the canticle

TheCanticle July2011

THECANTICLE

JU

LY

2011

PentecostandAscensionSundayweretwo‘visual’eventsatSt.Augustine’sinJune!

Page3‐4

Spotlight:DavidL.Coffman,M.D.

St.AugustineofCanterburyEpiscopalChurch

14700N.MayAve.OklahomaCity,OK73134

(405)751‐7874http://staugustine.episcopaloklahoma.org/

MyformativeyearswerespentgrowingupinaverysmalltowninWashingtonStateandattendingtheMethodistChurchfollowedbytheLutheranchurch.Aftercollege,Imarriedmywife32yearsagointheCatholicChurch.WhenwemovedtoEdmondin1995wejoinedSt.Mary’sEpiscopalChurch,whereIwasconfirmed.IhaveadoctorateinMedicine,specialtyofDiagnosticRadiologywithSubspecialtycertificationinNeuroradiology.BeforeIwentintoprivatepractice,IwasaClinicalAssociateProfessorofRadiologyfortheUniversityofOklahomaHealthSciencesCenter.InadditiontocontinuingmyeducationformyprofessionIhavealwayshadaninterestinbiblicalstudies.MyreligioustrainingincludesEducationfor

MinistrybyextensionfromtheUniversityoftheSouthSchoolofTheology.Inaddition,Icompletedaone‐semestercourseintheHebrewBibleatSt.Paul'sSeminaryatOklahomaCityUniversity.Moreover,IhaveaninsatiablecuriosityleadingmetoreadvariousbooksandcommentariesontheBibleandtheEpiscopalChurchincludingtheuseofvariousGreekandHebrewtexts,translationsandevensomeJewishcommentariesontheOldworkedwithmywifeinvariousministriesandItaughtoneyearofbiblestudy.AcoupleofyearagoIfeltastrongcalltowriteabookofprayersandreflectionsthatfollowthelessonsintherevisedcommonlectionaryforoneyear.Icontinuetowriteandreflect.Continuedonpage5

Editor’snote:TheCanticlewillrunminiprofilesonthepeoplewhocometoourchurch.Ifyouwouldliketobeconsidered,pleaseemail:yvettebwalker@gmail.com

TheCanticle July2011

2

EMPTYNESTERSJulyEmptyNesterswillbeonFriday,July29th.Time:6:30pm.Thesiteis,CaffePranzoRestaurant.Thelocationis9622NMayAveinOklahomaCity,755‐3577.CafféPranzoisthepremiereneighborhoodItalianRestaurantinOklahomaCity.Thesecrettotheirsuccess?"Excellentfoodandserviceataveryreasonableprice."PleaseRSVPtoWesorJackieBallingeratjwballinger@sbcglobal.netnolaterthanWednesday,July7,27th.

SACRAMENT,SUPPER

&STUDY

ContinuesthefirstWednesdayofthemonthat5:30atthechurch.BIRTHDAYS7/8ElliotFaulk

UTOThankyoutoeveryonewho

participatedintherecentUTO(UnitedThankOffering)

Ingathering.However,UTOisayear‐roundevent.Adaily

devotionalprogramthatisawaytoexpressourthankstogodinatangiblewayforourblessings.Youareencouragedtopickupa“bluebox”andgivethanksfor

yourblessingseachday.

ECWMEETING TherewillbeaspecialluncheonmeetingforelectionofofficersandCanterburyFaireplanningonSaturday,July16thatthehomeofDianaLauffer,14509BrasswoodBoulevard,Edmond.PleaseRSVPtoDianaat302‐0370org.lauffer@sbcglobal.nettoday!

ByYvetteWalkerandSabrinaEvans

Thisyear’sVacationBibleSchoolfocusesonthe“LifeandtimesofJesus”‐‐July30startingat1p.m.,andendingJuly31atconclusionof10:30service.SabrinaEvans,DirectorofChristianFormationfortheEpiscopalDioceseofOklahoma,isplanningthisyear’sevent.

AccordingtoSabrina,“Wewillsleepintentsonthepropertyandeachtentwillbeabusinessorshop.”SabrinaasksthemembersofSt.Augustinetohelpmakethisyear’sVBSasuccessbyassistingwiththefollowing:

VBSiscoming,July30‐31.Howcanyouhelp?

7/9LukeSchwartz7/14BillLarson7/18TedZweifel7/19BillCollins7/20JaidenCampbellTison7/22KurtSmith7/28EricChamberlain7/31WesBallinger

ANNIVERSARIES

7/10Carol&ChadYarbrough7/20Pam&JimNevilleIfyourbirthdayoranniversaryisnotlistedhere,pleaseletYvetteWalkerknow.

