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Welcome to Saint Ann's Parish
Welcome to Saint Ann’s Old Lyme, an Episcopal Church in Connecticut on the coasts of the Connecticut River and Long Island Sound. We have been a welcoming community in this landscape since 1883.
We are in the time of COVID-19, and our lives have changed forever. It is a time to deepen our faith and stay connected.
The sign on our front yard reads, "The voice of prayer is never silent." Prayer courses through us like the waters of the estuary on which we sit. Prayer is our lifeline to God and to one another. Prayer is as vital as the air we breathe and the water we drink.
In the midst of uncertainty and death, we know that love is contagious, and that resilience and hope are stronger than any fear of the unknown we possess. May our prayers this season of COVID-19 be our consolation and our faith be our strength and guide. In the words of Hymn 594, "God grant us the wisdom and courage for the facing of this hour, for the living of these days.”
Stay connected! Pray with us.
Saint Ann's Mission Statement
We are a community of Christians,
open to all who serve God in Jesus Christ through worship, education, mission and fellowship.
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday offerings, in person and online.
Prayer and other resources here
We've moved to the next phase in our life during COVID-19.
Between now and September 27 (possibly even later), our Sunday worship options include one, in-person service at 9:30am on Sunday mornings, as well as a recorded service available by Sunday morning on the Online Worship Services page.
For those who join us in worship at 9:30am (note summer hours!) things will be different. We will continue to practice six feet social distancing, wearing of masks, sanitizing of hands, and, the hardest ones for me, no communion, choral music or coffee hour - for now. The decisions I make are always first and foremost for your safety and all who enter our doors. Look to me, Vestry and ushers for guidance on what to do - there will be signs as well. Bible Study will be offered at 11:00am via Zoom, as it has been since March.
Many things have changed, some temporarily, some permanently. What remains is this community - which has grown deeper and wider in our COVID-19 time. It is a wonder to me to see how during COVID-19 we are living into our parish goals, so let's keeping growing together in our faith. Blessings and peace to you and yours. Stay connected, stay safe.
New Worship series at Saint Ann's: "God's Good Earth: Praise and Prayers for Creation"
Wednesdays: September 9 - October 28, 4pm
Join us for a weekday outdoor worship service featuring the text by parishioners Anne and Jeffery Rowthorn, "God's Good Earth: Praise and Prayers for Creation."
In this 30 minute service you are invited to bring an object from nature as a meditation or focus for our time together. We encourage you to bring your own chair or cushion.
Slow down and savor the beauty of God's Good Earth right here in the Memorial Garden of Saint Ann's. Wednesdays: September 9 - October 28, 4pm.
Season of Creation worship service in the Memorial Garden
The Season of Creation is celebrated every year by Christians around the world from September 1st to October 4th St. Francis Day. This year's theme has been chosen to be "Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope" (https://seasonofcreation.org/)
This year, amid crises that have shaken our world, we're awakened to the urgent need to heal our relationships with creation and each other. During the season this year, we enter a time of restoration and hope, a jubilee for our Earth, that requires radically new ways of living with creation.
The Season of Creation unites the world's 2.2 billion Christians around one shared purpose. With so much injustice all around us, how do we show the world how to love each other and creation."
The Season concludes with the Animal Blessing service at 1pm in the pet cemetery, or garth, on St Francis Day Sunday, October 4th.
Scripture Reflection for September 27
Authority and the Parable of the Two Sons
It is a fair question, "By what authority do you do these things?" in Sunday's Gospel. Jesus' opponents seek to trap him with a question, and Jesus responds in kind. Jesus has, by any account, drawn attention to himself. His responses to the question of authority come in two parts. First, he connects himself and his authority to John the Baptist. Then he tells a parable about two brothers.
Both sons in Sunday's parable insult their father. Both sons clearly need a change of mind and heart. The one that acted, however reluctantly and late, proves to be the righteous one with the prostitutes and tax collectors who repent, knowing their need of grace. The first son shows up and does the work and the will of his father. Where do you find yourself - if you do - in Sunday's Gospel?
Mother Anita
