QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEBRASKA ADVENT 2012

From the Bishop’s Desk

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Almighty God, give us grace to cast away

the works of darkness, and put on the armor

of light, now in the time of this mortal life in

which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us

in great humility; that in the last day, when

he shall come again in his glorious majesty

to judge both the living and the dead, we

may rise to the life immortal; through him

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy

Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

BCP Collect for Advent 1

The season of our Incarnation Cycle –

Advent, Christmas & Epiphany – is now

upon us. In the weeks and months to come,

we’ll be preparing for the celebration of

Christ’s birth and his return at the end of

days, we will be remembering Jesus’

nativity and feasting with great joy at

Christmastide, and we will be telling the

stories of Epiphany, in which the identity

and mission of the Holy One is surprisingly

and wonderfully revealed. There is probably

no richer season in our church calendar, and

no more delightful journey than the one we

will take together during the short days and

long nights just ahead.

I hope that in the midst of observing all

the cherished traditions of the holidays,

you can open your heart and mind to the

prospect that when Christ comes again at

this time of year, it is quite possible he

will change our lives in a deep and

meaningful way. Incarnation means,

among other things, that God is a real and

present being in our here and now. We

may think we know what this season will

bring and what it means to be a follower

of Jesus (and a member of the Episcopal

Church!) but if God really is a living and

loving presence in our lives, then it’s

likely – even inevitable - something new

and wonderful will happen in the days to

come. Maybe this season of Incarnation

is not just about hearing stories we

already know and celebrating traditions

that have long been a part of our lives’

fabric. Maybe God has something utterly

new for us this time around.

This is exactly my hope and prayer for

each of you and for all the wonderful

parish churches of the Diocese of

Nebraska. I pray that during this

2013: Year of the Bible Challenge!

See page 11 for the Bishop’s Bible Challenge for 2013. This exciting program aims to unify and inspire all Christians by helping us develop a lifelong habit of reading the Bible and encouraging us to share this spiritual practice, to know more deeply the love God has for us, and to take our faith more seriously.

Incarnation Cycle, Jesus might be

revealed to you like a new and best friend

who enriches your experience and truly

changes your life for the good. May you

prepare for that possibility well in the

days to come, and be blessed in God’s

time by the very real presence of

Emmanuel your lives.

Faithfully Yours in Christ –

The Right Rev. J. Scott Barker

Editor-in-Chief

How to Subscribe

Page 2

How Firm a Foundation

Freedom Imagine being free of all the undifferentiated anxiety that compels us to posture ourselves for public display, wondering who is watching. If we had such independence from public opinion, would we not be free for greater things, for matters more important? Would we not be free then for the work of what Jesus calls the Kingdom of God?

Br. Kevin Hackett

Society of St. John the

Evangelist

Sign up for “Brother, Give Us

a Word”, a very brief daily

devotion from The Society of

St. John the Evangelist, an

Episcopal Benedictine

monastery in Boston, at

http://www.ssje.org/

The Real Lives of the Parish Administrators in Nebraska…

After seven years as the

Office Manager at

Church of the Holy

Trinity, Teri Thomsen

continues to enjoy her job

at this Lincoln parish!

Whether she is crunching

numbers, developing a

mailing, or tapping into

her creative side to design

posters for outreach, things are

never dull. Teri is always

searching for innovative ways to

make things easier and work

smarter. One of her favorite

projects was the mini-parish

directory she designed in 2004.

These booklets are small enough

to fit in a glove box, console of a

car, or purse and help keep a

parish connected outside of the

church walls. She keeps these

updated twice a year and the

parishioners have come to rely

on them for their accuracy.

Teri spends her extra time

working at other part-time jobs.

These help her fund some of the

mission efforts that are close to

her heart and close to her home.

She supports scholarships to an

area camp, helps at a local

homeless shelter, sends Bibles

to China, school supplies to

India and Sudan, and gives to

food/shelter programs in Haiti

and Israel. In June, Teri held a

garage sale and gave all the

proceeds to the Lincoln Crisis

Pregnancy Center. On Labor

Day weekend, she welcomed a

college foreign exchange

student into her home for the

year. “’I cannot do everything,

but I can do something’ was a

topic at a Christian women’s

conference I attended several

years ago. At the time, I didn't

think one person could really

make that much of a difference,

but I've learned that it just isn't

Favorite Bible Verse

Matthew 25:40

Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.

Claire Atkins St. Andrew’s, Omaha

true. It doesn't have to be huge -

even the small 'bits and pieces'

will add up. So I continue to

ask, what is the

‘something’ You want me to do

today, God?” This is how Teri

in Lincoln lives her life and

serves the people at the parish of

Church of Holy Trinity in

Lincoln.

- Kate Baxley

Director of Administration and

Communications

Send us your

favorite Bible

verse and

we’ll use it in

a future edition of the

NE Episcopalian !

From Our Newest Priest, Lara Shine

Sunday night, November 11th, is

a night I will always remember.

