THIS WEEK AT ST. LUKE’S In-person and Live-streaming/zoom gatherings from St. Luke’s.
On Saturday, May 22 we resumed in-person worship. We will continue to stream in-person services at St. Luke’s, as well as the Daily Office, as scheduled. Please join gnus on our Facebook page for streamed services.
**(Note: if you are NOT a Facebook member, when you click on the link it will ask you to sign in or create an account, which you can ignore and just scroll down the page a bit till you see the service.)
Click herefor a copy of the Book of Common Prayer! Click here for a copy of Enriching Our Worship 1. This contains supplemental liturgical materials (i.e. Canticles) we occasionally use for Morning and Evening Prayer.
Daily Office: Morning and Evening Prayer – Morning Prayer at 9 AM; Evening Prayer at 5PM are live-streamed on Sunday; Tuesday through Saturday morning.
THIS WEEK AT ST. LUKE’S
Welcome to St. Luke’s as we return to in-person worship! Live streaming and zoom gatherings continue from St. Luke’s.Please join us on our Facebook pagefor the streaming of the services.
**(Note: if you are NOT a Facebook member, when you click on the link it will ask you to sign in or create an account, which you can ignore and just scroll down the page a bit till you see the service.)
Click here for a copy of the Book of Common Prayer! Click here for a copy of Enriching Our Worship 1. This contains supplemental liturgical materials (i.e. Canticles) we occasionally use for Morning and Evening Prayer.
Daily Office: Morning and Evening Prayer – Morning Prayer at 9 AM; Evening Prayer at 5PM are live-streamed on Sunday; Tuesday through Saturday morning.
Please note: On Saturday, May 22 we resumed in-person worship. Going forward, we will continue to stream our in-person services at St. Luke’s, as well as the Daily Office, as scheduled below.
5:30PM – Centering Prayer Our ongoing group meets each Thursday at 5:30 BOTH IN THE CHAPEL AT ST. LUKE’S AND ON ZOOM. All are welcome to join in. To access the “zoom chapel” click here. Click here for a brochure on The Method of Centering Prayer.
Notice of Annual Meeting & Vestry Election – Sunday, January 30, 2022 10AM.
The Annual Parish Meeting will be held on Sunday, January 31, 2022, starting with the 10:00 a.m. Eucharist. Due to increased Covid-19 numbers, there will be no Parish Pot-Luck Luncheon in Kreitler Hall following the meeting. **Please note: there will be only one joined service this weekend; there will be no Saturday 5:00 PM Eucharist.
At the Annual meeting, Vestry, parish officers, and organizations/committee reports will be presented, along with the 2022 budget. Three vestry members will be elected at this time; two lay delegates for Diocesan Convention will be elected. The candidates for Vestry are: Bernie Ott, Kathy Selemba, and Mickey Baccoli, all of whom are standing for election to a second term. The candidates for Lay Delegates to Diocesan Convention are: Sharon Sollami, Mickey Baccoli; Alternates Lay Delegates are: Rick Ammenhauser and Jeremy Rich. Nominations may also be made from the floor, provided the nominator has first obtained the consent of the nominee.
At the 2016 Diocesan Convention, new Canons where approved that provide for uniform by-laws for all parishes of the Diocese. The guidelines for Annual Parish Meetings stipulate that in every Parish, the Annual Parish Meeting shall be held in January at a time and place designated by the Vestry. Lay Members in good standing of the Parish who are physically present, who are at least 18 years of age, who are regular attendants at the services of the parish, and who are regular contributors for the six months preceding the meeting to the support of the Parish, shall be entitled to vote at all Parish Meetings. A quorum for the transaction of business in the Annual Parish Meeting shall consist of 25% of the persons entitled to vote if they were present or 25 persons entitled to vote, whichever is less. The qualifications of persons to serve on the Vestry shall be the same as the qualifications to vote at the Annual Parish Meeting as set out above. Each Annual Parish Meeting shall elect persons to serve on the Vestry replacing those members whose term in office has ended. Additional nominations may be made from the floor of the Annual Parish Meeting.
Should you have any questions or concerns about the Annual Meeting, please speak with Mother Barnes, Rector, or Mickey Baccoli, Senior Warden. A copy of the Diocesan Canons is posted in Israel Lounge. Additional copies will be available at the meeting.
February is Black History Month
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 pathbreaking 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
New St. Luke’s Newsletter: Our latest edition of the St. Luke’s Newsletter is hot off the press. Click here to see the January 2022 edition.
