News from Saint Luke's Episcopal Church

When Denise was expecting Kelsey we started trying to set money aside for Denise's maternity leave. We had a finance guy in New Haven; we were walk-ins to Paine Webber and were assigned Frank. He, like Denise, was from N. Carolina, he was a Naval Reserve officer, and from there we had become friends-he was divorced and so we even set him up with one of Denise's friends. I remember signing over a pay check and his reassuring me that his word was his bond. Read more ...

Christian Ed Calendar

March 3-
Regular Classes
Stone Soup

March 10-
Regular Classes
Confirmation Class

March 17-
Regular Classes
St. Patrick's Day

March 22-23-
Pre-confirmation Retreat at Camp

March 24-
Palm Sunday
Holy Week Workshop

March 29-30-
Youth Overnight- 30 Hour Famine

March 31-
Easter Sunday
Egg Hunt at 10 AM

30 Hour Famine- Calling Youth Gr. 6 - 12

Leadership Development Initiative, (LDI) - a team of youth and adults from St. Luke's & St. Andrew's (Hanover) are planning an event for Good Friday overnight to Easter Saturday. Anyone interested in helping plan a 30 hour Famine event? Next meeting is March 3, 12 - 2 pm at St. Andrew's. Contact Rev. Joyce.

Just Desserts- Volunteers Needed

The Congregational Church serves luncheons every Thursday to 60 senior citizens. St. Luke's has been asked to furnish dessert for the 60 seniors each Thursday in March. The dessert needs to be delivered to the Congregational Church on Country Way by 10 a.m. on your sign up date. We need two volunteers for each week. Please sign up in narthex. If you have any questions or need help with delivery, please contact Eleanor Waterman at 781-545-2079. Thank you!

Lent Events with Sisters of St. Margaret

Sunday, March 3- Lenten Evensong: 4 PM in the Chapel on Harden Hill Road. Reception following. All are welcome.

Saturday, March 16 and Thursday, March 21- Lenten Mornings of Prayer: 9:30 am - 1:15 pm Each day begins with coffee and registration, followed by opening prayers and an address. Time for reflection and prayer, the noon office and the noon meal. $25 per day. Please call Madelyn Betz, 781-934-9477, ext. 1 by March 8th to reserve a place.

ASP Fundraiser: Saturday March 23, 7 p.m.

Comedy Night &
Birdhouse & Vacation Home Auction

Singing Impressionist Comedian, Joey Voices, a squeaky clean entertainer, who is quickly becoming one of America's most in-demand entertainers. Tickets are on sale for $30. For tickets, please email Maureen Keys, [email protected] or call 781-545-1348. Birdhouses will be auctioned off. if you are artistic and would like to paint a birdhouse for the auction, please contact Maureen.

St. Luke's Winter Book Club- Part 3

Join a discussion around the fireplace in the Gordon Room, with hot chocolate, wine, and coffee.

Tuesday, March 26th, 7 p.m.

"The Towers of Trebizond": A Novel by Rose Macaulay, (soft cover, $15.00)

Part travelogue, part comedy, it is also a meditation on love, faith, doubt, and the difficulties, moral and intellectual, of being a Christian in the modern world. The gleefully absurd story of Aunt Dot, Father Chantry-Pigg, Aunt Dot's deranged camel and our narrator, Laurie, who are traveling from Instanbul to legendary Trebizond on a convoluted mission. Along the way they will encounter spies, a Greek sorcerer, a precocious ape and Billy Graham with a busload of evangelists.

So What's Happening with the Projects We Gave Money For?

Glad you asked. Our parish is supported on a yearly basis by annual pledges. From time to time larger building-related projects come up which bring a special capital campaign. We have received pledges amounting to close to $500,000 so far for our various defined needs; those funds are being paid by pledgers over a five year period.

Projects included upgrading our heating system, renovating the entrance to the church, giving Dutton Hall a needed face-lift, bringing the building up to code as needed (e.g., sprinklers), repaving the parking lots, and helping if able to reduce some of our low-interest loan debt to the Diocese for past building project (e.g., re-shingling the rectory).

