The E-pistle of Sunday, August 20th, 2023

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

Holy Eucharist, Rite II

7:30AM in Emmanuel Chapel

Holy Eucharist, Rite II

10:00AM in the Nave & Livestreamed

The Cathedral Church of St. Luke

in the

City of Portland

and the

Episcopal Diocese of Maine

Whoever you are,

and wherever you may be on the journey of the spirit, 

The Episcopal Church welcomes you.

Welcome to St. Luke’s Cathedral



We are a community of faith with ancient worship and modern thought, catholic traditions and progressive theology. We proclaim a Biblical perspective for thinking people, a respect for reason, science, and a diversity of perspective. This empowers compassion and care for both the wider community and one another. Our commitment to welcome and inclusion is central to our mission modeled on the Kingdom of God and proclaimed by Jesus Christ. 

Sunday Morning Service Participants

Preacher

The Rev. Christopher Worthley, Assisting Clergy

Celebrant

The Rev. Dr. Stephen J. White, Guest Clergy

Assisting

The Rev. Rebecca A. Grant, Deacon

Music Leader & Organist

Christian M. Clough, Canon for Liturgy & Music

Cantor/Soloist

William Salomon

Lector

Georgia Bancroft

Prayers Leader

John Bancroft

Ushers

Bob Parshley, Martha Parshley, Gus Goodwin, Mary Linneman

Head Verger

Eleanor Roberts

Live Streaming

Jack Swanton, Sam Allen

Contributing Ministries

Acolytes, Vergers, The Flower Guild, The Altar Guild, The Kneeler Guild

Music copyrights granted under OneLicense.net #A-713087. Sources: The Hymnal 1982, Lift Every Voice and Sing II, Wonder, Love, and Praise, Voices Found, My Heart Sings Out, The Saint Helena Psalter, The Book of Common Prayer,, Enriching our Worship, The Holy Bible (NRSV). 

Hearing Assistance Devices Available

The Cathedral has new devices for anyone who needs hearing assistance during our worship services. Please ask an usher for help getting started, and let us know how they worked for you. With any additional questions or to give feedback please email Sam Allen or Jack Swanton.

Happening at the Cathedral Today

Sunday Mornings|8:45-9:45AM

Location: The Chapter Room

Contact: The Rev. Dr. Bob Hanson at 207-405-8250. 

Join us in the Chapter Room from 8:45–9:45 AM on Sunday mornings. Bob Hanson, Biblical scholar, linguist and theologian, leads our group. For more information call Bob at (207) 405- 8250. Activity units are distributed for each session. Assigned readings are from the Biblical books under consideration. The journey is a joyous one.

Community Announcements

Request for Items to Furnish Interim Dean’s Apartment:

Interim Dean George Stevens will continue to live with his family in Essex, Massachusetts during his time at St. Luke’s, however he will be staying overnight in Portland regularly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday nights, and sleeping in the third-floor apartment at Loring House.

We are seeking donations or loans of a few items of furniture to outfit the apartment, specifically: A bed, mattress, and box spring; a dresser; a desk and office chair; a small table and chairs for meals; a bookshelf; and a comfortable chair. 

If you can provide any of these items, please contact Senior Warden 

Sam Allen. Thank you for your help!  

Save the Date: Parish Breakfast to Be Held on September 10th!

Join us for a parish breakfast in the Lower Hall from 8:30-9:30AM on September 10th, to celebrate startup-Sunday and to welcome The Rev. George Stevens to

St. Luke’s.  

This parish gathering will be a wonderful opportunity for the cathedral community to come together in between the 7:30AM and 10:00AM services.

Name tags will be available to fill out. This will assist The Rev. Stevens as he meets community members.

Please note that gluten free options will be available. 

Volunteers are needed to help in several areas:

1) set-up and prep work 

2)cooking

3)cleaning

If you are able to help in any of the following areas please email Sarah Dowling

or contact the parish office.

The Bishop’s Message of Support for the people of Hawaii

published by The Episcopal Diocese of Maine

Dear Friends in Christ,

The Diocese of Maine is ready to support the people of Hawaii, and especially the people who live on Maui. The loss of life, the unfathomable destruction of Lahaina, and the accompanying trauma and grief are occasions for us to pray. Following is an intercession that you may use in your congregation. 