Christian Education and Formation
Episcopal 101 – An Adult Formation & Inquirers Class
Episcopal 101class will begin on Sunday, September 19; following the 10AM Sunday Eucharist (approx. 11:45). The classes, which will be led by Mother Barnes, will be held live at St. Luke’s. (Zoom options will be considered in the event of increased Covid numbers and/or inclement weather.) This class is an opportunity to explore and learn more about the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. Sessions are open to everyone, no matter where you may be in your journey of faith – those who are seeking, those new to the Episcopal Church, or those who have been life-long Episcopalians and want a refresher course. This class may also be used toward preparation for baptism and/or confirmation or reception. The text used for this class will be Walk in Love: Episcopal Beliefs & Practices by Scott Gunn and Melody Wilson Shobe.
The Good Book Club will return in Epiphany, 2022, with its first Old Testament offering: Exodus.
The second book of the Bible, Exodus recounts the journey of the Israelites from slavery to freedom. We hear the great stories of Moses, from his discovery by Pharaoh’s daughter on the bank of the river to the burning bush to his presentation of the Ten Commandments. Along the way, we encounter God’s covenant and explore the grand theme of redemption.
This year, we have a bonus time of scripture engagement: the Good Book Club will dive into the first twenty chapters of Exodus from Epiphany, January 6, to Shrove Tuesday, March 1. For those who want to keep reading, we’ll offer a daily reading guide. That reading period will conclude on Easter.
Exploring Exodus: For six weeks this Epiphany, meet with other students from around the world for a live, online class on the Book of Exodus with Vicki Garvey, a respected teacher and author and canon for lifelong education at the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago. In this free class, Vicki will teach about the context and themes of the Book of Exodus. Classes will meet live on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EST starting January 6. Register here.
Introduction to Exodus: Join the Montreal Diocesan Theological College in the Anglican Church of Canada for a free, 90-minute webinar and introduction to the Book of Exodus. This 90-minute online webinar provides a foundation for students to read Exodus for themselves by offering an overview of the book’s content, structure, and key themes. The class is on Thursday, January 13, from 7-8:30 pm EST, and taught by the Rev. Dr. Jesse Zink, principal of Montreal Diocesan Theological College. Learn more and register here.
Sunday School, 9:30 AM –Sunday School will resume on Sunday, September 19! Rick Ammenhauser, Senior Sunday school teacher, announces that children’s Sunday school classes will commence on Sunday, September 19 at 9:30am. St. Luke’s uses Godly Play, a Montessori-based curriculum with our younger children, ages five to ten years old. In October, another program will launch for our older youth. That ministry program will include focused lesson plans with goals, activities, and talking points on topics including racism and creation care. 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
Children’s Christian Education Materials
Click below to access free faith formation resources for kids.
For Sunday, November 28, 2021. Materials include: Lectionary-based Sunday Paper Junior
See our Children and Youth page for more offerings including resources for talking with kids about the challenging issues of our time.
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.
►Every Perfect Gift – Annual Stewardship Campaign: On Sunday, October 3, 2021, we will launch our Annual Stewardship Campaign. On Sunday, November 28th, we had the ingathering of pledges, and a potluck luncheon following the 10AM Eucharist.
The program we will use this year is an ongoing year-long program offered through The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS). “This year’s stewardship theme, “Every Perfect Gift,” taken from the first chapter of The Letter of James and highlights all the ways in which we have been blessed by God and how that inspires us to give back to our neighbors, our church, the world. We hope you’ll join us as we work together as a parish community remembering that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
We are grateful to all who made a pledge this year. Thank you for your commitment and dedication to St. Luke’s and to Christ and his church. Your generosity enables our Finance Committee and Vestry to plan and make a budget. Your giving makes it possible for us to offer our worship services and a wide array of ministry and outreach programs. Many thanks to all who participated in and brought a dish to share at the potluck luncheon that following our ingathering on Advent 1.
►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.
►Upcoming Concerts
All-Gershwin Joint Fundraiser Concert – February 25 at 7PM
Join us for a joint fundraiser concert to benefit both St. Luke’s and our neighbors at CAAPA Theater. Program will feature various artists performing worksPianists Sheri Melcher Ronald Land performing a duo piano arrangement of Rhapsody and Blue and other Gershwin favorites. Sheri Melcher, Director of the Creative and Performing Arts Academy of NEPA, is a professional pianist, musical theater director, choral conductor and educator. Ronald Land, a native of Scranton, is a Professor of Voice and Theater at Five Towns College, Dix Hills, NY. Tickets: $20.
►St. Luke’s Holy Hikers
On Saturday, October 16th 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.
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.
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.
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 150th 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.
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.
► 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 onSaturday, 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.
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:
What do you love?
What have you lost?
Where does it hurt?
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.
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.
Prayers and Litaniesand 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.
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.”
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. ___________________________________________________________________________ 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.