The ordination service was a

deeply moving, humbling, and

Spirit-filled experience. For me,

it was the culmination of years

of preparation. I discerned a call

to the priesthood five years ago,

when I was the Resurrection

House Intern serving at All

Saints, but the seeds were

planted years before. My faith

was nurtured by being raised in

the church, participating in

church camp, singing in the

choir, and being active in

campus ministry. Along the way

I had amazing teachers,

mentors, family, and friends

who shaped me into the person I

am today (several of them were

able to be there to celebrate with

me!). Without them—without

you—I would not be here.

Thank you to all who came to

the service, and to all who were

there in spirit. Thank you to all

who served in some capacity or

another, whether participating in

the service or helping quietly in

the background. The music was

beautiful, the service powerful,

and the food delicious; all in all,

it was an amazing night, and I

was so glad you could share it

with me.

The Rev. Lara Shine

Lara with her family Lara with the participating clergy.

Special thanks to Raf at

heartlandlens.blogspot.com

for the use of his photo as

this issue’s front page

masthead.

Page 3

Salute!

Environmental Ministry—The Coming of the Light What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:3b-5)

The deep roots of our Christmas

traditions connect Christ both to us

human beings and to the world in

which we live: the earth, air, water,

plants and animals of all sorts.

The Gospel points to an essential

piece of our understanding of

Christmas: through Christ’s coming

to us as a helpless baby in humble

circumstances, we realize that far

from our being too distant from

heavenly things for God to take

notice, we humans and our earth are

where God chooses to dwell. Luke

tells the beloved story of angels, “a

multitude of the heavenly hosts”

telling shepherds out in the fields

about the birth of a baby in a stable.

John’s Gospel begins with an account

of Christ as the co-eternal Word

through whom all things were

created, yet John’s Gospel goes on to

connect heaven with earth through

even more than creation itself. John

tells us that the same Christ through

whom everything in heaven and on

earth came into being took on human

form and came to live right here

among us here on Earth.

Along with our traditions rooted in

Scripture are traditions rooted in the

celebration of the winter solstice. As

Christians consider the birth of Jesus

to be the coming of the true light into

the world, the celebration of

Christmas easily incorporated ancient

winter solstice traditions. Displaying

boughs of evergreens, holly, and

mistletoe is one of those ancient

practices that set our celebration of

the birth of Christ in the midst of the

earth’s natural cycles and the life

cycles of all living things. Our songs

and Christmas cards reveal a sense of

wonder and joy at the beauty of

winter’s snow, at bright starry skies,

and at the birds and animals that

remain active in winter.

In today’s world, our tradition of

giving money or other gifts to help

poor people be more comfortable in

the winter and enjoy some of the

pleasures of the holiday also connects

us to the earth. In our own country

this year, the human impact of

Hurricane Sandy and other severe

weather events associated with global

warming have prompted us to give to

relief organizations. In recent years,

our charitable giving has expanded

through organizations like Episcopal

Relief and Development to include

gifts in the names of loved ones to

strangers, gifts of necessities such as

seeds, livestock, or sponsorship of

community gardens or rainwater

catchment tanks to help people around

the world, where accelerating climate

change has made life more difficult for

many who already lived close to the

edge of hunger, homelessness, and

illnesses related to poor water and air

quality.

As we enter the calendar year 2013,

the resolution we passed at Annual

Council asking that every meeting in

our parishes or in the diocese

prayerfully include the agenda item:

“How will what we are doing here

affect or involve people living in

poverty?” goes into effect. How well

we care for the earth impacts people

living in poverty. Our liturgical year

will move from Christmas to

Epiphany, when the light of a star

again brings together the elements of

Christ, humankind, and the rest of

creation. In the weeks after Epiphany,

our Scripture lessons point us toward

the light of Christ shining throughout

the world.

In these weeks in which we anticipate

the coming of the light, celebrate

Christ’s light coming into the world at

Christmas, and then celebrate the

The Nebraska Episcopalian salutes Deacon Bob and

Ellen Snow for their years of faithful, tireless and joyful

service to our diocese and to the people of the

Dominican Republic. They are the first recipients of the

Bishop’s Cross.

shining of that light throughout the

whole world, paying close attention to

the deep roots of our traditions can

lead us to serve Christ and one another

through reverent care for the earth.

Good stewardship means thinking

about the environmental impact of our

shopping, gift wrapping, meals, and

energy use, but that extra care

combined with an awareness of our

interconnections with all living things

through Christ can bring renewed

wonder and joy into our celebrations

this year. Let heaven and nature sing!

- The Rev. Dn. Betsy Blake Bennett

January 7th Snowlight, photo by Betsy

Adv

ent -

Pre

pare

Wat

ch B

ehold

Rejoice

Page 4

Youth Ministry Notes

It has been a year since I took

on the position of Youth

Chair, and now it is time for

my service in that position to

come to an end. The diocese

welcomes Abbey Kutlas into

the role of Youth Chair, and I

know that the church has

made an excellent choice!

