SUMMER BIBLE STUDY – Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis.
In conjunction with the Reclaiming Jesus statement signed by numerous Christian leaders of faith, including The Most Rev’d Michael B. Curry, Primate and Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, a Summer Bible Study will be offered at 11:15 a.m. beginning Sunday, June 3, 2018.
The Reclaiming Jesus statement acknowledges:
“We are living through perilous and polarizing times as a nation, with a dangerous crisis of moral and political leadership at the highest levels of our government and in our churches. We believe the soul of the nation and the integrity of faith are now at stake.
When politics undermines our theology, we must examine that politics. The church’s role is to change the world through the life and love of Jesus Christ. The government’s role is to serve the common good by protecting justice and peace, rewarding good behavior while restraining bad behavior (Romans 13). When that role is undermined by political leadership, faith leaders must stand up and speak out. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.”
It is often the duty of Christian leaders, especially elders, to speak the truth in love to our churches and to name and warn against temptations, racial and cultural captivities, false doctrines, and political idolatries—and even our complicity in them….
…The question we face is this: Who is Jesus Christ for us today? What does our loyalty to Christ, as disciples, require at this moment in our history? We believe it is time to renew our theology of public discipleship and witness.”
In our Bible Study, we will meet for nine one-hour sessions to explore the following:
Session One (6/3): Civil Discourse and Followers of Jesus
Session Two (6/10): Jesus is Lord: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis
Session Three (6/17): Made in God’s Image and Likeness
Session Four (6/24): We are One Body
Session Five (7/1): To Protect and Seek Justice
Session Six (7/8): Truth is Morally Central to Our Personal and Public Lives
Session Seven (7/29): Christ’s Way of Leadership is Servanthood
Session Eight (8/5): Go into All Nations Making Disciples
Session Nine (8/19): Change the World Through the Life and Love of Jesus Christ
For more information, please see the Reclaiming Jesus statement bulletin insert, and/or contact Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com or at the parish office at (570)342-7654.
Centering Prayer Group: Each Thursday evening at 5:30PM an ongoing weekly Centering Prayer group meets at St. Luke’s. Centering Prayer is a contemplative form of prayer geared toward the cultivation of interior silence or “centering.” This form of prayer invites one to enter into a deeper relationship with God by being open and receptive to the presence and action of God in our lives and to the Spirit that dwells within us. Weekly sessions will include prayer, a contemplative walk, and study of Thomas Keating’s book, Open Mind, Open Heart, and other writings from the Christian Contemplative tradition. No prior experience is necessary. For more information, please contact Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com or by calling the parish office.
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Voce Angeli – 3rd Annual Benefit Concert: Voce Angeli will perform their Third Annual Benefit Concert at St. Luke’s on Saturday, August 18 at 7:30 PM – 9 PM. This year’s beneficiary is Marley’s Mission, an equine therapy organization that helps youth deal with mental health issues and trauma. The program is entitled, “Light Out Of Darkness” and features music of hope and resilience.
On Sunday, August 4, Voce Angeli will be guest musical artist at the 9:30 A.M. Eucharist at St. Luke’s.
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The Albright Memorial Library & St. Luke’s Church present a night of discussion – Monday, September 10 at 6:30 PM – 8 PM
Join us to discuss Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities
by Rebecca Solnit “With Hope in the Dark, Rebecca Solnit makes a radical case for hope as a commitment to act in a world whose future remains uncertain and unknowable. Drawing on her decades of activism and a wide reading of environmental, cultural, and political history, Solnit argued that radicals have a long, neglected history of transformative victories, that the positive consequences of our acts are not always immediately seen, directly knowable, or even measurable, and that pessimism and despair rest on an unwarranted confidence about what is going to happen next.”
Borrow a copy of this month’s book club selection from the library or get a 40% discount when you order a book club title at Library Express, 2nd Floor at the Marketplace at Steamtown, 570-558-1670.
The Albright Memorial Library’s Social Justice Book Club meets on the second Monday of every other month to discuss fiction and nonfiction books that speak to our humanity and the call for a more just world. The Social Justice Book Club meets in the Community Room, Basement of the Lackawanna Children’s Library, 500 Vine Street, Scranton, PA 18510.
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Safety Net Volunteers needed: Monthly volunteers are needed to work a four-hour (12-4) shift at the door; a sign-up sheet is located in Israel Lounge. If you are available and can assist in this way, or have any questions, please contact Robin O’Hearn at (570) 963-5407. There is an ongoing need to restock the food pantry shelves for our neighbors in need. Items needed are:
Canned fruit or meat—soups, tuna Boxed pasta/Spaghetti Baby wipes
Peanut Butter/Jelly Rice Shampoo and Deodorant
Juices (100% juice) orange, apple Boxed Cereal Diapers—3, 4, 5
Canned Chef Boyardee Pasta sauces Razors (Men’s & Women)
Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
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Parish Clean-up Day – Saturday, August 25th 9:00 AM: Volunteers are needed for a parish “clean-up” day. In September, St. Luke’s will be a venue for the Scranton Fringe Festival. Before we can rent our space for this event, we need to clean off the stage in Kreitler Hall, along with other spaces. If you can assist, please sign-up on the sheet in Israel Lounge. Refreshments will be provided.
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NEW SUNDAY SERVICE TIME! – Beginning Sunday, September 9, 2018, Eucharist will begin at 10:00 A.M. This change is to an “on the hour” time will better meet the needs of the parish overall. Please note that our children’s Sunday School program will also resume on September 9th but will continue to meet at 9:30 A.M.
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Save the Day – Ordination and Consecration: The Ordination and Consecration of the Rev. Canon Kevin D. Nichols will take place on September 15, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The service begins at 11am. Please plan on arriving early to be seated before the processions. The seating of the new bishop will take place at Diocesan Convention on October 13, 2018. Please keep Bishop Sean, Kevin, our Bishop-elect, and our entire Diocese in your prayers as we continue through this time of transition.
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Fall Bus Trip: The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, NYC: On Saturday, October 6th, St. Luke’s will be offering a bus trip to New York City to see the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. St. John the Divine, is the cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the largest gothic cathedral in the world. Tentative plans for the trip include a tour of the cathedral, opportunity to stroll the cathedral grounds and the Biblical Garden, and a meal at a restaurant yet to be determined. To make reservations or for more information, please contact Lucetta Savinelli at m7elli@comcast.net or at 570-344-5689.
Office hours – The parish office is open Tuesday – Friday from 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. As always, in the event of a pastoral emergency, Mother Barnes may be reached on her cell phone, (646) 533-1836.