The E-Pistle of Thursday

June 6th, 2024

A Reflection from the Reverend George Stevens, Interim Dean

Dear Friends-

Earlier this week, the famed German Reformed theologian Jürgen Moltmann died at the age of 98. 

Moltmann is known for his book Theology of Hope, which describes how God, in the person of Jesus, suffers with humanity and also promises humanity a better future through the hope of the Resurrection. 

He says “That is why faith, wherever it develops into hope, causes not rest but unrest, not patience but impatience. It does not calm the unquiet heart, but is itself this unquiet heart in man. Those who hope in Christ can no longer put up with reality as it is, but begin to suffer under it, to contradict it. Peace with God means conflict with the world, for the goad of the promised future stabs inexorably into the flesh of every unfulfilled present.” ― Jürgen Moltmann, Theology of Hope: On the Ground and the Implications of a Christian Eschatology

His obituary in Christianity Today is worth a read too. I’ve linked it here. 

I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday. We’ll be joined by the Right. Reverend Thomas Brown, Bishop of Maine, who will preach and preside at all three services. 

See you Sunday-

George

COMING UP SOON at ST. LUKE’S

Renaissance Voices Concert

Date: This Sunday, June 9th, 2024

Time: 6:30PM

Location: Fifth Maine Museum

Address: 45 Seashore Ave, Peaks Island, ME 04108

Maestro Harold Stover (St. Luke’s Parishioner) and Renaissance Voices invite you to the group’s final concert of the spring season entitled ‘Love Songs Old and New’. 

The program will feature music by John Dowland, Thomas Morley, Edward Elgar, selections from The Great American Songbook, and more! Tickets are $10 at the door.

Portland Shakespeare Company Presents:

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

Performances running until June 9, 2024

Emmanuel Chapel

Remaining Performance Times

Thursday June 6th, 2024: 7:00PM

Friday June 7th, 2024: 7:00PM

Saturday June 8th, 2024: 7:00PM

Sunday June 9th, 2024: 2:00PM

Portland Shakespeare Company presents Measure for Measure, Shakespeare's late-period comedy about the intersections of church and state, morality and desire, law and justice. It is a tale about the enduring need for mercy in the face of human failings and foibles, told with wit and warmth. This show is presented in the spirit of original practices for an intimate, shared experience with the audience.

To learn more about The Portland Shakespeare company visit their website here.

To purchase tickets visit the page here.

Upcoming Election For City of Portland Residents!

State Primary & Municipal School Budget Election Day

June 11th

Polls open 7:00am and close 8:00pm.

Published by the City of Portland

"Primary Elections determine each qualified party's nomination of candidates for federal offices and State and County offices. Party candidates who are elected at the Primary qualify to appear on the November General Election ballot."

To read more about the 2024 Primary Elections, click here

Published by the Portland Press Herald

"All registered Portland voters can participate in the Portland School Budget vote. Voters can change their party status up to 15 days before Election Day. You must be in a party for three months before changing to another party. Please call the City Clerk's Office at 207.874.8677 to verify your party status."

"You must vote at your correct polling place. Call 207. 874.8677 or go to the following website to locate your correct polling place."

For more information about the upcoming municipal election, click here.

The following locations have been established as voting places within the City:

March in the Portland Pride Parade with Luke’s Garden

Saturday, June 15th

On Saturday 15 June, Luke’s Garden and friends will be marching in the Portland Pride Parade!

We will meet at St. Luke’s at 11:30AM by the portico entrance (Park Street Lot).

We will then walk together to Monument Square to gather with other Episcopal churches for the parade which begins at 1:00PM.



With questions about participating contact Orion Williams.

Soul Talk

Next Meeting: June 18th at 10:00AM

Soul Talk is a monthly conversation about our spirituality and relationship with God.

The group will be meeting on Tuesday, June 18 at 10:00 to watch the Oscar-winning movie Soul at Linda Carleton’s house.

Please contact Linda Carleton if you’d like to join us for coffee and conversation.

Bach Virtuosi Festival

Performances June 19-25 

The Bach Virtuosi Festival, founded by violinist Lewis Kaplan, offers residents and visitors of southern Maine a world-class concert series for lovers of the baroque repertoire. BVF has been well-received by the public, the press, and the artists themselves from its outset in 2016.