After seeing Abbey’s work

with NOVO earlier this year,

I believe that she is perfectly

suited for the job, and will

bring a new light into our

diocese. While I cannot wait

to see what will be

accomplished in the future

with Abbey leading the way,

I will certainly miss working

with the diocese. However, as

with all things in Christ, my

service to God will not end

here. We are always called to

be examples of Christian

faith, in one way or another.

God will ask us to serve Him

in many ways - some

challenging, requiring great

responsibility; others

seemingly smaller, just a

smile to a stranger or a

prayer for a friend. In

everything, we bring God’s

love into the world, as

disciples of Christ. The

future of the church, the

followers of Christ, is

looking bright, with

enthusiasm and faith

marching it forward. I want

to thank every person in this

diocese for allowing me to

serve you as Youth Chair,

and I pray in thanksgiving

for Abbey Kutlas and her

willingness to share her faith

with our church. I know that

she will impact our church in

wonderful ways, with a love

for God that is extraordinary.

Let us go into the future as

servants of Christ, spreading

His love in all that we do! - Abby Culp

TNE thanks Abby for her

faithful service and insightful

articles during the past year –

Ed

My name is Abbey Kutlas,

and I’m a junior at Grand

Island Senior High. I’m

involved in theater, choir,

orchestra, Student Council,

the school newspaper, tennis,

and competitive dance -- and

I’m a proud Episcopalian!

I’m one of those “cradle

Episcopalians” -- I was

baptised at St. Stephen’s in

Grand Island at the ripe old

age of three months old, and

I’ve been a parishoner there

ever since. I went to church

faithfully throughout my

childhood; I sang in the

children’s choir, I was an

acolyte, I memorized the

Nicene Creed, and I said my

prayers to a God I only

believed in because my mom

did.

However, during a youth

event in the fall of my

freshman year, I found God

for myself, and I began to

define my personal

relationship with Him. I was

also given the chance to meet

amazing people and watch

them transform through the

power and grace of God.

From then on, I was hooked

on a spiritual life. So, of

course, when I was offered

the opportunity to create a

new youth event this past

fall, I took it. That’s how

NOVO was born!

Throughout the event, I was

moved by how quickly

God’s word could change a

group of teenagers; I also felt

completely blessed to be able

to meet some beautiful

people (like the wonderful

Abby Culp) who changed

my life, and by some

miracle, I was able to help

introduce them to God and

renew their faith.

I have been given a set of

talents, some good and not-

so-good. Also, God has

given me a passion for

bringing people together and

helping them find who they

are. Therefore, I’m beyond

excited to begin my post as

Youth Coordinator, and I

look forward to helping more

of the youth of Nebraska and

hearing from all of you!

- Abbey Kutlas

Abby attends Grand Island

Senior High and serves as the

new Chair of our Diocesan

Youth Commission. – Ed

On a gloomy misty 24th of

October 2012, Bishop J. Scott

Barker and Deacon Wes Agar

headed to Little Sioux Scout

Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa.

Why did our Nebraska bishop

and deacon go to Iowa?

They went to bless the Chapel

in the North Valley at Little

Sioux Scout Ranch. The

chapel is built on the site of

the cabin that four Boy

Scouts (Aaron Eilerts, Josh

Fennen, Ben Petrzilka and

Sam Thomsen ) lost their

lives in 11 June 2008.

A Job Corp team of 10 young

men and their instructors had

just finished up putting brick

and mortar around the support

posts for the roof and stayed

for the blessing service.

Dave Tasich of the Mid-

America Council is trying to

have as many different

denominations bless the

chapel as he can as the chapel

is for all faiths. So far

Catholics, Eastern Orthodox

and Episcopalians now bless

the chapel at Little Sioux

Scout Ranch.

Photo by Denny Deters, Mid-America Council BSA

BSA Chapel Blessing

Page 5

Time…Talent...Treasure. The Money

Talk. Oh boy.

We have heard great reflections on Time

and Talent from other folks on the last

two Sundays, but, let’s be honest: the

Treasure conversation is different

Time: You’ve got it or you don’t. You’re

at work when the knitting guild meets, or

you’re not. You have to get together with

your family across town right after

church, or you don’t. Etc.

Talent: You’ve got it or you don’t. You

have a gift for working with preschoolers

or you don’t. You know how to improve

the church website, or you don’t. Etc.

Treasure: I assure you, it is NEVER easy

to really figure out if you’ve got it to give

or you don’t.

The starving widow with the ever-full jar

of oil seems a bit extreme as a jumping

off point, so let me share another

example from 2nd Chronicles.

Set up: Israel has been angering God

because they have been praying to other

gods and neglecting Temple worship, so

the new king, Hezekiah, decides to

reinstitute the Tithe: The giving of 10% to

God.

Chapter 31: verse 5: The people of Israel

… brought in abundantly the tithe of

everything.

