From the Rector, The Reverend J. Sierra Reyes - St. Luke's Episcopal Church | Denver, CO
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The Lark June 2019 Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church From the Rector, The Reverend J. Sierra Reyes Pentecost Day is Sunday, June 9! What is the significance of Pentecost? Pentecost is the arrival of the Holy Spirit to empower the frightened pack of disciples of Jesus into a brazen bunch of evangelists. Pentecost is the day we celebrate the Holy Spirit – symbolized by wind, air, breath, and fire. We read in the second chapter of Acts (Acts 2:1-21) that before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his followers to stay together and wait. The Holy Spirit is coming he promised, just wait until the spirit arrives. The house where they waited was filled with the rush of a violent wind. A tongue of fire appeared in the air over the head of each one of them and all of the disciples began to speak. Words burst forth from deep within their souls, words they had never heard before and may not have even understood even as they spoke. Suddenly this linguistically challenged group of Galileans were speaking Parthian, Mede, Egyptian and other languages from around the Mediterranean and beyond. The result of Pentecost was to take a diverse group of people and to bring them together into a common understanding of what God’s deeds of power meant to their lives. Pentecost is a major event in the life and ministry of the Christian Church. It’s ranked up there with the days of Christmas and Easter. At the beginning of the Church Year we have Christmas; the Incarnation. The Incarnation is God doing the unimaginable by coming to live among us, as a human being. Then comes Easter, something else that is radically new. After Jesus is crucified, a rather predictable outcome to his counter-cultural ways, God does the unimaginable once again. God overcomes the power of death. And now is Pentecost. Just about the time the followers of Jesus begin to feel alone again, God once more moves in unimaginable ways. God sends an advocate, a counselor, a presence, a spirit, a helper, who is called upon to make sure we are never alone again. We are not left comfortless. We are not to stay locked away for fear of anyone. We are not simply reliant on ourselves. This is not what God has called us to be. The Holy Spirit is the energy that touches and moves us, that sends us out to touch others and to trust that with God we are able to be what we are called to be. Join us for our Pentecost celebration at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Take this is a perfect time to reflect and embrace the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life. Reverend J. Sierra Reyes
The Lark, June 2019 Page 2 The Deacon’s Corner, from Deacon Linda Brown It is hard to believe that we are already in the month of June! Many of you will possibly be taking some time off this summer, perhaps heading to the mountains, or traveling to visit relatives, or maybe taking that long awaited vacation with your family. It’s always good to take a break from your routine to refresh your body, mind and spirit. Even God knew the importance of resting after a 6-day creation binge! One of the projects that Jesse and I worked on last summer involved creating a “sanctuary space” in our backyard. We had heard about the importance of having sanctuary space from author, spiritual director, and speaker, Terry Hershey. The sanctuary space could be in your yard, or in a small room in your house. But it’s a place where you can go and have some time to quiet your mind and body from the busyness of the day. The yard behind our house in Arvada isn’t very big, but we carved out a spot under a willow tree, set out a couple of comfy chairs purchased from Home Depot, and put out some flowering plants. It has become my favorite place in the late afternoon to slow down and simply sit, pray and listen to the voices of God’s creation – the wind through the trees, the buzz of insects and hummingbirds, and the kids playing across the street. So, I hope that you, too, will find a way this summer to take a break – even small ones -- and give yourself the gift of time to do something that gives you joy and rest. Check Out the Story from 9News about Bishop of Colorado Kym Lucas The Reverend Kym Lucas was ordained and consecrated the 11th Bishop of The Episcopal Church in Colorado, Saturday, May 18, 2019. Please take a few moments to watch the 9News video (and be sure to read the accompanying printed interview) about Bishop Lucas's ordination and how she views her new role as Bishop of Colorado. [https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/god-has-been-calling-me-here -first-female-black-episcopal-bishop-in-colorado-talks-her-past-and-the- churchs-future/73-54229b30-b417-49e2-a790-695d4c6da4b4]
The Lark, June 2019
Page 3
Gratitude to St. Luke’s Dissertation Project Volunteers
YOU MADE IT HAPPEN! As you can see, after nearly five years I finally got “hooded” for my Doctor of
Ministry (DMin) at the Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS) in Alexandria, Virginia on May 16, 2019. This
research was on Ignatian Spiritual Exercises in the parish. The dissertation was called Falling in Love with
God Praying Scripture with Imagination/ Deepening Relationship with God at St. Luke’s. It was made possible
by a generous, committed group of volunteers from St. Luke’s that met and prayed for five consecutive
Sundays and prayed the project during the week as well during Advent 2017. They shared their prayer
experiences and gave permission to publish their stories anonymously.
