The E-Pistle of Thursday

November 16th, 2023

St. Luke's Webpage

Give/ Pledge to St. Luke's

Events

A Message from the Reverend George R. Stevens, Interim Dean

Regarding Next Steps in the Interim Process

Dear Friends,

In the ten weeks since I arrived at the Cathedral of St. Luke, I have learned much about this community of faith. Some of you have been here for generations, others have just arrived, and all of you are committed to deepening your faith through service, worship and prayer.

During this interim period, it is now time for us to learn from your varied experiences and opinions about the readiness for our cathedral to begin a search for our next Dean. On the recommendation of the Rev. Pamela Mott, our search consultant, the vestry has engaged Holy Cow! Consulting for our first step in the process.

The Congregation Assessment Tool (CAT) is an online assessment of a congregation that is completed by members of the church. This tool will provide the Vestry with understanding of the health of our congregation, a sense of where members think the church should head in the future, and a description of the church as a unique body of people.

On Monday, November 20 you will receive an email with a unique link to the CAT. That email will include a link to the survey where you can share your experiences in and priorities for our church. Please do not discuss the survey or your answers with others as this may influence their answers.

If you need a paper copy, please come to the office, or email the cathedral office, and we will provide one for you along with a self-addressed stamped return envelope.

All answers are strictly anonymous. We have no way of matching any assessment to a particular person, so please feel free to candidly share your perceptions, opinions and experiences. Our next steps in the search process are dependent on your participation and honest answers.

If you have questions, please contact the Rev. George R. Stevens, Interim Dean by email or by telephone in the church office at (207) 772-5434 extension 201.

Many thanks,

The Rev. George R. Stevens

Interim Dean

Thanksgiving Day Service at the Cathedral

Please join us on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd, 2023 at 10:00 AM in Emmanuel Chapel for a service of Holy Eucharist with The Right Reverend Thomas J. Brown, The Bishop of Maine, presiding.

All are welcome!

Highlighting Events in Recent Weeks

Leaders from The National Council of Churches &

The Maine Council of Churches Visit The Cathedral

On Sunday, Nov. 5, the Cathedral welcomed Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and Interim President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches as well as The Reverend Jane Field of The Maine Council of Churches. Bishop McKenzie and The Rev. Field offered prayerful words of support, healing, and encouragement following the tragedy in Lewiston.

Thanks are given to St. Luke's parishioner, Nancy Mawhinney, for the photos below.

Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie

Interim President and General Secretary of the National Council of Churches

The Reverend Jane Field

The Maine Council of Churches

St. Luke's Holiday Fair Welcomes in the

Holiday Season as Part of the State Street Stroll

Last Saturday the Cathedral hosted the annual St. Luke's Holiday Fair as part of the State Street Stroll. The fair was a wonderful time of fellowship, community gathering, and welcoming in the holiday season at the cathedral.

We wish to express our gratitude to all volunteers who helped to make this year’s Holiday Fair a success!

Furthermore, we would like to thank Sarah Dowling who served as the chairperson for this year’s Fair. Thank you for all of your efforts to make the cathedral a welcoming space for all as we begin the holiday season.

Many thanks to parishioners Nancy Mawhinney and Harold Stover for the photos from this year's fair!

Community Announcements

Join the Young and the Restless on Saturday November 18th at 6pm for their annual Friendsgiving dinner!

Bring your favorite casserole, side dish, pie, libation, or non-libation to share! The church will supply a rotisserie chicken and all the plates, utensils, and cups. Also, bring your favorite card or board game that we could play while eating yummy desserts. Please contact Shana Rose to RSVP.

Seeking Input for the Sunday 5:15 pm Service

We are seeking input from parishioners interested in restarting the Sunday 5:15PM service in the chapel. A working group is forming to explore how we might form this service, possibly using lay leadership. One option is to launch a time limited series of 5:15 services starting in the Sundays following Epiphany, and reassess whether continuing into the new year is feasible.

We are hoping this group will consider options, ask questions and explore ideas together on how to proceed. An organizational meeting is planned for This Sunday, November 19 at Noon in Emmanuel Chapel

If you have thoughts or are interested in joining in, please contact Tim Wilkins.

Healing Team Schedule

The Healing Team offers prayers of healing during or after communion. The following team members will be offering prayers on the following Sundays:

November 19, 2023

Ruth Roemer, Sara Schmalz

November 26, 2023

Peter Carleton, Judd Hume

December 3, 2023.

