PRAIRIE SPIRIT SPRING 2020
FROM THE BISHOP
CONTACT US
After the movie, The Princess Bride, came out, one of the most repeated lines was “As 1 North Main you wish.” This phrase meant to convey to the recipient that
Suite 418
the speaker loved them, and so would do as they, the
Hutchinson, KS 67501
recipient, wished. I am told that the new phrase to convey that emotion of caring deeply for someone is “Wash your
Phone:
hands”, a phrase that lets the recipient know that the speaker
620-669-0006
values their safety in the midst of this crisis. In just a couple weeks, Easter will be here. Some of our churches will read the story of the walk to Emmaus, a story in which the risen Jesus meets two of his disciples leaving Jerusalem. In this story, the two disciples do not recognize Jesus as He walks and talks with them, do not recognize him in part be-
Email:
tec.wks2011@gmail.com
Website:
www.diowks.org
cause they could not see a way forward in the chaos that resulted from their beloved leader’s death. They initially missed the resurrection that had occurred, the resurrection that is the story, missed it because they were still mourning what was, and not seeing what is.
Diocese of Western Kansas
I think that it is important also to note that the risen Lord bore on his body the marks and wounds of His death. He was changed, and the body that was broken was alive anew, but it was not the same as it had been before the crucifixion. In fact, it is these very marks and wounds that testified to His dying and rising again.
@DIOWKS
How do we proceed in this new reality? This pandemic has shifted our society in ways of which we are not even yet aware, and there will be lasting, dramatic effects on our practices, not just in this country but in the world. I wish to recall to your memory the lasting societal changes that occurred after WWII, changes like women entering the work force and social upheaval that resulted.
diowks
Before we knew the name Covid-19, Internet usage was growing steadily, and it is still an untapped resource, but now it has been overwhelmed by the current demand as people are sheltering in place, working from home, attending virtual meetings, and streaming video into their living rooms and offices. (Cont. page 2) You can send your photos, videos and/or stories, for the Prairie Spirit to: tec.wks2011@gmail.com Or to our address above.
Diocese of Western Kansas
From The Bishop cont.
PAGE
2
There will be medical advances, and technology will be used in new and innovative ways as the
global community addresses the pandemic. Obviously, the economies will suffer. We will rebound, but in what ways, and how will the economy look in the years to come? Will there be greater interdependence between nations, or will we revert to individual self-sufficiency? Schools are radically changing formats to meet the current conditions and offering new ways of education online. But will they revert to physical classrooms later, or will there be a shift in the way school is conducted and subjects are taught as a result? Will students return to the buildings or will most classrooms remain virtual? For the first time in any of our lives, our church buildings are closed to public worship. This unprec-
edented necessity has occurred at a time of already dwindling attendance and membership. The service that we most cherish, our Eucharist, the sharing of bread and wine, body and blood, is denied us. The buildings for which we have fought for so long and so hard to keep open are closed. No one is wearing our pretty and expensive vestments. The candles aren’t lit. The silver isn’t polished. The organs are quiet. What will become of our buildings, and our practices? There will be marks and wounds. And yet, Easter is coming. God is. None of that reality has changed at all. The question for us as Christians now is whether we will be like the disciples, focused only on what was, or whether can we see the what is. I think that we have been given a gift. We have the unique opportunity to examine our lives in faith without the human trappings that cover our religion, and which tend to dominate our worship. We can see, perhaps for the first time, faith laid bare. How will we proceed? Can we fashion a way forward in the days, months, and years to come that builds a better way for us to worship and to love God and each other without the baggage to which we have become so attached? The truth is we were barely able to afford our buildings before. Perhaps now is the time to ask if we truly need them. Let us recognize and articulate clearly that the church has always been the people, and not the buildings. Again, I say, God is. And our way forward as the church is rooted in the love of and belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and in the keeping of His commandments, loving God and loving our neighbor. You know, Jesus never told us to build a Temple. In fact, that is a practice He criticized. There will be marks and wounds. The way forward will be different. But just as the world was renewed in Easter through Christ’s resurrection, so, too, can our faith be renewed through this crisis. I look forward to discovering that new way with all of you. Be safe. Take care of each other and those who are vulnerable amongst you. Wash your hands!
