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NORTHEAST REGION ENEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2019
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New Feature: Icon of the Month - Saint Luke
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I have been invited to provide an article for the October Newsletter on an icon that I’ve written. Perhaps this practice could continue in future monthly Newsletters. So, who should be first? Among the major saints with feast days during October is Saint Luke the Evangelist. When discussing icons, Luke is an excellent starting point. That’s because he is purported to have written the first icon — well, the first one actually painted by hand that is. There is the legend of the
Mandylion
or I
mage of Edessa
, which was done by Jesus Himself, but that’s a story for some other time.
The Holy Evangelist Luke, was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul, and a physician skilled in the Greek medical arts. Although not one of the original Twelve Apostles, Luke is believed to have been one of the Seventy Disciples sent by Jesus to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during the Lord’s earthly lifetime. Saint Luke was probably the one with Cleopas to whom Jesus Christ appeared on the road to Emmaus after the Resurrection. In later years, Saint Luke preached in Rome, Achaia, Libya, Egypt and the Thebaid. He ended his life by suffering martyrdom in the city of Thebes. His symbol is an ox or bull, a figure of sacrifice, service and strength.
Of course, my primary reason for being interested in Saint Luke is because tradition credits Saint Luke with writing (that is, painting) the first icons of the Mother of God as well as of the Apostles Peter and Paul. According to this tradition, upon seeing the icons Luke wrote of Her, Mary said, “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons.” Although worded somewhat differently, reference to this is made in the beginning of the
Iconographer’s Prayer
that I say before starting work on an icon.
O DIVINE LORD of all that exists, You have illumined the Apostle and Evangelist Luke with Your Holy Spirit, thereby enabling him to represent Your most Holy Mother, the One who held You in her arms and said: “May the Grace of Him Who has been born of me, through me be spread throughout the world!”
Enlighten and direct my soul, my heart and my spirit. Guide the hands of Your unworthy servant so that I may worthily and perfectly portray Your Icon, that of Your Mother, and all the Saints, for the glory, joy and adornment of Your Holy Church.
Forgive my sins and the sins of those who will venerate these icons and who, kissing and kneeling devoutly before them, refer honour to the prototype.
Protect them from all evil and instruct them with good counsel. This I ask through the intercession of Your most Holy Mother, the Apostle Luke, and all the Saints.
Amen
.
Saint Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 at Rome, under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. He recorded, in chronological order, everything known by Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings. By doing this, he provided a firmer historical basis for Christian teaching. He carefully investigated the facts, and made generous use of the oral tradition of the Church and of what the All-Pure Virgin Mary Herself had told him.
Saint Luke is venerated as
Saint Luke the Evangelist
and as the
patron saint of
artists, physicians, bachelors, surgeons, students and butchers; his feast day takes place on 18 October.
Article and icon by David Clarke, member of St. John's, Vernon
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From Maggie, your Region Missionary
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Another Fall has come around to New England and I find myself rejoicing in the changing beauty that is Creation. I also find myself, as usual, in my car - driving all over this beautiful corner of CT that we call home.
Driving is one of those tasks that you have to pay attention to; multi-tasking while driving is a BAD idea! Selfies happen while the car is in park, mascara is applied at home, emails are checked in parking lots & calls and texts are ignored completely until I am parked and the engine is off. But one of the things I can do while I'm driving is listen to audio books. I'm currenly "reading" Barbara Brown Taylor's "Leaving Church" which is, so far, a beautiful and heart-full memoir of her time as a priest and all of the things that happened in her life that shaped and changed her. I'm enjoying it very much.
Over the past while, I've enjoyed several other books, including "Becoming" by Michelle Obama, "Speaking Christian" by Marcus Borg, "The Power of Love" by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, "Becoming Ms. Burton" by Susan Burton, and "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson, to name a few. Do you like to listen to books while you drive? What kinds of books do you like?
Naturally, another easy thing to do while driving is to drink in the sites (safely!) through the windshield. There are so many beautiful spots in CT! While driving around, I've explored tobacco fields, verdant forests where the tree trunks are covered in silver moss, acres and acres of dairy farms (ice cream my friends - dairy cows make ice cream!), and picture-pretty town greens.
And then, like magic, I arrive at my desitnation and there are hundreds of equally beautiful things to see. Stained glass windows, loving communities, musicians and artists, retired folks, caches of 1928 BCPs, waterfalls, hiking trails, farmer's markets, old newspaper clippings, tables groaning under the weight of beautiful pot luck meals, the beautiful pagentry that is our worship together...the list is endless. The opportunities for involvement are hindered only by my ability to be in one place at a time.
I hope that the changing beauty of our corner of CT that we call home will call you to explore more deeply all of the interesting things that are available. Join Rachel Thomas, SE Region Missionary, and I as we explore more of The Last Green Valley and their Walktober program, go investigate what the trees look like where you live, be daring a try a new coffee shop for your coffee (or tea!) fix before work, or take your family to a farm and pet some cows.