GuildofSt.George

July:Dryorcannedbeans

MakeLentilsoup(usingtherecipeprovided.RecipeswillbeatSt.Augustine’sforpickup!)MakeHummus(usingtherecipeprovided)ProvideingredientsforPitaBread–Yeast,flour,saltProvideboiledeggsMakebanananutbreadloafsorprovidewholeloafpurchasedfromstoreProvidebananas,milk,pineapplesDonateatentMakeadonationtohelpfundourcraftsComeandhelpussetuppriortoVBSHelpmakeourwellareaHelpsortoutcostumesHelpustakedownafterthe10:30a.m.serviceonJuly31‐‐ANDPrayforus!

TheCanticle July2011

3

PentecostatSt.Augustine.June12,2011

“Come,HolyGhost,oursoulsinspire,Andlightenwithcelestialfire.”

TheCanticle July2011

4

FeastoftheAscensionatSt.Augustine’s.

June5,2011

TheCanticle July2011

5

Editor’snote:Davidlikestowritereflectionsandprayers.Hereisoneofhisrecentwritings:RoughlytranslatedfromSpanish,TeologiaGlobomeans“TheologyBalloon.”

Props:2identicalballoonstiedwithribbonsandtheribbonstiedtothelectern.Oneballoonfilledwithair,theotherwithhelium.

AlthoughtheofficialAscensiondaywastheThursdaybeforeSundayJune5,wecelebratedChrist'sascensionduringourSundayworshipservicebyreleasingheliumfilledballoonswithintheNave.

WeareheretodaytocelebratePentecost,whichmeans50days.ThiscelebrationcommemoratesthedescentoftheHolySpirituponthedisciples.TheHolySpiritisliterallytheSpiritofGod,oneofthethreemanifestationsofTheHolyTrinityofGod.TheHolySpiritisourcomforterandcounselorandmaybestowspiritualgifts,orcharismata,uponpeoplesuchas:

Wisdom,Knowledge,Discerningvariousspirits,Speakingintongues,Interpretationoftongues,Prophecy,Faith,Workingofmiracles,Healing.

TheHolySpiritwassenttohelpguideussinceourteacher,ourSavior,ascendeduntoheaven.

Bynowyoushouldbeaskingyourselfwhyarethere2balloonstiedtothepulpit?Theshortansweris:BecauseIlikeballoons.

Thelongansweris:

BeeecaaussseI‐I‐I‐ILlliiiikeBaaaallooooonnnsss!

Actuallytheyremindmeofmychildhood.Itwascommonforballoonstobeinvolvedincelebrationsespeciallybirthdays.Eventoday,inbigcelebrations,includingsomeofourlargestparades,balloonsareused.Moreimportantly,balloonsarefun.

Balloonsareverydiversecominginallsizes,shapesandcolors.Theyarefuntoplaywith.Youcanusethemwith

staticelectricity,orplaywiththemlikeball,orevenmakewaterballoons.Withsomepatienceandtraining,balloonscanbetransformedintovariousshapes.Aschildren,longbeforewediscoverpoliticians,welearnthatballoonsmaybewindbags.Alsoatayoungage,welearnthatballoonsaretransient.Theymaybeveryshortlivedespeciallywhenweplayrufforwhenthefamilypetsgetinvolved.

Now,backtoour2balloons.Whatdoyouimmediatelynotice?Theyarebothtieddown,botharefilled,butoneisdangling,theotherisfloating.Thiswouldmakeonethinkthattheyarenotfilledwiththesamething.Thatistrue.Oneisfilledwithregularair,theotherwithanoblegas,whichyouhaveprobablyguessedishelium.DidInotsayballoonsarefun?Hereweareinchurchplayingwithsomechemistryandphysics...andballoons!!WhatmorecouldyouaskforonaSundaymorning?WhatisthatIhear?Somewhisperingsofwantingrelevance.

Wepeoplecomeinmanyshapes,sizesandcolors.WearetiedtothisEarthbyourfleetinglives.Manyofusfollowthepathofleastresistance,essentially,goingwhicheverwaythewindblows.Someofyoumaythink,"Ishebacktalkingaboutballoons?"Truly,Itellyou...wearelikeballoons.Similartoballoonsweareenvelopes,orvessels,thatcanbefilled.Unlikethesetwoballoonsatthelecternwehaveachoice.

Wemayfillourheartswiththingsofthisworld,weighingusdownandshacklingustightertothisworld.Or,wemaychoosetobefilledwithsomethingnobler,theHolySpirit.WeliketheballoonsarestilltetheredtoEarthbythislife;butbeingfilledwiththeHolySpiritistobeupliftedbyGod.CounseledandnurturedbytheHolySpiritwemaybetransformedintothepeopleGodmeantustobe.GuidedbytheHolySpiritwemaydevelopourgiftstobetterserveGod.SothatourtimeandtalentsmayworkwithinGod'splanstohelpspreadtheGoodNewsofSalvationthroughJesusChristtheSonofGod.ByworkingtogetherandwiththeGraceofGod,wemaybeaproductiveforceonEarthdemonstratingthepowerofGod'slovewhilewestriveforthegreaterGloryofGod.

WritingsofDavidL.Coffman:TeologiaGlobo