ECW Women Articles-Poems-Announcements Archives - Page 14 of 24

Province II continues to serve in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic

Jennifer Kenna, Province 2 Representative
National Board of Episcopal Church Women

As I write this article, I hold in my heart many of our ECW members in the New York City, Long Island and New Jersey communities where COVID-19 is running rampant – it is the national epicenter of the virus outbreak. Therefore, my information is limited but there are some bright spots.

Diocese of the Virgin Islands ECW President Edith Haynes-Lake reports that all of their ECW groups continue to hold all those affected by this deadly outbreak in their prayers,” covered by the saving embrace of Jesus Christ.”

Diocese of Central New York – my home diocese. St. Matthew’s Church, Liverpool, just outside of Syracuse, NY continues to be actively ministering in the midst of this pandemic.

Making Masks

Several of our parishioners have been making face masks, a great project for folks with sewing skills and time on their hands. Some patterns and information about people and agencies looking for masks can be found here: syracusemaskproject.org. If you make masks for parishioners, they can be left at the drop-off spot at church. Penny Dugas and Linda Chambers are happy to answer questions and provide advice for people who would like to make masks. Many thanks to Penny and Linda for their donation of masks for use by parishioners; they can be picked up in the drop-off spot at church as they are available. Let me know if you need one and we’ll figure out a way to get it to you.

Do you know anyone who could use some help?

Thanks to everyone who has generously donated food and supplies to our Emergency Food closet and the Samaritan Center. Last week, The Outreach Committee delivered food to the Liverpool Central School District’s food pantry, personal items to the North Syracuse Central School District’s pop-up food pantry, and supplies to the Samaritan Center for their to-go meal program. If you know of anyone in our congregation or in the community who could use a couple of bags of emergency food, please let me know.

They are caring for each other and those outside the walls in many ways. All three Diocese of Central New York delegates to Triennial 2021 are from St. Matthew’s.

Diocese of Long Island

From the Diocese of Long Island, President Lois-Johnson Rodney sends sad news that in her parish alone there are 5 deaths per week. Her husband Dennis was hospitalized for 2 months with COVID-19, but thankfully has been sent recently to rehab. Our prayers continue for Dennis and all those in LI suffering from the effects of this deadly virus.

Diocese of New Jersey

We are planning a “virtual” UTO Ingathering and Annual Meeting! With the expert help of our ECW Chaplain, Rev. Amy Cornell, and our Worship and Spiritual Development Chair (and Acting Vice President), Allie Graham, we will soon be publicizing information on how our ECW around the Diocese can participate via Zoom, either with a computer, smart phone, or even by plain old regular phone! All will be able to join in! The date and time are the same as previously announced; June 6, 2020, beginning at 10:00 AM. We are pleased that The Rt. Reverence William Stokes will be joining us during this event also, and we will get registration information out to all parishes in the next week or so.

The Diocese of NJ ECW will also award their annual Student Service Awards, monetary gifts presented to deserving high school seniors and underclassmen in honor of their service to the church and the world. This year, the board also voted to return to publishing a yearbook!

“Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of New Jersey, and indeed, around the world, are working to help others during these trying times, whether sewing face masks, leading on-line prayer groups and bible studies, calling shut-ins, feeding the hungry, or being prayer warriors, we are serving as we discern God calling us to do. It is often the worst of times that shine a light on the best in people, and that is especially true of our Episcopal Church Women!” (quoted from the report of Diocesan President Donna Freidel).

Province 2 ECW had looked forward to holding their annual meeting in the Diocese of the Virgin Islands, hosted by their ECW groups, under the leadership of President Edith Haynes-Lake and in collaboration with Dianne Roberts, Diocese of New York and Vernese Smith, Diocese of Long Island, who worked long and hard to make arrangements. Since that will not be possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plans are in the works to hold a “virtual” Province 2 ECW meeting in the next few weeks, as there is business to be tended to.

Please continue to hold in prayer all those in the dioceses of New York, Newark, New Jersey and Long Island especially as they struggle through the deep waters of this painful time in our lives.

Episcopal Church Women2022-09-28T17:38:56+00:00May 6th, 2020|

Nebraska Province VI make Covid-19 masks and hold Zoom meetings

Lynn Fitzgibbon, Province V Representative, sent a note on what their group at St. Martha’s in Papillion are doing:

A team of people from our church, St. Martha’s in Papillion, NE are making masks for whoever needs them. Whoever includes a nursing home in the area. They are continuing to do this, delivering them to those who need them.

