GIVING OUR PRIORITIES SHAPE
Stimulated by the donation of a Progress Flag, by our mission “to serve the needs of one another and of those on the island, the peninsula and throughout the world,” and at the direction of the Vestry, we have been working to discern where to focus our hearts and our energy. We have found ourselves focusing on four overlapping areas of concern: the need for justice and fair treatment for people of color and our LBGTQ community, here and nationwide; the need to address the issues raised by climate change; our desire and obligation to address the needs of our island community, and, more broadly, the hope that we together, in faith and as the community of St. Brendan, can live lives centered on love, and that we can act on that determination.
To express these commitments, we will, at intervals, be flying four flags, with accompanying signs:
The Progress Flag with the sign “Justice for All”: Central to the prophetic tradition of the Hebrew Scriptures and to the message of Jesus is the commitment to justice for all of God’s children regardless of race, class, age, nationality, or gender identity. Justice entails equal access to food, housing, education, health care, employment, and the feeling of human worth and dignity. We commit ourselves to working for justice.
The Earth Flag with the sign “Care for Creation”: From the first chapter in Genesis God calls creation “good” and asks humankind to tend to her (our Mother Earth) with respect, love and care. As we recognize the peril our Earth is in at this time, we commit ourselves to working for the healing and restoration of creation.
The Community Flag with the sign “Love Thy Neighbor”: At the heart of our faith is the call to care for the neighbor. We commit ourselves to keeping our eyes and hearts open to the needs of those in our local community and to becoming involved in efforts that address issues such as hunger, poverty, and homelessness. We also commit ourselves to trying to see ourselves in our neighbor and to building bridges between people who have different values and different ways of seeing issues of concern.
The Faith Flag with the sign “Love in Action”: To follow Jesus is to follow in the way of love. And as such it is a way of living in the world that is deeply rooted in the time and place in which we live with eyes and heart open in grace, mercy and love to whomever we encounter along the way. We commit ourselves to the way of Jesus.
We look forward to our working together as a community of faith to develop actions steps. And we hope over the next months and years to partner with others on the island who are interested in working on these issues. None of us can do this work alone, and the work is never done. Hopefully we can be inspired to get out of ourselves and into the world. That’s our hope. We’ll meet you there!
As promised, we will offer two listening sessions in late April for the purpose of hearing people’s thoughts about our GPS (Getting our Priorities Straight) effort, to which we have devoted ourselves over the past year.
Those dates will be Friday April 21st from 6:00-7:30 (with a dessert potluck) and Sunday April 23rd after worship (with a “finger-food” potluck lunch). Both gatherings will be in the parish hall and Zoomed so folks can join in from afar.
You will be hearing more about these two listening circles very soon, but we wanted to let everyone know the dates so you can put them in your calendar. The thought is that folks would attend one listening circle, but anyone can attend both if they would like. (For those who would rather share their thoughts and feelings on paper, there will be an option to do so.)
As you know, we have not been flying our flags over the winter months because the weather is very hard on them. But we will return to flying them in April. The line-up is as follows:
April 1-9 Holy Week: The Episcopal flag with the sign “Love in Action”
April 10-16: The Progress flag with the sign “Justice for All”
April 17-19: Patriot’s Day - The American flag with the sign “Justice for All”
April 20-23: Earth Day – The Earth flag with the sign “Caring for Creation”
April 24-30: The Siri Beckman flag of the Deer Isle Bridge with the sign “Love your Neighbor”
Perhaps as you drive by St. Brendan during the month of April and see our flags and signs (as well as the GPS Action items in the Navigator and the bulletin), you might ask yourself if and how the GPS effort has brought you a clearer understanding of St. Brendan’s mission statement (St. Brendan’s “reason for being” in the world). This is, after all, one of the most important reasons we have been dedicating ourselves to the GPS effort, and we want to hear from you about what has felt life-giving and mission-centered about it, as well as what could be improved.
It’s always a work in progress. Thank heaven we are doing this work together, in the community of Christ.
Our Mission is to love, praise, welcome, and serve:
· to love one another as Christ loves us,
· to praise God in all things,
· to welcome and affirm all persons,
· to serve the needs of one another and of those
on the island, the peninsula, and throughout the world.
WEEKLY SUGGESTED ACTION STEPS
Lending a hand with the After School Program
Volunteers are needed!
We are so blessed to have young people in our building on Thursday afternoons to learn cooking skills. But to keep the program running smoothly over the long haul, we need some volunteers from St. Brendan to help the leaders of the after-school program. If we could find six or so volunteers, we could each cover one Thursday afternoon from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m. every six weeks. Below you will find a description of what is involved in such a volunteer opportunity:
Interest in food, eating, sustainable island living, and the youth of our island; a capacity to guide and facilitate students in:
reading a recipe and understanding it
following directions
basic mathematical tasks, including scaling up a recipe, converting measurements
No cooking experience is needed! After each cooking session, students and volunteers sit at a communal table and enjoy a light supper (prepared by students) and conversation.
Please email Lynne Witham if you are interested in helping. It will be rewarding, no doubt about that!
