The Desert Spirit

The Desert SpiritA Diocesan Edition of Episcopal Journal,

The Desert Spirit is a quarterly witness to Episcopal community in Nevada

In This Issue:

Bishop’s Message DS 2Camp Galilee DS 4 Nevada Identity DS 5Christian Formation DS 6Friends in Haiti DS 8

Episcopal Journal

Volume 2 Number 2 Feb 2012

JournalEpiscopal

see CHALKING, page DS4

God is calling the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada to transform our communities

through the vitality of our worship and the living out of our baptismal vows.

Chalking the Door

From San Fransisco, Coins in a Cake, page DS3

From Australia, Epiphany Swimming Contests, page DS4

Stories on websites like anglicansonline.

org easily spark us to recall our own.

Resolution Regarding Retiring Folks

Whereas it takes a neighborhood to staff a diocese, and this diocese has been well-staffed by skilled and committed souls, some of whom have completed their tenures,

And whereas Betty-Jeanne Cousins has served as Secretary of Convention with efficient talent and fierce determination, not to mention sartorial aplomb and loyal dedication to the greater church expressed in appropriate liturgical hue, (AND she maintained her meticulous manicure whilst binding the journals for convention!),

And whereas Bill Leonard has led the Standing Committee repeatedly and well, manifesting deep personal devotion to his Church and his God, freely sharing his infectious smile,

And whereas Mike Link has toiled faithfully through multiple

transitions, guiding parishes and clergy alike with his prolific advice and counsel, bringing valuable extra-Nevadan experience and insight to the process,

And whereas Irv Cousins has personified selfless dedication and unerring fidelity in his role as Financial Official for innumerable decades approaching Melchizedekian span,

And whereas Jim McGrew continues to serve as the Loose Canon with vim and verve colored by significant chronological advantage, personifying the very essence of the Diocese in the northern office in the face of the impending 87th anniversary of his birth, (it’s apparently the years in your life AND the life in your years for him…)

Therefore be it resolved that the 41st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada thank these loyal servants for their faithful stewardship and service.

On the Epiphany of Our Lord, January 6, family and friends (C for “community”) gather at the main entrances to homes or apartments (nursing home quarters, extended care facility, hospital rooms!), and ask God’s blessing on their dwellings and on all who live or visit there.Leadership may be shared with a change of voice at each Leader’s part (L).L Peace be to this house and to all who enter here.L A reading from Proverbs: “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.”L Let us pray: Gracious God, as a shining star once guided the magi to the birthplace of the infant Jesus, so enable those who dwell here to be your light in the world; through Jesus Christ we pray.C Amen.Using chalk (hence, “Chalking the Door”), people are invited to inscribe the lintel of the home (the horizontal frame above the door) with the inscription shown below. The letters C M B come from the traditional

by Paul F. Bosch and Andre Lavergnewww.worship.ca

What do our resolutions reflect about us?

pg DS5...the salty and yeasty life of the Spiritpg DS8...we guess we ought to be willing...

Around the world, Anglicans mark the seasons with traditions that are deeply prayerful – and

often humorous. Stories from far-flung parishes offer a springboard for your own reflections, and the liturgical season offers a context for prayerful discernment. Does your parish make pancakes on

Shrove Tuesday? What is a shrove, anyway? Do you hide coins in your cakes, or know someone who does? How do you answer questions from

your kids about these odd practices?

Who Is My Neighbor?Courtesy resolutions from the 41st Diocesan Convention reflect gratitude, images of our identity

The Desert Spirit 1st Quarter - Feb 2012 page DS2

God is calling the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada to transform our communities through the vitality of our worship and the living out of our baptismal vows.

The Anglican CommunionA worldwide community of 70 million Anglicans in 164 countries: 31 self-governing churches, 500 dioceses, 30,000 parishes and 64,000 congregations. The Archbishop of Canterbury: The Most Revered Rowan D. Williams.

The Episcopal Church In America: 2.5 million Episcopalians in 113 Dioceses. Presiding Bishop: The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori.

The Episcopal Diocese of NevadaIn Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona: 6,000 Episcopalians in 33 congregations and various new faith communities. Bishop Dan Edwards.

To contact the Bishop’s office:Episcopal Diocese of Nevada9480 Eastern Ave., Suite 236Las Vegas, NV 89123-8037(702) 737-9190, FAX (702) 737-6488Diocesan Administrator: Ellie WetherillEmail: [email protected]

The Desert SpiritThe 2012 publication schedule is planned for four quarterly issues to be mailed to all Episcopal households in the Diocese in February, May, September and December. Implementation of this plan falls somewhere between order and chaos, so we strive to simply remain in God’s peace and do the best we can. Issues of The Desert Spirit and current news can also be found on the diocesan website at www.episcopalnevada.orgEditor: Hallie Murphy

FOR CHANGE OF ADDRESS, to submit materials for publication, or to be removed from our mailing list, contact the Editor via email [email protected], subject line Desert Spirit or Episcopal Journal. Requests via US Mail should be sent to the diocesan office at the address noted above. All requests will be forwarded to the EJ Circulation Dept.

