WHAT’S HAPPENING AT ST. PAULS, JUNE 17, 2022
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 Dear Friend, The summer of 2020 when the world had shut down due to the pandemic, St. Paul’s partnered with the historic Abyssinian Meeting House of Portland to produce a Zoom Juneteenth celebration. I made a video of how to make cheesy grits and shared the slave origins of that dish. For five years in a row, St. Paul’s had hosted with the Abyssinian Meeting House Juneteenth celebrations in our memorial garden and great hall offering live performances, crafts for children, and a buffet of soul food.As our country becomes more and more familiar with this historic national celebration of freedom, freedom declared in the Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863, we remember Juneteenth as the day, June 19, 1865 when in Texas, the slaves there first learned of this proclamation of freedom. (Two years had passed before the news reached this western state!) This Sunday is June 19, is not only Father’s Day, it is historic Juneteenth. I invite you to join us in church 9 a.m. Family Worship in the Great Hall or 10:30 a.m. in the nave as we offer prayers and preaching in the spirit of Juneteenth. Our nation’s history is deeply important to learn. Those of us involved in the Sacred Ground conversation circles on racial justice have learned to probe deeper into our nation’s history, our own lives and the history of our town of Brunswick. One Sacred Ground affinity group that organized after they completed the program chose to conduct a forensic historical study of St. Paul’s to follow links that our parish might have to slavery. It is a surprise to some of us that slavery and slave trade was conducted in New England. Slave trade going on in Massachusetts and later in Maine, were no exception. Recently, this St. Paul’s Sacred Ground affinity group discovered some upsetting history of the early leaders of St. Paul’s. One of the first vestry members was a man named Captain Joseph Badger. He owned ships and conducted the slave trade from Africa to Cuba and then to America. This affinity group also discovered that Samuel Dunning, another vestry member was a ship builder and partner with Badger. I am personally curious about what that might have meant to the financial picture of St. Paul’s. This news of their deep involvement in the slave trade is not surprising, but it is upsetting because slavery was such a scar on our country, has wounded so many of our black brothers and sisters, and the discrimination continues to this day. Our country’s complicated history comes into the light for the better as we examine our own past. It’s how we heal. We face the sorrow and sin of our citizenship and shed light on it. I invite you to join our faith community, St. Paul’s next Sunday, June 26, 2022, during Fellowship after the 10:30 service as our deacon, the Rev. Mary Lee Wile leads us in small groups to write a St. Paul’s Litany of Lament as we face the truth of our own complicated history. God has called the faithful community of St. Paul’s these over 175 years to this place of healing and redemption, and we have embraced our particular gifts of hospitality, generosity, and prayers which are gifts that contribute to the healing of our past, our present and will continue to help heal our community. May we with full hearts follow our mission as we courageously turn to God in repentance of this disheartening past. With love and hope, Carolyn+ The digital and sound project installation in the nave has been postponed until July when the back-ordered parts will have arrived. Thank you, one and all, for your generous contributions to this project, Reaching Beyond Our Bounds.” |
| FAMILY MINISTRIES SUNDAY WORSHIP Join Us For Sunday Worship Family Ministries Sunday Schedule 9 a.m. Modified Eucharist in the Great Hall and on Zoom. Followed by Family Group. Worship Booklet Here. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/96617111762?pwd=SGlCQmpXMnYvWTZCNkpzR2dnU1VqQT09 Meeting ID: 966 1711 1762 Passcode: church  Please note starting 6/12 there is no Family Group or Youth Group this summer. Outside toys will be available for folks to enjoy in the garden after 9am worship.Summer Schedule Is HERE! We will carry on this summer with 9 am Family Worship. We will not have a formal Family Group lesson, though the outside toys will be available for you to stay and enjoy playing in the Garden. While we will not be having Family Group, we WILL BE enjoying some fun outdoor activities together over the course of the summer. *Please fill out this updated registration form for children participating in Family Ministry offerings. Thanks to all who joined us on Sunday, June 12th for our adventure to the Desert of Maine! About twenty-five of us had a blast playing on the coolest playground, rolling down hills, digging for gems in a maze and more! We still have a few summer outings on our