Consider attending this event on Sunday at the Camden Public Library either in person or via Zoom:
On Sunday, February 11, from 2-3 PM, all are welcome to attend the event “Freedom’s Woods: Peterborough and African Americans in Midcoast Maine, 1776-1865.” Kate McMahon of the National Museum of African American History & Culture will discuss the historic African American community of Peterborough, founded by Amos and Sarah Peters in Warren, Maine. Amos and Sarah built a community based upon kinship and freedom-making in the woods of rural Maine that existed until the early 20th century. This talk will explore the history of Peterborough and the broader history of African Americans in Maine during the 18th and 19th centuries.
This is a hybrid event and will take place in the Picker Room as well as on Zoom. Click below to attend virtually.
In celebration of African American History Month and its focus this year on the ways in which people of color have enhanced and enriched the world of art and music for all of us, we offer these links for your reading and listening.
Black artists at The National Gallery of Art
John Alston and the Chester Children's Chorus
May our learning and reading lead us to further action in support of racial equality and justice.
Recently, my husband and I watched a newly released film (on Netflix) entitled simply, Rustin. It tells the story of Bayard Rustin, one of the most important leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s closest and most trusted advisers. Rustin was responsible for organizing the March on Washington which brought over 200,000 people to the Washington Mall. Yet, he was sidelined and forced out of the movement because he was gay at a time when that made him too easy a target for Whites trying to discredit what King and others were trying to do.
That movie and preparing a sermon for last Sunday, the day before MLK Day, gave me the opportunity to dig a little deeper into the history of the Civil Rights Movement. What struck me was the courage and resolve protesters showed, putting not only their own bodies and lives on the line for the cause of freedom but, tragically, the lives of their families as well, like Dr King, whose house was bombed.
And there are others whose names are not widely known, like Ellie Dahmer, whose house was burned by the KKK, killing her husband and wounding her children. Read and listen to her story and others at Ellie Dahmer oral history interview and the Civil Rights History Project | National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Andree Appel
During the next six weeks, we will focus our attention on racial justice, particularly as we commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. on January 15 and Black History Month in February. To be involved in the work of racial justice requires learning about the history of race in our country and recognizing our own blind spots as related to racism and white privilege.
As a place to begin this journey into deeper understanding, here are some GPS Action items you might consider doing over the next few weeks:
Read the insightful article by The Reverend Andrew Stoessel (see below) and take up one or two of his suggestions.
Consider watching these three films suggested by Elizabeth Compton (the first two are on Netflix; the third on various digital platforms):
When They See Us (it explores the lives of the five suspects who were falsely accused and prosecuted in the Central Park jogger case) and the follow-up:
Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now is an interview with director Ava DuVernay and the movie's cast. Oprah also talks with the exonerated men.
Who We Are – A Chronicle of Racism in America, a documentary by Jeffery Robinson
(Andy and Elizabeth have participated in the Episcopal program "Sacred Ground," a historical look at racism in our country.)
Read MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
Attend the program at Reversing Falls Sanctuary at 4:00 p.m. on January 15, honoring MLK.
A Reflection
I like mystery novels. While wondering “who did it,” I’ve learned about Southwest Native American culture from Tony Hillerman, horse racing from Dick Francis, and a little about Montreal and Quebec from Louise Penny, to name a few. In her book, American Spy, Lauren Wilkinson gave me insight into being a single, black female FBI agent in New York, the African country Burkina Faso, American global policy and more.
I came across her book through a review I heard on National Public Radio. As the reviewer said, “It engages on many levels.” (It did!) The review and the book came at an appropriate time. At the urging of a number of parishioners at my former parish in Massachusetts, I was helping to facilitate a “social justice” book group. At the time, the group’s primary focus was racial justice, understanding and awareness. We read a number of books, including Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, Waking up White by Debbie Irving, and An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. There were others, too, which I’m happy to share another time. The book group sprang forth from an overdue response to an unfortunate issue of racism at the church a year or so earlier and one that I (equally unfortunate) had let slip by. With mutual support and guidance, we were able to begin to address the issue of racism. For me, as I’m sure it was for the other group members, this was a start – or re-start – of an ongoing process of awareness, understanding and response. My journey continued with participating in Sacred Ground through St. Brendan’s last year. For me, this work is not always easy, nor is it sometimes clear, but it is vital. Wilkinson’s American Spy helped me see and understand further.
This month brings us to Martin Luther King Jr Day, a federal holiday celebrated on January 15 this year, always on or near MLK’s birthday (1/15/29). He would have been 95 years old. As I briefly looked back at his quotes, work and accomplishments, I was again reminded of his courage and persistence – and the many people, known and unknown, who walked with him.
This month also leads into Black History Month, celebrated from February 1 – March 1. Through the efforts of Charles G. Woodson in 1915 and onward, it celebrates and informs the nation of the significant contributions of African Americans to civilization and the history of our country. For 2024, the theme of BHM focuses on “African Americans and the Arts….In the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression, the African-American influence has been paramount.” (Association for the Study of African American Life and History - https://asalh.org/about-us/about-black-history-month/)
With MLK Day and Black History Month approaching, I am reminded that the work to combat racism is ongoing. Like my faith, understanding, awareness and reflection lead to response. I also realize I may not get it right, but the steps are life-giving and important to make. It might be at the voting booth, it might be at a rally, it may be at a store or who knows where. I aim to continue to refresh and remember, and perhaps most importantly, to be brave, courageous, and persistent.
A quick search on the internet reveals a whole host of African American mystery writers. Perhaps a small step in the scheme of things, but I look forward to diving in!
