THE BISHOP’S COLUMN | CAMP ALLEN | DIOCESAN NEWS
Diolog
MAR. 2012
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1
The Texas Episcopalian
AGING: EMBRACING THE SECOND HALF OF LIFE WITH GRACE page 08
SHARING FAITH page 05
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epicenter.org
www.epicenter.org
Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (since 1874) is an official publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Our mission is to bring you the wealth of stories from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, to inform and inspire you and to deepen your spiritual life. PUBLISHER:
The Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
EDITOR: Carol E. Barnwell, cbarnwell@epicenter.org DESIGNER:
LaShane K. Eaglin, leaglin@epicenter.org
STAFF WRITER:
Luke Blount, lblount@epicenter.org
Diolog: The Texas Episcopalian (PE# USPS 10965, ISSN# 1074-441X) is published quarterly (March, June, September and December) for $25 a year by the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX. Address changes may be emailed to: txepis@epicenter.org
POSTMASTER: Address changes: Diolog: The Texas
Episcopalian, 1225 Texas St., Houston, TX 77002-3504
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas
Contents:
MARCH 2012
In This Issue: 04 EDITOR’S LETTER Carol E. Barnwell
08 OPENING THE DOORS As people age, their need intensifies for spiritual nourishment and connectedness with their faith, family and community. They need to be recognized and valued just the way they are, in the present.
Sharing Faith page 5 AGING 06 Bishop’s Column 08 Theology of Aging 10 Grey Theology 14 A New Culture of Care 16 Been There, Done That 18 The Fifth Step 20 Retiring
21 LENT 2012 The Rev. Canon John Newton, IV
PROFILES
24 ARCHITECT & ARTIST Houston architect Carvel Glenn has taken up brush and paint to help illustrate this issue of the Diolog.
Cover and Inside Cover: Creative Commons
Cenobia Loaiza, Luminary page 22 Carvel Glenn, Artist page 24 The Guild Shop, Advocacy page 26 St. James’ House, Congregation page 28 30 CAMP ALLEN 32 SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST 34 BISHOP’S CALENDAR & PEOPLE
Diolog
| 3 | March 2012
EDITOR’S LETTER
Graceful, Grace-filled Wisdom I could never get my mother to go
our country neglect just how much volunteer work, leadership
to the church near her home to take
and caregiving are provided by this population. I have lots of
an exercise class or participate in the
friends who are retired or getting close and who do it pretty well.
seniors activities. She didn’t want to
One couple travels several times a year to Honduras and has been
be a “senior” and, in fact, retired from
instrumental in building several schools and a clinic there. They
five decades in real estate just a month
have provided a model for ministry to much younger members
before her death at 85 last December.
of their church and their community in Breckenridge, Colo. The
I understand how she felt. When she was diagnosed with terminal cancer (less than a month before her death), I found myself looking around for an adult to take care of things. Guess what … Adults R Us. One day I
Shannons (read their story on page 20) have made sure more than 4000 school children in the Houston area have the eyeglasses they need. Cenobia Loaiza at 80 plans Santa Maria’s annual fund-raiser and is an ambassador for her church (page 22). If you are dealing with aging parents (or you are aging
was 27, then I was 50. Not too bad. But, I still can’t bring myself to
parents), there are big changes in the way we respond in residential
believe I’m 60 years old today! While my knees are there, my brain
care. See Tom Zwicker’s article on the changes at St. James’ House
and my heart are not.
on page 14, and read about the efforts of many volunteers at St.
How do we reach the second half of our lives and do so gracefully? Engaging new adventures and meeting new people helps. Valuing friends and making the effort to get together is important. Sharing experiences and learned wisdom with younger people is revitalizing. I know that doing for others is more profitable than any job one will ever have.
John the Divine’s Guild Shop (page 26). The Guild Shop helps support the funding of St. James’ House and has for many years. All you have to do to help is to shop there! There are additional articles online as well as videos, too. So, read and enjoy this issue. Have a blessed Lent and a joyful Easter, count your blessings and use all the gifts that God has given
It’s always a good time to take stock of our lives so we can move forward with less baggage. I’ve accumulated my share, for
you for as long as you possibly can and don’t neglect to pass along all the wisdom that you have accumulated.
sure. I literally took care of a lot of my “stuff ” when I cleared out the garage last weekend, but I like the notion of the Fifth Step that the Rev. Ed Woolery writes about on page 18. The hardest thing
Blessings, CEB
I’ve ever done in life is forgive myself —for things large and small—
Carol E. Barnwell
and I still struggle with this one.
cbarnwell@epicenter.org
Editor
Statistics about the older demographic (a silver tsunami) in
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CONNECT | SHARE
COMMUNICATIONS
E-NEWS
share your comments or suggest article topics @ www.epicenter.org/share
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get weekly diocesan and parish news @ tinyurl.com/diologenews
epicenter.org
FAITH-FILLED DINNER EVENT SET FOR APRIL 26 A suggested number of dinners per congregation is based on average Sunday attendance (ASA) but these are a goal, not a rule. Little Church Club (1–35 ASA in rural area): 1 dinner Family (1–75 ASA):
1-2 dinners
Pastoral (76–150 ASA):
3-5 dinners
Transitional (151–225 ASA):
5-7 dinners
Program (226–450 ASA):
10-12 dinners
Resource (451+ ASA):
15+ dinners
The diocese has provided posters and bulletin inserts on the website that can be downloaded and printed locally. All registration for On Thursday April 26, more than 6,000 Episcopalians will gather
hosts, moderators and participants will take place online. If you would
around dinner tables across the Diocese of Texas to share their faith
like help registering or have questions, please call Gail McGuire at
stories. Members in all 155 congregations are invited to participate
800.318.4452 or email gmcguire@epicenter.org.
in the historic event, modeled on Houston’s Interfaith Ministry’s Amazing Faith Dinners. “I love getting together with people and talking about Jesus,” said Bishop Andy Doyle. “This will be an evening when we can do that together, so I hope lots of people will want to join in the fun
Registration is open for hosts through March 9, through April 1 for moderators, and through April 16 for participants. Register now. For more information about the dinners, go to www.epicenter.org/ sharingfaith.
and will enjoy getting to know one another.” Each host will serve a simple meal to guests from their own congregation and a few people from other congregations (where possible). Registration software will make the logistics of signing up for the dinners very simple, said the Rev. Gena Davis, vicar of Grace, Houston, and one of the organizers of Sharing Faith Dinners. A trained moderator will provide prepared questions for each person to help start the conversation. Questions include: “What is the common message you think Christ wants us to take into the world? Share a story from your life when you were most faithful to that call.” Or, “Jesus teaches us to love our neighbor as our self. Share the story of a time in your life when this was especially challenging. How did you respond?” “This event isn’t about an elaborate dinner,” Davis said. “It’s about gathering around the table and articulating our faith through personal stories and experiences.” Most congregations have a coordinator who will help identify people willing to host a dinner in their home and moderators for each location. Some smaller congregations might want to hold a potluck dinner at the church. Moderators will receive training through an online video and three scheduled conference calls with trainer Kathy Culmer.
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| 5 | MARCH 2012
AGING GRACEFULLY
BEING FORMED BY THE GOSPEL IS A LIFELONG ENDEAVOR
by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle
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epicenter.org
We all stand on the shoulders of many
even when the kids are grown and gone,
our midst to help us shape the future of
generations before us. With this issue of
beyond second careers and especially
our church and its mission.
Diolog, I want to celebrate the essential
beyond retirement. There is never a time
role of our more mature members
in our lives when we should not be open
to the health and vitality of our
to being further formed by the Gospel
common life. I’d like to make several
message. It is never too early or too late
observations:
to deepen our relationship with Jesus.
We believe in lifelong formation, which means Sunday School doesn’t stop when you are 12, or 25 or 65. I remember an evening on which I was particularly
And who knows, you might teach a young smarty a thing or two about grace. This leads me to my second thought … My grandmothers were both
intolerant with one older church
important people in my life, especially
member when she said: “When you have
Laura Jean. I called her “Honey.” She
children, your theology will change.” I
introduced me to prayer before church,
responded brashly that my faith in Jesus
spent hours listening to me talk about
and my dependence upon him alone for
God and wonder about my faith. She
my salvation would never change! Yikes.
taught me how to play poker and gin; we
I was young and I knew it all.
talked about alien and monster movies,
While my theology and my dependence upon Jesus alone has not changed, luckily my sensitivity as a priest
and we ate pie, drank a lot of tea and watched soap operas. What I learned from Honey was the
certainly has mellowed. I marvel at the
nature of storytelling, of knowing who
twists and turns of these ensuing 15
you are and where you come from. Most
years since that encounter. My kids make
of all, Honey taught me the importance
me want to be a better father. My wife
of seeking counsel and listening to those
makes me want to be a better husband.
who are older and wiser.
