QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF NEBRASKA SUMMER 2012

From the Bishop’s Desk

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Sometimes I am not absolutely sure what I

think about something, until my opinion

pops out of my mouth. That’s not always

the case of course. I try to be considered

and faithful about what I believe and in the

decisions I make, but there are times I have

to be asked before I know for sure where I

stand. This dynamic comes up in my life

especially when I visit churches around the

diocese and talk to folks about the ministry

of being a bishop and our shared life in

Christ. Lately I have noticed a change in the

way I answer some of the common questions

I get asked, and it’s a change that seems

worth sharing with all of you.

How is your new job?

When asked this question six months ago, I

would often answer in about one-half jest: “I

am probably in over my head.”

There is a way of course in which that will

always be true. There is no such thing as a

perfect disciple (thank God for the love of

Jesus!) and certainly the ministry of

bishop includes any number of particular

challenges. No one person is ever likely

to be completely equipped to deal with

them all. Despite all that, it’s now so

clear to me that this job will in fact be do-

able in the year and years to come. That

is proving to be true not because I am

rising to every challenge, but because so

many of you are stepping forward to

support me with constant prayer, kindness

– and very often practical and tangible

support in the way of time, talent and

treasure offered to support your diocese.

Nowadays, when asked about my new job

I am much more likely to say, “The

people of this diocese are amazing. It

gets better every day!”

What is your plan for the Diocese of

Nebraska?

This was a common question during the

election process and folks continue to ask

it to this day. Six months ago (and

Tri-Faith a big Hit !

Our Episcopal Tri-Faith Initiative was one of the most popular booths at General Convention in Indianapolis, and over 600 people signed up to be Tri-Faith “Neighbors.” If you’re not a neighbor, won’t you be one, too? Check out the website at: http://trifaith.episcopal-ne.org

certainly a year ago) my stock answer

was, “I don’t know. I feel you’ve got to

live in a place and get to know a people

before you can develop any kind of

meaningful vision for doing ministry.”

I still have a lot to learn. I’ve not yet

served a full year with you. I’ve not yet

visited every church in the diocese. I

don’t even begin to know all the people

who have an important opinion to share

on this score. Despite all that, it is clear

there are particular areas of formation and

ministry which we’ll certainly want to

invest in as we work to bring increasing

life and health to our diocese. Today

when folks ask about my vision for the

(see Bishop next page)

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Page 2

How Firm a Foundation Choice

One of the gifts God gives us with new life is the urge to respond by giving and giving generously and repeatedly—as God gives. Of course, there is no way to repay for our new life. But our response can be to own the liberation offered us to live fully and give ourselves and what we have with bold generosity.

Br. Eldridge Pendleton

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…

Inez Barth recently

celebrated her 8th

anniversary of work at

Trinity Church in Norfolk, but

for her it is pure joy to be a part

of this parish. She loves

working with Fr. Bob and counts

this as just one of her many

successful careers. Inez has

been a business owner for 22

years, a writer for a local paper,

a photographer (with a dark

room), and today she even finds

time to care for the elderly in her

community—Taking neighbors

to doctor’s appointments,

picking up their groceries, and

even running errands they cannot

do themselves. Inez is humble

about her life and reluctant to

brag, but her son is very proud.

He often brags that she can make

the fastest pies around. Inez can

literally get a call from the

church and have a great tasting

pie in the oven in less than 5

minutes!

For Barb White, the drive is the

best part of the trip. She and her

retired husband, Jack, pack up

the dog Casey and hit the road

to see some of their favorite

spots in Wyoming. Three days

of just driving and looking at the

big beautiful sky, sharing the

laughter of good company and

stories of memories from a

lifetime together help rejuvenate

Barb for continued service at the

Pro-Cathedral in Hastings. Barb

has served her entire career in

the church. For over 25 years

she has been a part of a parish

staff. She loves the people, the

clergy, and the Lord. She has no

Favorite Bible Verse

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kind-ness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Linda Shirck,

All Saints, Omaha

secrets and is outspoken and

honest. She loves the people of

St. Mark’s and is always excited

to see what will happen

next. For now, she awaits the

next trip. She assures me, “You

can see a lot of sky and

mountains in 3 days.”

Stayed tuned to our next edition

when we explore more Real

Lives of our Parish Admin-

istrators…their lives outside the

parish walls.

- 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 !

