The Sunday August 13, 2017 10 am Sermon by Saint Francis by the Sea Rector, The Rev. Claudia Wyatt Smith:
The Sunday 2017 10 am full service from St. Francis by the Sea:
Please forgive some of the audio issues we have encountered in recent weeks. We are still trying to find ways of fixing the technical hiccups.
Fair co-chairs Mary Hartley and Nancy Doane were happy to share the news during a packed 10 am day after the fair service.:
Congratulations to the more than 200 volunteers who made the Fair possible and all those who donated items for sale. It will be a “few weeks” before anyone starts to think about collecting items for the 2018 St. Francis Fair.
It was a somewhat gloomy start to the 27th St. Francis Fair held this year on August 12th at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. Despite the fog and drizzle (OK, rain at times) the crowds came.
For more than a quarter century St. Francis has donated more than $120,000 to local organizations that have partnered with us including Tree of Life, Habitat for Humanity, CFO, THAW, Peninsula Ambulance Corp, H.O.M.E, Nichols Day Camp, and this year our partner was The SPCA of Hancock County.
This is a yearlong project for St. Francis led by unsung dedicated volunteers.
Suzanne Decrow has been a part of the Fair longer than anyone else, from its inception when Junque for Jesus was called the White Elephant Table.
Once again she and her very loyal crew handled this gigantic yard sale, and Joe Thompson graciously, once again, offered his barn for storage. He also heads up the Tool Booth.
David Decrow was in charge of the beverage booth again but what he does behind the scenes is really his gift to the Fair.
Kevin Hunt & John Chappel wrangled all the set-up and take-down chores in addition to solving last minute problems.
The Grillers have become an institution led for years by Brinley Hall
who has passed the “grills” on to Brenda Higgins this year. Few can pass up the sausage or hamburger offerings, or the aromas.
Nor can many pass up the delicious offerings at the food table chaired by Chris Ramsay and Judy Rountree. 
Almost everything sold out quite quickly. 
And, of course, next to the food is the ever popular Strawberry Shack chaired by Mary Boyd which also will sell out on a hot day.
Thousands of books 
are for sale by a committee headed by Julie Boardman and Marcia Fenn and a number of others who spent the early spring sorting books in Marcia’s basement.
Another other very popular booth, of course, is Jewelry and Scarves chaired by Sandy Snow who always does a wonderful job of organization and presentation.
Granny’s Attic (all things kids) is back again led by Everdell and Judy Rountree offering new and very slightly used toys and books and will again be 
located in the same tent as Children’s activities organized by Andrew Chung where face painting and crafts are free as is the horse-drawn wagon ride.
Sums up the Fair with a smile!
Children’s Books are again being lovingly cared for by Kathy DeSilvey.
The Treasure Chest, with chairs Milissa LeLonde and Katie MacLeod, will have wonderful antiques and modern discoveries, and there will also be a small silent auction as part of the overall booth.
The incredibly popular Garden Shed is back and chaired by Sue and Pudge Grindle. This offered all things gardening including plants, herbs, arrangements, tools, books, vases, and even free advice from master gardeners.
There is always a lot that goes on behind the scenes including the coffee cart with Fred and Prudy Heilner which started early on Saturday morning providing coffee and donuts to not only everyone setting up, but also to the many who are lined up waiting to get in.
Jack Joyce and Page Williamson were once again masters of ceremony making important announcements and 
coordinating music including the very talented Scott Grindle. Who entertained for four hours and whose ‘gratuity’ filled jar realized more than $200 dollars of donations for St. Francis and our partner The SPCA of Hancock County.
Joe Lendvai has agreed to photograph the whole event as he has been doing for over 15 years. Anne and Brent Follweiller always take care of any signs that need to be put up or taken down, and Judy Rountree does an exceptional job of publicity.
Elaine MacLean handled the Package Check, a very necessary addition to the Fair, and unseen by almost everyone, Jon Dullnig is our security force on Friday evening throughout the night. He is our Wyatt Earp.
The “Money Man” was once again Tim Thomas who making sure there was change for you when you spent your money to help St. Francis and our fair partner The SPCA of Hancock County.
