The E-Pistle of Thursday

December 28th, 2023

Wishing You a Happy New Year From the Cathedral!

On behalf of the St. Luke’s community, we wish you a happy, healthy and joyous New Year! We look forward to welcoming you to the Cathedral in 2024.

Community Announcements

Thank you to all members of our community at Christmas

On behalf of the cathedral staff and wider community, thank you to all volunteers who helped to support our ministries during the Christmas season. Your efforts helped to make the cathedral a welcoming space of worship for all during the holiday season.

Stewardship 2024

We are grateful for everyone in the Cathedral community who has made generous contributions and pledges for 2024.

We also want to extend a special welcome to the 23 households who have made their first pledge to St. Luke's!

If you wish to join in making a financial pledge to support the Cathedral's mission and ministry, please contact the office or pledge online.

Together our pledges will define the resources we will have to devote to our mission in 2024 as a community. We welcome and invite all contributions to support this effort!

Every gift is gratefully received and enriches our lives. Thank you.

With gratitude,

Randi Hogan

Stewardship Chair

Nominations for Vestry and Convention Delegates

The Cathedral’s Annual Meeting date has been set for February 4, 2024. An

important part of the agenda will be election of the Junior Warden (two-year term),

election of three Vestry members for three-year terms, and election of one Vestry

member for a two-year term. In addition, we will elect five Delegates for Diocesan

Convention, plus alternates.

Our Bylaws specify the Nominations Committee for these positions consist of the

outgoing Warden and Vestry members, plus the Interim Dean. This year’s

Nominations Committee includes: Fred Fowler, Jane Briggs, Catherine Hyde, Linda

Carleton, and George Stevens.

We invite nominees for these positions. You may nominate yourself or someone

else, provided that you seek that person’s permission to serve if elected.

Nominations may be sent to Senior Warden Sam Allen or Interim

Dean, The Rev. George Stevens

If you have questions about what the positions entail, please consult Sam, George, or Acting Junior Warden Fred Fowler.

Please make nominations no later than January 3, 2024. Thank you!

Cathedral Offices are closed December 26th through January 2nd in observation of the Christmas and New Years Holidays.

Due to the office being closed, we will not be accepting any additional submissions for the E-pistle for Sunday, December 31st.

Please send any questions to the parish office or the Rev. George Stevens.

Thank you for your understanding and have a wonderful holiday season.

5:15 Service

A small group is leading an effort to restart the Sunday 5:15 service in the back chapel. We will start Sunday 1/14 and continue for the next six Sunday's concluding on 2/18. 

After that we will meet and decide how to proceed but the long term goal is to have the new dean include that as a regular Sunday service. 

Please contact Tim Wilkins if you want to help with the service or have any questions. Thank you!

Contemplative Prayer



The contemplative prayer group will not meet on December 28. We will resume on January 4.

Please Join The PPEAT Committee and

and Others in The Diocese In Advocating For Gun Safety

The PPEAT Committee is wanting to make our congregation aware of this important opportunity to put our faith to action and advocate for responsible gun safety on January 3 along with our own John Hennessy and others from the Diocese who will be meeting to show our support for and to urge our legislators to take action on this critically important issue before more lives are lost! 

Please contact Mary Linneman, who has generously offered to organize rides for anyone interested in attending. Please seriously consider making space in your calendar for this important event!  

Additional details and registration information can be found in the Diocesan Announcement, listed further down in today's newsletter under 'Updates from the Diocese and Wider Church.'

Join Luke’s Garden for their next meeting

on January 14th at 1:00PM

Join St. Luke’s LGBTQIA+ Group, Luke’s Garden, for their next meeting.

Visit here for the Zoom link.

Public Policy and Environmental Action Team

Eco-tips: The limits of individual action

Did you know that the “carbon footprint” campaign came from an early 2000’s advertising campaign for British Petroleum? The idea was to deflect the responsibility for global warming from oil producers to individuals. The truth is that individual voluntary actions are not the main driver of our collective greenhouse gas emissions. This problem cannot be usefully addressed at the individual level but at the political level. As Maine produces only 0.3% of US emissions, the most effective advocacy will be at the federal level.

Both Senator King and Senator Collins are on the Senate Climate Solutions Caucus, and Rep. Pingree is a staunch environmental advocate. So we Mainers have a lot of influence on federal climate policy. Call or write your members of Congress and ask them to support elimination of fossil fuel subsidies (an estimated  $10 to $50 billion per year). Or ask them to support the BIG WIRES Act, which among other benefits will increase our ability to connect clean energy to the grid. Or, most effective of all, ask them to support the Energy Innovation Act (H.R. 5457), which is the single most effective climate policy solution, estimated to reduce the average global temperature by a full degree centigrade by 2100. 

Sacred Ground Opportunity

Looking for an opportunity to learn more about the racial justice through the lens of a film-based dialogue series on race and faith?

The Episcopal Church has an amazing program - Sacred Ground.

To view a Sacred Ground informational video click here. 

To learn more about Sacred Ground click here. 

There is a group forming for a mid-January kick-off. The group is scheduled to meet on Thursday evenings at 6:30 PM.

Participants from all areas are welcome.

For more information contact the facilitators:

Email Denise Noble - Diocese of Vermont

or

Email Rebecca Grant - Diocese of Maine

St. Elizabeth's Pantry Coat Drive

As we gear up for colder temperatures, St. Elizabeth’s is launching its annual coat and boot drive. Many of our neighbors come from warmer climates and don’t have the necessary clothing for fall and winter in Maine. 

Large and Extra-Large sized coats for both men and women are most needed, but coats and boots of all sizes are welcome. Items should be in clean, good condition.

Monetary donations may also be made for the purchase of new coats and boots for our neighbors.

Financial contributions can be mailed to: St. Elizabeth’s Jubilee Center PO Box 4036 Portland, ME 04101 or visit here.

Updates from The Diocese

and Wider Church

Join together for Gun Safety Day of Action on January 3!

Episcopalians of all ages are invited to come live out your faith and add your voice to others advocating for gun safety.

Arrive at 8:30 a.m. at the State House to begin going through security. The event begins at 9:30 in the Hall of Flags. Meet Director of Advocacy, John Hennessy on the second floor holding our diocesan flag! (He'll be smiling just like he is the photo below!)

Please add your name to this list to let us know you are attending.

Questions? Please reach out to John Hennessy. If you are a young person or a parent or chaperone with questions, please be in touch with Emily Keniston.

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

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