The king asked the chief priest, “So,

how’s it going?” and the priest replied:

Verse 10: “Since they began to bring the

contributions into the house of the Lord,

we have had enough to eat and have

plenty to spare; for the Lord has blessed

his people, so that we have this great

supply left over.”

My thought on reading this: Yeah. Right.

Now, please understand, I’m NOT saying

that it wasn’t a good thing to Tithe, nor

that the people of Israel weren’t having a

bumper crop that year, but, I’m saying, I

do NOT think it was cause and effect.

Let me tell you why I think that: This

past year, for the first time ever, I made

the decision to tithe to our church.

If I had made the decision to tithe because

I thought the EFFECT would be an

unexpected inheritance, or a huge bonus

from OPS, I would have been very

disappointed.

If I had made the decision to tithe because

I thought the EFFECT would be the

building up of my Roth IRA in heaven, I

would have been deluding myself,

because the gift of God’s grace is free,

and cannot be bought or earned.

And if I had made the decision to tithe

because I thought the EFFECT would be

that I was going to end up giving out of

my abundance, and I had kept on

spending my money like I wasn’t tithing,

I’d probably have a few creditors coming

after me by now.

For me, tithing is no small thing. When I

decided God was calling me to tithe, I

needed to take a hard look at my own

finances and make some life style

changes.

Since I started tithing, among other

things:

I cut down the number of times I go

out to eat each month by over 50%.

I cut down the number of Starbucks

coffees I buy myself each month by

over 50%

And despite my love of travel, the

only vacation I’ve taken has been a

road trip with my parents.

When I explain some of this to my friends

who don’t go to church, they don’t get it.

They can understand giving up some of

that stuff if I were saving up for

something even nicer. But, what CAUSE

could I have to give up that stuff just to

give more money to my church?

Well, I’ll tell you the cause: I’m on the

Vestry. I know the financial situation this

church. And I just can’t stand the idea of

not tithing.

I see that we have slashed our budget as

much as we know how, and there is no

excess left to trim. The cost of the utilities

and maintaining this building are what

they are.

Without a full time priest or without a

music director, we might have more

money in our budget, but I believe it

could only make us less, as a church and

as a community.

As Keith and Bri mentioned in their

sermons the past two weeks, we are a

community full of people with amazing

gifts. We, as a community, are often

Christ incarnate, providing the Ministry

of Presence during the times of joy and

the times of sorrow.

Time and Talent are essential for

providing that Ministry of Presence.

However, the Treasure that is our church

cannot exist without money.

I can’t put a price tag on what our church

is worth to me. Or, if I tried to, it would

be more than I could ever afford.

But I looked at the budget of this church,

and I looked at my personal budget, and I

knew that I could not afford to give out of

my abundance, because, if you are like

me, whatever your financial situation, if

you are looking for the abundance in your

budget, there is never, ever enough.

And, so, I tithe anyway.

Maybe when you look at your finances,

even with changes in your spending

habits, you will find that tithing is still out

of the question. But, please prayerfully

consider what you truly CAN give. Not

out of your abundance, but out of

prayerful commitment.

The EFFECT? You may not win the

lottery. You may not be putting a down

payment on that mansion in the sky. But

you will be keeping the ovens burning on

Soul Food Sunday. You will be keeping a

priest on staff to provide marriage

counseling for a couple starting a new life

together. You will be keeping a music

director on staff to guide the choir

through the perfect hymn of comfort at a

funeral.

And you will be keeping the doors open

for a church community that strives every

day to be a beacon of hope to a world

starving for the Presence of Christ in their

lives.

Amen.

Ed. — Denise Forrest is an OPS teacher

and member of the Vestry at Church of

the Resurrection in Omaha.

Page 6

The Feats of All Souls - Annual Council

Saint Luke’s - Kearney

Isaiah 25:6-9 (John 5:24-27)

Friday November 2, 2012

On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples,

a banquet of aged wine - the best of meats and the finest of wines.

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples,

the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever.

- Isaiah 25:6-8

The date for this annual council was chosen some years ago to fall intentionally on the weekend of the Feast of All Saints. Next

year we will be gathered in accord with our other sacred calendar and will meet on the Husker’s bye week. While that will be

more convenient for us, it is unlikely to be as rich. The twin feasts of All Saints (which fell yesterday) and All Souls (which is

today) are too often overlooked in our churches and in our lives – and they are great feasts of the Church! This evening we’re

pairing those days together into one grand celebration, confident that it’s a right, good and joyful thing to celebrate the lives of

both the saints who taught us Sunday School and tucked us nightly into bed, as well as those supped with Jesus, built the

Church…and heroically sacrificed their lives in defense the faith.

In her blog The Painted Prayer Book, Jan Richardson writes:

The Feast of All Saints invites us to remember that … we never go about alone. All Saints Day is an occasion to

celebrate and revisit the faithful who have gone before us (and not just those who have been canonically designated as

saints) but all those whose lives provide inspiration for us who follow on the path.