Bishop continued

diocese, I’ll usually say

something like, “I am just

beginning to figure this out, but

whatever we do we will surely

work to recruit, form and support

great clergy, we’ll be more pro-

active about serving people in

need in our communities, and

we’ll support just about any

ministry that brings the people of

our far-flung diocese together in

the name of Jesus!”

How is your new house?

You all have very kindly

inquired about how I am doing

when I am not working as your

bishop. Folks ask about our new

house, about Annie and the

kids…about whether I am still

running often enough to keep

from getting fat at all those

church potlucks! In the

aftermath of moving away from

a place and people that we loved

very much to come back to

Nebraska, I tried to be honest

when I answered these kinds of

questions. “Doing OK – but it’s

been hard to say ‘good-bye.’ We

miss being close to the kids

when they are away at college.

The new house is fine.”

Of course saying goodbye is

tough work, as is starting over in

a brand new thing. Even for

Christians – who know full well

God’s assurance that what

appears to be an end may really

be just a great new beginning – it

is still hard to let go. But now

going on a year since our move,

I find myself increasingly,

happily and wonderfully feeling

back at home. Today when

people ask me about how I am

doing, I can answer that, “It’s

been great to reconnect with old

friends. We love our new

neighborhood…and the new

house is the best one in which

we’ve ever lived!”

When will you come see us

again?

I get asked this a lot. I hope it

means that I am doing a good job

for you and that you like it when

your bishop comes to visit! I can

assure you that the most

regularly delightful part of my

new ministry is coming to visit

you where you live. But my

answer to this particular question

has not much changed in these

past many months. We have at

least 53 churches in the diocese,

and numerous other communities

which are on my visitation

schedule. I’ve said from day one

- and will say again here – that I

expect to come once a year and I

will do better if I can.

I am sticking to that promise.

Thank you for making it such a

joy to live into that commitment.

Know that I pray for you even

when I cannot be there in person.

I will see you again soon!

Faithfully Yours in Christ –

The Right Rev. J. Scott Barker

Editor-in-Chief

Page 3

Salute!

Environmental Ministry

Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is

pleasant to the sight and good for food...

The Diocese of

Nebraska is blessed

with a variety of parish

gardens. Prayer

gardens of all sizes

provide a spot of

beauty with flowers

and other landscaping; some include

a place to sit and meditate or a short

path for a slow, quiet walk. In

Elkhorn, the Hitchcock Memorial

Garden at St. Augustine of

Canterbury provides a park-like

setting for parishioners and members

of the community to use. St. Mary’s

in Bassett has a lovely contemplative

flower garden in the space between

the church building and the walkway,

while St. Stephen’s in Grand Island

fits a small memorial garden outside

their main entrance, and a prayer

garden complete with chairs and a

bubbling fountain in the space

between the fellowship hall and

community center. A few parishes

now grow community vegetable

gardens that produce food to share

with our neighbors and among

ourselves, providing a visible sign of

hospitality along with fresh produce

that may otherwise be unavailable to

some. Both prayer gardens and community

gardens express an intention to be

good stewards and use our resources

well. An area of parish property that

might otherwise be covered in

bluegrass or pavement becomes an

oasis. People benefit from food for our

souls in the prayer gardens and food

for our bodies from the community

gardens. While these two benefits may

seem completely different in kind from

one another, we know as people who

believe in Christ as God incarnate that

the spiritual and the physical are

intertwined; the partitions we build

with our minds to help us sort and

understand things aren’t necessarily

reflective of the underlying reality. This reality is perhaps more evident to

the gardeners who spend time on their

knees planting and weeding and

thinning than to people who see only

the flowers or vegetables each garden

produces. Gardening provides an

opportunity to connect directly with

the earth; literally grounding our feet –

and knees --in soil helps us to become

spiritually grounded. As we work to

produce something that will benefit

others, we also gain something. The

connections with God and God’s

creation that we experience when we

tend gardens make us more mindful of

the interconnections among God,

every human being, and all of creation.

Gardens are often “thin places” where

the human and divine, the physical and

the spiritual, come together. Our parish

gardens offer flowers, vegetables, and

a place to grow in the knowledge and

love of God.

- The Rev. Dn. Betsy Blake Bennett

Volunteer Contractor Needed

One of our Omaha Metro area churches is looking

for a consulting contractor to assist in imagining

what might be possible in terms of some basic

church meeting space finishing and

remodeling. If you are a person who has skill and

vision in this area – and who would take joy in

assisting a local parish as they seek to grow –

please contact the diocesan office and we will

connect you with a community who could use

your talents!

