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Bishop's Schedule
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April 19 - 21
Clergy Spouses Retreat
St. Crispin's
April 21
BACAM
St. Crispin's
April 26
ECW Annual Meeting and Bishop's Day
St. Andrew's
Grove
April 28
Trinity
Tulsa
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Save the Date
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April 26 - 28
Altered (formerly Vocare)
St. Crispin's
June 29
EfM Gathering of Mentors, Participants, Grads, and Possible Participants!
10 - 2
Diocesan Offices
August 2 - 4
Happening 10th - 12th Graders
All Souls' Church
Oklahoma City, OK
August 15 - 17
EFM Mentor Training
St. Crispin's
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Upcoming Diocese Events
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To register or for more information please go onto the Dicoesan Web Site below or call the local congregation:
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New Web Sites and Links
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Kevin Martin, Diocesan Congregational Development Officer's Blog
www.kevinoncong.blogspot.com
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Companion Diocese Uruguay
Holy God, source of healing and of peace, bless with your grace the companion dioceses of Oklahoma and Uruguay. Through our partnership one with another may we grow in mutual affection and communion, seek a more profound experience of truth, build up the Church in unity and give glory to Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
New Web site:
http://uruguay.anglican.org/
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The Next Issue of this Newsletter will be on Friday,
April 26, 2013.
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We Are Epiok.org
April 19, 2013
Issue 15
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 News, Events, and Offerings |
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Hit Us With Your Best Shot!
Here are some photographs we got from a congregation showing their best of Holy Week/Easter!
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Eagle Scout Project in the Making
About six months ago, we received a call at the Diocesan Offices about the possibility of a young man doing an Eagle Scout project at St. Crispin's. The youth was referred to Mike Roberts and....the rest is history!
Ian Hensley, a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, OKC, recruited a team of Scouts from Troop 15 to work his Eagle Project. The crew dismantled an old cabin from behind the Dean's Cabin at St. Crispin's, and then recycled much of the material into a 12' x 8' arbor for the waterfront
They still need to stain it and do the clean up, but here it is so far.
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Recap from Cursillo
 | | What does De Colores mean? In Spanish, it simply means the colors. It is also the name of a song that is traditionally sung on Cursillo weekends that praises the beauty, simplicity, and diversity of God's creation. De Colores has also come to be used as a greeting among cursillistas (those who have attended a Cursillo weekend). |
On April 7, 2013, eleven pilgrims stepped across the threshold from the three-day Cursillo weekend into their Fourth Day, which encompasses our long-range practice of the Baptismal Covenant in the Church. Sixteen team members joined them in re-affirming those sacred vows to continue in the apostles' teaching, and to seek and serve Christ in all persons, with God's help.
For three days, we were deeply engaged in a Christian community of edification, enlightenment, and encouragement at our beautiful St. Crispin's Conference Center. This was the 124th such weekend in the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma, through which hundreds of our fellow parishioners have already begun this journey.
 Cursillo - a short course in Christian living - is a movement of the Episcopal Church, the goal of which is to bring the world to Christ by empowering adult Christian leaders through the use of this specific method. Its purpose is to help those in the church understand their individual callings as leaders, and the influence they can exercise in work, their families, social life, leisure activities as well as within the environment of the Church. It is intended to help Christians renew and deepen their Christian commitment - not only learning what is fundamental as a Christian, but discovering and living out their own personal vocations. There are no secrets here, but many surprises. Immersed in Christian community, the three-day weekend provides for a deeper understanding of Christian Love, a whole new dimension of Christian Life. According to one person, it's like "Inquirer's Class on steroids!".
Many of us have been drawn to the Episcopal Church because we don't have to "check our minds at the door". We are not only free to question, we are encouraged to reason. Yet sometimes, it can be challenging to reconcile our heads with the stirring of our hearts in worship. Through this three-day experience of Christian Life, we can find the harmonic balance between the two in living out our Christian vows.
The individual and collective renewal borne of a Cursillo weekend strengthens our Church by creating strong leaders who are grounded in their faith and who have thoughtfully and prayerfully developed their Rules of Life. At our recent closing service, Bishop Ed encouraged the pilgrims to carry their weekend experience into their daily lives and stay true to the path they had forged over the weekend.
