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Visiting Bishops'
Schedule
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May 12
St. Mary's, Edmond
Bishop Bruce MacPherson
May 12
St. Christopher's, Midwest City
Bishop Wallis Ohl
May 19
St. Augustine, OKC
Bishop Bruce MacPherson
May 19
St. Patrick's, Broken Arrow
Bishop Wallis Ohl
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Save the Date
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June 29
EfM Gathering of Mentors,
Participants, Grads, and
Possible Participants!
10 - 2
Diocesan Offices
August 2 - 4
Happening 10th - 12th Graders
All Souls' Church
Oklahoma City, OK
August 15 - 17
EFM Mentor Training
St. Crispin's
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Upcoming Diocese Events
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To register or for more
information please go onto the
Dicoesan Web Site below or
call the local congregation:
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New Web Sites and Links
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Kevin Martin, Diocesan
Congregational Development
Officer's Blog
www.kevinoncong.blogspot.com
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Companion Diocese
Uruguay
Holy God, source of
healing and of peace,
bless with your grace
the companion dioceses
of Oklahoma and
Uruguay. Through our
partnership one with
another may we grow in
mutual affection and
communion, seek a more
profound experience of
truth, build up the
Church in unity and give
glory to Jesus Christ
our Saviour. Amen.
New Web site:
http://uruguay.anglican.org/
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The Next Issue of this
Newsletter will be on
Friday,
May 24, 2013.
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We Are Epiok.org
May 10, 2013
Issue 18
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 News,
Events, and
Offerings
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Ordination
Invitation
By the Grace of God
The Right Reverend
Dr. Edward J.
Konieczny
Bishop of Oklahoma
will ordain
Cyntha Gilks
Neal Servais
Laurel Watkins
to the Sacred Order
of Deacons
in Christ's One Holy
Catholic and
Apostolic Church
Saturday, the
fifteenth of June,
2013
at eleven o'clock in
the morning
St. Augustine's of
Canterbury Episcopal
Church
14700 North May
Avenue
Oklahoma City
Your Prayers and
Presence are
Requested
Clergy: Red Stoles
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Clergy
Transitions
The Rev. Tim Sean
Youmans will be serving
at St. Paul's Cathedral,
in addition to serving
as full-time Chaplain at
Casady School. He will
be a Special Clergy
Associate and have
liturgical, preaching,
and teaching
responsibilities.
The Rev. Gerald Butcher
has been assigned to St.
Paul's Cathedral as a
Deacon. He will be
focusing his ministry on
outreach and service
opportunities as well as
have liturgical
responsibilities. |
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Graduation
Service Sunday
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(l-r) Sydney
Hinds, Alexis
Wilcox, and Jake
Fitch |
St Paul's, Claremore,
held a special
Graduation Service
Sunday, May 5th. This
service combined music
and prayer to celebrate
the accomplishments of
our 2013 graduating High
School Senior class and
to wish them well as
they leave for new
adventures. The
celebration was made
even more memorable
thanks to the efforts of
Austin Woodliff & Thomas
Adams. Austin and Thomas
provided the music for
the service and played
songs that the seniors
grew up singing at St.
Crispin's summer camp.
Each of the three
graduating seniors
provided a short
paragraph explaining how
church has influenced
their lives. They also
each created a collage
of pictures reflecting
themselves and their
families. These were
displayed in the entry
hall for parishioners to
see as they came in.
