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Checking in: May 23, 2020
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Your SE Region Missionary talks about a series of plumbing issues, fixed admirably by her husband, Eric, that led her to this reflection on being a householder and a part of God's building projects.
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Connected to the wider Body of Christ
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The Southeast Region Bishops' Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, May 28, 6:30 p.m.
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Join Bishop Douglas, Bishop Ahrens, our Region Missionary and Southeast Region Leadership Team for a one hour conversation to explore
What are we learning?
and
What is God saying to us?
during the pandemic.
All (peeps) are welcome. No registration required.
Here's the link:
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A community of Theological Imagination
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Here's a blog post from Diana Butler Bass,
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What we believe about
Holy Eucharist
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I share these two articles to give some fodder for your own responses to this question. There is more to be said, to be sure: these are not the only thoughts circulating. Use them as a starting point to consider:
What's circulating in your mind, as you go through this time of abstaining from receiving the bread and wine of communion in community? What are you recognizing about the connection between Holy Eucharist and being in a physically gathered body of Christ? What is your understanding of the role of the about the role of the ordained clergy in celebrating Eucharist? What other questions are emerging for you? Where is God's Spirit in the mix? - Rachel Thomas
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Being Disciples & Apostles:
gardening, feeding, stocking pantries
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From the newsletter of Grace, Old Saybrook
(photo at right by Kate McKinney)
Nothing stops the Common Good Gardens from doing their work; not even a global pandemic. Crews can be seen on church grounds performing their characteristic rites of Spring, including cultivating and planting, weeding and doing various repairs around the garden, all with masks and safe social-distancing precautions.
It may seem early to think about harvest, but the Common Good Gardens likes to plan ahead and prepare. So if you have
any small to medium size leftover Amazon boxes or wine boxes,
please consider giving them to the Gardens for use during harvest, when they transport produce from garden to pantries. They can be dropped off at Grace Church and left on the porch.
In addition to the Common Goods Garden, we know the Food For All Garden is up and running, as are the gardens run by folks in St. Andrew's, Madison and St. Ann's, Old Lyme. If you're interested in volunteering, please contact them; or, if you're willing to plant an extra row or two in your own garden to donate, that is always appreciated.
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Good News Gardens Webinar
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Join our hosts, Courtney Cowart and Hilary Greer for a conversation with Jerusalem Greer, Staff Officer for Evangelism for The Episcopal Church, and Nurya Love Parish, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Plainsong Farm to learn about the Episcopal Church
Good News Garden Movement
and how you can be involved.
Join us Tuesday, May 26th at 3 PM EDT | 2 PM CDT | 1PM MDT | 12PM PDT
Register in advance for this webinar:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Our presenters believe that one thing that love could do right now is call a community of people with the ability to plant gardens of all sizes and kinds together – from small parts of herbs, to hundreds of acres of corn – in order to share the love of Christ through word and action, food and labor. We believe that one new and sacrificial act of love that we could offer is to commit to planting more, praying more, and proclaiming more, in order to share the loving, liberating, and live-giving Good News of God’s love with all people.
There will be practical advice on how you can start a Good News Garden, aka GNG, or how your current agrarian ministry can be a part of the GNG Movement.
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Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries has added two grab and go meal sites to its operations. (Photo SSKP)
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Being Apostles and Disciples: Housing during a pandemic
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Both Ann Faust of the CT
Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (Middlesex County) and The Rev. Ron Steed of the
Homeless Hospitality Center (New London County) have been hard at work with others during this time to find shelter and housing for all who come their way. Critical at this time is the need for low-cost rentals, as the housing that the State of CT has been providing during the pandemic is scheduled to stop being available June 1.
In addition to places to rent, folks need welcome baskets of essentials to get started in apartments. If you can help (eg, a parish could adopt a place to furnish), please contact
Ann Faust or
Ron Steed.
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Example of a Welcome Basket
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bedding set
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shower curtain,
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curtain rings,
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two bathroom towels
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two wash cloths
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bath mat
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various cleaning products (dish soap, bathroom cleaner)
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toilet brush
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sponges
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one pot set
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a small flatware set
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one small dish set
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toilet paper
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paper towels
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In our neighborhood: relationships to explore
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David Williams runs an internet radio station out of an Ivoryton storefront. He writes, "we reach 1.5 million listeners a month. We generate a half million unique listeners a month (non-duplicated)...meaning the average listener checks in with us three times a month...they listen a minimum of 23 minutes a session on average. This is not a small audience...." This link to his
Shelter Island broadcast on May 19th includes an interview with the Executive Director of Shoreline Soup Kitchens and Pantries.
