This coming week, members of the South Central Region of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut will be meeting to discuss plans for our fall convocation and the diocesan convention that will come several weeks after the convocation. At our previous meeting, we had discussed the theme, “What Do You Bring to The Table?” I have been reflecting on this in a few different ways.

Some people may read this and think, that sounds a lot like church governance, perhaps think about resolutions to be presented at the diocesan convention, and decide that this is an example of the sort of dreadful meetings they got tired of before they stopped coming to church regularly. I pray that the convocation and convention will be something completely different. I pray it will be a celebration of all the great ministries of the church, of all the times we are fed, spiritually as well as physically, and that this will help shape the discussions about resolutions, that our convocation and convention may all help us “restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.”

I live in Woodbridge, attend Grace and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Hamden, and work in Middletown. The Church of the Holy Trinity has a lunchtime weekday Eucharist on Thursdays. It is an important time I take out of my busy work schedule and an important ministry to people like me with busy work schedules. If the parish you attend, and the parish nearest to where you work don’t have a lunchtime weekday Eucharist, you might want to consider it.

For the prayers and reading we use some form of the Lesser Feasts and Fasts. The sermon or homily is typically a brief history of the saint whose life is being celebrated followed by a discussion. This last Thursday, we celebrated the life of Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig, whose 233rd birthday it was. We heard about Grundtvig’s “criticism of the rationalist tendencies that were then predominant in Denmark’s Lutheran church” and his beliefs in Christianity as a “a historical revelation, handed down by the unbroken chain of a living sacramental tradition at baptism and communion”. [Quotes from Encyclopedia Britannica] We heard about his interest in poetry and hymn writing. We talked about how Gruntvig reminded us of the wonderful movie, Babette's Feast, the story of a refugee from worn torn France, a master chef and artists, bringing a feast to the sort of Christian community that Grundtvig spoke against.

“What Do You Bring to The Table”

Friday night, Grace and St. Peter’s has a wonderful dinner ministry called “Dinner for a Dollar”. This is the typical soup kitchen. It is a chance for people from all walks of live to sit down to dinner together. For those who won’t accept charity or handouts, it is a meal that you pay for. For those who can’t pay, you don’t have to. Many people give more than a dollar or volunteer to make and help serve a wonderful meal. It is based on a similar meal at St. John’s North Haven. Last night, two people from Trinity on The Green in New Haven showed up to help with Dinner for a Dollar and we talked a little bit about the coming convocation.

Sometimes, like at Dinner for a Dollar, at the program in North Haven, at DESK (Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen) in New Haven, at the monthly dinners at NEON (the Naugatuck Ecumenical Outreach Network), and many other places, we bring the food.

Sometimes, like at Chapel on the Green in New Haven, at Church by the Pond in Hartford, and many other opportunities, we bring the location. Sometimes, through programs like Abraham’s Tent and various efforts with IRIS (Integrated Refugee Immigrant Services) and others, we welcome the strange and provide shelter.

Sometimes, through groups like Episcopal Church Women, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, and the Girls Friendly Society, we bring a rich tradition and strong community.

Sometimes, through liturgy, arts, music, and poetry, we bring beauty

All of this brings us together to “restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ” and celebrate feasts that I believe Babette and Nikolaj would have appreciated, feasts together with the regular celebrations of Eucharist are foretastes of that heavenly banquet.