ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

*Please see our Covid-19 Updates page for updates and information regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

IN-PERSON WORSHIP

In-person worship resumed on the Eve of Pentecost, May 22, 2021. We will still continue to stream our services.

Broadcast Link for all services:

https://www.facebook.com/St-Lukes-Episcopal-Church-Scranton-PA-215512459865/

Our schedule of daily livestreamed services is:

Saturdays: Evening Prayer Liturgy, 5PM.

Sundays: Morning Prayer (Rite I), 9 AM; Sunday Liturgy, 10AM; Evening Prayer at 5 PM.

Tuesday – Saturday morning: Morning Prayer at 9AM; Evening Prayer at 5 PM. (Please note, there are no streamed services on Mondays.)

All services are livestreamed on the St. Luke’s Facebook page and may be accessed by clicking here.

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In a Pastoral Emergency, please contact—The Reverend Rebecca A. Barnes, Priest-in-Charge at 646-533-1836 or via e-mail at mthrbarnes@gmail.com.  If you or a family member are in the hospital, health care facility, or are home bound and would like to have a visit from a member of our Pastoral Care Committee, please contact the parish office. Due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, the hospitals no longer automatically provide churches with the names of admitted parishioners. St. Luke’s church complies with all HIPAA requirements and cannot provide personal information for sick or injured members without permission of the member or his or her close family member.

Events at St. Luke’s and around the Diocese

(Also see our page “This Week at St. Luke’s” for up-to-date information on services and programs)

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

►Interfaith Power & Light Annual Conference: Scranton/NE PA Sessions

The Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:
Welcoming Space, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA  19509

• CONNECTING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
  Session #1, 2:00 – 2:50pm, Emily Holtsmaster, PA IPL
• INTEGRATING ORGANIC FARMING & THE PERFORMING ARTS
  Session #2, 3:00 – 3:50pm, Tannis Kowalchuk, Willow Wisp Farm

Ingathering of Pledges and Parish Potluck Luncheon: Next Sunday, we will be having the ingathering of pledges. Following the Sunday Eucharist, there will be a pot-luck dinner. Ham and chicken provided. Those who will be attending are asked to please bring a side dish or a dessert to share with others. A sign-up sheet is located in Israel Lounge. Please sign up or call the office to indicate your dish.

NO ROOM AT THE INN: Over five hundred Nativity sets from the personal collection of Lynn Prociak will be on display at the Forty Fort Presbyterian Church, 1224 Wyoming Avenue, Forty Fort, on Saturdays December 3 and 10 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. and on Sundays December 4 and 11 from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. The Nativity sets tell the story of the birth of Christ through the lenses of diverse cultures and peoples from around the world. A Christmas Shop and cookie sale will be available, and retired nativity sets will be on sale. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted for the Kirby Family House in Wilkes-Barre, which provides shelter and social services for families struggling with homelessness, and Keystone Mission. For more information, please call 570-542-4182 or visit www.facebook.com/NoRoomNEPA.

Thanksgiving Services: 

• On Friday November 18 at 7PM, The Scranton Area Ministerium will host its Annual Interfaith Service. A potluck dinner will be held at 6pm followed by the service at 7 pm. Please RSVP for the dinner if you plan to attend — you may email templehesed@comcast.net or call our office at 570-344-7201. The overall theme, (besides Thanksgiving) is “Too grateful to be hateful.” All are welcome. The service will also be available on Temple Hesed’s YouTube Channel. 
• On Thursday, November 24, Thanksgiving Day Eucharist will be celebrated at 10AM at St. Luke’s.

Fall Stewardship Campaign is Underway!

Our Annual Fall Stewardship Campaign began on September 11, with the ingathering of pledges on Christ the King Sunday, November 20. The program we will use this year is an ongoing year-long program offered through The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). TENS has chosen the theme “More than Enough” as the theme for 2022/23. 

As we emerge from this period of disruption and isolation in our congregations across the Episcopal Church, we have felt the pain and frustration of distance, of diminished resources, and of our ability to connect in the ways to which we are accustomed. However, as we take inventory of our spiritual resources, the strength of our community, and our capacity for generosity, we realize that there is now, and always has been, More Than Enough. 

Jesus fed the multitude with five loaves and two fish – “And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.” (Luke 9:17). You will be hearing from me, our Senior Warden, the Stewardship Team, and others from the St. Luke’s community as we consider this theme more deeply and the blessings of abundance that we have, and share in, here at St. Luke’s.