The congregations I served inspired me to wrestle with the shape of priesthood, and the diocese has given me more than enough to say grace over. I wonder what experiences the next 15 years will bring. The very practice of life lived as a Christian has changed and challenged me. I hope it will continue to do so. I hope it will help me grow in dependence upon God in Christ Jesus and in his grace and mercy. The idea of a lifelong process
I want to continue what Honey taught me. I want to hear more stories from our elder members, to learn from their experiences and to understand the importance of living life well. I want to be transformed by their witness to Jesus Christ. I believe we have a lot to learn that can help shape the Church in which we worship today. I want to hear about how we used to do mission. I want to hear about churches started in bait shops,
I want to learn from their travels. I believe that time brings with it a more universal and global view. Such a view is important to the vitality of a church seeking to be a global communion. I want to learn about life lived out for 60, 70 or 80 years in the church. How did this community help you live a fuller life? I think older people in our congregations have within their hearts and souls the great story of the past and its meaning for the future. Finally, as I look at our older citizens I visit, I listen and I learn from them as I go from church to church. They are excited about our future as a Church and they understand that God’s mission needs to have a healthy and strong Church. I believe our Church must be engaged in the continued work of lifelong formation for all ages. We must be as invested in our older members having formation and ministry opportunities just as we work to engage the youth in our community. We must be good stewards of the experience and the wisdom among us, and in the instance where someone is no longer able to attend church, we must make sure they have the Sacrament and are visited. They, for years, visited the sick, fed the hungry and preached the gospel in word and action.
of formation means that everyone
bars and funeral homes. I want to invite
SHARE YOUR STORIES
continues to grow in his or her faith,
those “more experienced” members in
Tell us your stories @ epicenter.org/share.
Bishop Doyle’s Lenten and Easter messages will be available online at epicenter.org and will be sent to each church as a bulletin insert.
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| 7 | MARCH 2012
AGING GRACEFULLY
Theology of Aging by the Rev. Helen Appelberg On the day Jesus was presented in the Temple, Simeon
mystic Meister Eckhart called “the present now.”
and Anna, two faithful older people, were present. They knew their call, they knew their place; their lives were filled with purpose and meaning. The words of prophecy and wisdom spoken that day sprang from the ripened fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. Their gift was to bring wisdom and experience and to express deep passion for doing God’s will. They spoke the truth and worshipped God Incarnate, his son Jesus. Elders in the church today continue to demonstrate that same inspiring freedom of the spirit. They search for ways to serve and teach others, and they show how to transcend strong attachments to their own needs and egos. In later years elders have an urgent need for the continuity and connectedness of their church family—a place to share, to mentor and to express their prophetic gifts of
In Psalm 71 comes the compelling plea of one crying out to God, “You are my hope … my confidence since I was young; do not cast me off in my old age, forsake me not when my strength fails. Oh God, you have taught me since I was young and to this day I will tell of your wonderful works … and now that I am old and gray-headed, oh God, do not forsake me.” The burden and fear of the elderly is giving in to the fear of becoming invisible, useless and losing one’s sense of self. When frail and homebound, they often are disconnected from their church, their neighborhood, their community and often the family to which they belong. These words of Isaiah 46:4 are comfort, especially for
faith, generosity and love. The collective wisdom and grace of God’s
the weak and frail:
unconditional love among the thousands of Annas and
“Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am he who
Simeons in today’s world remind us that aging is a holy
will sustain you, I have made you and I will carry you: I
and sacred time. It is a time to be honored, respected and
will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
nurtured. Most elders believe that aging is a blessing, and that long years are God’s gift of kairos time where life’s meaning deepens and life’s experiences crystallize and mature to be shared with others. The elderly demonstrate ways to move toward the
As people age, their need intensifies for spiritual nourishment and connectedness with their faith, family and community. They need to be recognized and valued just the way they are, in the present. And their hope is to live life to the fullest, to care for unfinished business such
second threshold of life with strength and dignity, courage
as reconciliation and forgiveness, and advocate justice for
and patience. In later years, walls and divisions begin to
all.
dissolve, and elders move from the outer life of activity to
Appelberg is the director of the Center for Spirituality of
the inner life of being. They savor what our 14th-century
Aging at University of Texas Medical Branch.
THE REV. PAT RITCHIE: WE ARE CALLED TO CARE FOR ONE ANOTHER 8 |
epicenter.org
Read the online article here: http://tinyurl.com/called2care
Diolog
| 9 | MARCH 2012
AGING GRACEFULLY
Grey Theology:
A Christian’s Path to the Season of Wisdom by Nancy J. Baxter
What does all that have to do with me now? They were young, all of them, and Jesus only thirty-three when he died. He suffered, yes, but only through one night and one day. Three hours on the cross, and I have been praying to die every day for ten years. — Lifelong Episcopalian, age 95 She was in a nursing home bed, lying immobile, her face drawn
at the power of this hidden Christian voice. Her question, all her
with the pain of osteoporosis and arthritis. Life was no gift to
questions, have since been answered in the fullness of life in God,
her and hadn’t been for a long time.
but her voice remains vivid in my memory.
She had outlived her children and all her friends. After
She was questioning the affirmations of a faith long and
being moved to a new community years before, she had lost all
strongly held. She was wrestling alone with God at the very edge
connection with her parish. She could not swallow; nutrition was
of her own grave, a frail old woman taking on the Ancient of
administered through a tube. She could not see. With her hearing
Days. She was issuing a challenge, a theological challenge, to the
aid, she might have enjoyed listening to the television or radio, but
church.
her hearing aid had disappeared. Interminable nights and days were marked by painful shifts in position by ever changing staff whose names she did not know. Her guardian, a grandson, lived in another state. Our conversation came about because the nurse in charge
The goodness of creation, the imago dei, the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, baptism, eucharist, vocation: What does all that have to do with old people? How can the church begin to develop an understanding of the Christian faith and old age so that the long-livers among us are fully included and empowered?
of wound care was an Episcopalian. I was told that when asked if she would like to speak with a priest, her blind eyes “lit up.” Later, my wonder at blind eyes lighting up was joined by amazement
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epicenter.org
BEGINNING TO SEE OUR SIN We begin always where we are. Where we are, both as a
culture and as the church, is in a hall of mirrors
are really full members of the Body only as long
where the distorted images of old people
as they manage to remain active. After that,
are seen darkly. Fear of old age and of death,
they fall into the shadows of the inactive list and
with its attendant denial, and the American
then on into the ranks of the disappeared.
glorification of youth, power, and action have resulted in the perception of old people as powerless, nonproductive, unattractive, uninteresting, useless, and even burdensome. Elders often see themselves in these ways. “But I can’t do anything anymore!” is a frequent lament by those whose lives used to be full of meaning but now seem empty and without purpose. In the wider culture, women and men are valued for what they can do. It is not surprising the dominant images of old age are negative. The American media are full of reports of “active seniors” who do not fit these negative perceptions, elders who enjoy good health, who are still working or volunteering, elders who are “staying busy.” The unmistakable message in the media is that fullness of life requires action, productivity, and continuing good health. Anything else is a shadow life. Seeing our sin requires that we recognize the extent to which the operating beliefs and structures of the church reflect the culture instead of standing boldly in witness to the faith we hold in Christ. Elders value themselves — and are valued for — what they can continue to do in the faith community. They have long experience; they have time; they are among the most committed at the core of many of the church’s ministries. It is not surprising that the church wants elders to “keep on keeping on” for as long as possible. It is not surprising that remaining active in traditional ways is the desire of older parishioners. The alternative is not acceptable! All share the heresy that elders
BEGINNING TO CONFESS OUR SIN We have not seen and honored the image of God in old people. We have not recognized that in the creation every season of human life has been named good. We have not affirmed that old age has been vested with meaning and purpose by God. We have refused to accept that the incarnation of God in Jesus includes the old, and the Body of Christ cannot be whole without them, even those hidden at home or in elder care facilities. We have failed by structuring the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and the corporate prayers of the church so that many, if not most, of the oldest members are prevented from keeping their baptismal vows. We have neglected younger elders in our Christian formation programs by failing to provide educational experiences and training in spiritual practices that support them in welcoming the transition into old age and that equip long livers to continue growing in the faith as the circumstances of their lives change. We have limited the ministry of Christ in the church by not recognizing that the old are called to minister in vocations grounded in their identity as aged and graced with slowly ripening fruits of the Spirit. We have failed to move beyond the challenge to be “doers of the Word and not hearers only,” leaving those rich in being without a vision and without
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| 11 | MARCH 2012
structured ways to offer their gifts. We have continued to ask
The world has no use for the old, but the church is called
elders to keep on doing, as they have done in the past, failing to
to recognize in the despised and rejected the face of Christ and
challenge and prepare them to respond to new opportunities to be
to celebrate the grey season in which elders’ lives are closely “hid
in the service of God’s reign and to hear the call to new ministries
with Christ” in the kairos of God.
to which their long years have finally brought them. We have set aside the understanding of parish as a whole
Although Jesus was young, he was an elder in the faith. The richness of his being was experienced by all who met him. Many
geography of grace. The parish church has become a place
simply wanted to be near him, to hear him and perhaps touch him.
to which the faithful come for as long as they can, instead of
In his ministry, the energetic preaching and teaching and healing
a community that gathers the faithful within its boundaries,
were constantly balanced by hidden times of communion with
including the hidden and homebound, into the sacramental
God, as if he were surrounded by a cloud. These times of solitude
life of Christ. In the geography of grace, those who have quietly
and prayer, reflective times, silent times, times of struggle and
disappeared are found and included. Many in the shadow of death
temptation, times of fertile imagination— these times served to
we have failed to invite to the table.
undergird his active ministry with deep wisdom.