The Nebraska Episcopalian salutes Marilyn Brandt, who was

just honored as one of our nation’s “Distinguished Women”

at the tri-ennail gathering of the Episcopal Church Women in

Indianapolis. Marilyn is retired and lives with her husband,

Don in McCook. She serves on the Women’s Ministries

Commission, is an active member of Daughters of the King,

and is the person in our diocese most responsible for linking

visiting out-of-town patients with someone locally who can

be there to support them and their families.

Worship

Remember that a sacrament is “an outward sign

of an inner grace.” Life – our outward life – is

sacramental, every moment of it teeming with

God’s presence.

Br. Curtis Almquist

Society of Saint John the Evangelist

Favorite Bible Verse

Matthew 5:46

For if you love those who love you, what reward

do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do

the same?

Keith Winton, Church of the Resurrection Omaha

Prayer garden at St. Stephen’s, Grand Island

Page 4

Youth Ministry Notes

Your mission, should you

choose to accept it, is to venture

across the state to Valentine, NE,

and by extension to Rosebud

Indian Reservation in South

Dakota, and discover Christ’s

love in the hearts of the residents

of the local community, as well

as in your own heart.

After being given this

opportunity, 16 youth and 7

adults did choose to accept this

mission, and thus piled into their

vehicles for the annual Diocesan

youth mission trip. Representing

churches from all over the

Diocese, we bonded together for

six days to carry out God’s call

to service and love. While there

were certainly challenges to face,

it is safe to say that we all had a

wonderful time – Jesus was truly

among us during this trip!

Most of us left early Sunday

morning (Around 9:30, but that’s

pretty early for me) and spent

about six hours on the road to

our gracious hosts, St. John’s

Church in Valentine, NE. Upon

arrival, we took some time to get

set up and organize ourselves.

We were able to spend a little

bit of time in the chapel,

preparing for the tasks ahead of

us. The chapel of St. John’s is

truly beautiful – I especially

enjoyed the unique stained glass

windows that are situated in the

sanctuary. At the end of the day,

we were all worn out from our

travelling and preparations, but

excited to get onto the

reservation the next morning!

For the next four days, we drove

across the border into South

Dakota to visit the Rosebud

Indian Reservation, where we

would be working with the

Church of Jesus. The Church of

Jesus is the oldest Episcopalian

church on the reservation,

having been around since the

1800s. I adored the church, with

its tranquil sanctuary and the

trees surrounding it. Throughout

the week, the mission team

worked on several projects

around the church grounds. We

repainted the Church of Jesus’

community center, pulled down

an old sign that will be replaced

by another mission team, and

hung up new chalkboards in the

classrooms.

Perhaps the most exciting part

of our service was the young

children who gathered with us

during our Vacation Bible

School program! Each child

brought a sense of love and

excitement to the group. Most of

them were pretty shy at first,

perhaps only willing to nod or

shake their heads in response to

questions. But after a few songs,

stories, and games, just about

every youth had a child asking

for a piggyback ride or eagerly

running about to play kickball!

Countless times, we were shown

the love of Christ through the

actions and words of the

children. One day, I gave a little

boy a piggyback, and he pulled

my bandana off my head! When

I set him down, he first gave me

the bandana, then ran over to the

water cooler, filled up a cup,

and gave it to me. How ironic

that, in the evening, we read a

Bible passage in which Jesus is

explaining the reward that

awaits those who give a cup of

water to his disciples. Those

events make me ponder my role

as Christ’s servant. But that also

leads me to wonder who is the

disciple – myself, or that young

child, who welcomed us into his

home and his life? I feel very

fortunate to have worked with

these children, and felt God’s

love through them. Truly, they

are blessings of God!

Our V.B.S. program was

centered on God’s love and the

story of Jesus as they relate to

traditional Lakota Sioux beliefs,

such as the creator Wakan

Tanka, and the red, yellow,

white and black medicine circle.

It is not hard to see the overlap

between the different traditions.

Sometimes, it took a little extra

thinking and examination to

connect the traditions, but there

was always a way. Working to

find a way to connect Christian

and Lakota tradition was eye-

opening, not only due to the new

exposure to Native American

beliefs, but also because we had

to re-examine and dig deeper

into Biblical stories we have

been taught since childhood in

order to look at them through

the traditions of the Lakota. We

also had to be familiar enough

with our own faith tradition to

be able to explain it to others.

We all learned a bit more about

our Christian tradition, thanks to

this chance to look at the stories

of God from a different vantage

point.

