Harvest Blessings

Saint Michael

Friday is the feast of Saint Michael and All Angels otherwise known as “Michaelmas,” which celebrates the presence of the Archangel Michael and all of the angels as the defenders of the faithful. In the British Isles this feast day aligns with one of the principle pre-Christian celebrations of the harvest. The ever-adaptable Celts translated much of their folklore into a Christian framework to accommodate Christianity. My favorite folk tradition associated with this day is the practice of harvesting carrots with a silver trident. The trident is supposed to bring to mind the weapons of Archangel Michael, defender of Heaven. The carrots are…tasty, and need to be harvested.

This past Saturday the South Central region held its fall convocation at St Paul’s in Wallingford. We had over 30 people representing more than 11 parishes from the South Central region. The morning started with prayer and then moved into an “un-conference” style of self-selected conversation by topic. Participants were invited to place a topic in a time slot and have a conversation that culminated in an action item. Over the course of the day there were 11 different topics suggested and a list of ideas, hopes, dreams, and challenges developed. They included the following:

·        Collaboration to increase purchasing power (paper bought in bulk, shared administrators, shared ministry)

·        Cooperative joint vacation bible school

·        Shared children’s ministries (traveling Godly Play, teachers, materials)

·        Listening ministry (perhaps a 3 part training from ECCT focusing on non-violent communication in our parishes, across denominations, and across faiths)

·        Visiting dinner ministries (Monday, Trinity New Haven; Friday, Grace & St Peters; Third Saturday, St Michael’s Naugatuck)

·        Easier/clearer access to Yale Seminarian preachers

·        Social Media – assistance and use to promote friendly sharing of people and events across parish boundaries

·        Racial justice – share real life testimony of lived experiences of folks from all backgrounds in order to spark conversation about diversity and awareness of implicit bias

Looking back on the gathering of folks from across South Central CT, I am filled with a sense of awe and gratitude for the abundance of creativity and courage present in this place. It is no secret that the Church we have known and loved is changing. I can only guess at what might be taking shape and what might be coming into being (and I’d probably guess wrong!). What I felt deeply on Saturday, and what I feel today as we approach the feast of Michael and All Angels, is that we are surrounded by the Spirit and by the Heavenly Host. Michael and All Angels remind me that God has not abandoned us and that the harvest is indeed plentiful. God is alive and active in South Central CT.

 

Great food and fellowship at the SC ECCT convocation! 

If you would like to join in on the fun, or to be sure not to miss the next gathering please email south.central.ecct@gmail.com or rfield@episcopalct.org.