Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Saint Mary's eNEWS for 3.31.19

Saint Mary's Weekly News

31 March 2019 – The Fourth Sunday in Lent


·         The Funeral for Fritz Hessemer (Jane Stegemann's father) will be held on Saturday, March 30 at 10am at Saint Mary's

·         Our Lenten Quiet Morning "Growing a Lenten Garden" has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 13 from 9am  – 12noon

·         Priscilla Rigg is recovering from a health set-back. Therefore, all RSCM rehearsals will be cancelled until further notice. She has also asked for no visitors while she regains her strength. We look forward to her returning to form soon!

·         Faith & Science – Thursday evenings in Lent, 5-7pm - Potluck Soup, Salad & Bread

Help needed for Holy Week and the Paschal Feast!

Inserted into this bulletin is a sheet where you can volunteer to participate in the great liturgies of Holy Week and Easter.  Please look it over, fill it out as you feel led, and return it to the Parish Office or in the offering plate as soon as possible. Thank you!

Walk (or Run) for Habitat on GOOD FRIDAY! April 19

This year, we are joining forces with Cumberland to support Habitat for Humanity, and call all walkers or runners to join Saint Mary's Team to walk or run in the 33rd Annual Cumberland Walk/Run for Habitat on April 19!  Choose a 3,5, 10 or 20-mile course to complete anytime between 7 AM and 3 PM.  A wonderful way to mark Good Friday - devoting a few hours to ensure others less fortunate might have shelter.  A great opportunity for all ages; four-legged family members are very welcome. The starting point is Cumberland Congregational Church/UCC, 282 Main Street, Cumberland Center.  Join and fundraise or donate on-line at  https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign-manager/manage/jennifergregg/st-marians-for-habitat-2019-good-friday-walk-and-run . Paper registration/fundraising forms are available outside the Guild Room.  FMI:  Contact Jennifer Gregg, jenniferanngregg@gmail.com 

HOLY Saturday Blood Drive: April 20, 9am – 2pm

Mark your calendars now for a special opportunity to share the gift of life with others as we remember the new life that Christ has given to us in the Paschal mystery - here in our Parish House Auditorium. We are working in partnership with the RED CROSS. Go to www.redcrossblood.org to make your appointment and use our sponsor code "StMary". Or sign-up TODAY on the sign-up table outside the Guild Room. And tell your friends and neighbors!

Souper Supper: 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month 

Our free suppers in our Parish House Auditorium open to anyone and everyone. Please consider dropping in sometime between 5 – 7 PM on either evening for dinner served in a family-style setting and consisting of a hearty soup, salad, bread, homemade desserts and beverages. And we are always looking for more servers to join the Souper Supper Team. FMI, contact Jennifer Gregg 

 

Youth Ministry

Guiding RAY  (Religious Adventures for Youth)   

Our Guiding RAY programs for all young people ages 0 to 14.  We gather all together beginning at 9:30am for Formation in the lower level of the Parish House with classes beginning at 10am.  For more information on Guiding RAY, please visit our website  www.smary.org .

The Nursery opens at 9:30am on regular Sundays for our youngest disciples in the Guiding RAY area every Sunday morning for the later Eucharist. Please contact Alison Hayward, ajhmcmonagle@gmail.com, if you are able to assist her with care. 

This week in Guiding RAY! We continue Rotation # 8 "The Easter Story." We will be learning about key events that happened in Gethsemane, just after the Last Supper. The kids will design and create "Gethsemane Stepping Stone Mosaics" depicting key moments and words from the story.

9:30 – 10am Formation time:   We will again be joined by master gardener Bobbi MacCallum. She will help us to start seeds for the Saint Mary's Vegetable Garden. Be prepared to get your hands dirty and have some planting fun! All are welcome!  

Middlers: We will meet next Sunday (April 7) at 10:00 in the Youth Room.  Our group, led by Will & Michelle Chappell, is engaging and Christ-centered, focused on imparting the love and knowledge of God. We use games and discussion-based teaching to serve our students. We welcome all middle school youth, from those who are merely curious about God to those who have a full-fledged desire to follow God.

Saint Mary's RSCM Youth Choirs: on a short break while Mrs. Rigg recoups

The Youth Choir Program has two choirs appropriate for the ages of the children. 

St. Cecilia Choir (open to ages 8-15) rehearse in the choir room, Tuesdays 4:30-5:30pm

Angel Choir (open to ages 4-7) join the St. Cecilia choristers on Sundays from 9:30-10am.

