“Covid is doubly hard for people with young children.” “I miss people.” “It’s really hard.” “This time of forced solitude has been great.” “I am worried about the future.” “I am experiencing joy.” “The church has been more cracked open by Covid than we like to admit.” “My church never stopped meeting in person.” “My congregation has not met in person yet.” “We ask that everyone who comes to church is vaccinated, and then do everything, even sharing a common cup.” “We have a big zoom screen projected on the wall.” |
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These are a few of the comments at a diocesan clergy meeting held on zoom earlier this week. People coming from a wide variety of places were excited to be together and the sharing was personal, profound, practical and very real, with emotions that ran very deep.
After we talked and prayed, one priest asked Bishop Thomas Brown what his prayer was for us and for the diocese as we prepared to gather together (by zoom) for diocesan convention this month. The bishop’s words were simple. “I pray that we would rely on the Spirit of God. I pray that we would lean into the learning how to adapt every day. I pray for the spirit of gentleness, that we would be gentle with one another. We are in this together.”
In Galatians 5:22-23 St. Paul writes, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” May the bishop’s prayer, a prayer for gentleness and kindness, and reliance on the Spirit of God, be our own as we continue to journey forward together.
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Sunday, October 3
Don't miss our creation service and blessing of the animals!
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In celebration of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi, known for his love of all of God's creatures, and in honor of creation. Please bring your animals for a blessing as a part of our service. All animals may gather in the Bishop’s Garden at 9:50am, and process in during our opening hymn at 10. They will process to the altar where they will be blessed by our Cathedral clergy! The service will have many new elements to it, including the Eucharist from our World Too Beautiful service, and the flutist Kevin Reams who is also the musician for World Too Beautiful. We hope you will join us!
7:30 Holy Eucharist (in person)
9:00: Newcomer's Group (in person)
10:00 Sunday School via Zoom
10:00 Holy Eucharist (in person)
Lemonade Hour in the Cloister
11:00 The Judaism Seminar (Chapter Room)
5:15 Holy Eucharist (in person)
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National Cathedral worship on line at 11:15
Bulletins for all services are here.
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Sunday Morning Healing Prayers
Healing Team ministers will offer private prayers in All Saints Chapel at the 10:00 am service. You are invited to come to the chapel after receiving communion to request prayers for yourself or for others. Masks are required
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Christian Ed- week beginning 10/3/21 |
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Sunday School this week is at 10 am on Sunday 10/3. The link for Sunday school is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84337053815. The story this week is about “Adam and Eve.” Our craft is making a cool paper apple. There will be a separate Sunday school program for 5th and 6th graders depending on interest. If you have a child in this age range who wishes to participate, please contact Sarah Dowling here.
A Newcomer’s group will meet this Sunday, October 3 at 9 am in the Chapter Room on the ground level. This group will be led by Cathedral clergy. If you are new to the Episcopal Church, to St. Luke’s, or just would like a refresher, you are most welcome.
St. Luke’s participates in a collaborative Youth Group which also includes: HopeGateway, State Street, Williston Immanuel, and Woodfords churches. This group is for 7th-12th graders. The Youth Group is currently in the process of hiring a leader, and we will update you as we get information.
Funeral Planning: Have you thought about planning your funeral, but don’t know where to start? October 16 we will meet with information and forms to help you plan your funeral. Cathedral clergy will be on hand to guide you; Albert Melton will be there to help you consider music; the Rev. Ted Gaiser, a priest and financial advisor, will present how financial planning can be helpful in this area and will be available to answer questions; and Priscilla Webster will provide information on the Memorial Garden and the Columbarium. This group will meet on October 16, in the Upper Parish Hall from 9 am - 12pm. To register, please email: Eleanor here.
Bob Hanson will be teaching a study group on “Our Hebrew Lord and Our Hebrew heritage: Our Lord's influences and accomplishments.” He describes the focus of this group as our Hebrew inheritance, our Jewish traditions, and the two “testaments” which are God’s recurring gifts to us each day. To accept this overwhelming gift from a loving and redeeming Father, in the face of our own admissions of unworthiness and spiritual fatigue, faces us with a favorite polemic of the Jews, ie, “yes, I am unworthy, but not so much so that I can refuse your generosity.” Judaism and Christianity are about one thing. Yes, one life-enhancing commitment: living vitally. For the Jew and the Christian the life lived within God’s grasp is a life lived- on every level- to the fullest. Jesus’ message was not one of caution, fear, withdrawal, or even piety. For two thousand years the Jews have demonstrated the vital life lived in God’s grasp. The Christian life model is the Jew, the Lord Jesus, giving his enormous insights, and his earthly strengths, to living fully, to giving fully, to forgiving fully. This study group will search the scriptures for new insights, pray iyh Jewish zeal, and experience God’s presence in the newly revived encounter with God’s ancient children. This group will begin after church at 11:30 on Sunday, October 3. Please contact Bob Hanson for more information.