Compassionate God, you promise to hear us when we pray. Today we lift into your healing presence the people of Maui. We pray for the dead and the dying, for those who are desperately trying to reconnect with their families, for Holy Innocents Church in Lahaina, and for those whose names are known to you alone. Draw near, O God, in this time of sorrow and anguish; comfort those who mourn, strengthen those who are weary, encourage those in despair, and lead all your children to fullness of life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.  

In addition to our prayers, there is an urgent need for our financial contributions.

I am asking every congregation to consider contributing to one of these agencies:

• Episcopal Relief & Development   
• The Diocese of Hawaii’s Maui-based diocesan institution, A Cup of Cold Water

May God keep them.

In Christ,

Bishop Thomas J. Brown

Volunteers Needed for This Year's Holiday Fair

Although it is only August, the preparation for the St. Luke’s Holiday Fair has begun! We are pleased to announce that the date of this year’s holiday fair will be Saturday, November 11th in the Cathedral Nave.



If you are interested in volunteering for this year’s fair please contact the parish office.

St. Luke's Food Pantry in Need of Contributions

The Food Pantry welcomes your contributions of oil, flour, and dried beans!

These continue to be the most wanted items and and the most difficult for us to keep in stock.

Donations can be dropped off at any service or at the Cathedral's rear entrance. Thank you! Both neighbors and volunteers are grateful for your support!

Save the Date:

Season of Creation events



Save the date: Season of Creation events

The annual Season of Creation begins September 1. Please mark your calendars for the following events:



• Contemplative Fall Walk at Pleasant Hill Preserve Sunday, September 10th

1:30-3:30pm

“A celebration of trees in fall, this walk balances naturalist knowledge with gratitude and reflection. Learn about the Elm tree that lives next to the Pleasant Hill Preserve parking lot, listen to the whispers of the wisdom of the forest, and practice pausing to appreciate fall wonders. This walk will be led by Nicole Diroff, a Maine Master Naturalist, United Church of Christ minister, and Program Director at The BTS Center, focused on spiritual leadership in a climate-changed world."

Please join us in honoring the Season of Creation out of doors. Families with children age 8 and older are welcome to attend. Please dress for the weather as we will be outside for the entire time. Sunscreen and tick preventatives are recommended. Directions are available here.

Please note: The parking lot is small. Carpooling is recommended.

Contact Sarah Braik if you need a ride or can provide a ride to others. 

• Community Harvest Supper Thursday Sept. 21, 5-7PM

(N.B., this is a corrected date and time) (see announcement below)

• Presentation by Curtis Bohlen, Director, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership on the Casco Bay Watershed Sunday Sept. 24, 11:45AM 

• Book discussion group facilitated by St. Alban’s, Cape Elizabeth, dates TBD

PPEAT Community Supper

The Public Policy and Environmental Action Team is hosting the first Community Supper of the year on Thursday Sept. 21 from 5-7 PM on the theme of sustainable eating.

Please use this form: https://tinyurl.com/mr2f7pw2 to RSVP by Sept. 7 so we know how much food to prepare.

Please also indicate dietary preferences and if you can volunteer to help with cooking, set up/clean up and or bring side dishes/dessert (apple crisp).

We will have vegan and gluten free lasagna and apple crisp.

During dessert we will show a brief video about Good News Gardens and have a conversation about it. As there is no budget for Community Suppers, you will be asked for $5 at the door to cover our costs, We look forward to seeing you!

Availability of the St. Luke’s Community Kitchen

We are completing a 2023-2024 school year calendar (Sept. - June) for the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall. These two calendars when completed will be posted downstairs on the door to the Lower Hall, and the door to the Community Kitchen.

Any St. Luke's parishioner or ministry interested in scheduling time in the Community Kitchen, or the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall should contact Dawn Brennan-Daly.

Dawn will contact you to schedule a brief meeting and training, and place your event, date and time (recurring or one-time) on the Community Kitchen and Lower Hall Google Calendars (part of the cathedral Google calendar.) Scheduling is based on availability.