During the service,
representatives from the
Vestry, Men's group, and
ECW presented each
senior with a special
gift. After the
service, the festivities
continued in the Parish
Hall, where there was a
luncheon and also a
special graduation cake
containing the mascots
of both of the
represented schools. |
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Additional
EfM Graduates
Congratulations to these
individuals upon
completion of Education
for Ministry:
William Wanless
Mark Lewis
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ECW 2013
Annual Conference &
Bishop's Day
Pictures
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Past Presidents
- (l-r)
Mary Gail
Ruark,
Evelyn
Bibens, Nira
Smith, Linda
Brown, Jan
Ridle
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Two Presenters -
The Rev. Susan
Marie Smith and
Ferrella March |
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Newly Elected
and Appointed
ECW Board
(l-r) front row
- Juanita Goins,
Kathleen haynes,
Christina
Thurber, Bebe
Dotters, Cissy
Mahoney, Debbie
Butcher, The
Rev. Debora
Jennings
back row -
Charlotte
Corneil, Nita
Hayes, Pam
Hudson, Joanne
Speers, Bishop
Ed, Jan Ridle,
Jeannie Haas,
Fran Rahn,
Janice Eberhard |
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Safeguarding
God's Children
May 11, 2013 at 9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
St. Andrew's
Grove, OK
Call 918-786-4113 to
register.
May 18, 2013 at 9 a.m.
St. Luke's, Bartlesville
Contact Lauri Watkins
(lauri-watkins@sbcglobal.net)
to register
June 26, 2013 at 6 p.m.
St. Augustine of
Canterbury
OKC, OK
Call 405 751 7874 to
register.
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Safeguarding
God's People
All Clergy in the
Oklahoma City Clericus
(or clergy from other
areas)! Here's your
opportunity to receive
Safeguarding God's
People training.
August 13,
2013
All Souls' Episcopal
Church
10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Please register by
calling Sabrina
Evans at the
Diocesan Offices 405
232 4820 or emailing
sevans@epiok.org of
your plans to
attend.
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EfM Mentor
Training Scheduled
for St. Crispin's
EFM Mentor training
and formation event
is scheduled for August
15 - 17, 2013, at
St. Crispin's
Episcopal Camp and
Conference Center.
Training will begin
on the 15th at 3
p.m. and conclude no
later than 2 p.m. on
Saturday. DEADLINE
FOR REGISTRATION IS
JULY 29 AND THIS IS
ON A FIRST
COME-FIRST SERVE
BASIS.
Basic training is
required for anyone
who is attending the
mentor training for
the first time,
seeking
certification, or
anyone who has been
previously certified
but has not been
actively mentoring,
or has been inactive
as a mentor for more
than a year or a
certified mentor
that is returning
after one year
mentoring; a
certified mentor
that has attended
three consecutive
Formation training
events.
Formation training
is required for a
certified mentor
that has attended a
basic and an
in-service training
(2 years of
training) and has
been actively
mentoring for that
period and has been
approved by a
trainer to attend a
Formation training.
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Heard the
News? Changes are
Coming to EfM!
Want to learn
about the new
curriculum and how
it will impact your
present groups? Want
to
 learn
about the Alumni
Association and the
benefits it
has? Want to gather
with other
EfM Mentors,
participants, grads,
or those thinking
about EfM?
Here's your chance!
On June 29, 10 a.m.
until 2 p.m. we will
meet at the Diocesan
Offices (924 North
Robinson, OKC) with
Angela Hock and Rick
Brewer - both
excellent resources
for EfM. Rick has
been involved in the
background for EfM
with regards to
curriculum and will
have the latest
information to help
ease any concerns,
and ideas to make
this transition as
smooth as possible.
Angela has been a
mentor and trainer
for EfM for numerous
years.
Cost is $15 to cover
your lunch. Click
here
to download
the registration
brochure.
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Development
and Stewardship - Why
Outcomes are
Important
Solid impact and
outcome measures are
often the deciding
factor as to which
nonprofit programs get
funded and which ones
get left behind. If your
congregation closed its
doors tomorrow, who
would know or care? What
damage would be done to
your community? Are you
sure?
Having clear
answers for questions
like these is critical
to your church's
relevance, value and
ultimate survival. You
must clearly articulate
the value and impact of
your work in the
community. I know you
deeply believe your work
is known and valued in
the community, but have
no evidence or data to
prove it. I can attest
that it is far easier to
write a case for support
or grant proposal based
on solid qualitative and
quantitative data. And,
the proposal generally
fares better in the
review and funding
process. As you likely
know, funders -
government, corporate
and individual - want
assurance that they are
making a sound
investment in work that
produces value for the
community. We can no
longer guess about this.
