It was a wonderful celebration and the first time we had a combined procession with people from both the 8:30 and 10:30 services joining in.  

St. Luke's got its start at the Alfred Reed School as a neighborhood Bible Study 99 years ago.  As we approach the start of our second century of ministry, it was a blessing to remember our beginnings and reach out into our community.

Check our our photos here!

Over the years, Ginger has served St. Luke's on the Altar Guild (at one point she was nearly the entire Altar Guild!), Buildings and Grounds, Parish Life Guild, and many other ministries.  She is famous for her pots of tasty chili that shows up for many potlucks and the annual Christmas Decorating party.  With her flair for gardening, Ginger helped us earn a Community Gardening Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.  She is also a lover of animals and provides a home for three very lucky cats.  During the week, Ginger could often be found in the church on Mondays straightening up after our straightening up!

While these are many reasons to miss Ginger, the real reason we will miss Ginger is because she is a great friend to all of us with a gentle spirit and compassionate heart.  Maine is lucky to have her, and we have been blessed to journey with her in our walk with Christ these past years.

Thank you Ginger, and may God richly bless you in your new home!

Visit our Stewardship page for information and resources!

St. Luke's Day - October 17.  

Join us as we celebrate our patronal festival, honoring Saint Luke as patron of our parish this Sunday.  In addition to our regular worship schedule, a special fellowship hour will be offered after each service.

An Evensong in the African Tradition - October 17
Trinity Cathedral, 3 pm

Join the people of the Diocese of New Jersey and the Sudan/Darfur Committee of our Diocese for an African Evensong featuring traditional African worship, music, dance, drums and other instruments, attire and the fervent Joy and Praise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ;  the African Evensong will be followed by a marvelous reception featuring African dishes and a visual presentation on theological education in Africa.

For more information, visit http://newjersey.anglican.org/MI/index.html#AfricanEvensong

Funeral Information for the Very Rev. Lloyd. G. Chattin - October 17/18

Dean Chattin, Dean Emeritus of Trinity Cathedral and Interim Rector of St. Luke's (2001 - 2002), died Tuesday at his home.  Calling hours will be October 17 at Trinity Cathedral from 7 pm - 9 pm with an all-night vigil following until 9:00 am the next day.  The funeral itself will be held on October 18 at 11 am at Trinity Cathedral, 801 W State St, Trenton, NJ 08618.

Fall Speaker Series - October 22

This week we welcome Dr. Christopher T. Fisher, professor of history at TCNJ and parishioner of St. Luke's.  Chris will present on religion and reconciliation in the African American experience.  Childcare is provided.  

Bus Trip to the Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York City - October 23

On Saturday, October 23, St. Matthew's Church in Pennington will be visiting the magnificent cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City. There are still spots open on the bus, and we'd love for you to join us! The bus will depart from St. Matthew's at 8:30 AM.  A guided tour begins at 11 AM, during which we will discover the soaring stonework and brilliant stained glass windows in the bustling nave and serene chapels.  We will learn the history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present. (All restoration work is now complete, after the Cathedral suffered damage from a fire some 10 years ago.) Following our tour, we'll participate in the 12:15 celebration of the Eucharist.  Once again, we have made reservations for lunch at the Symposium Restaurant to be served at 12:45. (Those in our parish who enjoyed lunch there on our past visits give the entire "experience" two thumbs up.) We will depart for Pennington following our afternoon luncheon and expect to arrive back at St. Matthew's by early evening

The cost for the day is $40.00, which includes the bus ride and tour. Lunch and any mementos from the wonderful Cathedral gift shop are additional costs.   Please send check made out to "St. Matthew's" and mail to: Ron Spych, 9 Ingleside Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534. Questions? Contact Ron or Katherine Spych at lakehenry@mac.com or 609-737-2560.

Living Into the Millennium Development Goals - An Interactive Workshop - October 23

Program includes a DVD on the Millennium Development Goals, personal and congregational discernment exercises, information about Episcopal organizations working towards the eradication of extreme poverty, and reflections about our baptism covenant and our call to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Register by email to Sarah Paige at the Diocese at spaige@newjersey.anglican.org.  

"Ask the Priest" Sunday - October 24

You determine the sermon on Ask the Priest Sunday. Father Dirk will craft the sermon based on questions you submit on the enclosed Ask the Priest cards.  Three cards will be drawn at random by parishioner for the sermon on October 24.  Do you ahe a question about Scirpture, God, Christianity, Faith, Spirtiuality, Theology, Church History, Saints, or any other topic of faith?  Write it down on the "Ask the Priest" card in the Sunday leaflet and turn it in or email Father Dirk at rector@stlukesewing.org !