Special thanks go to Amanda Ayers and Dr. Anna Bennett for the research they did for the 2017 rector search
at St. Luke’s. Data and parish history they collected and gave permission to use was essential to the
dissertation project. Amanda and Anna also contributed insightful dialogue about their prayer experiences to
the project. Anna became an official reader (and editor), and accompanied me to VTS for defense of the
project in March.
Thanks to Gigi Hooker and Tracey Hooker from the Tuesday Contemplative group that brought their
perspectives about what it means to be Christ followers at St. Luke’s----in Tracey’s case, what it means to
meet God in the unconscious in Ignatian prayer. Thanks to René Gash, Darryl and Darlene Thomas, who
contributed insight to praying Spiritual Exercises from their lifetimes of living their faith faithfully. Bridget
McAndrew and Martha Robertson brought the perspectives of busy women managing both families and full
time jobs to the practice of prayer and how praying scripture with imagination influenced their day-to-day
lives. Jan Jacobs, Mana Jennings, Diane Fleming and Donna Sammons, attended the Advent Retreat briefly,
but added texture and color to the project with their stories during group sharing.
Thank you---all of you. You made what seemed impossible/possible, and made this project into a pleasurable
experience for me, and a gift as well.
-----The Rev. Dr. Sandy Blake.
An Invitation
Hear what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Check-in, Contemplation,
Lectio Divina, Eucharist
Tuesday mornings at 9:30 (without fail!) in the library at St. Luke’s, we meet for friendship with God and
friendship with each other. Please join us for this opportunity to share our own stories (check-in);
contemplation (inviting the Spirit to join us); Lectio Divina (what’s that?) conversation with God in Scripture;
Eucharist (taking Christ into our bodies, so we can be the body of Christ in the world).
A new parishioner in our group said we are about more than
friendship; that this group is a “Royal Priesthood”. And that is
true. Each participant is a “Royal Priest” offering prayer, in
hearing and sharing what God is saying to him/her, and what
s/he is saying to God in return. And each has a part in praying
the Eucharist.
The Lark, June 2019
Page 4
TransFormations – June 2019
Gordon C. Tucker Jr., Director of Christian Formation
Monthly Feature: Pentecost
The holy day of Pentecost celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the
disciples and other followers of Jesus Christ when they had gathered in
Jerusalem for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, which
commemorates the anniversary of the day when God gave the Torah to the
nation of Israel assembled at Mount Sinai. This event represents the birth of
the early Church. Pentecost comes from the Greek Pentēkostē, meaning
“fiftieth”; i.e., the fiftieth day after Easter. It is a tradition at St. Luke’s to
wear red of some kind, to commemorate the tongues of fire that appeared
above the heads of the disciples.
Update on Church School: The Mystery of Pentecost
During his brief public ministry, Jesus selected from his many “disciples” or
a group of 12 men to be his “apostles.” Apostle comes from the Greek word
apostolos, which means “one who is sent away.” The original apostles
included Andrew, Bartholomew, James (son of Zebedee), James the Less
(son of Alphaeus), John, Jude, Matthew, Philip, Thomas, Simon Peter, and
Simon, the Zealot. Judas removed himself from the 12 through his betrayal
and suicide. Matthias replaced Judas after Jesus’ ascension into heaven. In
Godly Play, we tell the story of these 12 apostles and the roles each played
in the growth of the Christian Church.
Update on Adult Formation: Tel Shimron
On June 2 Gordy Tucker described the archaeological
excavations at Tel Shimron, a manmade mound in the Lower
Galilee region of Israel that has been occupied for at least 5,000
years. A team of archaeologists, directed by Dr. Daniel Master
of Wheaton College in Chicago and Dr. Mario Martin of Tel
Aviv University, is excavating the site. Excavations began in
2016, continued through 2017, and paused for a study year in
2018. Excavations will resume in 2019 and 2020, followed by
another study year. This pattern of two years of excavations
Flint sickle blade from Tel Shimron followed by a study year will continue for the near future. In
2019, Gordy will be leading the study of the chipped stone
artifacts, which are relatively abundant on the site. Many of the chipped stone artifacts are sickle blades or
sickle blade fragments, testament to the agricultural heritage of the site.