The Rev. Andrew Stoessel
Did you know that eight (8) ballot questions will be voted upon on November 7, 2023, Election Day? One of them is Question 6, which requires that Indian Treaty Obligations and other Constitutional Provisions be included in the Official Printing of our Maine State Constitution. Voting for this initiative would restore the original language to the Maine State Constitution, which has since 1875 omitted mention of Maine's treaty obligations to the Wabanaki Tribes. This omission paved the way for the vast illegal expropriation of land during the post-Civil War logging boom.
Action Item
Get informed by exploring these links:
Please plan to vote on November 7 - or earlier by mail - for Question 6. You may vote early at your town clerk’s office or request an absentee ballot by clicking here.
Ensuring people understand the history, commitments, and obligations governments made to the Wabanaki tribes and people is essential for a healthy relationship between the Wabanaki and the State of Maine.
Wabanaki Nations' State of the Tribes Address
The Outreach Ministry encourages us to view the "State of the Tribes" address delivered by the Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Mi'kmaq, and Penobscot Tribal Chiefs in Augusta on March 16th. This was the first time in two decades the chiefs of the tribes spoke before a special joint session of the Maine legislature. The address is moving and an opportunity to become more educated on the history of the native peoples of Maine from Revolutionary times to the present as they seek self-determination and self-governance.
Read more about this historic address here. Click below to watch the address, which begins at 19:07.
For more information, visit the Wabanaki Alliance website.
February is Black History Month. Black Owned Maine has created a fantastic resource guide with information on black-owned and operated restaurants, places of worship, stores, and non-profits, among many other businesses. We encourage you to visit this site and perhaps support one of these businesses that are so essential to Maine.
When Black historian Carter G. Woodson established Negro History week in 1926, he recognized the importance of providing a theme to focus the attention of the public. And since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme.
The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings," since the nation's earliest days. What does this theme bring up for you? Reflect on the recent events in Memphis in light of this theme.
Learn more at BLACK HISTORY THEMES (asalh.org). Look at past themes and consider writer Leonard Pitts' argument that Black history is everyone's history. How many of these themes could we speak of knowledgeably?
A word from the GPS Team about our October flags
After a month of flying the Earth Flag in support of our commitment to “caring for creation,” we will hang the Progress Flag (along with its sign “Justice for All”) for the first half of the month of October in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day on October 10th. In addition, our GPS action items will provide information about how we can support efforts underway in our state to support the Tribes in their ongoing struggle for sovereignty.
During the second half of the month, we will fly our new “Love Thy Neighbor” flag, which was designed by Siri Beckman. It features Siri’s image of the Deer Isle bridge, and it is so beautiful. We are excited for its unveiling after months of planning and waiting! Our GPS action items during these two weeks will offer additional opportunities to help our neighbors on the island as the weather turns cold and needs increase.
Indigenous Peoples
Since the enactment of the state Implementing Act of the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement, Maine’s Indian tribes have been excluded from the benefits of most of the 150 pieces of federal legislation passed since then to benefit all federally recognized tribes. Maine stands alone among the states in its disregard for self-determination of its native peoples. Please visit Wabanakialliance.com to learn about the history of the tribes and current issues facing them, consider donating to the Wabanaki Alliance (wabanakialliance.com) to further its work, and also consider writing letters in support of tribal rights and sovereignty. Currently, US Senators Angus King and Susan Collins need to hear from you in support of of HR6707, as does Governor Janet Mills in support of tribal self-determination and rights. This campaign will continue in 2023 and beyond, no matter the outcome of the Senate vote and 2022 elections.
Click here to read more about the campaign for rights of Maine's Native's peoples.
“Dawnland” showing at St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church on October 26th at 4:00 p.m.
For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to “save them from being Indian.” In Maine, the first official Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the United States begins a historic investigation. Dawnland goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.
Dawnland aired on Independent Lens on PBS in November 2018 and 2021, reaching more than two million viewers. The film won a national Emmy® Award for Outstanding Research in 2018 and made the American Library Association’s list of 2020 Notable Videos for Adults.
Dawnland will be shown at St. Brendan the Navigator Episcopal Church on Wednesday, October 26th at 4 p.m. with an opportunity for conversation to follow. The film is a critical historical look at the issues the Tribes of Maine have dealt with over decades of abuse and injustice. We can only "turn and go a different direction" (the definition of repentance) if we know the errors and misguided assumptions we have made in the past. Please come and join us in this difficult but important conversation.
How can we be "gardeners and caregivers for the earth that is home for all life"?
How can we "treasure, conserve and restore" the resources of our Mother Earth?
For starters, in celebration of Earth Day and for the sake of our beautiful little part of the world, please consider helping with roadside clean-up efforts next weekend, April 27 and 28. St. Brendan has historically cleaned from the Reach Road to the Island Nursing Home. You can choose any time next weekend that's convenient for you, but we ask that no one works alone. So partner-up with someone, wear boots and gloves, and dive in! There will be garbage bags on the front porch of the church. We often have crews going out to clean up after Sunday worship. So feel especially encouraged to join in the fun then if it fits into your schedule.
The Abundance of the Earth
Some of us have planted gardens and have more fruits and vegetables than we can consume. Several organizations accept produce from individuals for distribution. One such organization is the Magic Food Bus, which provides free fresh veggies.
