March 19, 2026
Connecting you to the events, meetings & services
Gospel Reflection
Jesus wept. Death hurts, especially when we deem it "untimely." Jesus knew what was about to happen, and yet he wept. The pattern of our faith is a cycle of death and resurrection: we are never beyond the reach of God's redemptive love for us. But death still hurts, and still we weep. We gather as church so that we can keep remembering that death does not get the last word. In God, we can always be confident that Resurrection is how the story resolves. Come to St. Luke's this weekend to taste with us the story of Resurrection.
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.
Happening at St. Luke’s
Friday, March 20
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
11:30am Ladies’ luncheon at Panera Rt1
Saturday, March 21
5:30pm Holy Eucharist Rite Rite II
Sunday, March 22
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
1:30am Shine your Light
Monday, March 23
2:00pm Roosevelt Care Center Service
Tuesday, March 24
7:00pm Candlelight Vespers / Lenten study
Wednesday, March 25
12.15pm Eucharist with the Saints
6:00pm St. Veronica’s Guild Meeting
7:00pm Bible Study with Mo, Crafton (Zoom)
Friday, March 27
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
Looking for parishioners to help with the striping of the altar during the Maundy Thursday 7:00 PM service. If you are interested in helping please see Karen Gough ASAP
Tea & Scones Book Club at St. Luke's is back!
We will be reading Madeleine L'Engle's A Circle of Quiet for our next book club selection. She is another of the great Episcopal writers and her works are very readable. Hopefully, her personal reflections will spark discussions about our own! It's divided into four sections with smaller sections within each, so we aren't working with clear chapters, but it should be doable. I've grouped it into six fairly equal parts of about 40 pages each (in my copy, which is the paperback). The book is available at local libraries, as well as through interlibrary loan at your local library, and at Barnes & Noble (online) as well as on Hoopla and Kindle as an ebook.
We will meet in the Fryer Room at 1:00 p.m. If you need a door code, Please contact Deacon Anne - or just ring the bell.
Tommy will be our barista once again!
Dates:
March 22 (Section 1: 1- 13)
March 29 (Section 1:14 - Section 2:1) (Palm Sunday)
Skip Easter Sunday
April 12 (Section 2:2)
April 19 (Section 3:1-6) There is a performance rental in Fryer Hall, so we may want to meet at my house - we can discuss that
April 26 (Section 3:7-13)
May 3 (Section 4)
I look forward to seeing you!
Best, Deacon Anne
Warden’s Corner
We had a Vestry meeting on March 17th. Fr. Todd opened with a prayer. The vestry approved the minutes from the 2/17/26 Meeting. The Rector’s, Treasurer’s, Buildings & Grounds, and Facilities Use Team reports were each approved as submitted. Treasurer Tammy F. reviewed her report in some detail, noting that she had provided Fr. Todd with figures for St. Cecilia's Guild, a group founded in support of our music ministry. Non-vestry member Jim F attended the meeting to advise on the progress of the transition to a new accounting system, and with Tammy, noted there were still processes to be worked out. Jim also presented figures on our investment accounts. Fr. Todd advised that Jim M and Patrick C would be resigning from Hot Meals Ministry. Since no one has volunteered to replace them, they will be advising St. Mark's that St. Luke's will no longer be part of that ministry. Paul P advised that we had a substantial credit from snow plowing services; that money covered tree-trimming over the Petits Enfants play area. The Facility Use team has been decluttering the attic. They are looking for volunteers to assist with inspections after rentals. B&G is awaiting bids for smoke detectors. Florence reported on Faith in Action, a national group organizing around issues like police brutality, unfair labor practices, and specifically now, voter registration in the face of the possible passage of the SAVE ACT. Fr. Todd closed the meeting with prayer.
Finances
Notes:
1. Pledge income is above budgeted, due to some pledges being prepaid.
2. Total revenue includes pledge income.
Coffee Hours Hosts: Dhalia B. and Tom B.
Adult Forum this Sunday at 11.30am at Fryer Room
An Invitation to Safe Church.
All of us have heard haunting stories in the news about abuse in churches. The Episcopal Church has for years required specific training about this for all leaders, lay and ordained. Fr. Todd and Deacon Carol are both Safe Church trainers. This week’s forum will inform all of us about this essential program.
Announcements
St. Luke’s
Altar Bread provided by Karen Gough, Mo. Crafton. Linda Zeh & Kathy McNulty.
Remember the First Presbyterian Church food bank when you go grocery shopping! Put non perishable foods in the basket at the church door. Canned goods, cereal, pasta, tinned meats, tuna, all are needed.
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: Alex B.
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) Frank F.
8:00AM (Sun) Marilyn H.
10:00AM (Sun) Christopher B., Katherine Y., Karen G.
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
Chrisanthi, William, Karla, Mary Lew, Dottie, Steve, Shady
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.