In our rush to live in resurrection light, we have left behind
Ever since the blazing white of the Resurrection and the
many who are moving more slowly now, or not moving at all, but
flaming red of the first Pentecost, the church has moved through
whose journeys are taking them to places we fear and prefer not
the colorful seasons of the Christian story hardly aware of the
to know.
grey times that lie within them and provide balance. More than ever before, in our frenetic day, the church needs to uncover and
THE THEOLOGICAL CHALLENGEE The mystery of redemptive suffering stands at the heart of the Christian faith. For many Christians, if old age has meaning, it is to be found in the passion and crucifixion of Jesus. The experiences of body-betrayal, stripping and exposure,
become wise.
GREY MENTORS There is a rich, but hidden, tradition of grey mentors who
medical assaults, humiliations, physical pain, weakness, loss
can show the church the way. These mentors are more often
of relationships, experiences of abandonment and isolation, all
found in the background of the biblical narratives and Christian
leading inexorably to death, offer the consolation of participation
tradition. The focus of attention is rarely on them. In Luke’s
in the suffering of Christ. Certainly, old age can be full of suffering,
story of the presentation of Jesus in the temple, the old people
but old age is more than suffering, just as the life of Christ is more
step briefly from the shadows to receive the messiah whom they
than suffering. The church’s theological task is to understand the
recognize. Their recognition is the sweet fruit of faithfulness that
gift of life in old age in the light of the whole story, remembered
ripened over long years.
and celebrated through all the seasons of Christian living.
THE HIDDEN GREY SEASON It was not given to Jesus to grow old, and that counted against him in the eyes of his contemporaries. His early death marked him, as did his execution on the cross, as a person identified with sin. Long life, a sign of God’s favor, was denied him. Jesus was all the more despised because of his premature death. The old, who seem to have outlived their lives and whose increasing years seem only a burden, are frequently regarded in the same way, as cursed not blessed. Theirs is an untimely timeliness.
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claim the grey season, the season in which Christians are called to
epicenter.org
The grey mentors of our own day are in the shadows of the life of the church. Who they are and what they have to offer remain hidden unless they are willing to speak and the church is willing to hear. Sometimes what they have to say is hard to hear. Being with them, hearing them, touching and being touched by them is the way we can begin to create an authentic grey theology. The Rev. Nancy J. Baxter is a retired priest of the Diocese of Atlanta and founder of the Society of St. Anna the Prophet, a religious community of The Episcopal Church. She lives in Decatur, Georgia.
St. James’ House A ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
St. James’ House, in Baytown, TX, provides a home for senior adults of all faiths. As a community of faith, we embrace the individual by valuing their dignity, faith, as well as their sense of community and home. For more information visit: www.stjameshouse.org or call 281.425.1201.
AGING GRACEFULLY
A New Culture of Care by Tom Zwicker It was really as a child that I began my career. I say that because,
define what was broken in nursing homes and fix it. In many ways,
as a child, my mother, Betty, would take me to nursing homes
she reminds me of Kathy Tellepsen, our board president, bringing
with her. She was a graduate of Yale University—a mastered level
leaders together to understand how it can be different.
registered nurse. During her career, she surveyed nursing homes for the State of Wisconsin. I was so proud of her. I inherited my mother’s passion for the elderly. My presence in nursing homes continued when I was in college. I worked as a housekeeper, activities assistant and certified nursing assistant. During that time, what I valued most was not what I learned doing my job but rather what I learned from the elders— their stories. They shaped my life. It was no surprise that when I graduated, I decided to be a nursing home administrator. I became an expert on regulations, leadership and balancing budgets, but the more experience I gained, the more I understood in my heart—not my head—that something was missing. This troubling feeling became painful for me when I
her commitment to transforming St. James’ House into neighborhoods that are person-centered and to supporting, not only the medical model, but the whole person. Person-centered care is about transforming caregivers, one at a time, to create a new culture to support human frailty—a culture that nurtures the human spirit through purposeful living, companionship and the unexpected. Person-centered care is about making the bed you will one day lie in when you are old. Person-centered care is challenging. It is a process, not a program. It has no end; it is organic, continually transforming, exactly like humans every moment they are alive. Personcentered care entails resistance because change naturally creates resistance. Resistance is healthy and invokes deep discussion and
admitted my parents into my nursing home. My father suffered a
thoughtfulness, and person-centered care changes the culture
stroke and my mother lived with Alzheimer’s disease. I accepted
of treatment, allowing a healthy balance of giving care as well as
the fact that my parents were aging but most of my hurt was from
receiving care.
the fact that my nursing home was misguided. It supported a
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I am here because of Kathy. I am here because I share
Our journey began with leadership committing to change
mission of medical treatment and not necessarily anything else.
and will really gain momentum with training that will encourage
It was an excellent nursing home by state and federal
the development of small, familiar communities (neighborhoods)
standards since it was rated deficiency-free. It was financially
to provide more opportunities for the elders to give care, make
stable. Yet, something was wrong. Something from all my
decisions and have control over their daily lives. They work
experience and training I couldn’t define. And, if I couldn’t define
directly with organizations to help develop and implement their
it, how was I going to fix it?
change plans for the organization and physical plant. Action Pact
About that same time, a passionate Texan by the name of
is a company at the forefront of the culture change movement.
Carter Williams was convening leaders in San Francisco— leaders
Words are fundamental to our transformation. Once
she knew could make a difference if she brought them together.
we begin to change our language, we begin to look at things
Her goal was to change the way we viewed aging and the way we
differently. For example, when we say elder versus patient, we
cared for people. Those leaders in San Francisco were looking to
begin to look at the people who live at St. James’ differently.
epicenter.org
Rita Thomas, activity assistant, gives resident Lucy Sharp a hug. Photo: LaShane K. Eaglin
As we define our “neighborhoods”
Scan this QR code to view the diocesan interview with Zwicker or visit tinyurl. com/zwicker
experienced “neighborhoods” and now
team concluded that the Diocese of Texas
(versus nursing wings), a paradigm shift
she can never accept anything less for our
had a very definite responsibility toward
occurs. That one needs no explanation.
residents.
the establishment of a home to support
We will talk about “change” versus “transformation.” When you change something, like weight, it is usually temporary or at least, it can be. But, when you transform something, it can never be changed, like a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. I was transformed in that once I experienced person-centered care I could never go back to the traditional model of care. Kathy has talked to St. Paul’s Nursing Homes in St. Paul, Minn., where she
The social movement to redefine aging continues to grow. There are opportunities to learn from national networks and those close to home. Texas has a state coalition, and leaders of the national movement have affected Medicare and Medicaid programs to the extent that they are rewriting policy to support the work. In 1957, Bishop John Hines
the community. Owned by the diocese, St. James’ House opened in 1960 on 10 wooded acres in Baytown. Today, more than 100 elders live in St. James’ House and 40 independent residents live in Alexander Hall. Person-centered care supports the mission of professional care in a loving, Christian environment, continuing the vision of Bishop Hines. Zwicker is executive director of the diocesan
commissioned a team to evaluate the
retirement community, St. James’ House,
vastly growing needs of the elderly. That
Baytown. www.stjameshouse.org.
St. James’ House activity director, Kat Castro, wrote about her experience with her father in nursing care. Read her story and watch a video interview at tinyurl.com/katcastro1. Diolog
| 15 | MARCH 2012
WELCOMING
“Been There, Done That” New Commission Seeks to Enrich Older Adults’ Formation
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epicenter.org
By Luke Blount Photo: Carol E. Barnwell
In the fall of 2011, the Rev. Canon John
wide array of people that “older adults”
there and done that,” he said. “We don’t
Newton assembled an Older Adults
encompasses. It includes the working and
necessarily want to teach Sunday School
Commission to assess the spiritual
retired, empty nesters and grandparents
anymore or be in the choir anymore. We
needs of older adults in the diocese and
who take care of their grandchildren.
do want to go to church, but we don’t
recommend new ministry opportunities.
Some older adults are able to attend church
necessarily want to be in the parish
In their first meeting, the commission
regularly, and some are in assisted living
government anymore. We’ve done that. I
decided that they needed to find out
communities or hospice care. The goal of
want something different, but we aren’t sure
exactly what older adults wanted or
the commission is to find a way to meet the
what that is yet.”
needed in terms of Christian formation.
needs of all of these people.
