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October 4, 2012
Healing & Wellness, Larger Community
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God, Bless this food we are about to receive. Give bread to those who hunger, and hunger for charity and justice to us who have bread. Amen.
We've all heard the saying, "You are what you eat." Well...perhaps we are!
What we eat can tell us a lot about ourselves. How and when we eat does as well. Whether we realize it or not, food is not only vital to our body-mind-spirit health; it is connected to our spiritual lives too.
How often do we find ourselves rushing to eat whatever is quick and easy on our way out the door? Do we pay close attention to the types of food we choose, making sure that they are wholesome and nutritious? How often do we eat alone, even if we're sitting right next to someone?
In our Christian tradition we gather together around the Holy Table to break Bread. We also share ourselves with each other. Each time we gather together for Eucharist, be it on Sunday or mid-week, at Ascension or gathered someplace else, we are nourished and then sent out into the world to serve.
In the course of our day-to-day lives, where and how do we experience this same meal? With whom do we gather and offer grace before receiving our fill of food? When do we nurture each other with companionship? How do we prepare ourselves to go out into the world and make a difference in our places of work, schools, or community?
These questions open up an important conversation, and we would be wise to be mindful of how food and spirituality are woven together in our lives.
Be well,
Rev. Mary Jo
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And let the peace of God
rule in your hearts. ~ Colossians 3:15
A regular practice of a body-mind discipline, such as yoga, t'ai chi, walking or sitting meditation, quiets the mind and positively affects the body's physiology. Eating a meal may also be done as a quieting meditation. Stephanie Vangness, a nutritionist at Harvard University, propounds mindful eating for stress reduction, improved health, greater enjoyment of food and, for many people, weight loss.
"Scientists are beginning to evaluate and better understand the complex role of the mind-body connection in eating behavior. It turns out that when our mind is tuned out during mealtime, the digestive process may be 30% to 40% less effective. This can contribute to digestive stress, such as gas, bloating and bowel irregularities. Gas and bloating aside, overeating and obesity are perhaps the most significant health problems caused, at least in part, by mindless eating. The mind-body connection plays a pivotal role in our ability to accurately assess hunger and fullness."
Vangness gives these suggestions for eating mindfully: eat with chopsticks; eat with your non-dominant hand; chew your food 30 to 50 times (well, spend more time chewing;) eat without TV, newspaper or computer; eat sitting down; put the proper portions of food on your plate and try to make the meal last at least 20 minutes.
Try eating one meal meditatively each day. With children, invite conversation about the food, where it came from, how it got to the table, how it tastes, what it reminds them of. Focus on the food and each other.
Yoga, t'ai chi, sitting and walking meditation, eating meditation, any moment-to-moment awareness: these will help us hear the body's voice of what it needs for food, rest, work, play.
~Namasté, Andrea Johnson, parish nurse
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 "Grace Before Meals" by John O'Donohue: As we begin this meal with grace,
Let us become aware of the memory
Carried inside the food before us:
The quiver of seed
Awakening in the earth,
Unfolding in a trust of roots
And slender stems of growth,
On its voyage toward harvest,
the kiss of rain and surge of sun;
The innocence of animal soul
That never spoke a work,
Nourished by the earth
To become today our food;
The work of all the strangers
Whose hands prepared it,
The privilege of wealth and health
that enables us to feast and celebrate.
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A Pastoral Care Team Tea will be offered on Saturday, October 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the Parish Hall for current Pastoral Care Team members, Healing Touch Team members, and anyone contemplating being on the Pastoral Care Team or Healing Touch Team.
Call Andrea Johnson, parish nurse if you have questions, 651-439-3544, or email andrea@aechurch.org
Call Deacon Mary Jo Feely for questions about the Healing Touch Team, 651-439-9001, or email revmaryjo@gmail.com
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The Caim meditation and contemplative prayer group is planning a 2 day retreat to the Episcopal House of Prayer at St. Johns Abbey, Collegeville, MN, Friday, October 12, through Sunday, (departure time as convenient), October 14, 2012. We would like to invite anyone else interested to join us. Every year we look forward to this quiet time of meditation in the oratory, attendance at services with the abbey monks, hiking the beautiful grounds of St. Johns or pursuing our creative interests. In the evening we gather for wine, good food and spiritual discussion. For cost and further information contact Sally Giese. sally.giese@att.net |
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 Community Invited To "Eat More Vegetables"Cookbook Signing And Tasting -- October 19, 2012
STILLWATER, MINN. - Parents, home cooks, gardeners, health enthusiasts, vegetarians, and veggie-lover-wannabes are invited to meet Tricia Cornell, author of the newly released cookbook Eat More Vegetables: Making the Most of Your Seasonal Produce, for a free recipe sampling and book signing at Our Community Kitchen, 214 N. Third Street on Friday, October 19 at 6:30 pm.
