New Website!

Thanks for checking out our website!

We've recently updated and moved our website here: http://saintansgar.org.

Check out the new website for information about who we are, when we worship, how you might become involved in our community, and what current events are coming up!

As always, join us for worship on Sunday morning!  We begin our 9am worship time this coming Sunday, June 26th!  We will worship at 9am thru Sunday, September 4th, 2016.  10am worship will begin on September 11th, 2016.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Holy Week 2016

Holy Week 2016

This Sunday begins the most sacred week in the Christian Tradition - Holy Week.  During this week, we remember the last few days of Jesus' life and celebrate the central teachings of our faith.  

PALM SUNDAY - March 20, 2016 - 10am

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday.  We celebrate and remember Jesus triumphal entrance into the city of Jerusalem.  Riding on a donkey, people placed palms before him as they would for a King.  Over the course of the week, however, these positive feelings about Jesus changed.  We will remember these changing feelings through a dramatic reading of the story throughout our entire worship service.  This is a very interactive service with Holy Communion.

MAUNDY THURSDAY - March 24th, 2016 - 7pm

We continue Holy Week with remembering Jesus last passover meal with his friends and disciples.  As they gathered for the meal, Jesus emphasized the message he was bringing by serving his friends and washing their feet.  In doing so, Jesus turns the established cultural rules on their heads, bringing the message that every person around the table is as important and loved as every other person.  As the continued and ate, Jesus left them with the promise of his grace and forgiveness through sharing bread and wine - the body and blood of Christ.  We remember both of these acts through a foot washing ritual during worship as well as celebrating Holy Communion.

GOOD FRIDAY - March 25th, 2016 - 7pm

Worship continues on Friday with the telling of Jesus trail and death.  We call this sad day "good" as it is the day in which we know that there is nothing so horrific or tragic in which God is not present.  It is this day that allows us to truly know the depth of God's love.  We worship this day with a Tenebrae service - a service of light and darkness - through the reading of the passion of Christ interspersed with singing and prayer.

EASTER VIGIL - March 26th, 2016 - 7pm

St. Ansgar will join our Episcopal neighbors in celebrating the Easter Vigil again this year.  This service begins with the fire of the Holy Spirit, continues with the telling of stories from the Christian faith, and culminates in the first Eucharist of Easter.  It is a very festive service that will engage the senses.  This service will take place at St. Luke's Cathedral on State Street.  Please join us!

EASTER SUNDAY - March 27th, 2016 - 10am

Holy Week concludes with celebrating the Feast of the Resurrection!  Join us in celebrating Christ's resurrection from death - the promise that God's love is stronger than the pain and suffering we experience.  There will be time for children to lead us in worship, choir singing, communion, and much celebration! 

Please also join us for the Easter Breakfast at 9am on Easter Sunday.  The breakfast costs $4 for an individual or $10 for a family.  All the money raised will go towards camperships for our youth to attend Camp Calumet this summer!

Lent 2016

Lent 2016

Lent is underway at St. Ansgar!  We are partnering with the area Lutheran Churches this year, as we have in the past, for our Lenten Soup Suppers and Worship.  Again, we will be using Holden Evening prayer to shape our worship.  This year our host is Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook. 

Wednesday Night Schedule:

6pm- Soup Supper

6:30pm - Pick-up Choir practice

7pm - Worship

We are also doing a Bible study on the book of James.  James is one of the few books in the New Testament that is neither a Gospel nor a letter from Paul. James is often categorized with a body of literature in the Bible called Wisdom Literature. (Think Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, etc.) Our Bible Study will take us through four themes relating to Wisdom.

1. What is Wisdom?

2. Wisdom: Faith and Action

3. Wisdom: God's Sustaining Care for the World

4. Wisdom: Healthy Habits that Sustain Christian Hope.

The Bible Study will meet for four Sundays, Feb. 14-March 6th after coffee hour (beginning between 11:30 and 12pm) in our church Library.  Come once or come every time!  All are welcome.

Reconciling in Christ Sunday

January 31st is RIC Sunday! 

RIC stands for Reconciling in Christ - the name for the formal process a Lutheran congregation goes through to officially become a congregation that is welcoming and affirming of people who identify as LGBTQ.

Please join us after worship and coffee and conversation for an hour long transgender ally training. Sarah Holmes, Assistant Director of Student Life and Diversity; Coordinator, Center for Sexualities and Gender Diversity at USM, and two of her students, Quinn Gormley and Benn Marine, will help us learn some basics about gender identification, why pronouns matter and how we can be good allies. Get your questions answered and help us celebrate the 6th anniversary of our adoption of our LGBTQ welcome statement! 

Invite friends or family. All are welcome!

