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WELCOME to the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Northwest Texas--a place where the vast open plains are as wondrous as the big sky above!
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Photo by Steven Chapman, Lorenzo, TX
As depicted in the pectoral cross of Bishop J. Scott Mayer, the stars, moon, and sun are representative of the beauty one may find in this region of Texas. 
The landscape, covering 77,000 square miles is as diverse as the cities and people, with the canyons and rangelands of the Staked Plains; agricultural fields abounding; and the rough and ready country of the Rolling Plains and Permian Basin. The people here are known for their warm and friendly smiles, making one feel like an old and trusted friend.
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Noteworthy News from Northwest Texas |
SAVE THE DATES!
April 11-14, 2016 - Presbyter's Conference, Christ the King Catholic Retreat Center, San Angelo
November 17-19, 2016 - Annual Diocesan Convention in Lubbock
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 The Diocese of Northwest Texas has recently lost two faithful, dedicated servants of God. Deacon Janice Byrd died in a Midland hospital on February 7, 2016, at the age of 82. A memorial service was held Thursday, February 11, 2016, at St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Big Spring. Inurnment followed the service in St. Mary's columbarium. Deacon Janice had served at St. Mary's with her sister and best friend, Deacon Connie Fowler, since 2002, when they were both ordained to the diaconate. Deacon Janice was a registered dietitian who was dedicated to her work as the head of Food and Nutrition at Big Spring State Hospital. She had a great sense of humor and was known for her favorite saying, "Jesus, keep your arm around my shoulders, and your hand over my mouth."  Likewise, Deacon Jessie Vaughn, of Grace Episcopal Church in Vernon, died in Wichita Falls, on Wednesday afternoon, February 17, 2016, at the age of 75. She had been a resident of Vernon since 1979, when her husband retired from the Army. She began the process for ordination to the diaconate after the death of her husband in 1997, and, ironically, was ordained in the same class with Deacon Janice Byrd and Deacon Connie Fowler in 2002. Deacon Jessie was a dedicated deacon who volunteered at the United Samaritan Service of Vernon, and served at Grace Church. When interviewed for an article for the Grace Church website she stated, "As Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, that attitude of servanthood is what I hope to accomplish. I believe it is what God has called me to do." And that she did, with love and compassion.
Funeral arrangements for Deacon Jessie are pending, but will be communicated as soon as they are announced. Please keep both families, as well as their friends, in your prayers as they mourn. Both deacons will be greatly missed.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord;
And may light perpetual shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen
(BCP pg. 502)
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Safeguarding God's Children
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Now that annual meetings are over, and new vestries and Bishop's Committees have been elected, it's time to make sure all vestry and Bishop's Committee  members have been trained in and are currently certified in Safeguarding God's Children (SGC.) Examples of those who should be certified are nursery workers, youth leaders, office staff, Sunday School teachers, acolyte trainers, and other church leaders. Clergy are also required by diocesan policy to be certified every three years. This mandated by our diocesan policy. Safeguarding our churches for the sake of our precious children is a means by which we live into our Baptismal Covenant as we seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves; as we strive for justice and peace among all people; and respect the dignity of every living creature. It is also a means by which we reduce the risk of predatory behavior, and reduce the risk of legal liability to the church and the diocese in the case of an abusive situation. In addition, laws protect the person who may report an abusive situation to persons in a position of leadership, such as a clergy person, warden, vestry member, or to the proper authorities. If a person has never taken SGC, according to diocesan policy, the course must be taken in a classroom setting. There are numerous trainers in various cities in the diocese, making it easy to arrange for a class. If, however, a person has had training but it has lapsed, re-certification may be accomplished online by taking a short refresher course. The person must be registered for the Safeguarding site by a Safeguarding administrator before they may utilize online training. Diocesan trainers include:
Deacon Amanda Watson - Heavenly Rest, Abilene - amanda.watson1966@yahoo.comCarole Horne - St. Mark's, Coleman - jbhorne@web-access.netEdee Aikman - St. Andrew's, Amarillo - eaikman@standrewsamarillo.org
Elizabeth Thames - St. Stephen's, Lubbock - ethames@nwtdiocese.org
Bert Bostic - Holy Trinity, Midland - bert@holytrinity.org
Candi Wolfe - Good Shepherd, San Angelo - ckluvchocolate@yahoo.com
Cindy Huteson - Emmanuel, San Angelo - receptionist@emmanuel-sa.org
Steve Hennessee - Grace Church, Vernon - steviebee1973@yahoo.com
In addition to the trainers listed, the Rev. Alberto Moreno, Vicar of San Miguel Arcangel in Odessa, will be trained soon as our Spanish-speaking Safeguarding trainer for the diocese.
