First and foremost, create or join a Reunion Group with your sponsor. A group may be as small as two, but should divide when it gets too large or takes too long for all to share. Experience indicates that a group size of three to five is ideal. Invite others to join the group. A group does not become a group just by sitting down together to talk. It takes time to become a group, and it takes caring, sharing, forgiving, and affirming. A Reunion Group may add other activities as well. It may be natural to share a meal if meeting at a restaurant. The group may decide to do palanca each week, or to make regular visits to a hospital or nursing home or prison. Some groups sing together, and some have added time for studying the Bible. An added activity may help bond the group members together.
    The three major discussion topics are like the three legs of a stool; doing without any one of the three causes the whole thing to collapse. Piety, Study, and Action are more than just topics for discussion; they should involve your daily life.
    Piety is a spiritual aid for your personal growth. It should help you discover your unique gifts, strengths and weaknesses, and your spiritual and intellectual formation. As a way of getting additional help in this area, get spiritual direction. You may learn to better recognize Christ in everyday life.
    To discuss Study, one needs to spend time in study each week. This could be as basic as doing the daily readings, or being in a separate Bible study. The Day By Day devotions provide an easy way to start. Many other books, periodicals, and tapes are readily available as well. Find a methodology that works for you.
    Apostolic Action is meant to bring people to Christ during our everyday lives. "Make a friend. Be a friend. Bring your friend to Christ." We can ask God for guidance, but we may not always know the outcome. Even when we feel like we've failed, God still has a plan and a purpose for us. When we were baptized, we were joined with a large team of fellow Christians. God knows us all and loves us unconditionally. Let's keep going. Ultreya!

Many thanks to the Cursillo Community at the Church of the Holy Apostles for their generous offer to be responsible for the Agape meals at all Cursillos this year!

A "Day of Deeper Understanding" will be held in Oklahoma City on Nov. 2nd at St. Augustine of Canterbury Episcopal Church (14700 N May Ave). This is an opportunity for all Cursillistas to learn the "flow" of the Weekend or to learn what they may have missed during the weekend.
    Gather beginning at 8am for a continental breakfast. After Morning Prayer at 8:30 are three talks (and discussion and music and a break). The topics include "Instructed Ultreya", "The Role and Structure of the Movement in the Church", and "The Three Day Weekend". Following lunch (advance registration and donation required) are three more talks, followed by a closing Eucharist at 3pm. The afternoon talks are "The Fourth Day: The Group Reunion, Environmental Group Reunion, Rule of Life, & Spiritual Direction", "Personal Contact Technique", and "Sponsorship". Presenters are Tim Bridges, The Rt. Rev. William Cox, Ralph Morgan, Marcy DeSpain, Steve Orwig, and Debbie Butcher.
    Register with Cathie Morgan via phone after 6pm at 405-755-0528 or via e-mail at ktbrthdr@aol.com and plan to attend.

Beginning in October, an Ultreya will be held on the first Sunday of each month from 6:30pm until 8pm. Each Ultreya will also include a talk based on one of the Day of Deeper Understanding topics. The first Ultreya, to be held at St. Peter's Episcopal Church (9100 E 21st St), will have the topic of Group Reunion.
    On November 3, the Ultreya will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (1310 N. Sioux Ave) in Claremore. The special Day of Deeper Understanding topic will be Piety.  The topics, concluding in May, are Study, Sponsorship, Personal Contact Technique, Rule of Life, Action, and Role & Structure of the 3 Day Weekend.

Greetings to all my fellow pilgrims.
    It has been several weeks since January 31st, and is now summer with the temperature in the upper 90's. The thoughts of icy roads somehow seem more inviting than threatening. But my worries were very real and were only relieved when everyone, team and candidates alike, assembled at St. Crispin's that Thursday evening. The weekend that followed was one that words can not describe, or stated another way, was a "typical" Cursillo weekend! Using our limited language, it is not possible to adequately describe the love, camaraderie and intimacy that enveloped us. What a privilege it was for me to share a weekend with all of these men and to serve as their rector.
    It was truly a weekend spent as pilgrims making a spiritual journey together.
    That's what we are. Pilgrims - a journeyer in a foreign land seeking a divine destination - in all of our diversity and uniqueness, who by some mysterious, mystical and even paradoxical way:

    We are all on different paths;
    With varied experiences, yet our paths cross and intertwine;
    Adding richness to our journey, challenging, yet encouraging us.