The event, sponsored by Stillwater's Valley Bookseller and River Market Co-op, is for anyone seeking to reap all the pleasure, flavor, and nutrition they can from the ample supply of seasonal farmers' market vegetables and abundant Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes. For those wondering what to do with an overload of squash, how to cook fennel, or how to add some zip to zucchini, Tricia Cornell comes to the rescue in Eat More Vegetables, arranged seasonally to correspond with a northern harvest.
Guests at the event will enjoy a sampling of recipes from the cookbook that could be served at breakfast to highlight Our Community Kitchen's mission. Our Community Kitchen is rooted in food justice and a desire to create community.
Copies of Eat More Vegetables (248 pages, 20 b/w illustrations, 135 recipes) will be available for purchase at the event and are currently sold at the Valley Bookseller, 217 Main Street in Stillwater for $27.95, hardcover. Tricia Cornell is a writer for The Heavy Table online food magazine and for Twin Cities Business, a former editor for Minnesota Parent and Minnesota Good Age, and a veteran CSA subscriber to Hog's Back Farm of Arkansaw, Wisconsin.
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The fall Yogadevotion session began Tuesday, September 25. Since we reached the minimum of 10 registrations for this session, Yogadevotion will allow anyone interested in attending a half-session (the last four classes, 10/23/10/30, 11/13 and 11/20) for $27.50. Contact Laura Weston if interested, 651-430-9028.
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T'ai Chi is cancelled. We plan to reschedule it at a later date. For questions, call Allan LaValier or Lynn Raarup at 651-351-0539.
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 Convention report, photos, and video available
September 21 was a beautiful day in Morton on the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. That weekend, the 155th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church met and began to move more fully into engaging God's mission. Focusing on the theme of Who is My Neighbor, we took a great step forward in reclaiming our missional roots. Read more. |
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Treats to be sent to our friends away at school
The Youth Groups again this year will be sending Halloween treats off to all of our 10 friends away at school. They will be collecting candy to fill small boxes for each person. If you are interested in helping with this, there are many ways to get involved.
Donate a bag of candy to go into the boxes
Donate small gifts to go into the boxes
Sign the cards made by the youth group
Donate money to help with the shipping.
All boxes are sent priority flat rate mail, $5.00 each. Please make checks out to Ascension with 'care package' in memo line. There is a table set up in the Parish Hall to collect donations and to sign cards.
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Please remember: 
Sunday, October 7, Usher and Greeter Training, following 10 a.m. service: All those who serve as ushers and greeters are invited to attend a training to renew and refresh our work. Lunch provided. Newcomers welcome.
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 Our Supportive Housing Program families have some requests-a computer, Queen or a Full size bed, and Queen size bedding for an older teen girl (black and bright colors like purple and lime green are her favorite colors). Please call Cindy at 439-2641 if you can help with any of the above requests. Thank you for the donation of a TV! |
MN United Conversation Drive- Stillwater
Sign up to participate in a conversation drive with Minnesotans United For All Families!
We are calling to talk to either known supporters or undecided voters. Our calls to supporters are to invite them to a conversation drive in order to build the largest grassroots campaign in Minnesota history. We call undecided voters to have conversations with them about why marriage matters and ask them questions about where they stand on the issue. This is a voter conversation drive unlike any you've ever done before! Each conversation drive includes a training on how to talk to either supporters or undecided voters.
This is the most important work you can be doing at this point!
Every Monday and Tuesday night, from now until the election!