Candidates for the April 4-7 weekend included Susan Morgan, Betty Mitchell, Bettye Curtis, Nancy Boyd, Jose Hinojosa, Josh Jeffreys, Deb Flores, Brandy Brackett, Betty Newman, Jill Norris, and Shawna Turner. Team members included Blake and Ruth Dutcher, Boone Williams, Cris Bruns and Matt Meyer, Cuco Escalera, Doug Laird, Glen and Joanne Boyer, Fr. Joseph Farber, Michael Canaday, M. Stephanie Swinnea, Richard and Karen Askew, D. Linda Paul, and Shelly Walker.
If you have who have attended a Cursillo weekend, you can sign up for the Oklahoma Episcopal Cursillo facebook group.
by Karen Askew
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Companion Diocese to Ordain Next Bishop
The Diocese of Oklahoma celebrates with our Companion Diocese, Uruguay, in the ordination of Michael Pollesel as their next Bishop.
If you or your congregation would like to make a financial contribution as part of a gift from the whole diocese, please send your check to the Diocesan Offices, made payable to the Diocese of Oklahoma, and indicate Bishop of Uruguay in the memo line.
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New Hope to Hold Garage Sale at Christ Church, Tulsa
Doing your spring cleaning? New Hope will be holding a garage sale June 1 from 8 am to 5 pm at Christ Episcopal Church, 10901 S Yale, Tulsa. We are needing all kinds of items (except adult clothing) to make this sale a success. You may bring donated items to Christ Church anytime during the week beginning May 1 or contact Judy Gann, 918-361-3903 if you need your items (Tulsa area only, please) picked up. Proceeds will be used to launch a new after-school program in the fall at Christ Episcopal Church for children on the south side of Tulsa, Jenks and Bixby who have a parent in prison. |
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Tea and Style Show - St. Luke's, Tulsa
Saturday May 18th at 2 p.m.featuring traditional English treats. Door prizes - $10.00 donation requested. For reservations, contact 918-834-4800.
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Christ Church, Tulsa, Hosts First Ultreya
 On Sunday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m. Christ Church, Tulsa, will host their very first Ultreya meeting.
What is Ultreya? It is a "reunion of the reunions" of the Oklahoma Episcopal Cursillo. It provides support and builds community by allowng the sharing of communal experiences.
Cursillo (coor-see-oh) is a Spanish word which means "a short course." Cursillo is a movement within the Church which is intended to help Christians know God's love and grace and to help these same Christians discover and live out their personal vocatons in the world. The movement offers small group meetings which help us in our life of Christian Ministry. The movement also includes a three day weekend during which participants listen to talks by clergy and lay persons, and participate in worship, music, fellowship, prayer and other activities.
Come and join us! See you on Sunday, at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. You do not have to be a graduate of a Cursillo Weekend to attend.
Make a friend, Be a friend, Bring a friend. |
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The Annual ECW Conference and Bishop's Day
The 76th Annual Conference and Bishop's Day of the Episcopal Church Women, Diocese of Oklahoma-April 26-27, 2013 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 555 East Third St., Grove, Oklahoma. Their theme is, "Living Water-Living Word".
The Keynote Speaker, The Reverend Susan Smith, is currently the Rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Bexley, Ohio. Rev. Smith was a Colleague at Women's Spirituality in Kansas City, and she is member at North American Academy of Liturgy. She served as Ass't Prof of preaching and worship at Saint Paul School of Theology and is a participant in pre-tenure faculty group with Toni Craven at Wabash Center for Teaching in Theology and Religion.
Information packets were emailed to all congregations and clergy this week. Packets were snail mailed to congregations without email.
Questions, contact Fran Rahn, Parish Secretary, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, (918-786-4113), saecgrove@sbcglobal.net. |
The Diocese of Oklahoma Men's Retreat is set for May 2 - 4, 2013, at St. Crispin's. It begins with supper on Thursday and ends with lunch on Saturday. The Right Rev. Dr. Edward J. Konieczny will be the retreat chaplain. The cost for 2 nights and 6 meals is $135 for a double room and $170 for a single room. Click here for the registration form.
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Saint Simeon's to Celebrate Addition to Tulsa Regional Chamber
Saint Simeon's, a multi-level senior living community in Tulsa, has announced its recent membership to the Tulsa Regional Chamber. An established nonprofit in Tulsa since 1960, Saint Simeon's is proud to join a group of more than 3,100 reputable businesses that compose the Chamber.
The Tulsa Regional Chamber will celebrate Saint Simeon's addition to the Chamber through a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, April 24 at 11 a.m. at Saint Simeon's, 3701 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (formerly N. Cincinnati Avenue) in Tulsa. The Saint Simeon's Home and Foundation Board of Trustees will be present, as well as members of the Tulsa Regional Chamber. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the ribbon cutting, and tours of the campus will be available.
