Immunization Info Click HERE
Dear Siblings in Christ,
As you may be aware, last month, Bishop Poulson presented a plan to begin a phased step-down of the COVID-19 protocols for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. The new protocols were to begin on Pentecost, May 23, and would conclude on July 17th. Due to the recent updates from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) last Friday, May 14th, and the increasing rates of vaccination, Bishop Poulson has revised the previous timeline of the diocesan protocols. He states the following: “As of Pentecost Sunday, May 23, I am leaving all decisions about COVID restrictions to our congregations and their clergy and lay leaders. I urge all those eligible to be vaccinated, to do so.”
In consultation with the Reopening Committee, it’s been agreed upon to lift most of the restrictions put in place in March 2020 to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means that social distancing, face masks, and indoor eating restrictions will be lifted, effective immediately. We will continue the practice of the clergy dispensing communion bread with tongs. They will also intinct the bread with communion wine, at your discretion. These changes are consistent with the most recent CDC guidelines for vaccinated people. We encourage the use of masks for anyone who would like to continue wearing one. Anyone with pre-existing illness or who are immunocompromised are also encouraged to wear a mask. Hand sanitizing stations and masks will continue to be available for anyone who would like to use them.
May I take this opportunity, to once again thank Amy Smith, and the members of the Reopening Committee, and you--the members of St. Augustine’s-for your prayers and patience as we have traversed through these long and sometimes trying 14 months. Like so many of you, I look forward to the revitalization of our parish and welcoming a new sense of normalcy.
I am aware that we still need to be cautious and vigilant as we look with optimism to the future. At this point, we need to be steadfast in our prayers that those in the positions of power will find effective ways to facilitate the vaccination of our siblings around the world who continue to suffer from COVID-19. With that in mind, I strongly encourage all those who are eligible and interested in being vaccinated, to do so. If you or you know someone who needs help finding a place to receive a jab, please don’t hesitate to contact the church office.
Blessings,
Fr. Joseph+
CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE LETTER
As you may be aware, last month, Bishop Poulson presented a plan to begin a phased step-down of the COVID-19 protocols for the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. The new protocols were to begin on Pentecost, May 23, and would conclude on July 17th. Due to the recent updates from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) last Friday, May 14th, and the increasing rates of vaccination, Bishop Poulson has revised the previous timeline of the diocesan protocols. He states the following: “As of Pentecost Sunday, May 23, I am leaving all decisions about COVID restrictions to our congregations and their clergy and lay leaders. I urge all those eligible to be vaccinated, to do so.”
In consultation with the Reopening Committee, it’s been agreed upon to lift most of the restrictions put in place in March 2020 to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This means that social distancing, face masks, and indoor eating restrictions will be lifted, effective immediately. We will continue the practice of the clergy dispensing communion bread with tongs. They will also intinct the bread with communion wine, at your discretion. These changes are consistent with the most recent CDC guidelines for vaccinated people. We encourage the use of masks for anyone who would like to continue wearing one. Anyone with pre-existing illness or who are immunocompromised are also encouraged to wear a mask. Hand sanitizing stations and masks will continue to be available for anyone who would like to use them.
May I take this opportunity, to once again thank Amy Smith, and the members of the Reopening Committee, and you--the members of St. Augustine’s-for your prayers and patience as we have traversed through these long and sometimes trying 14 months. Like so many of you, I look forward to the revitalization of our parish and welcoming a new sense of normalcy.
I am aware that we still need to be cautious and vigilant as we look with optimism to the future. At this point, we need to be steadfast in our prayers that those in the positions of power will find effective ways to facilitate the vaccination of our siblings around the world who continue to suffer from COVID-19. With that in mind, I strongly encourage all those who are eligible and interested in being vaccinated, to do so. If you or you know someone who needs help finding a place to receive a jab, please don’t hesitate to contact the church office.
Blessings,
Fr. Joseph+
CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE LETTER
RESOURCES FOR YOU DURING COVID-19
LEARN ABOUT ANIMALS OF THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES: https://www.yourlawyer.com/library/animals-of-the-florida-everglades/
SENIOR CARE RESOURCES:
- https://www.caring.com/senior-care/oklahoma/oklahoma-city
- https://www.assistedliving.org/oklahoma/oklahoma-city/
Groceries
Instacart (instacart.com) offers grocery delivery for a small fee. Your first delivery from several stores is free.