Calendar

Birthdays this week:  Loretta Park (10/18)

Anniversaries this week:  

Saint Luke's Day with Fellowship after each service

An African Evensong, 3 pm, Trinity Cathedral

The Very Rev. Lloyd Chattin Funeral, Calling Hours, 7 pm - 9 pm at Trinity Cathedral

Rector's Sabbath

Girl Scout Daisies, 5:45 PM (Parish Hall)

AA, 7 pm (Undercroft)

Stewardship Team, 6:30 pm (Parish Hall) 

Centering Prayer, 6 pm (Church)

6:15 Potluck    7:00 Presentation    8:00 Compline

AA, 8:30 pm  (Undercroft) 

Thanks to funding from the Lily Endowment, St. Luke's Episcopal Church of Ewing will host a free speaker series called Building Community Through Reconciliation and Prayer. The three-part series will be held on October 8, October 22, and November 5 at the church.

The lecture series is a part of a year-long project that explores the connection between prayer, worship and the ministry of reconciliation in the world.

Friday, October 8

Princeton University Professor of Near Eastern Studies Dr. Michael Cook will compare the story of Noah in the Bible, the Koran and other ancient texts.

For optional advanced preparation, you can download and read teh Noah Readings from the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Bible, and the Koran, here.

Friday, October 22

The College of New Jersey Professor of History Dr. Christopher Fisher will address contemporary views of the history of slavery on October 22^nd.

Friday, November 5

The series will concludes with the Rev. Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd of Generations Clinic in Cherry Hill, New Jersey  speaking about her community work as a therapist and a minister at Grant Chapel A.M.E. Church in Trenton.

All lectures will be open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. at St. Luke's Episcopal Church – 1620 Prospect Street in Ewing. Before each talk the church will host a pot-luck supper in the parish hall beginning at 6:15 p.m. The suppers are also free and open to the public.

Backpack and Haiti Donations will be presented and blessed at both services this Sunday, August 29.  Thank you for your generous support!

Seats are still available for Parish Trip to DC, September 25:  We have 15 seats still open for our parish trip the National Holocaust Memorial Museum on Saturday, September 25.  The bus will leave St. Luke's at 7:00 am return around 9:30 pm.  Transportation and dinner will be funded by the sabbatical grant from the Lilly Endowment.  There may be a small charge ($5 or less) to cover any expected overages.  If you wish to to reserve a seat on the bus for you or for a member of your immediate household, please sign up in church or by replying to this email.  Once the bus is full, we will start a waiting list.

Guest Preachers to help interpret DC Trip:  We will welcome Dr. Paul Winkler of the NJ Holocaust Education Commission as our guest preacher at both services on September 19.  Paul is a close friend of St. Luke's, known to all who attend the Seder he leads for us on Palm Sunday each year.  He will help us put the trip to the museum in context for our sabbatical theme of reconciliation.  Noted author, educator and Holocaust survivor, Vera Goodkin, will preach at the 10:30 service on Sunday, September 26, the day after the DC trip.  We are excited about our guest preachers and the opportunity to expand the field trip experience to include those who can't go on the trip as well.

St. Luke's Friday Speaker Series, October 8, 22 and November 5.  Each of these nights, we will welcome prominent academic and community leaders to speak on a different aspect of the sabbatical theme of "Building Community Through Reconciliation and prayer."  Dr. Michael Cook, an Islamic scholar from Princeton, will guide us through interpretations of Noah as presented in the Bible, the Koran, and other ancient literature.  Dr. Chris Fisher, of our own parish, will speak from the context of race in America, and the Rev. Dr. Melinda Contreras-Byrd of Grant Chapel AME Church will speak from a community aspect.  Each evening will begin with a potluck supper at 6:15, followed by the presentation at 7:00.  Childcare is provided, and we especially welcome your help in inviting others to join us.

September 1 - David Pendleton Oakerhater, Deacon & Missionary (1931)Oakerhater was a Cheyenne warrior who fiercely fought for Native American rights.  When he was captured by US soldiers, he converted to Christianity and was eventually ordained as a Deacon.  He went back to Oklahoma as a missionary to evangelize the Cheyenne, primarily through establishing schools and missions.  He called his people to "another captain, the Lord Jesus Christ" and summoned them follow "in this new road, a war that makes all for peace."  Biography.

September 2 - The Martyrs of New Guinea (1942)This date commemorates the deaths of 8 missionaries and two Papuan martyrs who were betrayed to invading Japanese soldiers and killed during World War II, but remembers all who followed their examaple in risking their lives to care for the wounded and suffering during the Japanese invasion.  Biography.