The Lark, June 2019
Page 5
Rockies Faith Day 2019
It is time for baseball again! Come join us and the
Colorado Rockies for Faith Day 2019 on August 18th at
1:10 p.m. at Coors Field. Come watch your favorite
Rockies players and enjoy the Concert by Kari Jobe
after the game. We always enjoy hearing from a couple
of Rockies players while workers set the stage for the
concert.
Please turn in your money for the tickets no later than
July 31st. Tickets are $18 each. The Rockies are
playing the Miami Marlins.
You can give a check or cash to Jim Robertson or put
payment in the collection plate clearly marked for the
Rockies Faith Day game.
Play Ball !!!!!
The Lark, June 2019
Page 6
It’s not too Late to Register for Summer Camp!
The Episcopal Church in Colorado offers some amazing and fun summer camps for youth at Cathedral Ridge,
its own camp and retreat center near Woodland Park, CO. And it’s not too late to register! The choices for
youth include:
Explore Camp for rising 3rd through 8th graders, June 16-22
Cathedral Camp for rising 3rd through 8th graders, June 23-29
Family Camp for families with elementary, jr high, and high school youth, July 1-3
Cosmos Camp, a science camp for rising 6th to 9th graders, July 14-20. Learn about God’s wonderful
creation by exploring nature, geology, forestry, hydrology, and archaeology. Deacon Linda and Gordy
Tucker will both be among several instructors at the camp.
To learn more about the camps and to register, go to the Diocesan website:
https://episcopalcolorado.org/programs-ministries/children-youth-programs/summer-camps-2019/
King Soopers Neighborhood Rewards Program
To participate in the new King Soopers Neighborhood Rewards Program go to the website at
www.kingsoopers.com. At the bottom of the web page, click on King Soopers Community Rewards, then
click on Enroll Now. You sign in with your e-mail address and password. You then have to enter our King
Soopers number LT113 or ST LUKE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Once enrolled, every time you shop and swipe your rewards card, St. Luke’s will get credit for your purchases
(including gas). If you do not have a rewards card, you’ll need to request one from your local store and then
register it as shown above. If you do not use a computer, you can still enroll. With your rewards card number,
you can call 1-800-677-5464 and either provide the LT113 number or mention St. Luke’s Denver and an agent
will enroll you.
Thank you from the Outreach Committee - you are helping us make a difference in our community.
The Lark, June 2019
Page 7
Colorado Episcopalians and Interfaith Social Justice Advocates Hold
‘Faithful Tuesdays’ at State Capitol
[From the Episcopal News Service – Denver] A
coalition of interfaith leaders and their allies regularly
brought a social justice message to the Colorado
General Assembly’s first 2019 regular session. The
effort was formed from long-standing relationships
rooted in multiple faith traditions, all recognizing a
common humanity, shared values and a desire to change
the public narrative.
“About a year and a half ago, we started talking about
what it would look like, what kinds of issues we could
really come together on, and the power that we might
have if we joined forces and called on both the people in
our congregations, as well as our legislators – who are
our leaders – to lead out of values grounded in our
shared humanity and human dignity,” said the Rev. Amanda Henderson, executive director of the Interfaith
Alliance of Colorado.
Over the last two years of anti-immigrant sentiment, increased incidences of racism and racial violence, and
the proliferation of shootings in schools and houses of worship, the effort, coalition members agreed, has taken
on greater urgency. Hence, “Faithful Tuesdays”. [https://faithfultuesdays.org/]
“I feel like we have this real challenge to the soul of who we are, and there are so many powers that are
seeking to divide us. There are real acts of violence happening in our faith communities and around our
country at large that are grounded in hate and dehumanizing people,” said Henderson, who is a Disciples of
Christ ordained minister. “We have a different story to tell, and we see that the time is urgent to tell a different
story and to live a different story together.”
The diverse coalition of interfaith leaders, organizations and community members who committed themselves
to add a deeper, moral dimension to the public policymaking process in Colorado met weekly for Faithful
Tuesdays. Their focus: “To advance a faith narrative and collaborative process that supports a just economy,
promotes equity, and eradicates racism in Colorado.”
