The Weekly E-Pistle

Thursday, October 31st, 2024

A Reflection from the Reverend George Stevens

Dear Friends-

One of the questions that came up during a conversation about our search for a new Dean was, ‘What does it mean to be the Cathedral for the Diocese of Maine?’ 

The simple answer is that the Cathedral is called such because of a piece of furniture. The Cathedra (Latin for chair) is the official seat of the bishop. This means that, technically, the Cathedral if the bishop’s church. Because the bishop has responsibilities throughout the diocese, the regular clergy leadership of the community is done by the Dean, who serves at the bishop’s pleasure. 

Each Diocese is organized differently, and some do not have cathedrals. And each cathedral has its own identity; some cathedrals are centers of mission, others serve as innovative liturgical centers, others serve as a political hub, some are centers of education. 

The role of the Cathedral in the Diocese of Maine is diverse. 

Consider what is happening here in the coming weeks:

This Sunday, in honor of All Saints Day, our choir will be joined by an orchestra at both 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to offer the Faure’s. Requiem. This is an inspirational liturgical gift for our parishioners and the wider community.

On Election Day Tuesday, November 5, our doors will be open between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. for prayer for our country and its leaders. 

Saturday, November 9 our community will have an Open house and Holiday Bazaar from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This event offers fellowship for us and introduces our ministry to the community. 

On Saturday, November 16 the Cathedral will host the Diocesan Convention Eucharist and hear the Bishop’s address during the sermon. 

Throughout it all, we’ll be hosting our weekly Outreach ministries of St. Elizabeth’s and the Food Pantry. 

All this is to say that as a Cathedral, our identity is rich and diverse, outward focused and driven by our call as followers of Jesus and his Great Commandment to Love God and Love Neighbors. 

See you Sunday!



George

UPCOMING

The Cathedral Choir Presents: Gabriel Faure's Requiem



This Sunday, November 3

10AM & 3PM

The Cathedral Nave

A Requiem “for the pleasure of it”

— Christian M. Clough, Director of Music

So proclaimed Gabriel Fauré in giving cause for writing a Requiem mass.

Odd, since the Requiem mass had come to be known as the genre of magnum opus, the place in which a composer makes his most profound expression of self. Mozart, Cherubini, Verdi, Bruckner, Brahms—their masses for the dead are defining works. But then, perhaps the notion of a Requiem mass being one’s ultimate musical statement is purely a Romantic affectation. Some people have written more than one; Brazilian composer José Maurício Garcia, for example, composed four, the last of them in 1816. This was, however, before that selfsame Romantic notion could have arisen, and commissions of musical settings for actual liturgical use were more common in the 18th century and earlier.

To read the rest of Christian's letter, please click here.

Cathedral Open for Prayer on Election Day

Tuesday, November 5

9:00AM-5:00PM

The Cathedral Nave

On Tuesday November 5, the cathedral will open its sanctuary doors from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to all who would like to pray.

Through his action and instruction, Jesus invites us to prayer. When we pray we come before God with humble hearts, offering our thanksgivings and concerns to God or simply listening for God’s voice in our lives and in the world. Whether in thought, word or deed, individually or corporately, when we pray, we invite and dwell in God’s loving presence. 

Come and pray before you vote, come and pray after you vote, come and pray vigil for all who are voting on Tuesday day or will have cast their absentee ballots earlier.

Prayer resources will be available and our usual 12:10 Tuesday Eucharist will be offered with the special intention of the Election. 

If you would like to provide hospitality and welcome throughout the day, please contact the Rev. George Stevens via email.

Christmas Ornament Making Gathering

Tuesday, November 5

9:30-11:30AM

The Upper Hall

Join us for a gathering to make Christmas ornaments on Tuesday, Nov 5th from 9:30 am to 11:30 am at St. Luke's in the upper hall. 

Everyone is invited to join!  

We will have supplies and instructions for specific ornaments so just stop by and give it a try!

The ornaments will be sold at the Holiday Bazaar in the hand craft section. For more information contact Meredith Cough.

Donate Handmade Items and Baked Goods

for the Holiday Open House & Bazaar

Please join us on Saturday, November 9, from 9AM-1PM in the Nave for our Holiday Open House and Bazaar as part of the State Street Stroll. 

This festive gathering is fast approaching!

We are looking for donations for handmade items e.g. knitted scarves, hats or toys, as well as baked goods.

We will not be accepting donations of household goods. 

With questions about handmade items, please email Elizabeth Burger

With questions about baked goods, please email Kathy Watt.

With additional questions please contact the co-chairs via email.

Dan McDonald and Catherine Hyde.

A Presentation on

Charles Fletcher Dole, Liberal Theology, and Reform

by Paul Burlin

Sunday, November 10

Upper Hall

11:30AM

Join us on Sunday, November 10 following the 10AM service, for a presentation by Paul T. Burlin, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of New England, and St. Luke's parishioner, on his recently published book titled Charles Fletcher Dole, Liberal Theology, and Reform.

Charles Dole, a long term Unitarian minister and Social Gospel advocate who lived from 1845 to 1927, was born in Maine into what he described as “an ultra-orthodox” Congregational family. As an adult he tacked off to the radical wing of Unitarianism. While his theological perspective was time-bound, Dole might well provide inspiration to any adult who struggled (or struggles) with the religious perspective of their upbring.

To read this text and Paul's other books, please visit the link here.

The Public Policy & Environmental Action Team

Next Meeting

November 12

6-7PM

Zoom

The St. Luke's Public Policy and Environmental Action Team will 

meet Tuesday November 12, from 6-7 PM. All are welcome!

Join us via Zoom 

For more information email Ruth Roemer.