September 3 - Prudence Crandall, Teacher & Prophetic Witness (1890)Prudence Crandall comes from the Quaker tradition and was imbued with their commitment to education for all people, including girls.  Prudence suffered for that commitment when she enrolled a black student in her school in 1833.  The uproar was so strong that she opened a separate school for African American girls, which was made illegal by the Connecticut legislature.  While Prudence eventually won legal victory, she closed the school due to harassment.  Late in life, the legitimacy of her efforts was recognized with Connecticut awarded her a teacher's pension and expressed regret and shame over her treatment.  Biography.

September 4 - Paul Jones (1941)Paul Jones was Bishop of Utah during World War I.  Long a pacifist, he called war unchristian and called for the right of Americans to object to service on the basis of faith and conscience.  HIs position created enough of an uproar to cause the House of Bishops to urger his resignation.  Though he resigned as Bishop of Utah, he continued his ministry in the Church by advancing the pacifist position.  Biography. 

September 5 - Gregorio Aglipay, Priest and Founder of the Philippine Independent Church (1940) The independence of The Philippines following the revolution of 1898 created a similar conflict in church/state relations as the American Revolution did for Anglicans in the US.  Because the Roman Catholic Church was so tied in with the Spanish colonial government and limited Filipino advancement in the hierarchy, indigenous church leaders moved to establish a catholic church in The Philippines, independent of Rome.  Gregorio Agilpay was one of the leaders who established the independent church and became its first supreme bishop.  The Episcopal Church is in full communion with the Philippine Independent Church.  Biography.

Birthdays this week:  Amy Kinczel (8/8), Stephen Walter (8/8), Jean Reimer (8/10), Steve Brame (8/11)

Monday, August 9
Father Dirk's Sabbath
Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 pm (Undercroft)

Wednesday, August 11
Holy Eucharist, 12:15 pm (Church)
Program Calendar Planning, 6 pm (Parish Hall)

Thursday, August 12
Potluck Supper & Sabbatical Trip Presentation
6:15, supper    7:00 Program     8:00 Compline

Friday, August 13
Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 pm (Undercroft)

Saturday, August 14
St Luke's Night at Trenton Thunder, 6 pm (Bullpen Grill at Trenton Thunder Stadium)

Sunday, August 15
St. Mary the Virgin
commemorated at both services

Ongoing & Upcoming Events

Parish Calendar Planning, August 11 at 6 pm

All are invited to attended  our second “calendaring meeting” of the year.  If you want to plan something or be a part of what is being planned please join us!.  Leaders of guilds, ministries, and committees are particularly encouraged to attend or send a representative.  If you cannot attend but have something to be considered please email Claudia Wallace  or the Parish Office .

August Thursdays, 6:15 - 8:15
Father Dirk's Sabbatical Presentation
August  12, 19 & 26

We had a great turn-out of 30 people for our first session!  Join us each Thursday in August for a Braii (South African word for 'cookout) and Fr. Dirk's presentation on his sabbatical activities in South Africa.  Dinner is 6:15, the program begins at 7:00, and the evening concludes with Compline at 8:00.  Childcare will be offered for younger children, but all ages are welcome to the presentations.

Saint Luke's Night at Trenton Thunder
August 14 at 6:00 pm (Bullpen Grill)

For those who have purchased tickets, join us Saturday night at 6:00 pm at the Bullpen Grill at the Trenton Thunder stadium.  One of our parishioners will be selected to throw out the first pitch for the evening!  If you have purchased tickets, Claudia Wallace will have them available on Sunday, August 8 following each service.  If you didn't get yours, please email Claudia.

Back to School Collections for
Parkway Elementary School & Haiti through August 22

We are collecting backpacks and school supplies for Parkway Elementary School:  Backpacks, pencils, pens, glue sticks, folders, notebooks, book covers, etc.  And relief supplies for Haiti, including backpacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, first aid kits, toiler paper, feminine hygiene items.  Collections will be accepted through August 22.

August Sundays - St. Luke's Earth Days!

Do you want to explore some of the beauty and mystery of God’s creation?  Do you want to learn more about organic farming and the hidden life of dirt?  Meg Rich is organizing Sunday visits this summer to a local organic farm for a picnic lunch and education opportunity.  Then, return to the parish for a short film on the exciting and mysterious world that lives inside a handful of dirt.  Ideal for children, but open to all ages.  Meg is leading this as part of her effort to become a certified as a Rutger’s environmental steward.  Sign up sheets are available on the back table or email the parish if you are interested.

