What’s Happening at St. Paul’s 5-21
 What’s Happening at St. Paul’s |
The canopy for our outdoor gatherings is up! I was pleased when I saw how wonderful and hopeful it looks. Thanks to our leadership and their vision, we now have a place to gather outdoors, rain or shine! This Sunday, May 23, 10:30 a.m. join us for an in-person outdoor Pentecost Sunday “Picnic Eucharist” under the canopy! If you are able, please bring your own bread and a chair. If not, no problem! Our ushers, Deborah Goodwin and Michael McCabe will be on hand to offer you a communion wafer in a container and a chair. However, if you prefer to worship virtually, join us as usual on Facebook Live. You will receive the usual links in the Saturday email for Facebook Live for worship and the Zoom link for “Exploring the Sermon” after worship. Since Family Group will have an outdoor abbreviated Eucharist at 2 p.m., there won’t be a 9:30 a.m. Sunday Family Worship Zoom this Sunday. The Future Planning Committee and I are working together to develop specific policies for outdoor and indoor in-person gatherings. I will communicate these in the June “Messenger,” so be on the lookout. They will also be posted in announcements every week and on our website. Governor Mills has made a declaration that will be in place for Maine after Monday, May 24, 2021. We are considering these guidelines as well as assessing the percentage of eligible fully vaccinated people in our Brunswick zip code which is at about 86%. At St. Paul’s, we also have a high rate of fully vaccinated parishioners. This data is so hopeful that we can begin to plan more in-person gatherings outdoors now, and hopefully indoors later in the summer. We remain mindful that our children under 12 years of age aren’t eligible for the vaccine. That means they will be wearing masks. I suggest that we all become good examples of mask-wearing in solidarity with our children when we are together. Many fully vaccinated parishioners are eager to share hugs. What a joy hugs are for many of us! Still, others might not be ready for hugs after being shut down for 15 months. Navigating this emerging physical way of being with each other is going to be a challenge and maybe awkward and emotional for some. For example, once I became fully vaccinated, I assumed other fully vaccinated people wanted to share a hug. I now know that this is not the case for everyone. I invite each of us to approach each other with gentleness and with the understanding that a hug is not yet comfortable. I want to share the guidelines for our in-person 10:30 a.m. outdoor “Picnic Eucharist” this Sunday: Masks are recommended, particularly if you are not vaccinated, but they are not required. Children who do not have access to the vaccine must remain masked. Distancing is not required. There is no limit to the number of people. We will ask you to sign in for contact tracing purposes. We are not recommending congregational singing (as tempting as that is!). Choir members will sing the hymns wearing masks. We will not be coming to the altar to receive communion. And we will receive only the bread, not the wine. Whether you are at home or in-person in the Memorial Garden on Sunday, God’s Spirit is alive and active in our lives. We celebrate the energy of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. Wear red and rejoice in the energy and gifts of the Holy Spirit we share together to God’s glory in the Body of Christ, St. Paul’s! With love and hope, Carolyn+ |
    Sunday, May 23 The Day of Pentecost  10:30 a.m. Outdoor Picinic Eucharist Outdoors in the Memorial Garden Click on the links below: To watch the live stream of the worship service for the Worship Booklet for the St. Paul’s Announcements Readings Acts 2:1-21 Romans 8:22-27 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Lectionary Page  Explore the Sermon over coffee on Zoom Sunday, Following the service (may start later than 11:30) Join in for a facilitated virtual gathering to check in with each other and explore the morning’s sermon Click here to join.  On Pentecost Sunday & Other Outdoor Eucharist Sundays Family Worship moves to 2:00 pm Once a month Family Worship will move from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm and meet outdoors in the Memorial Garden. Please bring your own bread and chair for outdoor “Picnic” Eucharist. Click here for the Family Worship Booklet Parish Announcements Daily Morning Prayer and Compline — Join us every morning and evening on St. Paul’s Facebook Live for Morning Prayer and Compline, 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Pentecost Sunday Sunday, May 23 We invite you to wear the color red to symbolize the fire of the Holy Spirit! 