Betsey Deleuse, Oscar Mokeme

If you have any questions, please contact any of the Healing Team Members or email Judd Hume. Judd can also be reached by phone at (207) 773 - 5611.

Altar Guild Polishing Party

December 2nd, 2023

9:00AM-12:00PM

The Upper Hall

RSVP to Rita Siavelis

Please join the Altar Guild for our upcoming polishing party on Saturday, December 2nd, 2023 between 9 am and noon. We'll enjoy treats, holiday conversation, and merry company and conversation while we polish the silver and brass to shine for the Christmas season. All you need to bring is yourself and a little elbow grease! RSVP to Rita Siavelis or just show up the day of the event. We look forward to seeing you!

Cathedral Offices to be Closed Next Wednesday through Friday

Next week the cathedral offices will be closed beginning on Wednesday, November 22nd through Friday, November 24th in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday.

We ask that all submissions for the E-pistle and the bulletin be submitted no later than 10:00 AM on Tuesday, November 21st to the cathedral office email.

Thank you to all

Holiday Fair Food Volunteers!

A heartfelt thanks to all who contributed to the food table at the fair this year. Your generosity is deeply appreciated! - Liz Stover

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.

Lewiston Deaf Access Fund

Meeting The Need of Maine's Deaf Community

Maine’s Deaf community deserves full access to the upcoming funerals following the Lewiston shootings, but funds for ASL interpreters are still needed. The Maine and Massachusetts Councils of Churches are partnering to create the Lewiston Deaf Access Fund to meet the need of Maine’s Deaf community at this tender time, so that all may fully gather to grieve, gather, pray, and mourn in their own language. ASL interpreters have been working overtime to meet the needs of the Deaf Maine community and this fund will provide financial support for all access needs. Our wish is for all Deaf Mainers to have opportunities to be fully included in the funerals, memorials, and gatherings in the weeks ahead.

Trinity Jubilee Center in Lewiston

The pioneer Episcopal Jubilee Center in Maine is in Lewiston, and was started – 30 years ago! - by Trinity Church there and for many years has operated out of the Trinity basement, serving more than 1,000 needy folks every week. Trinity operates 6 days a week and runs a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a day shelter, a resource center (including a

weekly health center) and provides referrals and connections to all sorts

of social services.

They also have a thriving refugee assistance program. Now Trinity has more than outgrown the cramped Trinity basement and is looking to build a purpose-built building across the street. To that end it has embarked on a Capital Campaign.

St. Luke's parishioners Nancy Brain and John Watson are keen supporters of Trinity Jubilee Center. They would be delighted to talk to anyone at St. Luke’s who might be interested in finding out more about their plans.

Contact John and Nancy via email to learn more information

John Watson & Nancy Brain

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!

With any questions please contact Mary Brighthaupt.

Visit Hannaford over the Bridge

and Support Our Food Pantry in November

During November, St. Luke's Food Pantry will receive $1 from every $2.50 reusable Fight Hunger Bag sold during the month of November at the Hannaford on 50 Cottage Road in South Portland.

Plus, our pantry will receive $0.25 from every Hannaford Snack Pals Plate sold there.

Christmas Serving Opportunity

St. Luke's is seeking additional helpers in the Christmas Eve Vigil and the Christmas Day service. Interested in participating in the service?

Please contact Head Verger Eleanor Roberts for more information. All ages welcome

Advent Choral Liturgies at St. Luke’s

Please join us for our next Choral Evensong 4PM Sunday 3 December,

and for A Service Lessons & Carols for Advent & Christmastide at 4PM Sunday 17 December.

For additional information contact Christian M. Clough, Canon for Liturgy & Music with any questions you may have.

Contribute to CSL’s music ministry

Recently, several longtime choir members have retired from or taken breaks from the Cathedral Choir, and we could use your vocal talents to rebuild our membership. If you fit the bill (or aren’t sure), please drop in on a choir rehearsal (Thursday 7PM or Sunday 8:45AM) and check it out.

Or, offer to play an instrument or sing. We invite you to share your musical talents with our worshiping community in our praise of God. Or, do you know someone with talents to share? For more information or to discuss your interests, please contact Christian Clough, Canon for Liturgy & Music.

Last Week's Service

Click the attached link to view last week's Bulletin.