►Building Fund Appeal

Our Church and Parish House roofs have weathered many storms and we are raising funds to cover the cost of much needed maintenance work that needs to be done to make our buildings watertight and preserved from further water damage. Dunmore Roofing replaced our slate roofs 21 years ago and has recently via drone photography accessed maintenance work that needs to be done. The bid for needed work is $12,000. This is just the first project under the advice of our National Register Team regarding issues that need to be addressed to preserve our historic building which is a treasure of great importance to our worshiping community and to our region. We are making an appeal to cover the $12,000 cost of the roofing repairs which includes the existing slate roofs, modified bitumen roofs and copper flat seams. Please help us to reach our goal so that we may meet the needs of those we currently serve and our future plans to reach more of the community. Specially marked envelopes have been included in your service leaflet and are on the back table in the nave. All donations would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you! 

– Mother Barnes and the Vestry of St. Luke’s

Provide relief and help communities recover from flooding and fires

Deadly flooding and fires in southern and western parts of the US are displacing thousands and creating a financial burden on the most vulnerable. Episcopal Relief & Development is working with church and local partners to provide help where it’s needed the most. Your swift response and compassionate gift to the Episcopal Relief & Development Disaster Fund will provide supplies to help communities in Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri, California and other places make a full and sustained recovery. Visit episcopalrelief.org to make a contribution today.

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►Children’s Christian Education and Formation

Classes at St. Luke’s began in September. We will be using a special youth focused curriculum J2A – Journey to Adulthood. Bishop Kevin will be with us for Confirmation on Trinity Sunday, June 4, 2023. More detailed information about confirmation classes and registration will be sent out soon.

Sunday School resumed on Sunday, September 11! 

Sunday school classes commenced on Sunday, September 11 at 9:30am. We began the fall season with Episcopal Communion instruction for our youngest children who received Holy Communion (some for the first time) on the Feast of St. Luke’s, Oct. 16, 2022. Following our special Eucharistic program, we will resume with Godly Play, a Montessori-based curriculum with our younger children, ages five to ten years old.

Beginning in the fall, we are also offering Confirmation preparation for our older youth. We are using the program “My Life, My Faith.” For more information, to enroll your child, or to learn more about serving in the Sunday school program, please see Mother Barnes or email her at mthrbarnes@gmail.com or Rick Ammenhauser at imgold67@aol.com

See our Children and Youth page for more offerings including resources for talking with kids about the challenging issues of our time.

Resources for Children:  We have new welcome bags for our youngest attendees to enjoy during Mass. The bags are filled with sensory engaging toys and books and are available from an usher. Weekly lectionary materials are also available for our youngest members and visitors.

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►Are you Safe Church compliant? Maintaining your required trainings and clearances is vital because it helps us to keep all of the people in our congregations safe. Episcopal Church canons require all people who have contact with children in an Episcopal Church to take online trainings in order to learn best practices, appropriate boundaries, and who to contact if they need help or suspect child abuse. Both Episcopal Church canons and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania laws require everyone who has contact with children and those with any sort of leadership position in the church to obtain background checks. If you are a clergy person, lay employee, vestry member, volunteer who works with children, or a keyholder in your church, there are steps you need to take in order to be in compliance with Pennsylvania law and the Episcopal Church Canons. 

The learning modules and Safe Church Training site have been recently updated. Learn more about what you need to do in order to be compliant and to keep your church safe. Contact Mother Barnes or Sharon Sollami if you have any questions or concerns about Safe Church compliancy.

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►Adult Christian Education and Formation

Lenten Retreat at Holy Cross Monastery – In March (March 21-24, 2023) a parish Lenten retreat is planned Holy Cross Monastery in the New York Hudson Valley. The suggested donation for the three days is $330 per person which will cover all lodging, program costs, and meals including breakfast and dinner the day of departure. Space is extremely limited and filling up fast! Please contact Mother Barnes ASAP to reserve a spot. Scholarship for those in need is available upon written request.

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►Lay ministers needed in worship and hospitality: Readers, intercessors (prayers of the people), ushers, and coffee hour hosts are needed on a regular basis. Sign-up sheets are located in Israel lounge. Should you have any questions or concerns, please speak with Mother Barnes.

►Catch Up With the Congregation:  Coffee Hour is a wonderful time for us to gather together as a parish community. If you would like to host the hour with a light snack or homemade goodie, please sign up on the board in Israel Lounge.  If you have a favorite coffee mug you’d like to contribute for use during coffee hour, please bring it in; St. Luke’s is trying to minimize the use of paper products!

