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January 2013 

CALENDAR  

January 27—Sunday 12 noon: Annual Parish Meeting

Please note only one service this Sunday - 10:45 am

February 9—Saturday Mardi Gras: 6:30 pm

February 12—Tuesday Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper:

5:30 –7:00 pm

February 13—Wednesday Ash Wednesday: Imposition of Ashes

& Eucharist 12 noon & 7 pm

February 17—Sunday, First Sunday in Lent:

Rite I – Morning Prayer & Eucharist 8:30 am

Rite II—Celebration Service 10:45 am

February 20—Wednesday Stations of the Cross

& Communion 12 noon Simple Supper & Lenten Study

5:30 – 7:30 pm

February 24—Sunday Second Sunday in Lent: Rite I – Morning Prayer

& Eucharist 8:30am Rite II—Celebration Service

10:45 am

February 27—Wednesday Stations of the Cross

& Communion 12 noon Simple Supper and Lenten Study:

5:30 – 7:30 pm

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined. (Isaiah 9:2)

Each of God’s children walks in dark-ness from time to time: the darkness of emotional anxiety, of physical or men-tal illness, of vocational disappoint-ment, of spiritual desolation, of finan-cial destitution, of shame or resent-ment or regret. And some justly feel they live, in Isaiah’s word’s, in a land of deep darkness. Deep darkness lives in Israel and Pal-estine, in Libya and Mali, in Syria and Sudan, in Afghanistan and Iraq. Deep darkness lives in the homes of first graders in New-town, Connecticut and daily within countless other cities and towns. Deep darkness lives wherever the soul is hungry or home-less or afraid or alone.

In the midst of that darkness it is our baptismal vocation as Christians to witness to the light.

Light is a prevalent theme of the Epiphany season. The word epiphany, means “manifestation,” “revelation,” or “unveiling.” As it follows Christmas, it is the time of the year in which Christians consider how God has appeared to us, where is God seen, and how God is made manifest in the world. Epiphany, its primary symbol is the star, is about seeing the light.

What does this light demand?

Light heals, especially the psyche. Our biological system needs a certain amount of light. Prolonged lack of light can result in Sea-sonal Affective Disorder, whose treatment often requires light therapy.

Light generates and sustains life. The vast majority of plants in the world, both on land and underwater, depend on light for pho-tosynthesis. Leaves are solar collectors that convert that light into chemical energy, which is stored in sugars.

Light warms by transferring energy, both physically, warming the body, and emotionally, warming the heart.

Light reveals truth. When we shed some light on a thing, we understand it more fully. When we bring something into the light, we expose its nature. In light of that revealed truth, we say that we have been enlightened. The great light of the Christ shines on you and in you. It heals your soul, it sustains your life, it warms your heart, and it reveals your truth. There is no dark place in you or me that it does not illumine. And it demands of all of us a humble self-examination, an honest accounting, and repentance

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in the Gospel sense, metanoia – turning around, a change of heart, a conversion. The victory of light over darkness, of justice over oppression, of good over evil, requires our own change of heart and a change of every heart into which the light of Christ has shined.

Remember how Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” As the light of Christ in the world, each of us, individually and collec-tively, provide warmth, new life, and healing to others. Also, by shedding the light of Christ’s love, we reveal the truth that God loves everyone, with no exceptions.

As we continue our journey through this Epiphany season let us, like the Magi gazing into the heavens to find that one star, be confident that we will ultimately be drawn to the one who is “light from light.”

Father Joseph+

Parish Health Team Deacon Tony Moon, tonymoon@airosurf.com

As you likely know, thirty leaders were sur-veyed earlier this month regarding the strengths and weaknesses of our Church… and the results are in!

A brief overview of the Natural Church De-velopment survey process along with the sur-vey results will be presented at the Annual Meeting, January 27th. The results are en-couraging—and of course, there’s some work to do!

We will begin by gaining a broader range of feedback from more than thirty people (a limitation placed on us by the survey pro-cess.) We want to hear from you, so come and learn about our results and our plan for gaining your input.

The Altar Guild Karen Hall, kjfhall01@yahoo.com

The Altar Guild prepares the sanctuary for worship services each and every Sunday. This year they are adding a Junior Altar Guild which is new for St. Augustine’s. Altar Guild members work in teams and training is re-quired. If you would like to be-come a member of the Al-tar Guild please contact: Karen Hall.

New members as well as old members make up our church family. This member spotlight is included to help you get to know others in the church!