She also included an inspirational method she and others in Province V are using to stay in touch.

From Women’s Ministries in the Diocese of Nebraska:

As with everyone across the nation, our plans for gatherings have changed and we are exploring different ways of keeping in touch. One thing we have done is to sponsor a Zoom meeting for anyone who would like to join to discuss various topics. Our first one was on April 3. We offered two sessions, one afternoon and one evening, taking into account the two time zones in our diocese. Our topic was “Missing Holy Week” where we talked about how it felt to be alone, without our church families, in this most special week of the Christian year. We are planning more sessions in the weeks to come.

In our parishes we are helping where needed – making masks, serving meals to those who need them, operating food pantries and working with food distribution centers. We watch worship services either from our own parishes, or take the opportunity to watch services from other churches within or outside our diocese. We take part in Zoom gatherings to celebrate Morning Prayer, virtual coffee hour, Centering Prayer, and study time together. Our prayers are for those affected by the virus, directly or indirectly, and for our nation.

Episcopal Church Women2020-07-17T13:39:35+00:00May 5th, 2020|

Living with COVID-19

Being confined at home and keeping physical distance from dearly loved ones as are our families, friends and faith community, more than ever has revealed to us our vulnerabilities and how much we depend on each other and belong together in this globalized broken and hurting world.

In Spanish we say: “nuestras vidas penden de un hilo” (our lives hang from a string) which means that at any time an accident, a grave illness, or any type of violence out of our control, can cause us to lose our life. Believe or not, right now our lives and the lives of the entire five continents hang by a thread at the hands of a novel virus called the coronavirus that has practically paralyzed most of human activity. Those of us still alive, desperately cling to the hope that our last hour will not come.

In the silence of our homes that have become our refuge, we try to make sense of these unprecedented times praying for all of us. We reach out to our loved ones, writing and calling friends from the present and past. We are moved to tears when we hear any story related to this pandemic, stories of great and humble deeds for other human beings generously offered by men, women and persons of all ages. Those we will never meet but for whom we will be forever grateful.

During this time of turmoil another side of our nation has surfaced. We can no longer hide it under any pretense: this land is not the land of opportunity for all. This microscopic colorless lethal virus has brought to our astonished gaze each one of the social inequities and inequalities we knew existed, and for which many conscientious souls tried to offer solutions to end the suffering, but as this pandemic advances we see them clear as the morning light.

Desperately embracing the hope to survive this pandemic, we try to imagine what the future will be after the Covid-19 virus is under control and or after a vaccine is developed to protect us from this horrible plague. Right now, all we can do is follow guidelines we are told will keep us from exposing ourselves, and protect our neighbors, our loved ones, and everybody from the virus. We can also offer prayers and connect with one another to listen and to offer amiable advice to calm the anguish, the grief, and the uncertainty that has become the normal in our lives.

Rev. Ema Rosero-Nordalm

Social Justice Representative

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-20T18:55:57+00:00April 20th, 2020|

News From Province VII

By Lisa Bortner – Province Representative

Greetings! As we settle into our new normal in social distancing, our Province VII ECWs have continued to remain active helping those that are most in need. In the Diocese of Texas, many of the women’s groups have been making face masks for not only their fellow parishioners, but also for hospital staff and first responders in their areas. This includes women from Good Shepherd, Friendswood and St. Cristopher’s, League City as well as St. Cyprian’s in Lufkin. The Women of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Austin usually provide hot showers each Tuesday morning for the homeless neighbors in Austin. However, showers have been suspended due to social distancing. The needs of the neighbors have not been forgotten. The “Shower Ministry” has provided 100 hygiene packets that have been distributed to the neighbors with basic hygiene supplies. The first 40 were distributed in March and 60 additional kits were distributed in April. In addition, the Women of St. Mark’s are now busy sewing face masks that will be distributed to their homeless neighbors. The Diocese of the Rio Grande, are in the process of putting together a Zoom gathering with worship, some sharing, and a short study. During Holy Week, they posted a service everyday on their website, and encouraged everyone to join in one or more of the many diocesan live streamed services that were available.

The Province VII President, Deacon Fran Wheeler, and myself attended the Diocese of Oklahoma Retreat February 28-March 1 at St. Crispin’s Retreat Center. The retreat facilitator was the Rev. Debora Jennings who centered her presentation around the words of the hymn, How Great Thou Art. She used each verse as the foundation of our silent time as well as out group time. St. Crispin’s is a beautiful setting that provided a calm and relaxing atmosphere for the retreat. It was great to see some familiar faces as many of the past presidents of the Diocese of Oklahoma were present, along with many new faces.