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Holy Hikes Northeast Pennsylvania is a chapter of a nationwide Episcopal organization and an official ministry of St. Luke’s, Scranton. We meet on the third Saturday of each month.  The contemplative hike is structured to celebrate Eucharist as we walk and find ways of being in prayer, reflection, and communion with God’s Creation. On November 19th at 10AM, we will walk The Lock 31 Canal Trail in Hawley. Carpooling is available from St. Luke’s. We invite everyone to join and encourage you to invite a friend. For more information contact David at drwegner@epix.net or check the parish Facebook page for updates.

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Upcoming Concerts at St. Luke’s and beyond

SAVE THE DAY:  12/2 Cypress House First Friday Event – Stay tuned for lots more info!!

SAVE THE DAY:  12/3 Arcadia Chorale – 7:30-9:30 at St. Luke’s – Celebrate the season of Koliada, when friends and family come together to sing carols from Christmas to Epiphany. This joyous concert includes music from Eastern European countries including Russia, Poland, and Latvia, with a special focus on Ukrainian carols.  https://arcadiachorale.ticketleap.com/koliada-christmas-scranton/details

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PAST EVENTS AND SERVICES

Voce Angeli Concert:  Each year, Voce Angeli, a premier women’s choral ensemble in Northeastern Pennsylvania presents a summer concert with proceeds benefiting a local charity. This year’s concert is set for Saturday, August 13, 2022 at 7:30PM at St. Luke’s and the benefactor is the Catherine McAuley Center, an agency that provides temporary shelter for women with children in crisis. Mark your calendars for this wonderful summer event. There will be a free will offering for this concert; suggested donation is $10.00

Nine Greek Definitions of Love – Sunday, July 10 at 3PM

Madison Zahorsky, Soprano, with David Macbeth, Piano.

The Nine Greek Definitions of Love provide insight on the varied shadings of love that have been experienced throughout humanity for millennia. The ancient Greeks subscribed to the
philosophy that love needed to be balanced and come from many sources in order to be fulfilling.
The theme of Love is no stranger to the vocal musical canon. This program illuminates the many possibilities of love in art and in our lives. Program will feature works of Jonathan Dove, Amédée-Ernest Chausson, Gabriel Fauré,  Samuel Barber, Richard Wagner, Franz Schubert, Jason Robert-Brown and more.

On Wednesday’s Artscene on WVIA, Erika Funke interviews Madison Zahorsky. Here’s a link to the interview: https://soundcloud.com/wvia-public-media/madison-zahorsky-july-7-2022?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

March for Our Lives is marching in multiple locations throughout NEPA! Born out of a tragic school shooting, March For Our Lives is a courageous youth-led movement dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education, and direct action by youth to eliminate the epidemic of gun violence.

Action Together NEPA will rally on June 11th, to help put a stop to gun violence and March For Our Lives!  The Scranton March will begin at the Steamtown Mall across from the State Building. Anyone from St. Luke’s that wishes to join in and go together may meet at the church at 10:30.

► A Christian Ed Offering with St. Ignatius of Antioch, NYC

From St. Ignatius – “As we continue to mark our Sesquicentennial, starting this coming Tuesday, June 7 our former assistant rector, the Rev’d Rebecca A. Barnes will begin a two part (four class) series on the history of Anglo-Catholicism, the Ritual Movement, and the early years of the Church of Saint Ignatius of Antioch, through the mid-1920s. The first two classes in June will discuss the ritual movement and the September classes will cover the rectorships of our founder, Fr Ewer, and his successor Fr Ritchie. Mother Barnes received her Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees from the General Theological Seminary, writing her M.Div. thesis on this very subject. She is presently Rector of Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scranton, PA. The class will be held on Zoom immediately following Evening Prayer and in the same Zoom meeting: https://www.saintignatiusnyc.org/DailyOffice All are invited to join!”

MARY MAGDALENE “ APOSTLE TO THE APOSTLES” – AN EASTERTIDE RETREAT DAY with DEIRDRE GOOD.

On Saturday, April 23, 2022  St. Luke’s held a retreat day on Apostle to the Apostles -An Eastertide Retreat Day on Mary Magdalene with Dr. Deirdre Good.