Location:
Office of Ascension Episcopal Church, Manwaring
215 N 4th St N
Stillwater, MN, 55082
Start time: 6:30pm
End time: 9:30pm
Hosted by: Minnesotans United for All Families
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From the Office:
We have just printed our new Fall Directories and they are available in the Sanctuary on the shelf behind the choir loft. If you see any corrections, please notify the office at office@aechurch.org. Soon we will be posting the weekly bulletin so those who would like to download to their I-Pad or tablet may do so. The Ascension office will be closed on Fridays. Office hours are: Mon, Tues & Thurs.; 10-4 and Wed.; 10-2. Thank you! Nance Anders
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 Ashland Productions Proudly Presents Joseph!
The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of family, hope, and acceptance. With a cast as young as 7 and as old as ..., this productions brings together all ages to put on a truly inspiring show.
Showtimes:
October 26, 7:30pm
October 27, 7:30pm
October 28, 2:00pm
November 2, 7:30pm
November 3, 7:30pm
November 4, 7:30 pm
November 9, 7:30pm
November 10, 7:30pm-- DINNER THEATER
November 11, 2:00pm
I hear they are going fast!! |
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 Vida Dutton Scudder Educator and Witness For Peace (10 October 1954) Vida Dutton Scudder (December 15, 1861- October 9, 1954), educator, activist and founder of the Episcopal Church Socialist League was born to Congregationalist missionaries in India. In the 1870s, Vida and her mother were confirmed as Episcopalians by Phillips Brooks. After studying English literature at Smith College and Oxford University, Scudder began teaching at Wellesley College. Her love of scholarship was matched by her social conscience and deep spirituality.
As a young woman, Scudder began the College Settlements Association, joined the Society of Christian Socialists, and began her life-long association with the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross in 1889. In 1893, Scudder took a leave of absence from Wellesley to work with Helena Stuart Dudley to found Denison House in Boston. Scudder experienced a breakdown in 1901 due to the stress of teaching and activism. After two years of recuperation in Italy, she returned renewed and became more active in church and socialist groups; she started a group for Italian immigrants at Denison House and took an active part in organizing the Women's Trade Union League. In 1911, Scudder founded the Episcopal Church Socialist League, and formally joined the Socialist party. Her support of striking textile workers in the Lawrence, Massachuetts strike in 1912 drew a great deal of criticism and threatened her teaching position. Though she initially supported World War I, she joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation in 1923, and by the 1930s she was a pacifist.
Throughout her life Scudder's primary relationships and support network were women; her closest companion was Florence Converse, who shared in her religious faith and political ideals. After retirement, Scudder authored sixteen books on religious and political subjects, combining her intense activism with and an equally vibrant spirituality. She was the first woman published in the Anglican Theological Review.
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Altar Flowers
If you are interested in sponsoring altar flowers for 2012, please contact Barb Smolik at 651-275-3533 or the office at 651-439-2609 for sign-up. Get your names on the dates you wish before they fill up.
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Ongoing Events
 Our Community KitchenTuesday and Thursday mornings 7 - 10 am @ Ascension's Kitchen and Fellowship Hall.
Come and meet your community and have a delicious breakfast!
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Ongoing Groups:
Scripture Reflection and Prayer GroupFirst & Third Thursdays from 9 - 10:30 am in the Library
Thich Naht Hanh study/meditation group
Thursday nights at 7 pm in Parish Hall
Zen style Meditation group
Saturday mornings at 7 am in Small Chapel
Healing Touch
2nd Saturday every month in the Sanctuary at 9 am
Youth Choir Wednesday nights at 4:45 pmfor more info contact Nancy Whipkey @ 651-439-2609
Adult Choir
Wednesday nights at 7:15 pmfor more info contact Nancy Whipkey @ 651-439-2609
YogaDevotion & Tai Chi
Yoga began 9/25, Tuesdays at 7 pm
Tai Chi was cancelled for the Fall, to be rescheduled at a later date.
There will be no more Tai Chi Practice at Washington Park, Saturday mornings at 8 a.m.
Contact Laura Weston if interested in Yogadevotion at 651-430-9028
Centering Prayer Groupfor more information on meeting times contact Lois Welshons @jonlos@aol.com |
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Ascension Episcopal Church
E-Newsletter CommunicationsLynn Raarup To submit an article or question please e-mail me at: enews@aechurch.org 651-439-2609 |
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