Distribution is free to each Episcopal household in the Diocese of Nevada. Donations to help defray costs are joyfully accepted: the cost to provide this service is approximately $20 annually per household. Please make your check payable to the Diocese of Nevada, and send it to the diocesan office (address noted above).

Deadline for submission of materials for publication in The Desert Spirit is the 1st of the month preceding publication. Materials for May 2012 must be received by April 1st.

Application to mail at Periodicals Postage Prices is pending at Bryn Mawr PA and additional mailing offices. Episcopal Journal is published monthly by the Episcopal Journal, 111 Hickory Lane, Bryn Mawr PA 19010. Postmaster send address changes to: Episcopal Journal, PO Box 1402, Voorhees NJ 08043.

The Right to Exist:What Nevada Episcopalians Might Learn from the History of the Holy Land

To deny someone the right to exist is the primal attack. In Madeleine L ‘Engle’s sci-fi book, A Wind In The Door, the galaxy is threatened by death-eater-like beings called Echtroi who go about x-ing or un-naming things, denying their existence. L’Enlge insists on the innate value of each of us and on our right to be here. She challenges us not only to acknowledge that each other belong on this earth but to actively defend each other’s right to exist. One may well wonder: why is this an issue? Why do we deny each other’s right to exist? Why is there genocide? Why is there war? Why are the different oppressed? Why are English speakers so distressed by the sound of Spanish? If we are secure in our own place, confident that we belong on this earth, we can allow others to be here too. We can even enjoy the wild diversity of creation. We can delight that God is a unity who proliferates into diversity and that the diversity of creation is rooted in one existential ground, God. But if our self-worth, our sense of belonging, is fragile, then the presence of someone a bit different from us becomes a threat. We need to be the only ones here; or if we cannot be the only ones, then the others must be entirely like us. By being like us, they reassure us that we are the right way to be. One way to avoid feeling threatened by people who are different is to avoid them. In his book, The Big Sort: Why The Clustering Of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart, Bill Bishop demonstrates that our nation is dividing up into smaller and smaller conclaves of people who look, think, and live more and more alike. Our gated communities are populated by racially, economically, socially, and politically similar people. The new social ghettos are far less porous than the ethnic neighborhoods of old, perhaps because they so intentionally formed out of fear of encountering someone different. We invest a lot of energy and money so that we can at least pretend each other do not exist – to make for ourselves a seemingly safer but smaller and less interesting world. A political consequence of this fragmenting of society is the polarizing of our politics. Each congressional district has a cohesive ideology and elects people to represent that ideology. A think tank that rates congressional representatives as liberals, conservatives, or moderates notes that the number of moderates has steadily declined until the current congress, which for the first time in their studies, does not contain a single moderate. The moderates are the folks who broker the deals and work things out of gridlock. Without the moderates to negotiate the compromises, each side seeks to make the government work by subjugating the other. The Episcopal Church, in keeping with the Anglican tradition of moderation, the via media, tolerance, and our identity as a “bridge church” has traditionally resisted such polarization. We have been a people who worship and serve together out of personal affection and a common form of prayer – not theological or

see PLACE, next page

Ever since the “Holy Land” was invented as a pilgrimage-center by the Empress Helena in the fourth century, it had been the scene of acrimony and violence among the rival religious groups. . . . Throughout four centuries (15th- 19th) it had been the task of the Ottoman sultans to impose, for the sake of civil order, a culture of mutual tolerance . . . . Where religious difference was in

question there really was only one political option: live and let live. Muslims and Jews were nearly always able to accept this in relation to one another and to the Christians. The followers of Christ, however, while finding it possible to live at peace with . . . monotheists of the Islamic or Jewish

persuasion, could not always resist outbursts of violence against their co-religionists (fellow Christians) . . . .

N. Wilson, The Victorians

it seems, Christians have been more tolerant of other people of other faiths than we are of each other. Strange, how proximity breeds intolerance. I suspect it is that the closer people are to us, the more they make us nervous about our right to be here. Today, a sticking point in the search for peace in the Holy Land is “the right to exist.” Israel insists on one key point before making major agreements with its neighbors – that the neighbors acknowledge Israel’s right to exist. Palestinians want to be recognized as a state with the right to defend its borders and preserve its sovereignty, which is essentially the same thing. The situation is admittedly complex. Both God and the devil are in the details. But the threshold question they cannot seem to get past is simple: acknowledging each other’s right to be present.