“We must have a plan to nurture, support and grow the increasing number of
“It is extremely important to attract younger people, but we also need to be able
And the issue isn’t just isolated to older adults. According to Capers, the waning interest in some of the repetitive
older members that will fill our pews,” Newton said. “People are living longer and one-third of Episcopalians are now over 65 years old; in 10 years this may be two-thirds. Our current culture is obsessed with youth while the elderly are ignored. This is a great chance for the
aspects of Christian formation
We must have a plan to nurture, support and grow the increasing number of elderly who will fill our pews.
church to offer a counter-witness to our
to serve older adults spiritually wherever
world.”
they happen to be, whether that is in a
Clint Capers, chair of the commission, said their work is leading the way for the broader church. “This isn’t something that is being done in a lot of places,” he said. “We are on the cutting
facility or able to come to church. The church is growing older, and while we don’t want that trend to continue, we need to take care of the people we already have.” Capers, who is 69 years old, feels
edge of doing something spiritual for older
older adults are looking for something new.
adults that isn’t services or programs.”
In his view, older adults don’t always want
According to Capers, a member of St. Alban’s, Waco, one issue that the commission has encountered is the
to do the same old things.
affects young and old alike. “This is my opinion, but a lot of folks my age are somewhat bored. We’ve gone to church all of our lives and done everything. We’ve heard the same sermon four or five times over the years,” he said. “I think it is the same
kind of boredom that young people from teenage years to their thirties feel when they don’t go to church. And I think that unless we are able to pick up the spirituality in both places, the younger as well as the older, we will have trouble holding the church together as time goes on.” To learn more about the commission, visit www.epicenter.org/older-adult-commission.
“Personally, I don’t need any services or programs. A lot of us have been
Check out these articles online: ST. FRANCIS, TEMPLE, STARTS ALZHEIMER’S RESPITE
ATTORNEY VIRGINIA LOOTENS SHEDS LIGHT ON LEGAL NEEDS OF THE ELDERLY
Read more @ tinyurl.com/alzheimerstemple
Read more @ tinyurl.com/lootenslaw
Diolog
| 17 | MARCH 2012
AGING GRACEFULLY
The Fifth Step by the Rev. Ed Woolery In many of his writings, Franciscan priest and theologian
an appearance. The stealing to buy drugs is what got the person
Richard Rohr describes the Twelve Steps as the most important
fired, his wife left after he’d cleaned out their bank account and
American contribution to the history of spirituality. I have come
hadn’t been home in two months while drinking and drugging.
to understand the significance of Rohr’s statement in light of what I have learned and observed from the Fifth Steps I have heard during the past four years at Austin Recovery as part of my diaconal ministry. The Fifth Step is a confession, but it is much deeper and more demanding than the general confession in the Book of Common Prayer. This is the Fifth Step: Admit to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. Doing this step becomes the moment when we dare to
are exposed for what they are— ways to justify the sin. Then suddenly the shame of the sin and the hurt it caused others is exposed, and at that moment there are tears. To be able to wipe away those tears is to discover the ability to forgive yourself. Yet, some are not able to forgive themselves. One recovering addict made the honest point about his inability to forgive himself when he told me that he could not forgive himself for the hurt he had caused others by his wrongs.
go beyond the words of the general confession and beyond the
When his sponsor asked him if God had forgiven him, he said,
facades we have created to protect our egos, and rip off the mask
“Yes.” The sponsor replied, “Then what makes you think that you
of established pretense and expose who we really are. The power of
are better than God?” At that moment the recovering addict knew
this confession flushes out our “wrongs” (sins, if you will, because
that he could forgive himself and did. This is a spiritual awakening:
they separate us from God) that have been festering in the soul.
I am forgiven by God, so I can forgive myself.
The Fifth Step will also open a window in the soul that allows
The Fifth Step is a confession that anyone can do. By working
the power of God’s grace to enter, and a sense of wanting and
this step, we are able to get in touch with our true selves, and
needing to be forgiven is felt and experienced.
realize that we are children of God. The power of our loving
Forgiveness, I believe, is difficult because it requires honesty and taking responsibility for the wrongs that have been confessed. The hurt, the wrongs and the fears that initially come out in the Fifth Step often are seen as being caused by another person’s
God’s grace flows into our souls that have been cleansed by the confession. One man at the end of his Fifth Step, after we had embraced and wiped away tears, said, “Wow, now that I have done this, I won’t be apprehensive about going to my priest to make my
actions. “I was fired because my boss wouldn’t give me a second
confession, which I have never done before.” Amazing grace!
chance,” or “My wife left me for another man.” By going deep into
Woolery is a deacon working with Austin Recovery.
the soul while making a Fifth Step confession, and being honest in confessing these events, the other side of the coin is able to make
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With honesty the truth emerges and self-righteous excuses
epicenter.org
Ed. note: As we grow past our youth and middle age, we may stop long enough to take stock of our lives, but most of “life” happens to us when we aren’t looking. We wake up one day and think, “Well, what comes next?” We’ve had many experiences: we’ve lost a job or watched our homes flood in a hurricane; we’ve had trouble starting a family, or got divorced. We found new love, raised our kids, got another degree, got sick, beat cancer, lost a parent or a child. By the time we look up we are carrying a lot of baggage. What would happen if we all learned to walk this Fifth Step along the way? Would our retirement look more promising? Would we be more open to new experiences or better able to share our well-earned wisdom with younger folks? The author speaks of opening a window; I’m sure God will breathe a fresh breeze through it for those who try.
Illustration by Carvel Glenn
HOW TO MAKE A BUCKET LIST 1. Brainstorm: Keep a notepad handy and begin to write down
a couple goals that you can begin to
experiences you want to create. Or make a note on your phone
accomplish today. For example, learning
if you don’t have a pen. Don’t worry about practicality.
Spanish or running five miles. Or you can do
2. Ask yourself: “If I had only a year left to live, what would I do?” or “What would I regret not having done if I died?” 3. Write a first draft: Once you have a large list (at least 50 things), start to narrow it down or modify your ideas. If you wrote “climb Mount Everest,” but you’ve never been a climber, start smaller. Or if you wrote “visit every country,” modify that to “visit every continent.” 4. Write a second draft: When you have your list and modifications, complete a list of 10-15 items that are the most important to you. If later on, you lose the desire to complete one, replace it. This is all about having no regrets. 5. Start crossing things off: Build your list so that you have
BUCKET LIST
something that you’ve always wanted to do but never had the courage, like skydiving, getting a tattoo or singing in front of a large crowd. 6. Makes plans: For bigger goals, you can begin to save money for a trip to Paris or a front row seat to your favorite concert or sporting event. 7. Be open: Always be prepared to adapt to new ideas. What sounds good to you when you’re 30 will be different when you’re 50 or 60. 8. Find meaning: Ask yourself if your goals will really make you feel like you’ve had a fuller, more meaningful life. If not, change them to give yourself a sense of fulfillment as you work through your list.
Diolog
| 19 | MARCH 2012
AGING GRACEFULLY
RETIRING? by Joel Shannon As luck would have it, my wife Margaret and I retired the same
area schools. We
day: May 1, 2010. That was the day her employer was “bought
said, “Sure.”
out” and the day after the move-in to the Dunn Clinic on Canal Street, whose development and construction I had supervised. We had great expectations of a life of leisure. The very next day we left town pulling our Airstream
had nonprofit experience,
Joel Shannon
primarily through
trailer, headed for the peace and calm of the American West. In a
board participation, but I wondered if we might have taken on too
scenario that could only be topped by the Clampetts or Lucy and
much with this new project.
Desi, the car blew a front tire almost immediately, and soon after, the trailer and half of the factory-installed trailer hitch passed our car as we pulled out of the truck stop where we stopped to water the dog. We spent a week at Lake Arrowhead State Park just outside Wichita Falls, Texas, cooling our heels and sorting out our transportation. Instead of the great canyons of the West, we enjoyed some very large mesquite trees and went to sleep to the peaceful “chuck, chuck” of the pump jack next to our trailer. It was not what we expected, but it was great to be alive, and with each other. Retirement was at hand. We did spend some time in Colorado, Utah and Idaho with two of our grandsons in the trailer, returned home and immediately began clearing out a 23-year backlog of unattended paperwork. We updated our wills, sent in the warranty on the clock radio purchased several years ago and, well, you probably have a similar “to do” list. There seemed to be less free time than when we had full-time jobs. On a backpack trip, a friend who is the director of the Houston Health Department, asked what we wanted to do in retirement. “Something significant,” I said without further thought or discussion. A few months later he called to ask for our help starting an eyewear project for underserved students in Houston
20 |
We both
epicenter.org
Flying back to Houston to begin work on the project, I struck up a conversation with the stranger in the adjoining seat. She asked about my retirement plans. I briefly described the new project. Her father-in-law had just retired and she was looking for something that would interest him. Turned out he is Ralph Berkeley, founder of the Berkeley Eye Center. God clearly isn’t retired. Margaret and I saw the project with a new clarity and soon met Ralph and his wife, Jenny (now deceased), and with the help of Ralph and his staff the project was off and running at warp speed. The “See to Succeed” program has been a series of “coincidences” that brought together doctors, opticians, frame suppliers, a lens manufacturer, a lab, Houston’s Health Department and community volunteers to provide more than 4,000 public school students with much needed eyewear in its pilot year, with a bigger and better future. We both practiced law and were blessed to have long and meaningful careers. We are grateful for our kids and our grandchildren, and we give thanks for a bountiful retirement so far and, God willing, more of the same to come. The Shannons are at Palmer Memorial, Houston, and Dr. Ralph Berkeley is at St. John the Divine, Houston.