Nancy Doane, Fair-Co-Chair, (on the right) as a past fair chair is ever-present, from helping to count the money, to working at the Treasure Chest, to making sure the chair is organized. The Fair could not happen without her gentle and gracious support.
The magician who pulled it all together this year: Fair Chair Mary Hartley who has been going full throttle for months and after Fair weekend needs some well deserved rest. Thank you, Mary and your all-volunteer staff.
This was a truly wonderful afFAIR.
And Thank You!!!
Holy Week which begins with Palm Sunday and concludes with Easter is the holiest time of the Christian calendar. A time of spiritual excitement, spiritual dread, spiritual shock, then a renewed spirituality and joy. It is a week of roller coaster emotions and 2017 was filled with incredibly moving and inspiring services. You can listen to all of it, or just parts of it by clicking here: Continue reading
Last fall a group of Maine Episcopalians from a dozen congregations (including St. Francis) traveled to Israel and Palestine. 
The Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF)/Diocese of Maine pilgrimage was and is focused on the life and experience of Palestinian Christians. We learned about their work in the region as well as the worship of the Episcopal Church and other Christian communities; the life of Christians today as they live either under Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem and the West Bank or as they live as second class citizens of Israel under dozens of discriminatory laws.
As Pilgrimage co-organizer Maurine Tobin explained, “Like Palestinian Muslims, Christians live under dire circumstances but retain their faith and engagement in life with remarkable steadfastness (samud in Arabic), often supported by Jewish advocates for justice.”
One of our stops was to meet the students of Giovanni Anbar, Director of the Episcopal Technological and Vocational Training Center of Ramallah Founded in 2001.
It’s mission says it is: “To improve the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of Palestinian youth in Ramallah and the surrounding areas so that they can become creative and productive members of society through technological education, vocational training, music and arts instruction, communication skills development, and the building of intercultural understanding.”
Gio’s family, like so many in Palestine, are refugees, forced from their home in Ramle (now in Israel) in 1948 at gun point by the Israeli paramilitary. He has only lived as a refugee.
The Episcopal bishop offered Giovanni Anbar an abandoned building in Ramallah. Somehow over the years, through fund-raising, tenacity, and faith, he has 
gone from being the sole teacher/administrator of a one room computer lab to director of a program with 25 teachers, an extensive computer training program and a guesthouse/restaurant which acts as a lab for the students in the hotel and hospitality program.
We toured the facility and were moved by what we learned.
It was just one of the many emotional visits on this Pilgrimage.
When we returned to Maine we learned there was money left in the kitty and as a group we decided the fastest help we can provide was warmth. Pilgrimage co-organizers Maurine and Bob Tobin picked up the story just a few weeks ago: “We met with Giovanni Friday evening to present to him the remaining funds from the Diocese of Maine/EPF Pilgrimage, which the group had designated to buy desperately needed heating units for 2 classrooms.
This “before” picture shows students huddled around a small space heater. It has been unusually cold and wet here in the Holy Land and students are trying to work on computers and study in near freezing temperatures with only tiny space heaters for warmth. While the temperatures may not be cold by Maine standards just now, these old stone buildings without central heat are bone chilling.”
Now the heaters are already in place and working.
Gio, students and staff have sent a thank you note for warming their hearts and bodies.
The desire of those of us on the Pilgrimage is to develop an ongoing g relationship with the school so that we in Maine get to know students and faculty and connect personally with the stories of their daily lives.
What do you do with Fresh Snow??
The Sunday School Children of St. Francis by the Sea in Blue Hill, Maine make Snow-women!
The 2016 St. Francis Fair was a super success! Thanks to all the hard work by so many volunteers especially our Fair Partner Nichol’s Day Camps and received a sizable portion of the net income to help fund scholarships to the camp.
Here you can hear Fair Co-Chairs Sarah Everdell and Ray Yardy present the check to Nichols’ Day Camps Executive Director Nan Fowler
Or more accurately, Dogs going to St. Francis for the 2016 Blessing of the Animals on October 2nd right after the 10am service.
And then we moved outside for the Blessing of The Animals by our St. Francis by the Sea rector Rev. Claudia Wyatt Smith.