Some great news: our heating system may not need as much renovation as we initially thought and not in as urgent a time frame as we were first told.

A small committee of folks will be meeting to discuss the next steps then-perhaps renovating the narthex, upgrading the bathrooms, and enclosing the front entrance to the church as a weather-break and curb-appeal feature. Any decisions that the committee will make will be reviewed by both the Finance Committee and the Vestry before any contracts are signed or big checks written.

Do you want to be part of the process? You do not need to be on the Vestry or Finance Committee. Be in touch with Grant if you'd like.

Green Grant Funds At Work....

LED lighting done through financial aid from Mass Save; our portion of expense was funded from the Green Grant. Reducing our electric bill by 1/3. Light bulbs in all of those really high, hard to replace places in the church should last 20 years!

Post Storm(s) Pledge Reminder

February has been a hard month with the weather, hasn't it? No church was held on February 10th, and the 17th gathered together a hearty, determined but smaller group. Most of the expenses for the church do not stop though. If you pledge a weekly donation, we kindly ask you to keep your pledge current by stopping off at the church mid-week to leave your check, or making up for missed weeks the next time you are in attendance. Thank you!

Friends of The Table

The next date for St. Luke's volunteers for The Table in Brockton is March 30th. There will be a sign up sheet. Please sign up early. Please contact Joan Powers with any questions at 781-545-9650.

Hello from Joan Handy

Joan Handy, now living on the Cape with her son and his family sends her best wishes. Her husband, Frank is currently residing in Norwell's Southwoods Nursing Center and would welcome a visit from his old prayer group pals. She hopes to be back in Scituate for a visit at Easter. If you'd like to send her a note, please contact the office for her new address.

A Thank You from Newtown, CT

Excerpts from a note from Judy of Trinity Episcopal Church, Newtown, CT in receipt of prayer shawls from St. Luke's...

Dear Members of St. Luke's,

Thank you for the gift of the beautiful and loving prayer shawls.As you are aware, our town has suffered a horrific tragedy. However, despite the pain and sadness, the outpouring of love and hope is heartwarming. The light prevails - always does. We in Newtown "feel" the prayers from the state, the nation and the world. It's as though Newtown has been wrapped with a huge prayer shawl!

It should be noted that I am wearing a shawl currently. I gave one to my daughter who is in fourth grade ..at a different elementary school..but who knows many thru sports who go to Sandy Hook. Another was sent to my daughter at Tufts University as part of her Valentine Care package. It was so difficult to watch the events from her town unfold on t.v. while in the middle of her "finals". Lastly, I brought one to my son, who was huddled in a corner at Newtown High in lockdown on that day. He is a teen boy who was devastated by the tragedy and I wasn't sure what his reaction might be... He graciously accepted your gift and when he's alone in his room studying, I'll frequently see him with the shawl hugging his shoulders. It helps.

Hopefully, you'll see a glimpse of just how much your thoughtful gift of shawls and prayers are received/appreciated. Thank You!

The Rule of Life For Seabirds

Rev. Joyce Scheyer

(re-printed from the Scituate Mariner, 2/7/2013,as part of an on-going series by Scituate Clergy)

This week I discovered the Rule of Life of Seabirds. All it took was a quiet hour at the shore. No camera, no computer, no friends. Just me and my senses and my memory musing gently until a pattern emerged. Read more ...

Signs in Church Yard

From time to time we have events at St. Luke's, and we post signs advertising them. From time to time parishioners involved in community activities seek to do the same. The town of Scituate has started enforcing a policy that has existed for awhile, post-national elections and all of the signs that appeared especially on town property (rotary at Greenbush). Signs for specific events can not appear earlier than 2 weeks before the event, and must come down as soon as the event is over. Permanent signs need town approval involving some paper work.

For the temporary events the town official with oversight, Neal Duggan, [email protected], appreciates an email notification/permission.