10:30 In-person Outdoor “Picnic” Eucharist under a canopy in the Memorial Garden and on Facebook Live Following the service (may start later than 11:30)Explore the Sermon over Coffee on Zoom 1:00 Middle and High Schoolers gathering 2:00 In-person Family “Picnic” Eucharist in the Garden 2:30 Family Group in the Garden Please bring your own bread and chair for a picnic Eucharist. Ushers will provide both a wafer and chair if it’s not possible for you to bring these. We want you to be sure to come! Pentecost Sunday & Other Outdoor Eucharist Sundays—Family Worship moves to 2:00 pm. Once a month Family Worship will move from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm and meet outdoors in the Memorial Garden. Next Sunday, May 30 Trinity Sunday 9:30 Family Worship on Zoom 10:30 Spiritual Eucharist on Facebook Live 11:30 Explore the Sermon over Coffee on Zoom 1:00 NO Middle and High Schoolers gathering (Now meeting on 2nd and 4th Sundays) 2:30 Family Group in the Garden St. Paul’s Ministry Meetings Moving Outside As the weather improves, meetings are starting up again in the Memorial Garden. Here are some upcoming dates to note. Please wear masks and stay distanced.Wednesday 1:00 pm Bible Study is now meeting weekly in the Memorial Garden (on Zoom if it rains)Lay Pastoral Visitors will meet Wednesday, May 19 at 12:30 in the Memorial Garden.Sunday, May 30, 4:00 p.m. Good-bye Reception for Susan Tyler. You are invited to join Susan and John Tyler to say “thank you” and “good bye” at a farewell reception in the Memorial Garden. On Monday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m., in partnership with Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church, BTS will feature Bill Middlecamp leading “Reimagining The Future: a Climate Reality Presentation and En-ROADS Interactive Solutions Simulation.” Here’s a unique opportunity to consider the environmental-destruction impacts we are experiencing today, how we got to this point, and what the future may hold. Link: https://www.thebtscenter.org/reimagining-the-future/ May 25 marks the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, which ignited a worldwide racial reckoning. You are invited to join Episcopalians in an online liturgy of prayerful commemoration at 8:00 pm EST. Bishops from six dioceses will lead the liturgy, including a reflection by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, a Prayer of Lament from George Floyd Square in Minneapolis, an “Act of Remembrance” from Ferguson, Missouri, and prayers from Washington, DC. You are invited to participate virtually with prayers and postings on social media in conjunction with the service. Link to the service: https:// www.facebook.com/Beloved-Community-Racial-Justice-Reconciliation-in-the-Episcopal-Church108192188122395 Post One Thing You Can Do In addition to joining the service online, you are invited to a 3-part engagement for racial healing.Record a 10-second video of yourself lighting a candle and post that video to your social media during or after the May 25 service.In the same post, share a link to the service, which you can watch on any of the participating dioceses’ Facebook pages.In the same post, describe ONE thing you commit to do for racial healing and justice in the memory of George Floyd and all victims of racial injustice. Graduates to be Celebrated on June 20 at 10:30 and 2:00 In-person Outdoor “Picnic” Eucharist! Please email us (katieholicky@stpaulsmaine.org or stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org) with the name of a loved one who is graduating from high school, college, or graduate school. It will be important for our parish to recognize them, particularly again this year as remote and hybrid schooling continues. World Too Beautiful – An Online Contemplative Gathering First & Third Wednesdays of Each Month @ 5:45 pm World Too Beautiful, a collaboration between St. Luke’s Cathedral and the Diocese of Maine, is a twice-monthly musical and meditative gathering that focuses on beauty, interconnection, harmony, mutual encouragement, and healing. Bring a candle to light during our prayer time. For more information and the Zoom link visit https://www.episcopalmaine.org/ministry/world-too-beautiful Camp Bishopswood – Located in the beautiful woods of mid-coast Maine, Bishopswood is an Episcopal coed overnight camp affordable and open to all youths ages 6-16. The camp is open again and accepting registrations now at https://www.bishopswood.org/. Scholarships are available through St. Paul’s. Please email the office if you are interested (stpauls@stpaulsmaine.org). Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program This Sunday we will be able to worship together for the first time in over a year. The school year is almost over. Once again MCHPP will be providing food to those children who are in need during the summer break. As always, a check made out to MCHPP will go a long way and help so many. Please direct your check to MCHPP at 12 Tenney Way, Brunswick, ME 04011 Prayer Requests Pray for Christ Church in Norway.Pray for the victims of gunfire and those who have lost a loved one to gun violence.Pray for Anderson, Andrew, Cedric, Jason, Michael, Richard, and all in the military.Pray for those who have died remembering especially Ritalee Doty, who died this week.We pray for: Christy, Ryan & family, Ray, John, David, Judi, Nick, Bob, Kathy, Skip, the Blackburn family, Willow, Ann, Jim, Lollie, James, Dave, Caroline, Jeffrey, Carol, Roger W, Harlan, Shirley, Rob, Rick+, Elizabeth, Courtenay, Larry, and Courtenay Jennifer, John, Reeve, Victor, Travis & family, Ben, Diane, Nate, Priscilla, Garrett, Elliot, Marcia, Lynn, Bill, Bob, Paul, Sue, Nan, Clare, Cameron, Barbara, Christy, Michael, Ryan, and Jacob, Jen, all essential workers and Sandy Matthew, Herb, Gair, baby Thomas, Jason, Annie, Terry, Mark, Donelda, Sudie, Pat, Marie, Michael, Debbie, Carol, Ron, Hope, Therese, Lois, Bob, Virginia, Sally, Steve, Luke, Catarina, Richelle, Darah, Chick, Linda, and Barbara Call or email the parish office if you would like a name to be placed on the prayer list. The names will be removed after three months unless otherwise notified. Click here for this week’s calendar |
