the canticle
DESCRIPTION
The newsletter of St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal ChurchTRANSCRIPT
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:[email protected]
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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‐[email protected]!
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
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PentecostatSt.Augustine.June12,2011
“Come,HolyGhost,oursoulsinspire,Andlightenwithcelestialfire.”
TheCanticle July2011
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FeastoftheAscensionatSt.Augustine’s.
June5,2011
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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