To view the video of the retreat click here (Passcode is John20:1-18 )

Deirdre Good, (Th.D. Harvard Divinity School), is a renowned Biblical scholar and professor of New Testament specializing in the synoptic Gospels. Born in Kenya, she grew up in the U.K., taught as Assistant Professor at Valparaiso University, as Associate Professor at Agnes Scott College, as Professor and Academic Dean at The General Seminary for 28 years, and now lives in Maine. She is a licensed lay preacher in the Diocese of Maine and a faculty member of the Stevenson School of Ministry in the Diocese of Central PA.

Fridays in Lent:

• On Friday, March 4, at 7:00 PM (and continuing at this time on Friday evenings throughout Lent) we will pray the Stations of the Cross followed by Compline.
• Lenten Loaves and Lessons: Join fellow parishioners at 6PM for a light Lenten supper of soup and bread with reflection on select themes from Episcopal Relief and Development’s Lenten meditations. Stations and Compline follow at 7PM.

Lenten Retreat Day – Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop – An Introductory workshop will be offered throughout the season of Lent beginning with a workshop on Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 10 am-3:30 pm. A light lunch will be served (Free-will donations are requested to defray the cost of the meal), or a brown bag lunch may be brought. Follow-up sessions designed for ongoing learning and group spiritual support will be held at the regularly scheduled Thursday evening Centering Prayer group gatherings on March 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7. The workshop will be presented by The Rev’d Rebecca Barnes who is a commissioned presenter with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. For more information, please contact Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com or call the parish office.

Centering Prayer Group:  Each week an ongoing weekly Centering Prayer group meets at St. Luke’s. Centering prayer meets on Tuesdays at 5:30 pm. Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which we experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Christ. Weekly sessions will include prayer, a contemplative walk, and study writings from the Christian Contemplative tradition. During Lent, the Six Follow-up Sessions to the Introductory Workshop will be offered. No prior experience is necessary. For more information, please contact Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com or call the parish office.  (Centering Prayer group meets each Thursday at 5:30 BOTH IN THE CHAPEL AT ST. LUKE’S AND ON ZOOM. To access the “zoom chapel” click here.  Click here for a brochure on The Method of Centering Prayer. )

Christian Education and Formation

Ten Commandments Class

Rabbi Daniel Swartz of Temple Hesed, Scranton and Mother Barnes are partnering to teach a class on The Ten Commandments. They will take an in-depth look at the commandments that are central to Judaism and Christianity.

The ten-week program will be held at noon on Sundays beginning on Sunday, February 6, 2022 and continuing through April 10, 2022. The first five commandments will be taught at Temple Hesed and the last five at St. Luke’s. The class will also be a hybrid offering on Zoom. The planned text for the classes are Inscribed Encounters with the Ten Commandments, Rabbi Oren J. Hayon, editor and The Ten Commandments for Jews, Christians, and Others, Roger E. Van Harn, editor and can be purchased through your favorite bookseller.

If you have any questions, or to obtain the password for the Zoom meeting, please contact Mother Barnes at St. Luke’s (570)342-7654 or Rabbi Swartz at Temple Hesed, 1 Knox Road, Scranton, 570.344.7201.

PYZANKY AND PRAYER -Ukrainian Easter egg making and prayers for Ukraine.

On Tuesday, March 29th from 6 to 8 PM, we will have the unique opportunity of gathering for a time of learning the art of Pyzanky – Ukrainian Easter egg making – and joining in prayers for Ukraine.

“Pysanky are made using a wax-resist dye method, which requires the eggs to be dipped in different-colored dyes from lightest to darkest with melted beeswax applied between layers with a design tool called a kistka. The beeswax preserves the color underneath when dipping the eggs in new colors. Once the designs are complete, the wax is melted and scraped off, revealing the final designs.”

Our instructor will be Tammy Budnovitch, who is a member S.S. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Church in Olyphant who has been teaching this art for several years. The cost is $25 and includes all supplies.  Attendance is limited to 12 people and will be on a first come first serve basis. Please email mthrbarnes@gmail.com to register. 

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NEPA PHILHARMONIC CHAMBER CONCERT: BEETHOVEN‘S BELATED BIRTHDAY BASH!

Celebrate Beethoven’s belated 250th birthday with his soul stirring G Major String trio along with some surprise party guests! Featuring NEPP violinist Sasha Margolis, violist David Creswell, and cellist Alberto Parrini, this concert celebrates the 150th Anniversary of St. Luke’s current church on Wyoming Avenue.  THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022 | 7:00PM.