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Safeguarding God's Children
 April 21, 2013 at 2 p.m. St. Michael's Norman Contact Amy Gardner (awgardner@yahoo.com) to register May 18, 2013 at 9 a.m. St. Luke's, Bartlesville Contact Lauri Watkins (lauri-watkins@sbcglobal.net) to register May 11, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. NOTE NEW DATE St. Andrew's Grove, OK Call 918-786-4113 to register. June 26, 2013 at 6 p.m. St. Augustine of Canterbury OKC, OK Call 405 751 7874 to register. |
Heard the News? Changes are Coming to EfM! 
Want to learn about the new curriculum and how it will impact your present groups? Want to learn about the Alumni Association and the benefits it has? Want to gather with other EfM Mentors, participants, grads, or those thinking about EfM?
Here's your chance! On June 29, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. we will meet at the Diocesan Offices (924 North Robinson, OKC) with Angela Hock and Rick Brewer - both excellent resources for EfM. Rick has been involved in the background for EfM with regards to curriculum and will have the latest information to help ease any concerns, and ideas to make this transition as smooth as possible. Angela has been a mentor and trainer for EfM for numerous years.
Cost is $15 to cover your lunch. Click here to download the registration brochure. |
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Whole Creation Community - Interfaith Days of Prayer for Rain
Whole Creation Community is a spiritual community that brings together people of faith who will commit themselves to praying for God's creation, teaching stewardship of God's creation, and working to sustain God's creation. Please join us daily on facebook "http://stpaulsokc.org/whole-creation" http://stpaulsokc.org/whole-creation for daily meditations. Below is a meditation/ reflection posted by Ferrella March-Whole Creation Community
"Rain drops keep falling on my head", a favorite song sung by many over the years. Indeed, the rain keeps coming. However, we should not get too comfortable with the rain that is falling today for tomorrow holds a time of stillness and drought. The streams and rivers will again become intermittent at best and that which lives in these systems will become stressed. Some may even not survive. We cannot afford to disregard our responsibility of caring and conserving our water resources. It may seem like we are on sabbatical, but all that we have leaned is in vain if there is nothing to return to. Ferrella
April 22: Join Whole Creation Community, Oklahoma Conference of Churches and the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts April 22nd at the Capitol on the 2nd floor rotunda for the launching of the Oklahoma Interfaith Days of Prayer for Rain www.okpray4rain.webs.com .
After the announcement at the capitol, St. Paul's Cathedral will be hosting a luncheon. Come by the Cathedral at 11:30 where Bishop Ed will be speaking about the importance of water conservation and our responsibility as a faith community to care for Creation. Also, Gary McManus, Assistant State Climatologist for the state of Oklahoma. Mr. McManus joins us from the Oklahoma Climatological survey in Norman and is recognized as an expert on long range weather forecasts and trends in our weather patterns. Duane Paul, Native American flute player, will be providing the music.
If you wish to join us for lunch , please RSVP by Friday April 19th to me.
Contact Information:
Ferrella March
Ferrella@hotmail.com
405-397-7960
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Youth Ministry News
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Countdown to Summer Camp
Days to Go! |
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Summer Camper Registration Forms Now On-Line
Yes, everything you need to register for Summer Camp 2013 is now on-line. Camp sessions are as follows: May 31 - June 1 ABC (overnight camp for children who have finished Kindergarten through 2nd grade) and a parent/guardian. This gives the child and parent a taste of the camp experience. Campers stay in cabins with other campers, swim, make crafts, and play like big campers!
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June 2 - 8 Sr. High (10th - 12th graders)
June 9 - 15 8th and 9th graders
June 16 - 22 3rd - 5th graders
June 23 - 29 6th and 7th graders
June 30 - July 6 8th and 9th graders
July 7 - 13 3rd - 5th graders
July 14 - 20 6th and 7th graders
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Young Adult/Campus Ministry News
Web Site for Young Adult/Campus Ministry News:
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/young-adultcampus-ministries
This site has a listing of ministry options available. Check it out! |
Eco-Stewards Program Recruiting for 2013 Program 
The Eco-Stewards Program, a place-based learning program exploring the connections between faith and environmental stewardship, is recruiting young adults (ages ~20-30) for its June 2013 program in Portland, Oregon. The theme of the trip, which will run from June 1-8, is Connectional Urban Living as Creative Response. The program will explore how people of faith in the Portland area are coming together in creative ways to address environmental challenges such as climate change, food inequality and urban sprawl. Eco-Stewards will spend the week exploring the city by foot, bike and public transport as they visit farmer's markets, ecumenical partnerships, co-housing communities, food cooperatives and farms. Along the way, they'll meet with community organizers, city planners, church leaders and environmental activists to discuss how they are laying connectional roots to build a sustainable urban community. During the week, they will have time to reflect on their individual eco-faith journeys while hiking and recreating at Camp Menucha, a Presbyterian camp located in the Columbia River Gorge and foothills of Mt. Hood in the Cascades.
