Dear friends,

It has been a long summer, at least so it seemed to me. Of course, we all have our own way of recalling it: the heat, the drought, the barbecues, the family gatherings, the beach, the ocean, the forests, and the mountains. We can go on and on. Somehow, I feel that the time has now come to gather ourselves in our hearts and contemplate in silence all the gifts we have received. Yes, I am sure there was also suffering. Without suffering there is no transformation. I chose to share the picture above because it conveys the simplicity of contemplation. It is a small church in the middle of the old town of Bruges in Belgium. I had a chance to visit several old cities in Belgium that still show their medieval roots. As always, I took copious pictures of everywhere I visited and hope to share some of them over the next season. In general, I was steeped in the Middle Ages for close to three weeks. You’ll hear more about it.

With today’s column I hope to kick off this season with a description of the various spirituality programs we offer. Some are still under consideration. This is an invitation for you to join any of the programs offered. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of these, or if you wish to suggest any other activities. I can be reached via e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]; or via phone: (203) 858-1243.

This is an opportunity for individual private conversation about any topic you need to get off your heart. It could be about doubts about your faith, about your prayer life, your emotional life, your relationships, the meaning of life, even about your joys or suffering in life. There is no limit of themes. If you need someone to listen to you, this is the right form. We would typically schedule a place to meet for about an hour. It can also be done on zoom.

This is a form of contemplation which can be done individually or in group. We have formed a group that meets three times a week on zoom for 30 minutes. We meet at 8:30am – 9:00am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We took a break during the summer and are ready to resume our meetings next week Wednesday, September 14, at 8:30am. New members are always welcome and you do not need to commit to being there every time. Just drop in when the Spirit moves you. This is the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87826242155

This is not your typical Bible Study. We do read parts of the Bible, but most of the time together with other books that talk about and interpret the Bible in new ways. The group meets from 1:30pm to about 3pm on Thursdays. We took a break during the summer and are ready to resume our meetings next Thursday, September 15, at 1:30pm via zoom. Here is the zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/677543587

Have you ever wondered what the prophetic writings of the Old Testament have to tell us? Some people think they are predictions for the future. Some think they prophecy the coming of Jesus Christ. Join us for a study and reflection of their true meaning and discover how relevant these writings are for our lives today. We will not read the entire books of the prophets, only certain excerpts. Our main source of explanations and interpretation will be a very readable small book by Walter Brueggemann: From Judgement to Hope: A study on the Prophets. Walter Brueggemann is a highly acclaimed theologian specializing in Old Testament studies. After highlighting the common themes of judgement and hope found in the prophets’ messages, he invites us to consider what those messages mean for our lives today.

If you are interested in joining this group, please email me. The book is easily available from most book dealers for approximately $12.00. If you are unable to get a hold of the book, or are unable to pay for it, please let me know.

The Men’s Bible Study and Reflection group gathers at 7am Friday mornings in Trinity’s Upper Room with a remote Zoom option. The hour-long spontaneous discussion surrounds the reading of the Gospel passage for the coming Sunday. Typically, 8 to 12 men attend each session, which opens and ends with prayers. Newcomers are welcome! Click here to join on Fridays at 7.

Last year Luk and I led several book discussions on a variety of spirituality topics. Most of them touched people quite deeply. One of them dealt with the spirituality of the old Celts, and their way of seeing all of creation as a blessing. This resonated with us, and with many contemporary writers and theologians. Before the summer we experimented with a few Celtic prayer services in the park. We will in all likelihood continue these Celtic prayer services, either in the church or in the park, on some Sundays at 5pm. Stay tuned for further notices.

We are also still considering if and what book we should read together this semester. You will be the first ones to know once we have made a decision. Feel free to write in your suggestions

On Sunday, September 25^th, after the 10:30am Eucharist, there will be a fair downstairs in the undercroft for parishioners to find out what activities the church offers and how people can get involved in helping out. Don’t miss this fair and do sign up to volunteer for any ministry to speaks to you.

This is all for today. I hope to resume writing the Food for the Soul column on a regular basis, possibly every two weeks. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.

I would like to close with my favorite poem by Rainer Maria Rilke. I invite you to ponder on what meaning this can give to your life.

           I live my life in widening circles

           that reach out across the world.

           I may not complete this last one

           but I give myself to it.

           I circle around God, around the primordial tower.

           I’ve been circling for thousands of years

           and I still don’t know: am I a falcon,

           a storm, or a great song?

Wishing you a blessed fall season,

Lilian