Creating a
measurement culture
within your church is
essential. A focused
investment of time and
money into the creation
of a data capturing and
management process will
prove extremely valuable
for the church's
planning,
decision-making, hiring,
fundraising, and value
creation.
So, where do you
start? Here's a strategy
I've found to work every
time. Ask people what
they find personally
meaningful about the
program or service they
just participated in.
Notice, the question is
not "what they liked."
That question will bias
the results. In my
experience, people are
eager to tell you. Be
sure to have a notepad
ready to capture all the
rich language they will
use. The words, phrases
and metaphors will prove
to be a good resource
for your next marketing
brochure or grant
application. If they
agree, take their photo
and ask for permission
to use their story in
your next proposal or on
your website.
Funders and donors
are increasingly
interested in learning
about the impact you
make in people's lives.
It is imperative that
your church find ways to
capture and use data in
your everyday practice.
Emily Elizabeth
Abernathy
Director of
Development and
Stewardship
The Episcopal
Diocese of Oklahoma
924 North Robinson
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma 73102
405-232-4820
eabernathy@epiok.org
Preparing an
estate plan is good
Christian
stewardship ---
saying thanks to
God, expressing your
love and concern for
family and showing
charity towards
others.
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Whole
Creation Community
Whole Creation
Community is a
spiritual
community that
brings together
people of faith
who will commit
themselves to
praying for
God's creation,
teaching
stewardship of
God's creation,
and working to
sustain God's
creation. Please
join us daily on
facebook
"http://stpaulsokc.org/whole-creation"
http://stpaulsokc.org/whole-creation
for daily
meditations.
Below is a
meditation/
reflection posted on
the Whole Creation
Community facebook
page.
Let us not
mistake the peak in
our field of vision
for the summit. The
summit is not easily
attained and takes
hard work and
dedication to
conquer its
challenges. Like a
journey to the top
of a mountain,
environmental
stewardship can be
daunting. Perhaps
the reason we
sometimes fail or
only make it half
way is because
Creation is not
something we conquer
but something we
nurture and cherish. Ferrella
Focus Story - On May
1st in the Bishop W.
Angie Smith Chapel
on the campus of
Oklahoma City
University, people
of all faiths
gathered to pray for
rain. The service
was a continuation
of the efforts by
the Oklahoma
Association of
Conservation
Districts, Whole
Creation Community
and the Oklahoma
Conference of
Churches to pray for
rain and promote
awareness of our
natural resources
through the Oklahoma
Interfaith Days of
Prayer for Rain. May
1st was the first of
three prayer days
held across the
state. Two more
dates are scheduled
for June 26th and
September 18th.
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(l-r) Rev.
William
Tabbernee,
OK
Conference
of Churches,
Rev. Joseph
Alsay, St.
Augustine's,
and Adam
Soltani,
Executive
Director
CAIR-Oklahoma
- Council on
American-Islamic
Relations |
The rain gently fell
as we gathered to
pray for awareness
of the drought in
Oklahoma and in
other parts of the
region. As we
prayed, thunder
roared as if to warn
us of impending
peril if we refuse
to implement
conservation
measures. The rain
subsided and the
clouds parted. Our
voices came together
as the sunset
illuminated the
stained glass to the
West. The service
ended with a joyful
sound and hope for
these lean times.
Join us in June and
September for more
prayer days. Maybe
your congregation
would like to host a
prayer service. For
interfaith worship
material, go tohttp://www.okpray4rain.org/
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GreenScope - Today's
environmental tip:
Don't trash it -
reuse it! Be
creative as you look
for new ways to
reduce the amount or
kinds of household
waste. Give
cardboard tubes to
pet hamsters or
gerbils. Plant seeds
in an egg carton.
Make a flower pot
out of a plastic ice
cream tub. By
thinking creatively,
you will often find
new uses for common
items and new ways
to recycle and
reduce waste. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Choctaw-Nation-Going-Green.