After our four days at Church of

Jesus, it was time to say good-

bye to the children. We rested

for a night, and then ended our

trip to Valentine with a trip on

tubes down the Niobrara River,

Huckleberry Finn-style! All

those on the mission trip had a

fantastic time working with the

people of Valentine and

Rosebud, and I pray that the

children on the reservation took

something positive away from

their experience at V.B.S. I also

pray that each member of the

mission team learned about

themselves and God, whether it

was through an experience in

faith, leadership, service, or any

other lesson. Personally, I

learned that I am constantly

called to be a leader in Christ.

The mission trip was a time for

me to step up and take charge,

rather than allowing someone

else to take the reins. And

believe me – I wasn’t always

happy that God put me in that

role. I certainly had my

frustrations throughout the

week, as everyone on this

mission trip did. However, I am

glad that I was called to be in a

role as a leader. I learned even

more about what it takes to be

an effective leader, and I learned

that God always has something

for me to do! God calls me, and

all people, to never stop sharing

God’s blessings and gifts with

others. Thanks be to God for

pushing us to our limits, and

teaching us God’s way

throughout our lives!

So with all these activities,

experiences, and lessons, what

truly stood out and touched me

on this trip? Without a doubt,

my favorite part of this trip was

building new relationships with

all the people involved in our

mission trip. I engaged with the

children of the reservation, met

leaders in the Church of Jesus,

made new friends from parishes

across the Diocese, had

wonderful conversations with

the parishioners of St. John’s,

and learned from a mission trip

leader from North Carolina. I

am so blessed to have met all

these new people; each one

really impacted my life as Christ

alive in the world. God is

present in my life through the

people of the mission trip – new

friends I will not forget.

(see Youth next page)

Mission team and kids at Church of Jesus, Rosebud Reservation

Page 5

Global Mission Conference

Nebraska Episcopal Diocese Global Mission Conference

Companion Diocese Dominican Republic

Companion Diocese Twic East South Sudan

This coming September, we will

meet to conduct a conference on

our global mission. This will

cover the various activities

relative to our Companion

Dioceses of Twic East and

Dominican Republic. The purpose of the conference

will be to present, discuss and

share with all interested

diocesean members the many

exciting activities going on in

parishes across the diocese.

One object of the conference is

to stimulate possible new

directions and ideas for growing

our overall mission in our

companion relationships. We presently have fund raisers

of various types, donor gifts,

mission trips, pilgrimages,

guilds, individuals and

communication interface with

national organizations within the

Episcopal church i.e., U.T.O.,

and with other Non-Govern-

mental Organizations (NGO’S).

We are also becoming involved

with advocacy groups and

organizations operating within

our scope of interest in our

Companion Dioceses. In the near future, we will have

the specific date, time and

location for the conference. We

will poll the parishes to see who

may wish to attend and pick a

location with the most interest to

maximized attendance. In this

Youth continued This was my first year as a part of the mission trip, and I am so grateful that I finally had the chance to travel with the group. Our mission was

accomplished – each of us encountered God in some manner, and now understands a little bit better how God is present in ourselves and in our

surroundings. I have grown as a person and as a follower of Christ because of this trip. Thank you to everyone involved in making this

wonderful trip happen, and thank you to God. It was quite the experience. - Abby Culp Abby attends Mercy High School in Omaha and serves as Chair of our Diocesan Youth Commission. – Ed

austere time, funds are not

available for travel expenses,

however we will work with

interested parties to find ways to

minimize expense to

individuals. The Diocese of Nebraska is

dedicated and committed to

growing and expanding our

Global Mission.

Fat Sunday Challenge Award Trip to Bassett

Bishop Barker, Fr. Jason Emerson, Vestry members and

parishioners of Church of the Resurrection spend a day with

the COR Fat Sunday Challenge winner— St. Mary’s, Bassett.

Michael Skulavik, Fr. Randy Goeke, Becky Deterding

and Lucy Geib from St. Mary’s receive the Fat Sunday

Challenge Award from Bishop Barker and Fr. Jason

Emerson.

No job is too big for Bishop Barker! Kids from Church of the Resurrection

provide music for the workers. The Bishop gets a special

purple vacuum cleaner.

Page 6

Mission Notes

The Changing Face of Mission

“Don’t tell anyone that you went

to the beach,”

a friend

recommended

when I

returned from

a recent visit

to the

Dominican

Republic. “If

you do, no one will think it was a

real mission trip.”

