Here is part two of the COVID-19 Reflections, submitted by folks from all over ECCT. Thank you to all who have submitted, here are just a few more. More to come next week! So please, keep them coming!
COVID-19 Reflections, part 1
We asked folks from all over ECCT to submit reflections on their experiences during this time of quarantine, physical distancing, and uncertainty. We asked where you see God in this, what you are learning, and how you are caring for yourself in this time. We were overwhelmed with the response of essays, videos, poems, and more.
Here are some of the reflections, more to come next week.
Parishes and worshiping communities work together to lower electricity costs
This blog is written by Alex Smith with CPA – Community Purchasing Alliance and CONECT – Congregations Organized for a New Connecticut. These are trying times for Episcopal churches throughout Connecticut. With the outbreak of COVID-19, churches are increasingly shutting doors and moving services online. As churches struggle to move to a virtual offering plate,…
Feeding of the 3000
*Please note the update from the Rev. Kim Litsey at the end of this article. It was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The Lenten Fish and Chips Dinner at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Poquetanuck (Preston), is much more than an average fish fry. It is a sight to be seen, and to be…
Loving one another in the time of a pandemic
Church looks different, caring for one another, being a community looks different when you are advised to practice social distancing. It is a strange thing to write this blog standing in my kitchen with live-streamed church services on my computer, but those services only include a few people. It is strange to know thousands of…
Movements in Faith
A few weeks ago, I received an email from the Rev. George Roberts about an upcoming new ministry happening at St. James’, Farmington, geared towards individuals with special needs and their families. And, not only was this a new ministry complete with inclusive music, scripture readings, and opportunities to get to know each other, but…
Ashes to Go!
Wednesday, February 26 was Ash Wednesday, and for those who are unable to fit a full church service into their busy mid-work-week lives, there is Ashes-To-Go! Here are a couple reflections from some participating ECCT parishes on their experiences with Ashes-To-Go. Holy Advent, Clinton Location: Holy Advent, Clinton From the Rev. Diana Rogers: “Ashes on…
Sabbatical Reflections from Bishop Laura Ahrens
Reflections on the first part of my pilgrimage sabbatical (Mid- January- Mid-February) February 28, 2020 This year I am taking my sabbatical in two parts. I just completed the first leg of my sabbatical, jumping right back in with meetings at The Commons in Meriden on Saturday and a parish visit on Sunday. Let me…
Mr. Fortune
I stood at his grave with a mixture of emotions: grief over the oppression this man lived and the injustice done to his body after death; relief that his body lay undisturbed in the same dirt with the wealthiest families in Waterbury; and joy knowing that he is still visited — that who he is individually and the history he represents is not forgotten. I opened my prayer book and read silently the prayer at the end of Burial of the Dead: Rite I.
Writing an Icon, an Invitation
By: The Reverend Dr. Jennifer Glaze Montgomery Twelve years ago, my friend, Anne, said to me, “I want you to come to a retreat that you are going to love!” “What is it?” I asked suspiciously. “Just come” is all she said. So, I did. The retreat was an icon writing workshop and Anne was right. I loved…