Contact
Information:
Ferrella March
Ferrella@hotmail.com
405-397-7960
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Youth
Ministry News
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Province VII
Mission Week in
Dallas
This event has been
cancelled due to
insufficient
registrations. But,
check out the next
article if you are
looking for a Mission
Trip near by. |
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Missionpalooza
'13 - July 16 - 22
at St. Paul's in
Kansas City. For six
days youth from Kansas
and Missouri come
together in community,
mission, fellowship and
worship, both inside and
outside the walls of the
Church.This year, you
are invited to attend.
It is open for all 9th -
12th graders.
Missionpalooza is
consistently one of our
favorite events
because days are spent
in the urban mission
field heeding Christ's
call to feed the hungry,
visit the sick and
comfort those in
need!It's faith in
action!
Cost: $160 Early
Bird Registration by
July 1; Late Bird
Registration: $175
Click here
for WeMo
Registration Information
and forms.
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Countdown to Summer
Camp
Days to Go!
Is your registration
in?
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Summer
Camper Registration
Forms Now On-Line
Yes, everything you
need to register for
Summer Camp 2013 is
now on-line. Camp
sessions are as
follows:
May 31 - June 1 ABC
(overnight camp for
children who have
finished
Kindergarten through
2nd grade) and a
parent/guardian.
This gives the child
and parent a taste
of the camp
experience. Campers
stay in cabins with
other campers, swim,
make crafts, and
play like big
campers!
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June 2 - 8 Sr. High
(10th - 12th
graders)
June 9 - 15 8th and
9th graders
June 16 - 22 3rd -
5th graders
June 23 - 29 6th and
7th graders
June 30 - July 6 8th
and 9th graders
July 7 - 13 3rd -
5th graders
July 14 - 20 6th and
7th graders
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The Disciple
Project
June 24-28, 2013
Texas Lutheran
University
(Gulf Coast Synod, ELCA)
This event is for youth,
young adults, and
adults!
Give yourself and youth
(the ones you hope will
stay in the church) a
gift this summer by
sharing time at Texas
Lutheran University at
one of the only
intentional
cross-generational
leadership schools. The
Disciple Project is a
learning community where
adults and youth stretch
their imagination and
increase our capacity as
leaders. This is time
away from our busy lives
to learn practices and
skills for following
Jesus in a changing
time. Everyone at The
Disciple Project selects
a learning track in an
area of interest for the
whole week. This year
our learning tracks
include: Growing
Disciples in a Digital
World; Photography on
Purpose; Everyday
Prophets; Misión y
Discipulado; Men at
Work; Musical Theater;
Faith Formation with
Children & Families;
Preaching; Music &
Worship; Sports &
Fitness; and Art.
For information: http://tinyurl.com/cq7efto.
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Young
Adult/Campus
Ministry News
Global Young Adults
Festival - July 1- 6; A
celebration of
environmental
sustainability, economic
justice, human rights,
and community. Held in
Bethlehem, Israel. http://www.sabeel.org/events.php?eventid=262
has all the details.
If you know any
young adults who are
still considering what
to do after graduating,
please let them know
about Columba House.
Columba House is a ten
month internship program
of the Episcopal Diocese
of Georgia. The
application deadline is
May 31st. Go to: http://www.columbahouse.org/
for more information and
registration.
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Older
Adult Ministries
 Here's
a fun YouTube
site: Laughing
with Mary
Maxwell. She is
a resident at
Home Instead
Senior Care and
the videos are
done by
Caregivers
Stress. Her
videos are short
and funny,
taking on a
"Dear Abby" like
personality.
Some of her
titles: Getting
a Dog at 82,
Seniors at the
Gym, Expensive
Yard Care, to
Sharing the
Secret Recipe.
In fact, she
offered the
Invocation for
the 2012 Aging
Conference in
America!
