The E-Pistle of Thursday

April 11th, 2024

Dear Friends-

In the season of Easter, our weekly lectionary replaces scripture from the Old Testament, with stories of the early church from the Book of Acts. 

‘Acts of the Apostles’ as it is formally known, picks up the story of what happened to followers of Jesus after Jesus ascends into heaven and how the Christian faith spreads into what we know as the Roman Empire.  

What we learn, in reading Acts, is that the faith is spread by followers of Jesus through serving others and by telling the story of the risen Lord. This weekend’s lectionary includes a sermon from Peter to worshipers in the temple that highlights the transformational power of the resurrection, not just for Jesus, but for those who follow Jesus too! 

C.S. Lewis says, ‘To preach Christianity meant (to the Apostles) primarily to preach the Resurrection. … The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought.” (Miracles, ch. 16). 

As those who know the ‘good news’ of the Jesus, it is incumbent upon us to join the apostles in working for the good of others and telling the story of the resurrection. 

See you Sunday!

George

Community Announcements

Join Luke's Garden

for Their Meeting This Sunday

Join Luke’s Garden, St. Luke’s LGBTQIA+ group, for their meeting this Sunday at 1:00PM on Zoom

The meeting will be a discussion about coming out; it’s history, significance, and what to do if someone comes out to you.

With questions, please email Orion Williams.

Park Street Door Code

In order to maintain security efforts at the cathedral, the code on the park street entrance has been changed. If you have questions please contact acting junior warden Fred Fowler, The Reverend George Stevens, or call the parish office (207)-772-5434 if you are in need of the access code. Thank you for your understanding as we make efforts to keep our building safe and secure for all.

Eco Tips from the

Public Policy and Environmental

Action Team (PPEAT)

Did you know that minute particles of plastic have been found in even the most pristine snow cover in the Antarctic and in the milk of breastfeeding mothers? Plastic has been shown to cause a number of cancers and to interfere with our reproductive systems and the development of our children.

In addition to reducing your household’s use of plastic, there are a number of steps you can take to advocate for plastic reduction on a larger scale.

• Urge your members of Congress to pass the REDUCE Act Act (H.R. 5564/S. 2844), a bill that would put a fee on the sale of new, virgin plastic resin used to make single-use products. This could begin a wave of positive change, shifting industries to use recycled plastics or alternatives when creating single-use products as well as funding plastic waste reduction and recycling projects.

• Sign the Anglican Communion UN team’s letter in support of a UN Global plastic treaty. The letter argues that plastic is particularly damaging for people living in poverty and explains why we should continue to reduce production and accelerate a just transition away from single-use and harmful plastics.

The Reverend George Stevens To Run His 11th Boston Marathon On April 15th

This coming Monday, April 15th (Patriot's Day), The Reverend George Stevens, our Interim Dean, will be running in his 11th Boston Marathon!

We offer our prayers of support and encouragement to George on this tremendous undertaking.

This past Sunday, Bishop Brown offered a blessing to the Rev. Stevens (pictured below).

George will be running in support of Dream Big! which is a charity that empowers girls from low income situations by enabling their participation in sports.

To support George in his efforts, you can visit his page here.

The Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Brown (Bishop of Maine) offers a blessing to The Rev. George Stevens (Interim Dean), in preparation for his marathon.

Photo Courtesy of Nancy Mawhinney

Cathedral Office Limited Availability Next Week

This coming week, April 15-19, the cathedral office will have limited staffing, as the Rev. George Stevens will be away with his family, and Avery Levesque-Schott, parish administrator, will be attending the Episcopal Communicators Conference.

We will check email and respond to voicemails when available.

Thank you for your understanding.

To email the parish office click here.

To email The Reverend George Stevens, click here.

The Biblical Study Group

What do Christians know, or think they know, about God’s being? What roles do faith and/or belief play in this system? What role does thinking or reason play? What role does feeling or emotion play? What Biblical references are essential to coming to conclusions about who or what God is? 

Biblical references open doors to new understandings by tracing the major prophets, the Pauline letters, and the Gospels. These many voices sing God’s praises as they trace the evolution of God’s character over time.

An essential clue to God’s being is given to us by tracing the 25 names God is assigned by the prophets and apostles. Join us to discover what God has told us about who he is, and therefore who we are. 

We meet in the Oratory Room from 12:00 until 1:30PM every Sunday. Bring your questions and your hopes. There are handouts and suggested readings for each session. Contact: Dr. Bob Hanson (207) 405-8250.

Looking For Individuals to serve as Treasurer and

Junior Warden

The cathedral is looking for individuals interested in serving in the positions of treasurer and junior warden.

If you are interested in serving as treasurer please contact The Rev. George Stevens or Tim Wilkins, with any questions.

If you have interest in either of these positions please email The Rev. George Stevens or Senior Warden Sam Allen.

Christian Education at the Cathedral

Interested in Christian Education? In the coming weeks the vestry will be beginning work on creating a fresh job description for the Interim Director of Religious Education at the Cathedral of St. Luke. 

If you’re interested in helping shape this new position, please contact Interim Dean the Rev. George Stevens.

Last Week's Services

To view last week's bulletin click here

To watch the livestream of last week's service click here

To listen to the sermon offered this past Sunday, by The Right Reverend Thomas Brown, Bishop of Maine, 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.

Events and Resources in the Wider Community

Portland Rossini Club Concert on April 28th

Join the Portland Rossini Club for their concert on April 28th at 3:00PM.

The concert will feature students of Laura Kargul, Director of Keyboard Studies at the University of Southern Maine's Osher School of Music.

To learn more about this event and the Rossini Club, visit their website here.

Harmony Unveiled:

Nurturing Nicaragua's Future Together

Date of Event: Tuesday, May 7

Location: St. Nicholas Church, 350 Rt. 1, Scarborough, ME 04074

Time: 7:00PM

We hear and read about Central America and think we know something about the people, and about immigration, in specific, and yet oftentimes what we’ve been told turns out to be questionable. Come hear firsthand experience from someone who has been living and working in Nicaragua for over 35 years. Sarah Woodard has extensive experience working among those less advantaged in support of economic development, food security, and access to affordable healthcare.

Renaissance Voices Concert on Friday, May 10th

Join Renaissance Voices under the direction of maestro Harold Stover

(St. Luke's parishioner) for their next concert on Friday, May 10th at 7:30PM in the Cathedral Nave.

Musical selections include works by John Dowland, Thomas Morely, Edward Elgar, Selections from the Great American Songbook and more.

To learn more about Renaissance Voices and to purchase tickets for this upcoming concert, visit their website here.

Screening of the "Philadelphia 11"

Documentary to be Held in Portland

The full-length documentary, "The Philadelphia 11," which tells the remarkable story of the first women ordained in the Episcopal Church, is coming to the Nickelodeon Theater in Portland's Old Port on Tuesday, 14 May at 7 p.m.

The screening will be followed by a panel that includes with one of these 11 pioneers: Merrill Bittner. Merrill will be joined by Portia Hirschman (retired priest from Maryland who is active at St. Mary's in Falmouth), Nancy Moore (sponsored for ordination in Maine and rector at Christ Church in Norway), Vicki Smith (sponsored for ordination in Maine and has served in several other dioceses, currently rector at St. Martin's in Palmyra), and Sukie Curtis (retired and active at St. Bartholomew's in Yarmouth). 

I hope you can be with us on Tuesday, May 14th for this exciting event.

To learn more about the film visit the webpage here.

Ongoing Opportunities &

Community Resources

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