Faith Lutheran Church to host second annual ‘Blessing of the Animals’ event at Hartwell Farm

Jo Hartwell stands beside Koby,
her family's German Shepherd as he
receives a blessing from Rev. Jane
Field. This year all COVID
precautions and Maine mandates 
for outdoor events will be adhered
to during a 'Blessing of the Animals'
event at l Farm on Oct. 3. PHOTO
BY LORRAINE GLOWCZAK

In honor of Saint Francis of Assisi whose feast day is in early October, Faith Lutheran Church is holding their second annual traditional Blessing of the Animals ceremony at the Hartwell Farm at 443 Sebago Lake Road in Gorham.

This special event will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 (rain date is Oct. 4 at 11:30 a.m.).

St. Francis of Assisi was a 13^th century Christian friar, deacon and preacher who was known for his love of animals and nature. He wrote a “Canticle of the Creatures,” an ode that includes the line, “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.”

He believed that human beings have a duty to protect and enjoy nature as both the stewards of creation and as creatures themselves. 

Churches around the world hold Blessing of the Animals ceremonies in honor of St. Francis. One of the most well-known and famous services has been held inside the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City where elephants, camels and other animals from the Bronx Zoo proceed up the aisle to receive a blessing, along with farm livestock like horses and sheep, and the pets of parishioners. 

“Faith Lutheran is proud to participate in this tradition and offer it to the Lakes Region community,” said Faith Lutheran’s pastor, Rev. Jane Field. “We wish to recognize and protect all species and the glory of the Creator that they reveal.”

The Oct. 3 event at Hartwell Farm is open to the public and pet owners are invited to bring their creatures, great and small, to receive a special, personal blessing.

Dogs must be on a leash, cats in carriers, and smaller pets in cages or aquariums. For those who do not want to bring their pets but still wish to have them blessed, pictures of the animal will be welcomed too. Those wishing to trailer in larger animals are asked to send an email to faithlutheranwindham@icloud.com in advance to ensure adequate parking.

Rev. Petra Smyth from Raymond Village Community Church will be co-officiating the event.

All COVID precautions and Maine CDC mandates for outdoor events will be adhered and all participants are asked to wear masks. <

Local Christians seek understanding of Jewish tradition with an Interfaith Passover Seder by Lorraine Glowczak

Rabbi Chasan leads the participants in song.

The Windham Area Clergy Association (WACA) sponsored an Interfaith Passover Seder on Sunday, March 18, hosted by Faith Lutheran Church (FLC) at 988 Roosevelt Trail in Windham. The Jewish Seder was led by Rabbi Emeritus, Joshua Chasan, of the Ohavi Sedek Synagogue in Burlington, VT.

Rabbi Chasan, who now resides in Portland, led 63 Windham area Christians from area churches in

the Jewish ceremony. Participants included members of St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Windham Hill United Church of Christ; as well as members from FLC as they joined together to seek understanding by celebrating a Seder meal together.

Seder is a Jewish ritual feast celebrated on the first day of Passover that includes activities such as reading, drinking wine, telling stories, eating special foods and singing. It marks the anniversary of the Jewish exodus from Egyptian slavery more than 3,000 years ago and, as a result, the theme of the interfaith Seder was, “A Celebration of Freedom.”

Ur'chatz or washing hands is part of the Seder ritual

Unfortunately, many people today across the globe still face oppression and some current Jewish Seder traditions recognize that fact. “Seder is about welcoming the stranger,” Rabbi Chasan explained. “There are people living in Maine who have made their own exodus from tyranny and violence to find their freedom here. To celebrate together like we are doing today is wonderful for our time, because what is at stake for us at the moment - not only in the U.S. but all over the world - is the existence to be free. Violence and hatred undermine our freedom. All of us [Jewish people and Christians] need to come together like we are now with this inter-faith Seder event to celebrate and love one another.”

This happens to be the mission of WACA. Since its reorganization last year by Father Tim Higgins, Rector at St. Ann’s, the association has been focused on creating opportunities for people of faith in Windham to come together for worship, prayer and song.

“Each congregation that belongs to the clergy association has taken a turn hosting a special service,” explained Pastor Jane Field of FLC. “An interfaith Seder held during Lent seemed like a gift we at Faith Lutheran, could offer the community. Our church's deep commitment to hospitality, inclusivity and interfaith dialogue made it a natural fit for us. We, at Faith Lutheran and many Christians everywhere, have deep respect and reverence for our roots in Judaism. Jesus was a deeply faithful Jewish man whose last supper before his death was a Passover Meal. Even though the Seder Passover ritual was developed centuries after Jesus was alive, participating in a Seder is one way Christians can remember that the Last Supper occurred during Passover. During Lent (a season Christians are observing right now), we prepare for Holy Week when the Last Supper is commemorated on Maundy Thursday. This year, the Jewish holy days of Passover will begin on March 30 which overlaps with the end of Holy Week for Christians.”

