March 12, 2026
Connecting you to the events, meetings & services
Gospel Reflection
The story of the man born blind, and his encounter with Jesus, is memorable on many levels. The relationships of power and hierarchy (the man, his parents, the Pharisees, the Vestry of the synagogue) are evident, messy, and oppressive. Jesus navigates outside of all of that.
The man who was blind is open and receptive to Jesus' presence when almost no one else is. Faith seems to be easier to accept for those who are cognizant of their own need. We who are confident of our independence, competence, and self-reliance have a harder time. The spiritual reality is that we are each and every one in desperate need of Jesus' work in our lives.
Jesus stands patiently and knocks, waiting for each of us to decide for ourselves to open the door to our hearts and welcome him in.
Do you need Jesus in your life, in the world you see around you or within your own breast? That's the reason we gather as Church. Come join your fellow Jesus-needers at St. Luke's this week.
Happening at St. Luke’s
Friday, March 13
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
Saturday, March 14
5:30pm Holy Eucharist Rite Rite II
Sunday, March 15
8:00am Holy Eucharist Rite I (livestream)
9:00am Bible Study with Mother Crafton - Fryer Room 11:00am Art Station
10:00am Holy Eucharist Rite II with Music (livestream)
11:15am Coffee Hour
11:30am Adult Forum
Tuesday, March 17
7:00pm Candlelight Vespers / Lenten study
7:30pm Vestry Meeting
Wednesday, March 18
12.15pm Eucharist with the Saints
7:00pm Bible Study with Mo, Crafton (Zoom)
Thursday, March 19
11:15am Rental Committee Meeting
Friday, March 20
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
11:30am Ladies’ Luncheon at Panera Rt 1
The Rite of Reconciliation (individual confession: see BCP 446) is always available by appointment from Fr. Todd or Mo. Barbara. You will also have opportunity to come make confession without appointment during Holy Week. If you are interested, come to the Chapel of the Holy Family (where Children's Chapel, Vespers, and the mid-week Eucharist meet) between 6-6.30pm on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday: 30, 31 March and 1 April.
Are you interested in organizing a "Garden Watch" on the evening of Maundy Thursday (2 April)?
There is a long tradition of watching in prayer with Jesus as we begin the Great Three Days. Most parishes accomplish this by signing up for shifts to pray through the night. If you are interested in organizing the sign-ups, please speak to Fr. Todd or send him an email.
Passion Sunday is coming!
Kathy M. will attend each liturgy this weekend, seeking readers for the Passion reading on Palm Sunday. Please speak to Kathy (or email verger@stlukesmetuchen.org) and offer to read a part! Parts include: Narrator, Jesus, Judas, Peter, High Priest, Witness, Servant, Pilate's Wife, Pilate.
Those attending the 5.30pm or 8am service may want to sign up for more than one part! The reading can be reviewed ahead of time at:
Cross Walk Metuchen
We are planning the traditional St. Luke's Cross Walk for Good Friday, 3 April 2026 at 9am. Everyone is welcome to join us for this 1.5 mile walk through Metuchen, carrying a large cross and stopping at various sites to share meditations and prayers around the traditional "Stations of the Cross" from Jerusalem.
In addition, we are looking for those who might like to write a meditation or prayer for our Cross Walk. There are 14 stations, listed below. Each station should include a brief meditation (30-300 words) and a prayer. These will be compiled into the bulletin we use to guide our walk that day.
We need your help to write meditations reflecting our experiences of the world this year and our desire to encounter Jesus. If you would like to write one or more, please email fathertodd@stlukesmetuchen.org right away (before Saturday, 14 March, at 12 noon) specifying which station(s) you would like to write for. Please then submit your reflection by Tuesday, 17 March, at 8am to secretary@stlukesmetuchen.org. If you are looking for ideas or even texts to borrow from (with attribution), you might like to check out a variety of Stations of the Cross texts at
https://www.sharedprayers.net/other/stations/
Stations planned for 2026:
1. Jesus is Condemned to Death: Metuchen Municipal Court
2. Jesus Takes Up His Cross: Middlesex Ave. & Main St
3. Jesus Falls the First Time: Runner’s High
4. Jesus Meets His Sorrowful Mother: Genus Boni
5. Simon of Cyrene Takes the Cross: Metuchen Liquor and Wine
6. Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus: Brewed Awakening
7. Jesus Falls the Second Time: Metuchen Dance Center
8. Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem: The Old Metuchen Cemetery
9. Jesus Falls the Third Time: Metuchen Train Station
10. Jesus is Stripped of His Garments: George’s Dry Cleaners
11. Jesus is Nailed to the Cross: Metuchen Fire House
12. Jesus Dies on the Cross: Marin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
13. Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross: Metuchen Public Library
14. Jesus is Laid in the Tomb: St. Luke’s Memorial Garden
Coffee Hours Hosts: Doreen C. and Tom B.