The leadership of the Province VII ECW are actively working on plans for a Province VII Retreat to be held September 11-13, 2020 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7^th St., Oklahoma City, OK. The theme mirrors the chosen 2021 Triennial theme, “Remember * Serve * Imagine. All women in Province VII are invited to this retreat. Province VII, also called the Province of the Southwest, consists of the Dioceses of Arkansas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Kansas, Northwest Texas, Oklahoma, Rio Grande, Texas, West Missouri, West Texas, Western Kansas and Western Louisiana. The National ECW President, Karen Patterson, will be joining us. Come and be filled with the Holy Spirit as we share our stories and ideas regarding women’s ministries in the Episcopal Church. Our keynote speaker is Cynthia Davis, who is a Biblical fiction author and retreat leader. Hotel accommodations are available at Staybridge Suites Oklahoma City Downtown, 120 Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK. Reservations may be made by contacting the hotel at 405-602-8830. Please ask for the group rate for Province VII Episcopal Church Women. A king studio suite is $119 per night and a two queen one-bedroom suite is $139.00. The cutoff date for reservations is August 21, 2020. We hope that many of you will plan to join us.

The Province VII Board will meet the afternoon of September 11, prior to the kickoff of the retreat, to conduct business. New officers and bylaw changes will be voted on. A nominations committee has been appointed and is chaired by Debbie Butcher from the Diocese of Oklahoma.

We are all looking forward to when we can gather again and praise God in unison in person. Until then, we will continue to do God’s work as we each have been called. Please share how your ECW or women’s group is continuing to serve your community by emailing Lisa Bortner at province7@ecwnational.org

Pictures of items included in the hygiene kits created by the Women of St. Mark’s Shower Ministry in Austin for their homeless neighbors.

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-20T18:45:43+00:00April 20th, 2020|

The Knitting Shoppe

I finger the yarn,
Checking its strength and quality,
Comparing the weights and colors.
The shop keeper watches me,
Unsure and unconvinced.
I am a foreign woman in a foreign land.
Possessing only the barest words of her language.

I pick up a particularly beautiful skein.
It is soft and obviously hand-dyed.
And sighing the sigh of true appreciation
I meet her eye and breathe,
“Sehr shon”. (There are umlauts over the ‘o’, ..)
“Very lovely.”

She stops,
Then beams,
Proud that the quality
Of the material she loves
Transcends.

We nod in agreement
As women (and knitters) will sometimes do,
With shared understanding
Of the humble importance
Of simple
Useful things
Which can only be created
One stitch at a time.

Shared with permission by Carrie Newcomer

Episcopal Church Women2020-08-18T14:20:58+00:00April 20th, 2020|

What is Heavy Turns to Spirit

All that is hard and heavy turns to spirit.
It cannot help but eventually
Become like a cup of ink
That is poured into the ocean.
I do not doubt that for a time
The ink darkens the water,
Obscures and displaces the light,
Leaching out its tendrils
Staining what it touches.
But eventually,
Finally,
The ink must break down into its smallest elements,
And even the stains become only faint shadows
Barely noticeable to the outer eye.

This does not belittle the awful impact of a cup full of shadow.
It is only to say, that in an ocean of goodness,
In an expanse of health and light,
A cup of dark can only prevail for so long,
Until it is overcome and transformed back into spirit,
Back into its smallest elements,
Received into one body,
To be made whole
And healed.

Used with permission by Carrie Newcomer

Episcopal Church Women2020-04-20T18:16:00+00:00April 20th, 2020|

Collection From ECW Board Meeting October 2015

Four prayers and blessings from Jennifer Kenna

Celtic Invitation
A Blessing
Reading from Soul Weavings
Homily, Sunday October 25, 2015 – NECW Board Eucharist

Celtic Invitation

This is the table not of the church, but of the Lord.
It is made ready for those who love God and those who want to love God more.
So come, you who have much faith and you who have little; you who have been
here often and you who have not been here long; you who have tried to follow
and you who have failed.
Come, because it is the Lord who invites you.
It is his will that those who want him, can meet him here.

Blessings

The Wisdom of God, the Love of God and the Grace of God equip you to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world. And the blessing of God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer be upon you and remain with you, and all those you love and pray for, this day and always. Amen.