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By the Grace of God and with the Consent of the People

The Right Reverend Kevin D. Nichols, Bishop of Bethlehem will ordain

Elizabeth Grohowski

 to the Sacred Order of Priests In Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church

Saturday, February 26, 2022 at Eleven O’clock a.m., 

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 

276 Church Street, 

Montrose, Pennsylvania

Your prayers and virtual presence are requested

 (The Ordination may be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNG5aqajldXRrI2SH3e6-dw)

Black History Month Events

Kick off Black History Month by joining us next door at the Ritz Theatre on February 1 at 6pm for a showing of the riveting documentary “My Name is Pauli Murray.”

The film is free, a free will offering will be taken,

Released last fall, this film captures her personal path and tireless advocacy that foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time. The New York Times (Sept 15, 2021), said of the documentary, “When the lawyer, activist, author and educator Pauli Murray died in 1985 at the age of 75, no obituary or commemoration could contain all of her path breaking accomplishments. A radical and brilliant legal strategist, Murray was named a deputy attorney general in California — the first Black person in that office — in 1946, just a year after passing the bar there. Murray was an organizer of sit-ins and participated in bus protests as far back as the 1940s, and co-founded the National Organization for Women. Murray was also the first Black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. In 2012, she was sainted.   “My Name Is Pauli Murray,” aims to introduce Murray to the masses. Made by the same Academy Award-nominated filmmakers behind the surprise hit “RBG,” it uses Murray’s own voice and words as narration, drawn from interviews, oral histories and the prolific writing — books, poems and a collection of argumentative, impassioned and romantic letters.”

Presented by EDS at Union  

Join us on Thursday, February 10th from 6:30 – 7:30 PM ET, as we celebrate Black History Month and honor the life of Absalom Jones, whose feast day is February 13th.  Dean Kelly Brown Douglas will host a panel discussion with Bishop Shannon MacVean-Brown, Episcopal Diocese of Vermont; Bishop Kevin Nichols, The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem; and Bishop Robert Wright, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta. RSVP for this virtual event here (https://ssl.charityweb.net/eds/event/absalom.htm).  As the Episcopal Church’s first African American priest, the Rev. Absalom Jones’ story is one of resilience, struggle, and powerful witness. Our panel will reflect on the life of Rev. Absalom Jones and the significance of his witness for our Church and nation today. 

Presented by Diocesan Racial Justice and Reconciliation Task Force

• Thursday February 10 at 7:00 pm (virtual)

For our Common Life Session 3 with Dr. Sandra Montes

Common Life

Theme: To be or not to be: God’s Beloved Community

• Sunday February 27 at 5:00 pm at Nativity Cathedral

Holy Eucharist to celebrate Blessed Absalom Jones and Black History Month.

• Stories of our People Video Clips

Short videos highlighting the stories and experiences of Black members in our diocese. These will be posted on our social media platforms.

FOR OUR COMMON LIFE  (see announcement tab on this website for more information)

A few updates:

1)    Both videos of the interview with Canon Spellers have been uploaded to our YouTube channel: Diocese of Bethlehem.

1. Feel free to share it with your congregations.

2)    Join us this Wed. Dec. 15^th at 5:30pm on our Diocesan Facebook Page for a Live conversation with Bishop Kevin as we continue to reflect on key takeaways from our first session. More in Common: Conversations for our Common Life with Bishop Kevin.

Mission: Joy – How to Find Happiness in Troubled Times.

Join St. Luke’s on Monday at 6:30PM in Kreitler Hall as we wrap up Black History Month with a presentation of “Mission: Joy.” “Mission: Joy” is an enlightening, peek-behind-the-curtain, 90 minute documentary built around an historic 5-day meeting between two of the world’s most consequential spiritual leaders – His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Born a world apart, both Nobel Laureates, the two men, one a Buddhist the other Christian, met here to celebrate their improbable friendship and share their hard-won wisdom about a wide range of issues from love, karma, guilt and forgiveness to joy, faith, meditation and reincarnation.

You can view the Mission: Joy trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nlUl5yNgIE

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►St. Luke’s Holy Hikers

On Saturday, October 16^th we concluded this year’s hikes by walking The Leigh Gorge Trail (Rockport trailhead) which was an easy walk adjacent the Leigh River with stunning views that should be in peak fall color. We invite everyone to join us again next May when we commence our second season. Have any ideas for a walking/hiking locations of want more information on the St. Luke’s Holy Hikers? Please contact David Wegner at drwegner@epix.net or Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com

►Episcopal Migration Ministries

Episcopal Migration Ministries (EMM), the refugee and migration ministry of The Episcopal Church, needs your support to welcome our Afghan allies to communities across the country. EMM is one of nine national refugee resettlement agencies tasked with the challenging and life-saving work of supporting Afghans who arrive with parolee status. The Afghan Parolee Services program provides very limited support only for parolees first 30-90 days; your donations can ensure they have a safe place to live and access to basic needs during and beyond that period. EMM will need to provide at least $3,000 worth of housing and cash assistance for each person arriving on parolee status.  