The saints (who are not models of perfection but rather people who opened themselves to the ways that God sought to

work in and through their particular lives and gifts) invite us not to copy their lives but to draw encouragement from

them, as we seek to let God do this same work in our own particular lives.

This is just what we’re up to this evening. We are celebrating the lives of

folk who “opened themselves up to the ways of God” and so inspire us as

we endeavor to be better disciples of Jesus. And we are affirming our

faith that our bond with those beloved saints who have gone before is not,

and never will be, broken.

O blest communion, fellowship divine;

We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

Yet all are one in Thee - for all are Thine;

Alleluia! Alleluia!

This past weekend I was down in Texas for a couple of days to be with

Annie’s people. Her side of the family all hail from the Lone Star State,

and have been there for several generations. Being in Dallas got me to

thinking about Great Granny Alma, even though she has gone to heaven

now.

Great Granny Alma was the matriarch of my wife’s family. She was a diminutive, reserved and modest senior lady with a depth

of life experience that I have rarely encountered anywhere else…and a will packed into that tiny body of tempered steel.

∙ She was a depression child who would economize in ways that just flummoxed the rest of us. We weren’t allowed to use

her dishwasher because that was wasteful…we weren’t allowed to throw away or recycle cottage cheese tubs, even though

spent ones had taken over two entire kitchen cupboards!

∙ She was fiercely protective of her family, which meant we all knew she’d bail us out if we got into trouble. But it also

meant there were some big and deeply buried secrets kept in her house. (My wife’s first cousin and childhood friend was

in prison for a year before Alma grudgingly revealed that fact!)

∙ Alma also had the strongest imaginable opinions about how to live life well – and about what constituted real success in

life. She was pretty tough on family members who weren’t serious about getting an education, or finding her version of a

“good” job…or being disciplined about doing that job to the very best of their abilities.

But for all her quirks, Alma inspired us. Not only because of all that she had survived growing up with so little, but far more

meaningfully, because of her big old heart. Alma was “open to the ways of God” in many aspects of her life, but especially in

the way she consistently, generously, humbly and prophetically reached out to be of loving service and support to other people.

Mother Jen, keynote speaker, with Mothers Mary and Susanna

Page 7

Yes – she was great to her family. And I was blessed by my marriage to Annie to be on the receiving end of many kindnesses.

But the truth is that lots of folks are good to their families. What inspired and moved me (though it took me years to realize this

was going on) were the innumerable ways Alma shared what she had to help other people…often people who were virtually

unknown to her. She paid people’s rent. She paid people’s utilities. She paid for people’s education and for car fixes and for

groceries. Sometimes she helped friends of the family or friends of friends. Sometimes she helped folks who rented from her

(she was landlord for a couple of houses she owned.) Often she helped virtual strangers - people she just happened to meet and

listen to living and working in day-to-day life.

Christ calls us to “love our neighbors” - and Alma taught me both what it might mean to LOVE in a concrete and meaningful

way that challenged my stingy notion of sacrificial giving, and she also taught me just about the most expansive definition of

“neighbor” I have ever seen.

Great Granny Alma died eleven years ago this autumn. The family asked if I would

say a few words at her graveside. (No fancy Episcopal funeral for a woman raised by

Texas Baptists!) I remember worrying over what to say. Her life was too big and her

impact on that family too great to begin to scratch the surface of all she’d meant to us.

In fact, I don’t know what I said on that funeral day except for one thing: I remember

that I talked about Alma’s kitchen table.

For me, the great symbol of Alma’s generosity and spirit was the table around which

we’d gather for meals when we visited her home. Hers was not a fancy table. It was a

dinged up old oak piece, undoubtedly ordered at some point decades back from the

Sears and Roebuck catalogue. It was not stylish, fashionable or decorative in the least.

It’s one notable design feature was the fact that it could grow to an amazing length, as

table leaves were added by the number, to accommodate the astonishing bounty that

would be set out at meal time and to make room for every guest.

And that’s how it would go. At supper time, the family would start milling around the

kitchen and Alma would begin calling out favors and chores:

“Scott, here’s ten dollars, run down to Krogers and get us a couple bottles

of wine.”

“Annie – look down in the cellar hon – bring us up one of those big jars

of sweet pickles, and fill up one of those little crystal bowls from the

sideboard over there.”

“Shannon – check the back of the bottom shelf of the icebox. There’s a

cottage cheese tub back there full of pulled pork leftover from Sunday.”

As the family scurried about taking orders and setting the table, our numbers would

begin to swell as stragglers walked through the door – inevitably bringing along

friends and acquaintances both known and unknown to Alma.

“Jason – grab another leaf! Let’s make this table bigger!”

Let’s make this table bigger!

And we would.

When we finally sat down it was a vision of God’s kingdom…every time. There

sat some toddler in a high chair at the corner, throwing mashed carrots and

giggling. There sat some old uncle in from the west Texas field – hands and

fingernails stained with black oil despite five minutes of washing up before. There

sat somebody’s shy new boyfriend (“Honey, he’s a Yankee!)” unable to summon

the courage to speak through the din, but doing his part: piling a plate so high with

food that the rest of us had to stop eating, mouths agape in wonder.

