You can find the most recent COVID-19 update from our Bishops HERE (lots of info here, with access to archived things, too)

Need a little assistance with Zoom? HERE is a "how-to" that might be able to help!

September is upon us and I, for one, am eagerly anticipating the change of season. In the church, we call this time we are in "Ordinary Time". This is the time between Pentecost and the start of Advent. The church calendar and the nature-based seasonal calendar don't often sync up, but I often feel like Ordinary Time is special.

In Ordinary Time we see the seasons change from Summer to Fall; we physically experience temperatures fluctuating from very hot and humid to down right chilly by the time we are getting towards Advent. In the church, COVID-19 or not, there are no "big celebrations" to prepare for. Easter is over and Advent and Christmas are still some distance away. It is a calm time in the liturgical calendar.

Perhaps this is a gift of Ordinary Time. Perhaps while our liturgical experiences settle into exploration of narrative story we can, with renewed vigor, experience the nature-based calendar. Right now, I imagine those of us who garden are gathering the very last tomatoes and checking to see if the squash is ripe. Our apple trees are almost ready to give us their fruit. We might feel a little sad that our blackberries and blueberries are done for the season, and our hummingbirds and orioles migrate elsewhere. Perhaps we've noticed increased traffic at our bird feeders since our mornings are a bit cooler.

And as we move further into Ordinary Time and darkness settles around us a bit more with the waning of the daylight, perhaps we shall sit with a deeper appreciation of the narrative story of the Bible. What can we learn from the stories the lectionary gives us each week? Is the story of the exodus from Egypt any more fantastical then the ministry of Jesus? In these times we are facing, when we often feel divided, hurt, angry, confused, alarmed, or anxious about what is happening can we breathe into a new (yet so old) narrative of community forgiveness and love? We surely can, with God's help.

On September 8^th both the Eastern and the Western Churches celebrate The Nativity of the Theotokos / BVM (although a bit of colour coding is necessary with the East / West naming of the day).  On the 4^th, the Eastern Church celebrates Moses, Prophet & God-seer.  I will start with Moses and show how there is a connection of sorts between the two feasts. 

In the Hebrew Bible, there is something called a “הִנֵּֽנִי (hineni or hinni) moment”.  It is when the Lord speaks to a Patriarch or a Prophet, calling him by name, and the person responds “הִנֵּֽנִי”, that is, “Here I am”.  It comes from הִנֵּה (“behold” or “yo”) and אֲנִ֥י (“I”).

In Exodus 3:4, Moses has his “הִנֵּֽנִי moment”.  He is tending his father-in-law’s sheep near mount Horeb, the mountain of God.  There an “angel of the Lord” appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.  So he thought “I must turn aside and and see why the bush is not burned up.”  When he approached the bush, God called to him out to him, “Moses, Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”  There you have it, his הִנֵּֽנִ moment. From there, God goes on to tell Moses he shall return to Egypt and lead the children of Israel out from the house of bondage.  So, it would appear that the big enterprise began with a single word (in Hebrew, that is).  

There are many more הִנֵּֽנִי moments:

Okay, Mary and Moses both have their moments, but where’s the icon?  Well, it seems that there’s more to the story of the burning bush.  Many things in the Hebrew Scriptures anticipate events in the Gospel. For instance, the Binding of Isaac (Abraham about to sacrifice his only son) foreshadows the Crucifixion (God sacrificing his only Son). According to Eastern Orthodox teaching, the burning bush prefigures Mary since the  bush burned but was not consumed much like Mary bore Jesus without losing her virginity.  For this reason, the icon of the burning bush shows Mary in its interior.  In many icons, it is the icon of Our Lady of the Sign that is depicted.  This is the term for a particular type of icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), facing the viewer directly, depicted either full length or half, with her hands raised in the “prayer” position, and with the image of the Child Jesus depicted within a round aureole upon her as if you could see into her womb.  He is depicted not as a fetus, but rather vested in divine robes, and often holding a scroll or holding his hand in the form of a blessing.

If you are looking to get involved with Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation and/or Anti-Racism work but aren't sure where to start, below are a few good resources for you to check out that have been curated by either myself or the good folks involved in the Racial Healing, Justice & Reconciliation Ministry Network:

Several clergy from across the NE Region have come together with a desire to facilitate and create sacred space to engage in Anti-Racism work as a Region. The planning group has decided to move forward in using The Episcopal Church's Sacred Ground materials, which is part of their Becoming Beloved Community initiative.

For a brief introduction of this program, please read this message by Rev. Stephanie Spellers and take a peek at the main webapge for introductory videos, including one from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. You can also access the syllabus for this program, to get a general idea about time commitment and expectations.

Stay tuned for more information! This program runs for 10 sessions, and will begin mid-November and running through early-April, meeting approximately every 2 weeks via zoom. If this sounds like something you would like to participate in, please email Maggie.

PHONE: 203-639-3501 x154

EMAIL: [email protected]