Grief and Hope Group This new group is meeting the second Wednesday of the month at 10 AM in the Upper Parish Hall. At our first meeting of this newly forming group we decided to focus on grief: grief experienced, anticipated grief, our stories around grief, and where and how we find hope. This is a time to share our stories, strengthen old connections, and make new connections. The next meeting, on October 13, will be a hybrid. Zoom link here if you would like to attend that way:
Eleanor+ facilitates this group. Please contact her if you have any questions or thoughts.
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The State Street Stroll and Holiday Fair are cancelled
but the celebration continues in new ways!
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For a dozen years, the State Street Stroll has been one of the highlights of the fall. Anchored by fall fairs at St. Luke’s, Mercy Hospital, State Street Church, and the Irish Heritage center, the State Street Stroll has been a wonderful opportunity to work in partnership with our neighbors and create a spirit of celebration and level of energy and participation that has benefitted all our organizations, as well as those who live nearby. This week, because of concerns for Covid, this year’s State Street Stroll was cancelled.
There has been lots of energy and enthusiasm for St. Luke’s Holiday Fair which for many years has been the largest and most dynamic part of the State Street Stroll. Though we may have found ways to make it work, recent feedback from fair volunteers, the fair chair, and medical professionals have raised enough concern that I believe the wisest decision is to follow the lead of our neighbors and cancel this year’s Holiday Fair. I thank all those who have worked so hard for the fair already. I honor your support and appreciate your feelings of disappointment.
Throughout Covid, our primary goal has been to keep our people safe. Cancelling November 13 continues the practice of loving our neighbor and caring for the most vulnerable among us by putting others first. That said, our mission still continues… and so does the fair.
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Instead of a one day “Holiday Fair,” our plan is to have an ongoing series of small celebrations that continue throughout the next few months.
We hope to bake, freeze and then sell pies in time for Christmas, sell jams, jellies, and other special items during lemonade or coffee hour, and strive to sell more valuable items on line. There will still be plenty of chances to shop… and to volunteer! The Holiday Fair has served as a “fun” raiser as well as a fundraiser, this new “rolling” version of the fair will provide good opportunities for both.
We need your help for "Plan B" to be a success.To find out how you can participate, please contact Dawn Brennan-Daly here.
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Walking With Our Wabanaki Neighbors: What Steps Can We Take? |
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Pre-Indigenous Peoples Day ZOOM Event
Offered by the Curtis Library and Midcoast Indigenous Awareness Group (MIAG)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 4th from 6-8 PM - click here to register.
Awareness is increasing locally of Wabanaki culture and people and their current challenges, yet many among us still remain uninformed about the very existence of our Wabanaki neighbors and the issues they face. This presentation offers “next steps” in growing our awareness by providing needed information and guidance for taking effective action to support the restoration of self-determination for the tribes.
Due to the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, Maine is dead last among states in recognizing the legal rights exercised by nearly all other federally recognized tribes. As a result, Wabanaki people and their governments do not have the same rights and privileges as other tribes in the United States and, since 1980, they have missed out on the benefits from over 150 federal laws designed to assist tribal communities.
LD 1626, legislation now pending in the Maine Legislature, addresses and seeks to remedy many of these inequities. The Wabanaki Alliance, a coalition of Maine’s four federally recognized tribes formed to educate people of Maine about the need for securing the sovereignty of the tribes in Maine, is currently building momentum for actions that will increase the likelihood of this legislation being passed.
This October 4th presentation will offer background to the legislation and its impact on Wabanaki life with information about taking effective action. There will also be an opportunity for discussion and questions.
Presenters include:
Shirley Hager, lead author of the recent book, The Gatherings: Reimagining Indigenous- Settler Relations, and clerk (i.e., chair) of the Friends (Quaker) Committee on Maine Public Policy’s Tribal-State Relations Committee
Greg Sample, retired attorney with Drummond Woodsum, with decades of experience working with Wabanaki tribes and the Settlement Act
Abbie Bradford, Outreach Manager of Maine Conservation Voters and active participant in the Wabanaki Alliance planning sessions
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New Link for Contemplative Prayer! Please join us Thursdays at 4:30 on Zoom - click here to join! We begin with a short scripture reading and spend 30 minutes in silence together. All are welcome!