For a long time,


ideological agreement. How has that played out in Nevada? I am continuing my pastoral questioning of the divisions in our Diocese that keep us from flourishing in God’s mission. I am also continuing to look for whatever bonds of affection might run counter to those divisions. The first thing I sense here is a quiet respect for each other’s right to exist, a willingness to sit at the same table. It isn’t a bold statement of conviction. It’s more of a tacit assumption which is probably better. Even this tacit acknowledgement runs counter to secular culture. The divisions in Nevada are not merely North and South. There are divisions of East and West, urban and rural, mining and ranching. The groups so divided resent each other’s presence most grievously. So it is a spiritual accomplishment to be a diocese of people, parishes, and missions that accept each other’s place at the table. But there is a residue of resentment, a suspicion that others do not respect us, a prickly defense against those who might do harm. That confused me at first since I have so rarely experienced any group here actually hostile to any other. But the sense that someone does not want us here is not pure fantasy. There is real history to our nervousness about each other. There have been times in the past when people in larger churches said that the smaller churches should be closed – which naturally lead to people in smaller churches saying that larger churches should be closed or rather broken up into small churches. There really were people proposing to close Camp Galilee. Others suggested that saving Galilee could be best achieved by preventing or stopping ministries in cities. Seminary trained priests thought the locally trained should not be ordained; the locally trained thought the seminary trained should not be called. Parishes have divided internally over whether to engage in spiritual renewal

PLEASE PRAY FORCANON & SGM (ret) JIM McGREW

to REST IN PEACE because he didn’t while he was here

We have been a people who worship and serve together out of personal affection and a common form of prayer – not theological or ideological agreement. How has that played out in Nevada?

PLACE, from previous page

Whenever I’m in discernment, I eventually repent of my wandering and stop to rest in an awareness of the season. Serendipity is an aspect of the Holy Spirit; the seasons help me see what God is offering.

I wonder at the season of Epiphany, when Jesus was revealed to the world. He was blessed by the Magi, who brought precious gifts and didn’t return to Herod. Knowing his life was in danger, Joseph and Mary also fled from Herod and took Jesus to Egypt. We also remember Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan River. Epiphany is a season of revelation, of celebration. Even so, it is not without conflict or danger; yet it is a spring of sorts, ripe with possibility of new life. Hmmm.

In a few short weeks, on Feb 21st, it will be Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It is followed the next day by Ash Wednesday, the first day of the penitential season of Lent. The season is 40 days of remembrance and reflection of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, and the ultimate sacrifice of his life. Lent (Anglo-Saxon lencten, or “spring”) is a time of prayer and penance, a preparation for the events of Holy Week, Christ’s Passion and His Resurrection.

This issue of The Desert Spirit is shorter and more reflective than usual – in part, to attend to the seasons and in part to create space for dialogue. I hope the contents creatively inspire personal or parish groups to mark the seasons, tell your stories, and engage in reflection throughout Lent.

of the congregation or commit to mission serving those outside the church – as if either project could succeed without the other. We also participated in “the controversies” as they say – meaning national disputes over the roles of women and LGBT persons in the church. Both sides of “the controversies” eventually tried to exterminate, excommunicate, or deport each other – though those issues have not divided Nevada to the extent that they did elsewhere -- perhaps we had too many other kinds of differences to identify with. Two things here strike me as noteworthy: First, we stopped x-ing each other years ago. Second, we still feel at risk of being x-ed by our fellow Nevada Episcopalians. For example, I have found only one seminary trained priest and one locally trained priest who actually speak ill of those who were trained differently. But it is not that unusual for me to find clergy who suspect that they are secretly disrespected by clergy of the other species. I never hear people from one area speak ill of the churches in another region, except that they suspect that the people elsewhere think ill of them. It is as if the bullets have been removed from the flesh, but the wounds have not yet healed. Where then do we go from here? I am sure of only one thing. It is good to trust in God’s grace. It is good to know that we belong here, that God has claimed us as beloved children, that God has named us (Isaiah 49: 1), sealed us with the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked us as Christ’s own forever. We don’t have to x each other to claim a space. God has given us our space, our right to exist. We know that, we feel it, and we believe it. That is why we have stopped x-ing one another. But what about the

The prayer and penance of Lent is framed by the celebration, conflict, and new life of Epiphany before and Easter after. But it’s been desperately dry, and I will carry into Lent a thirst for living water, H2O, and the water of the Spirit. What might you carry into the wilderness of Lent?

Van Morrison pipes new life into my sunny home office, and I wonder at the paradox of a dry season and Epiphany offering of new life. I mourn the death of Jim McGrew while celebrating the birth of a new grandchild. I wonder what the economy of our new personal, parish, and diocesan context is. I understand our traditions give us common space and affirmation to wait on the Lord, to experience stories of transformation together, and to inspire each one of us to step into the fullness of what God has called us to be.

What action does understanding call us to take, in any circumstance? Reflecting on what I know of tradition and culture, what do I believe? How does this understanding shape the way we live?

Your letters and stories are welcome.

Gobs of grace, Hallie Murphy Editor

wounds that are not yet healed? I do not know the answer to that. At John 5: 1-17, we read about a man who had been ill for 38 years lying near a healing fountain. Jesus, with his insight, did not assume the obvious. He asked. He said, “Do you want to be healed?” (v. 6) The man’s answer was equivocal. Do we want to be healed? We may have grown accustomed to the wounds. We may have identified with them. We may not be ready to part with them just yet. We are not x-ing each other. We trust in God’s grace. That much is good. Do we want to be healed? What would happen if we were? Who would we be if we were? How might that healing take place?

Water drop, May 2007. By Tanya Puntti, SLR Photography Guide.