LENT 2012
Turning Towards Jesus by the Rev. Canon John Newton, IV
Lent is traditionally a season of repentance, a word that derives from the Greek metanoia and means “to turn.” I suspect many of you have taken on Lenten “disciplines.” After all, Lent is that time the church challenges us to deny ourselves and to be more disciplined in our faith. Metaphorically speaking, we enter “the desert.” We do well to recall how God’s people typically fare in the desert: not well. The obvious example would be the Israelites, who spent 40 years in the desert immediately following their “exodus” from Egyptian slavery. Rather than trusting in God’s provision, they accused God of trying to kill them (twice! See Exodus 14:11 and Numbers 16:13), worshipped a golden calf (Exodus 32:4) and rose up to “play” with one another (Exodus 32:6). In no way did Israel prove faithful in the desert. On the first Sunday of Lent, we always hear the story of Jesus Christ entering the desert for 40 days to be tempted by Satan. We recall that where humanity failed, God’s Son proved faithful. Jesus was tempted in Photo: Carol E. Barnwell
every way, as we are, yet he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This year Mark instructs us to “repent” and believe this “good news” (Mark 1:15). As an Episcopalian and liturgical Christian, I find that designating a season of repentance is “meet and right so to do.” However, I also believe that Lent’s power lies in reminding us what true repentance is all about. Repentance is not about focusing on our sins or how badly we need to shape up and try harder. Like everything else in the Christian faith, repentance is not about “us” at all! Repentance is not a rallying cry that says, “This year I’ll be more faithful! This year I won’t give into temptation.” Rather, repentance is about turning in such a way that we refocus on Jesus’ trip to “the desert” for us, a trip that culminates with his atoning death on a cross. When Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany, here is what topped the list: “all of life is repentance.” These words sparked the Protestant Reformation. As Episcopalians, we do not believe
Wadi Rum, Jordan
that repentance is something we do one day a week or one season a year. Rather, repentance is at the heart of the Christians’ life. We must always be turning away from the false notion that we can survive the desert alone and turn to the One who goes to the desert on our behalf. If Israel’s experience in the desert tells us anything, it is that you can take the people out of slavery in a moment, which is what justification through faith is all about. However, to take the slavery out of the people — to rid ourselves of our many fears, sins, shame, addictions, and bad habits that trip us up day in and day out — that takes a lifetime. This is why all of life is repentance — a constant turning to the One who enters the desert with us to achieve for us what we could never accomplish ourselves. Repentance is about being more disciplined in our faith in Jesus. Jesus Christ enters life’s desert with you, and he entered the desert for you. Repent and believe this good news. Newton is the Canon for Lifelong Christian Formation for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
Diolog
| 21 | MARCH 2012
PROFILE: LUMINARY
Colombiana Puts All Her Gifts to Good Cenobia Loaiza came to the United States from her native Colombia more than 40 years ago, leaving her three children with family. At 80, she serves up coffee and pastries in her immaculate southwest Houston apartment and still runs circles around fellow parishioners at Santa Maria Virgen, Houston. She has served on the bishop’s committee and still helps organize the annual dinner/dance fund-raiser for the large congregation. “She has too many talents,” said the Rev. Uriel Osnaya, vicar of Santa Maria. “She’s a singer, dancer, painter ... and the best one, a real Christian.” The octogenarian, who became a naturalized citizen in 1994, sat down recently with Diolog editor, Carol E. Barnwell, for an interview. Cenobia Loaiza
CEB: How do you find life at 80? CL: I feel very happy and very satisfied. When I do things (like cook), I see that I gave pleasure to someone else. It may be simple but it is done with pleasure, with love. It is very good. I encourage my friends to be alive, to have energy!
CEB: What makes you a good cook? CL: I enjoy it but I do it with love so it tastes different. I had an aunt who lived to be almost 100 years old and she made the most delicious tamales in the world. My mother told me to always think of what others will like. I don’t have to like what I cook but if you do it with love, well …
CEB: Where does your energy come from? CL: From my mother! My father was strong but my mother was more so. You are going to make me sad … I feel my mother’s spirit is with me now because I remember everything she taught me. I was always tugging at her skirt asking, “What are you doing? What is that?”
CEB: Did you have a large family in Colombia? CL: I had 13 brothers and sisters, seven lived. I was the youngest. All my life, my mother took care of the children, raised chickens,
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epicenter.org
worked in the garden. If we needed something,
CEB: What was the most difficult thing
CEB: How did you make a living in
it was there. My father was a tanner. He made
about leaving Colombia?
Houston?
CL: The pain I felt leaving my children in
CL: I did some house cleaning and I also
saddles and tamed horses and although he was a tremendous worker, my mom was the talent.
CEB: Tell me about your home in Colombia. CL: It was in Caldas, Antioquia. My house was poor but with a great love for my mother and all my brothers and sisters, we were very close. At six o’clock in the evening, every day, we were sitting at her feet praying the rosary. She taught us how to pray. We all lived in the same room and as each child grew up and began to produce a little, they would build another room on the house.
CEB: One of your brothers was a monk? CL: Yes, our faith came from my mom. In my house there was always a picture of the Virgin and baby Jesus. The Jesus child was our example. He was born poor like us.
CEB: What does it mean to you to believe in Jesus?
Colombia and coming here to work, for me was a horrible cross. I left Colombia crying, “My God help me. Open up the doors.” And the doors opened. I worked many jobs and I hung for 10 years before coming to Houston. I had
education?
three years of nurses’ training in Colombia so I took care of old people and newborns. The [babies] are all grown up and some of them still call me. I felt reborn raising those children because I had to leave mine in Colombia.
CEB: How did you find Santa Maria Virgen Episcopal Church when you came to Houston?
CL: I had two lifelong friends who lived here so I moved here in 1982. I tried 11 different churches but I did not feel peaceful in any of them. They were “incomplete” somehow. I would leave my house and say, “Lord, you are with me here, but you were not there.” When
Jesus in my house everywhere. I tell everyone
where Santa Maria Virgen was founded), I met
about Jesus because I’ve had many, many
Blanca and she introduced me to a lot of new
ailments, many sorrows, but I have been able
friends. After the service, the priest welcomed
to get ahead.
people and shook hands. I felt something
always ask the baby Jesus, “Give us a blessing.” And we were always blessed. When we didn’t
with love and God blessed the food I made.
CEB: And you helped your children get an
I came to Epiphania (Epiphany, Houston
CL: Whenever we left the house we would
at sporting events for 25 years. I cooked them
on trying to do good things. I was in New York
CL: For me it is the greatest thing, I have
CEB: Why the “baby” Jesus?
made empanadas and tamales and sold them
unusual, something very special. I asked God, “Is this where you are, Lord? Is this the place?”
CEB: What made that experience different for you?
have food, someone came with corn or
CL: The quality of the human spirit was there.
potatoes. Jesus is the [most important] thing I
Everyone spoke to me and asked how I was.
had when my mother, my best friend and my
After the service the priest greeted people and
husband died within six months of each other.
we all gathered — it was as if we had found
Why seek a remedy in alcohol or drugs if there
a lot of relatives. Father Osnaya has a great
is God’s remedy for everything?
charisma and that attracts you.
CL: Yes, one son is an industrial economist in Colombia and the other one is a medical doctor here in Houston. My daughter teaches in high school and I have three granddaughters.
CEB: What keeps you busy today? CL: I have lots and lots of memory still and thanks to my God, I am very active. At church, if I see someone new, I introduce them to Father and to other people, show them a sea of friendship. I say, “Come, stay here with us. Here we love.” It is important to tell people “Welcome to the house of God and welcome to your home.”
CEB: What wisdom can you give to younger people?
CL: Do not turn away from God because if you turn away from God you are lost. I feel the grace of God, and I pray a lot for many people. This New Year’s eve I was invited to some parties but I wanted to stay at home. I wanted to be alone with God. I lit the candles and took a pen and paper and wrote down what I wanted to pray for. I closed my eyes and saw the church with everyone and gave thanks to God for the things he has given us.