Join us on Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. for a family Christmas service with Holy Communion.  There will be special time for the children as well as a candlelight singing of "Silent Night."


On Christmas morning at 9:00 a.m. we have a quieter, simpler service of Holy Communion.

On Sunday, December 27th, join us at 10:00 a.m. for a Service of Lessons and Carols.

Scandinavian Weekend 2015!

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church at Rosemont Corner presents

“A Scandinavian Weekend 2015”

       December 5^th and 6^th      

SATURDAY, 10am–2pm  -  Just An Old Fashioned Fair

SUNDAY, 4pm  -  Annual Festival of St. Lucia and

International Marketplace

Julekake • Scandinavian Gifts • Fish Chowder Luncheon on Saturday • Handicap Accessible

FREE ADMISSION

                                           

515 Woodford Street at Rosemont Corner, Portland.  207-774-8740 , saintansgar.org

Rosemont Harvest in the Hood!

"How do you like THEM apples?"

In the tradition of Strawberry Sunday and Blueberry Sunday, on October 5th we will be celebrating Apple Sunday at the Coffee and Conversation Hour immediately after worship. Please bring something made with apples that you would like to share!

God's Work....Our Hands

Join us next Sunday for "God's Work, Our Hands" Sunday! 




"God's Work, Our Hands" is the ELCA's motto. Churches across the country will celebrate our call to love and serve our neighbors on September 13th in all kinds of ways.
 

For the first time this year, St. Ansgar is also going to participate by celebrating the various ministries you all do both inside the church and outside our congregation in the local communities.

So, mark your calendars for this congregational celebration!

A weekend to celebrate ecofeminism!

What is ecofeminism? Find out this April 10th-12th when St. Ansgar Lutheran Church in Portland welcomes Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, world-renowned activist, feminist theologian, and international lecturer. A prolific author, she is also currently teaching at Claremont School of Theology, Claremont CA.

The centerpiece of the weekend will be a presentation by Dr. Ruether, followed by Q&A with the audience. The presentation will be followed by lunch, then a panel conversation about Mainers engaging in a range of ecological efforts, including solar energy, sustainable living, and climate change awareness. (Full schedule is listed below.)

Among the panelists: Rev. Dr. Susan E. Davies, feminist theologian, activi...st and former Academic Dean and professor at Bangor Theological Seminary; David Littell, Commissioner of the Maine Public Utilities Commission and former Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); Ray Sirois, IT Director at Wright Pierce Engineering and one of 3,000 presenters trained by Al Gore's Climate Project.

Reverend Susan Gilpin, a sustainable living course instructor at OLLI (the Senior College at USM), and Dr. Debra McDonough, an associate lecturer in genetics at the University of New England will facilitate.

All events, including lunch, are free of charge.

Weekend Schedule:
Friday, April 10
7:00pm – Movie: “Disruption”
Watch the hour-long cinematic journey through the wild world of climate change, followed by a discussion
facilitated by Anne D. Burt, Consultant for Maine Council of Churches’ Environmental Justice Program.
Saturday, April 11
9:30am – Coffee and welcome
10:00am – Presentation: “What is ecofeminism?” / Q&A with Dr. Ruether
12:00pm – Lunch (RSVP to rrr@saintansgar or 774-8740)
1:00pm – Panel Response and Discussion
Panelists include Ray Sirois, an IT specialist at Wright Pierce Engineering, and Reverend Susan
Gilpin, a sustainable living course instructor at USM/OLLI.
*Dr. Ruether will be signing books after the event. (Books will be available for purchase all weekend.)
Sunday, April 12
10:00 – Worship, Dr. Rosemary Radford Ruether, guest preacher
You’re invited to return for the celebration of the Eucharist. Coffee and conversation follow in the church hall.

RSVP appreciated but not required.
207-774-8740, ext 4 • rrr@saintansgar.org

Holy Week is Coming!