How You Can Help:                  

• Donate to Neighbors Welcome: Afghan Allies Fund
  • Financial support is critical at this time. Donations to the Neighbors Welcome: Afghan Allies Fund will provide the housing assistance, medical services, and financial support for basic necessities.
• Complete the Volunteer/Housing/Sponsor Interest Form
  • To offer volunteer support, community sponsorship support, or housing – whether short-term or long-term – please fill out the interest form.
• Map of EMM Affiliate Partners
  • Connect with an EMM local affiliate. Visit affiliate websites, sign up for their emails, and stay tuned for ways you can volunteer to support their work. If you are not near an EMM affiliate, please visit rcusa.orgto find opportunities closer to you.
• Advocate to Evacuate and Resettle our Afghan Allies
  • Take action in support of our Afghan allies by completing the action alert from The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations.

►Episcopal Relief & Development Aid for Haiti:  On Saturday, August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southwest portion of Haiti. This devastating earthquake was followed by Tropical Storm Grace on Monday night and much of Tuesday. More than 1 million people, including more than half a million children, have been impacted by the back-to-back disasters, and the death toll is close to 2000. Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners are responding immediately with direct assistance to vulnerable households in the region, as partners plan long-term recovery. Your generous gift can provide assistance to help people in the wake of these disasters. To assist in these efforts, visit episcopalrelief.org/haiti-relief.

►Have a green thumb?  The Warren Memorial Garden Committee welcomes volunteers to help out with their monthly care of the garden. Have questions? Please speak to Mickey Baccoli, Senior Warden or email David Wegner at drwegner@epix.net

►Cypress House at St. Luke’s Awarded Becoming Beloved Community Grant

Cypress House at St. Luke’s was notified this week that we have been awarded a 2021 Becoming Beloved Community grant by the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church. The $9,000 award will support the ongoing development of our Cypress House Bakery Prison Re-Entry Program.

The entire system of mass incarceration is one of the most egregious examples of racial injustice in our country today. The parole and probation programs continue that injustice even upon release from prison. The rate of minority incarceration in Lackawanna County is the highest of any county in the Northeastern quadrant of the U.S. Cypress House aims to repair the breach in our society by assisting men and women post-incarceration with a return to life on the outside.  In addition the presence of Cypress House in the community of Scranton will help bring awareness to the issues surrounding mass incarceration.

The grant that we have been awarded is a seed grant to help us grow into the work of Becoming Beloved Community.

150 YEARS ON WYOMING AVENUE

On Friday, July 2, 2021, St. Luke’s celebrated the 150^th Anniversary of our current church building.  Celebration include an Anniversary Eucharist at 6PM, and an open house with tours and exhibits. Outdoor festivities included refreshments, games and activities for children and families and a jazz band. Photos of the evening’s celebration will be posted soon. Sincere thanks to all who made this evening’s celebration possible!

Click here to view the Anniversary Eucharist. 

Click here to view Bp. Kevin’s greeting and blessing.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Wyoming Avenue Scranton 150^th Anniversary Virtual Tour is available here

Our special edition of the St. Luke’s Newsletter is available here:  July 2021 Special 150th Anniversary Edition.

►Working Together for Change

The Scranton Area Ministerium in collaboration with the Greater Scranton Martin Luther King Commission is holding a multi-session workshop entitled “Working Together for Change: How to Advocate for Racial Justice.”

This series will take place on October 14, 21, 28, and November 4 by Zoom and on November 11, 2021 in person 7:30-8:45.  This series will feature speakers and facilitators Itzel Hayward and Kathy Simon from Attuned Living to discuss how to be an effective ally, learn non-violent communication, and advocate for racial justice. The final session will be held at the Jewish Community Center, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA and will be led by Rabbi Miriam Spitzer of Temple Israel and Mother Rebecca Barnes of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

This is a unique opportunity to come together across religious traditions, cultures and experiences to:

• Step out of our comfortable silos, come together as Scranton faith communities
• Challenge everyday biases in ways that encourage conversation
• Talk about deeply charged topics with openness and clarity
• Step into your power to create a more just world

Registration and donations will offset the cost of the program.  

