic Prosperity Many of the strategies in this climate action plan will grow the economy, protect key economic sectors most at risk from climate change, and foster innovation in new business sectors that will drive climate solutions. 
• Bring Climate Action to All Maine People Some Maine people and communities experience climate-change impacts more acutely than others, including rural, older, and lower-income residents, as well as people and places with economies tied to natural resources. As we move forward from climate-action planning to implementation, this plan outlines new and updated strategies and targets to ensure that the benefits of climate investments reach all Maine people.  

Next PPEAT Meeting

Tuesday, December 10

6:00-7:00PM



Interested in learning more about PPEAT? Join us for our next meeting on Tuesday December 10, from 6-7 PM. All are welcome!

Join us via Zoom. For more information contact Ruth Roemer via email.

PPEAT Announcement: Seeking a volunteer!

The Public Policy and Environmental Action Team is in need of a co-Chair for the committee as of December 11, 2024. 

Please contact Ruth Roemer by email or by phone at 973-901-0345 if you would like more information or would like to volunteer.

The Healing Team

Prayers of Healing are offered at the 10AM service each Sunday, during or after communion and to the end of the postlude. Two members of the Healing Team offer these healing prayers in All Saints’ Chapel (the small chapel to the right of the communion rail.) The following team members will offer healing prayers: 

December 8, 2024   Elise Magnuson, Peter Carleton

December 15, 2024  Gail Kesich, Sara Schmalz

December 22, 2024  Gail Kesich, Elise Magnuson

December 24, 2024  Sara Schmalz, Judd. Hume

The Healing Team will not be offering prayers on December 30

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Contemplative Prayer

Contemplative prayer meets every Thursday at 4:30 PM on Zoom. 

Please join us for a half hour of silent meditation followed by a brief conversation about our experience. All are welcome. No experience is necessary.

For more information email Sarah Braik.

Sing with the Cathedral Choir

The Cathedral Choir welcomes new members throughout the season; we hope you’ll join us for fun, learning, fellowship, and the joy of music-making in community!

Previous singing experience is not required.

Short-term commitments are possible.

Rehearsals are most Thursdays 7-9PM, and the choir sings most Sunday 10AM liturgies & for several additional services throughout the year.

With questions contact Christian Clough.

The Biblical Study Group

The Biblical Study Group meets in the Chapter Room at 8:30AM.

The topic for our sessions is the search for the one and only God, Elohim or Adonai, within ourselves.

This topic asks us to reflect on several large questions. How is this possible? When did we begin our search? Why do we know so little about this concept? God invites us to call him “father.” Who then is our mother? What other divine presences do we need to meet? What then is our relationship to the Christ figure? 

We will further discuss the concept of the Imago Dei. This is the icon or banner of the all powerful and creative maker of all universes, all space and time, and of us, humankind, as being “very good.” 

Join us for our study of the search of becoming “who we were meant to be.” 

We are led by Bob Hanson, retired university professor, Episcopal priest, author, peace activist, and Jungian analyst. With questions, contact Bob at (207)-405-8250.

The Parish Prayer List

Names remain on the prayer list for 3 consecutive weeks unless otherwise requested. If you wish for a name to be added, contact Avery Levesque- Schott, Parish Administrator via email.

LAST WEEK'S SERVICE

To view last week's 7:30AM bulletin click here.

To view last week's 10:00AM bulletin click here.

To view last week's service livestream at 10:00AM click here.

To listen the the sermon offered by the Reverend George Stevens, click here.

To View past services visit our Youtube Page or visit the archive page on our website to read past bulletins, sermons, and newsletters.

Weekly Ministries

• St. Elizabeth's Jubilee Center is offered every Tuesday from 8:30 am to 11 am.



• The Food Pantry is open from 8 am to 11 am every Thursday.

• The Tuesday 12:10 Eucharist is offered every week in Emmanuel Chapel in-person and on Zoom.

• Contemplative prayer meets each week on Zoom on Thursday at 4:30PM

• Noon Zoom meets on Thursday afternoons at 12:00PM on Zoom.



• Compline is offered weekly on Friday from 8-8:30pm on Zoom.

Click on the Episcopal Maine Logo above to learn about all that is happening in the wider Diocese.

https://episcopalmaine.org/

stlukesportland.org

(207)-772-5434

Email

Physical Address:

143 State Street, Portland, ME 04101

Parking Available at:

134 Park Street, Portland, ME 04101

Mailing Address:

P.O. Box 4141, Portland, ME 04101