The bus makes several stops on the island: Deer Isle on Thursdays at 3:00 p.m. at Lily Pond/Deer Run and Stonington on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. at the Island Community Center.
The Magic Food Bus will run until the end of September, so if you have any excess from your garden,
please consider a donation this Thursday. Donations can be made at any of their stops.
Plan to attend this local event:
Eco-Spirituality and Climate Change
Wednesday, September 20, 7 p.m.
Reversing Falls Sanctuary, Brooksville
Rev. Dr. Andrea Lloyd will explore our climate crisis from the place where spirituality and science overlap -the ecotone. She is co-author of the book Letters from the Ecotone: Ecology, Theology and Climate Change. The book invites readers into a conversation between an ecologist (Lloyd) and a pastor (Nagy-Benson) about life in a time of climate crisis: one that travels from the reality of grief to the imperative of hope to the necessity of collaboration across disciplines and differences.
This evening’s event, which will open with a reading from the book, is an invitation to join that conversation. The event is co-sponsored by Climate Action Net and Reversing Falls Sanctuary. It is free and open to everyone. Reversing Falls Sanctuary is located at 818 Bagaduce Rd. in Brooksville.
Andrea (Andi) Lloyd is the pastor of the Trinitarian Congregational Parish of Castine, Maine, United Church of Christ. She received an M. Div. from Yale Divinity School in 2022. Prior to her career in ministry, Andi was an ecologist. She received a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Arizona in 1996 and served as a biology professor at Middlebury College from 1996 until 2020. As an ecologist, she studied the effects of climate change on forests in Alaska and Siberia; taught classes on plant ecology, evolution, and climate change; and authored/co-authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on climate.
Caring for Creation
In 2022, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church recognized climate change as an all-encompassing social crisis and moral emergency that impacts and interconnects every aspect of pastoral concern including health, poverty, employment, racism, and social justice including ecological justice. Jesus said that loving our neighbors is like loving God. Our neighbors include the people of Maui, who now face the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Consider contributing to one of these agencies:
The Diocese of Hawaii’s Maui-based diocesan institution, A Cup of Cold Water
April 30th: In honor and thanksgiving for Little Eagle's life, find a way to honor the earth this week. Join your community's clean-up day, tend your garden, go for a walk, or write the legislature about an environmental bill.
Immediate action is needed in support of LD 134, an emergency bottle bill that will provide immediate support to Maine's redemption centers. Visit the website of the Natural Resouces Council of Maine to sign a pre-written letter supporting the bill. Just fill in your name and address, and the NRCM does the rest of the work. Please act quickly!
Caring for Creation
Celebrate Earth Day! We will gather after worship on Sunday to clean up the section of Route 15 between Hardy's Hill Road and the Island Nursing Home. Bring your work clothes, gloves, and a safety vest to church. We suggest you bring bags the size of your choosing to collect trash, and we will provide large bags to collect the small ones.
The Diocese of Maine's Climate Justice Council suggests that for Earth Day, we honor the Wabanaki response to the climate crisis. You can read more here.
During the month of September, our action items will be focused on creation care, which will be very much in keeping with the Diocesan request that all congregations find ways to celebrate and commemorate the "Season of Creation".
Window Dressers
To that end, this GPS action item invites the people of St. Brendan to consider supporting and or participating in the "WindowDressers program," which provides inserts for drafty windows, thereby cutting down on energy consumption. It's time to let Jo Jacobs know if you or a neighbor or a friend might be interested in having some window inserts made for your home, as the cold wind will be here before we know it.
St. Brendan not only supports this state-wide program: we actually make the inserts! So there are many ways to be involved. But for now, please spread the word, and encourage folks (including yourself) to request window inserts. Call the church office or send an email to get the process started!
Plastics – One of the biggest pollution problems of this century
Recycling plastics is not the solution. Reducing plastics moves closer to the solution. Consider alternatives to “single-use” plastic items like cutlery, plastic water bottles, straws, bags, cups, and plates. If you buy in bulk, bring your reusable bags, glass bottles, and take-out containers.
You could also write Amazon, Coca-Cola, your grocery store, and your local and national representatives to ask that they work to reduce the “plastic footprint." Legislation that puts the responsibility on the producers is beginning to happen.
Please learn more:
• Visit Abby Barrows' website for information on plastics in the ocean. Abby is a marine scientist from Stonington, Maine.
• Explore the Beyond Plastics website for information and invitations to action.
What’s on Your Plate?
Part of environmentally-aware eating is about what is on your plate. Food choices can have a major impact on our planet. Consider how far your food has traveled to get to you. This week think about the environmental impact of your choices. Consider buying locally, sustainably produced food to reduce the carbon emissions produced in transporting food. This also supports our local farmers. Click here for more information on this topic.
A Message from the Outreach Ministry
St Brendan’s Outreach Ministry Team dispersed $11,750 this past year according to the mission of our faith community – to serve the needs of our neighbors here on Deer Isle and the Blue Hill Peninsula, as well as the needs of the wider world. This doesn't include the 1% of the budget the Vestry allocated to Episcopal Relief and Development.
Click the button below to view a list of all the organizations that have received donations from St. Brendan so far in 2023. We have included the links to each of these organizations in hopes that you will learn more about the good work they do. We hope you might consider supporting one or more of them with an individual donation if you have not already done so.