This Week's Saints

Monastics, clergy, missionaries, nurses, and the mother of the Messiah spring to the church's memory this week! 

Here are this week's saints with brief summaries from Holy Women, Holy Men.  Further information can be found through links provided.

August 8 - Dominic, Priest and Friar (1221)
Dominic was the founder of the Order of Preachers (the formal name of the Dominicans), whose members have the initials O.P. after their names. A friar is a member of a religious community, like a monk, but is not cloistered.  Instead, friars travel around to preach and teach.  The word itself is a contraction of the Latin word for "brother." Dominicans are famous for their intellectual work, and the greatest medieval theologian, Thomas Aquinas, was one of their number.  Many schools and universities today are run by Dominicans as well, such as Providence College in Rhode Island. Wikipedia

August 9 - Herman of Alaska, Missionary to the Aleut (1837)
Herman is the first Christian in America to be canonized (recognized as a saint) by the Orthodox Church in America.  On their calendar, he is known as "St. Herman: Wonderworker of All America."  He was born in Moscow in 1756 and became a lay monk as a young man.  At 37, he moved to Alaska to do missionary work among the Aleut tribes.  He ably defended them from oppressive Russian and European colonial policies and was regarded as a wise teacher.  The strong Orthodox presence in the American Northwest is due to his missionary work.  Official biography.

August 10 - Laurence, Deacon, and Martyr at Rome (258)
Laurence was one of the deacons of Rome charged with care for the poor.  During a period of persecution, he was arrested and ordered to reveal where the treasures of the church.  Looking out over the crowds of the poor and sick who gathered in support of him, he said "These are the treasures of the church."  He was subsequently roasted alive on a gridiron by the Emperor's soldiers.  He stands as a reminder to us that the wealth of the church is in the people of God, not in our treasuries and vaults.  Wikipedia.

August 11 - Clare, Abbess at Assisi (1253)
Clare was a wealthy young women who was profoundly moved by a sermon preached by St. Francis.  She gave up her earthly wealth to follow him.  Since Francis' community was only for men, he helped her start a companion community for women, which is known today as the Poor Clares in her memory..  She led that community for 40 years, in service to the poor and sick of Assisi.  She is said to have "radiated a spirit of fervor so strong that it kindled those who but heard her voice."  Wikipedia.

August 12 - Florence Nightengale, Nurse, Social Reformer (1910)
Florence Nightengale was superintendent for a hospital for invalid women in London when she felt God calling her to serve as a nurse for soldiers during the Crimean War.  She recruited 38 nurses to join her, and this group formed the first modern nursing corps.  Her strict discipline and commitment to sanitary conditions drastically reduced infection and the death toll.  After the war, she returned to London where she continued her commitment to recruiting and training nurses and improving health care.  A devout Anglican, she was something of a mystic as well, and her rich interior life shaped her mission in the world.  Wikipedia.

August 13 - Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore (1667)
Taylor was the son of a barber who became a bishop and one of the most brilliant theologians of his day.  His vocation got off to a quick start when he became chaplain to King Charles I.  However, following Cromwell's victory in the Civil War and the beheading of the King, Taylor's fortunes changes and he spent time in prison and in small positions.  After the restoration of the monarchy, he became Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore in Ireland.  His greatest work is known as Holy Living and Holy Dying, and several of his prayers are included in our Prayer Book. Diocese of Ely Official Biography.

August 14 - Jonathan Myrick Daniels, Seminarian and Martyr (1965)
The stories of saints are filled with people who lived rich and influential lives but followed a dramatically different calling following a conversion experience.  Jonathan Daniels is one of those saints.  After a crisis of faith, he sought ordination in the Episcopal Church.  While a seminarian in Boston, he took leave to work in Selma, Alabama under the sponsorship of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity.  On August 14, he entered a store in Selma followed by 16 year old African American Ruby Sales.  A man appeared to shoot Ruby, but Jonathan jumped in front of her.  He died from the man's gun.  Ruby Sales became a social activist and founded the Spirit House Project in Washington, DC, which "uses the arts, research, education, action, and spirituality to bring diverse peoples together to work for racial, economic, and social justice, as well as for spiritual maturity."  Wikipedia.

August 15 - Saint Mary the Virgin, Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ
St. Mary is honored in the Episcopal Church as a saint and mother of our Lord.  We see her as first among equals rather than as significantly different from any other saint or baptized Christian.  Mary's life is significant historically because of her faithful service to God and willing surrender to the announcement that she would be the mother of the Messiah.  Her faith serves a model for every Christian and she is remembers in many prayers and hymns in our tradition.