Lent is around the corner and we will kick it off with our traditional pancake supper at 6 p.m. on Shrove Tuesday, March 5. The men of St. Margaret’s are hosting and flipping pancakes. Please join us!
Registration
is required to participate in this online, two-part discussion of how the Bible
came into being, ways to read it, and how Episcopalians read it. Register
here. Click link to be connected to Jane Hartwell
and Deirdre Good. After registering, you will receive all the information
you need to be part of the program, whether you are connecting by internet or
by phone. These programs will also be recorded and available for
downloading.
You can join
this from the comfort of your home. We will meet online on Thursday February
21 & 28 using the link provided by Jane Hartwell, Diocesan Education
Director. Join that link at 6:00 for orientation and introductions. The
seminar is from 6:15-7:15 pm. If you are new to using Zoom on your
computer, we will help you to get oriented before the first session, and if
that fails you can participate by phone.
Our leader, Deirdre Good ThD, is an experienced teacher of the New
Testament and Christian origins. She is a licensed lay preacher in the Diocese
of Maine, a parishioner at St. Margaret’s Belfast, and on the faculty at the
Stevenson School for Ministry in the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania.
A request to change Sunday winter service schedule from 9 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. was discussed and tabled until next winter.
Discussion on child care and how to assist families with children. Task force to come up with suggestions includes Vestry members Faye Ward and Kristen Burkholder.
A pancake supper on Shrove Tuesday (March 5) is planned. It is hoped that the men of St. Margaret’s will host. The Women of St. Margaret’s will supply ingredients.
Parochial report (due March 1) being prepared by Georgie and Chris.
A letter of congratulations from our parish, signed by Vestry members will be sent to Bishop-elect Thomas Brown.
Ideas on how to reconnect with former parishioners and connect with others in the community were shared and will be considered at the next meeting.
At our first session on January 27, participants indicated that for the next session we could consider our relationship to the planet itself as our neighbor, and what this world could be like – without us. The attached readings are on that topic: 1) “Would Human Extinction Be a Tragedy?”, and 2) “Varied Views Earth’s Anthropocene Age”. This second reading is long, but considers what it would take collectively, as neighbors on this planet, to keep us here, on this island Earth. And what is “here” anyway?, and what if we were not the only ones “here”? Loeb’s article is from the January Scientific American – “Advanced Extraterrestrials as an Approximation to God”. But just to be sure this issue is taken seriously, here is a piece from the Washington Post – “The religious questions raised by aliens”, as it is being considered in the Vatican. Yes, that Vatican.
Get Super Bowl Sunday off to flying start by dropping some G. Washingtons or A. Hamiltons into the soup pot at the back of church. The Belfast Soup Kitchen is the guaranteed winner. If you’re feeling lucky, you might put in 12 greenbacks to honor TB12. But 87 for Gronk? A bit of a stretch. Rams’ supporters should expect to pay BIG. That’s only right.
An introduction to my thoughts outlining this year’s theme, and open a space for comments/suggestions.
“Your neighbor as yourself” can be – and is – broad and inclusive, and indeed it is the real business of the Church: relationships among and between people and nations; work; commerce; governance; conflicts; wars… all are “on the table”. We pray for and about these each week in our Prayers of the People.
I’ve included two PDF’s, reading material as set-up pieces, kind of keynote introductions on ways to think about who/what is a neighbor. These are long, and daunting, but hopefully not intimidating, intended as a reference frame for thought and discussion. And questions.
The Nagel article (What is it like to be a bat?) introduces the concept of “qualia”, or subjective aspects of experience: what is it like to be something. There is a lot of philosophical jargon in the article, perhaps off-putting, but worth the slog, and food for thought in coming weeks.
The Kendler article is about the “mind-body problem”, which has occupied philosophers and scientists for millennia. Contemporary psychology/psychiatry/neuroscience has refined and redefined much of interest: how do we know, and can we trust what we (think we) know?
In coming weeks: our relationship with nature – the planet itself as our neighbor; February, Black History Month – racism, inequality; indigenous peoples of Maine; conflict and conflict resolution – game theory; wars – refugees and warriors; the list goes on…
Anyway, these are my thoughts for this series. I am a facilitator, more than instructor, and welcome suggestions, criticisms, questions. Contact [email protected]
Did you go to a walkabout? or watch the streaming or video? If you feel you could contribute and discuss the merits of each of the five candidates for Bishop of Maine, please join us on Thursday evening, January 24, at 6 p.m. in the Parish House. The informed discussion will assist our delegates in their deliberations as they place their votes for our Parish. If you are unable to attend on Thursday, please email or speak with one of our delegates: Deirdre Good, Cynthia Zajac, and Judith Cox.
The delegates will continue to keep us informed during this process.
Please join us! The Outreach Committee will meet on Monday, January 14 at 1 p.m.
We will be hearing from Dr. Carol Kuhn about the work of Konbit Sante, an organization based in Portland, whose mission is to support the development of a sustainable health care system to meet the needs of the Cap-Haitien community with maximum local direction and support.
Everyone is invited and we encourage you to come and hear about this program.
St. Margaret’s potluck supper Saturday evening, Jan. 26, will be a feast and we should invite some friends to share it. The theme is Indian foods but all dishes are welcome and we encourage you to prepare what you would most like to share with guests.
A dozen special recipes are now on the Time and Talent Table in the Parish Hall. Some are for meat dishes Chicken Chettinad, Chicken Korma. Others are for vegetarian dishes, an Indian Corn Soup with Yoghurt, Aloo Gobi (a savory cauliflower and potato dish), a Madhur Jeffrey dish of crusty potatoes with ginger and garlic. Help yourself to any of the recipes, find something interesting online or bring one of your family’s favorite potluck dishes. Desserts are especially welcomed and non-cooks can always bring a quart of ice cream.
The Rev. Stephen Smith will join us and share some of his tales of travel in India including a description of his time at an ashram. Please join us for dinner at 6 p.m. Come a bit earlier if your dish needs to be reheated or arranged. Remember to bring your own beverages.