Here’s a free video by our facilitators to introduce you to the kind of work this program will cover.

Registration is available at the following link:

https://scranton.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list/event?event_date_id=1858

► Every Stitch Counts: Works from the Social Justice Sewing Academy and Bold Independence: African American Quilts from the Collection of David Whaley – October 23, 2021at 1PM

St. Luke’s will offer a special intergenerational outing to the Everhart Museum on Saturday, October 23 at 1PM. We will be given a special group tour led by the new Executive Director, Kathy Johnson Bowles. Special focus will be on two current exhibits: Every Stitch Counts, developed by the Everhart Museum in conjunction with the Social Justice Sewing Academy (SJSA), a national youth education program that bridges artistic expression with activism to advocate for social justice, this exhibition features textiles created by either individual artists or collectives highlighting social justice issues that have affected the artists, their families, and their communities. The powerful images create unique narratives addressing issues such as racism, gun violence, education, immigration, and poverty.  The second and related exhibit, Bold Independence features quilts made during the second half of the 20th century by eleven African American women from Mississippi and Alabama. A number of the works are by the famous Gee’s Bend quilters and a majority were produced in the Black Belt region of Central Alabama. Please call the St. Luke’s parish office at 570-342-7654 to register to attend. This will help us and the staff at the museum prepare for our visit.

►Lift Every Voice and Sing Churchwide Revival 

The Union of Black Episcopalians (UBE) invites all to join a virtual churchwide revival July 27-30 that will feature stirring music, testimonies, learning, and messages from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry and others.

For four nights, Black Episcopalians will lead The Episcopal Church in worship and preaching. All services will be livestreamed.

The UBE revival also includes daytime sessions featuring panel and group discussions, prayer, and fellowship opportunities. 

To register go to https://www.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal-revivals/ube-revival/

Diocese of Bethlehem Juneteenth Celebration

Saturday June 19th, 2021at 3PM via Facebook live.  Click here to view 

Juneteenth (“June” plus “nineteenth”) is a day that marked the beginning of the journey towards justice, accountability, and reconciliation in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. That day he informed enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. This announcement gave voice to the written words of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier in 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln.

Juneteenth is a day for followers of Jesus to be reminded of their Baptismal Covenant to “strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being.” It is a day for churches and faith communities to gather together to learn, pray, and continue the work of justice and reconciliation. A day such as this one provides an excellent opportunity for transformation. We must take advantage of the moment we are in to actively listen through honest and transparent dialogues that strengthen our faith and our connections to one another.

LENTEN ADULT BOOK STUDY: Jesus and the Disinherited – On Tuesday evenings in Lent at 7PM, our seminary intern, James Smurl will lead us in a discussion of Howard Thurman’s classic theological treatise. “Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower–it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God’s justice prevail.”  This book study will be held on Zoom. Click here to join the discussion!

LECTIO DIVINA LENTEN VIRTUAL RETREAT DAY: On Saturday, March 13 from 10am-2pm, Mother Barnes will lead a virtual retreat on the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina, literally meaning “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the “ear of the heart,” as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. Join us to learn more about this traditional way of cultivating a relationship with Christ through reflection on His word that leads beyond mere acquaintanceship to an attitude of friendship, trust, and love. To register, please email Mother Barnes at mthrbarnes@gmail.com

Diocese of Bethlehem Black History Month Series.

From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference

Starting January 18 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day), The Episcopal Church launches “From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference,” a campaign urging Episcopalians and our neighbors to engage in the spiritual practice of listening and honest conversation across the many differences that separate us, starting with four simple questions:

1. What do you love?
2. What have you lost?
3. Where does it hurt?
4. What do you dream?

Inspired by the Latin phrase on the U.S. seal – E Pluribus (“from many”) Unum (“one”) – the campaign is designed to offer a faithful perspective and time-tested practice for knitting deeply divided communities into a diverse, more perfect union. In a cultural moment shadowed by pandemic, fractious politics, and deep division within families, communities, and nations, Episcopalians can partner in simple ways to celebrate difference, listen with deep curiosity, and promote healing.

“I have never been more profoundly aware of the need for passionate and practical commitment to the way of unselfish, sacrificial love that Jesus taught,” Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said. “Conversations with others across difference is not just a nice thing to do. It is a spiritual practice of love in action. It’s how we reknit the fabric of our democracy and the human family of God.”

Listening, adapting, and leading in tense cultural times is deep in the Church’s DNA.