Of course, you can always hop in your car with your favorite (audio) book and see where that takes you!
Photo by Maggie Breen
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Feasting With Saints, From Blog to Life to Region
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I first started living the liturgical calendar when I was chair of Altar Guild at my home parish of St. Stephens in Ridgefield. Before then I knew what season we were in, of course. The blues and pinks of Advent, the purple starkness of Lent, and the never-ending green of Pentecost were familiar to me. But as Altar Guild chair, I had to anticipate what was coming to be sure we had all we needed. I carried two calendars in my head – the secular one of my work and home, and the liturgical one of my faith. I became fascinated with this calendar – not just Sundays when I needed to set up for Eucharist, but all those in between days of the week too.
As a New Year’s Resolution in 2017, I decided to *eat* liturgically. Our Book of Common Prayer lays out Feast Days and Fast Days. Every Sunday is a Feast Day (so go ahead and enjoy coffee hour!), and every Friday is a Fast Day. There are also Feast Days celebrated throughout the calendar – Holy Days and Saints days of Apostles and Evangelists. They are “red letter” days on your Episcopal Calendar.
I need to eat every day. It’s how God made me. So, when I plan my meals for a day, I do so mindfully around our Episcopal liturgical calendar. Each morning I can reorient my day, my self, to God. This is one way I embrace “Turn” in the
Way of Love
- by Eating Liturgically, I turn myself towards the liturgical calendar rather than the secular one.
One of the keys to making this eating experiment meaningful, I’ve found, is taking care
not
to feast on non-Feast Days. By saving my treats for Sunday, I enjoy the treats and the day more. It feels like rejoicing instead of just…eating.
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And when a Saint’s Day appears in the week, it feels a bit like waking up to a snow day on a day you have a project due in school you’re not quite prepared for. Whoo-hoo! By keeping Feast Days unique and special, when they arrive it is a wonderful feeling.
The feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist falls on Oct 18
th
every year. Unless it’s on a Sunday, then it’s celebrated on Monday Oct 19
th
…but that’s not in the cards this year. This year, it’s on a Friday, which you will recall is usually a Fast Day. Now that I’m many years into this discipline, I am delighted each year at how the same calendar feels new depending on what it bumps up against in the secular calendar. This year, we don’t fast, we feast! Last year, it was a Thursday, and we remembered it fondly as we fasted the next day. Next year, it will be bumped from Sunday to Monday the 19
th
, and we will think of how Christ and the celebration of His Resurrection on Sundays is the most important focus of who we are in our calendar.
The tradition of eating special or specific foods on Saints Feast Days is old. It’s older than our Anglican church. I’ve found recipes and songs mentioning saint’s day foods going back to the middle ages. I’m sure this kind of tradition is older than Christianity. We humans love to eat, and to remember important things using food.
Saint Luke is the patron saint of, among other things, butchers. In artwork he’s often symbolized by a winged ox or calf. For my household, dinner on the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist means Crock Roast. My husband travels for work and is usually gone over this week, so my solo-parenting self appreciates using the crock pot. It’s autumn and getting chilly, and a warm, savory, roast is just the thing. It is ironic that while I enjoy talking about food and planning food, I’m not a great cooker of food. Here’s my go-to, easy-enough-for-someone-like-me-who-doesn’t-like-to-cook-but-still-wants-delicious-roast recipe from
dinnerthendessert.com
:
Ingredients
· 4-5 pound chuck roast
· 2 tablespoons canola oil
· 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
· 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
· 1 teaspoon dried thyme
· 1 pound carrots peeled and cut into 2" chunks
· 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
· 2 cloves garlic minced
· 2 tablespoons cold water
· minced parsley optional, to garnish
Instructions
1. Season the chuck roast with the Kosher salt, pepper and thyme (if you are sensitive to sodium, adjust to your taste or you can even leave the salt out altogether since you're adding broth).
2. Heat your pan (or if you can brown in your slow cooker, do it in that insert to medium high.
3. Add the canola oil and when it ripples and is hot add in the roast and brown, deeply, for
4-5 minutes
on each side.
4. In your slow cooker add the carrots, potatoes and garlic.
5. Lay the beef on top, then add the beef broth and cover, cooking on low for
8-10 hours
or on high for
5-6 hours
.
6. In the last hour mix your cornstarch and water and add it to the slow cooker to thicken the sauce or you can take the food out when done cooking, and add the leftover liquid to a small saucepan with the cornstarch/water mixture and cook on high for just
2-3 minutes
until the liquid is thickened into a gravy.