schedule and look forward to enjoying the outdoors together throughout the summer! Safe Church Traininghttps://episcopalmaine.org/resources/safe-church-training/The Diocese of Maine (“the Diocese”) is committed to the prevention of child abuse of all forms. The purpose of this policy is to help the church to be a safe place for all who worship, or minister, or come in any sort of need, including children, youth, and those who work with them. We believe that this policy is one aspect of honoring our baptismal vows to “respect the dignity of every human being.”Participants will learn about the history of slavery and racism in Maine, including the role of eugenics and the term Vacationland. Presenters will talk about our shared ancestry and how slavery has impacted the way the world functions today. Participants will also learn specific examples of racism and how it plays out in communities. At the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:Describe how Maine’s history with slavery has impacted genocide, immigration, disinformation, and racism in American culture.Describe the hidden history of black communities in Maine.Click here to register. SUNDAY WORSHIP Sunday 10:30 a.m. Modified Festival Eucharist in the Nave and on FacebookClick on the link below to view from home: To watch on Facebook for the Worship Booklet for the St. Paul’s Announcements Readings 1 Kings 19:1-4,8-15a (NRSV) Psalm 43 Epistle: Galatians 3:23-29 Gospel: Luke 8:26-39Lectionary Page CURRENT GUIDELINES FOR WORSHIP AND GATHERINGS IN THE BUILDING PARISH ANNOUNCEMENTSPRAYER REQUESTS Coffee on the Corner: As part of the Lilly Grant “Deepening Christian Hospitality” outreach grant there is a portion for a Coffee on the Corner ministry. We have a picnic table (decorated by our youth) that will be on the corner of Union and Pleasant Streets. Object is to have coffee and ice tea/water and cookies/bread available for people walking by. It is slated to start weekly on Friday June 24th from 10 a.m. to noon. Please sign up on our Hospitality Bulletin Board if you can help with Ministry. Again we need two people for each Friday 10—noon. For more information contact: Nancy Whitehouse nancyw797@gmail.com or Tobey Lee tobeymail@gmx.com You may have heard about the honest conversations on race that are happening in the Sacred Ground program. Maybe you’ve even considered enrolling but stopped short for one reason or another. Now you have another chance! We are currently taking registrations for circles beginning this summer and fall. We offer groups on Zoom and in-person, and we make the schedule based on participant availability. We also hope to offer a “no-tech” circle for partic  ipants who are not comfortable using email or accessing course materials online (hard-copy registration forms are available outside Randy’s office and can be put in Andrea Lauerman’s box when completed). Sacred Ground is for anyone who wants to understand racism more clearly and envision how we might move forward in a different way. No matter where you are in your understanding of these issues, you are welcome here!Learn more by visiting our website at https://stpaulsmaine.org/learning-sacred-ground-new/ or by contacting our Program Coordinator at SacredGroundME@gmail.com / (207)295-7856.\ Midcoast Hunger Prevention Program Now that the weather is getting warmer, it is hard to think about this coming winter. Families and seniors who live paycheck to paycheck or Social Security checks are worrying about they are going to pay for their heat. How does MCHPP have to do with the price of heating oil? They will be there if a family or a senior needs help with providing food. With inflation with us for rest of the year, MCHPP will see an increase in the need to provide food. Your urgent support will help Episcopal Relief & Development provide humanitarian assistance to people fleeing the violence in Ukraine, working with ACT Alliance and our Anglican partners in Europe.SELECT YOUR DONATION AMOUNT CLICK HERE Invitation to Help the Country Store: Strawberry season will soon be here, followed by the delicious blueberries Maine offers. There’s nothing better than fresh, homemade jam on breakfast toast! The Country Store at the Yuletide Magic Marketplace offers jams and jellies, along with pickles, salsa, honey and a variety of canned items all homemade from local gardens and farms. If you are making some of these items, please consider making a few extra for the Country Store. We have canning jars available if you need some. And, Carol Martin will be doing an instructional workshop in August on the art of canning. More information about date and time of that event will follow in the coming weeks. If you are not a canner, be sure to stop by the Country Store on December 3rd to purchase some of these homemade treats made with love by St. Paul’s parishioners. You’ll be glad you did! |
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