And there would be stories…and there would be arguments…and there would be

laughter…and nobody left hungry. Never EVER.

The Hutches family

The Resurrection House 2013 family,

Meredith, Claire and Phoebe

Page 8

Alma’s table was an extension of THAT table of course. As are all the tables in your kitchens when you set them well and

invite a guest – any guest – to come and dine. As are all the tables in all the undercrofts of our churches... all those poor, saggy

pressed composite tables, over-laden with food you all often have coaxed from God’s earth and of course, packed with bubbling

crock pots, and every cheesy casserole under the sun!

And every single altar up the stairs in all those churches is connected

to that table too. In fact, I am not so sure that it’s many altars but

rather it is one grand altar – one vast table – with an edge so great that

it extends from Kearney to Chadron to Shanghi…from Lincoln to

Chicago to some little Orthodox church on the steppes of Russia.

And here is the really amazing thing about that table - the thing we

celebrate and remember in particular on this feast day - one edge of

that table extends beyond even this age and this old earth … right up

into the great halls of the kingdom of heaven. And so when we

gather to be fed here, we are connected to all those whom we love -

and who have gone before – and who are joined in this same feast…

seated now in the near presence of the One God who sanctified the

table…and set with his love…and bids us “come.”

We are busy with lots of ministry in our various lives and churches.

And sometimes – maybe too often – we let the press of our concerns

about our lives and our families and our friends and our parishes distract us from the still astonishing and joyful truth that each

of us experienced somewhere along the way…and that brought us first into relationship with Jesus Christ… and brought us to

this place.

- We are beloved!

- We are honored guests at a table so abundantly laden we can’t comprehend it!

- We are gathered in the company of friend and stranger alike to bring to life one holy body.

- We are gathered in the company of all those beloved departed who have gone before:

O blest communion, fellowship divine;

We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

Yet all are one in Thee - for all are Thine;

Alleluia! Alleluia!

There is room beloved…plenty of room for all comers. And the

celebration will just get better as we invite others to the table…and

make them welcome in the name of Jesus. Let’s grow this feast.

Let’s be brave about sharing the great news that we’re beloved of

God.

Let’s make this table bigger!

Amen.

The Right Rev. J. Scott Barker

Abundance and Joy at the Council Dinner

Abundance and Joy at the Council Eucharist

Page 9

not, most stress is not caused by great tragedies. Most stress comes from

the accumulation of minor irritants that steadily grind us down over the

years. It may however be necessary to seek out professional help as one

struggles to grow through the pain of major stress events. Contrary to

mainstream thought/myth, seeking help is a sign of ‘strength’ not

weakness. It means you are taking personal responsibility for your health

and sometimes it can be as simple as being more self-aware and self-

reflective. One thing is clear however, it is our response to those stressors

that constitute whether or not we see ourselves as healthy and whole or

sick and “diseased” no matter what age, change/ challenges we face on our

life journeys.

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We

humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all

the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may

remember that we are ever walking in you sight; through Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen. (BCP). Have a blessed and healthy Holiday Season with

your family and friends! - The Rev. Dn. Stephanie Ulrich, RN, SD

Minister of Health, All Saints Omaha

EARLY WINTER Last night the sharp slice of moon poured down its milk. Not in the forecast, but there it was, liquid and jiggly suspended over the front lawn, as long as you stood silent, drank it all in. In the light of day — no sign of it — brown leaves and bared limbs, the littered ground after a long season, only the grassblades carrying a residue of off-white. Odd and fickle, this landscape of the heart. And yet: breathe in the late afternoon sun, feel it warm the geraniums of summer on the windowsill, fuchsia and rose and salmon flirting back, their shameless love. - Twyla Hansen

From Dirt Songs: A Plains Duet

The Backwaters Press, 2011

Good people of this Diocese! Happy and

Healthy Holidays to you and yours! For many

of us it is a time of joy and celebration with

family and friends. It is also a time of

increased stress and chaos. This article will

focus on the role of stress in our lives

particularly when anticipatory hopes/

expectations run high and planning and preparation during these

busy times can be taxing.

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones and enjoy and

celebrate with one another in God’s love and abundant gifts to

us!

Look! First of all, stress, like conflict, is a natural part of life.

Stress is an instinctual survival gift given to us

humans. Collectively, humans understand that gift as a “flight”

or “fight” reaction /response to danger, adversity, and fear. We

cannot rid ourselves of stress or conflict in our lives but we can

learn to manage it. Authorities report that 90% of all illness is

stress related. Stress is like a spice: in the right proportion it

enhances the flavor of a dish—too little produces a bland, dull

meal, and too much may choke us. The trick is to find the

appropriate and/or balanced level of the stress spice. So where do

we start? Well, we start by defining what stress is not!

