Podcast appearances and mentions of Laura J Ahrens

Sermon from Confirmation & the Holy Eucharist with Celebrant and Guest Preacher the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens on Sunday, May 4, 2025 For more information on Saint Luke's Parish, visit www.saintlukesdarien.org.

The 65th annual Trinity College Christmas Festival of Lessons and Carols was held on Sunday, December 8, 2024, a service that was offered as a shared moment of comfort and hope. A PDF of the order of service is available here https://www.trincoll.edu/spiritualandreligiouslife/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2024/11/Lessons-and-Carols-Program-2024-for-web.pdf The festivals, offered at two times, featured the Chapel Singers; Trinity College Gospel Choir; Ellen Dickinson, college carillonist; Elijah Morris '28, organ; Madison Thompson '25, organ; Chris Yi '26, organ; Christopher Houlihan '09, John Rose Distinguished College Organist, Director of Chapel Music, and Artist-in-Residence; The Very Rev. Marcus George Halley, chaplain to the college; and The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan, The Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

What if our definitions of God aren't nearly big enough? If God is love, maybe our definitions of love are too small as well. So what are we to do with this overflow of love? Share it!#episcopal #episcopalchurch #episcopalian #church #jesusmovement #wayoflove #christian #anglican #allarewelcome #christianity #prayer #jesus #iglesiaepiscopal   #theology #anglicanchurch #holyspririt #faith #stmarksnewcanaaan #lauraahrens #ens #ecct #spirituality #bible #scriptures #joy #peace #grace #hope 

The Fourth Sunday of Advent. Bishop Laura Ahrens reflects on the story of the Little Drummer Boy and asks us to consider what we too might find as we journey to the manger.#episcopal #episcopalchurch #episcopalian #church #jesusmovement #wayoflove #christian #anglican #allarewelcome #christianity #prayer #jesus #iglesiaepiscopal   #theology #anglicanchurch #holyspririt #faith #stmarksnewcanaaan #lauraahrens #ens #ecct #spirituality #bible #scriptures #joy #peace #grace #hope

30 The Blessing — The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan, The Episcopal Church In Conn by Trinity College

Today we are doing something a little bit differently. The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens will be leading us in a prayerful meditation/reflection on Good Friday. We invite you to utilize this time for some quiet. It might not be the best podcast to listen to in the car, but rather take 15 minutes out of your day to sit with God and pray. There are intentional pauses throughout the recording, please utilize them for times of prayer and personal reflection.    Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.  

In this episode, Coffee Hour at The Commons is on the road again, back at Camp Washington, the summer camp and year-round conference center of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut and located on 300 acres in the northwestern hills of the state.  Technically, they’re in Morris but their mailing address is in Lakeside. The topic is inspired by a resolution passed at last summer’s General Convention, A010, which called attention to the role that these diocesan camps play in the work of caring for creation. It also asked them to plant groves of trees. (See the resolution for details). Our guests are two camp staff members and a trustee on the board: Bart Geissinger, Executive Director of Camp Washington since 2015 whose previous work had been as development director at several private schools and foundations; Ben Thompson, the chef and food services director at Camp Washington for nearly two decades; and the Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens, Bishop Suffragan of Connecticut since 2007. Laura oversees several environment ministry networks and serves on the Camp’s board of directors. We started by talking more broadly about the very first part of that resolution, where it states the importance of Episcopal camps and conference centers in environmental stewardship and care for creation, and heard how Camp Washington does this. Bart talked about infrastructure (energy efficiencies and consideration of solar power); Ben shared how he goes about selecting vendors when considering food supply, often choosing local and organic food sources. They’ve also put in some raised bed gardens. Not only have these produced great vegetables, but it’s included as part of the summer program for children attending camp. They love to weed! The n chaplains also use the gardens as an opportunity for teaching about God’s creation. Ben has also started tapping maple trees to make syrup to use at the Camp. They talked about the Christmas tree farm they’ve planted; what they’ve learned from it; and how they hope to use it as a draw for some related events in the future. Laura talked about how the “practical” is also the “sacred” – The physical beauty of the setting at Camp invites people into a sense of spirituality that people may not find in other places, she said, and it’s why she likes to hold meetings and other events at Camp. Next we talked about the land and its features, including water, trails, and trees. Bart mentioned their outdoor camping program, and their outdoor chapel. Ben, who’s lived on the property with his family for about 17 years, gave more insight into its history and some of the animals he’s seen. Bart said that there’s a sense of relief when people arrive, they still complain that it’s too far to travel to get to the Camp. They’re working on how people prepare. Laura returned to the idea of the outdoor chapel as a place where she feels particularly at peace and Bart talked about other ways they use the outdoors as a place for worship. We turned back to the resolution again and its call for Episcopalians to plant trees. Camp Washington is open to it, if there’s energy for it, and we discussed Region Confirmation events at Camp as a possible opportunity. Laura wondered if it was something that could be done in a local context. We ended with final questions to each of them about how they see God at Camp and how their experience of God’s creation, at Camp, contributes to their spiritual life. You need to hear these answers!

The Rt. Rev. Laura J. Ahrens is bishop suffragan for the Episcopal Church in Connecticut (ECCT). Laura is a graduate of Princeton University and Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, and has a D.Min. from Hartford Seminary. She was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood in Massachusetts and served two parishes in Massachusetts before being called to Saint Luke’s, Darien and later to St. James’, Danbury. She was elected as bishop suffragan in 2007 and consecrated later that year. Laura has been to the Holy Land twice, and is a co-leader for the upcoming 2019 pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The Rev. Harrison West, rector of Christ Church in Guilford. A native of Oregon, he received in BA from Carleton College in Minnesota, and studied architectural history at the University of Oregon, and earned his M.Div. from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and after his ordination served parishes in Maryland, Oregon, and Tennessee before taking the position in Guilford in 2010. Harrison has taken one trip to the Holy Land so far, over New Year’s in 2013, and it snowed that year. Our primary focal point for this episode was the upcoming ECCT pilgrimage, June 9-19, 2019, with an optional three-day extension. (Check out the previous episode, #25, interviews with John Lent and Heidi Shott of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem). We talked about where the idea for the pilgrimage came from (learn about the “Holy Landers” group), and how going on a pilgrimage is different from going as a tourist. On a pilgrimage you really enter the geography and connect with the people, Harrison explained. Laura added that as a pilgrim, you also create space for prayer. The on-site pilgrimage leader, Canon Iyad Qumri, a lay canon of the Cathedral in Jerusalem, creates special opportunities for prayer, connected with specific events described in the Scriptures. They talked about the itineraryand about preparations (practical and spiritual). Once the group is finalized, the pilgrims will gather several times in the upcoming months to get to know one another better and study and prepare together. The pilgrimage will include visits to parishes, Episcopal institutions, and opportunities to meet Anglican/Episcopal leaders there. Harrison and Laura each shared what it was about the Holy Land that drew them back: being where Jesus lived topped the list. Both talked about how their earlier pilgrimages had changed their prayer lives, making them richer. The pilgrimage group, which will be shepherded by a licensed, experienced guide, will see the places and hear about the people connected with Jesus’ time; they will also see and experience life there now. Laura talked about how it was important “to be praying for all the people that live there, and working with people to explore a hope-filled future.” We ended with reminders about where to find more information including a video, and get a registration form, available here: https://www.episcopalct.org/holyland2019/ They’re looking for a commitment and a deposit by December 14, 2018.