For much more information on this effort and on how you can become involved in advocacy, please follow the
link below to the full story from the Episcopal News Service. [https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2019/05/14/
colorado-episcopalians-interfaith-social-justice-advocates-hold-faithful-tuesdays-at-state-capitol/ ]
Vitality Assessment Survey Results Are In
The results of the Congregational Vitality Assessment that St. Luke’s parishioners, clergy and staff filled out
during Lent have been received by the diocese office and are being shared with the St. Luke’s leadership team.
Eighty-seven percent of the congregations in the diocese participated, and two additional congregations will be
taking a modified version of the survey in June. Based on average Sunday attendance for the diocese, half of
all worshipers participated in the survey.
The information from our congregational assessment, as well data from the diocese as a whole, will be
extremely valuable in helping Rev. Sierra and the St. Luke’s Vestry learn much more about who we are and
who we want to be as we move forward. Thanks once again to everyone who participated in the survey!
The Lark, June 2019
Page 8
News from the St. Luke’s Outreach Ministries
St Luke’s Outreach Committee has been very busy. The “Dining Out for Life” event from
Project Angel Heart [https://www.projectangelheart.org/] was on May 5th, and we want to
thank all the restaurants participating each year. This year’s “Dining Out for Life” event
has reached a preliminary tally of $350,000. To everyone who helped Project Angel
Heart’s successful effort we want to say: “Good Job!”
We will be decorating bags for Project Angel Heart on Pentecost Sunday, June 9th, during
our St. Luke’s Barbecue. While you eat the wonderful food, help decorate bags that will
go back to Project Angel Heart to then be filled with food for meals that serve people with life threatening
diseases.
St. Luke’s is honored to offer continuing support to two wonderful
organizations in Denver. St. Clare’s Ministries [https://episcopalcolorado.org/
st-clares-ministries/], a program of the Episcopal Church in Colorado, feeds the
homeless on Tuesdays once a month in Denver’s Baker neighborhood. We
also work with the St. Francis Center [http://www.sfcdenver.org/] in a number
of ways. For instance, if you have any small toiletries, there is a basket on
the table in the entryway, . St. Francis Center thanks everyone who has and
are committed to helping serve the homeless both weekly and on a monthly
basis.
St. Luke's Outreach Ministries is assembling bags for people in need who come to the church seeking
assistance, such as food, gas, transportation, etc. The bags will be filled with water bottles, tuna packs, gift
cards to King Soopers and Safeway, bus passes, and information on places where they can go to receive
further assistance.
We want to thank our entire parish for your continued support of St. Luke’s outreach programs!
The Outreach Committee is sponsoring a “Jeans in June” drive for the St. Francis Center. Our homeless
guests at the Center can do a chore and then get clothing from our Clothing Room. We are chronically short of
gently worn men’s jeans. Here’s how you can help:
Please donate jeans in the basket labeled “St. Francis Center” that
is on the stage in the Parish Hall. We especially need waist sizes
30-36 but all sizes are appreciated. Because many of our guests
are handicapped, zip front works better than button. A donation of
men’s belts would also be appreciated.
If you are a Senior you can get some items including jeans at
ARC Thrift Stores at half price on Tuesdays, and many items are
available at half price to all customers on Saturdays. Please note
that you have to be careful of the color of the price tag. The colors
that are half-priced each day are posted throughout the store.
A big thank you in advance to everyone who can join us in
helping the homeless and underserved in the Denver area.
The Lark, June 2019
Page 9
Membership at St. Luke’s
St. Luke’s is a beloved community committed to faithfully living out the Gospel in Denver, Colorado. We are
delighted that you have been with us for worship. Our church membership is made up of people from all
backgrounds and church experiences. You may ask “How do I officially join St. Luke’s?”
If you are currently listed as a member of another Episcopal Church …
Contact St. Luke’s church office (303-355-2331 or office@stlukesdenver.org) with the name of your previous
Episcopal Church, and we will have your Letter of Transfer sent here. Your membership will be recorded, and
you will receive a letter confirming your new membership at St. Luke’s.
If you are currently a baptized member of another Christian denomination …
Contact Reverend Sierra Reyes for information about reception into the Episcopal Church. You can discuss
with her how Episcopalians approach the study of the Bible, as well as church polity and life at St. Luke’s.