The Eco-Stewards Program is supported in part by Presbyterians for Earth Care, Presbyterian Environmental Ministries and the Presbyterian Church Camp Conference Association. The program helps young adults (ages ~20-30) of all faith backgrounds explore the connections between their faith and the call to environmental stewardship.
For more information, visit our website: www.ecostewardsprogram.wordpress.com or send an email to Rev. Rob Mark at revrobmark@gmail.com |
| Enjoying the Fullness of Life in Our Senior Years
The Osage Forest of Peace (formerly the Osage Monestary) offers offers a look at enjoying the fullness of life in the senior years through their aging sessions.
They will look at transforming conditioned attitudes into opportunities for spiritual development. Aging helps us to realize that we are more than our body. It helps us to realize who we really are. We will explore how the paradoxes of aging become our pathways to a vital spirituality. A different topic on aging will be covered at each session.
There will be time for reflection, sharing and discussion. Each session is independent of the other sessions (so you can attend all, a few or just one session).
When: Every other Wednesday beginning Feb 6 from 9:30 -11:30 am. Continuing through July 10.
Where: Bede's conference Room
Cost: $15 donation would be appreciated. Add $5 for lunch.
Address: 141 Monastery Road, Sand Springs, OK 74063
Call 918-245-2734 to reserve a space or email for more information: sageforest@gmail.com
Presenter: Sr. Maryann Greenwald, SSND is a trained chaplain, spiritual and retreat director with experience in Independent, Assisted Living, Skilled Care, and Hospital facilities. Her experience also includes establishing and working with a Commission for the Elderly.
Upcoming Date and Topic:
May 1, Forgive Others and Self
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Christian Formation Resources |
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5 "Habits of the Heart" for Personal & Political Wellbeing - An on-line course by Parker Palmer
If I am not for myself, who is for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when? - Hillel the Elder
Many of us are committed to ongoing personal growth, but not in a way that makes us self-centered and self-absorbed. We are equally committed to the common good. We know that a life well-lived includes caring for self and caring about the needs of others.
In this workshop we'll revisit the old adage, "The personal is political." We'll focus on developing five habits of the heart that enhance our own wellbeing and our capacity to help create a world that works for everyone. The five habits are:
1. An understanding that we are all in this together
2. An appreciation of the value of "otherness."
3. An ability to hold tension in life-giving ways.
4. A sense of personal voice and agency.
5. A capacity to create community.
http://workshops.cojourneo.com/workshops/Getting-to-the-Heart-of-the-Matter-with-Parker-J-Palmer-43
Dates & Timing: You can watch workshop videos and participate online at any time that fits your schedule. Virtual Meetings will be coordinated by Cojourneo staff. We will do our best to accommodate a variety of meeting preferences and timezones.
Creating Your Own Circle: If you'd like to create your own private small group for your organization, colleagues or friends, please email as at help@cojourneo.com and we'll be happy to help you coordinate.
What is the recommended time commitment for this workshop?
25-30 minutes per session to watch video content, plus your choice of time to try suggested practices in your own life. |
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Lesson Plans that Work Up-Dated
Lesson Plans That Work has been given a new look and new resources.
The popular Lesson Plans That Work, an online, FREE resource from the Episcopal Church, has been updated and revised, now with three distinct tracts for younger and older children, and adults. Lesson Plans that work are available at
http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/lessons/.
Published by the Episcopal Church and written by experienced church school teachers, Lesson Plans That Work follow the Revised Common Lectionary, using practical approaches to respond to the needs of volunteer teachers.
Lesson Plans That Work consists of three lesson plans presented weekly: for young children, for older children, and for adults.
On the web, Lesson Plans That Work is easy to search by Season, Year A, B, or C, and by age. Also newly added is a "Useful Links" section providing additional formation resources.