A Note of Thanks from the Endowment Committee

We recently received several gifts to the endowment account from the estates of Anne Schink and Andrew Cadot. This is a wonderful way to remember St. Luke’s for posterity and to support our long term financial stability. You can also support the endowment account now with a regular or one time contribution via Realm/Vanco.

 If you have any questions or need more information please reach out to Treasurer Tim Wilkins or any member of the Endowment or Finance Committees or anyone on the Vestry.  

Donate to the Dean's Discretionary Fund

With the upcoming arrival of The Rev. George Stevens, our St. Luke's financial team invites you to make a donation to the Dean's discretionary fund if you are able.

This will ensure that the Rev. Stevens has access to a sufficient amount of funds for neighbors needing assistance.

Donations are able to be made online on Realm and by selecting (The Dean's Discretionary Fund) on the drop-down menu or by mail to P.O. Box 4141, Portland, ME 04101.

Thank you!

The Finance Committee Update

The church finances for 2023 continue to look good (A copy of our July balance sheet and treasurer's report is on the bulletin board in the hallway). 

A few positive highlights for 2023 include: 1) Successful software conversion from Church Windows to Realm, 2) We paid off the loan we had with our bank, 3) We are getting over 4% interest from our excess cash in our checking accounts, 4) Rental revenue has improved significantly post Covid and 5) We estimate we will end 2023 with excess cash on hand. Our building expenses for this year have been higher than the last few years but overall we have kept up with repairs and maintenance. 

However, 2024 will be a different story. Although we haven’t roughed out the 2024 budget yet, we do expect that it will be a more difficult year financially than 2023 for a variety of reasons which means that our 2024 Stewardship Campaign will be particularly important. At this point, we anticipate we will not have a balanced budget in 2024 but our excess cash should allow us to end 2024 in a positive cash flow position. If you have any questions please contact Tim Wilkins.

July 2023 Balance Sheet

July 2023 Treasurers Report

Join the Young and The Restless

We are St. Luke’s 20s-30s-year-old ministry. We are an active group at the cathedral which also gets together outside of the church.

Join us as we go hiking, ice skating, play trivia, or just enjoy each other’s company! If you are new to us, welcome! We meet the second Tuesday of each month at Rising Tide, 6-8 PM in Portland. Other events happen sporadically throughout the month, however second Tuesdays at Rising Tide is a great place to meet us if you’re joining us for the first time. Contact Shana Rose to stay up to date with group activities and information.

Join Luke's Garden

LGBTQIA+ Group

Luke's Garden is the cathedral's LGBTQIA+ group which meets every 2nd Sunday of the month following coffee hour.

All are welcome!

For additional information contact Orion Williams

St. Luke’s Cathedral Clergy Presence

 During this time of transition to a new Dean we want to explain to the congregation the ways that St. Luke’s Cathedral is providing a clergy presence. We have assembled a team of clergy who will be responsible for organizing and celebrating worship services. This team consists of the Reverends Suzanne Roberts, Anne Fowler, and Christopher Worthley. They will be assisted from time to time by guest preachers and celebrants. Rev. Fowler and Rev. Roberts are available to any congregants who have need of pastoral care. You may reach Rev. Fowler at (617)548-4783 and Rev. Roberts at (207)749-4166.

The Rev. Christopher Worthley is not available for on-call pastoral care due to full-time employment outside of his ministry, however he is active in care for our neighbors at 75 State Street.

Clynk Bags Available in the Nave and around the Cathedral

Contact: Shana Rose

 St. Luke’s participation in the Clynk Initiative Program helps to support our young adults ministry, The Young and the Restless.

Additional bags have been made available at both entrances of the Nave with barcodes that correspond to the Cathedral’s account.

Anyone is welcome to take a bag and are encouraged to bring it to a local redemption center or grocery store that accepts Clynk. Thank you for your support!

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.

• Noon prayer is offered every Wednesday via Zoom.

• Compline is offered weekly on Friday from 8-8:30pm on Zoom. For additional details contact Ray Murdoch Curry

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