Diolog
| 23 | MARCH 2012
PROFILE: THE ARTS
Connections Mark Architect’s and Artist’s Giftedness Carvel Glenn
by Carol E. Barnwell Carvel Glenn smiles all the time. It seems to be his natural state. The Houston architect has taken up brush and paints to help illustrate this issue of Diolog with some of his musings in ink and watercolor. Glenn has painted and sent his personalized post cards to friends for a long time and often forgets until someone tells him years later how much they appreciated such a special effort. In an interview recently, Glenn said he believes the key to attracting more people to our churches and building relationships with them resides in learning what each person cares about most deeply. “Whether your passion is food or planting stuff or making funny little cards, there is bound to be a connection that doesn’t go away [if we just make the effort],” he said. To illustrate his point (no pun intended), Glenn said he came to church one Sunday to find a stranger playing guitar. He assumed the musician had been hired to play during the service. “It turns out he drifted into St. Stephen’s the week before and in speaking with him after the service, a parishioner found out that he is an incredible classical guitarist. I have never heard anybody better. Now he’s in the choir and a member of our foyer’s group,” Glenn said. Juan Carlos Aduilara had just finished a doctorate in
24 |
he laughs. He attended high school at Andover when his parents moved to New York. “I was very privileged to be there, and by the time I went to college, I knew I wanted to be an architect,” he said. Rice University offered the best option, so he returned to Houston and later started his own company, Texas Four, with offices in Houston and Austin. “My real kick is to do someone’s dream home. I have clients who tell me they still love driving up to their home 10 years later. I try to have the home reflect the client’s passions. “It goes back to what I was saying about knowing one another. I ask my clients, ‘Where do you watch TV? Is outdoors important
music and had decided to return to Mexico because he had made
to you? How do you feel about your neighbors? Do you want an
few friends in Houston and was really lonely. Being asked to use
office off to yourself or near [the family]? Are you neat or untidy?’
his gifts at St. Stephen’s made all the difference.
I usually visit to get a good sense of how they live.”
Glenn describes himself as a “tumbleweed,” growing up in
His Episcopal roots go back several centuries although he
Los Angeles, Denver, Canada and Houston. The son of Barbara
was raised Presbyterian. In following the branches of the family
and Wayne Glenn, Glenn describes his father as a “roustabout”
tree, Glenn found family members buried in the church yard at
who later became president of Conoco. “My parents moved 35
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Edenton, N.C., in the 1700s. Other
times in their married life and I tagged along for the dozen or so,”
than chapel at boarding school, Glenn was not active in a church
epicenter.org
Photo: Carol E. Barnwell
Illustration by Carvel Glenn
At 62, Glenn continues to take drawing and watercolor glasses at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts’ Glassell School. He took up the habit of sending watercolor postcards as thank-you notes or birthday greetings after a friend died. “A good friend, Cal Stockton, was a commercial artist with an incredible wicked wit. He would send these postcards to people and a number of them had collections of Cal’s work. When he died, I got his art supplies. So I’m sort of channeling Cal a bit.” Instead of photographs, Glen keeps a sketch journal when traveling. “If you are drawing a building or a scene in the café, you really have to be in that scene in order to say that this pencil lead is going from this position to this position on a piece of paper. It is not as simple as clicking a button, and you’re done.” Glenn is aware that giftedness has responsibilities. “I do have talents and aptitudes and when I tend to slack off, I am reminded that I have an obligation to give back. I’m not planning to retire any time soon, but it is important to do what you can while you can.” A member of until 1995 when his partner, Randall Lamb,
served on the vestry and as senior warden.
invited him to St. Stephen’s.
He currently serves on the Quin Foundation
“I came on a day when they were reading the names of all the people who had died of AIDS. Other churches wouldn’t even bury their dead, but St. Stephen’s sort of adopted all these people and conducted funerals for them. It was amazing. When I got up to take communion, as opposed to having it passed in jiggers of grape juice down the aisle, it floored me and still does. “That experience was the difference between religion being fed to me and for me to recognize a hunger in my own soul and to have the salve applied to that hunger,” he said. A year after coming to St. Stephen’s, Glenn put his gifts to good use on the art and architecture committee and has
Board and works on strategic mission grants for congregations in the diocese. Reading dozens of grant proposals provides a unique challenge. “It’s like my little cartoon drawings—putting together an idea and the component parts. If it’s a visual pun, there are parts related to the pun, then there are parts related to the lines and the colors. The trick is to figure out how to organize the parts and put them together in a way that makes sense.” Glenn’s love of drawing began in college in a life drawing class with Houston artist Charles Schorre. “He made us pay attention to how the elbow is connected and where the hand goes and which way the thumb is when you are drawing it,” Glenn
St. Stephen’s made a deep impression on Glenn: Marguerite Franklin who died at 93 “always had younger friends and younger people flock to her. She was interesting and interested in everyone,” he said. “In 20 or 30 years, I want to be looking through my journals and have friends around me. I was visualizing gathering stones and casting stones away, but you don’t cast it to the ground, you hand it off to somebody. Not carrying the physical load anymore but sharing the wisdom you have gained,” he smiled.
BIRD SCULPTOR USES CHILDHOOD TALENTS Myrv Cron retired and found a new calling as an artist. Read his story at tinyurl.com/ myrvcron.
explained.
Diolog
| 25 | MARCH 2012
PROFILE: ADVOCACY
Guild Shop Serves Up Bargains and Blessings by Rebecca Llenos Most people think volunteering is all about
is what keeps them going; it is what gets
serving others. I learned that is not always
them up in the morning. I had the pleasure
The Guild Shop,” Lasikar says. “It keeps me
true. At The Guild Shop, volunteering
of meeting with three “senior” volunteers.
young and on my toes. I love that I have
means so much more than just giving a few
They are “senior” for many reasons: yes, the
learned to use the computer. It is really not
hours a week to help out. To some, it is a
average age is 85, but the average number
that hard. It makes my brain work and that
lifeline and priority that keeps life going.
of years involved as a volunteer is 25 as
has to be good.”
The Guild Shop, a mission of The Church of St. John the Divine, Houston, has more than 140 volunteers who give
well! Mary Ann Fendley volunteers four days a week. A member of St. John the Divine,
Lasikar says her claim to fame is that she was the first war bride to get off the train in Houston. She has the photo to
many hours to make it one of Houston’s
Mary Ann served on the payroll of The
prove it. She met her husband when she
most successful resale shops. Since 1962,
Guild Shop as the first business manager
was in the Women’s Royal Air Force during
The Guild Shop has served Houston’s
from 1975 to 1994. When she retired, she
World War II. They came to Houston in
Montrose area with treasures of all kinds.
took a year off to try something new with
1946 and made their life together. “When
Though The Guild Shop supports many
her free time, but came back to The Guild
my husband passed away, I wanted to do
different organizations through in-kind
Shop a year later as a volunteer. “The Guild
something. If I did not have The Guild
donations and financial gifts, the majority
Shop is a blessing to me,” Fendley said. “I
Shop to come to, I would be miserable.
of their proceeds are donated to St. James’
missed being here so much, I had to come
House, Baytown. St. James’ House is a
back and volunteer. I love my church, and
retirement community supported by the
the people I work with here are like family.”
Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Between the
volunteer at The Guild Shop. It has been
Fendley has seen many changes since
wonderful and it is my home away from
years of 1965 and 1969, The Guild Shop donated $30,200 to St. James’ House. Today, the average donation is $250,000 a year, and is the largest donation from an organization other than a trust or foundation. The commitment to serve residents of St. James’ House is a priority of the board, which hopes to provide even more over the next five years. Just as the support for senior citizens is an important part of what The Guild Shop is all about, there are volunteers who spend a lot of time and a lot of energy making this gem of a resale shop a success. To a few volunteers, being a part of this organization 26 |
“I don’t know what I would do without
epicenter.org
“I am still going at 87. I hope more people, young and old, will come and
her years as business manager. “Everything
my home,” she added. Lasikar drives to
was handwritten when I worked here. We
The Guild Shop and lives in a townhome
did not even have a cash register! We
by herself. “I tried to live in a retirement
used a metal lockbox for our cash. We got
community, but there were too many old
excited when we made $1000 one month.
people. That was not me and I was so glad
Now, I enter items on the computer and am
to go back to my home.”
extremely proud of the money we donate to St. James’ House. We have come so far!” Betty Lasikar is 87 years old. She began volunteering in 1992 when her husband
While at the cash register, paying for items I could not resist, I met Margaret Pack. At 89, Pack runs the cash register two days a week. She retired from Exxon
passed away. “I was in the neighborhood
in October of 1982, and by January of 1983,
and just walked in. I asked if they needed
she was volunteering at The Guild Shop. “I
a volunteer and they took me in right then
was used to a schedule; I missed having
and there. I have not left since.