My parish, the Episcopal Church of St John the

Evangelist in San Francisco, celebrates Twelfth Night

with a parish party. A coin is placed in a cake (and yes, people are warned

to be careful when eating their cake), and the finder

of the coin is crowned the King or Queen of the parish for the year. This

entails a mock coronation with a cheap plastic crown,

and pictures of the event are posted on the bulletin board for the amusement

of all. The event has nothing at all to do with the liturgical meaning of

the day, but it is great fun.

Coin in the Cake

anglicansonline.org

Editor’s View


the next generationCamp Galilee

A Week of Camp Does a World of Good

Contact Us:(775) 749-5546 [email protected]

www.galileetahoe.org

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

As most of you know, several years ago Betty Ihfe and I started a special summer camp session at Camp Galilee, called Camp Spirit, designed to meet the needs of the special needs children of inmates. About 95% of them come from homes that lack stability, love and nurture, regular meals and where drugs and alcohol abuse, violence and neglect are part of their normal lives. Research shows that 70% of children of inmates end up entering the criminal justice world themselves as they grow older. The main hope for them not to do so will rest on whether they are able to experience an unusual event or person(s) in their lives that show love, care, understanding, and teach positive values and reinforces them. That is what CAMP SPIRIT is designed to do. All the children who attend Camp Spirit, ages 8-11, are paid for by donations from a wide variety of sources: individuals, churches, community organizations and occasionally businesses.

When Camp Spirit first started, it was staffed entirely by volunteers that I recruited from among the ranks of Kairos people. Once Camp Galilee was able to hire a professionally trained executive director, the Kairos volunteers were gradually transitioned out and replaced with the professionally trained staff and college students who are also trained in the special care that children of inmates require.

During camp, those who attend Camp Spirit do not just have fun hiking and swimming. They also learn positive values of caring and sharing, environmental lessons, participate in a character-building ropes course, and learn to trust the staff and each other. Dramatic changes from year to year have been observed in improved behavior from formerly budding juvenile delinquents. It is a real opportunity for us to help re-direct these young lives and teach them what it means to be a responsible, human being participating in society. They receive the love and nurture of Christians, attend a brief worship service every day, and learn Christian values.

From Australia

Picking up on the connection of Epiphany with the Baptism

of Our Lord we always eat lots of seafood at our Epiphany

parties. If we hold the party where there is a swimming

pool, we have swimming contests culminating in the

traditional Greek contest of the Recovery of the Cross.

The senior ecclesiastic present throws a cross into the

pool and the contestants all go in to see who can retrieve

it and return it to me first. For older groups the cross is of

metal and sinks to the bottom, necessitating a dive to recover

it. For the younger groups of contestants it is wooden

and floats so they only have to swim down the pool after it. Winners are crowned and

treated like kings. I should mention that we also bless the

water, pray for all who make their livings from the waters

and thank God for our baptism. (It occurs to me that it would be difficult to do all of this in

places where outdoor water is frozen at this time of the year!)

anglicansonline.org

(9th century) names for the “three kings” -- Caspar, Melchior & Balthazar. Some also suggest “ChristusMansionemBenedicat” which means “May Christ bless this dwelling!”Each person is afforded a turn to make one or more of the marks:20 + C + M + B + 12L A reading from Isaiah: “The effect of righteousness is peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and quiet places.”People may join hands or extend their hands outward and upward (orans) for the prayers.L Let us pray: Sovereign God, we pray that you will bless this home and all who live here with your gracious presence, that your love may be our inspiration, your wisdom our guide, your truth our light, and your peace our benediction; through Jesus Christ we pray.C Amen.L Lord, remember your children and teach us to pray:C Our Father...People may make the sign of the cross in remembrance of their baptism.L May the Lord watch + over our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore.C Amen.+ + +

This past year of 2011, the donations for Camp Spirit were less than usual. In his annual report, Executive Director Stuart Campbell said: “The scarcity of our “civilized” western lives is healed by a few days at camp... through a shared experience; grace and love come from this and show us that we are all connected.... This good work takes great support to be successful. We cannot continue to provide quality experiences for everyone without your help. This past summer, 81 campers received camperships. The need was greater this year than ever, and, as we never turn anyone away due to financial concerns, we are still raising funds. As of this writing (Dec. 2011), we still need to raise $9,500 before the end of the year to support the commitments we made to those campers in need.” “We urge you to consider a gift to Galilee Annual fund or Campership fund to support the life-changing experiences here for all.”

So I urge you all to consider giving a donation of any amount to Camp Galilee, designated specifically for Camp Spirit camperships, some time, as soon as you can, during 2012. I ask all to consider making individual contributions of whatever you feel you can give. Small donations add up. It costs over $400/child for a week at camp. That includes food and board, salaries for staff, insurance, utilities, trips to the ropes course or hiking trails, etc. Something is better than nothing!

Donations should be marked for Camp Spirit and sent to: Galilee Episcopal Camp and Conference Center, Inc., P.O. Box 236, Glenbrook, NV 89413-0236. Camp Galilee is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Thank you and God bless you all. I know your hearts are in the right place and that times are still rough.