Reading Soul Weavings

Spirit of love, who moves in creation,
drawing the threads to color and design
life into life, you knit our true salvation:
Come work with us, and weave us into one.

Though we have frayed the fabric of your making,
tearing away all that you intend,
yet to be whole, humanity is aching:
Come work with us, and weave us into one.

Great loom of God, whose history is woven,
You are the frame that hold us to the truth,
Christ is the theme, the pattern you have given:
Come work with us and weave us into one.

Homily, Sunday October 25, 2015 – NECW Board Eucharist

In the name of God, Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. Amen.

It is probably the most famous scene in the Jack Palance-Billy Crystal mid-life crisis movie “City Slickers.”

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? (holds up one finger). THIS!

Mitch: Your FINGER??!!

Curly: One thing, just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean [nothin!] (my word – not a literal quote)

Mitch: But what IS the “one thing?”

Curly: That’s what you have to find out! ( Taken from “Gnaw on This” commentary. Rev. Mike Kinman, Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis, MO website, Proper 25B, 2012)

Billy Crystal’s young Mitch is trying to find some meaning in his life, and it is the OLD cowboy, Curly(Palance) who tells him, he just has to answer one question for himself: What is YOUR one thing? What is the one thing that will make all the difference? What is the one thing that means the most? What is the one thing that will make you whole again? What is YOUR one thing?

AND I am going to take it one step further today. As I look around this room I see women who arrived as strangers to each other – well, SOME of us – and now are trying to figure out OUR ONE THING. We are trying to build relationships with each other. We are striving to weave ourselves together so we can best reach and lead and support the women and ALL of this wonderful Episcopal Church in new ways. We are looking for the ONE FOCUS, the ONE THEME that will sum up ALL of our experiences and ideas and hopes and longings – that will guide us in creating a new vision for the future of ECW.

Today we see the blind Bartimeus – sitting by the side of the road, shouting to Jesus, constantly told to STOP. This sightless outcast begging for Jesus’ time and mercy – calling him Son of David – recognizing him as MESSIAH! A BLIND man RECOGNIZES Jesus and names him.

Remember those three times when Jesus told his totally clueless followers that he was the Messiah and what that meant for them? NOBODY got it . . . . oh, except for the BLIND beggar now sitting on the side of the road. Jesus invites that outcast into the inner circle, into the midst of that community. And unlike last week’s gospel – you know, the one where James and John try to cash in on THEIR relationship with Jesus to get him to do whatever he could for THEM – unlike that story, we now see Jesus calling this man living on the edges of society – this Bartimeus – and asking HIM “what do you want ME to do for YOU? What is your one thing – what will make YOU whole – what will make a difference?”

For Bartimeus it is his sight – Jesus’ mercy meant that he could SEE again. And Jesus, without even TOUCHING Bartimeus, points out that his FAITH has made him well – his sight is restored. And then Bartimeus follows Jesus on the way – the only person healed in Mark’s gospel that does that, by the way. Jesus heads for Jerusalem – for his death and resurrection – with Bartimeus by his side.

This story takes place in Jericho – a place that rests in the hearts and minds of the Jewish people as a place where a miracle happened, a place where their faithfulness to God was rewarded – where against all odds that well-fortified city was taken by the Israelites. The writer reminds those first-century followers of Jesus that God can do seemingly impossible things when his people are faithful.

And here WE are in Bean Blossom, IN. And I don’t THINK we can count on any miracles happening – altho’ ya never know I guess. But we can be Bartimeus, as individuals and as a Board – crying out to Jesus, not backing down if and when we are told to stay by the side of the road. I think history has proven that WE don’t do that EASILY! Cooperation and attention to each other and kind listening may well be rewarded by the quiet whisper of the voice Jesus saying “what do you want me to do for you?” It may even be in the whisper of one of our sisters here. IMAGINE THAT!!!!

For Jesus and Bartimeus it’s about something deep down and vital to life – the ability to SEE. It made all the difference to Bartimeus, who kept on until he was right there with Jesus. It was about RELATIONSHIP. And I pray that it will be the same for us over the next three years – first and foremost our relationship with God and Jesus – and finally with each other – bringing our gifts and talents, sharing our memories and our dreams, opening our hearts and minds and eyes to see all the possibilities that lie ahead. We just have to be PERSISTENT, grounding ourselves in prayer, going to God as Bartimeus went to Jesus, and let the faith that brought us to this place lead us and guide us!