Pastor Field also stated that the clergy association invited Rabbi Chasan to lead the event because seeking to understand a religion different than one’s own is ethical and respectful. She said that it is important to ask someone of another faith to introduce their rituals and traditions. To do so prevents the possibility of perpetuating stereotypes, fostering misunderstanding, or potentially offending those
of other faiths.

“Imagine if roles were reversed: Christians would be offended (and rightfully so) if a Hindu, Muslim or Jewish congregation ‘borrowed’ our communion service and held their ‘own’ eucharist using our sacramental liturgy, bread and wine,” Pastor Field explained. “Having someone who practices the faith lead you, answer your questions, and represent that faith tradition gives everyone the chance to learn accurate information, develop mutual and trusting relationships based in respect. In the case of a Seder, it is always best for Christians to be the guest of a Jewish family at their Seder - which is usually celebrated at home - but when that is not practical or possible, then inviting a Rabbi (or a Jewish person well-versed in the tradition) to preside for a group of Christians is absolutely essential.”

The celebration of singing and eating together with the desire to understand the Jewish Seder ritual was enjoyed by all who attended the event. One such person was Paula Smithson from Windham Hill UCC. “The whole experience of the Seder was wonderful,” Smithson began. “The history, the music, the Jewish traditions were all new to me and I am thankful to the Faith Lutheran Church and Rabbi Chasan for providing such an educational, fun time.  And, the fellowship of different churches in Windham coming together is a breath of fresh air. I wish to thank all those who worked to put this together.”

 

The idea of reaching across human made boundaries to get to know one another more profoundly

provided the thirst to learn more. Curiosity was on everyone’s mind - wondering if the Seder feast would happen again next year. “We haven't had the chance to talk about next year, yet,” began Pastor Field. “But several people did seek me out as they were leaving to say that they really hoped we would have another Seder next year. It certainly would be our honor at Faith Lutheran to welcome Rabbi Chasan back, and to open our doors to people of faith here in Windham who are eager to experience the sacred tradition of an authentic Seder meal.”

Rabbi Chasan sees no issue in the coming together in such a manner with each individual holding a different perspective in regards to truth. “The problem is in ‘triumphalism’ - those who believe they own the corner on truth,” he stated. “No one owns the whole truth.”

As a result, he was pleased to have been invited and asked to lead the Interfaith Passover Seder as well as to be among people of other faiths. To WACA and all those who participated, he offered, “Thank you for respecting the Jewish tradition with your Seder. I am deeply honored.”

Community invited to join the 22nd Annual “Christmas In The Barn” event by Faith Lutheran Church by Lorraine Glowczak

Mistletoe, Santa and his reindeer, decorations of red on a green Christmas tree while chestnuts are roasting on an open fire – all bring to mind the visions of popular Christmas holiday celebrations. However, for many who follow the Christian tradition, Christmas also includes a sacred perspective that encompasses the celebration and birth of Jesus Christ.

Faith Lutheran Church of North Windham will host their 22^nd annual, free community event, Christmas In The Barn celebration on Sunday, December 10 at 1 p.m. at the Hartwell Farm at 443 Sebago Lake Road in Gorham.

“It is a quiet celebration of our Christian belief in the birth of Jesus in a setting of what, under the similar circumstances, he may have been born in a barn like this one,” stated Jo Hartwell, owner of Hartwell Farm and parishioner of Faith Lutheran.

Although technically, no animals appear at Christ’s birth in the stories of the gospels of Matthew and Luke in the Bible, but more modern traditions show cows and donkeys at the stable. The Christmas In The Barn event will not only include cows and donkeys, but Hartwell stated one can also expect to see chickens, goats and horses to make an appearance with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the angels.

The event, which will be performed "tableau style", is a Christmas pageant with scripture readings, reflections and children in costumes that will include Christmas carols, led by Faith Lutheran Music
Director, Dave Hansen.

It is also a gift to the community from Faith Lutheran Church. No monetary donation is expected, just an interest in participating in a live community event of a Christian Christmas tradition as it shares Christ’s birth in a stable.

“Christmas In The Barn is Faith Lutheran Church's gift to the Windham community,” stated Jane Field, Pastor of Faith Lutheran. “It's a tradition that's been carried on at the Hartwell farm for more than 20 years. It offers folks the chance to come together in a setting that recalls the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born; it's a real working barn, with hay bales, a donkey, a horse, goats, chickens, and cows. There, in that very simple and humble place, we tell the story of the first Christmas as children in costumes portray Mary, Joseph, shepherds and angels. Adults from the Faith Lutheran congregation will serve as narrators, reading scripture passages from the prophet Isaiah and the gospels of Luke and Matthew.” 

Children from Trinity Lutheran Church in Westbrook will play the roles of Mary, Joseph, the

shepherds and the angels. Three men from Faith Lutheran will play the Wise Men while three adults from Faith Lutheran will act as the narrators. “Pastor Karen Indorf [of Trinity Lutheran in Westbrook] and I will offer brief reflections and explanations after each scripture reading,” explained Pastor Field.

