Dear Friends,

Blessings as we begin the month of September.  A full schedule for the month is in the column below.  Sunday School, Nursery, Choir and 'Conversations' all start up again on September 11th.   

As we continue to focus on food security please take time to read the article below put together by food security working group.   They are doing excellent work both learning more about food and connecting with work being doing provincially and nationally on food security.

Finally, for those of you who volunteer on Sunday mornings please watch for emails from Kelly Kawohl re: the fall schedule. We will not be mailing out paper ministry rosters but will instead rely mainly on the on-line system.   If you have any difficulties please contact the office.  At anytime you can access the on-line system on our website at http://www.stlaurence.ca/ministry-rosters/.  As a back-up there will also be paper copies of the entire ministry roster available for pick-up in the narthex. 

With every blessing,

Anna

The Continuing Story of the Food We Eat 
Sue Scott

Stories about food and hospitality abound in the Bible. Wedding feasts (Jesus changing water into wine), farmers offering feasts to workers and villagers, dinners honouring returning family members (the Prodigal son), and many more. The creation and transformation of food from seeds to preparing and eating the produce, is an ancient ritual deeply embedded in our souls. At Harvest times we relish and celebrate the fruits of our labour.
However, in the last 25 years, the nature of our food has changed. Increasingly additives such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to increase yield and antibiotics and hormones to increase growth and numbers in animals, are having harmful effects on health and well-being. We still celebrate and honour guests with food, but creation is asking us as human beings to reflect, pray, and act on the quality of our food.

St Laurence Anglican church is a progressive church with a history of practicing reflection. We have systematically followed a national call to take seriously food security locally, provincially, nationally and internationally. Over the last 18 months we have focused on food production and found in the research that some of the food we took for granted as healthy is unfortunately increasingly harmful.
In 2016-2017, we continue to focus on food literacy. Not only will we study what kind of food we ourselves are eating, but also what kind of food we are sending overseas, and what kind of policies enable or constrain healthy food sources. Canada has led the world in so many fields, and we are continually asked to think clearly about ways to feed a large population of people on earth, but at what cost? It is in our best interest to take the time to figure out what is going on with our agricultural industries, without doubt the largest contributors to health and well-being.

Last spring approximately 20 people read the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and devoted four Wednesday evenings discussing the book's findings, their impact on us and how we eat. Several questions arose from this study. Is our food safe? Is it grown or raised ethically? These are some of the questions we are exploring. We also sampled foods to see if we could tell the difference between organic food and industrially produced food. And we had some good laughs along the way.
Being food literate empowers us to make informed choices.This has led to a collaboration between the Food Security Group and Harvest Lunch Group. We looked at ways we can incorporate what we've learned into our communal meals. You'll hear more about the Harvest Lunch collaboration in the coming weeks but expect to find organic turkeys (just like Grandma's) and locally grown produce on the menu!

Upcoming Events
  • September 25, Conversation after church. To start all this off, we will show a short video clip followed by group discussion. We will also update you on some of the things we have learned over the past year.
  • October 2, Harvest Lunch. In the spirit of the slow food movement, we will practice Slow Eating. The purpose is to enjoy and honour the delicious dishes prepared, digest our food carefully, and appreciate those at table with us. No need to rush; plan on staying longer. There will be a short program. Watch for more details.
  • Sundays October 23 and November 13, Movie Evenings. This year the Food Security Group will host four movie nights. We will watch a food documentary and follow it with a discussion. Our experience tells us some of those discussions will be pretty lively. Please put on your Fall calendars, these two Sunday nights in the Fall 6:30 at the church for Sunday Nights at the Movies. Watch for the two Winter/Spring dates in the future.
What can you do now?
One easy action you can take, as a consumer, is to go to the butcher in your grocery store and see if they carry antibiotic and hormone free meat. Go to the produce manager and ask if there are pesticide free fruits and vegetables available. How can the store acquire more healthy foods? We have learned that large food companies are listening carefully to what consumers want.
Secondly, St. Laurence has joined two major organizations (Alberta Food Matters and Food Secure Canada) who work on food security issues at the provincial and national level. By joining these groups, all parishioners are entitled to receive their regular news feeds via email. These emails will help keep you up-to-date on food issues.
You can contact Alberta Food Matters by going to: www.foodsecurityalberta.org  Click on the Contact Us menu, fill out the form and ask to be added to the "list serve." Be sure to mention that you are part of the St. Laurence Food Group.

You can reach Food Secure Canada at:
 http://foodsecurecanada.org Send an email to info@foodsecurecanada.org  and ask to be added to their mailing list. Again be sure to mention that you are part of the St. Laurence Food Group.

Food Secure Canada is the oldest food NGO in Canada, located in Montreal, and was instrumental in writing a People's Food Policy which is now being considered seriously by the PM and Agriculture Ministry as they seek to pass a food policy for Canada. The People's Food Policy is a document that reflects the desires and opinions of thousands of people who were consulted across the country. Alberta Food Matters presently has about 800 members and is a rich source of information on food issues. And as we have learned food issues are constantly changing, fast becoming a social justice issue.

September at St. Laurence
 

Thursday September 1st
10:00 am Contemplative Prayer with Geri Urch

Sunday, September 4th
10 am
Holy Eucharist.
The Very Rev. Leighton Lee preaching and the Rev. Don McLeod presiding.

Thursday, September 8th 10 am Prayer with Stuart McKay.

Sunday, September 11th 10am.
Holy Eucharist. Sunday School, Nursery and Choir resume for the fall. Anna to preach and preside. Steve Koning to lead "Conversations" after the service on General Synod 2016 and its implications for Same-Sex Blessings and Same-Sex Marriage.

Monday, September 12th 7:30 pm
in the Sunshine Room. Book study of Richard Wagamese's
 One Story, One Song.
All welcome

Tuesday, September 13th 5:30 pm
Parish Council Meeting

Tuesday, September 13th 6:30 - 8:30
Safe Space Training led by Calgary Sexual Health. All invited and encouraged to come as we learn how to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ people.

Thursday, September 15th 10 am
Contemplative Prayer with Geri Urch

Sunday, September 18th
10 am
Holy Baptism of Owen and Nicklaus Cabel

Monday, September 19th 7:30 pm in the Sunshine Room. 2nd Session of book study of Richard Wagamese's One Story, One Song. All Welcome

Thursday, September 22nd 10 am. Prayer with Stuart McKay

Sunday, September 25th 10am. Holy Eucharist. Carolyn Herold to preach, Anna to preside. Conversations after the service re: food security

Monday, September 26th 7:30 pm in the Sunshine Room. Final session of book study of Richard Wagamese's One Story, One Song. All Welcome