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Checking in: December 19, 2020 |
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Some photos of Advent from around the SE Region: Wreath making from St. John's, Essex and St. Andrew's, Madison. A "Diaper Tree" at St. Andrew's Madison, and their new creche (unfortunately, no sound from Grant Underwood's organ recital -- folks gathered outside or in their cars to listen); and St. Lucia day at Calvary Stonington.
With thanks to Maggie Breen, NE Region Missionary, for providing the music to go with it, as we pray, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel".
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Gatherings in the SE Region during Advent IV |
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St. Ann’s, Old Lyme, Sunday, December 20, 4:00 p.m.: Lessons & Caroling on the terrace, in person, with masks, social distancing and singing
Calvary, Stonington, Sunday December 20, 3:00 p.m:. Outdoor CHRISTMAS PAGEANT. The drama will take place across the wide expanse of the rectory rear yard. Any parish children/grandchildren/friends whose parents feel comfortable with them doing a group activity (masked and distanced as much as possible!) should be in touch with Courtney Corkhill (ccorkhill@mac.com) to be added to the cast! Bring your own travel mug to enjoy our hot cider. We'll also have carefully-served donuts.
St. Mark’s, Mystic, Sunday December 20, 4:00 p.m.:
Christmas Carol Sing-along
Join Music Director David Tubbs and the Rev. Adam Thomas will be in the church building. Participants may call out your favorite carols and Pastor Adam do his best to sing them. Everyone else will be muted on Zoom, so you can sing your heart out at home. We won't be able to hear each other, but we can still sing together! Join us via this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88176917176
St. Ann’s, Old Lyme Monday, December 21, 7:00 p.m.: Longest Night-A Litany of Loss and Light
A new prayer service in a time of loss and grief via ZOOM.
Zoom link. Meeting ID 821 9791 3716 Passcode 293291
Calvary, Stonington, Tuesday, December 22, 7:00 p.m.: Longest Night/Blue Christmas Worship Service. On Zoom. Amidst all the talk of merriment and joy, for many of us the Christmas season can be a time of sadness, longing, loneliness or grief. This contemplative worship service is a time to name those feelings honestly before God and know God's caring and abiding presence in calm and quiet
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Homeless Memorial to be Held on Longest Night of the Year
All are welcome to gather and remember those homeless and formerly homeless residents of New London County who have passed away this year.
This year's Homeless Memorial Service will be held on Monday, December 21, on the steps of First Congregational Church, located next door to City Hall. The service will begin at 6:30pm and last for approximately 20 minutes. Masks and social distancing will be required.
Homeless Person's Memorial Day, an annual event commemorated in over 150 cities and counties across the United States on the first day of winter, will also be a call to action to end homelessness in our city and our nation. The event will feature a ceremonial reading of the names of individuals, homeless and formerly homeless, who died in the past year. The event is free and open to the public. Sponsors of the event are St. Francis House and the New London Homeless Hospitality Center.
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Worship times for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day |
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St. Andrew’s, Madison, Christmas Eve:
5:00 pm Bonfire and candlelight in person gathering on the front lawn for the Blessing of the Creche
8:00 pm Christmas Eve Service of Spiritual Communion via zoom
at this link (To call in: 1 929 205 6099. Meeting ID: 811 1099 1356 Passcode: 747242)
Holy Advent, Clinton:
7:30 pm on Christmas Eve via Zoom. The Rev. Diana Rogers will be in the church so you can see the decorated altar, and we’ll worship and pray and sing carols together. Invite your friends to join us—just send us their email addresses so they have a bulletin and Zoom access. Children and grandchildren very welcome!
During Christmas week Holy Advent will post a virtual Lessons & Carols service on YouTube—more information to follow.
St. Paul’s, Westbrook:
5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist For those who feel comfortable joining us in Church masks will be worn and social distancing practiced.
Grace, Old Saybrook:
4:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m on Christmas Eve with Holy Communion, music, and candle-lighting. Reservations required. The 4:00 p.m. service will be livestreamed onto Facebook and YouTube. There will be a Carol Sing outside in the parking lot at 5:15pm.
St. John’s, Essex:
9:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion livestreamed over YouTube
10:00 a.m. on Christmas Day Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion livestreamed over YouTube.
All Saints, Ivoryton:
5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve Service via Zoom: Evening Prayer with their Organist playing music from inside the church building. To access the service, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84868329504
Zoom Meeting ID 848 6832 9504
St. Stephen’s, East Haddam:
7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve, on Zoom: traditional lessons and
carols service with spiritual communion afterwards.
10:00 a.m. Christmas Day on Zoom
St. Ann’s, Old Lyme:
4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve: Tune into our website where you will see the church in all her greenery. In our Spiritual Communion service, in word, prayer and music we will celebrate Christmas and remember our loved ones in whose memory altar flowers are given this Christmastide.
St. John’s, Niantic:
5:00 p.m Christmas Eve Festival Eucharist
St. James’, New London:
By phone at: 1-929-205-6099; Meeting ID: 883 5461 1042; Passcode: 529929
9:00 a.m. Christmas Day via Zoom
By phone at: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 873 9975 4361 Passcode: 632009
St. James’, Preston and Grace, Yantic:
7:00 p.m on Christmas Eve via Zoom and livestreamed to Facebook
St. David’s, Gales Ferry:
6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Come by the church Mon - Wed 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and pick up your pre-consecrated Eucharistic elements to be taken as you watch the live-stream on Facebook. ‘
St. Mark’s, Mystic:
4:30 p.m. Christmas Eve preceded by 30 minutes of special music
9:00 a.m. Christmas Day
Both will be found on St Mark’s YouTube Channel:
Calvary, Stonington:
5:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve: Watch party for pre-recorded worship goes live on Calvary’s website
9:00 a.m. Christmas Day informal prayers and fellowship on Zoom.