Throughout the year, our Outreach Ministry Team prayerfully and carefully considers how and to whom to make the donations in your name. We know you are doing the same with your resources, and we thank you!
Alfred’s Christmas Fund
Each year, as Christmas approaches, Theresa Gove Eaton, acting in memory of her late son, Alfred, assesses the needs and desires of our island community and organizes a response. For a number of years, we at St. Brendan’s have assisted her by purchasing gifts and making financial contributions, support she has greatly appreciated and, it is safe to say, has come to rely on. The large cheery box in our greeting area has become a familiar sight each year. We have filled that box once already, and we need to fill it at least twice more! We have done it before, and we will do it again.
Theresa’s list of priorities is below. A more recent list is available on the table in the church entryway.
Boys and Girls ski/snow pants – size 3 Toddler to 18 Kids
Two adult black ski pants – size Large
Legos
Anything Barbie
Minecraft items
Pokemon toys/games
Craft supplies
Sketch pads
Charcoal pencils
Financial contributions are also welcome. Checks should be made payable to Alfred’s Christmas Fund and sent to Theresa Gove-Eaton, 224 Sunset Crossroad, Deer Isle, ME 04627.
Consider sponsoring a Holiday Meal Box
Last year, Community Compass delivered 57 Holiday Meal Boxes, and this year, close to 70 boxes are needed. Community Compass' motto is "No Neighbor Left Behind." Please consider helping today with a $45 donation!
You can donate by sending a check to PO Box 552, Blue Hill, Maine 04614 with "Holiday Meal Box" in the memo line, or by clicking here to donate online.
Support the Tree of Life Food Pantry
The USDA estimates that 14.7 % of Maine households, or about 200,000 individuals, are food insecure. The child insecurity rate is 23%, or about 61,200 children. Fortunately, every week, the Tree of Life Food Pantry in Blue Hill distributes about 3000 pounds of food, most of which is ordered from the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Local farmers and grocery stores contribute as well.
The pantry is set up to resemble a store; shelves are stocked with food, and clients "walk the aisles" and choose the food that fits their needs.
Here are some ways to help the Tree of Life remain an important resource for the community:
Shop at the TurnStyle. All proceeds are used to buy food for the pantry.
Drop off clean used clothing: a drop box near the door to the TurnStyle is available 24/7.
Drop off canned and dry goods.
Donate pet food, paper goods, and personal care items. These are things the Tree of Life can't buy.
All items can be left at the Tree of Life and the TurnStyle during open hours (they are located at 23 South Street). Checks can be mailed to either of these organizations: Tree of Life, P.O. Box 1329, Blue Hill, ME 04614 or TurnStyle Thrift Shop, P.O. Box 1329, Blue Hill, ME 04614.
Recent events and past wars clearly remind us that for many the world is a dangerous and uncertain place. As Americans, the freedoms we have today are in large part the result of the service and sacrifice of our many veterans from all Service branches. As the annual Veterans Day observance approaches, we at St Brendan's should take the opportunity to honor a veteran or veteran's family with something more than the tradition of "thanks for your service".
Consider sending a small gift of food, flowers, or other tangible show of gratitude to a veteran you know. Even a simple card of thanks can mean a lot. Another possibility is to honor a vet at the Maine Veteran's Home, 44 Hogan Road, Bangor (contact phone, 942-2333) with a card, flowers, or note of appreciation to brighten the day of a deserving and perhaps lonely resident there.
However we chose to honor them, let us never forget all that our veterans have given for us over the course of our nation's history. Let us hope for wisdom from our nation's leaders, remain mindful of those in harm's way today, and let us pray that the future will not bring even greater risks to our young men and women in uniform.
As Winter approaches, we all will be faced with the cost of heating our homes. For some, particularly those on fixed income, this will mean cutting expenses in other areas. Sadly, one of the areas of reduction is food. Fortunately, we have two food pantries in our immediate area: the Island Food Pantry in Stonington and the Tree of Life in Blue Hill.
The Island Food Pantry (located behind the Island Community Center) serves around 1,000 families and needs things they can't buy... pet food, paper products, personal care items, diapers, and baby food. Canned goods are also needed.
Please consider making a donation to the Island Food Pantry this month either by check or dropping off nonperishable items at Bar Harbor Bank and Trust and Camden National Bank. Checks can be sent to Island Food Pantry, P.O. Box 12, Deer Isle, ME 04627.
Reminder: Vote on Tuesday, November 7th!
Maine has eight referendum questions on the ballot. Episcopal Maine's Committee on Indian Relations (CIR) requests your consideration of the Wabanaki Alliance's call for a "yes" vote on Question 6 on the November election ballot.
Question 6 would require the printing of the entire Constitution of Maine, including sections relating to the transition to statehood from Massachusetts in 1820 that have not been printed since 1875 (although they are still part of the Constitution). These sections include provisions regarding the transfer from Massachusetts to Maine of obligations to the Wabanaki tribes. For more information on Question 6, please click here.
Consider contributing to one of these agencies:
The Diocese of Hawaii’s Maui-based diocesan institution, A Cup of Cold Water
An Invitation to offer GPS Action Items
We would like you to think about Action Items we might do that reflect and enhance the words on our signs (and the flags they accompany). Perhaps you have a social justice issue that is dear to your heart or a service organization that you feel needs more support. You may have an idea of how we might better care for creation.