Cindy Gray

Cindy is new to St. Augustine’s but you wouldn’t know it! She’s already volunteered to head up the bread baking for commun-ion and recently ran her first three-hour session.

The team used a recipe that was provid-ed to the church by a former bishop’s wife and one Saturday session can provide the host for approximately one quarter of the year.

The friendliness of all the people at St. Augustine is keeping her coming back to the 10:45 service while the location drew her in the doors initially. She lives just up the street and decided to give it a chance.

She loves that while St. Augustine’s is still Episcopal it is much more forward then most Episcopal churches.

Cindy enjoys the entire service but would like to hear more solos and choir performances each week.

Although she hasn’t officially joined the church yet when Father Joe asked her to make the bread for Sunday services she felt led to say yes.

Vivian Hall

Forty years of church attendance is quite the accomplishment even if you are chang-ing churches frequently. But Vivian has been attending St. Augustine’s for over 40 years.

You can see Vivian motor in to the 10:45 service whenever her health allows. A re-cent broken hip has made things a little more difficult but she’s on the mend now.

She has enjoyed many hobbies during her 90 plus years including stained glass, decorated eggs, and jewelry making.

Vivian likes everything about the ser-vices at St. Augustine, in fact she says “I love it, everything goes fine for me and the church”!

Cindy and Al Ginsberg

Cindy and Al have been members of the church since 1992. Father Joe’s sermons are their favorite part of the more tradition-al 8:30am Sunday service.

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Cindy thinks it is wonderful that people have the choice of a traditional or celebratory service at St. Augustine’s and thinks that choice is what will help the church continue to grow.

She wants new people that join to find the ministry that serves them the best so that they can become more involved which in turn helps the church grow.

Both retired they are very involved in the lives of their grown children and are blessed to have four grandchildren ranging in age from 9 to 16. Active in many sports their grandchildren appreciate the local cheering section their grandparents provide at games.

Al retired from the Oklahoma City School district in 2003 and spent 30 years in the mil-itary until he retired as a Full Colonel in 1994. He likes to play golf whenever he can.

Cindy used to be an Office Manager for a busy dentist’s practice but now enjoys in-volvement at St. Augustine’s in many capaci-ties.

Ted and Ann Owens

The Owens have been members since April of 2011.

Ann likes the contemporary music at the Celebratory service on Sundays. She’d like for it to be incorporated all the time. Her favor-ite part of the service is Communion.

She feels the church is headed down the right path for the growth she would like to see continue. Additionally, outreach pro-grams to the needy and hungry should be fostered; Ann thinks that is what Jesus would want us to do.

Empty nesters whose grown children live out of state, Ann works at Republic National Distributing Company and Ted is retired.

Definition: noun, plural e•piph•a•nies. a Christian festival, observed on January 6, commemorating the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles in the persons of the Magi; Twelfth-day.

Kings and Camels

The three Magi -- Caspar (a.k.a., Gaspar, Kaspar or Jaspar), Melchior, and Balthasar -- are seen as the "first fruits of the Gentiles".

We at St. Augustine were also visited by the three Magi and their camels thanks to church members and acolytes willing to play the part.

The camels, Burger King and Isaac, were a stately addition to the closing procession at the 10:45 service and provided enjoyable rides to many.

Be sure and let Father Joe know if you’d like the camels back next year.

Stars

As Father Joe mentioned in the Vicar’s Voice stars are the symbol of Epiphany in the church. He graced us with his own version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at the 1/6 ser-vices. Here are his lyrics for those that missed it or would like to share it with oth-ers.

Twinkle, twinkle little star I know who you really are. Born to save the human race, Born to show us all God’s grace. Twinkle, twinkle little star I know who you really are.

Twinkle, twinkle little star I know who you really are. Born in Bethlehem that night, Bringing love and peace and light. Twinkle, twinkle little star I know who you really are.

Twinkle, twinkle little star When you look down from afar, What’s that little light you see? Shining here for God. . . . . . It’s me. Twinkle, twinkle little star I know who you really are.

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In closing a po-em from Bishop Steven Charles-ton:

Ode to Stars

Standing alone at night, beneath a curious moon, I searched for that single star, the one that would be my sign of hope.

But instead, I saw a field of stars, cast shimmering across the heavens, a countless sweep of stars, more than I could carry.

Hope and you do not hope alone. Love and you do not love alone. Like stars our dreams are cast to high heaven, some to lead us to all we imagined, others only to watch over us on our way, but all to shine together, all share the same beauty.

We do not pass this way alone, but journey in light, beneath a curious moon.

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