In the words of our former Deacon, the Rev. Tom Duplessie, “Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”!!! Bishop Thomas Brown celebrated Eucharist at both services on May 12 to a church full of joyful parishioners.
St. Margaret’s will hold several services to mark Holy Week from Palm Sunday, March 24, through Easter on March 31.
Worshippers are asked to gather in the church parish hall, 95 Court St., by 9:45 a.m. on Sunday March 24 to receive palm fronds and participate in an opening prayer. They will then be led outside by the Rev. Barbara Briggs for a short procession into the church for the service, which will include a dramatic reading of The Passion.
Maundy Thursday, March 28, will be observed with an informal Middle Eastern meal at 6 p.m. in St. Margaret’s parish house, 95 Court St. Participants are asked to bring a simple item such as nuts, hummus, dried fruit or pita bread to share at the Agape dinner. The meal will be followed by Eucharist and optional foot-washing, symbolic of Christ’s servanthood in washing the feet of his disciples, and a brief service in the church for the Stripping of the Altar and start of the Easter Vigil.
Good Friday’s service at St. Margaret’s will be at 6 p.m. to accommodate those who are employed during the day.
St. Margaret’s will join with other Mid-coast Episcopal churches on Saturday March 30 for an Easter Vigil service and celebration at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church in Thomaston at 7 p.m. The sermon will be delivered by the Rev. Paul Briggs, Interim Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Camden.
Easter Sunday, March 31, will be celebrated at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church at two festive services at 8 and 9:45 a.m. This will mark the return of two Sunday morning services that will continue every week until November.
To help alleviate the parking issues (we share many of the spaces with St. Francis of Assisi Church) we have shifted the later service to 9:45AM from the previous 9:30AM time.
All members of the diverse Belfast-area faith community are invited to join in a series of brown bag lunches every Wednesday in March that will be hosted by St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 95 Court St., Belfast. The gatherings from noon to 1 p.m. in the parish house are presented by the Greater Bay Area Ministerium (GBAM). Each week will focus on a different aspect of “Encountering God, the Spirit, the Holy, the Divine, the Sacred in the Arts and in the World Around Us.” Bring a brown bag lunch. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Following is the schedule of speakers:
March 1: The Rev. Barbara Briggs, Rector of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and the Rev. Vicki Sirota,
“Encountering God through Music”
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March 8: The Rev. Julie Daley, retired United Methodist Deacon,
“Encountering the Spirit through Practices of Silence”
St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Belfast, will observe the start of Lent with two services on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22. The service at 9:30 a.m. with Eucharist and the imposition of ashes will be without music. The second service at 5:30 p.m. will be the same, with music. All are welcome at the church, 95 Court St., Belfast.
The Outreach Committee met on February 11 and came up with many ideas on how we can assist our local community and others in need nationally and internationally.
We voted to send $2000 to ERD for their work with Action by Churches Together Alliance in Turkey and Syria following the horrendous earthquakes in that region. An additional $2000 will be sent to Doctors without Borders also for Turkey and Syria. Funds will be added to the $1070 raised on the Fifth Sunday of January to send $2000 to the World Central Kitchen for their work in Ukraine.
We are exploring the needs to assist with homelessness in the Waldo County area and how we can also support other local initiatives both locally and internationally.
SACRED GROUND DIALOGUE CIRCLE 11 sessions to engage with films, videos, written materials and each other, Sundays, 11AM – 12 NOON, January 15 through April 2. When you register, you will receive a password for the materials we will need between meetings. (You will read/watch assigned segments prior to each dialogue circle).
WHAT IS THE SACRED GROUND DIALOGUE SERIES?
Sacred Ground is a sensitive, prayerful resource that creates space for difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue on race and racism.
It invites participants to walk back through history in order to peel away the layers that brought us to today, reflecting on family histories and stories, as well as important narratives that shape the collective American story.
It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community – where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one anothers pain and seek one anothers flourishing.
Ben and ShaunBenKristinShaun our bagpiperTycelia and Kristindelicious King cakePaul, Kristin, Deirdre
Epiphany feast on January 6. The hall was prepared for a feast, frivolity, and fun. Three lucky people were crowned queens for the evening. King cake was served. Games and song, bagpipes and trumpet were all part of the evening of fun.
Traditionally, parishioners and friends of St. Margaret’s have donated to the Christmas Flower Fund to memorialize a loved one, commemorate an occasion, or offer a thanksgiving. There are Christmas Flower offering envelopes on the back table, which you can place in the Sunday collection plate or mail it into the office, 95 Court St., Belfast, ME 04915. We’d like to receive your donations by Wednesday, December 21st (with clear instructions on how your gift should appear in our Christmas Eve leaflet. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus with you this Christmas, and together, remembering the true meaning of Christmas.
May 31, (and every Tuesday) from noon to one, Lectionary Lectio. We gather in the parish hall to listen to the Scripture text(s) appointed for Sunday. Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the Bible. It dates back to the early centuries of the Christian Church and was established as a monastic practice by Benedict in the 6th century. It is a way of praying the scriptures that leads us deeper into God’s word. We slow down. We read a short passage more than once. We chew it over slowly and carefully.
June 4, 10:30 AM, Belfast has Pride parade. Those who are interested in participating in the Belfast Pride parade are asked to meet at Belfast Area High School at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 4, and the parade will begin at 11 a.m. The parade will end just before the Public Landing and Heritage Park.
June 5, Pentecost! Wear Red to church and celebrate the baptism of Daisy Fae Baker, along with her parents, Kimberly and Zander Baker at 10:15 a.m.
On this Sunday we return to the Common cup. (Those who wish to abstain are assured of the full benefit of communion in receiving the bread alone). It may seem counterintuitive, but it is not safe to dip the bread. We will sip from the chalice. (The interaction of the silver and wine has an antimicrobial effect).
June 12, we adopt a paper-saving bulletin and will use our hymnals and prayer books. A short time of silence will be observed between the sermon and the Creed in order to give us a chance to savor a word, phrase, or idea from God’s Word as we heard it in the readings, the prayers or the music.
June 21, 5PM (and every Tuesday until the day after Labor Day) Taizé Vespers in the church. Praying in the style of Taize allows us a chance to slow down and to listen to God’s Word in silence and song.
July 22-24, Belfast Celtic Celebration. As the people of St. Margaret’s, when we celebrate the Celtic heritage of our region, we not only celebrate Celtic art, music and dancing, but also its rich spirituality of finding God in all of creation. On Saturday St. Margaret’s will host Celtic prayer at noon, five, and eight. In between noon and five, we will host a Celtic Art workshop in the parish hall for families. Celtic designs will be made available to color. Others may wish to learn how to design their own Celtic knots.
August 19-21, Harborfest! Will there be a cardboard boat entry from St. Margaret’s? Stay tuned! It may also be that your rector will be on hand to bless the fleet.