7. Pour the gravy over the meat and garnish with parsley if desired.
St. Luke is also the patron saint of
stained-glass workers, so I’m considering adding stained glass cookies to the meal plan for dessert. We’ll see what my busy October allows (if not this year, I know I’ll have another chance next year). If you have a good stained glass cookie recipe, do let me know!
I can be reached @eatingliturgically on Facebook and Instagram, and I blog about this mindful meal planning journey on
www.eatingliturgically.com
.
Blessings to you and yours for a wonderful Feast Day!
Article by Erika Plank Hagan, member of St. Stephen's, Ridgefield
(image credit: Wiki Commons -
Icon from the royal gates of the central iconostasis of the Kazan Cathedral in St.-Petersburgh)
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Jesus, lamb of God: have mercy on us, Jesus, bearer of our sins: have mercy on us. Jesus, redeemer, redeemer of the world: give us your peace, give us your peace.
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Survey on Climate Change - ECCT
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The Episcopal Church is participating in a survey to understand the views church members have about climate change. The survey, which was also done last year, is being conducted by EcoAmerica/Blessed Tomorrow. This information will be helpful in developing future efforts for the church around climate change, perhaps including an expansion of the creation care pledge.
Below (in bold print) is a brief introduction from Blessed Tomorrow and the link to the survey.
We are reaching out today to invite your participation in a few topics that impact The Episcopal Church members and programming. To help shape
TEC's
next steps, we want to better understand your attitudes and awareness on various issues and what we can do as faith leaders. As a valued member of
TEC
, we want to make sure that we count your voice in this research, which is conducted by our partner
ecoAmerica
. Below you will find a link to complete this valuable 15 minute survey, which must be done in one sitting, as you are unable to save and go back. Your individual answers are confidential and will be aggregated for analysis by
ecoAmerica
.
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You Don't Want To Miss This: Upcoming Events
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Youth At Convention!
High school age youth from across the Episcopal Church in Connecticut are invited to be a part of the youth presence at our Annual Convention in Hartford this year! Come participate in the work of ECCT, learn how our church runs, and spend time in fellowship and prayer with other high school students from churches all over our state.
Please note that registration for participation in the Youth @ Convention program includes Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral as well as worship on Sunday morning at the Convention Center.
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ECCT Annual Convention
My friends, Annual Convention is nearly upon us. If you are a delegate, please be sure that you have registered to attend. All of the information you need can be found
HERE.
Did you know that you don't have to be a delegate to go to Convention? Anyone can go and have a voice at Convention. You can't vote on resolutions if you aren't a delegate, but you can still attend! Plus, this year we will have the opportunity to worship together on Saturday night at Our Cathedral and Sunday morning!
If you are a delegate and planning to come to the worship on Saturday night, please let me know. I need a couple of volunteers to help me with a SUPER EASY project that evening.
Email me or call me at 860-2140-085.
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The Season of Racial Healing, Justice & Reconcillation:
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Opportunity in the SC Region: Undoing Racism Workshops - New Haven:
The
People's Institute for Survival and Beyond
has been offering workshops for the dismantling of racism in the United States since its founding in 1980. They are "a national and international collective anti-racist, multicultural community organizers and educators dedicated to building an effective movement for social transformation."
This year there will be a series of opportunities through the
Elm City Undoing Racism Organizing Collective
, which is a collaborator with the People's Institute for Survival and Beyond, to participate in these three day workshops. All community leaders are invited to participate (if you're reading this you are a community leader!). A workshop will be offered on:
November 8-10
. This workshop will provide one opportunity to lean into the two year focus of Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation...and there are many others being offered across ECCT! Please contact The Rev. Kyle Pedersen
(
kyle.pedersen@yale.edu
)
with questions about the workshops through Elm City UROC and check out their
website
for more information and for an application.
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Blessing of the Animals & Pet Adoption - St. James, Glastonbury
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St. James' Episcopal Church of Glastonbury in mutual ministry with Ss. Isidore and Maria Parish will be hosting our annual Fall Pet Adoption/Blessing of the Animals event taking place on our spacious front lawn on Saturday, October 5th from 11am to 3pm (Rain Date: Saturday, October 12th from 11am to 3pm). Along with each pet blessing, a St. Francis medal will be given out.
Many thanks to the following Pet Rescue/Adoption Centers & Project Pet Houses for their dedicated service to animals and for their participation in this event:
• CT Humane Society
www.cthumane.org
• Glastonbury Animal Control
www.glasct.org (search for Animal Control Dept.)
• Double Dog Rescue
www.doubledogrescue.org
• Our Companions Animal Rescue
www.ourcompanions.org
• Sadie Mae Foundation
www.sadiemaefoundation.org
• Connecticut Greyhound Adoption
www.ctgreyhounds.org
• Project Pet Houses
www.projectpethouses.com
For adoptable animals and pet adoption applications, log on to the above pet rescue websites.