AND, he's willing to make announcements for different events or needs; and he'll even do on-air interviews with folks. Check it out at:
https://www.icrvradio.com
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CT Webinars for a Post-COVID World
All workshops are FREE and held via Zoom, with pre-registration required to keep the webinar cohorts at a size that maximizes participation and peer support.
May 27 “Creative Practice Within Virtual Communities”
June 5 ¡Grant Writing para artistas EN ESPAÑOL!
June 9 “Financial Strategies for Freelance Artists”
June 23 “The Art of Licensing”
June 26 “Staying Creative & Being Resourceful”
July 1 “The Essentials of Digital Marketing”
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Webinar: The Disaster Response and How You Can Help June 2nd, 12:00 pm
Mike Corey, a student in Hartford Seminary’s Master of Arts in Transformative Leadership and Spirituality program, has been on the front lines of the disaster response to Covid-19 in Connecticut.
“It is amazing how many aspects of life this is impacting,” he said.
Join us to hear how the whole community has responded and what you can do to help make a difference.
Register here
Hartford Seminary is offering these webinars for free to help our community in a time of need. If you are able, please donate to help offset costs.
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Being Disciples and Apostles: Healing
Deacon Ron Steed (busy man) is hosting a weekly, guided healing-prayer
meditation on Fridays at 8:00 am on zoom."I lead you into a safe and quiet space with silence and storytelling, then guide us through some healing prayer for whoever is on your heart.We should finish in about 30 minutes with a little time for reflection.It is a good time to lift the burdens of the week from your shoulders onto God's and for us to make our collective healing energies available to the Spirit."
Contact Ron
for the link.
The Rev. Don Parker, a member of the Order of St. Luke,
is inviting other OSL (Order of St. Luke) members and friends to join him for a Zoom Bible Study and Healing Prayer Meeting either on Tuesday nights at 7:00 OR Thursday mornings at 11:00 . here's the link to the Zoom meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84558247215
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Fed by Word and Sacraments:
Midweek opportunities for worship and study
Sundays
Mondays
Tuesdays
St. Stephen’s, East Haddam
, 8:00 a.m. and noonday;
St. Ann's, Old Lyme,
10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer via Zoom
Wednesdays
St.Mark’s, Mystic, 11:00 a.m.
St. Mark’s Live
Thursdays
Grace, Old Saybrook
,
7:00 - 8:30 p.m
.
:
Zoom bible study of John's Gospel on 1st and 3rd Thursdays. Contact
gracechurchrector@gmail.com
for zoom link.
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Bishop's Book Discussion at Camp Washington ONLINE
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Friday, May 29, 2020
9:30 a.m.
Join Bishop Laura Ahrens for an online book study.
Registration is required.
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Connected to the Wider Body of Christ
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Remember to check out all the great resources on the COVID-19 page at
episcopalct.org
. You'll find resources on:
- Finances
- Digital and Online Communication
- Self-Care
- Recordings of Bishops and Wardens zooms
- Listing of Livestream worship
- Materials presented by Robin Hameal Urban and Lee Ann Tolzmann on Effective Leadership during Anxiety & Pandemic
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Digital Office Hours with Jasree and Alli! Every Thursday, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm. What a treat!
Register here
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Are you signed up for the ECCT eNews?
CLICK HERE
to get it delivered to your inbox! It's full of helpful information
.
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When the World Spins Crazy
By Walter Brueggemann
When the world spins crazy,
spins wild and out of control
spins toward rage and hate and violence,
spins beyond our wisdom and nearly beyond our faith,
When the world spins in chaos as it does now among us…
We are glad for sobering roots that provide ballast in the storm.
So we thank you for our rootage in communities of faith,
for our many fathers and mothers who have believed and
trusted as firm witnesses to us,
for their many stories of wonder, awe, and healing.
We are glad this night in this company
for the rootage of the text,
for the daring testimony,
for its deep commands,
for its exuberant tales.
Because we know that as we probe deep into this text…
clear to its bottom,
we will find you hiding there,
we will find you showing yourself there,
speaking as you do,
governing,
healing,
judging.
And when we meet you hiddenly,
we find the spin not so unnerving,
because from you the world again has a chance
for life and sense and wholeness.
We pray midst the spinning, not yet unnerved,
but waiting and watching and listening,
for you are the truth that contains all our spin. Amen.
From Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth: Prayers of Walter Brueggemann. Prayed at the Lay School of the Pentateuch on September 17, 2001. Shared at ECCT Staff meeting by Marcus Halley, Dean of Formation.
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STAY CONNECTED WITH NE REGION
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