Go to: www.youtube.com
and type in Mary
Maxwell and see if
she makes you laugh
out loud! |
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38th Annual Oklahoma
Conference on Aging
The Road to Aging Well:
Enjoy Your Trip will be
held on May 21 - 23, at
the Embassy Suites
Norman Hotel and
Conference Center.
Inspired by the iconic
Route 66, this years's
conference will
highlight the road to
aging well.
Senior Day Registration
- May 21, 2013 - 8:30
a.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Senior Day
is free and limited to
attendees 60 years of
age or older.
Registration is
limited. Advance
registration is
required and closes May
10, 2013.
Senior Day is fun,
informative
and free for
Oklahomans 60 and
older, attendees
must be 60 years or
older. Senior Day
attendees will:
- Hear
producer Keith
Ochwat of the
Documentary
Foundation, who
will present "Age
of Champions" - an
award-winning
documentary
following five
competitors who
sprint, leap,
and swim for
gold at the
National Senior
Olympics.
- Meet
representatives
of the Oklahoma
Senior Games
- Attend
informative
breakout
sessions
- Visit the
Wellness Expo
exhibits and
fitness
demonstrations
to be your best
"you"
- Tour a
classic car show
- Explore more
than 60
exhibitors
- Relax and
enjoy the annual
film festival
- Enjoy the
sit-down
luncheon
recognizing
Senior Poetry
Contest and
Statewide
Spelling Bee
winners
May 22 - 23 - These
days provide
training and
support for
professionals in
the field of
aging and will
include
prominent
keynote
speakers,
valuable
workshops,
exhibits and the
OKDHS ASD
Achievements in
Aging awards. Advance
registration is
required and
closes May 10,
2013.
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Christian
Formation Resources
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Godly Play
Training Set for OKC
and Soon in Tulsa
There are a lot of
things you can learn
from a lecture, but
Godly Play is best
learned from the
inside out. And this
is what we do at
Godly Play
Foundation Core
Training.
You will experience
and learn Godly Play
stories in a
collegial, prayerful
setting. Godly Play
Foundation's
talented Trainers
will deepen your
understanding of
children's
spirituality while
guiding you on a
personal journey of
wonder. By exploring
the fundamental
foundations of a
Godly Play classroom
with us at an
accredited training
event, you will
improve your
teaching skills,
learn how to build a
classroom of your
own, and leave
spiritually
refreshed.
Prior experience
with Godly Play is
helpful but not
absolutely
necessary.
Participants are
expected to read
Teaching Godly Play:
How to Mentor the
Spiritual
Development of
Children by Jerome
W. Berryman before
attending the
training. A Godly
Play Foundation
"Godly Play Teacher
Certificate" will be
awarded upon
completion of the
training.
Godly Play Core
Training : OKC OK
07-13
St. Augustine of
Canterbury Episcopal
Church
14700 North May
Avenue
Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma 73134
Friday, July 26th,
2:00p - 9:00p
Saturday, July 27th,
8:30a - 6:30p
Sunday, July 28th,
12:00p - 5:00p
Anne Spradley
Godly Play
Foundation Trainer
THERE IS NO COST FOR
ANYONE IN A
CONGREGATION IN THE
DIOCESE OF OKLAHOMA
TO ATTEND THIS
TRAINING.
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Registration
includes dinner on
Friday night and
lunch on Saturday
and Sunday.
-
Participants are
required to be
present for the
entire training.
-
Refunds, discounts
and pro-rates are
not given for
partial attendance.
Questions? Contact us at
Training@GodlyPlayFoundation.org
or 503-915-5755.
Registration information
will be in next
newsletter!
TULSA -
We are scheduling a
training in Tulsa for
later in the summer.
Details will be in next
newsletter.
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Liturgical
Calendar for Year
2013-14
Sharon Pearson has
up-dated the calendar
for us. This handy
calendar lists the
date/season, Sunday
readings, observances,
church events, and
notes. It is one of the
best planning tools
anyone can have as you
begin to think about
programming for fall. Go
to: https://www.churchpublishing.org/media/custom/IN-Formation/EducationPlanningCalendar2013-2014.pdf
and print it out. |
From
Episcopal Relief
and Development
- FREE, New
Materials
Episcopal Relief &
Development has just
released a brand new
module of the
Abundant Life Garden
Project resources,
"Garden Tools." This
resource focuses on
the use of tools to
grow our food. It
can be used in
conjunction with
previous modules, as
a stand-alone lesson
plan, or for more
advanced programming
for older children.