If you have never been baptized …
Join us regularly for worship and fellowship. Since part of what baptism conveys is membership in the Body
of Christ, the church, we welcome you to participate in our worship and community life--before, during, and
after the baptism. Make an appointment with Reverend Sierra Reyes to discuss the Christian faith and the
sacrament of baptism.
Above all, know that you are welcome in this community of imperfect but joyful souls, striving to do justice,
love kindness, and walk humbly with our God. Welcome home.
Lectionary Readings for June 2019
Seventh Sunday of Easter, June 2 Second Sunday after Pentecost, June 23
Acts 16:16-34 Isaiah 65:1-9
Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 Psalm 22:18-27
John 17:20-26 Galatians 3:23-29
Psalm 97 Luke 8:26-39
Pentecost Sunday, June 9 Third Sunday after Pentecost, June 30
Acts 2:1-21 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21
Romans 8:14-17 Psalm 16
John 14:8-17 Galatians 5:1,13-25
Psalm 104:25-35, 37 Luke 9:51-62
First Sunday after Pentecost:
Trinity Sunday, June 16
Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
Romans 5:1-5
John 16:12-15
Psalm 8
The Lark, June 2019
Page 10
Parking Lot Resurfacing and Striping
Smoke, fire, asphalt, tar, paint...it must be time to resurface and stripe our parking lot! We’re starting off the
summer right, with hardworking crews working all week to perform pavement repairs and give the lot a nice,
new look.
Access the St. Luke’s calendar online
You can always see what’s going on at St. Luke’s by viewing the church calendar online at
www.stlukesdenver.org/whats-happening-2/ or by visiting the “What’s Happening” page
from our website’s homepage www.stlukesdenver.org.Phone: (303) 355-2331 E-mail: office@stlukesdenver.org
June 2019 Website: www.stlukesdenver.org
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 1 SATURDAY
8:00 MSL
9:00 Altar Guild
10:00 Regional
Confirmation at St.
John’s Cathedral
2 Seventh Sunday of Easter 3 4 5 6 7 8
7:00 MP 9:30 Lectio Divina & HE 6:30 Interfaith Study 9:00 Altar Guild
7:45 HE (LIB) with Rodef Shalom 9:00 Vestry Retreat
9:00 Christian Educ. (PH) 11:00 Staff (LIB) 7:30 Choir (offsite)
10:15 HE/CS 10:00 DoK
12:00 Parish Council
9 Pentecost Sunday 10 11 12 13 14 15
7:00 MP 9:30 Lectio Divina & HE 9:00 Altar Guild
7:45 HE (LIB)
10:15 HE 11:00 Staff (LIB)
12:00 Barbecue Lunch
16 Trinity Sunday 17 18 19 20 21 22
7:00 MP 9:30 Lectio Divina & HE 9:00 Altar Guild
7:45 HE (LIB)
10:15 HE 11:00 Staff (LIB)
23 Second Sunday after 24 25 26 27 28 29
Pentecost 9:30 Lectio Divina & HE 9:00 Altar Guild
7:00 MP (LIB)
7:45 HE 11:00 Staff (LIB)
10:15 HE
11:45 Vestry meeting
30 Third Sunday after
Pentecost
HE: Holy Eucharist MP: Morning Prayer
7:00 MP
CS: Church School MSL: Men of St. Luke’s
7:45 HE PH: Parish Hall LIB: Library DoK Daughters
10:15 HE of the King
11:45 Building & Grounds mtg.St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
1270 Poplar Street
Denver, CO 20880-3023
St Luke’s Episcopal Church Service Times
Denver, Colorado
The Rev. J. Sierra Reyes, Rector Sunday
The Rev. Sandy Blake, Assisting Priest 7:00 Morning Prayer
The Rev. Linda Brown, Deacon 7:45 a.m. & 10:15 a.m. Holy Eucharist
Gordon Tucker, Director of Christian Formation 9:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship
Thomas Strickland, Director of Music Ministries
Laura Olivanti, Nursery Supervisor Tuesday
Brock Erickson, Parish Administrator
9:30 a.m. Lectio Divina and Holy Eucharist
Mike Kallas, Finance Administrator
Website: www.stlukesdenver.org
Email: office@stlukesdenver.org Phone: 303-355-2331
The Lark is published monthly and can also be read online at www.stlukesdenver.orgYou can also read