somewhere to be,” Pack said. “I had friends
Consignors arrive en masse loaded with treasures (above). (R) Some of the glass for sale and (R-below) Louise Symmes, executive director, greets a customer at the front door. that knew about The Guild Shop. I felt it was a great ministry,
deal. These three ladies are just a few of many who count on their
and it fit me. I love volunteering. I am pleased that ExxonMobil
positions as volunteers. The lives they touch are important and
contributes to The Guild Shop. Because of my volunteer hours, they
their service is appreciated by many. What makes it so special is the
give $2000 a year!
difference The Guild Shop makes in the lives of the volunteers as
“I really enjoy the customers,” Pack added. “You never know who you are going to meet.” She attributes her new-found
well as the funds it raises for many good programs. The Guild Shop celebrates 50 years in September. The first event
computer knowledge to The Guild Shop. “I have learned what I
is the annual Style Show and Luncheon, to be held at The Church
need to know to run the register. I love it when a customer finds
of St. John the Divine, April 21. The celebration is about more
exactly what they want at the right price. Their smile makes me
than the 50-year anniversary; it’s about the people The Guild Shop
smile and I feel good.”
touches, those who are served and those who serve. It is obvious
Pack has helped celebrity customers, including former First
that the Lord is in this place, and that the ministry extends to all
Lady Laura Bush. “She was delightful,” Pack said. “I was not here
who walk in the doors.
when Martha Stewart came in, but we have pictures,” she added.
Llenos is communication director at St. John the Divine.
The Guild Shop is much more than a place to find a good
Scan this QR code with your phone to view the audio slide show of The Guild Shop
epicenter.org/media
Diolog
| 27 | MARCH 2012
PROFILE: CONGREGATION
ST. JAMES’ HOUSE, BAYTOWN A ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas
by Luke Blount
28 |
epicenter.org
In 1957, Bishop John Hines’ Commission on
path that others have made; we step out and make
the Aged concluded that the diocese had the
our new path. We are now mind, body and spirit.
responsibility to establish a home to help meet the
Our residents are living at St. James’ House and
needs of older people. Three years later St. James’
enjoying life to the fullest.”
House opened near Baytown, Texas, with room
help with the transition. Over the next 18 months,
St. James’ House later added a nursing wing
the staff will slowly implement new goals to begin
and now serves more than 100 residents with full nursing care and rehabilitation services. Additionally, St. James’ is home to Alexander Hall, a 40-unit apartment complex, providing independent living for older adults. Residents enjoy programming and activities that include exercise classes, happy hours, movie nights and discussion groups. Residents also have the opportunity to participate in art or craftmaking. But soon, St. James’ House will be making
concentrating on the individual. “We will be focusing on the five areas of wellness: social, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual,” said Kat Castro, the activities director. “Those are the five things that make a person happy. You can give them food, water and shelter to live, but they won’t really be living.” On a recent visit by Diolog: Texas Episcopalian, residents gathered outside the dining room for a photo shoot. Many of the women had just visited the hair salon located on campus. Some wore
changes to residents’ routines, enacting a new
pearls and jewelry, and one resident wore a shawl
vision for “person-centered care.” Through this new
that she said her mother made before almost
approach, residents will have a greater input in all
everyone else was born.
aspects of their life. “Person-centered care says let’s focus on the
Another resident told stories about her days spent as a pilot. She recently had a leg amputated,
individual, and let’s make it about them,” said
but still played the piano for two hours for her
Executive Director Tom Zwicker. “It is not for
neighbors.
me or for you to define what people want or how they want to live. It is for the residents to define as a group of people how they want to be in community.” In the past, events were scheduled for the
At the photo shoot, nurses and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) helped residents navigate walkers and wheelchairs. The nurses and residents shared an obvious and abundant bond of love for one another. They often hugged, smiling and telling
residents at predetermined times, and daily
stories while the residents waited their turn for the
routines like bathing and eating always were
photographer.
scheduled. Now residents will have a larger voice in regards to when and how these events occur. “I visited the Episcopal Homes of Minnesota
“Nurses and CNAs are the reason I do this job,” Castro said. Her father spent 11 years in an assisted living facility, and her positive experience with
and saw how person-centered care made a
nurses convinced her to switch career paths. “I
difference in the lives of the residents,” said
really believe these people deserve to have respect.
Kathy Tellepsen, chair of the board. “There were
Some of them are war heroes. Some have tons of
neighborhoods of our elders and their care workers.
kids. They all have amazing stories if you just take
There was energy in the lives of these residents,
the time to listen.”
and they had a purpose as part of a loving family.
To learn more about the changes coming to St. James’
Once I saw this I could never go back to accepting anything less. “We are Episcopalians. We don’t follow the
Photo by LaShane K. Eaglin
St. James’ House hired a consulting firm to
for 56 residents who needed only minimum care.
House, read the article on page 14. To see videos about St. James’ House visit www. epicenter.org/media.
Diolog
| 29 | MARCH 2012
CAMP ALLEN
Living More, Aging Less at Abundant Living Conference by Luke Blount Every spring, Camp Allen hosts the Abundant Living Conference,
helped develop the conference and continues to serve as a guest
which serves older adults and caregivers with programs designed
speaker. “We are all becoming older, and I think it is nice to spend
to encourage them to embrace aging as a spiritual journey and to
some time thinking and learning about that and talking about it,” he
be engaged and active while living “the gift of years to the fullest.”
said.
“The program is open to everybody,” said the Rev. Helen Appelberg, coordinator of the three-day conference. “Some younger people bring their parents or grandparents.” Appelberg is the director of the Center for Spirituality of Aging at
and adapt to new issues. “Aging is a time of tremendous uncertainty,” he said. “I think the caricature of older people is that they become rigid. My clinical
the Sealy Center for Aging of the University of Texas Medical Branch
experience from taking care of older people is that flexibility
(UTMB) in Galveston. Over the past decade, she has spearheaded an
increases with age. It’s just the challenges that require flexibility
effort to create more programs for older adults.
increase at a quicker rate.”
The conference features guest speakers ranging from the medical
Goodwin travels to many conferences, but said he looks forward
fields to the arts, and a “bucket list” of activities that includes
to Abundant Living and often stays around to participate in the
cooking and art classes, line dancing, fishing and canoeing.
program. He feels spirituality plays an important role in the aging
“When we first offered canoeing, I was out near the lake and there was a lady getting out of her car who was 91,” said Camp
process. “Spirituality is a centering into something stable that helps people
Allen President George Dehan. “I offered to help her get over to the
who are experiencing changes and uncertainty. Spirituality provides
canoeing center and she said ‘I’ve been canoeing for 70 years, I don’t
a central core or anchor in that experience,” he said.
need anybody’s help.’” The most consistent concept from the conference has been living life to the fullest in spirit, regardless of the changes older people face in regards to their aging bodies. “One speaker said that if you are over 70 years old and you have
Participants often leave Abundant Living empowered as they learn how to better understand aging and how to deal with the effects. “It has really opened up the boundaries for me,” said first-time attendee Jeanne Weiss as tears welled up in her eyes during the 2011
aches and pains, that instead of worrying about it, you are better off
conference. “It has given credence and affirmation to what I’m going
going off and living your life,” Dehan said. “The joke was: if you get
through.”
up in the morning and something is not hurting, you have probably died.” Dr. James Goodwin, chair of Geriatric Medicine at UTMB,
30 |
In his session, Goodwin often talks about how to confront aging
epicenter.org
In 2011, the older adult ministry of Province VII of the Episcopal Church joined with Abundant Living to sponsor the registration of one representative from each of its dioceses with the hope of
Photo: by Marilyn Broadwick
encouraging similar programming across the province, which includes all of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and the dioceses of Rio Grande, West Missouri and Western Louisiana. With this help, eight of the twelve dioceses were represented. Appelberg, who is 81 years old, began the program nine years ago because she felt that older adult ministry was a forgotten aspect of many churches. She says that churches often survive financially through the benefits of older people, but there are few programs designed specifically for older adults. “We have so many miles to go to collide with the crisis of aging in today’s world,” Appelberg said. “We are excited about the opportunity to raise our voice.” Camp Allen is an accommodating and fun retreat for young and old alike. Events like the Bishop’s Family Music Festival are perfect for people of all ages. Visit CampAllen.org to find out more.