PAGE
3
In McPherson, St. Anne’s provides the community with the Clean Closet. It is open on the third Friday and Saturday of each month. They distribute sundries to those in need. Typical items include soap, shampoo, shave cream, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, laundry and dish soap. They also distribute paper towels and toilet paper. A specific offering each month is designated and they receive in-kind and monetary donations
Our Canon Theologian, The Rev. Ashley Null was in the states and preached at Holy Apostles in Ellsworth on January 12.
Christ Cathedral Episcopal Church Women sponsored a womens’ retreat held on February 28-29 at the Manna House in Concordia.
PRATT POTLUCK January 26: For many years, All Saints, Pratt, has been enjoying a monthly pot luck meal following our Sunday worship service. In the fall of 2019 we decided to begin inviting others to share in our bounty. People who might not get a home cooked meal very often. We have been inviting a different sports team from Pratt Community College each month. In January the entire girls softball team came and enjoyed a delicious meal of fried chicken, potatoes, assorted vegetables, pasta salads and, of course, desserts. The girls introduced themselves during the meal. The majority of them are from Texas, and included majors such as prevet, pre-med, engineering, nursing and several others. We enjoyed meeting them and their coach, Mel. These girls are active in the community, donating much time volunteering in public service.
An Easter Prayer May the celebration of resurrected life bring new hope to your being. May the victory over earthly death turn your eyes to the promises of heaven. May the empty tomb help you to leave your sorrows at the foot of the cross. So that God's hope, promises and forgiveness reign in your life forever. Amen.
PAGE
4
On Shrove Tuesday at St. Anne’s in McPherson, (above) Tom Frankenfield serves up sausage with pancakes (right) John Helmer takes a break after preparing pancakes.
Despite the snowy weather , St. John’s in Great Bend had a good turn out for our Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Breakfast Supper. Deacon George brought his usual pancake flour mix and his mixing skills. We had tasty pancakes to Serve. Several of the crew took turns at flipping the cakes and serving the guests. Among the crowd were a couple new Pastors from the area. Good fellowship and full tummies. Isolation can create anxiety in some of us. Here are some helpful tips to keep calm. Practicing Silence One of the greatest secrets of those who walk closely with God is the practice of solitude. Prayer and meditation in silence. Go Outside Jesus often wandered off into the hills for prayer and solitude. We can connect with God through nature. What a blessing that we get to practice social distancing in March instead of January. Connect with Others We were created for community. But how do you do community in the given circumstances? Social media might feel like an easy way to connect, but is it life giving and affirming? Working with a new normal calls for creativity. Call someone. Schedule a daily video call with a loved one. Drive by a friend’s house and call from the car, waving through the window while you talk. Start a weekly prayer video call with your friends or family Practice Self-Care Self-care is simply “putting yourself on the list”. You put loved ones on the list, such as children, parents, and friends. There are other people you take care of, but are you taking care of yourself? Jesus took care of his own needs. He stepped away when he needed a minute and often participated in non-religious activities, like eating with friends, spending time with children, and parties with non-religious types. His ministry was busy, filled with meeting others’ needs. Jesus took time for self-care, and we should too. Be Grateful “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
PAGE
5