To watch the livestream of last Sunday's service, click here

To listen, watch or read the sermon offered by The Reverend Suzanne Roberts, visit the corresponding links.

To View past services visit our Youtube Page or visit the archive page on our website to read past bulletins, sermons, and newsletters.

Events in the Wider Community

St. Elizabeth's Pantry to Host Benefit Concert on November 18th

at Trinity Episcopal Church in Portland

The FLUKES, an ensemble of enthusiastic ukulele musicians, presents a family friendly concert to benefit St. Elizabeth's Essentials Pantry, a low-barrier pantry serving non-food essentials to all those in need, including new Mainers and Mainers whose families have been here for generations.

The FLUKES play and sing songs from Bach to the Beatles and beyond.

Suggested donation $10, free for children under 12.

Portland Rossini Club Performance

November 26th, 2023 at 3:00PM

Join the Portland Rossini Club for their upcoming performance at the cathedral on Sunday, November 26th at 3:00PM.

This concert will feature Mark Braun, pianist, Seth Blank, horn, and Steve Schiffman, clarinet, who will perform two movements of Gustav Jenner’s Trio in E-flat for Clarinet, Horn, and Piano.

New member, pianist Ryan Slocum and guest violinist, Jenelle Westerbeck, will perform two of Ryan Slocum’s original compositions, as well as the F-A-E Sonata by Johannes Brahms

Torrey Gimpel, soprano, will perform selections from musicals by Lionel Bart, Lin Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Frank Wildhorn, Alan Menken, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

To learn more about the Rossini Club and to buy tickets, visit their website here

Renaissance Voices Concerts at the Cathedral

Join Music Director Harold Stover, (St. Luke's Parishioner) and Renaissance voices for their Christmas Concerts, December 9th and 10th at the cathedral.

This program will feature works by Heinrich Isaac, Igor Stravinski, Franz Biebl, a new work by Harold Stover, and more.

To learn more about Renaissance Voices and to buy tickets online visit their website here

St. Mary Schola presents A Neapolitan Christmas

Join St. Mary Schola and Guest Conductor Christian Clough (Canon for Liturgy and Music) as they present a program entitled 'A Neapolitan Christmas' featuring a moteto by Francesco Durante, and six voice setting of the Magnificat by Michael Praetorius.

To learn more about St. Mary Schola and to buy tickets online visit their website here

Ongoing Opportunities &

Community Resources

Help with Coffee Hour

Coffee Hour needs hosts. It's fun and easy! No commitment required— you can do it once and that's a help. Please check out the schedule and if there is a date you can serve, contact Gail Kesich or Liz Griffin.

Help the Cathedral With Recycling

As Portland does not pick-up recycling for businesses we are looking for volunteers to take home the paper we gather in blue bins and add them to parishioner's recycling bins at their homes (We do however recycle cardboard and compost both of which have been a very successful campaigns).

If you would like to help please contact Sarah Braik or Tim Wilkins. Thanks for your help.

Access Your Realm Profile

The Cathedral’s new online database, Realm, is a useful tool for parishioners to manage their contact and pledging information.

Realm helps our community by improving our record keeping in a more streamlined fashion.

When joining Realm you can sign-up to be a part of the online directory in the database.

To activate your Realm profile please contact our financial administrator Nina Andersen.

Nina will assist you with the few steps necessary to access your profile.

We look forward to sharing this exciting new technology with you!

Opportunity for morning meditation in Emmanuel Chapel

St. Luke’s Parish Administrator Avery Levesque-Schott invites you to join him in Emmanuel Chapel from 7:00AM-8:00AM on Tuesday & Thursday mornings for a time of silent sitting and walking meditation.

A brief reading will be offered with accompanying active listening dyads. Coffee, tea, and pastries will be available in the Upper Hall following the conclusion of the meditation.

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 each Tuesday at Maine Beer Company in Freeport, 6-8 PM for Trivia.

Other events happen sporadically throughout the month, however trivia is a wonderful opportunity 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

The Kneeler Guild and

Prayer Shawl Knitters

Tuesday

2:30PM

The Upper Hall.

For additional information contact Jeri Edgar 207-303-8447 or Nancy MaWhinney 207-775-7500

Everyone is welcome, whether you are curious or want to begin. Kneeler kits cost $75, which include directions, yarn, needles & canvas. Novices are welcome; we will teach you as needed. Prayer Shawls: 26-29” by 60”; select your yarn & needles. Coffee & Tea available.