Monday & Wednesday, led by Tom and Emma Flinn, Tuesday & Thursday, led by Jon Radtke
Friday, led by Ray Davis Murdoch Curry
Kneeler Guild and Prayer Shawl Ministry
Come Thursday afternoons 2-4 pm in the Upper Hall. Safe working space, wear masks, everyone is vaccinated. Meet old & new friends. Supplies and instruction available. We have been meeting since Covid began, it helped us get through the hard times. Come join us, bring a project from home, if you are not sure what you want to do.
Click here to see some of our kneelers.
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Taizé returns on Wednesday, October 13 (Please note new date). We meet on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, gathering at 5:30 pm with the service at 5:45 pm. World Too Beautiful is set to return this fall as well - More info to come.
Portland Rossini Club Concerts are back LIVE at St. Luke's after a long hiatus during covid. The next concert is slated for for Sunday, October 17 at 3:00 pm.
Save the Date - World Too Beautiful , Wednesday, Nov. 3 . “What is World Too Beautiful?” you ask? It’s a monthly service that uses liturgy, personal reflections, silence, photographs and the achingly beautiful Native American-style music of Kevin Reams to celebrate God as the creative energy that flows in and through the natural world. Join us in person or via Zoom. Stay tuned for link.
Choral Evensong returns! We gather on Sunday, November 7 at 4:00 pm .
Stay tuned for more offerings !
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Looking ahead in October, the Haiti-Maine Partnership Committee will be hosting two Zoom events on Tuesday evenings. This is an opportunity for everyone in our community that is curious and would like to deepen their understanding of the political and economic realities of our neighbors to the south. All are welcome, we look forward to seeing you on zoom!
Guest Speaker, Canon Serena Beeks from the diocese of Los Angles and Partnership Coordinator in Haiti will talk to us about the current state of affairs in Haitian Episcopal schools and parishes and resources available in Haiti at this time. This event is on Tuesday, October 5 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Please email Karin Draper ahead of time with any particular question you might have for Canon Beeks, subject Canon Beeks.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 890 6548 8841
Passcode: 119033
A book study begins on Tuesday evening, October 12 from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. We will meet every other week for four sessions. The book is Haiti, The Aftershocks of History by Laurent Dubois. This text is highly recommended by Canon Beeks and others. Some copies of the book will be available to borrow at the Cathedral. Please email Meredith Cough to sign up and/or reserve a book, subject Book Study.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 821 8794 9392
Passcode: 594943
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Outreach focus for September
St. Elizabeth's Pantry
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Adult Winter Coat Drive for St. Elizabeth's |
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Questions? Please contact Martha Parshley here.
(Donations can be left in the lower vestibule at 134 Park Street or contact us if you prefer to have your donation picked up.)
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Colder temps are around the corner. Many of our neighbors come from warmer climates and are not prepared for Maine’s fall and winter temperatures. Let’s help them feel welcome.
* Do you, or someone you know, have an extra winter coat, no longer being used?
* Could you purchase a used winter coat from Goodwill, the Freeport Community Services Thrift Shop, or a consignment store?
* Would you consider purchasing a winter coat from Walmart, Sam's Club, or another store?
* Perhaps make a donation for the purchase of a coat?
Large and extra large sizes for both men and women are most needed.
All coats must be clean and in good condition.
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St. E's Volunteers Needed on October 5th & 12th |
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Day #1 of our coat distribution went smoothly on Tuesday and we were able to send 50 winter coats home with our neighbors.
We would like to continue to distribute coats on October 5th and 12th and are in need a few more volunteers to make this possible. If you are able to assist, please let me know by emailing me here.
With great thanks!
Sarah Borgeson
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Thurl Headen elected to Board of DIrectors -
Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church
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Please join us in congratulating Thurl Headen, who has been elected to the board of directors of the Vergers Guild of the Episcopal Church.
Click here to see the official announcement.
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Scheduling events at the Cathedral |
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Great news - we are busy here at St. Luke's! That said, it becomes more important than ever to schedule your meeting, rehearsal or event through the parish office to avoid scheduling conflicts, both online and in person.
If you would like to have a meeting at the Cathedral, either in person, via ZOOM or a hybrid, please contact the parish office here. Thank you.
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