Based upon past attendance, over 125 people from Windham, Raymond and the surrounding communities enjoy listening to the story of that famous birth in Bethlehem that occurred approximately 2000 years ago. Individuals enjoy the pageant while sitting on hay bales, singing to popular religious carols and sipping hot chocolate to keep warm. “Dress warm,” warns Hartwell. “There is no heat in the barn."

Whether you are a Christian or not, the mission is to bring the Windham and Raymond communities together during the holiday season. “People are invited to come and enjoy the ambience of the barn, the Christmas story and to join in with the Christmas carols,” stated Melinda Zimmer-Rankin, parishioner of Faith Lutheran. “Everyone can enjoy the simple things of drinking hot chocolate and embracing the season – whatever the holiday season means to them.”

For more information regarding the Christmas In The Barn event, contact Hartwell by phone at 671-2189 or by email at jojohartwell@gmail.com.

Fifth annual church "Lobstah Bake" by Lorraine Glowczak

Zimmer-Rankin's daughter, Madison catches her first lobster

What began six years ago with a nurse caring for a patient from Vinalhaven, who was at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, turned into a fundraising event at Faith Lutheran Church in Windham. With all its twist and turns from that one simple meeting between nurse and patient, the members of Faith Lutheran, located at 988 Roosevelt Trail, are elated to announce their fifth annual fundraising “Lobstah Bake” on Sunday, August 6 with two different seating’s available at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The nurse Melinda Zimmer-Rankin, also a member of Faith Lutheran, who is now a nurse anesthetist employed for a different organization, helped care for a patient she refers to as Charlie. “Charlie had been my patient at CMMC and was very appreciative of all the care the staff in the heart and vascular institute at CMMC provided for him. To show his gratitude, he invited the medical team to stay with him on his property on Vinalhaven, offering the cabins he also owned.”

Zimmer-Rankin accepted Charlie’s invitation and that’s when the idea of a fundraising event began to
manifest. It just so happened that Charlie was a lobsterman by trade. “We [Faith Lutheran] had been talking about doing a unique fundraiser for quite a while,” explained Zimmer-Rankin. “And that’s when I got the idea about going lobster fishing with Charlie.” Charlie liked Zimmer-Rankin’s idea and offered to charge her the shore price to help contribute to the fundraising efforts. And thus, the birth of the lobster bake at Faith Lutheran became reality.

Zimmer-Rankin and her family set sail the following year with Charlie on his lobster boat to fish his 300 traps in the Down East region of Maine. “I was seasick the first time I went,” she said. But that didn’t stop Zimmer-Rankin who has been devoted to lobstering for her church the past five years.

Every first weekend in August she drives the 2 hours to Rockland and takes the 1 ½ hour ferry ride to Vinalhaven and then fishes for eight hours on Saturday. Zimmer-Rankin wakes up early Sunday morning, wraps the lobsters in seaweed, and packs them in ice and then heads for the ferry back to the mainland at 7 a.m., arriving in Windham just in time, so members of the Windham/Raymond community and beyond can have access to fresh Maine lobster.

“This is a team effort,” Zimmer-Rankin says of her church family. “Once church is let out at 11 a.m., we all transform the parking lot into a festive Lobstah Bake, with our first guests beginning to arrive around 12:30 p.m.

Unfortunately, two people have passed away since last year’s lobster bake. Charlie passed away 6 months ago but his son Ira continues his father’s tradition. “In addition to loosing Charlie we have also lost our faithful fire tender and cook, Robert Rankin who passed away this spring,” stated Zimmer-Rankin.  “This year, my daughter and I will fish in memory of these two men.” 

The fundraiser is more than a church occasion. “This fundraiser is really an event for the whole Windham community--not just the members of our church,” stated Jane Field, Pastor of Faith Lutheran. “It's a chance for old friends to reconnect and for new friendships to form as people gather under the tents to enjoy delicious lobster caught just hours before in Vinalhaven. Everyone in our congregation gets involved in putting this on, and you can really see the incredible spirit of hospitality and welcome that is at the very heart of their faith.  The money we raise goes to support the work of the church, including our ongoing involvement in the Monday Meals Program and our extraordinary music leadership program for teen artists, led by our beloved and phenomenally talented Music Director, David Hansen, and our audio and technology expert, David Muise. The sign out in front of our church says ‘All Are Welcome,’ and that's true every Sunday--but it's especially true on Sunday, August 6, when all are truly welcome to join us in enjoying great lobster and supporting a good cause."

The Faith Lutheran “Lobstah Bake” includes one lobster, ½ pound of steamers, corn on the cob, potatoes, coleslaw, blueberry cobbler, and lemonade. This meal is $20. The same meal with two lobsters is $25. A hotdog or a hamburger meal, with the same side options, is also available for $10. Single lobsters to take home are also available upon special order for $5 each.

To place your order for either the “Lobstah Bake” or for single lobsters to take home, contact Melinda Zimmer-Rankin before July 31 at 749-9503.