Young Life of Casco Bay

Every Monday night (when school is in session) at 7:31 PM in a cool barn at 41 Stapleford Dr in Falmouth. For ALL area high school students. The BEST thing happening on a Monday night – guaranteed! FMI, visit www.younglifecb.com

Gatherings & Events

Lent in a Snapshot - with detailed info below

Weekly Lenten Gatherings

  Sundays:           The Practices of the Desert:  9:30am in Auditorium

                             Be Still9:30am in Fr James Chapel

  Mondays:          Be Still:  5:30-6:30pm in Fr James Chapel

  ThursdaysFaith and Science - Common Ground  in Auditorium

                                    5-7pm Soup & Salad Potluck;   5:45pm Presentation & discussion

Special Lenten Offerings

   Quiet Day: Saturday, April 13,  9am - 12noon – led by our own Saint Marians. Growing a Lenten Garden

   Lenten Schola Concert at Saint Mary's: April 12, 7:30pm

   Good Friday Walk/Run for Habitat for Humanity:  Friday, April 19, 7a - 3p

    Holy Saturday Blood Drive:  Saturday, April 20, 9am-2pm

    The Great Vigil: Saturday, April 20, 7:30 PM        

ADULT Formation groups:  9:30 AM on each regular Sunday

"The Practices of the Desert"

Fr. Nathan shares with us the insights he has learned from his in-depth study of the Desert Fathers and Mothers. Each week, we will read a new story and learn a new phrase to carry with us and to use as a tool for our growth in Christ. These teachings challenge all of us, so come ready to explore new ideas. All are welcome!

 "Be Still"   Guided Meditations in the Chapel

Our Sunday contemplative formation time will continue into Lent.   Lent is often thought of as a season of renunciation, denial and penitence.  But we'll change that up a bit (Jesus was always changing things up, right?) and concentrate on the theme of gifts.  The gifts of Lent might include an opportunity for spiritual rest, the aptitude for humility or the flair for compassion.  Lent is also the time to identify the gifts we'd like to cultivate in ourselves all year through.  Come and join us for a bit of silence and gentle conversation. 

Be Still:  Monday evenings  5:30 – 6:30pm

There is no more precious season than Lent to search for moments of peaceful communion with God in the Father James Chapel. With centering prayer, we can promise that you will leave the chapel with a sought-for peace, calm and renewal. Please join us!

Common Ground in Lent: Faith and Science in the 21st Century

5 - 7pm    Please bring soup, salad or bread to share together. We will keep these meals simple in Lent. The food is available throughout the 2 hours; come when you can.

5:45pm   The presentation and discussion begins. We will end around 6:45 to clean up.

     Thursdays in Lent: Faith & Science remaining topics

March 28: Quantum Physics and Eternity

April 4:           The Bible and Genetics

April 11:           Life and Death

Lent Madness 

Join in the fun and learning!  Lent Madness began in 2010 as the brainchild of the Rev. Tim Schenck. This is a fun, engaging way for people to learn about the men and women comprising the Church's Calendar of Saints. The format is straightforward: 32 saints are placed into a tournament-like single elimination bracket. Each pairing remains open for a set period of time and people vote for their favorite saint. 16 saints make it to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen, and so forth to the Elate Eight, the Faithful Four and finally the Golden Halo is awarded on Holy Wednesday.  Brackets are available at http://www.lentmadness.org/ or in the parish house. 

Growing a Lenten Garden: Quiet Morning, April  13, 9 am – 12 n

What are you growing within you this Lent?  How will you cultivate your relationship with God?  What will help your faith flourish?  What might need weeding? Come and explore together with other Saint Marians.

Schola Lenten Concert at Saint Mary's:  Friday, April 12, 7:30 pm

The St Mary Schola is pleased to present excerpts from the great Biblical drama by Charpentier: David and Jonathas. There are festive scenes glorifying David's prowess in battle and his clemency afterwards, as well as gripping scenes with the furiously jealous Saul and tender love duets between David and Jonathan.

Other program highlights include a serene Salve regina by Charpentier and a major work of Heinrich Schütz, Psalm 116, one of the glories of a cappella singing.

Tickets can be purchased on line at stmaryschola.org or at the door.