The artists are world renowned musicians, musicologists, and professors who play Bach and his contemporaries with brilliance, love and integrity.

To learn more about this year’s festival, to see times and locations of concerts, to purchase tickets, and to learn about the artists visit their website.

A Conversation with Emily Keniston,

Director of Faith Formation

Sunday June 23rd

Upper Hall

Following Conclusion of 10:00AM Service

Please join us following the 10:00AM service on June 23rd for a conversation with Emily Keniston, Director of Faith Formation from the Episcopal Diocese of Maine.  

Emily will talk with us about the work of life-long Christian Formation and how it connects with the mission of the Cathedral. 

Pick-Up Choir—Sing for One, Two or Three!

June 30th, July 28th, & August 25th

On the last Sundays of June (30th), July (28th), and August (25th), music director Christian Clough will offer one-off choir opportunities for anyone interested.

Please gather in the choir room at 8:45 AM to learn a very simple anthem to be sung during that morning’s 10 AM liturgy.

Come as you are—ALL ages welcome, no prior singing experience necessary, no robes required, no processions to worry about—to enrich our summer worship.

Questions? Contact: Christian Clough.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Cathedral Gardens in Full Bloom

With the arrival of lovely weather, the cathedral gardens are in full bloom.

Please see photos below highlighting the beautiful irises by the labyrinth and State street circle.

Canon Clough Away for Two Weeks

Christian M. Clough, St. Luke’s Canon for Liturgy & Music, is traveling to Europe for two weeks.

The primary purpose of his travels is to sing in the second-ever amateur international chorus sponsored by BachFest Leipzig (Germany).

The choir will be composed of singers from at least 20 different countries. Christian sang in the first iteration of this choir in 2022, postponed from 2020 by COVID).

This year, the choir will sing Bach’s Cantata 131 ”Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir” and  his motet “Jesu, meine Freude” on Sunday 16 June during the morning liturgy “in the order of Bach’s time” in Leipzig’s Thomaskirche, where Johann Sebastian Bach spent the last 27 years of his life composing, performing, teaching and conducting.

The performance will be led by Ton Koopman, renowned Baroque specialist and accompanied by the Leipzig Baroque Orchestra.

Prior to the start of rehearsals, Christian plans to spend a few days in the Alto Adige (Süd Tyrol) region in the north of Italy, hiking and sightseeing in the shadow of the Dolomite Mountains.

He will be back on Sunday 30 June.

Eco Tips from the Public Policy and Environmental Action Team

The Maine Episcopal Public Policy Network (MEPPN) invites Episcopalians and all others who are committed to working toward justice and peace for all people and public policies that respect the dignity of every human being, both in the State of Maine, the United States, and the world. Members of this group work, with God’s help, affirm the essential relationship between what we believe and how we live.

The Network will work with ecumenical, Interfaith, and community partners on common concerns through the legislative process. It will work to implement social and environmental policy teachings and commitments of the Episcopal Church at the statewide and local levels through engaging grassroots leadership in the 57 congregations across Maine through training and information sessions.

Go to the MEPPN website to learn more and to receive alerts.

Bach Virtuosi Festival Looking for Housing for Artists

The Bach Virtuosi Festival is looking for housing for visiting vocalists. Hosting an award-winning artist is a wonderful way to support the arts in Portland. In turn, the festival offers complimentary tickets to all those who host.

The festival is currently looking for housing for the dates of June 16 through June 21.  An artist host provides a clean place to sleep, a restroom, and light refreshments such as coffee in the morning.

The artists are gone for rehearsals and concerts most of the day and night.

If you are interesting in hosting an artist please contact the festival administrator via email.

An Update from St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry

Over the past three months, volunteers with St. Elizabeth's have provided an average of 300 neighbors each week with diapers, soap, toothpaste, etc., as well as cookware and linens.

The number of neighbors attending St. E’s continues to increase.

Please help St. E’s replenish their shelves with new or gently used cookware and linens.

One suggested place to find cookware is at yard sales.

With any questions please contact St. Elizabeth’s liaison to the cathedral, Byrd Wood, via email.

Contribute to St. Luke’s Summer Music Ministry

The Cathedral Choir will be in recess from 9 June through Labor Day, and summer is a great time to make a musical contribution to our worship as a singer or instrumentalist. Help us to keep our music well-supported with your offerings.