If you have an idea for a GPS Action Item, please use the button below to pass it on to us, or write your idea down on paper and put it in the “GPS Action Item Box” in the fellowship hall.
St Brendan’s Mission Statement asks us to Love, Praise, Welcome, and Serve.
As you awake each morning this week, choose one of those “action” verbs and plan how you will live it that day. In the evening, as you settle into sleep, reflect on how your day went and how the Mission Statement came alive in you that day.
Related to our theme of healing, here are some ideas for healing the world.
Choose one or two and see what happens!
Go out into your garden and sing to your plants. Tell them how beautiful they are.
Make chicken soup for someone who's sick or a blueberry pie for someone who's sad.
Look into the mirror and tell the person you see that he/she is beloved. (You may have to do this a few times for it to sink in.)
Write a thank-you note to someone who would never expect such a thing and give it to them in person, or mail it snail mail. (Like to Bonnie for her good work in the Deli department at the Galley.)
Google "Pablo Casals" and "Song of the Birds." Then listen.
Support island children by supporting Camp Kooky, a summer camp for our local children.
Learn more about Camp Kooky here.
Donations will help fund counselors and supplies.
Contributions should be sent to Camp Kooky ICC, P.O. Box 617, Stonington, Maine 04681.
Support "Fostering Home: The Pesek Family Project"
by attending the Bean Supper at St. Brendan on Saturday, June 24 (seatings at 5 and 6 p.m.)
or making a donation to Hancock County Habitat for Humanity (with Pesek Project on the memo line) and mailing to P.O. Box 343, Ellsworth, ME 04605.
The United Nations designates June 20 as World Refugee Day.
We remember the countless humanitarian workers who provide shelter, care, medical aid, and support to those affected by war, famine, and natural disasters. Episcopal Migration Ministries is the refugee resettlement ministry of The Episcopal Church. Learn more about EMM and consider donating to support their work.
This is Gay Pride month,
and Deer Isle will be celebrating the LGBTQ community on the afternoon of Sunday, June 25th at the Island Community Center in Stonington. There will be a band, a food truck, a keynote speaker, games, and the annual motorcade (route to be modified because of construction). More information will be forthcoming, but mark your calendars and come be a St. Brendan presence.
In the meantime, to learn more about efforts in our state to support LGBTQ youth,
visit the websites of OUT Maine and Equality Maine.
Welcoming visitors to our island
St. Brendan's community strives to be welcoming and inclusive. In that vein, the Welcome Center on Little Deer Isle is in need of several more volunteers to greet visitors to the island this summer. There are two shifts daily, from 10 am - 1 pm and 1 pm to 4 pm, seven days a week. It's interesting to meet people from literally all over the world and share your knowledge of the island. In your spare time, you can knit, read or access your computer. If you think you can spare three hours a week to volunteer or are willing to be on a sub list, call Ron Dahlen at 367-2326.
Support Island Workforce Housing
Click the link below to watch a video about the Island Workforce Housing initiative.
From the IWH website: Island Workforce Housing
WE ARE WORKING TO EXPAND YEAR-ROUND HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES
FOR THE DEER ISLE-STONINGTON WORKFORCE.
Our island is facing an increasing shortage of housing for young people and families who wish to be part of our community. The year-round housing stock is shrinking, while the number of seasonal units grows. We aim to create permanently affordable year-round rental units, but we cannot achieve our goals alone. Find out how you can help.
Donate to Island Workforce Housing
Increase in MaineCare reimbursement rates for residential facilities like INH
Consider writing a letter or an email to our state legislators asking them to support an increase in MaineCare reimbursement rates for residential care facilities. Without this increase, it will not be possible to open and sustain the Island Nursing Home. The entire island depends upon the flourishing of this facility. Every voice counts. Joining your voice with others on behalf of the INH is a perfect way to "love thy neighbor."
A list of our legislators and a sample letter are below.
Holly Eaton represents Deer Isle, Stonington, and Brooklin: holly.eaton@legislature.maine.gov
Nina Milliken represents Blue Hill, Brooksville, and Sedgwick: nina.milliken@legislature.maine.gov
Nicole Grohoski is our state senator for most of Hancock County: nicole.grohoski@legislature.maine.gov
Economic Potential of Tribal Sovereignty
A recent report from Harvard University found that “the subjugation of the Wabanaki Nation’s self-governing capacities is blocking economic development to the detriment of both tribal and nontribal citizens, alike. For the tribal citizens of Maine held down by Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act's restrictions, loosening or removing those restrictions offers them little in the way of downside risks and much in the way of upside payoffs.”
Professor Joe Kalt, co-director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, spoke to Maine Conservation Voters on March 17 about the Project's recent study. Click here to view that discussion.
The Maine Philanthropy Center and the Wabanaki Alliance are sponsoring a talk with Dr. Kalt on April 11th, 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Dr. Kalt will discuss the results of the Project's recent study and will share why there is "nowhere to go but up" for Wabanaki Nations. Register for this event here.
The Wabanaki Alliance website has a wealth of information pertaining to Wabanki Sovereignty.
Love in Action takes many forms: the DISES Mariners Soar! After School program run by Esther Adams is another example. This program supports 50-60 students daily with programming designed to engage kids, their families and the community in constructive, fun activities.