Stress is not pressure from the outside; divorce, financials

problems, death, isolation, teenagers, illness, work, etc. These

are stressors!

It is our individual responses to those events, people or places

that constitute stress as we attempt to adapt or make adjustments

to our environment. Our individual response is also unique to

each of us. One person’s pleasure is another’s poison.

We all know what happens if we ignore stress: it gets worse and

can make us sick. With all the demands of modern life, changing

roles of men and women, job mobility and stability, inflation,

recession, pressure to succeed, many people fall victim to high

stress diseases of adaptation: peptic ulcers, chronic headaches,

heart disease, high BP and anxiety. Similarly, just as many

people suffer from low stress disorders—diseases of stagnation,

depression, digestive disorders, spirit crushing boredom. In

addition, we see it manifested in our elderly, loneliness and

isolation of suburbia, loss of meaning in jobs, lack of physical

challenge and addiction to TV.

There are no simple solutions to major stress events, e.g. divorce,

death of a child, poverty, homeless, unemployment, and natural

disasters hardships. The list is endless. Each of us needs to

determine the amount of wear and tear we are willing to endure

with the day to day pressures we encounter as a result of

situational events and choice responses we make. Believe it or

Health & Wellness Corner

Editor’s Note: Ted Kooser, the former Poet Laureate of the U.S., will choose a poem for each issue of the NE Episcopalian. Ted worships at St. Andrew’s Seward.

Opposites

The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The

opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The

opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And

the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.

Elie Wiesel

Page 10

Global Mission South Sudan

January 2013 Mission Journey

to South Sudan

Our primary report for this edition

is to inform our Diocese about the

upcoming Mission to South Sudan

in January 2013.

Mississippi Diocese Medical

Mission

In previous Episcopalian issues , I

have discussed the importance of

networking in Global Mission. As

a result of networking, we will be

leading a medical mission group

from the Episcopal Diocese of

Mississippi to our Companion

Diocese of Twic East South

Sudan. This will be one of the first

medical missions that I am aware

of, certainly since the completion

of the Comprehensive Peace

Agreement (CPA) in 2005 to

travel to Twic East. On the journey will be two

medical physicians, Dr. Frank

Criddle and Dr. Addie Henderson

from Mississippi. The pharmacist

traveling with us is Peter Malual,

and also the Bishop of

Mississippi, Bishop Duncan Gray.

The Mississippi Diocese is

considering this to be the

beginning of an annual medical

mission to Twic East. In addition

to medical treatment in the local

communities, this initial mission

will look at logistics, location and

requirements necessary to

complete a successful medical

mission of this nature. The

Mississippi Diocese is embarking

on this trip utilizing their many

years of experience with the

medical missions they have

conducted to Honduras as part of

their Global Mission. This

medical mission has been in the

planning stage for six months as

we prepare to launch the journey. Nebraska Diocese Mission

We will also have an important

Nebraska Diocese component to

this journey to Twic East. The

logistics and liaison work

required towards the goal of a

successful mission is necessary.

Both the Nebraska and

Mississippi Diocese contributed

to repair and maintenance of

Bishop Ezekiel’s truck. His truck

was out of service due to a major

break down. The truck is used for

many purposes, includin transport

of pastors to villages and as a

transport vehicle from Twic East

to Juba, the capital city of South

Sudan. It is also utilized in the

transport of supplies to our

mission area from Juba. Supplies

that we can use from the local

area are very limited. We must

bring from Juba bottled water,

flour, sugar, cooking oil and other

materials from Juba.

We will be reviewing several

projects underway at Twic East

Diocese.:

Girls Middle School at

Wangulei

Church Compound

Borehole in Maar

Motorcycles and Bicycles

for Pastors

We will also be investigating the

priorities for future projects and

issues concerning growth and

development of our Companion

Diocese relationship with Twic

East. Nebraska Diocese Curate Priest

for Mission and Youth

In January our recently ordained

priest Rev. Lara Shine will be

traveling with us to South Sudan.

She has been appointed to a

recently created position of

curacy for Mission and Youth in

the Nebraska Diocese. As a

component of her new position

she is traveling to South Sudan

and on a future trip to the

Dominican Republic, both

companion dioceses to Nebraska.

We are excited and pleased she is

joining up with us on this

important journey. She will be in

dialog with the clergy in many of

the villages we will be visiting.

As in all discussion we learn from

them and they learn from us.

We continue to have a need for

clergy clothing, liturgical items

for the altar, and altar linens. The

Bishop’s Trunk in Hastings, NE.

has been a significant resource in

collecting and gathering supplies

of this nature for us.

I want to thank all the people

involved in this mission. This trip

is accomplished though many

fund raisers and the work of

many in bringing about a

complete mission project. Many

thanks to all.