Please email Christian Clough, Canon for Liturgy & Music.

Last Week's Service

To view last week's bulletin click here.

To view last week's evensong bulletin click here.

To view last week's service livestream click here.

To listen to last week's sermon preached by The Reverend George Stevens, Interim Dean, 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.

Resources from the Diocese &

the Wider Church

To read about stories, resources, and events from around the Diocese of Maine, read their newsletter, The DioLog, by clicking the link here, or by clicking on the Episcopal Maine Shield in the bottom of this email.

Youth Called to Join Bishops United Against Gun Violence at General Convention

June 25-27

published by The Episcopal Diocese of Maine



"High school students who are called to be advocates and witnesses against gun violence are invited to join the Episcopal Diocese of Maine at the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Louisville, KY. Youth will learn from experienced community organizers in the gun violence prevention movement, spend time with participants in Bishops United Against Gun Violence, and experience the convention. Lodging and most activities will be at Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville. The deadline to register is May 8. Those interested in participating, are urged to contact Director of Faith Formation, Emily Keniston, as soon as possible. All registration materials must be received by May 8."

Archives Exhibit Chronicles Evolving Roles of Women in The Episcopal Church

published by The Episcopal Office of Public Affairs



"From early work to support church missions to the struggle for equal representation in church leadership and ordination, the history of women in the church is told in “For the Extension of the Kingdom: Women of The Episcopal Church,” a comprehensive online exhibit curated and presented by The Archives of The Episcopal Church.

In 2018, the Archives received a $36,000 grant from the United Thank Offering to help preserve and share the history of Episcopal women. Research began that year and represents more than 150 resources and 40 collections of archival material, spanning more than 250 years.

Nearly 30 tabs offer viewers numerous photographs, reports, minutes, pamphlets, and letters, in addition to summaries that trace the mission support of the early church in the 1800s; the formation of the Woman’s Auxiliary and United Thank Offering; the role of deaconesses, professional laywomen, and women deputies; and much more.

The exhibit’s Virtual Reading Room offers a firsthand glimpse into the work and dedication of the women of The Episcopal Church through digitized versions of the Woman’s Auxiliary Triennial meeting minutes and handbooks, as well as annual reports and publications of the Auxiliary and the United Thank Offering.

“The Archives continues its efforts to process and digitize numerous collections to make accessible and showcase the history of women in The Episcopal Church and looks forward to expanding this exhibit in the future,” said Whitney Hughes, interim director of the Archives.

The Archives staff will be in the Exhibit Hall at the 81st General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, June 21-27; all attendees are encouraged to stop by and receive a memento of the exhibit’s launch. The exhibit also includes link to current organizations, including the Episcopal Church Women, who will celebrate their 51st Triennial gathering June 22-28 in conjunction with General Convention.

Learn more about The Archives of The Episcopal Church."

Ongoing Opportunities &

Community Resources

The Healing Team

The Healing Team offers prayers weekly on Sunday during and after communion in All Saint's Chapel (the small chapel to the right of the communion rail).

The following team members will be serving in the coming weeks:

June 9, 2024  Elise Magnuson, Judd Hume

June 16, 2024 Mary Strnad, Elise Magnuson

June 23, 2024 Sara Schmalz, Peter Carleton

June 30, 2024 Mary Strnad, Peter Carleton

July 7, 2024   Sara Schmalz, Judd Hume

The Biblical Study Group

Summer Learning Resources

The Biblical Study Group will be on vacation until 1 September.

When we resume, we will meet Sundays 8:00-10:00AM.

Our ongoing theme is discovering the nature and meaning of “being created in the image of God.” To stimulate spiritual growth over the summer months, we invite you to read the following recommended resources:

1) God: A Biography by Jack Miles. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, The New York Times calls this text “a tour de force.” Published by Vintage Books, Random House Publishing, New York, 1996

2) Jung’s Thoughts on God: Religious Depths of the Psyche by Donald Dyer, PH.D. Published by Nicholas Hays, 2000 P.O. Box 2039, York Beach, ME 03910.

“It is only through the psyche that we can establish that God acts upon you.”

3) Jung’s Map of the Soul: An Introduction and In Support of Jung’s Extensive and Intensive Thought by Murray Stein.

Published by Open Court Publishing Co., P.O. Box 300, Peru, Illinois 61354. To order call 1-800-815-2280.

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