Please join the Mariners Soar! After School Program for an Empty Bowl Supper to benefit the future of the program on March 17 from 5-7 p.m. at St. Brendan. Hand-made bowls by both MS! students and local peninsula potters will be available for purchase (includes a soup supper), or you may also enjoy a soup supper by donation without buying a bowl. Students and generous community volunteers will make soups, breads, and desserts. Come meet some of our students and community partners, and enjoy live Celtic music throughout the evening. A special silent auction will include a contemporary light by Julie Morringello (Modernmaine) to celebrate keeping the lights on after school!
If you can make a dessert (bars or cookies), please email Esther at eadams@dises.org
If you are unable to attend, donations to Mariners Soar! can be made by check written out to Deer Isle-Stonington CSD 13 with "After School Program" in the memo, mailed to DISES c/o Esther Adams, 249 North Deer Isle Rd, Deer Isle, ME 04627 or via their GoFundMe page.
GoFundMe page for Linda Shepard
Anyone who knows Linda Shepard knows what a gift she is to both the island community and to St. Brendan. Her passion for caring for others and for helping those who need assistance in a difficult time is a model for us all and a wonderful example of what it means to follow Jesus for the sake of others. In many ways, Linda is one of the best teachers we have in learning what it means to be a Christian, and we are so fortunate that she is part of the St. Brendan family and a member of the Vestry.
Linda has had some medical issues lately that have required her to step away from her paying jobs and have caused her to incur some extra expenses. And so, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help her financially. Linda has given us permission to share her challenging situation and the GoFundMe link so the St. Brendan community can participate in the effort to help Linda, just as she has helped so many others. To donate, click the button below.
Please keep Linda in your prayers. She also loves cards and visitors. Her address is 112 W. Main Street, Stonington, Maine 04681
Perhaps a kindness; something small,
Not a gesture grand at all.
But every day just one small thing
To help a fellow creature sing.
One kindness practiced every day
To help a neighbor on the way,
Plant or person, furred or feathered,
Love freely given, never measured.
Every act of kindness grows
Beyond the seeds and love it sows.
So gardeners all, though small we be,
Planting hope in ’23.
ILAP
Did you know that St Brendan supports ILAP, the Immigrant Legal Assistance Project, through its Outreach Ministry? As Maine’s only state-wide immigration legal services organization, ILAP advances justice and equity for immigrants and their families through direct legal services, community education, and systemic advocacy.
Asylum seekers have one year from the date they entered the U.S. to apply for asylum. Most asylum seekers do not have the resources to hire an attorney to represent them; ILAP is there to provide as many people as possible legal representation, and to provide education and support to others.
They provide advocacy and resources that help people obtain work permits. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work without a work permit, which you can only apply for 150 days after applying for asylum.
Currently, it can take up to a year from the time people apply to get a permit. The inability to work and provide for oneself and one’s family is demoralizing for the asylum seekers, retards their ability to integrate into the community, and creates an unnecessary burden on governmental and non-profit resources. Not to mention that it keeps people out of the workforce that it desperately needs.
If all this seems convoluted and counterintuitive, you’re right! And if you are not an English speaker, it can be almost impossible to navigate our immigration system. That is why ILAP, which has offices in Lewiston and Portland, is such an important resource for the immigrant community in our state.
This week's action item:
To learn more about the work of ILAP Maine and the legal challenges asylum seekers face, please visit their website: ILAP Maine, or see Asylum Information — ILAP Maine
Love in Action through Advocacy
People of faith and goodwill gathered at the State House on December 7th to raise their voices and pray to advocate for our neighbors experiencing homelessness or those soon-to-be homeless. In towns across Maine, the end of the federal Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program, which supports more than 8,600 households, is already having an impact. Many people are receiving eviction notices – 1036 in Lewiston/Auburn, 944 in Bangor, 872 in Portland, 254 in Presque Isle, 224 in Biddeford, 191 in Waterville, 124 in Farmington, and 100 in Caribou.
Neighbors Need ME, a faith-based movement for hope, housing equity, and home, organized the prayer vigil and encourages us to call on the Governor and legislature to help avert this humanitarian crisis and to work on developing a comprehensive plan for emergency housing and statewide coordinated resettlement for neighbors seeking asylum.
Click here to learn more about this movement and to sign a letter to Governor Mills and our Legislature. Once on the website, click "Take Action." On the next page, click "Sign our Letter." After reading the letter, you can "Sign here." This will take you to a form to sign. You must fill in "Title or Name of Organization" to submit the form (you can use St. Brendan the Navigator Church).
There are infinite ways to model "love in action"; here are two ways coming up next week at St Brendan:
1) The Simmering Pot soup program is happening again on Monday, January 30th. Help is needed with clean-up at noon and taking the trash to the dump on Tuesday anytime after 8 a.m.
2) The WindowDressers build continues! Join us Friday, Saturday, or Sunday afternoon as we finish assembling 170+ window inserts. It's likely we will still need help into next week. No experience is necessary. All skills are taught, and newcomers work with an experienced person. Questions, please contact Jo at 664-4884.