Adult Formation this Sunday at 11.30am will be a reading of Megillas Esther: the book (scroll) of Esther. This is an exciting, fanciful, "made for TV" story in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). It was read recently by many of our neighbors as they celebrated the holiday established by the book of Esther, Purim. After a brief introduction we will read the story through in its entirety. You are invited to bring with you hand-held noisemakers ("groggers") such as you might use on New Year's Eve: these will be used throughout the reading.
Announcements
St. Luke’s
Easter Memorial Flowers - Please provide the names in a typewritten form and inform about your payment with your request. Preferably by email to secretary@stlukesmetuchen.org.
This special memorials are announced in our weekly communications well in advance. Be sure to observe the deadline. Last day for Submissions March 22, 2026.
Sunday, March 15 the non-pledge contributions in our offering plates will be donated to the Metuchen Edison Area Interfaith Clergy Alliance for charitable uses.
We are Looking for volunteers! Metuchen Town Wide Garage Sale Registration is Open. Who would be interested in running this event for St Luke’s? Reach out to the Wardens or the Office.
Join us to Candlelight Vespers and Conversation. Tuesdays in Lent at 7pm in the Chapel at St. Luke’s.
Episcopal Relief and Development and Sister Monica Clare from the Community of St. John Baptist (in Mendham, NJ) offer us a series of meditations for Lent designed to lead us more deeply into our very Episcopalian ways of knowing God.
Written by Sister Monica Clare, an Episcopal nun, author and unlikely TikTok star, these meditations offer an invitation to rediscover — or deepen — holy habits of prayer, worship and Scripture engagement. These holy habits provide a path to a life rooted in God, given shape, meaning and direction.
You can engage in these meditations at home on your own throughout Lent, but you are especially invited to join us in the chapel at St. Luke's on Tuesdays at 7pm as we celebrate the service of Vespers (in which the meditations are rooted) and talk together about the meditation of the day.
Daily Office 9am, 12 noon, 5pm, 8:45pm (link)
Children’s Chapel this weekend: Deacon Anne
The Diocese of NJ will celebrate the "Stations of Reparations" on Saturday, 21 March, at 11am at St. Elizabeth's in Elizabeth. Please join us!
difference.
Serving in Worship this Weekend
5:30 PM (Sat) Perla
8:00AM (Sun) Becky
10:00AM (Sun) Lauren, Kasi, John
Click here to find the readings for this weekend.
In Our Prayers This Week
Please continue in your daily prayers for:
Mary Jo, Rosie, David, Louise, Andy, Eletia, Suzan, Michael, Lenny, Kristi, Frank, Frank, Susan, John, Suzanne, Gregg, Robert, Robin, Shady, Janice, Dale, Jeremy, Karen, Don, Stephen, Vanessa, Ryan, Charlotte, Tina, Maria, Paul, Dwinal, Skyler, Easton, Gene, Randi, Chad, Sally, Katherine, Shannon, Adriel, Tim, Janis, John, Dottie, Delphine, Candice, Peter, Cheryl, Richie, Carl, Mary Ann, Joseph, Joana, Brian, Brian, Pat, Michael, Amy, Jeff, Glenn, Sandra, Matias, Chuck
For Those Who Have Died
Robert, Gloria, Chrisanthi, William, Karla, Mary Lew, Dottie, Steve
Links for: the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
For Those Who Celebrate Birthdays - March
Geralyn H., Susan S., Joan M., Michael G., Tom B., Karen S., Hans J., Brenda Y., Harvey C., The Rev. Barbara, Danielle S.
Parish Information Form
Everyone is welcome at St. Luke’s. This form is designed to help us to keep in your records up-to-date so we can keep you connected to what is going on the parish.
Prayer requests may be submitted on the website.