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2019 Walktober with The Last Green Valley
PIt’s here! The
2019 Walktober guide and contest! Maggie Breen, Northeast Region Missionary, and Rachel Thomas, Southeast Region Missionary, invite you to join in the exploration of the Last Green Valley during Walktober.
We’re having a contest to see who in each Region can attend the most events: simply take a picture of yourself at each location and complete the attached (which can also be found online
HERE) form to enter by Nov. 10
and win a prize.
We’ll each be attending events as we can, and invite you to join us. Check your email for the list of events we plan to attend! Come join us or find your own adventure!
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Community Fellowship And Crafting Day
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Join the NE Region for another crafting day on
Saturday, November 9, 2019
. This event will be held at Grace Episcopal Church, Stafford Springs from 9:30-2:30. Come for the whole time, or just a little while. Bring your lunch, a project to work on, something for show and tell & something for the swap table!
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October:
10/01 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
10/02 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
10/03 - NE Region Leadership Team Meeting, St. John's, Vernon - 6PM
10/04 - NE Region Men's Breakfast, Vernon Diner, 7AM
*NEW TIME*
10/04 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
10/05 - Elisabeth Von Trapp in Concert, St. Peter's, Hebron, 5:30PM - $10
10/05 - Harvest Festival, St. Peter's, Hebron
10/05 - Blessing of the Animals & Pet Adoption, St. James, Glastonbury, 11AM
10/06 - Harvest Festval, St. Peter's, Hebron
10/06 - Celebrate the 217th Anniversary of St. John's, East Windsor, 11AM
10/08 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
10/09 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
10/11 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
10/12 - AppleFest, Grace, Stafford Springs, 10AM
10/13 - Blessing of the Animals, St. George's, Bolton, 10AM
10/15 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
10/16 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
10/18 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
10/19 - Region Leadership Teams Gathering at The Commons,9AM-1PM
10/19 - German Dinner, St. Peter's, Hebron, 4:30-6:30PM
10/20 - Crop Walk to benefit Manchester Area Churches, 1PM - contact Amanda at
funkyam@gmail.com for more information
10/22 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
10/23 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
10/25 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron,9AM - $5
10/26 - Trunk-Or-Treat Halloween Party, St. John's, Vernon, 5:30PM
10/27 - Healing Service, Trinity, Brooklyn, 2PM
10/27 - NAACP Committee for Community Conversations on Race Fall Film Series: "An American Story: Race Amity and The Other Tradition", B'nai Shalom Synagogue in Putnam, 1PM
10/29 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
10/30 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
November:
11/01 - NE Region Men's Breakfast, Vernon Diner, 7AM
11/01 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
11/03 - Concert Serie with "The Jolly Beggars", St. John's, Vernon, 4PM
11/05 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
11/06 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
11/07 - NE Region Leadership Team Meeting, St. John's, Vernon, 6PM
11/08 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
11/12 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
11/13 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
11/15 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
11/16 - Roast Pork Dinner, St. Peter's, Hebron, 4:30-6:30PM
11/19 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
11/20 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
11/22 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
11/23 - NAACP Committee for Community Conversations on Race Fall Film Series: "The Hurricane", Westfield Congregational Church in Danielson, 1PM
11/23 - Craft Fair, Grace, Stafford Springs, 9-11AM
11/24 - Healing Service, Trinity, Brooklyn, 2PM
11/26 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
11/27 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
11/29 - Balance Class, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM - $5
December:
12/03 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
12/04 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
12/07 - St. Nicholas Christmas Bazaar, St. John's, Vernon
12/07 - St. Nicholas Fair with luncheon, St. Peter's, Hebron, 9AM-4PM
12/08 - St. Nicholas Christmas Bazaar, St. John's, Vernon
12/10 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
12/11 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
12/17 - Evening Prayer, St. Mary's, Manchester, 7PM
12/18 - Healing Prayer & Eucharist, St. Mary's, Manchester, 10AM
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STAY CONNECTED WITH NE REGION
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You can reach Maggie Breen, NE Region Missionary, the following ways:
MAIL:
Maggie Breen, NE Region Missionary, St. John's Episcopal Church, 523 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, CT 06066
PHONE:
203-639-3501 x154
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From Occupare Faenum Farm: The cooler morning temperatures are bringing out new behaviors on the farm. The sheep are positively dancing in the morning - running out for breakfast and prancing around the pasture. Michael and I have even noticed an alarming tendency for jumping and climbing; mostly when it's time for treats. However, Luna jumps so much I've started checking the barn for video equipment as I suspect she's working on an audition clip for the next Olympics. Many funny conversations have ensued about the possibility of a "sheepie-cam" in the barn with a live-feed feature! It works for Sea-World, so why not here?
Photo by: Maggie Breen
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