Other Performances:  April 9, 7:30 pm, Sacred Heart Church, Yarmouth, and

April 16, 7:30 pm, Saint Luke's Cathedral, Portland

The Episcopal Church and the Visual Arts: Lenten Exhibition

A special online exhibition - Suffering - is the first of the 2019 Episcopal Church & Visual Arts presentations.   Forty-five artists, of which our Erin McGee Ferrell is one, have offered touching, often very personal reflections on this shared human condition. Please visit the website at  www.ecva.org .

The Liturgy of the Palms: April  14, 8:00 and 10:00 am

The Liturgy of the Palms on Palm Sunday will begin both for both liturgies in the Auditorium. But PLEASE NOTE that we will begin in the Auditorium at 10 AM and continue with a Procession. The Eucharist itself will begin as usual at 10:15.

Community Care & Nurture

Chapel Eucharist: Thursdays in the Chapel at 12 noon

This is an informal time (in a beautiful space!) to gather at the Lord's Table with a meditation on the scripture or the saint of the day and prayers for healing.

Wisdom Seekers: Tuesdays at 10:30 AM

This Bible study group meets weekly in the Guild Room. Everyone is welcome! We are now discussing each week's Gospel scriptures in depth.

Noonday Prayer: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays in the Chapel  

Pause for 10 minutes of prayer together. You are also invited, wherever you may be, to STOP and PRAY with us in the Spirit at 12 noon for those in need, for our parish family, our bishop, and our own daily life with God.

Communicating with Nathan+   

Feel free to contact Fr. Nathan at any time if you wish to speak with him.  You can call or text his cell anytime at 207-310-0268  or e-mail him directly at nathanferrell@smary.org but know that email is checked rarely on weekends or when he's away on vacation.

Prayer Concerns for this weekPriscilla Rigg, Sasha & Chris Bartlett and  baby, Tom Chamberlain, Kathryn Street, Bruce Fossett, Holly, Mimi Hilton, Clarinda Schmidlapp, Keith Lombardozzi, Erin Ferrell, Chandra Lowe, Bucky, Stewart Stalnecker, Nolan Farris, Frank Rheaume. 

IF YOU WANT TO ADD NAMES TO THE PRAYER LIST, write them on the Sunday Prayer List found in the Narthex or contact the Office (781-3366 or smary@smary.org).

 

Special Safety Note:  This is a reminder to all drivers to be aware of people (big & little) walking back and forth from the church building to the Parish House, and to all parents that children should be accompanied by an adult to be assured that they cross safely and are not alone in any of the buildings.   Thanks for being careful and protective of each other.

 

 

This Week at Saint Mary's

 

Sunday                 31   Fourth Sunday in Lent

                                    8:00am         Contemplative Eucharist (followed by Coffee Hour)

                                                          9:30am            Formation for all ages – Adults and Youth

                                                          10:15am            Choral Eucharist (followed by Coffee Hour)

Monday,    4/1      12noon                 Noonday Prayer in the Chapel

                                    5:30 PM         Be Still in the Fr James Chapel         

                                    7:00pm          Portland Community Chorus rehearsal in auditorium

Tuesday               2     7 - 9am         BNI in the auditorium

                                                9:30a - 1p         Art Group in the Auditorium

                                                10:30am         Wisdom Seekers Bible Study – all are welcome

                                    12 noon          Noonday Prayer in the Chapel

                                    12:45pm          Staff meeting

                                    7:00 pm         AA in the auditorium

                                    7:30 pm         Al-Anon in the Chapel (6:30pm Beginner's Al-Anon)

Wednesday     3                  6 8 pm         SinG rehearsal in the Auditorium

Thursday              4     12noon          Chapel Eucharist

                                    1 - 3 PM         Falmouth Knitters

                                    2:00pm          Merton Group in the Chapel

                                    5 - 7pm          FAITH AND SCIENCE potluck and presentation

                                    7:00pm          SM Choir rehearsal

Friday                  5     Parish Offices are closed on Fridays

                                    12noon          Noonday Prayer – stop and pray where you are

                                    59pm         Great Gardener Series in the Auditorium (am set-up)

                                    5:30pm          Al-Anon in the Guild Room

Saturday              6     5-9pm            Al-Anon & AA Potluck dinner

Sunday                 7     Fifth Sunday in Lent

                                    8:00am         Contemplative Eucharist (followed by Coffee Hour)

                                                          9:30am            Formation for all ages – Adults and Youth

                                                          10:15am            Choral Eucharist (followed by Coffee Hour)   

 

 

Beth Shaw

Parish Manager

The Episcopal Church of Saint Mary

43 Foreside Rd, Falmouth, ME 04105

207-781-3366,  www.smary.org