Palm Sunday, Holy Week & Easter

Palm Sunday, March 29-10:00 am Passion narrative and Eucharist. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. We remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem and then his passion and crucifixion. We use "The Cry of the Congregation" for a shared passion narrative. Join Pr. Mia Dyson and the parish pastoral team for this solemn and prayerful service.  Maundy Thursday, April 2- 7:00 pm Eucharist  Jesus is making his journey to the cross. That journey includes time with the disciples in that upper room meal where Jesus gives us a new commandment and greets us with his very life and blood. Be present in the quiet as the altar is stripped and we follow Jesus' journey to Gethsemane. Good Friday, April 3 - 7:00 pm Service On the evening of this day we call "Good," be present as we journey with Jesus to the cross. Come and discover a love that is unmeasured, a love that transforms our lives the very world in which we live.  Saturday morning Easter Egg Hunt, 10:00 am  Holy Saturday, April 4 - 7:00 pm Joint Easter Vigil at Cathedral of St. Luke Pastor William Barter, Preacher  Although celebrated Holy Saturday evening, this ancient service is the dramatic Easter vigil liturgy that marks the beginning of Easter. We are awaiting our master's return with our lamps full and burning, so that he will find us awake and seat us at his table (cf. Luke 12:35ff).      EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5 This year, Easter is on the first Sunday of the month, which means it is Project Feed Sunday.    Please bring non-perishable food items to place in the collection baskets in the church lobby.  < /span> What better way to celebrate the Lord's rising than to remember those in need of food?      Easter Breakfast Come and join us for a delicious breakfast on this most festive of days. Breakfast starts at 8:30 am, and the proceeds go to fund camp scholarships for Calumet. The cost is $4 per person, $10 for an entire family. Easter Sunday 10:00 Eucharist

Eternal Rest grant unto her, O Lord

Our dear sister in Christ, Lorraine Nevers, died peacefully at 11:45 this morning.

Let us pray.

Eternal God, you gave Lorraine a new birth in baptism and entrusted her to us to know and to love. As we thank you for the life we shared, help us now to release her to your mighty keeping. Bring us all to that day when we shall stand in your presence with all your saints in light eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Lorraine's favorite hymn was "Lift High the Cross!" As a tribute to her and a musical interlude in our time of loss, I am including a link to a lovely rendition of it below.

Lent is here!

We begin the solemn Season of Lent on Ash Wednesday, February 18th. 

There will be "Walk-In" ashes distributed from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. 

At 7:00 p.m. on Ash Wednesday we will have a Holy Communion service with imposition of ashes. 

Our Lenten book study will begin on Sunday, Feb. 22nd at 4:00 p.m.  We will meet for five Sundays to discuss the book "Learning to Walk in the Dark" by Barbara Brown Taylor.  Our idea is that the book study will focus on the themes that emerge in a few chapters each week.  (See the schedule below.)  It is by no means a requirement to have read those chapters in order to participate in book study, but they will guide our discussion.

Feb. 22 - Introduction & Chapter 1

March 1 - Chapters 2 & 3

March 8 - Chapters 4 & 5

March 15 - Chapters 6 & 7

March 22 - Chapters 8 & 9

Books will be available to purchase at church on Sunday, but feel free to purchase one before then if you'd like to get a head start in reading!

Blessings to you as we begin this Lenten journey.  

Join us as we celebrate two amazing people!

This coming Sunday, January 18th, please join us at the 10:00 a.m. worship service as we celebrate the 99th birthday of Espen Christensen. It isn't every day that we get to mark the beginning of the 100th year of faithful service of an active church member. After our Sunday service, we will have cake and festivities in the church hall. Whether you've know Espen for a few decades or a few days, we are sure he and his family would love to see you there!

And then at 4:00 p.m. we will have a vespers service (Holden Evening Prayer) to celebrate the ministry and bid a fond farewell to Associate Pastor Ellen Schoepf. After two-and-a-half years of amazing pastoral service, she has accepted the call to be the new pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan. The vespers will be followed by a soup supper and reception in the church hall.

Solar open house!

Saturday, January 10th, 9-10:30 a.m.
515 Woodford St. Portland

Join us at the St. Ansgar Church in Portland to get answers to questions such as, how much do these systems cost, what can I expect for my return on investment, what are the available incentives for solar energy systems and how do they perform in our Northeast climate? See examples of homeowners in your community who are saving with solar and learn about our exclusive Own Your Power solar financing program! - See more at: http://www.revisionenergy.com/blog/event/solar-open-house-st-ansgar-church/#sthash.M2n5JKnO.dpuf

Dedication of the new solar panels!

Come join us and be part of the move toward a healthier earth!

This coming Sunday, January 4, 2015, at 10:00 a.m., the people of St. Ansgar will officially dedicate the solar panels that now generate our electricity. We will welcome the Feast of Epiphany a couple of days early to remind ourselves that Christ is the light of the World. And just as that light empowers us all toward goodness, the light of the sun helps to free us from the entrapment of fossil fuels!

 

We are pleased to have taken this huge leap toward greatly reducing our carbon footprint. During the past seven years, we have made great strides in energy efficiency:

• Super-insulated our vaulted ceiling and roof
• Replaced aging converted furnaces with high-efficiency condensing gas furnaces
• Installed a passive cooling system for summer months that runs on about $30 worth of electricity a month
• Replaced aging and leaking windows
• Replaced aging light fixtures with more efficient units, and have approved installation of LED lighting for 2015

Join us for Lessons and Carols

This coming Sunday, December 28th, join us for a morning Holy Communion service with seasonal Lessons and Carols.