Jane F-T

Jane [email protected]

Memorial Day Weekend Adult Retreat June 8-11, 2012

This retreat allows people to come together and enjoy the beauty of Tahoe in the spring. The structure of the retreat is very relaxed, with optional program provided by Galilee staff and the Rev. Jim Beebe, Rector of St. Patrick’s, Incline Village. This program will include some walks in the woods, kayaking, and discussion time. There will be plenty of time to unwind and enjoy the site, or take advantage of the many activities that the Tahoe basin has to offer. Delicious and fresh meals will be provided by the Food Service Director, Laurie Wesp.

What traditions do we practice at home?

CHALKING, from front page

Epiphany Swimming Contest


Nevada Identity

Resolution regardingnew ministries

Whereas it takes a neighborhood to live into the salty and yeasty life of the Spirit to which we are invited, with little concern for success, statistics, growth, or survival,

And whereas we sometimes are moved to dance, to be solemn, to cry, or to beat our corporate breast, even while we recognize the absurdity that is love,

And whereas we do indeed seek to ask the right questions as we live in this mission,

Therefore be it resolved that the 41st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada acknowledges and celebrates the new ministries (not miseries) of Leslie Holderidge Victoria Warren Jim Lyons Mike Patterson Reynelda James Helen McPeakAnd myriad other saints serving God in the vineyards of this diocese and be it further resolved that we, children of God in this diocese, commit ourselves to actively seeking out the neighborly miracles to which our abundant and merciful God invites us.

(sing “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” Mr. Rogers’ theme song…)

COURTESY RESOLUTIONSa tradition at convention and portrait of personality

Resolution regardingConvention hosts and staff

Whereas it takes a neighborhood to host a convention worthy of our invaluable time and faithful attention while inspiring us to greater service and vision of the mission of Christ’s Church as we leave behind scarcity for the abundance of God’s reign,

And whereas said neighborhood requires myriad talents to bring said convention to our eyes, ears and hearts via technical, spiritual, and magical means,

And whereas Martha Stewart herself could hardly equal the gracious hospitality extended to this diocese by the people of St. Paul’s, Sparks, Trinity and St. Catherine’s, Reno,

And whereas Ellie, the tiara-toting Queen of All Things, and Wendy, the Lady of Dollars and Sense and Sensibility, led a savvy band of administrative angels who ensured a smooth and efficient flow of convention,

Therefore be it resolved that the 41st Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada acknowledges and thanks the following faithful folk: Karen and her pack of planners: Bonnie and Barbara and Janice and Pat and Martina and all involved in finessing the administrative minutiae, Dennis and Rob and Damien and all involved in audio, visual, and computer-related logistical details, Not forgetting Elizabeth, Shelby, and Amy and many other stewards, saints and servants whose names are written in the Book.

Our Staff:Bishop Dan T. EdwardsCanon to the Ordinary Rev Bob NelsonCanon for Adult Formation Chuck McCrayCanon for Hispanic Ministry Fr Bernardo Iniesta-AvilaFinance Officer Wendy O’BrienTransition Officer Rev Helen McPeakCommunications Officer Hallie MurphyOffice Administrator Ellie WetherillFillipino/Pacific Islander Ministry Fr ArsieAlmodiel

Standing Committee:Rev Karen AlbrethsenPatricia Holbrook-SeayRev Sandra HudgensPresident The Rev Sterfani SchatzSecretary to Convention Dorothy WalrathMike NorthrupDeacon Bonnie PolleyRev David GrubeBishop Dan EdwardsChancellor Ann MorganTreasurer Jim Koehn

Commission on Ordination and Licensing (CoOL):Deans, The Very Revs Jeff Paul, Trudy Erquiaga, David Grube, Red Sims, Mary Bredlau, Jeff AddiagoLiasons, the Revs Bob Nelson and Helen McPeakLay members, Mark Towne, Norma Engberg, Paul Turner, Barbette Mylar, Frank WhitmanClergy, The Revs Sandra Oetjen, Ken Jewel, Mike Patterson, Elizabeth Tattersall, Kirk Woodliff

Ministry Development Commission:Chair The Rev Ann LangevinRev Jim BeebeChuck McCrayRev Kathy HopnerSusan Lee CooperAnn WhitfieldMichelle VillanuevaJim Wallis

Social Justice and Mercy Ministries:Chair Deacon Clelia GarrityPamela McGillDeacon Bonnie PolleyDeacon Mike MargerumDeb StiverGerri HolmesDeacon Patsy PumphreyRev Ken JewellBishop Dan Edwards

Communications Committee:Chair Hallie MurphyRob McPeakDeacon CleliaGarrityRev Karen AlbrethsenEllie WetherillDamian Adamowicz

Evangelism Team:Bishop Dan EdwardsChair Tom WalshDarlene DolanFr. Arsie AlmodielFr. Bernardo Inestia-AvilaTom BergerEx-Officio Ellie Wetherill

Diocesan Youth Council:Rev Kirk WoodliffRev Kathy HopnerStuart CampbellBernadette AlmodielAja JohnsonJade HickmanRobbie JamesMadeline SeseIsabel Maypa

Diocesan Disciplinary Review Board:Robert Day, LayRev James KellyRev Helen McPeakRev Elizabeth TattersallGary Thomsen, LayAlison Joffee, LayFr. Hilario Cisneros

When we are together, who we are to each other says a lot about who we are as a diocese.

