Faith Lutheran Church and St. Luke’s Episcopal celebrate five years together

by Staff Aroostook Republican
18 years ago

    Two local church congregations plan to celebrate five years of cooperation with a special worship service this week.

ImageContributed photo
    Leaders of two congregations are shown at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church where both the Episcopalians and Faith Lutheran Church hold worship services.  From left are the Rev. Robert A. Smith Jr., rector of St. Luke’s and Burnham Morrell, spiritual leader of Faith. The two congregations will hold a special joint worship service on  Nov. 18 at 11 a.m.
 

    Faith Lutheran Church and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church have been sharing space since the Lutheran church’s building burned on Nov. 15, 2002. The partnership will be observed with a service of commemoration on Sunday, Nov. 18 at 11 a.m. at the St. Luke sanctuary on Main Street.
    Earlier this month, the Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine presented a framed document to Burnam Morrell, Faith’s spiritual leader, that acknowledged the five years of shared ministry.
    “We have learned that the church is more than a building, but is the incarnational presence of the risen Christ in the hearts of the people gathered,’’ the document said in part.  
    After the 2002 fire, the Lutheran congregation began meeting at the St. Luke’s facility. Out of the loss of Faith’s building, the two congregations have discovered their commonality in worship and mission fulfilling the vision of “Call to Common Mission,” a position of full communion adopted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Episcopal Church in the United States adopted in 2000.
    This vision has enabled both congregations to share altars and clergy, resulting in the Lutheran church deciding not to rebuild after the fire. Instead, the group decided to utilize the same worship space.
    The Nov. 18 service will use the order of service of the ‘Lutheran Book of Worship,” with Morrell delivering the sermon. Other clergy involved in the service will be the Rev. Jerlyn Williams, deacon, and the Rev. Robert A. Smith Jr., rector of St. Luke’s.
    The public is being invited to this celebration.