The Rev. Mia Dyson will preside, and Pastor Bill Barter will accompany on organ and piano, along with Trumpeter and Guitarist Jim McDonough.

The service is at our regular time of 10:00 a.m.

Christmas is here!

Christmas Eve service tonight with festive music and time for the children. 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Morning service at 9:00 a.m., a quieter service.

Both Christmas services include Holy Communion. We practice an "open" communion table at St. Ansgar, and we invite all to participate.

On Sunday, December 28th, there will be a Holy Communion service with Lessons and Carols. Please join us!

Scandinavian Weekend!

 

SCANDINAVIAN WEEKEND AT ST. ANSGAR LUTHERAN CHURCH IN PORTLAND:

CHURCH FAIR ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6^th

and ST. LUCIA FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7^TH

Get ready to celebrate the holidays, Scandinavian style! On Saturday, December 6^th, come buy gifts for the loved ones on your list at our annual church fair. On Sunday, December 7^th watch us bestow this year’s young St. Lucia with a crown of candles. There will, of course, be delicious traditional Scandinavian treats at both events!

WHEN:

Church Fair – Saturday, December 6 from 10:00am-2:00pm

St. Lucia Festival – Sunday, December 7 from 4:00pm-6:00pm

WHERE:

St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, 515 Woodford Street, Portland (corner of Woodford Street and Brighton Avenue) 

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Call Julie Davidson at (207) 756-0605 or email julekake515@yahoo.com.

Is fall really coming?

Although the temps are in the 80's some days, the fall is upon us. As we move from the slow pace of summer, we turn our minds to the life and ministry of our church.

Here are some upcoming events and projects you won't want to miss!

Attention Parents and 5th - 8th Graders - Our Fall kick-off event with area Lutheran churches   is Friday, September 12, at First Lutheran Church, 6:00-8:00 pm God's Work, Our Hands / Christian Education Kick-off All Church Event Sunday, September 14 - Join us for a potluck meal following worship! We will share information and have a conversation about Christian Education throughout   the 2014-2015 year. Then, after eating lunch, we will package cookies and care packages to send to military personnel in Afghanistan. We ask that you bake cookies ahead of time in preparation for this event. Items to bring for Care Packages: Cookies (Any kind EXCEPT chocolate - Chocolate does not survive the trip!!) Any kind of snacks or junk food Candy that is NOT chocolate Toiletry items Keurig-cup coffees We will begin collecting these items on Sunday, August 31, and package them Sunday, Sept. 14! Senior Saints - Monday, September 15, Westbrook Senior Citizens, Westbrook, 1:00 pm and Wednesday, September 17, Barron Center, Portland, 2:00 pm Paul's PALS - Sunday, September 28, Inn at the Village Square, Gorham, 2:00 pm The September meeting of PALS will be held on Wednesday, September 17th at 11:00 am at IHOP. The speaker will be Deanna Ross who will speak about Valentines. Planning meeting at 10:00. Please make your reservation by Friday, September 12th. Sunday, October 12 - Fall Bread for the World Offering of Letters during Coffee Hour Bible Sunday, October 26 - Children and youth will be receiving Bibles during worship on October 26. If your child has not received a Bible, please put his/her name on the list in the lobby. Children in 3rd Grade and above will receive a NRSV Bible. Children under 3rd Grade will receive a Children's Bible.

Special Lecture event!

"Bringing It All Home: A Recovery of the Ordinary" Dr. Janet Gunn will share her story of the Palestinians on Wednesday evening, September 17th from 7-8:30 at St. Ansgar Lutheran Church, 515 Woodford Street, Portland, ME. The focus of her story is a teenager from a refugee camp near Bethlehem who was shot by an Israeli soldier during the first year of the First Intifada and died two years later. Janet met the boy at a Palestinian hospital shortly after his fatal wound and accompanied him to a Boston hospital for six weeks of life-saving emergency medical treatment.  She became a member of his family over the course of the two years he survived on hyperalimentation, a feeding of essential minerals and vitamins by means of a tube attached to a major vein in his chest.   Janet flew back from a visiting professorship at Hobart & William Smith Colleges for the two- week wake following his death in the fall of 1990 when she was an integral  part of the wide community visitation with the boy's family. Her memoir, Second Life, is a testimony to the life and death of Mohammad along with the resulting recovery of the ordinariness of the life she seemed to have lost at the death of her father when she was five years old.  A kitchen spoon  begins and ends her story. Copies of her book, Second Life: A West Bank Memoir, (University of Minnesota Press, 1995) will be available for purchase.