CORRECTED Bishop's Schedule 

September 14 - 21           House of Bishop's

September 25                 St. Matthew's, Enid

September 27 - 29           Clergy Conference

September 29 - 10-1        Province VII Synod, San Antonio, TX

Join Us on A Journey to the Holy Land!

The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma 

~presents~

A Journey to the Holy Land

Under the Direction of

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Edward J. Konieczny

Local Guide: Canon Iyad Qumri

Hosted at Saint George's

Limited to the first 25

 Depart: June 8, 2012

Return: June 20, 2012

Total Cost: $4,100.00 per person

To secure your spot, send your deposit check in the amount of $500,  made payable to the Episcopal Diocese of Okahoma, 924 North Robinson, Oklahoma City, OK 73102  attention: Jeni Kaufman.

 
Jordan River

For more information, go to www.epiok.org and click on the Journey to Holy Land link.  

St. Mary's Annual Rummage Sale    

Living Waters II

The heat we have had this summer has been record breaking -- as high as 115 degrees. There have been at least 60 days of temperatures over 100 degrees. Stepping outside from air conditioning has kind of been like stepping out into a blast furnace. No one is exempt from this heat. It is life threatening for many people. Several have died from the heat in Oklahoma. When people are dying from the heat in Oklahoma, you know it's unusually hot. We, Oklahomans are used to hot summers, but not starting in June and continuing to the present with no relief in sight.

A few weeks ago, as I drove home into to Duncan one Sunday around 4 pm at a stoplight, a man come out to the truck in front of me and handed the driver a bottle. He then came to my car and handed me a bottle of very cold water with a card and said, "Have a great day!" The cold water tasted great after a long hot day. The card talked about a simple act of kindness and how it can change the world. The card and water were from a Church in Duncan.

For the next two days, I thought about that bottle of water.   For the last 3 ½ years I have often seen people sitting on the front steps of our Church resting under the shade of our two huge oak trees; sometimes, they have grocery or shopping bags. St. Luke's isn't far from the Resurrection House, Chickasha's homeless shelter. A block beyond our Church is Dunn's Food Store. Lots of people walk by our Church going between the Resurrection House and the food store and other stores downtown.  

The Church steps would be a good place to put a cooler filled with ice and bottled water with a sign on it saying "Thirsty, take a bottle of cold water." So, finally on July 17th, instead of waiting for hotter weather (if there is such a thing), we put out a cooler with ice and bottled water and the sign on the Church steps. Our Ecumenical Vacation Bible School was going on that week with the First Christian Church across the street. VBS was called "Camp Care" and the theme was Matthew 25: 31-40. Seemed to fit right into Camp Care, specifically, when Jesus says those who give water to the thirsty are in effect giving a drink to Him.

A parishioner was picking up the box and putting it in the parish hall at the end of the day. They forgot, but he next morning there was the box, still on the steps. We were elated that the box hadn't been stolen, even though it was out all night. On Sunday, several volunteered to help with our "H2O" ministry. Many are involved providing the water. One person, Pete Hammert, has been very faithful in handling the logistics of putting it out in the morning, adding ice, and bringing it in each day.

Things quietly continued. One Sunday during the announcements, Pete stood up and held up a small white envelope. He said that at night he comes down and pours the water from the box on the monkey grass. Pete's a rancher-farmer, taking care of God's creation is a top priority of his. He said one day as he was pouring the water out, he looked down at the bottom of the box and saw something strange. He found $1.65 in coins. The next night, he found a quarter. We now have a grand total of $1.90. Totally unexpected!

The water continues to be put out daily. One Sunday during the coffee hour, Pete brought the box in and asked who could guess how many bottles were left in the box. Several guessed - all incorrectly. Pete filled the box and put it out for the afternoon. About 6.:30 that night I got a call from Pete. Somebody took the box in broad daylight on Sunday afternoon. We got another box the next day. Apparently, that person needed it more than we did." This time we put the Church's name in permanent ink in the upper right corner of the box top - hoping that'll deter any one else from taking it. How interesting, we've got people taking the box, and other people putting money in it.