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Christmas Message from our Presiding Bishop |
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Lessons & Carols from St. John's, Essex at link above
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ECCT-wide Virtual Lessons and Carols with Spiritual Communion
Premiering December 27 at 10 a.m.
Our Cathedral will offer a pre-recorded Virtual Festival of Christmas Lessons and Carols with Spiritual Communion via ECCT's YouTube Channel.
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Doing the work of being an Apostle and Disciple:
Offering Food to those who hunger
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St. David's, Gales Ferry is planning to conduct our annual Christmas Feast again this year. However, precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have forced us to make changes as to how we plan to execute this important community event. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide in-person dining at the church on Christmas day. Instead, we will have “TO GO” meals and allow guests to pick up meals at the church from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Christmas day.
To participate in the "to go" Christmas Feast this year, please sign-up by clicking here
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On Christ the King Sunday, the "Holy Friendship" parishes of Grace Church, Yantic and St. James Church, Preston; along with Scout Troop 75 and Christ Church Norwich, provided 120 meals for the Norwich Community Luncheon. This is a Sunday meal provided weekly in rotation by churches and charitable organizations for the homeless and working poor of the Greater Norwich Region at St Vincent dePaul Place, the Norwich area's largest soup kitchen, food pantry, and center for advocacy.
With the region's COVID-19 cases spiking, participants divided up the effort, each providing a piece that could be assembled safely by a few people who could socially distance during the process. Gluten-free meals were assembled by Troop 75 (outdoors!), water and fruit was provided by Christ Church, and all of it was delivered to Grace where a small team from the Holy Friendship and Christ Church Norwich assembled the main meals and delivered them to Community Luncheon distributors at St. Vincent dePaul Place.
Reducing the impact of food insecurity is a major ministry for the Holy Friendship, and both parishes have forged a solid relationship with St Vincent DePaul's Place. People suffering from poverty, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, come from every corner of the Greater Norwich Region, including Preston and Yantic, for meals and to get food for their households from the pantry. Before the pandemic, the Norwich Community Luncheon served about 70 meals on a Sunday; now the need has almost doubled.
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Forming Disciples and Apostles who care for creation |
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Congratulations to Saint Ann's, Old Lyme: they just earned the Level 2 certificate from the Inter-Religious Eco-Justice Network's program of " Green Houses of Worship."
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Save the Date! January 16th for an online meeting of those involved in Community Gardens (or who want to be)
throughout ECCT.
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Disciples and Apostles who seek to
create a planet where all can access
and enjoy the gift of creation
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Where is the intersection of the work of anti-racism and the work of caring for creation? Does "more open space" translate to "no affordable housing allowed"? What are the lingering effects of redlining? Why do some landlords not care about making their rentals energy efficient? What makes it easy for folks to doubt that a Black man in Central Park is really a birder?
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Many faithful Christians are joining others around our country and around the world in asking these and other questions.
Judy Benson, of St. James', New London, has just released the current edition of Wrack Lines, a publication of Connecticut's Sea Grant College Program, in which she and others offer local stories about this crucial intersection: A link to the current edition may be found on their Webpage
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Green Anglicans and the Anglican Indigenous Network have been offering a four part series called "Prophetic Indigenous Voices on the Planetary Crisis." The first three have been moving and informative. Below is a link to the one from Amazonia.
Others are as follows:
The last one is Monday, December 21 and features voices from the indigenous of the Arctic
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Speaking of Indigenous Voices: Jill Foster from St. David's, Gales Ferry, sent this information of a very limited time offer.
Streaming on demand, five audio plays written by Mohegan historian and Medicine Woman in collaboration with Hart Beat Ensemble explore Mohegan Pequot history in five eras and interactions with Indigenous and European settler cultures and determinations: "Up and Down the River."
Tickets to hear the broadcast dramas, Up and Down the River, are free and reserved via showclix at the website, www.hartbeatensemble.org. Once tickets are reserved, unlimited access to the broadcasts is available through December 31, 2020, using the link and password, which will be sent via email
The plays are strangely moving, told by Mohegans, and I do commend them for furthering our comprehension and neighbour "nouse". I have listened to them a couple of times now and am gathering a much deeper sense of it all: issues of the church, women, Mashantucket, Mohegan, Pequots, southeastern CT and here and then.
Jill writes, "Hoping perhaps we groupies may discover more together through this and whatever we set our minds and spirits to! I am vitally interested in knowing more and acting better in this relationship."
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Being Disciples and Apostles in companionship
with others around the world
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The Companions in Mission Ministry Network recently held a 6-week series about "Questing," digging deeper into Global Mission Engagement. If you missed and would like to check it out, here's a link to the YouTube Playlist
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Episcopal Warden Private Facebook Group
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Sat, Dec 19, 2020 10:00 AM EST
Worship Leader Training: How to lead Morning Prayer
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ECCT's Cycle of Prayer
ECCT's Cycle of Prayer begins every Advent 1. We encourage you to pray for those parishes, worshipping communities, and all ministries within ECCT throughout the year. Download here.
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Fed by Word and Sacraments:
Midweek opportunities for worship and study
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For Zoom connections and passwords, please check each parish's web site, listed below. Also because things change! |
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Parish Websites for the SE Region
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STAY CONNECTED WITH SE REGION |
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