The term “mission trip” is loaded

with meaning and assumptions. In

Episcopal circles, we use it to

describe anything from a youth

trip to a neighboring diocese to an

adult trip requiring special skills

(i.e. “medical mission”). Some

mission trips involve physical

labor—building a house or

refurbishing a park, for

example—while others entail

sharing specific information or

skills, like offering workshops or

classes. Oftentimes members of

our communities—whether

mission trip participants or

observers—are uncomfortable

with trips that where work isn’t

the primary focus. This is a

difficult topic to navigate, and I

know that what I’m about to say is

controversial, but…

Most mission trips are not about

the work.

The word “mission” means,

“sending,” or “being sent.” For

most of the Church’s history up

until now, “mission” has meant

the propagation of the Christian

faith—“making disciples of all

nations,” as Jesus commanded his

followers to in the wake of his

resurrection. The history of how

that command has been lived out

is full of ups and downs. At many

points in history the call to spread

the Good News did considerable

damage to cultures where

propagating the gospel was

inappropriately tied to

propagating Western values. In

these cases, Christian mission

was linked with trading, imperial

expansion, and sadly, economic

and political power. While the

gospel of Christ is always good

news, our human sinfulness has

not always delivered the gospel in

the most Christ-like ways.

In recent decades, our

understanding of Christian

mission has changed

significantly, thanks in part to the

end of the colonial era and the

growth of cross-cultural and

interreligious dialogue. We

understand the world better now

and, hopefully, we have a greater

appreciation for how other

cultures and communities

encounter the Holy in their lives.

Most Episcopal Church mission

trips these days are spent with

other Christian communities. In

the Diocese of Nebraska, for

example, we have companion

relationships with the Diocese of

the Dominican Republic and the

Provincial Diocese of Twic East

in South Sudan—two Episcopal/

Anglican communities where the

gospel is flourishing.

With all of this in mind, a

challenge for Christians in the

21st century is how to engage in

mission when “propagating the

gospel” is no longer our goal;

when we recognize the damage

done by Westerners equating

faith with wealth and goods.

Mission still means “being sent.”

We just have to figure out what

we are being sent to do. What is

God’s will for our mission trips?

God’s will is always creative

(think of Genesis!) and always

relational (think of the Trinity!

Or of Jesus!). If nothing else, let’s

start there. When we engage in

mission, we are open to God’s

creative Spirit, which inevitably

means being open to personal and

communal transformation. On

mission trips, we are asking God

to open us to a new understanding

of the gospel, to see the good

news of Christ in a fresh and

challenging way. Much of this is

accomplished simply by stepping

out of our comfort zone and

getting to know Christians who

experience God in a context

removed from our own. It’s like

worshipping in a different pew

than the one you’re used to—the

whole sanctuary looks different!

When we embrace God’s

relational nature, we strengthen

our understanding of what the

Body of Christ looks like, who

are neighbors are, and what it

really means to be made in the

image of God. God doesn’t just

look like our neighborhood, or

our workplace, or even our parish

church. God is much bigger and

more diverse than that.

I misstated the truth earlier.

Mission trips are about work—

hard spiritual work where our

assumptions are challenged, our

understanding of God tested and

remade, and our imaginations lit

up and ignited for change in our

own communities. That’s such

hard work that you might need to

go the beach for a few minutes,

just to see God in the water.

- The Rev. Liz Easton

The Rev. Liz Easton is Assistant

to the Rector at All Saints in

Omaha. Liz helped lead the

mission and service team that

travelled this spring to our

companion Diocese of Twic

East in South Sudan. – Ed

Favorite Bible Verse 1 Corinthians 13:7

Love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things. Beth Byrne, Church of the

Holy Spirit, Bellevue

Fall Academy “Exploring and Envisioning Church Growth “

Christ Church, Beatrice ● St. James, Fremont

St. Elizabeth’s, Holdrege ● St. Hilda’s, Kimball

St. David’s, Lincoln

Dates to be

Announced

Soon !

Mission Team in Dominican Republic

Page 7

If that is not enough…we are just beginning to appreciate the extent

to which obesity is damaging to the brain. Obesity has been linked to an

increased risk of cognitive decline (Whitmer, 2008) promoting a state of

insulin resistance in which the brain becomes starved of glucose –its

preferred fuel source. There is evidence that the brain may literally rewire

itself due to overweight. So there is hope that this can be reversed.

Dementia is one of the most costly and devastating health problems facing

our country… the possibility that obesity today will lead to higher rates of

dementia in the future is alarming.