On Sunday, Aug 21 I read an email St. Luke's had received:

"Not only do your lovely trees provide relief from the hot summer sun, but your quiet and concerned gesture of offering folks a bottle of water has been so beautiful! I've not only heard lots of folks comment, but I've felt their sense of feeling that someone truly cares. THANK YOU!"

After that email, Bob Hunter who was pinch hitting while Pete was out of town, said he had an announcement. The first day he needed to get more ice to replenish the box. So he went to the Smoke Shop Drive In across the street from the church which serves drinks in addition to selling cigarettes. He said he wanted to buy some ice and was telling them what the Church was doing. The owners, Nick and Stacy, said they'd like to participate in the water project by providing the ice. As part of the neighborhood, they wanted to be part of this ministry. "Any time you need ice, you just come here and get it," they said.

Last Sunday as I was leaving Church around 4 pm, a man walked by and held up a bottle and said "Thanks for the water, I get one everyday. If there's ever any work I can do for the Church, just let me know." I said, "Well it's important to have cold water in this heat. Some people don't have iceboxes. He answered, "I don't have a home, much less and icebox. Thanks."

This "H2O" ministry has kind of grown slowly and spread from our Church; money from some who are thirsty, and, now, includes our neighbors at the Smoke Shop. Now Dunn's has also offered to provide ice for this ministry. We don't know how many or who we have given water to, or what it has done for them. Our job is to sew the seeds, and let God do the rest.

We pray that this is living water for all who are involved. It has grown from that first bottle in Duncan, to many in the church working to provide the water, to some receiving the water and donating back, and now spread out into the neighborhood with Nick and Stacy giving the ice, as well as Dunn's Food Store. One might say that God is taking ordinary water and making it into living water. Perhaps, one or more of the people who drink this water, may be led, through God's grace, to the waters of baptism where their spiritual thirst will be quenched.

Our prayer is that the bodies of all who drink this water stay healthy, and, hopefully, through Christ, it becomes living water for their souls. A big THANK YOU to all who participate in making the water available for the thirsty, especially our neighbors, the Smoke Shop and Dunn's. May God bless all those who provide this water and all who receive it -- may it be living water for all!

Thank you, The Rev. Susan Lindley

Vicar - St. Luke's Church, Chickasha

Daughters of the King Gather for Spring Assembly

 The Daughters of the King from across the Diocese gathered May 7 at St. Christopher's Church, MidWest City for the Annual meeting. The Rev. Joseph Alsay, from St. Augustine's of Canterbury, was their guest speaker.

What Every Church Member Should Know about Poverty  

If you work or volunteer (or would like to)  at work, church, school, mission or other setting with families in poverty, we would like to encourage you take this class:

Book:             What Every Church Member Should Know about

Poverty 

by Bill Ehlig and Ruby K. Payne (Purchase of book is optional)

Dates:            Wednesday 6:00 - 7:15  9/14 - 11/16 -   (9 weeks)

Where:          First United Methodist Church  305 E Hurd                            Edmond (less than two blocks from St. Mary's)

Facilitators:     Lisa Harris and Mary Ann Coffman (from St. Mary's, Edmond)

Early dinner and nursery care at either church provided.

Please come, learn and share your knowledge and experience with us!

Casady School To Host Open Houses

9500 North Pennsylvania Avenue

Oklahoma City, OK 73120 

Primary Division - October 23, 2011 - 2 - 4 p.m.

Upper Division - October 25, 2011 - 6:00 p.m.

Admission Office 749-3125

www.casady.org 

Are We There Yet?

Eleven acolytes from St. John's Episcopal Church in OKC will be attending the 30th Annual Acolyte Festival at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.  October 8. Please keep these young saints in your prayers!

St. Mary's Episcopal School 

Bishop Ed and Father Mark Story prepare to bless new building.

Students surrounded the four newly constructed classrooms to be a part of the official opening and blessing of the middle school division at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Edmond. The special event, led by the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma Bishop, the Right Reverend Dr. Edward J. Konieczy, and Reverend Mark Story of St. Mary's Episcopal Church, welcomed the crowd and blessed each room one by one.