It also includes a
basic lesson on
Asset Based
Community
Development (ABCD) -
which our program
staff uses in
countries where we
work - for youth and
adults.
This resource is
free and available
for download at;
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NewGardenTools
You don't have to
take a survey!
Really! We just want
to get a feel for
who is using our
resources.
Another module, "New
Life: Seedlings &
Babies" will be
released in honor of
Mother's Day.
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Praying with
Music - Audio Divina
 For
many of us, music is
often a transcendent
experience, lifting
us above the worries
and distractions of
daily life. Consider
using music as a
doorway into prayer
and cultivating your
ability to listen
with the ear of your
heart. We call this
audio divina, or
sacred listening.
You might begin with
a selection of
explicitly sacred
music such as
Mozart's Requiem
Mass, or you might
try this practice
with a piece of
sacred jazz.
Preparation
- Prepare for your
prayer by finding a
quiet place and take
some time to settle
yourself into
stillness and rest
in silence. Become
aware of the
sacredness of this
time you have set
aside. Breathe in an
awareness of God's
presence, breathe
out distractions and
worries. Slowly
allow your focus to
move from your head
down into your
heart. See if you
can visualize this
movement of your
attention and
awareness shifting.
First Hearing: Listen
- Play the piece of
music once to enter into
its landscape. Notice
the sounds of the notes
and silences between
them, rest into the
movement of the music.
Be present to how it
rises and falls in your
body and imagination.
Allow the music to fill
you, breathing it in.
Slowly become aware if
there is a dominant
sound or image or
feeling that is calling
to you in this initial
experience. Allow a few
moments of silence to
follow and savor that
image or feeling rising
up in you.
Second Hearing: Reflect
- Play the music a
second time. This time
while listening allow
the sound or image or
feeling that first
called to you to draw
you more deeply into the
experience of it. Allow
it to unfold in your
imagination. Notice how
the experience of
listening to the music
touches your heart. What
memories does it stir in
you? What are the
feelings rising up in
your body? What images
are you aware of?
Continue to listen with
your heart and become
more deeply aware of how
the music is flowing
through you and what is
being evoked. Rest for a
few minutes in silence
following the end of the
piece, resting in what
has moved in you.
Third Hearing: Respond
- Play the music a third
time. This time focus on
how your heart wants to
respond to being
touched. What is the
invitation present in
the unfolding of sounds,
images, memories, and
feelings for you today?
How is God speaking to
your life in this moment
through this music? What
is the "yes" within you
that is longing to be
expressed? If you feel
comfortable, take a
moment to express with
your voice what you are
experiencing in your
body. It might be a
simple sound or a line
from a song or something
you have created in the
moment. What does your
"yes" to God sound like
this day?
Resting with God - Spend
some time resting in
silence and releasing
the sounds, feelings,
and images that are
stirring in you. Close
your eyes for a few
minutes and rest in the
stillness in simple
awareness of God's
presence. Allow yourself
some time to simply be.
Open yourself to a sense
of gratitude for
whatever has been
revealed and offered in
this time of prayer.
Closing - When you have
come to the end of your
prayer time you may want
to play the music again
and just experience it
anew from the other side
of this time. If you
keep a journal, write
down some reflections on
your experience, making
note of the music and
what stirred in you.
Music has an incredible
power in our lives that
perhaps originates from
our very heartbeat, that
primordial
life-sustaining rhythm.
Over time as you
cultivate your ability
to hear in a deeper way,
consider using other
music you love and with
which you are drawn to
pray. Begin to notice
how you listen to your
life in a deeper way.
Article by
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Contact Information
Sabrina Evans
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