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Food and Faith - Resources for Both
Article by Cindy Coe, Formation Consultant, Episcopal Relief & Development  Food and Faith has become a popular topic. Here are my "go-to" books, which I've read and digested as I've worked on the Abundant Life Garden Project resources:
Michael Schut , editor, Food & Faith: Justice, Joy, and Daily Bread (Church Publishing, 2010). This is a compendium of a wide variety of articles by Wendell Berry and many other writers - all of which are thought-provoking. A study guide for group studies is included in the back and is flexible enough to be used for short or long term programs.
Michael Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma (Penguin, 2007). This is the "must read" book in thinking about where our food comes from.
Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (HarperCollins, 2008). I loved this book. A marvelous writer moves from Arizona to Southwest Virginia and attempts to grow or buy food locally for a year. A delightful read.
Elizabeth T. Groppe, Eating & Drinking (Fortress Press, 2011). This little book is a quick and easy read; good for folks who want to stick a toe into the subject or don't have the time to dive into Ominvore's Dilemma.
Fred Bahnson & Norman Wirzba, Making Peace with the Land: God's Call to Reconcile with Creation (Intervarsity Press, 2012). This book is much more theological than the others on this list. Very thought-provoking; good for those who already have a good theological background.
L. Shannon Jung, Sharing Food: Christian Practices for Enjoyment (Fortress Press, 2006). A wonderful book linking food and community with Christian theology; also highly recommended for those interested in a more theological approach.
Any of these books would be great for adults or high school students if your parish is using the Abundant Life Garden Project with children or intergenerational groups. If you've used Abundant Life Garden Project with adults, I would love to hear what you did! |
Saying Grace: An Ode to an Old-Fashioned Ritual
It's at home, in pizza joints, and great restaurants. It stops time (and overeating).
By Lauren F. Winner
Article found in O Magazine
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Why-You-Should-Say-Grace-Before-Eating-Saying-Grace
In my kitchen, we begin our meals by holding hands and bowing our heads. We usually say the short and sweet grace found in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: "Bless this food to our use and us to Thy service." Sometimes, when my husband is out of town, I experiment a little bit. Lately, I've offered this haiku by Basho, the 17th-century Japanese poet:
In the twilight rain
These brilliant-hued hibiscus-
A lovely sunset.
I don't have hibiscus, but saying Basho's poem helps me notice, and be thankful for, the magnolia tree out my window, the slow sunset, the pretty table linens. Whether you recite a Zen poem or a Christian prayer, saying grace does good work at the table. On the simplest level, saying grace means offering thanksgiving-grace comes from the Latin gratiarum actio, "act of thanks." To say grace before meals is, among other things, to remember that it was God, not my credit card, that provided my meal. But whether or not you're a believer, a pre-meal thanksgiving recognizes the dozens of people who did hard work to get food to your table-the farmers, the grocery store clerks, the friends or relatives or restaurant chef who transformed a pile of raw vegetables into a bowl of delectable soup.
I'll admit to a certain squeamishness about saying grace in restaurants. Praying at home is one thing, but bowing my head at Wendy's or Jean Georges is quite another. (I never know what to do when a waitress appears as I'm praying. Interrupt myself? Ignore her?) And yet increasingly, I try to overcome my discomfort and boldly say grace at restaurants precisely because I find it so easy, when I go out to eat, to take for granted the low-paid folks who set the table, wash the dishes, and generally make my night on the town possible. To pray before my meal, even if it's awkward, is to remind myself how privileged I am, how much I owe.
Saying grace suggests not only the grazie of thanksgiving but also the calm, gracious elegance of living fully and well. You don't find grace said when people are rushing around, scarfing food, eating over the sink or in the car, polishing off a meal in ten minutes flat. You find grace offered at tables where people sit still, where they're trying to pay attention. Indeed, doctors will tell you that there are physiological benefits to saying grace before meals. People who do it tend to eat more slowly, aiding digestion, while speed eaters don't give their bodies time to register that they're full.
Sometimes I forget to say grace. I fail to say it when I'm ravenous and also when I'm distracted, when eating has nothing to do with intention and everything to do with fueling my body. These hasty meals are probably the times when I need to say grace the most-when I need to pause, feel lucky, and purposefully create a space of repose and awareness in my hectic day. We can't always eat on fine china or by candlelight, but grace is portable. In an age when we so often eat without thinking about it, saying grace can transform a mere meal into an act of celebration, focus, and gratitude. |
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Contact Information
Sabrina Evans
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