To arrange for a class or for online training you may contact an administrator in your area of the diocese, or you may contact Nancy Igo or Renee Haney for forms and information.
No matter whom you may contact, please do your part for our children by taking the necessary courses to safeguard God's children.
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Almighty God, heavenly Father, you have blessed us with the joy and care of children: Give us calm strength and patient wisdom as we bring them up, that we may teach them to love whatsoever is just and true and good, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
(BCP pg 829)
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Ministry Spotlight from the Heavenly Rest Lay Reader, Vol 4 Issue 2
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 Heavenly Rest Welcomes Sister Brigit-Carol
Sister Brigit-Carol, SD (known as Sister B to her friends) has been vowed solitary religious for 24 years. She will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her life profession this coming September. She moved to this diocese in 2002, to help begin a community of solitaries and lived near Santa Anna with other solitaries, then alone when the community closed. Sr. Brigit-Carol moved to Abilene, and the Church of the Heavenly Rest, last November. By moving to an urban area her life will be less hermit-like, but she will continue to live out the essence of her vows through solitary prayer, study, and manual labor. She supports herself by making Anglican Prayer Beads and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Sister B is known as a Solitary of DeKoven (SD) to honor her patron, the Blessed James DeKoven, who lived a saintly life in Racine, Wisconsin, during the mid-1800's. The Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee purchased the historic Racine College, founded in 1852, to use as a retreat and conference center, which is now named for the Rev. James DeKoven, one of their first educators and leaders. The DeKoven Center is located on Lake Michigan, in Racine. To view the DeKoven Center, follow this link.
In the Episcopal Church, a solitary religious is one who professes his/her vows through the hands of the diocesan bishop rather than as a member of a religious order. The vows are basically the same: poverty, chastity, and obedience, but interpreted somewhat differently depending on the solitary's life circumstance. Some profess a vow of solitude or prayer depending on their sense of vocational call. Sister B will be co-leading the Contemplative Prayer Group at Heavenly Rest, with Dianne Rose and Sue Ivey. Deacon Art Goolsbee, also of Heavenly Rest, began the Centering Prayer Group, which is transitioning to the new Contemplative Prayer Group, however, he will be retiring as its leader this winter.
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Conference Opportunity
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The Episcopal Network for Stewardship Annual Conference
June 3-4, 2016
All Saints Episcopal Church
Pasadena, California
Simone Campbell, SSS, author of "Nun on the Bus," Executive Director of NETWORK, and  activist for economic justice, will be a Keynote Speaker at the TENS Annual Conference, June 3 & 4. Sister Simone has served as Executive Director of NETWORK since 2004. She is a religious leader, attorney, and poet with extensive experience in public policy and advocacy for systemic change. The conference will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church, in Pasadena, California. All Saints has been a leader in the Episcopal Church around Stewardship, Peace, and Inclusion for over 50 years and is the largest Episcopal Church in the West. For more details go to: http://www.tens.org/2016-conference/
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Holy "Folk"
| On February 24th, we will celebrate the feast day of St. Matthias, the Apostle. Little is knownabout St. Matthias, but what we do know is he filled the vacancy left by Judas, after his death.
According to Calendar of Saints, written by our resident
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From the workshop of
Simone Martini
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theologian, the Rev. Canon David Veal, the eleven remaining Apostles elected to fill the vacancy, which set an important precedent for the Church. The first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles tells that two men were nominated, Joseph Barsabas and Matthias. The eleven Apostles prayed and then "cast lots to see which of the two should be chosen." Matthias was chosen and enrolled with the Apostles. As Canon Veal wrote, "the Apostles were, therefore, deemed fit, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to select and appoint new Apostles as some died or fell away. It was partly on this precedent that the Apostolic Succession was based." In today's bishop election process the House of Bishops must consent, and the new bishop must be consecrated by three or more bishops to be considered properly elected. Each bishop is given a number in the Apostolic succession, in fact, our own bishop, the Rt. Rev. James Scott Mayer, is number 1035 in the Episcopal succession.