Shipt (shipt.com) will also deliver groceries.
Walmart and Aldi have online ordering capabilities so you can pick up your groceries at the curb.
Restaurant delivery can be obtained from Postmates.com (https://postmat.es/Z5ydTryBW4) Doordash (https://www.doordash.com/), ubereats (https://www.ubereats.com/) also have delivery capabilities.
Entertainment
Metrolibrary https://www.metrolibrary.org/find/download-and-stream#movies-tv-music and Pioneer Library https://pioneerlibrarysystem.org/download both offer electronic books via a free service called OverDrive. There are also Spanish language books available. The settings can be changed to have large print, change fonts, change the brightness, and even has a dyslexic friendly font. Overdrive also offers audiobooks for download.
Movies can be checked out for streaming from Hoopla and Kanopy.
Pandora radio (http://pandora.com/) and spotify (https://www.spotify.com/us/) have free music you can listen to.
Games are available from Facebook and AARP. https://games.aarp.org/
The Oklahoma Board Game Community has an online game board here. https://en.boardgamearena.com/group?id=2880004§ion=recent
Virtual Museum Tours and More
British Museum, London - https://britishmuseum.withgoogle.com/
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/national-gallery-of-art-washington-dc?h1=en
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam - https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/van-gogh-museum?h1=en
The Louvre - https://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne
The Metropolitan Opera - https://metopera.org
Zoo and Aquarium Webcams
San Diego Zoo - https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/videos
Smithsonian’s National Zoo - Https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams
Reid Park Zoo Lion Cam in Tucson AZ - https://reidparkzoo.org/cameras/lion-cam/
Polar Bear Cubs Camera - https://explore.org/livecams/polar-bears
Montery Bay Aquarium - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnM5iMGiKsZg-iOlIO2ZkdQ
Georgia Aquarium - https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/webcam/ocean-voyager/
Staying Active
Going outside is OK, so long as you stay more than 6 feet from other people. Walking and gardening is OK under those conditions.
Audible has free access to several workouts from Aaptiv and Aaptiv has a free trial of the full service. https://aaptiv.com/
Here is a seated exercise video for seniors. https://youtu.be/8BcPHWGQO44
https://youtu.be/GJp7wwqMRKM
https://youtu.be/cdsvYbcs-aM
Socialization
If you are lonely, someone is always available to chat confidentially with you at 7 cups. https://www.7cups.com/
Podcasts
https://www.samshockaday.com/blog/19-best-podcasts-perfect-for-seniors-baby-boomers-and-the-older-generation
AT HOME RESOURCES DURING SOCIAL DISTANCING AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
How to talk to children about Coronavirus:
https://buildfaith.org/coronavirus-anxiety-children-and-the-church/
Talking with your teens about Coronavirus:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-
anxiety.html?fbclid=IwAR3hcfmnEaQAMxO-
Dauyf4PCPhPQpfwGbzdBQh6_sBaS8RBXJsvScN9RZe8
Faith at Home
A lectionary-based devotional resource for families of all shapes and sizes
https://www.dofaithathome.org/
We Wonder Podcast for children
From the creators of the podcast: “We want to invite children into a life of wonder,
engagement, and curiosity about the Bible. Children's spiritual lives are real and vibrant: they
are known and loved by God as they are right now, not just as grownups in training! That's why,
on this podcast, we allow children the space to enter God's good words together, wonder about
them, and talk with God about what we find.”
https://www.wewonderpod.com/
The Bible Project
Videos that help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus
https://bibleproject.com/
Praying in Color
Using doodling and coloring as a way to pray
Main link to website: https://prayingincolor.com/
Link to page with downloadable color sheets: https://prayingincolor.com/handouts
The Easter Story Lego Challenge
https://www.proverbialhomemaker.com/easter-story-lego-challenge.html
Tucked In: Bedtime Stories with Episcopalians and Others
https://www.facebook.com/episcopaltuckedin/