TRANSFORMING: Evangelism. Hospitality. Belonging. Fr. J. Ted Blakley (Ph.D.) “Go. Recruit. Wash. Teach. You’ve got this because I am with you.” That, in a nutshell, is the mission the Master gives his apprentices before taking leave of them. In the closing scene of Matthew’s Gospel, the Risen Jesus returns to where it all began… Galilee. There Jesus appears to his disciples and tells them that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. Because of that, they are to go forth to the ends of the earth and make more disciples, by baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus taught. And they did, which is why we are here in Western Kansas seeking to become as faithful and effective as possible in “Spreading the Good News on the Plains!” Invite Welcome Connect. That’s why I am so excited about an opportunity coming up in May. Last October, Mary Parmer came to convention and spoke to us about a tried and tested ministry of her creation called Invite Welcome Connect. Now Mary is not a cradle Episcopalian. She found the Episcopal Church later in life, and she fell in love. And so she wants others to find the Episcopal Church as well. Actually, she wants the Episcopal Church to take the initiative and to go out and find people instead of waiting for them to come in the front door and then quietly leave by the back door. She wants the people and parishes of the Episcopal Church to have the tools to go out and INVITE people into the church, to WELCOME them fully when they arrive, and to CONNECT them deeply to the life and mission of the church. Workshop in May. On Saturday, May 16, the Diocese is hosting an all-day workshop at The Heartland Center for Spirituality in Great Bend. On Friday evening, we will gather for a meal and begin sharing with one another about this ministry. The workshop will be led by one of the Senior Facilitators who travel throughout the country training people in the art of Invite Welcome Connect. The workshop is six hours and includes actual handson training and creative idea generation using the Invite Welcome Connect Check Lists and Ideas-Resources pages. Suggested implementation procedures for this important transformational work are offered throughout the day, and best practices from congregations around the country currently doing the work are discussed. Who Should Attend. We recommend that leadership at all levels participate (i.e., clergy, vestry, pertinent staff, past and present ministry leaders) and anyone else in the congregation who is interested—both adults and youth. We definitely want an intergenerational mix, as well as a mix of long-time and newer (less than a year) members. We recommend getting those people identified as soon as possible so that the can begin meeting together and reading and listening and processing. Pre-Workshop Work. In addition, I strongly recommend that people visit the newly-redesigned website: www.invitewelcomeconnect.com. Watch the overview video on the home page, then dig into the rest of the website—explore the Essentials, review the Resources, and check out the Checklists. The more prework that you do, the more you and your congregation will benefit from the training and the more likely you are to implement what you learn. I would also recommend getting some copies of their new book Invite Welcome Connect: Stories and Tools to Transform Your Church.
PAGE
Anglican Rosary Workshop at Saint Paul’s Postulant to the Diaconate Pat Schiefen led a workshop at Saint Paul’s in Goodland about how to pray using the Anglican rosary. Pat gave a brief history of the rosary, described the differences between the Roman Catholic and Anglican rosaries, and led Evening Prayer using the beads. She stressed that the rosary was a tool to encourage prayer and to use it as a focusing mechanism during contemplative prayer. She used The Anglican Rosary by Jenny Lynn Estes in the workshop. Pat will lead two more rosary prayer sessions, including The Way of the Cross, during Lent.
6
The Rev. Canon Shay Craig, from Christ Cathedral, gave the Invocation at the Kansas State Senate on March 10.
PRAYER CORNER A suggestion was made that we add a prayer request section to the Prairie Spirit. We thought his would be a great idea. Each time we ask for items for the Prairie Spirit, please send us any prayer requests you might have. Please ask before we publish there name. It is a good way to bring our Diocese together in Prayer. From Russell Springs: Healing for Betsy Johnson – member of St. Francis Church & organist—Broken bones from auto accident.
On March 1, the Cathedral youth fomation class “buried" the Alleluia (by telling the word) at the beginning of Lent, with the hopes of on Easter Sunday they will "resurrect" by opening the box, pulling out the streamers and yelling Alleluia!
Healing for Jackie Wright (Jason Lamb’s Mom) member of Hays—Hip Replacement Surgery
Healing for Austin Mangus, 5 years old (Molly Lamb’s great nephew) - has a congenital eye condition that is untreatable. Doctor’s predict he will be blind by 14 years of age. Lord, hear Our Prayers.