Two of the most prevalent health issues present in society today are

obesity and depression. Research shows that BMI and depression are

highly correlated and that obese individuals have a 25% chance of

experiencing some form of mood or anxiety disorder (NIMH, 2008).

Research suggests… that there may be a strong correlation with the

soaring 400% use of antidepressant drugs since 1988. Medical costs of obesity in the US are a staggering $147 billion/year

(Finkelstein, 2009). If future projections become reality, by 2030 obesity

related conditions will cost the US health care system up to an extra $66

billion each year (Wang, 2011).

Heavenly Father…author of all health and salvation…we humbly

beseech thee to help us discern the discipline and wisdom

necessary to care for our bodies, minds, and spirits as temples of

your essence and presence within us. Guide us on our journeys as

we renew our commitment to honor health and wholeness in such

a way that will glorify you and our ability to serve all of your

people. Give us the strength and courage to persevere and run the

race set before us not only for ourselves but for our nation, the

world and future generations to come. In the name of your son

Jesus Christ we pray… Amen - The Rev. Dn. Stephanie Ulrich, RN, SD

Minister of Health, All Saints Omaha

Nebraska Summer We dropped peaches into boiling water long enough to cook the skins, then plunged them into a sink full of ice cubes. The skins came off when we rubbed them. You cut the fruit and into each jar I laid a pit, as I had seen it done. I said, I don’t know why; must there be a reason? We set the jars into the canner and left them while we took a walk in the corn in the dark; we moved down the row, listening to crickets, corn between us and on either side, forever. When I looked at your silhouette, it was you and corn against the sky, and corn leaves brushed our bodies like slender hands. - Marjorie Saiser

Marjorie Saiser's most recent book is BESIDE YOU

AT THE STOPLIGHT (The Backwaters Press,

Omaha, 2010), winner of the Little Blue Stem

I recently attended a seminar entitled Food,

Stress and the Brain presented by Beverly

White, PH.D., R.D. The focus of this

seminar was on the interconnectedness/

relationship between all three. Usually I am

not shocked by many health related issues/

concerns today, but this was a learning

experience that was alarmingly sobering. Here is the first of

many ongoing related series I will be featuring in this column

from INR (Institute for Natural Resources); a non-profit

organization dedicated to research and education in the fields of

science and medicine. Clearly this article as alarming as it might be... is meant only to

raise awareness and to begin the dialogue on the myriad of health

related/concerns issues we face in the church, our nation and the

world. Take heart! As individuals and as a diocese we can

collectively come together and empower one another by

encouraging whole person health through increased self-

knowledge, personal responsibility and inter-dependence among

God’s people.

The brain is the “motherboard” for all of the body’s systems.

This amazing three pound organ is the seat of our intelligence,

interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and

controller of behavior.

There is a direct relationship between food intake, stress and

brain physiology.

The prevalence of obesity in the US has doubled in the

1980’s and 1990’s (Flegal et al., 2002). This increase occurred in

every age, race, sex and socioeconomic group.

In 2010, an expert panel for the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans stated “The obesity epidemic is the single biggest

threat to public health in this century.” Two-thirds of our adult

population is now either overweight or obese… up from 15-19%

reported in 1995… if this trend continues…it is postulated that

within 20-30 years it will soar to 90-95% of the US population…

and by 2048 predicted @ 100%. Beverly reported that obese

children in the US are physiologically aging faster and actually

now enjoy life less than children undergoing chemotherapy

treatment…30% of our kids are now overweight (1 in 6 or 17%

of our kids are considered obese).

There is great concern…that the rising prevalence of obesity

will translate into higher rates of chronic disease…not only

increasing our financial burden…but having a profound impact

on our quality of life. Being overweight and obese are associated

with multiple coexisting metabolic abnormalities and they greatly

increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The

American Cancer Society estimates nearly 90,000 cancer deaths

each year are related to obesity (Calle, 2003).

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.

Page 8

Global Mission Girls Middle School Update

Background The country of South Sudan has

been engulfed in two major wars

since achieving independence

from the British as a colony in

1954. The last war which lasted

21 years has resulted in South

Sudan separating as a sovereign

nation from North Sudan. Over 2

million citizens of South Sudan

have perished during the last war

which ended with the signing of

the CPA (Comprehensive Peace

Agreement) in 2005. The

relationship we have with Twic

East Diocese can aid and assist in

our small way to help lift up a war

torn nation.