    Is it really possible to comprehend this incredible journey in its fullness? Can the messages of faith, hope, truth, grace be grasped completely? A part of me hopes not; for the joy is in the quiet meditations and the joyous community, experiencing God in multiple ways and ever seeking to know more.
    For many of us, our cursillo weekend, more than anything else, has given us an irreplaceable, unimaginable, glorious experience of God's community. We see and feel and absorb His love in so many ways in the three days, sharing with others in our decuria, quietly meditating in a serene place, eating, singing, laughing, crying.... We come away changed, knowing that God IS LOVE and we have experienced HIM in our experiences with each other.
    Since that weekend, we have made some progress in our Fourth Day; reading a devotional or even the daily office each day. Some of us have started Group Reunions and meet each week. Our coworkers may have even seen some difference in us. We know that this weekend has changed us forever.
    As I reflect on all of my Cursillo experiences (five to be exact), I continue to be amazed and humbled by the incredible oneness of each weekend, and the feeling that every weekend is utterly impossible by our individual efforts. But with God, these weekends are not only possible, but are wonderful, and glorious! I have learned the value of spending time in private prayer and meditation, in private or group study, and in reaching out to those around me. In this way we experience God in each other, even when we are not together. As Thomas Merton states:

The more we are alone, the more we are together,
and the more we are in society, the true society
of charity, not of cities and crowds, the more we
are alone with Him. For in my soul and in your
soul I find the same Christ Who is our Life, and
He finds Himself in our love, and together we
all find Paradise, which is the sharing of His
Love for His Father in the Person of Their Spirit.

That was the itinerary for Cursillo #104. Team formation occurred over a 4-5 week process of prayer, hope and telephone calls; and evolved into prayer, preparatory work and email communications. Ultimately, Cursillo #104 prayed and rejoiced at Clausura for 30 new Cursillistas, their sponsors and friends.
    During Team formation, each prospective Team Member's Rector was called and asked if they were aware of any reason this particular Parish member could or should not be invited to serve on Team #104. Each Rector contacted was very helpful and supportive in prayer, consultation and assistance to their respective Team Member. The support of each Parish Cursillo Community was manifested in that not one Team Member withdrew after the Team was formed. Three Teams Meetings and emails created a Cursillo Team Community representing a geographic and diverse cross-section of the Diocese. Each Team Member responded with serious recruitment of Candidates, as is evidenced by 30 Candidates from throughout the Diocese. As Candidates registered, welcome-emails were cumulatively and continually sent to the Team and Candidates. Prior familiarity with names generated a palpable relaxed and communal atmosphere on Thursday evening. The Candidates and I were emailing prior to March 7th and their enthusiasm was evident and contagious!
    A packet containing a welcome and thank you letter, guidelines for sponsors, a flyer for Clausura and Ultreya, and copy of their Candidate's application were provided to each Sponsor using regular mail. (New Candidate Applications will include a space for Sponsor email addresses). Many Sponsors expressed their appreciation for the recognition and encouraging words.
    Thank you is hardly adequate for the generosity of the Cursillo Community of Holy Apostles' Church, OKC. Led by The Rev. Beverly Bradley, the community graciously came to St. Crispin's to set up, wait, and to take down/store for the Agape feast. What a blessing they were!!! We closed Agape with the Decuria prayers composed in response to the Sacraments Rollos. It was a fitting conclusion to Agape. Further thanks also goes to Doug Brown, St. John's, Tulsa, for #104's theme poster of a True North Compass.
    Team #104 was the first Team to fully utilize the revised Cursillo Manuals prepared by the Secretariat Committee for Manual Revision. The Spiritual Director and I agreed to heed the "Back to Basics" directive from the National Office and provided more quiet time for prayer and meditation by limiting the amount of creative responses and carefully managing Rollo times. In lieu of the Saturday Decuria Chapel Visits at a sequentially defined time, quiet places were established for each Decuria for group prayer on Saturday afternoon; and for mediation, reflection and/or individual prayer during the weekend. The Chapel remained open and available for prayer and meditation and was utilized frequently. Additionally, simplification of the Saturday pace resulted in a more alert and enthusiastic Candidate group on Sunday. The new Rector's Manual with accompanying Administrative Manual, the Palanca Manual and the Cha Manual were more "user friendly", allowed for sufficient flexibility and were uniformly well received. The Rector, Assistant Rector and the Spiritual Director have provided feedback to the Manual Revision Committee as requested.
    Special thanks goes to the Spiritual Directors, lead by The Rev. Janie Kirt Morris, to Assistant Rector Stephanie Dukes, and an awesome Spirit-empowered Team. Frequently, I stood in awesome wonder at the depth and breadth of the commitment to the Christian Life lived out by Team #104. They truly manifested the Cursillo mission to bring others to Christ so that the Church will be strengthened and the Kingdom be made more effective in themselves and in their sisters. It was a joy and a blessing to serve and grow with them. We created graced friendships and memories to last a lifetime!!