What lies at the intersection of who you

are and what you do?

Episcopal Diocese of Nevada T-Shirts AvailableEnglish or Spanish

Sizes S, M, L, XL $15 each Sizes 2XL, 3XL $17 each

contact Ellie to place your order!

[email protected] (702) 737-9190

FRONTBACK: Earthrise Logo“Together we can change the world”


Christian FormationThe 4T Daysa program for lenten reflection

¨ what Transmission is needed to share our message as a people of faith and witness?

The 4T Days program will offer weekly online and telephonic support for those who will be facilitating the program in their parish. It will come with a detailed step by step weekly lesson plans to help ensure ease in delivery, even for those who are new or unfamiliar with the ministry of teaching. Lessons have also been designed to accommodate different learning styles in a group of persons. The approximate length of each session is one hour and is ideally designed to be used in the five weeks between Ash Wednesday and Holy Week. Support will be offered to fit 4T Days into any style of Lenten programing.

For more information regarding 4T Days and to review a lesson plan please contact Chuck McCray at [email protected]

The beginning of the 21st century is an exciting and challenging time to be a Christian; exciting in that we may explore new frontiers in spiritual life beyond the boundaries of our formal religious affiliations, and challenging in that we may no longer rely upon cultural endorsements of our religious institutions.

The exciting and the challenging all involve changes. We encounter these changes both as individuals and as congregations. Each of us individually, because of our up-bringing, background, personality and life-experience handles changes differently. The same is true of our congregation. Every congregation is different. Every congregation will meet the changes of the 21st century differently.

The 4T Days Lenten program, which many of our Nevada congregations are participating in, is a way to approach the excitement and challenges of the changes in the world around us, as persons beloved of God and as congregations called of God.4T Days will introduce our congregations to four tools or ministries that will help us engage the excitement and challenges of change.The 4Ts at a glance:¨ Tradition, The Ministry of Community: How have we answered God’s call?¨ Transition, The Ministry of Discernment: Where has God called us to be?¨ Transformation, The Ministry of Change: How shall we live into our vision?¨ Transmission, The Ministry of Witness: What has God gifted us to share?

The 4T Days program is based upon the principles of storytelling, with a few minor adjustments. Stories draw upon traditions. Stories delineate transitions. Stories dramatize transformations. And, as stories are meaningful, they deserve transmission. Almost every story contains these elements.

Our personal stories, the stories of others, the story of our congregation and the story of our community all have these elements within them. The 4T Days program is an invitation to look at the elements of story in our congregations and the community around us. The 4T Days program offers a way to begin a kind of “parish soul searching” through questions in the frame work of story:¨ what Traditions do we share as a congregation?¨ what Transitionsis the community around us is experiencing?¨ what Transformations we might engage in as a community of faith in order to better minister to the community around us?

The Frensdorff School of Christian Formation is offering

a new five week Lenten study for congregations this month,

Forty Day of 4T Days. 4T Days seeks to be an introduction to a

process of “parish soul searching” and is based upon the principles of

storytelling.

This five week curriculum has been written by Canon for

Adult Formation Chuck McCray, and reviewed by the office of congregational vitality in the Episcopal Church Center and

others from across the Episcopal Church.

Explore Frensdorff School at episcopalnevada.org

or for any who are interested in actions being taken by the Episcopal Church in this area. This workshop is designed for all who want to promote a deeper understanding of Elder Formation in their congregations and who desire to offer input into the directions in Elder Formation being taken by the Episcopal Church. Priest and Deacons are encourage to attend in order to be better equipped to promote and guide Elder Formation programs in our congregations.

Our workshop facilitator will be Ruth-Ann Collins. Ruth-Ann is the Episcopal Church Center staff officer for Lifelong Christian Formation. As part of the Formation and Vocation Team, her areas of focus are: Children’s Ministries, Adult Formation, and Older Adult Ministries. She serves as the staff liaison to the

Elder Formation

For current info, see Frensdorff School at episcopalnevada.org

The Diocese of Nevada is fortunate to be invited to be a part of new workshop in the Episcopal Church. A quick survey of our demographics demonstrates the importance of Elder Formation in our congregations. Topics that will be explored will be:

Re-Creating Aging?

The process of aging has never been a one-size-fits-all kind of proposition.This is even truer now as the first members of the Baby Boomer generation reach retirement age. They are being called the “new old” because their active, vibrant lives don’t look like the stereotypes we’ve previously thought of as retirement.

“Call to Action”

The diocese will have a first look at the “Call to Action” which is the Older Adult Taskforce’s challenge to the Episcopal Church as to what

as a church our vision is; that each congregation will be a place where people of all ages are welcomed and valued.

This call to action is grounded in our understanding of the Baptismal Covenant and our identity as Episcopalians. Lifelong Christian Faith Formation in The Episcopal Church is lifelong growth in the knowledge, service, and love of God as followers of Christ and is informed by Scripture, Tradition and Reason.

The workshop will also be an opportunity to hear about best practices in Elder Formation from around the Episcopal Church and to share our best practices with the Episcopal Church Center.