Since 2002, some Nebraska

Diocese parishes have had

informal working relationships

with Sudanese refugee Diaspora

here in Nebraska and also with

some humanitarian and capital

projects in South Sudan. Some of

the projects in South Sudan were

in Boma Town in Bor Diocese

and also in the Twic East Diocese

villages of Wangulei, Doung/

Paloi, Paliau and Maar in Jonglei

State. It should be pointed out that

Twic East Diocese became a

Diocese in 2010, being part of Bor

Diocese prior to that.

In 2009, during discussions in

Nairobi, Kenya between Assistant

Bishop Ezekiel Diing Malangdit

of Bor Diocese and Canon Judi

Yeates of the Nebraska Diocese, it

was determined that the primary

initial project for Nebraska

Diocese to assist Twic East with is

a Girls Middle School in the

village of Wangulei

Prior to the formal Tri-

Companion announcement, a

grant request was prepared and

submitted to the U.T.O. (United

Thank Offering) organization for

funds to build a Girls Middle

School in the village of

Wangulei. Companion Diocese

grants from U.T.O. are a separate

entity from the conventional

Episcopal Diocese grants. Only

Companion Dioceses can request

grants from that funding account.

This is one of the benefits of

forming the Companion Diocese

Relationship Covenants. A

$75,000. grant was approved by

U.T.O. to construct the school,

kitchen, office and restroom

facilities. The middle school

construction was initiated in mid-

2010 and completed in early

2011. The initial student

population will be 50 students

and have a capacity of 200

students. State certification of the

school was completed this past

March.

At the Annual Council meeting

in November of 2010, the

Nebraska Episcopal Diocese

formally signed a Covenant

Agreement to become a

Companion Diocese to the

Dominican Republic Diocese and

Twic East Diocese in South

Sudan, also known as the Tri-

Companion Agreement. This

landmark agreement was signed

with all three Bishops present:

Bishop Burnett from Nebraska

Diocese, Bishop Holguin from

Dominican Republic Diocese and

Bishop Ezekiel Diing Malangdit

from Twic East Diocese South

Sudan.

About the School The school is for girls entering

the 7th grade and who have

passed student certification

exams, with special consideration

given to orphans and girls with

extraordinary circumstances in

need of special assistance. In any

event they will come into the

school from the local Twic East

communities. The middle school

will be for the 7th thru 9th grades,

with a full curriculum of studies.

Upon completion of the 9th grade

school year, the girls will be

academically prepared to move

on to higher education. The basic premise of the Girls

Middle School is to give some

students with good academic

standing an opportunity to

continue in their education to

prevent them from being brought

into the local community labor

market. Students at that particular

age are vulnerable to being put to

work rather than attending higher

education. The school will essentially

operate from September through

May each school year. During the

school year the students will stay

at the school campus in

dormitories, which still have to be

constructed, and will only leave

the campus during holidays.

In addition to the dormitories

which still need to be funded and

constructed, a perimeter fence

around the campus property will

need to be erected. This will keep

the campus secure and safe, and

keep the free grazing cattle away

from the campus property.

We also have the funds for the

school water well to be installed

in the near future. The well

project was funded by our

Seminary Student Chris Slane and

his Waters of Hope bicycle ride

Fund Raiser in Nebraska. He

raised $14,000. for the well

project.

Upon completion of the school,

campus operation expense will be

required. There will be

opportunities for individuals to

provide scholarships for students

as well as assisting with the

operation expense of the school,

with such items as books,

supplies and teacher support.

Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul,

Archbishop of Sudan/South

Sudan Province has indicated the

hope and necessity of this school

being operated as a parochial

church school. The quality of

education will be more closely

monitored within the church

school system and should ensure

a higher academic level for the

students moving on to higher

education. There are many other Twic East

Diocese needs however; as a

Diocese, the girl’s school has our

primary attention and focus at this

time. Our relationship with

Bishop Ezekiel and Twic East

Diocese is growing. We are

excited about the future of the

new Diocese of Twic East and

the Diocese of Nebraska

Companion Relationship. The

girl’s school we are associated

with will continue to grow and

develop. We look forward to the

initial opening and operation of

the school and our participation in

that endeavor. Later on this year we will have

more information on how you

may support the school campus

development. If you wish to offer

immediate support or would like

to receive more information, you

may contact Jim Yeates Phone

402-468-4475 or

jimyeates@abbnebraska.com. May the Diocese of Twic East

receive many blessings and move

forward with hope and prosperity. 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.. The students of the Girls Middle School in Wangulei, Sudan

Page 9

Grace Place

we can bring the gospel message

to God’s children? Is it the

belief that respect for our

differences brings a full and

sacred worship for all? Well, for

me, this past year at St.