Little is known of St. Matthias' life after the events in the Acts of the Apostles, however, he is traditionally remembered as an exemplary bishop. According to an online article from EWTN Global Catholic Network, it is claimed that St. Matthias the Apostle's remains are interred in the Abbey of St. Matthias, Trier, Germany, brought there through Empress Helena of Constantinople, mother of Emperor Constantine I (the Great). According to Greek sources, the remains of the apostle are buried in the castle of Gonio-Apsaros, Georgia.
On his feast day we pray that the church might always be "ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors."
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Vital Practices
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Care and Feeding of Priests
In 14 years as a clergy spouse, I've witnessed the gamut of how a congregation cares for its priest.
Don't get me wrong - I know that the congregation pays its priest - and this is both a job and vocation, but I've come to believe that one way to measure the health of a church is how it interacts and cares for its priest.
I don't see the congregation's wealth - or lack thereof - or Sunday attendance -- high or low -- as factors in the care and feeding of priests. We've served a variety of churches, from tiny country congregations to large suburban, a new start and county seat churches. The best example of a congregation caring for its priest is one committed to giving thanks for the little things. Parishioners send regular notes to the priest - and his family. Thank you for your ministry.
Every few months, one lady in the congregation gives the priest a $20 or $50 gift card. Take your wife out on a date. Treat your kids to an afternoon movie. We know this ministry sometimes is hardest on the family.
At a year anniversary, the parish has a bakery cake. We appreciate you.
On the anniversary of ordination, the parish offers special prayers. We thank God for you.
When the priest needs a volunteer, people step up. When they see an opportunity for mission, they offer to lead it, instead of complaining or waiting for the priest to do all of the work. How can I help?
Sure, the priest is getting paid for his work at the church, and some might argue that the monetary compensation is thanks enough. But we in the church are about relationships and community. We hope for more from our friends and family than the required transactions. We hope our bosses acknowledge our extra effort.
It seems to me (and I concede that I'm somewhat biased) that if our churches took seriously the care and feeding of priests, then that behavior of kindness and generosity of spirit would infuse the congregation. They'd start to interact with love and mercy toward each other, with grace and hospitality to the stranger. Who knows how that could transform our churches -- and our priests? ** Richelle Thompson is married to the Rev. Jeffrey Queen, Rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, in Ft. Thomas, Kentucky. She is the Deputy Director & Managing Editor at Forward Movement.
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Seminary Updates
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Wellness for Ministry Focuses on Spiritual Practices
Spiritual practice is the focus of the Comprehensive Wellness for Ministry programming at Southwest this spring. Students will have a variety of opportunities to enrich their spiritual practice as part of their Rule of Life in preparation for ministry.
Brother Curtis Almquist, former superior of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist, will be on the seminary campus on February 29 - March 1 for reflections on "a contemplative grounding for praying your life." Mystics Lectures are scheduled during the lunch hour on Wednesdays, March 2, March 9, April 13 and April 20. Presented by seminary faculty and guest, Cecilia Miller from Wesleyan University, the lectures will address Mysticism as a Theological Challenge, Overview of Mysticism, Jesus as a Mystic, and Saint Teresa of Avila: A Spanish Mystic. For more information, please follow this link.
Becoming Conscious
April 7-10, 2016
Presented by the Beecken Center and the Institute for
Conscious Being
The Institute for Conscious Being (ICB), in partnership with the Beecken Center, will offer an immersion into the wisdom of the Enneagram, April 7-10, 2016 at the University of the South. This in-depth conference will demonstrate to participants how the wisdom of the Enneagram provides an illuminating means of self-realization and a return to consciousness. For more information, click the graphic.
Please click the graphic below to view this month's edition of Theology Monthly:
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Diocesan Events Calendar
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FEBRUARY
21 Visitation, St. Stephen's, Lubbock 25 Executive Council, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Lubbock, 10:00am28 Visitation, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Lubbock
MARCH
4 Commission on Ministry, HEC, 10:30am
4-6 School of Ordained Ministry, St. Paul's, Lubbock
10-11 DEROS, St. Paul's, Lubbock
10-15 House of Bishops, Camp Allen in the Diocese of Texas, Navasota, TX
12 Standing Committee, HEC, 10:00am
13 Daily Savings Time begins
20 Palm Sunday
24 Maundy Thursday
25 Good Friday - Hulsey Center Closed
27 Easter Sunday
28 Easter Monday - Hulsey Center Closed
(Items in purple indicate Bishop Mayer's presence.)
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Heavenly Father, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
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