Please keep us in your prayers as

we depart Nebraska in January

for Twic East. This trip will be 28

days in length, from January 4th

2013 to February 1st 2013 and

we will be eager to relate our

experience to you upon our return

home. Jim Yeates is one of the chairs

of the Diocese of Nebraska's

Global Mission Ministry Team,

his focus is on our partnership

with the Diocese of Twic East in

South Sudan — Ed..

Wangulei Girls Middle School Project Participants

Favorite Bible Verse

Galations 5:22-25

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kind-ness, goodness, faithful-ness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.

Meredith Maple All Saints, Omaha

Mosquito Nets for Nets Project

Page 11

Ask a Priest

Last year, my bishop’s challenge

to everyone in our diocese was

to find a way to participate in our

“Fat Sunday” Fundraiser. The

dramatic success of that

endeavor inspires me to offer

another challenge this year, but

this time I hope to go a bit

deeper. I want us all to commit

to read the Bible together over

the course of the year to come.

The method, put forth by Rev.

Marek P. Zabriskie, an Episcopal

priest in Pennsylvania and

founder of the “The Bible

Challenge,” is simple. Just read

3 chapters from the Old

Testament, 1 psalm, and 1

chapter from the New Testament

each day and we’ll get through

the bible in a year.

I believe there is a real hunger in

our churches and our lives to get

to know our holy book more

intimately, and the Bible

Challenge is a great way to make

that happen. I can think of no

easier way to guarantee a

spiritually enriching year, a year

filled with abundant blessings

and deeper relationship with

God, then through daily bible

reading. Our scriptures are not

only where we read what God

said to God’s people long ago,

but they are also where we hear

God speaking to us today.

Rev. Zabriskie has developed a

devotional guide with

contributions from bishops,

priests, and scholars to guide us

along. It is called The Bible

Challenge and can be found

through your favorite online

bookseller or local bookstores.

There is also a Kindle edition

that is quite handy. In addition,

he also offers some great advice

on how to get started and to

keep the practice going.

An ideal time to start The Bible

Challenge is January 1, when

many people make New Year’s

Resolutions. You can

encourage members of your

church and friends beyond your

parish to make a spiritual

resolution and join you in

reading the entire Bible during

the year.

Harness the power of

technology. Read the Bible

using your iPad, iPhone, Kindle

or Nook or to listen to the Bible

on CDs. The NIV Bible is

readily available on CDs.

Use a devotional approach to

reading the Bible as opposed to

a purely intellectual or academic

approach. Put yourself in the

presence of God before you start

to read. The ancient monastic

practice of lectio divina, where a

reader reads the text, meditates

on the reading, offers a prayer to

God and listens in silence for

God to respond is a fantastic

way to devote to this practice.

Pause during or after your

reading to offer prayers to God.

Stick with it. People who read

the bible for just 21 days

straight are most likely to

develop a lifelong practice of

scripture reading.

More tips can be found at http://

thecenterforbiblicalstudies.org

I am accepting this challenge

myself. I look forward to

reading along with you. If you

take up the challenge please

email me your name and

congregation, so, I can pray for

you along the way and

occasionally send you words of

encouragement. I am very

excited to read our holy book

together. I hope you will join

me!

Bishop Barker

Q: This may be a silly question,

but what does the word

“Episcopal” mean?

A: That is not a silly question at

all! Episkopos is the Greek word

for “bishop” (actually, the direct

translation is “overseer”), so any

church that is governed by

bishops is technically an

“episcopal church.” Our

denomination—The Episcopal

Church—asserts in its very name

that we believe that bishops, as

successors to the apostles, are a

vital aspect of our common life.

By maintaining the authority of

bishops we remain strongly

linked to the church throughout

the ages, and we also keep a

common bond with Roman

Catholic and Orthodox

Churches. While the name of

our denomination emphasizes

the importance of bishops in our

tradition and governance, don’t

be fooled! The Book of

Common Prayer asserts that

“the ministers of the church are

lay persons, bishops, priests, and

deacons.” Lay persons are listed

first because we believe that

their ministries are the most

important!

Q: What is the significance of

the Episcopal seal (the shield)?

The Episcopal shield is basically

the official “logo” of the

Episcopal Church. You will see

it on everything from tee-shirts

and mouse pads to diocesan

websites and official

communiqués. The shield is a

symbol used to help depict the

history of our denomination. It

is red, white, and blue—the

colors of both the United States

and England. The blue field in

the upper left quadrant of the

shield is meant to represent the

church in the USA. It features a

cross of St. Andrew,

recognizing that our first bishop

was actually consecrated in

Scotland (right after the

Revolutionary War, the bishops

in England weren’t too wild

about the idea consecrating an

American). This cross is made

up of nine small crosses,

representing the nine dioceses

that met in Philadelphia in 1789

to officially form the Episcopal

Church.

- The Rev. Liz Easton

Bishop Barker visited Church of Our Savior in the early

autumn. Our Savior's bell tower chimes were recently restored

to good health. They now ring out several times a day to help

the people of North Platte keep God's time!

Out & About with Bishop Barker

Will you take the challenge?