St. Luke's To Host Service of Holy Eucharist

for Diocesan Convention

Saturday, November 16

11:30 AM

The cathedral will host a service of Holy Eucharist during the 205th Diocesan convention on Saturday, November 16th at 11:30AM.

All are welcome to attend!

The business portion will be available on the Diocesan youtube page. (9-11 a.m. and 2-4:30 p.m.)

Guests are welcome to register to attend in person ($25) using the same link or to watch on YouTube.

Eucharist (11:30 a.m.) will be available to be streamed on the cathedral's youtube page.

Choir for Diocesan Convention Eucharist

Canon for Liturgy & Music, Christian M. Clough, and Hentus van Rooyen, Director of Music Ministries at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Cape Elizabeth, will be leading the choir for Convention Eucharist.

All are invited to sing!

Mandatory rehearsal Friday 15 November 7-9PM at the cathedral.

To participate please contact Christian by email by the end of October.

Singers will receive scans of music in advance, and are expected to learn their notes before arriving, as rehearsal time is limited!

Episcopal Youth Service Corps Gathering

Sunday, November 24

11:30AM-2:30PM

Trinity Episcopal Church, Portland

The Next Episcopal Youth Service Corps (YSC) event will take place on Sunday, November 24th from 11:30 to 2:30 pm at Trinity Episcopal Church in Portland.

Here are details for you to share with adult and youth volunteers who are interested:

11:30 am - Meet at Trinity Episcopal Church, 580 Forest Ave. Portland

11:30 am - Pack food (dry goods) to supply boxes of meals to End Hunger New England, part of The Outreach Program

1:00 pm - Pizza with Youth Service Corps friends

1:30 pm - Community building games, tour of the church, planning for December's event

2:30 pm - Pick up from Trinity

If you have youth who are interested in attending, but you yourself are not able to join us, please have their families contact Amber Burks directly via email.

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, by November 7th, to ensure spots for those who want to participate. This event draws a crowd and spots are limited!

COMMUNITY NOTES

Reminder About Daylight Savings Time This Sunday

Daylight savings time will end this Sunday morning, November 3.

Please remember to turn your clocks back one hour. We look forward to seeing you Sunday morning!

Lesser Chapter ("Vestry") Meeting Guest Policy

One very clear theme that emerged from our World Café discussions concerns “transparency” in the Cathedral’s governance and decision-making processes. Our main practice to communicate what we do in our Lesser Chapter meetings has been prompt publication of minutes of our meetings.

These are spotlighted with links in the E-Pistle newsletter and archived on the Cathedral’s website. Please see the announcement below for the most recent approved minutes and draft minutes.

The Lesser Chapter’s Bylaws explicitly state that meetings are open to members of St. Luke's, unless otherwise stated by the Bishop, Dean or Wardens.

Most often, our guests attend because they are asked by the Dean or Wardens to help inform items that appear on the Lesser Chapter’s meeting agenda. But any interested member of the Cathedral is welcome to attend and observe our meetings, per our Bylaws.

In addition, the Lesser Chapter is instituting, on a trial basis, the practice of beginning each meeting with a ten-minute period where any member of the Cathedral may attend as a guest and address the group on issues of interest or concern. After being heard, guests are welcome to stay for the remainder of the meeting but will not have speaking privileges.

We encourage parishioners who have ideas or concerns that warrant attention by the Lesser Chapter to speak to the Interim Dean or Wardens ahead of time when possible. 

The Lesser Chapter customarily meets in person on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00–8:00 p.m., September–June, in the Loring House Conference Room.

We will institute the practice of announcing upcoming meetings in the Sunday Bulletin and E-Pistle so that those interested in attending can plan accordingly.

The Wardens and Interim Dean welcome your participation and will gladly answer questions about the guest policy.

Sam Allen

Senior Warden

Most Recent Minutes from the Lesser Chapter

& Finance Committee

To read the most recent draft minutes from the Lesser Chapter Meeting held on October 16 please click here.

To read the most recent approved minutes of the Lesser Chapter Meeting held on September 18 please click here.

To read past minutes of the Lesser Chapter visit the vestry resource page on our website here.

To read the most recent draft minutes from the Finance Committee Meeting held on October 15 please click here.

Stewardship Campaign 2025

"Walk in Love"

With any questions you may have please contact Stewardship Chair & Treasurer, Randi Hogan.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

St. Elizabeth’s Coat Drive

As the cold weather approaches, St Elizabeth's is looking for donations of coats and boots (new and gently used) to make available for our neighbors. 

Please leave your donations in the blue box in the lower hall, next to the stairs.

Contact Byrd Wood if you have questions.

An Update from the Haiti-Maine Partnership

Good news from Haiti!



School started last month in Duny; new desks and food for the daily lunch program have been purchased. On behalf of the St. Simon and St. Jude Church Committee, "we would like to greet you on behalf of the great architect of the universe. So we also take this opportunity to thank you for your full presence at our school. We ask God in our prayer to keep your life healthy." 

Thank you to all the members of St. Luke's that support this partnership through quarters in the plate and other donations. 

Wisly, the director of school, and his wife welcomed their second daughter into the world, she was born on Friday morning, Oct. 18. Mother and child are doing well. Look for a newsletter in November updating you all on the latest from Haiti and our partner parish school, St. Simon and St. Jude.

With thanks,

Meredith Cough

OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES

Soul Talk

Every Fourth Tuesday of the Month

10-11:30AM in the Oratory

Soul Talk is a monthly coffee and conversation group in which we talk not so much about our beliefs but about our faith and experience of God.

It meets on the 4th Thursday of each month at 10:00. Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, our next meeting will be November 19.

Please join us once a month or once in a while. Contact Linda Carleton if you’d like to receive an email with material for reflection before each meeting.

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.

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 Schott, Parish Administrator via email.

A NOTE OF THANKS

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 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