Elizabeth’s in Holdrege has

brought all this together in a way

that I would never have dreamed

possible in July of 2011 when I

first met with Pastor Ted

Carnahan, an ELCA missioner/

pastor called to a congregation in

Holdrege. Ted and I met for

coffee to get acquainted. That

day we began to dream of a

program that would provide

outreach to children in the form

of Christian programming and to

adults in the form of community

meals. Neither of us was sure

where this would go but we both

felt led by the spirit to jump in

and try to bring our dream to

fruition. We decided on St.

Elizabeth’s for the location. The

church is within easy walking

distance of downtown Holdrege

and easily accessible to many

adults and children. Ted’s

church – Spirit of Grace

Lutheran – formed committees

and began looking at curriculum.

Together we began the publicity,

recruited volunteers to help, and

began envisioning what each

Wednesday night would look

like. When we started we had

no idea how many people would

come, no idea if this would be a

short term or long term project.

I had no idea how this combined

effort would be a blessing to me

and to St. Elizabeth’s in so

many different ways.

Our Wednesday nights are

called Grace Place. The

evening begins with a light

supper – a community meal to

which everyone in the

community is invited. At 6:30

the adults leave and the

children’s programming begins.

The first part of the evening is

praise music – or camp songs

whatever was on the agenda for

the evening. Picture a brick

church built in the 1880’s by the

Presbyterians filled — every

pew — filled with kids and

their teachers and on the piano

Pastor Ted is pounding out

‘Pharaoh, Pharaoh’ to the tune

of Louie, Louie – along with

two guitars. Every person in the

sanctuary is on their feet –

hands are clapping and the place

is ‘rocking.’ I often wondered

what our Presbyterian

forefathers were thinking at this

moment! After music we meet

together in the Fellowship Hall

for a DVD presentation of the

Bible scripture for the evening,

then time with the age groups to

have plays or tell stories or do a

craft pertaining to the scripture.

Next the whole group shares the

evenings work. And last of all

is quiet worship – again in the

sanctuary, only this time with

only candlelight, everyone

without shoes (because we are

on Holy Ground). The songs

are Taize songs, there are

prayers, and then the teachers

give each child a personal

blessing before they leave for

the evening.

Was it a success? Well, we do

have statistics – we served 1200

meals, and touched the lives of

42 children, ages 4 years old to

5th grade. Beyond that I have a

heart full of wonderful

memories of each child that we

saw each week and of all the

people I met and friends I made

during our community meals.

Our worshipping communities –

St. Elizabeth’s and Spirit of

Grace – became close in ways

that I could not have foreseen.

We worshipped together with a

combined Epiphany Evensong

service and a combined Ash

Wednesday service in which I

was the presider and found the

beauty and elegance in the

Lutheran Eucharist. The Spirit

of Grace congregation asked if

they could use St. Elizabeth’s

for their Easter celebration (they

were without a church of their

own due to a schism in the

Lutheran church in Holdrege). I

was deeply touched that my own

congregation – St. Elizabeth’s –

was honored to have them use

our church. Spirit of Grace had

their service at 9AM and St.

Elizabeth’s had their normal

11AM service. St. Elizabeth’s

provided Spirit of Grace with all

they needed for a glorious

Easter celebration complete with

a coffee hour and homemade hot

cross buns.

Is it over? No way! We are

planning a combined VBS with

Spirit of Grace and the First

Presbyterian Church to take

place the end of July. Grace

Place will begin once again on

August 15th, praise God! I am

not sure where the Holy Spirit

will lead us this year, but talk is

beginning about expanding our

program. Last year Ted and I

and a whole host of dedicated,

spirit – filled volunteers

followed where the Spirit led. I

am excited to find out where the

Spirit will lead us this year. I,

for one, plan to hold on and

enjoy this glorious ride!

- The Rev. Karen Watson

Rev. Watson is Co-Chair of

Global Mission for the DR—ed.

Kids sing and dance during Grace Place at St. Elizabeth's Holdrege

So what does

Ecumenism mean

to you? Is it the

understanding that

other

denominations and

faiths have beliefs

that are in

accordance with

the Episcopal

Church? Is it the

idea that together

Annual

Council

Annual Council 2012 will be November 1st—3rd in Kearney.

Trinity Memorial Church is located in Crete NE near the

campus of Doane College. It was a great joy to help celebrate

the 140th anniversary of the church earlier this year!

Out & About with Bishop Barker