April 30, 2026
Connecting you to the events, meetings & services
Gospel Reflection
As a child, I wondered about the emphasis on Jesus, God's son, when the whole Bible clearly taught us to worship only God. Jesus himself seems to perceive himself as different from, and in relationship with, God.
But when Philip asks, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied,” Jesus seems disappointed. Jesus says, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."
I guess I'm a little like Philip sometimes. It's easy to forget how amazing the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ really is. I can't really get my head around it. When we meet together as the body of Christ, sharing the Holy Eucharist together, we are in the presence of the Creator of the Universe.
I believe there is nowhere that we are not in God's presence. But in church we are intentional about noticing it. Come to St. Luke's this weekend and spend some time noticing the presence of God in your life.
Happening at St. Luke’s
Friday, May 1
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
Saturday, May 2
5:30pm Holy Eucharist Rite II
Sunday, May 3
8:00am Holy Eucharist, Rite I
8:45am Monthly Coffee Hour
9:00am Bible Study (Parish Hall)
10:00am Choral Holy Eucharist (livestream)
11:15am Coffee Hour
11:30am Adult Forum
12:30pm Tea and Scones
Tuesday, May 5
7:00pm Candlelight Vespers
Wednesday, May 6
12:15pm Eucharist with the Saints
7:00pm Bible Studies (Zoom)
7:00pm Buildings and Grounds Meeting
Thurday, May 7
10:00am Gallery Meeting
Friday, May 8
8:00am Anglican Prayer beads (online)
Announcements
St. Luke’s
Subscribe to the weekly E-News for St. Luke's by going to www.stlukesmetuchen.org and entering your email address!
AMANDLA, part of Mission of the First Housing is looking for donations of new or gently used clothes, diapers, blankets, etc.. for a young mother to give birth to a baby girl in a couple of weeks.
Please bring your donations to church or contact Linda Z.
Altar Bread provided by Karen Gough, Mo. Crafton. Linda Zeh & Kathy McNulty.
Congratulations to our Graduates!
St. Luke's is proud to share with the parish and wants to celebrate and cherish this milestone with you and your family.
Emily Grosso
Elon University
BFA in Dance Performance & Choreography
Giovanni Fighera
Yale University
Molecular, cellular, and developmental biology + theatre, dance, and performance studies
Katherine Donohue
Hamilton College
Government
Ministry Corner
In this week’s Ministry Corner, we are highlighting the Adult Forum, a varied and interesting educational program that meets on Sundays from 11:30-12:15. The topic changes weekly, with Fr. Todd discussing a book of the Bible or an aspect of liturgy or parish life, or Mo. Crafton showing artists’ interpretations of biblical and theological themes. Occasionally, parishioners will speak on their area of expertise as they relate to scripture themes, or there are moderated discussions of current issues in society. Please make time to attend; you will surely have a fascinating learning experience. This week’s topic: The Book of Ruth.
ECS Sunday is May 3rd
The Diocese of New Jersey is looking to raise $5,000 to deliver critical support where it is needed most.
This year, we will come together under the theme: Setting a Table Where All are Fed. As a diocesan-wide initiative, individuals and congregations come together to recognize and support our shared commitment to justice and human need.
Not all initiatives funded by ECS-NJ are related to food, but many are because we can see how to make a difference.
Food Insecurity in the Garden State
• Nearly 1.1 million New Jerseyans (1 in 9) are currently food insecure, representing a 65% increase since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
• Roughly 1 in 7 children in the state live in food-insecure homes. In some areas, such as Atlantic County, the child food insecurity rate has reached as high as 24.3%.
• New Jersey has the 19th highest food insecurity rate for seniors in the nation effecting 1 in 8 elders. • The average cost per meal in New Jersey is $4.19, which is roughly 5% higher than the national average. Food-insecure residents report a combined annual shortfall of more than $772 million needed to meet their basic food needs.
• Between 45% to 55% of those facing hunger in New Jersey don’t qualify for SNAP benefits because their income exceeds the federal eligibility threshold…yet they still cannot afford consistent, healthy meals.
• Food insecurity rates for Black and Latino residents (around 24% and 22%, respectively) are roughly three times higher than for white residents (7%).
When we feel exhausted by the slow pace of justice, when our work seems unappreciated, remember that "we are stronger together" is a promise of long-term impact. Your efforts to set a place at the table where all are fed aren’t in vain. They are the seeds of resurrection being planted in communities across our Diocese and state.
Garage Sale
Thank you to Leah F., her set up team, sales team and incredible break down team. We had an amazing garage sale and we were able to meet and greet many members of our community and folks from other towns. This was our most successful sale ever. Great job everyone.
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: May 3
I look forward to seeing you!
Best, Deacon Anne
Adult Forum, 11:30am at Fryer Room
The Book of Ruth.
Fr. Todd leads us in exploring this short story of a young widow who must decide how and with whom to live after her husband has died. She makes her surprising choice in a very loving way. Spoiler alert: she ends up as an ancestor of someone whose name we all know
Daily Office 9am, 12 noon, 5pm, 8:45pm (link)
Children’s Chapel: Becky F.
Coffee Hours Hosts: Susan G. & Tommy B.
Serving in Worship this Weekend
5:30pm (Sat) Frank F.
8:00AM (Sun) Sue S.
10:00AM (Sun) Mary S., Kasi L., Kathy M.
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, Lenny, Kristi, Frank, Frank, Janice, Dale, Dwinal, Randi, Chad, Sally, Katherine, Shannon, Tim, Janis, John, Dottie, Delphine, Candice, Peter, Cheryl, Richie, Carl, Mary Ann, Joseph, Joana, Brian, Brian, Pat, Michael, Amy, Glenn, Sandra, Matias, Ryan, Ava, Jeannine, Joseph, Suzzane & John, Melanie, Bob, Mike, Bernandette, Karen
For Those Who Have Died
Dottie, Steve, Shady, Cynthia, Alan, Artie, Margaret, George, Gloria , Glennis
Links for: the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, the Diocesan Cycle of Prayer
For Those Who Celebrate Birthdays - April
Kevin L., Eleanor J., Lori W., Chuck G., Tom B., Doug B., Christopher D. III, Theo S., Barbara Y., Erica N.
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.