Lay Rector .................... Steve Lewis, St. Aidan's, Tulsa
Assistant Rector ............. Glen Boyer, St. Andrew's, Lawton
Spiritual Advisor ... The Rev. Mary Davis, St. John's, Woodward
Spiritual Advisor ........ The Rev. Jim Thomson, Trinity, Tulsa
Spiritual Advisor . The Rev. Bill Graham, All Saints, McAlester
Spiritual Advisor .. The Rev. Nancy Bridges, St. Mary's, Edmond
Music Leader ............ Maggie Taliaferro, St. Peter's, Tulsa
Asst. Music Leader ............ Bill Kerr, St. Augustine's, OKC
Head Palanca Chapel ..... Janet Schisser, St. Michael's, Norman
Palanca Chapel ................. Ted Lemser, Holy Apostles, OKC
Palanca Chapel .................. Judy Cairl, St. John's, Tulsa
Head Chacha ............. Kris Bonner, St. Luke's, Bartlesville
Chacha .................. Susan McCalmont, St. Augustine's, OKC
Chacho ..................... Todd Olberding, St. Mary's, Edmond
Decuria Leader .................. Doug Brown, St. John's, Tulsa
Decuria Leader ............... Marilyn Thoms, Emmanual, Shawnee
Decuria Leader .............. Kelly Athey, St. Anselm's, Norman
Decuria Leader ............... Tom Kilbourn, St. John's, Norman
Decuria Leader .............. Bob Curtis, St. Paul's, Claremore
Decuria Leader .............. Burke Haynes, Holy Apostle's, OKC

Cursillo #105 ..................................................... Sept. 26-29, 2002
          Clausura, St. Crispin's ...................... 3:30pm, Sept. 29, 2002
Regional Ultreyas ................................................. October 6, 2002
          St. Peter's, Tulsa, 6:30pm       St. Andrew's, Lawton
Day of Deeper Understanding, OKC ................. 8am, Nov. 2, 2002
Ultreya, St. Paul's, Claremore ....................... 6:30pm, Nov. 3, 2002
Secretariat Annual Mtg, St. Crispin's ........... 10:30am, Nov. 9, 2002
Secretariat, Diocesan Center ......................... 9:30am, Jan 11, 2003
Cursillo #106 (Women) ............................... Jan. 30 - Feb. 2, 2003
Cursillo #107 (Men) ........................................ March 27-30, 2003
Regional Ultreyas ....................................................... April 6, 2003
Cursillo #108 ..................................................... Sept. 25-28, 2003
Host District Servant Community Meeting ............................... 2004

I heard this term during my Cursillo weekend, but what is it? Can just anybody get it? What do we talk about? Is it like counseling, or a therapy session?
    Spiritual direction is the process of discovering what God is saying through the events and relationships of life. One may begin the process after experiencing painful feelings such as loss, anxiety, alienation, dissatisfaction, or depression, but the goal should be an orientation towards God, becoming more deeply aware of the presence and action of God in life.
    Spiritual direction is available for all. They are one-on-one meetings, and strict confidentiality is observed. A Spiritual Director does not have to be a clergy person, as many lay people are trained and available. Your own Rector doesn't even have to know you've started. In fact, nobody within your parish must know, as you may find a spiritual director from another parish. Keep in mind that a spiritual director should also be under spiritual direction.
    At your first meeting, you should be forthright and discuss the issue of confidentiality to be sure both have the same understanding. Also discuss frequency of meetings; you should probably meet at least once a month, maybe more often at first. The primary topic should then resolve towards whatever is going on in your life, because that is where God lives and works. Your Rule Of Life card contains items under piety, study, and action which would be good topics to get you started. Your spiritual director may desire to discuss these with you, and discuss how to accomplish them. To really have the sharpest focus in your discussions, talk about what happens when you pray.
    Many spiritual directors will pray with you during each visit. Some may pray for you daily as well. To help keep track of your journey, you may be asked to keep a spiritual journal. No one else will ever read your journal. It is yours, and it is private. You pick the parts you disclose.
    Spiritual direction is not counseling or therapy. It should help one discover the actions of God in life, not give relief from troubles or provide a cure. This is not confession; there is no rite of absolution. Surrender to God; let go of whatever blocks union with God. Look for awareness, awakening, discovery, and conversion, not for a solution to a problem or a healing of attitudes and behaviors, although these may happen.
    Ready to find a spiritual director? Ask your own Rector to suggest someone. Look towards other clergy (from any parish) and lay leaders. Spiritual direction is for everyone.