The new construction allows the school to accommodate sixth grade this school year; seventh grade in 2012 and eighth grade in 2013.

By expanding our school to eighth grade, we are able to complete our mission of preparing children spiritually, intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically," said Nancy Hetherington, Head of School. She added that offering a continuous program for children from age three to fifteen, combines the of best of early childhood, elementary and middle school worlds and prepares students for a smooth transition to high school.

Research has shown that preschool through eighth grade schools students demonstrate higher levels of achievement; have higher attendance rates; display better self esteem, leadership and attitudes toward school; and have fewer discipline problems.

Canterbury Faire

The Power of a Question  

As some of you may know I am part of a homeless ministry in Tulsa, at a city park named Owen Park. I pray for (among other things) healing for people. One night I walked up to a man named John and asked him if I could pray for him, and he responded with "will it make my teeth stop hurting"? I didn't know what to say but that it might, but I could not guarantee it. John then told me that his teeth hurt all the time, every day and if I couldn't make it stop, then go away.

This weighed on my heart, and especially because John seemed almost hostile to me after that. I am a person who thinks God wants us to be part of His healing this world, so Sunday morning right after Mass, I talked to my dentist who also attends St. Patrick's. He told me that he was part of a dental ministry with the Oklahoma Dental Foundation and they had a mobile dental clinic in a large van. Imagine my surprise, but we decided to start the process of scheduling the mobile Dental Van, but we needed a place for the van to park. I am also involved with the Mental Health Association of Tulsa's homeless housing program, one of which the Yale Apts, a fairly new facility with a nice sized parking lot. That is where we decided to place the mobile dental van. They were able to spend two full days at Yale Apts, and over that time they were able to serve those in greatest need and in pain. Seventeen people where given relief from constant pain.

This all flowed out that interaction with John last spring. That one statement grew into this event, and an ongoing relationship between the Mental Health Assoc and all their clients, and the Oklahoma Dental Foundation. I have not been able to get John to the clinic yet, due to his cancer diagnosis, and many other issues, but other arraignments at Catholic Charities or my own personal Dentist are in the works, and he is happy and looking forward to getting his teeth finally pain free. God works, and heals, in many mysterious ways. 

 Br. James Patrick Hall, BSG

Fall Gathering for Retired Clergy/Spouses

2011 Diocesan Convention

Registration Packets for the 2011 Diocesan Convention have been mailed out to the convention liaisons designated by each congregation. The liaison is responsible for providing these materials to the clergy and delegates. We encourage you to go ahead and make your hotel reservations as soon as possible. . The cutoff date for reservations is October 4^th. Contact the hotel at:   

Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center

6808 S. 107th E. Ave.

Tulsa, OK 74133

 t: 918-307-4006  f: 918-307-2907

Information on the 2011 Diocesan Convention can also be found on the diocese's web site, www.epiok.org.  Click on the link "2011 Diocesan Convention" found on the front page.

ADDITIONAL Safeguarding God's Children Training Opportunities      

A Women's Retreat

CREATION

CENTERED

SPIRITUALITY:

 And God Called

Creation

 "Good"

  8-9 October 2011

St. Crispin's Camp

and Conference Center

Retreat Facilitator: The Rev. Debora L. Jennings

Want moreinformation,contact

Pam Hudson

2800 N.W. 21st Street

Oklahoma City, OK 73107

atomicbrown2004@yahoo.com

Registration Deadline September 20.

Closing - Prayers for September  

Good-Bye Summer and Welcome Fall Prayer

"God of light, thank you for the warm, sunny days of summer and all the fun we had, especially [invite all present to share their favorite summer activities and memories]. Now that it's September and summer's ending, help us to stay focused on new tasks and challenges ahead and embrace all that the fall has to offer us, including [encourage all present to share their favorite fall activities, such as football or apple picking]. Let us live with joy in the world You've given us, now and always. Amen."

Prayer for Adjusting to the New School Year

"God of power and might, bless all those adjusting to a new school year this September. Grant them patience - with themselves and each other - as they deal with new teachers, subjects, schools, and skills. Change is never easy, but let those in transition find peace in You. Amen."