This important workshop is open to all who have an interest or stake in the ministry of Elder Formation

Report from Canon Chuck McCray

traditiontransition

transformationtransmission

see ELDER, next pg

Each week we shall learn how each of the 4Ts can empower us as Christians in the 21st century.

The Episcopal Diocese of Nevada will host workshops on Elder Formation provided by the Episcopal Church Center March 24-25 in both the

northern and southern parts of the diocese. St Paul’s, Sparks will be the site of the northern workshop on

Saturday, March 24 from 10AM to 2PM. The southern workshop will be held at Christ’s Church, Las Vegas from

1PM to 5PM on Sunday March 25.


she said. After two years, Wendy decided to look for a part-time job - at the same time the Diocese of Nevada announced an opening for a financial officer.

“This job has my name on it!” Wendy recalled saying to Jim when she saw the job ad. It shows in her face, and the chemistry she has working in the office with Ellie is sublime. “There is no such thing as coincidence,” she said, shaking her head.

In upstate New York, Wendy was a CPA of a major corporation. Part of her motivation to move to Las Vegas was the vision of a less stressful job. Wendy appears now comfortable in her sunny office, easily turning to her computer to look up a bit of data in response to a budgeting question, multitasking to continue our conversation to the click of her keyboard.

“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Wendy said as she told the story of how she and her husband, Jim, a retired Earth Science teacher, moved from upstate New York to Las Vegas a couple of years ago.

“With a giant leap of faith, we put our house on the market,” after they fell in love with the Las Vegas desert during a visit, Wendy said. She and Jim thought that if they got their full asking price, it would be a sign to move. Not only did they get their full asking price, but the house sold quickly – for cash.

“We bought our new house in Las Vegas on the internet,” Wendy said. They hadn’t even seen it. But they knew the way was being made straight for them to settle in Las Vegas. Wendy went to work as Controller for St. Jude’s, and while she loved the work, 65 hours a week was too much. “It’s not what I came out here for,”

“I love accounting.” Wendy went on to explain, “Non-profit accounting is a unique specialty.” She is doing the prudent work of tracking down each restricted contribution for a clear understanding of diocesan financial assets. “It’s sleuth work, tracing the history of these contributions,” she said, with a glimmer in her eyes. In that moment, she reminded me of Nancy Drew, the female protagonist whose detective adventures carried my imagination through two summers of my youth, and I smiled.

Together, Jim and Wendy have eight grown children and two grandchildren. Wendy’s mother and husband are Catholic, her father Lutheran, and she was confirmed Episcopalian in New York. Wendy enjoys contemporary worship, and she and Jim are members of New Song Lutheran in Las Vegas.

Camp Galilee Summer Schedule 2012

Session Dates

Counselor Training June 17 - 24 (ends Sunday at 4:00 PM) age 16 & aboveElementary 1 June 26 - June 30 (starts Tuesday) ages 7 - 10Elementary 2 July 1 - July 6 (ends Friday) ages 8 - 11Middle School 1 July 8 - July 14 ages 10 - 13Camp Spirit July 15 - July 20 (ends Friday) ages 7 - 10Middle School 2 July 22 - July 28 ages 12 - 15High School 1 July 29 - August 4 ages 13 - 16Teen Backpacking Trek August 5 - August 11 ages 14 - 17Family Camp August 5 - 11 All agesFamily Camp – Half Week August 8 -11 All ages

Summer CampJune-August, 2012

There are opportunities for everyone to enjoy some summer fun at Tahoe! We are offering summer camp sessions for ages 7 to 17 and a family camp week. This year we will also be adding a week long backpacking trip for teens. Come experience God’s creation and a welcoming Christian community while hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and learning more about your own talents and creativity. For more information about our summer camp program call or email Galilee to ensure you’re on the mailing list to receive our summer camp brochure.

www.galileetahoe.org

SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS!

Submit stories and photos to [email protected]

Materials for the May 2012 issue must be recieved by

April 1, 2012.

Wendy O’Brien, Financial Officer

General Convention Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation & Education, as well as the Older Adult Taskforce. She is the former Canon for Christian Formation at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in the Diocese of Long Island.

Please there is no fee for attending this workshop. Please register by writing the Frensdorff School of Christian Formation at [email protected]

ELDER, from prev pg

Dubbed “the Lady of Dollars and Sense and Sensibility” at Convention, Wendy O’Brien shares how she came to be where she is. Interview and report by Hallie Murphy.

Lenten Lecture Series at St. Peter’s Presents

Author Carolyn Baker, Ph.D: workshops planned

Workshops with an edgy annual speaker have become a Lenten tradition at St. Peter’s, and this

year is no exception. Participation, by listening on Friday night, or

engaging in workshop discussion on Saturday, is sure to challenge ideologies, and open our eyes to

new perpectives.

CAROLYN BAKER, Ph.D., was an adjunct professor of history and

psychology for 11 years and a psychotherapist in private practice

for 17 years. (She is not, and never has been, a licensed psychologist.)

Her latest book Sacred Demise: Walking The Spiritual Path of

Industrial Civilization’s Collapse, is unique in its offering of emotional

and spiritual tools for preparing for living in a post-industrial world.