Photo: by Luke Blount
Diolog
| 31 | MARCH 2012
Seminary Celebrates Six Decades by Nancy Springer-Baldwin Sixty years ago Bishop John Hines and the Diocese of Texas formally established Seminary of the Southwest in Austin. Southwest primarily has prepared men and women for parish and diocesan ministry; however, laity have found degrees and programs at Southwest to further their calls to minister in the world. Three graduates are highlighted here as examples of the breadth and reach of those ministries. Lucy Collins Nazro, 32-year head of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, Austin, is one of the seminary’s earliest alumnae who sought a formal theological education at Southwest in 1963. She planned to return to Japan and the girls’ school where she had been teaching English and Bible study, and leading chapel talks. Although her classmates at the seminary were on the ordination track, the faculty was supportive and she learned that “there are many ways one may serve God in his Church other than through parish ministry.” Today, as Nazro approaches retirement, she reflects on her calling: “I have certainly always looked on my job as head of school as a ministry, just as I had so regarded my years in the classroom. At St. Andrew’s I have led chapel at least once a week for every grade. Over the years I have seen growth in my role as a pastor, visiting the sick, and taking part in weddings and funerals. For many of our families, St. Andrew’s School is their only connection to the Church.” Business development manager turned corporate chaplain, John Hornsby heads the Employee Engagement office at Zachry Industrial, Inc., a company with more than 15,000 employees nationwide. Hornsby had worked at Zachry for 12 years when he realized that the personal well-being of his coworkers and customers had become more important to him than the business projects he was pursuing. When he discerned more clearly his calling and Zachry’s CEO approved his proposal for an in-house program of corporate chaplaincy, Hornsby’s ministry took shape. Several years later, he decided to complete his theological studies. He visited the seminary campus and noticed the cross in the garden outside the chapel. His campus guide explained the placement was meant to remind students that ministry takes place in the world. Hornsby says that the seminary’s mission fit his calling.
“God is in all of us, but there’s a thick layer of life’s experience covering it up,” he says. “If we can be of assistance in peeling those layers back, allowing that which is Christlike to be revealed and experienced by the individual then we feel like we’ve done our job.” Brian Sayers is an internist who has practiced in Austin for 25 years. “I love my work and my patients but a few years ago I was going through a period when I felt stuck in my daily routine, my faith and my relationships … one day when I was driving by the seminary I pulled in on an impulse and wandered into the admissions office. I still look back on that day as a gift, if not a miracle that came into my life. “People who hear about my degree or patients who see the diploma from the seminary that I proudly display in one of my exam rooms ask me, ‘What are you going to do with it?’ Usually I just smile and tell them I did it as a gift for myself and leave it at that.” Sayers served as president of the Travis County Medical Society following his commencement and spent most of his efforts during that year working on issues related to indigent care and physician distress and burnout. He has written articles on spirituality and medicine that have been published in the local medical society journal. He remains active in his church and continues to practice medicine full-time.
Read more about Lucy Nazro and other seminary graduates at:
www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/ outandabout/entries/2011/12/04/the_window_of_l.html
Read more about John Hornsby: www.ssw.edu/sites/default/files/ pdfs/Ratherview_Winter_2010.pdf#page=17
More stories from graduates:
Patricia Blaze Clark: www.facebook.com/note.php?note_
John Harry Gunkel: www.ssw.edu/john-harry-gunkel
Corinne Ware: www.ssw.edu/corinne-ware
id=196068476188
See a video about Hornsby and others at: www.ssw.edu/videos
Full schedule of 60th Anniversary events www.ssw.edu/ announcing-special-events-2012 Photo: Bob Kinney
Diolog
| 32 | MARCH 2012
SEMINARY OF THE SOUTHWEST
White Rose by Carol Andrews Jensen
Diolog
| 33 | MARCH 2012
NEWS & EVENTS Bishop Doyle’s Calendar March
1
2
Conference on Lifelong Christian Formation, Camp Allen
3
9:00 a.m.
Wardens and Vestry Conference, St. David’s, Austin
4
10:00 a.m. St. Mark’s, Fort Bend, CF
6-7
8
15-20
22
10:00 a.m. East Harris Convocation Clericus, St. Mark’s, Houston
24
8:00 a.m.
Wardens and Vestry Conference, Trinity, Longview
25
9:00 a.m.
Trinity, Longview, CF
5:00 p.m.
Altar Guild Retreat, Camp Allen
10:00 a.m. Redevelopment and Church Planters meeting, Camp Allen
Executive Board, Camp Allen House of Bishops Spring meeting, Camp Allen
April 1
10:00 a.m. St. Cyprian’s, Lufkin, CF
5
11:30 a.m. Austin Convocation Clericus, Good Shepherd, Austin
6
12:00 p.m. Good Friday Service, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston
8
11:00 a.m. Easter Service, Christ Church Cathedral, Houston
10
5:00 p.m.
Canterbury Cathedral Choir Concert, St. Thomas’, Houston
15
9:00 a.m.
St. John the Divine, Houston, CF
17
9:00 a.m.
Retreat for Retired Clergy, Camp Allen
20
7:00 p.m.
El Buen Samaritano 25th Anniversary Celebration, Austin
22
9:00 a.m.
All Saints’, Austin, CF
6:00 p.m.
UT Episcopal Student Center, Austin
24
College of Bishops Board meeting, Chicago
25
Compass Rose Board meeting, New York
26 12:30 p.m. West Harris Convocation Clericus, St. Christopher’s, Houston
6:00 p.m.
29
5:00 p.m.
Sharing Faith Dinner, Houston
11:15 a.m. Emmanuel, Houston, CF St. Mark’s, Houston, CF
May
34 |
1
8:30 a.m.
Consecration of Chapel, St. Andrew’s School, Austin
1:00 p.m.
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, Austin
2
11:30 a.m. San Jacinto Convocation Clericus
3
3:00 p.m.
4
11:00 a.m. Multicultural Ministry Conference, Austin
6
11:00 a.m. St. Paul’s, Waco, CF
Curate Camp, Diocesan Center, Houston
5:00 p.m.
St. Richard’s, Round Rock, CF
10
6:00 p.m.
Starry Nights and Campfire Lights, Austin
12
10:00 a.m. St. Martin’s, Houston, Youth CF
2:00 p.m.
13
11:00 a.m. St. Francis’, Houston, CF
17
7:00 a.m.
18-19
20
11:00 a.m. St. David’s, Austin
24
10:30 a.m. Northeast Convocation Clericus, St. Matthew’s, Henderson
27
10:00 a.m. St. Luke’s on the Lake, Austin, CF
30
7:00 p.m.
epicenter.org
The Rev. Bill Fowler has accepted the call as interim rector at Holy Spirit, Houston. He was previously the interim rector at Trinity, Galveston.
The Rev. Matthew Frick accepted the call as rector of St. Timothy’s, Alexandria, Louisiana. Frick was previously completing his curacy at Trinity, Marshall.
The Rev. Eric and Shyla Hungerford welcomed a new baby boy on January 18. Origen Hungerford weighed 6 lb. 9 oz.
The Rev. Susan Kennard accepted the call as priest-in-charge at Trinity, Galveston. She was previously the rector of St. Mark’s, Bay City.
The Rev. Canon Luchy Littlejohn retired from Christ Church Cathedral, Houston.
The Rev. Heber Papini accepted the call as rector of St. Peter’s, Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was previously non-parochial.
The Rev. David F. K. Puckett retired as the rector of Holy Spirit, Houston.
The Rev. Robin K. Reeves accepted the call as rector of St. George’s, Texas City. She had previously been serving as acting rector.
The Rev. Billy Tweedie accepted the call as associate rector and director of Youth Ministry at St. David’s, Austin. Tweedie was previously the assistant rector at St. Paul’s, Waco.
11:30 a.m. St. Luke’s Friends of Nursing Luncheon, Houston
People
St. John the Divine, Houston, Youth CF
ORDINATIONS
The Rev. Eric LeBrocq was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on February 1 at St. John’s, Sealy.
The Rev. Chad McCall was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on February 5 at St. Peter’s, Lago Vista.
The Rev. Mary Robbins was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on February 21 at St. Stephen’s, Huntsville.
The Rev. John Soard was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on January 15 at Trinity, Baytown.
The Rev. Francene Young was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests on January 26 at St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston.
Deaths
Patricia Ann Perkins Moore, wife of the Rev. Edward F. Moore III, passed away Christmas morning in hospice care.
The Rev. Dr. Michael C. “Mike” Macey, former rector of Trinity, Longview and priest-in-charge of St. John’s, Carthage, passed away December 28 in Dallas.
Christie H. Knowles III, the son of the Rev. Bobbie Knowles passed away December 29 in Orlando, Fla.
Viet Thanh Tran, the father of the Rev. Alex Montes’ wife, Thi, passed away January 1 in Houston.
Chester K. Makowski, the father of the Rev. Chester Makowski, passed away February 8 in El Paso.
Please keep these families in your prayers.
Men’s Breakfast, St. Martin’s, Houston Diocesan Bluegrass Festival, Camp Allen
St. John’s, La Porte, CF
march 16 - april 29
www.epicenter.org/fotofest Diolog
| 35 | MARCH 2012
The Episcopal Diocese of Texas 1225 Texas Street Houston, TX 77002-3504
Bishop’s Family Music Festival May 18-20, 2012 Join us for a weekend in the piney woods as you enjoy outdoor activities, live music from various artists including the Austin Lounge Lizards, southern food and fellowship with your entire Episcopal Diocese of Texas family!
Camp Allen www.campallen.org