Dean's Message for April 23, 2026

Author:
April 29, 2026

Beloveds,
This Sunday brings a change of rhythm for us as we navigate Marathon Sunday in downtown Oklahoma City. Good luck to all our members who are running!  In place of our usual morning schedule, we will gather for one service at 4:00 p.m. in the East Garden (weather permitting), followed by a potluck dinner. We will provide the main dish - you bring a favorite side or dessert to share.

This day also sits in the shadow of memory. As our city continues to mark the 31st anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, and as thousands move through our streets in the marathon, we are reminded of the ways endurance, remembrance, and community are woven together. Year after year, St. Paul’s has opened its doors as a place of safety and rest along the route—a quiet witness to care in the midst of movement.

The Book of Common Prayer offers us words for such moments:
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God… (BCP, p. 832)

In a day shaped by motion and memory, we are invited into both—to honor what has been, and to gather as we are, in this present moment.

There is something quietly beautiful about this shift in our common life. An afternoon service, the open air, shared food, unhurried conversation—these are gifts that remind us that church is not only what we do, but how we are together.

I hope you will join us as we gather in this different way—still rooted in worship, still grounded in prayer, and still deeply connected as the Body of Christ.

Grace and peace,

The Very Reverend Katie Churchwell, 15th Dean, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

 

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