Carolyn’s forthcoming book is Navigating The Coming Chaos: A

Handbook For Inner Transition. Her other books include: Coming Out From Christian Fundamentalism:

Affirming Sensuality, Social Justice, and The Sacred (2007) , U.S.

History Uncensored: What Your High School Textbook Didn’t Tell You (2006) and The Journey of

Forgiveness, (2000)

Registration information will be published online, check

episcopalnevada.org or stpeterscarsoncity.org for workshop

schedule and fees.

SAVE THE DATE: LENTEN LECTURE SERIES

MARCH 23-25

Unique paths bring each of us into the shared space of work or worship.

How did you come to be where you are? The answer is your witness.

N e v a d a L i f e


build the new house of worship. We count on continued support to complete the project. The rebuilding of the Cathedral will be a victory for the Anglican Communion and the downtown Port au Prince renaissance. We appreciate all of you who participate.

Thank you also for your steadfast support of the Diocese of Haiti’s diverse ministries. Individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds met us in Haiti and offered their gifts, talents, and resources. Many more offer their significant support from their homes. Thank you for giving of yourselves for the benefit of your brothers and sisters in Haiti. Despite the continued challenges of insecurity, limited access to clean water, and inflated prices, all Diocesan institutions are functioning albeit in temporary structures made mostly of plywood and corrugated metal. We look forward to moving all of these institutions into permanent appropriate structures. We look forward also to increasing the community development programs of the Diocese such as micro-credit loans and technical education to insure ourselves for the challenges to come. Together we are moving from the relief stage of recovery into a steady pace striding into a better future.

In March, the Diocese of Haiti welcomed a Chief Operating Officer, Mr. SikhumbuzoVundla. Mr. Vundla works closely with Diocesan leadership to facilitate the reconstruction process. The Diocese benefits from his knowledge and experience.

This Fall, the Diocese of Haiti elected Rev. Canon, Ogé Beauvoir as Bishop Suffragan to serve in the North. This is an important step in a plan to decentralize and reorganize. The Bishop Suffragan will share leadership duties with the Diocesan Bishop increasing the capacities of all Diocesan ministries.

The potential of what has begun in 2011 adds fuel to the fires of hope and resilience. We are elated to realize tangible advancements. We have many positive things to celebrate ‘after the twelfth’. Our joy multiplies knowing that it is shared with so many brothers and sisters around the world.

God’s Peace to you and your families at the commencement of a new year. Please know that each one of you is remembered in the prayers of your Haitian friends. May God bless each and every one of you in all of your endeavors this year.

In Christ,The Right Reverend J. ZachéDuracinBishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti

The Rev. Kesner AjaxExecutive Director, Bishop Tharp Institute (BTI)Partnership program coordinator, Episcopal Diocese of HaitiPriest in Charge, Ascension Church, Beraud.

Mailing address:c/o Agape Flights acc# 2519100 Airport AveVenice Fl. 34285

Tels. 011-509-3445-3346011-509-3724-8376

January 12, 2012Port au Prince, Haiti

Dear Friends,Greetings from Haiti in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we transition from Advent season and welcome 2012, it is an apt time to remark new beginnings. We are pleased to be celebrating many new beginnings in the Diocese of Haiti. This year we do this while evaluating progress in light of the two-year anniversary of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

The earthquake of 2010 will be fixed in our national consciousness for decades to come and has thus been integrated into the national vernacular. When referring to events, Haitians almost always specify whether it occurred ‘before or after the Twelfth’.

We are thankful this year, and always, to be a part of the World Wide Anglican Communion. The support within our Church continues to gain momentum even while the catastrophe fades out of international consideration.

On behalf of the Diocese of Haiti, I thank you for supporting the rebuilding of the Holy Trinity Cathedral. The Cathedral is the center of worship for Diocese of Haiti. We are pleased to state that the Request for Proposals to rebuild the Cathedral has been issued and the international team charged with rebuilding Holy Trinity will soon choose among the proposals a firm to design and

Neighbors: “we ought to be willing to be changed by them”

The Right Reverend Brian Thom, Bishop of the Episcopal

Diocese of Idaho

Resolution regarding Keynote speaker

Right Reverend Brian Thom

Whereas it takes a neighborhood to shape a soul for unobserved

compassion and undeserved mercy,

And whereas there will come a moment in each relationship

when the only response is mercy, though we know not from whence it will come or by whom

it will be received,

And whereas Idaho really isn’t that far away and we really are neighbors, so we guess we ought to be willing to be

changed by them,

Therefore be it resolved that the 41st Convention of the

Episcopal Diocese of Nevada celebrates and thanks our friend

and neighbor the Right Reverend Brian Thom for bringing

perspective, wisdom, and insight to this gathered body. And be it further resolved that we hereby commit ourselves to praying for the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho and striving to build with them

relationships in which God is manifest.

The Rev. Kesner Ajax

The Right Reverend J. ZachéDuracinBishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti

A letter from our neighbors in Haiti

The Bristlecone Pine is thought to be among the oldest living things on earth. They are native to the Great Basin.

How does your environment effect your identity?

Documents

The Desert Spirit