Advocacy for the Vulnerable
Part of the Christian call to work for justice is advocating for those in our community who are most vulnerable. And one way to do this is to write emails to our elected officials requesting that they support legislation that ensures basic human rights for all people. As the issues of high heating costs and homelessness are two of the most pressing challenges in the state of Maine at this present moment, please consider writing to Nicole Grohoski and asking her to support legislation that would help people pay their heating bills and legislation that would create significant more affordable housing options for people in our state. Nicole's email address is nicole.grohoski@legislature.maine.gov
Bishop Thomas Brown has called all of us to come in faith to Augusta this Wednesday, December 7 for a Morning of Prayer and Action as the new legislature is sworn in. The issue is homelessness in Maine. We gather to call for the Governor and legislature to do something to end homelessness in our State. See http://www.Neighbors-need-ME.com for more information or go to http://www.episcopalmaine.org
A reading assignment this week to prepare for next weekend's visit by Canon Michael Ambler. Please look up http://www.restorationlaos.org and read about the work of removing unexploded munitions from 10 years of US bombing in the tiny country of Laos. Michael will be with the St Brendans's congregation next Sunday, December 4 to preach and to share a presentation in the afternoon with the wider community about Restoration Laos.
It’s getting cold outside! Our Holiday Tea will welcome neighbors to a festive social occasion, while raising funds for the Island Heating Assistance program. Donations of baked goods and/or volunteers to help set up and serve are welcomed, as is your attendance and donation for the event. Contact Lynne at office@stbrendans-me.org or call 348-6240 and leave a message to volunteer or to make a reservation for tea.
Have you remembered a contribution for Alfred's Box? There is a need for winter jackets, hats and mittens. Read below for ways to contribute.
Alfred’s Box
We have filled up Alfred's box once. Let’s fill it up again! Click here for the updated list from Teresa with gifts local children are wishing for.
In addition to providing gifts, financial contributions are also welcome. Checks should be made payable to Alfred’s Christmas Fund and sent to Theresa Gove-Eaton, 224 Sunset Crossroad, Deer Isle, ME 04627.
Contact Woody Osborne with any questions.
October has been Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Please increase your awareness of this tragic reality in our society across all economic ,gender, race, ethnicity and age boundaries. Learn about the work of the NextStep Domestic Violence Project of Hancock County (link: nextstepdvproject.org) or find and support a Domestic Violence Awareness program where you live.
HELP! The Windowdressers Build will start in the Parish Hall in less than a week and many more hands are needed to build 230 windows and to provide sustenance for the workers. November 4-8. Sign up at coffee hour this weekend or at this link https://signup.com/go/GuibxWQ or call Jo Jacob at 207-664-4884.
Simmering Pot is preparing meals on two Mondays this month of October, the 24th and the 30th. Volunteers are always needed for delivery and for food preparation! Please come help with food preparation either Monday morning and/or if you would like to learn the delivery route and routine you could travel with Woody Osborne as he makes the rounds.
Window Dressers will begin their Deer Isle Build in the Parish hall Friday, November 4 and will go until the 8th. Many orders have been requested. Many helpers are needed. There will be a sign-up sheet this Sunday for times to come help build or to provide food for the workers. Josephine Jacob is the contact person for more information. 207-664-4884 (cell)
Gas Cards
Many of our neighbors are having difficulty paying the high prices of gas, which affects their ability to get to work and appointments. Please consider purchasing a gas card from a local gas station and putting it in the "gas pump" which you will find in the narthex at church. We will give them to Community Compass Navigators for disbursement to those who need help with the cost of fuel. This is one more way to "love our neighbor."
Prayer
This week’s action item (as a way of making “love thy neighbor” real), is in some ways both the easiest and the most difficult action of all. It is this: “Pray for your neighbor, perhaps even the neighbor you find most difficult to understand or appreciate.”
School is starting!
Our administrative assistant, Lynne Witham, has been involved in the island schools for a very long time and says that many students need things at the start of school but lack the funds to buy them. Here is how we can help:
We can give financial contributions to Dr. Jennifer Hartley's "Mother's Fund" to support the children in the Deer Isle-Stonington school system.
Dr. Jennifer Hartley came to the Island and served as a locum (traveling doctor). During her time here, the Island Health Camp and Wellness Foundation contracted with her to use her anthropology background to conduct interviews of local people to determine the health needs of the island, especially for groups that typically would not respond to a formal health survey.
One of the things that stood out to her was that a fund was needed at the school to pay for incidentals such as eyeglasses, hygiene items, clothing, etc., for families that can't afford to buy them. She felt strongly that these small things could make all the difference in a child's ability to feel included and learn effectively. As a result, she asked that the $1,000 IH Camp and WF had agreed to pay her be used to start this fund in 2019, and that the Island Health and Wellness Foundation match this generous donation.
Jenny wanted the fund to be centered around the memory of her mother, who, like many mothers, was always helping others out with necessities even though she did not have much herself. Jenny's intent with this fund is to provide monies that educators can access easily to remove barriers to learning for local children. Such barriers include, but are not limited to, season-appropriate clothing, food, and eyeglasses.
Donors can write a check to Island Health and Wellness Foundation and put Mother's Fund in the memo line. Your donations will be restricted to that program, and you will receive a formal acknowledgment of your donation as they are a 501(c)(3). Checks may be mailed to Anne West, Executive Director, Island Health and Wellness Foundation, P O. Box 654, Deer Isle, Maine 04627.
(If you want to bring refillable water bottles to church, Lynne will take them to the schools for distribution.)