SO what DO we hope that God will do for US and ALL of this great church? What does the path to the future look like – what is OUR one thing? It’s time to leave the side of the road, be persistent and walk with Jesus.

Let us pray.

May the Lord bless [us] and keep [us]. May God’s face shine upon [us] and be gracious unto [us].

May God give [us] the grace never to sell ourselves short; grace to risk something big for something good; grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.

So may God take [our] minds and think through them; may God take [our] lips and speak through them; may God take [our] hearts and set them on fire. Amen (William Sloane Coffin, adapted)

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-26T13:01:40+00:00April 7th, 2020|

Fear of Transformation

Evita Krislock From “The Essene Book of Days” by Danaan Parry

Sometimes I feel that my life is a series of trapeze swings. I’m either hanging onto a trapeze bar swinging along or for a few moments I’m hurtling across space in between bars.

Most of the time I’m hanging on for dear life to my trapeze bar of the moment.

It carries me along at a certain steady rate of swing and I have the feeling that I’m in control of my life. I know most of the right questions and even some of the right answers. But once in a while, as I’m merrily swinging (or not so merrily) swinging along, I look ahead of me into the distance and I see another bar swinging towards me. It’s empty and I know, in that place in me that knows, that this new trapeze bar has my name on it. It is my next step, my growth, and my aliveness coming to get me. In my heart-of-hearts I know that for me to grow, I must release my grip on the present, well-known bar to move to the new one.

Each time it happens, I hope and pray that I won’t have to grab the new trapeze bar. But in my knowing place I realize that I must totally release my grasp on my old bar and for some time I must hurtle across space before I can grab onto the new bar. Each time I am filled with terror. It doesn’t matter that in all my previous hurtles across the void of unknowing, I have always made it. Each time I am afraid I will miss – that I will be crushed on unseen rocks in the bottomless chasm between the bars. But I do it anyway.

Perhaps this is the essence of what the mystics call the faith experience. No guarantees, no net, no insurance policy, but you do it anyway because somehow, to keep hanging onto that old bar is no longer an alternative. And so for an eternity that can last a microsecond or a thousand lifetimes, I soar across the dark void of “the past is done, the future is not yet here.” It’s called transition. I have come to believe that it is the only place that real change occurs.

I have noticed that in our culture this transition zone is looked upon as a nothing – a no-place between places. Surely the old trapeze bar was real and that new one coming towards me, I hope that’s real, too. But the void in between?

That’s just a scary, confusing, disorienting “nowhere” that must be gotten through as fast and as unconsciously as possible. What a waste! I have a sneaking suspicion that the transition zones in our lives are incredibly rich places. They should be honored-even savored. Even with all the pain and fear and feeling of being out-of-control that can accompany transitions, they are still the most alive, most growth filled, most passionate, most expansive moments in our lives.

And so, transformation of fear may have nothing to do with making fear go away, but rather with giving ourselves permission to “hang out” in the transition between trapeze bars. Transforming our need to grab that new bar – any bar, is allowing ourselves to dwell in the only place where change really happens. It can be terrifying. It can also be enlightening, in the true sense of the word. Hurtling through the void-we just may learn how to fly.

Offered at two National ECW Board gatherings during conversations about change. by Evita Krislock

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-26T13:02:37+00:00April 7th, 2020|

Navajo Blessingway Prayer

“WALK IN BEAUTY”

In beauty may I walk
All day long may I walk
Through the returning seasons may I walk
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk
With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk
With dew about my feet may I walk
With beauty may I walk
With beauty before me, may I walk
With beauty behind me, may I walk
With beauty above me, may I walk
With beauty below me, may I walk
With beauty all around me, may I walk
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively may I walk
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, my I walk
It is finished in beauty
It is finished in beauty.

From the women of the Episcopal Church in Navajoland

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-26T13:03:09+00:00April 7th, 2020|

Perseverance and Renewal

As we pause to feed our bodies in the middle of the day, we pause also to feed our souls by vowing again to live faithfully.

Living God,
long ago, faithful women
proclaimed the good news
of Jesus’ resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep,
and our faith as true. Amen.

From the midday gathering of Episcopal Church Women of the lower Cape Fear Deanery (Diocese of East Carolina), at St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, NC May 23, 2017

Episcopal Church Women2020-05-26T13:03:48+00:00April 7th, 2020|