PAGE
The Cedar of Lebanon A Meditation Bishop Michael Milliken
The tree whispered to me! I thought maybe it was the breeze – but it was the tree. “Come and climb”, she said. “I offer you my limbs and branches, become once more as a child. Climb, giggle, see the world from on high.” She was a grand old tree. Strong limbs, sturdy branches reaching almost to the ground – she was solid! A small sign said my tree was a Cedar of Lebanon. Cedar of Lebanon! Did Jacob or Saul climb such a tree as this when they were boys? Did Jesus play hide-n-seek with his brothers and sisters around another Cedar of Lebanon? Did an ancestor of my tree provide wood for Solomon’s Temple? Is this how it served the Creator? Did it provide wood for the Cross? Did an ancient ancestor die to help bring about the salvation of all people? My Cedar whispers again, “Come and climb”. But I don’t. I want to – my spirit says yes, but my body has another opinion. I don’t think of myself as old, but the hips, the knees, the ankles don’t bend and flex like they used to. The strength in my hands has lessened over the past few years. The inner child says, “Go for it!” The practical, aging man says, “maybe later”, and knows he won’t. There I stood, leading on a lower limb, remembering days when I would be looking down from the top. Remembering long ago days of carefree energy and play. Sun or rain made little difference; we celebrated each in its own way. Remembering days when Steve and Teresa and Junior and Danny all vowed we’d always be together – friends for evermore. Alas, I have not seen them since 1959! In the shade of my Cedar of Lebanon I long for my lost childhood, and marvel at how fast the days have gone by – when did I lose my childhood? When did I lose flexible limbs, the strong muscles, the boundless energy? Am I grieving? Yes! As I lament my aging, my tree whispers again: “Someday, someday, you will climb. Someday your childhood will return. ‘You will renew your strength, you will mount up with wings like eagles, you shall run and not be weary. You shall walk and not be faint’. And I will be there waiting for you, my child”.
Presbyterian-Episcopal Dialogue Looks at the Needs of a Changing Church Meeting at First Presbyterian Church in San Diego, California, February 17-19, 2020, the representatives of the EpiscopalPresbyterian Bilateral Dialogue met and considered how the two ecclesial traditions could partner with each other considering the context of the 21st century Church. This was the second meeting of the Third Round of bilateral dialogues between the two ecclesial communions. The meeting was grounded in prayer, scripture, and song. The representatives discussed at length how the two communions might, at some time in the future, look to a limited exchange of ministers, noting especially the good work that has been done in the Churches Uniting in Christ (CUIC) and the June 2017 CUIC liturgy where all CUIC members recognized the ministries of each member body, in light of the 2008 agreement between the two traditions. It was affirmed that there are practical differences in the denominations, but that as there are fewer young people who have knowledge of any Church body at all, the Episcopal Church and the PC(USA) are in a Kairos moment of being able to work together to build up the body of Christ. Dialogue members also noted that ecumenical partnerships often occur at a grassroots, local level and the dialogue wishes to help those ecumenical partnerships to flourish. They affirmed that in whatever ways the two ecclesial communions would be working together, that partnerships would always work to break down oppressive, discriminatory barriers and look to all areas of partnership, but especially those lending themselves to such partnerships such as campus ministry, immigrant communities, rural communities, communities of color and multicultural, multiethnic communities. Both the Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego and the Rev. Michael Mudgett, the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of San Diego, met with members of the dialogue to share about ecumenical and interreligious partnerships ongoing in the local area, especially those relating to caring for migrants on the border. The members of the dialogue will meet again September 16-18, 2020, hosted by the Episcopal Church.
7
The Rev. Jeff Mitchell was ordained into The Sacred Order of Priests on December 21, 2019 at St. Andrew’s Church in Liberal. Father Jeff was ordained by The Rt. Rev. Mark Cowell. Father Jeff will serve St. Andrew’s.
ONLINE WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES In light of the Covid-19 virus, all our churches have been temporarily shutdown. If your church does not have the ability to livestream services or daily offices, here are a few links to watch live from churches that have the ability to stream live. Christ Cathedral has a YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCrWenqLLN2DLiuBXuoFDGpw The Stations of the Cross and Compline held on Wednesdays at 6PM in Lent Sunday morning service will be on the channel live at 10:00 AM. There will be an attached bulletin for people to read along. You can also watch on their Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/christcathedralsalina.
Grace Church-Hutch: During Lent Evening Prayer (Mondays @ 6:00 p.m.) Compline (Every evening 9:00 pm), Stations of the Cross (Friday @ 6:00 p.m.) and Sunday worship (10:05 am) All are on their Facebook live: https://www.facebook.com/gracechurchhutch St. Mark’s in Lyons: Facebook live Sunday Worship and other recorded events. https://www.facebook.com/St-MarksEpiscopal-Church-Lyons-KS-1779031685460810 Mother Carolyn Ballinger: Daily Offices on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/carolyn.ballinger.9 Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcnFWtVETSuS2wkS9-oOgKg Washington National Cathedral Broadcasts on their YouTube Channel beginning at 10:15 a.m. CST: https://cathedral.orgonline
