Read an article

Showing Our News Only


News 512

Disaster Response in Western Oklahoma

by The Rev. Paul Snyder, Diocesan Disaster Recovery Coordinator — The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

August 29, 2018

Recently, I was in western Oklahoma, where we are still working on recovering from the wildfires. I took some pictures while I was there to share with you. I feel that it is important to keep you updated on how your neighbors are recovering. We are trying t...

News 512

Farewell to Fr. Bright

by Grace, Ponca City — The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

August 29, 2018

On August 12th, we said our official goodbyes to Fr. Bright and his family. After the Thanksgiving prayer at the end of the Eucharist,Deacon Steve presided over a"going forth" liturgy withmost of the congregation surrounding Fr. Bright and his family. Fathe...

News 512

Emmanuel, Shawnee Blue Zones Approved

by Emmanuel, Shawnee — The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

August 28, 2018

It’s a special and exciting day as Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee, is honored as the first Blue Zones Project Approved™ Faith-based Organization in Pottawatomie County! Emmanuel Episcopal is the first church in Shawnee, and the state of Ok...

News 512

Monyue Bright's Book Signing

by Grace, Ponca City — The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

August 28, 2018

Monyue Bright of Grace, Ponca City wrote a book,"The First Day of School"!Brace Books in Ponca City hosted a book signing event,in which the books sold out! Monyue believes that most students, particularly those with special needs, face the challenge of get...

News 512

Just Listen!

by Sabrina Evans, Director of Christian Formation — The Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

August 27, 2018

Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash The Diocese has purchased a video from Acorn Wholeness for All, called Just Listen! Many of us today have discovered for ourselves the difference it makes when someone really listens to us. Being well listened to can be a li...

Around the Diocese

Half-Full

August 29, 2018

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

     I was thinking about the expression, “You either see your glass as half-full or half-empty”. I hadn’t thought much about it, but I guess I used to be a glass-half-empty-kind-of-guy. I used to feel like I had been cheated out of something. Thanks to many years with a supportive spouse, I learned that life really doesn’t owe me anything. I suppose that is when I became a glass-half-full-kind-of-guy.
     I have also heard the expression, “If you see your glass as half-full, pour it into a smaller glass and stop complaining!” Perhaps the glass is half-full because there is room for growth. Or, perhaps it is half-full because God gave us the first half, and the rest is our responsibility. If the glass were given to us full, we might not have anything to work for. After all, necessity is the mother of invention.
Picture the first half of the glass as being the talents, skills, and gifts we receive at the beginning of life. The second half would then be filled with the fruits of those talents, skills, and gifts as we do our part. The key here is to remember that effort on our part is required if we are ever to experience the feeling of being “full”. It is, in fact, the natural longing for God that causes many people to feel half-empty.
     At Luke 16:26, Jesus says that “a great chasm has been placed between us and [God]”. This “chasm” or gap prevents us from experiencing the fullness of God. That is what causes an “empty” feeling in unbelievers. Even some that claim to be Christian still experience that emptiness because they have not completely given themselves to God through Christ.
     St. Paul’s letter to Christians in Ephesus includes the words, “I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19, NRSV, bold type is mine)
     The glass-is-full feeling comes from truly knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The things of this world (wealth, power, fame, etc., etc.) are meaningless without Christ as Lord-of-it-all. Nothing in this world can give you that glass-is-full feeling without Jesus. How do we come to “know” Jesus? How do we come to know anyone? By spending time with them. Spending time with Jesus in prayer, study, meditation, and worship are essential. Developing solid friendships with like-minded believers is essential.
     The empty part of the glass is perhaps waiting for you to do your part to fill it. Begin by deciding to spend time with Jesus, then stay at it until you experience the fullness of God. The people of St. Andrew’s want you to know that God loves you and we believe in you. Come see us.

Blessings and Peace to You All,
Fr. David+

Potential

August 15, 2018

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church

     When our boys were little, they believed that I could fix anything. They would bring a broken toy to me and stand there until I fixed it. Sometimes they could hardly bear to let go of the toy long enough for me to fix it. If glue was required, they couldn’t wait long enough for the glue to dry before attempting to play with the toy again. It was frustrating at times.
     That is how many of us bring our concerns and requests to God. We are often so personally invested in the turmoil of brokenness that we can’t let go of it long enough to experience the fix, if we ever let go at all. Most of our worries, or our brokenness, stem from our perception of needs.
St. Matthew quotes Jesus as saying, “… your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8b, NRSV). That is a sobering thought; that God already knows what we need. What we ask for is what we want. That may not be what is best for us, or what we need, that is, what we really need. The question is, how do we know what we really need?
     Abraham Maslow developed his theory of the hierarchy of human needs in 1943. According to Maslow, our “Basic Needs” include Physiological Needs (food, water, warmth, rest) and Safety Needs (security, safety), and are primary for survival. Our “Psychological Needs” (intimate relationships, love, and self-esteem) are secondary in importance. This is where we find our place in the world. Third are our “Self-Fulfillment Needs” (creativity, reaching your full potential). This is where we find who we were created to be.
Meeting the first two sets of needs (Physiological & Psychological) consume the greatest amount of our time. So much so that the third level (Self-Fulfillment) often goes by the wayside. This is one cause of physical and psychological burn-out. If time for self-fulfillment is denied long enough, the mind and body will begin to atrophy (in a figure of speech). Why do some people who are the same age feel older than others? Perhaps it is, in part, due to the level of self-fulfillment an individual is experiencing.
     If we allow ourselves to be totally consumed with the lower two levels of needs, and ignore the third level, we are stunting our personal growth and wasting our potential. How are we to know what our potential is? By looking to our creator. Each of us have been given specific “gifts” for this life. Some individuals never notice their gifts and talents or have been too afraid to pursue self-fulfillment.
     Self-fulfillment does not mean fulfillment-without-God, or fulfillment-in-opposition-to-God. It does mean making the most of what God made you to be. To find your way, go back to the beginning. To find your gifts, go back to God. To find higher power, go to the Source of all power.

Blessings and Peace to You All,
Fr. David+