“From Many, One” is designed to be simple and transformative. It is geared toward individual people talking to other individuals, although congregations may join, too. Participants are encouraged to follow these steps:

• Learn about The Four Questions and related wisdom at www.episcopalchurch.org/from-many-one
• Watch videos of people modeling The Four Questions
• Sign up and set a conversations goal
• Have the conversation(s)
• Pray for your partner
• Contribute to the “From Many, One” story space with insights, video/audio highlights, a poem, prayer or image inspired by your conversation(s)
• Check out partner efforts like Braver Angels: With Malice Toward None, Civil Discourse Course, Sacred Ground, and The People’s Inauguration
• Join the Easter campaign celebration with a special online worship and sharing time

“We hope people understand this is only scratching the surface of the practice and learning that we’re called toward,” said Rev. Melanie Mullen, the church’s director of Reconciliation, Justice and Creation Care, one of the departments that collaborated to shape the campaign. “Our goal is to point people toward partner efforts that meet you where you are: for more simple conversation, further learning, deeper reckoning and/or action. More than that, we hope people see this as part of a life-long commitment to creating beloved community.”

For more information on the “From Many, One: Conversations Across Difference” campaign, contact the Rev. Canon Dr. Stephanie Spellers, canon to the Presiding Bishop for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation Care, sspellers@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6086, or Sarah Alphin, associate for Evangelism, Reconciliation and Creation Care, salphin@episcopalchurch.org or 212-716-6102.

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Thursday, January 21, 2021

For a copy of the service leaflet for the National Prayer Service from Washington National Cathedral click here.

Monday, January 18, 2021

7PM  Interfaith Service in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  – Scranton Area Ministerium.

https://fb.watch/3DYhiQFQ93/

A service program is available at the link below:

https://stlukescranton.org/…/SAM-MLK-Commemoration-2021…

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2020

7pm Interfaith “Longest Night” Service 

This service is designed especially for those who have experienced loss, especially in this pandemic year, or find the holidays difficult. This years’ service will be an interfaith service offered by the Scranton Area Ministerium and will be live-streamed. 

https://www.facebook.com/ScrantonAreaMinisterium/videos/195285278896294

Prayers and Litanies and Devotional Resources
Prayers for Self, Church, Community, and World Amidst the Coronavirus Pandemic (The Episcopal Church)
Prayers : For Use During the Coronavirus Outbreak (Church of England)
A Pandemic Prayer Litany for Health Care Workers (St. John’s, Boulder)
A Pandemic Prayer Litany for Police Officers and First Responders (St. John’s, Boulder)
A Prayer for Peace in Our Streets (from dailyoffice.org)

Holding on to Hope

A National Service for Healing and Wholeness – Live from Washington National Cathedral – Sunday, November 1, 2020, 4-5:30PM

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry led a live-streamed prayer service from Washington National Cathedral, Holding on to Hope: A National Service for Healing and Wholeness, on All Saints Sunday, November 1, at 4:00-5:30 p.m. EST. In the midst of a pandemic, racial reckoning, and a historic election, the live-streamed service gathered Americans for prayer, song, lament, hope, and a call to love God and neighbor. The event was simulcast in English and Spanish.

Resources on Race and Racism

“Can you yearn enough for Church; can you yearn enough for Jesus.”

Bishop Kevin expresses his support of Kelly Brown Douglas, Stephanie Spellers, and Winnie Varghese, and encourages everyone in the diocese to read their message, “Speaking of Freedom,” and reflect upon this moment.

Here is their written statement.
https://dfms-my.sharepoint.com/…/EWobhXqaQGVPogF-T-ysGXkBoN…

In this video they read the statement and discuss.

Please, I urge you to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest. This is a call to the Church, to us Episcopalians, to BE CHURCH.

In peace,
Mother Barnes

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White Fragility 
In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’” (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.”

To purchase the book visit: http://www.beacon.org/White-Fragility-P1346.aspx, or purchase here as a pdf.

Here is another good book on racism that is free right now – Me and White Supremacy   And here’s a workbook to accompany it.

And a good article from Psychology Today – The Psychology of Rioting: The Language of the Unheard.
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For those who still wish to view our Holy Week at Home booklet – Click here to access a full service booklet of resources which were used for observing Holy Week at Home. These may be used in the home by individuals and families. St. Luke’s supplemented these with the streamed services which are still available on our parish Facebook page.

If you haven’t used Zoom before, we encourage you to watch this video in advance. Want to know more about how to find a live stream on Facebook? Click here.

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