READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Print story only Print story with comments Email Facebook

Church members gather near Kialegee casino site in prayer walk
People gather to pray at the intersection of 111th Street and 129th East Avenue in Broken Arrow across from the building site of the Kialegee casino. JOEY JOHNSON / For the Tulsa World
People gather to pray at the intersection of 111th Street and 129th East Avenue in Broken Arrow across from the building site of the Kialegee casino. JOEY JOHNSON / For the Tulsa World

By AMANDA BLAND World Staff Writer
Published: 2/6/2012  2:25 AM
Last Modified: 2/6/2012  8:01 AM
Read previous stories and key documents about the Kialegees’ efforts to build a casino in Broken Arrow.

BROKEN ARROW - Several hundred members of at least a dozen churches joined in prayer near the construction site of a tribal casino in Broken Arrow on Sunday.

Groups from churches of several denominations in Broken Arrow, Bixby and Tulsa participated in what organizers called a prayer walk at the Florence (111th) Street and Olive (129th East) Avenue intersection where the Kialegee Tribal Town has broken ground for a casino. The construction plans have sparked controversy and led to a petition against the facility and vows by local officials and a congressman to fight its construction.

Prayer walk participants were given a list of prayer points and a diagram of the property, which organizers hoped to encompass in a 30-minute silent prayer.

The Rev. Chris Buskirk of Abiding Harvest United Methodist Church, a property neighboring the construction site, led the effort at the request of area church leaders, he said.

Those gathered were instructed not to stand on the casino property itself and use the public sidewalks and easements across from the site instead.

"It's just a prayer-for-all, really," Buskirk said. "Our hope is to appeal to our God for wisdom beyond ourselves for some solution that would be a win-win-win ... for the community and for the Kialegee and for everybody involved."

He called gambling addiction a silent plague and said he and his colleagues have seen the fallout destroy lives.

"I think it's the people's concern that gathers us. It's not property values, those kind of concerns. It's more, 'What is this going to do to people in our community?'" Buskirk said.

The church printed 2,000 cards to distribute at the event, which listed the following prayer points:

  • "Thanks to God who hears our prayers

  • For the good of the Kialegee people

  • For Broken Arrow and all communities facing such developments

  • For wisdom and courage of influential authorities

  • For the positive and proper exercise of sovereign rights

  • For the unity, witness and integrity of all churches

  • For anyone hurting from losses due to gambling

  • For any other concerns as they come to your heart"

Michele Blackstad, who lives a couple of miles from the site, brought her four children, ages 7 to 17, to join the prayer walk.

"We don't want to have a casino built here," Blackstad said. "In talking about (the prayer walk) with my children, I said there are times where you pray about things and there are times where you put feet to your faith. That's what we wanted to do today."

She also voiced concerns for families and individuals affected by gambling addiction.

"We don't want anyone else to be hurt by all that gambling brings with it," Blackstad said.

Members of Broken Arrow Citizens Against Neighborhood Gaming were also on hand to circulate petitions before the event.

Dianna Coscia, petition chairwoman for the group, said they gathered about 500 signatures at the prayer walk to add to the 8,335 collected within the last five weeks.


Original Print Headline: Groups gather to pray near casino site in Broken Arrow

Amanda Bland 918-581-8413
amanda.bland@tulsaworld.com

Copyright 2012 World Publishing Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Reader Comments 293 Total
Some reader comments for this page were copied from "Hundreds gather for prayer near BA casino construction site," which was published on 2/5/2012.

qwerty1 (4 months ago)
Maybe they should pray to God to show them acceptance and tolerance for their future new neighbor.
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
Maybe the OWS movement should learn some acceptance and tolerance.
                    
Brainiac (4 months ago)
I'm sorry, but what does this have to do with OWS?
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
Come on, use your brainiac. qwerty makes a reference that these people, instead of protesting in their own way, with prayer...they should exercise "tolerance and acceptance." So I merely referenced a group (likely endearing to qwerty) that protests in their own way, and that the idea of "tolerating and accepting" anything and everything is not what most people do. As a matter of fact, very few people EVER AND ANYWHERE tolerate and accept anything in our 21st century America.
                    
PrayingHam (4 months ago)
85261, maybe they should pray for your weak little brain so you can stay on subject.

Looks like they are in line to be first to get in. Please, fellow Praying Hams, (they got their picture in the paper, mission accomplished!) remember the casino won't open for several months. I love your enthusiasm though.

Let us pray the casino opens early for the benefit of all those gathered.

Amen.
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
Ham, how is comparing this group's prayer protests with the OWS group protests...off the subject?

If protesting is showing lack of tolerance and acceptance (qwerty logic), then OWS and other protesters fit the bill also.
                    
Rush 2112 (4 months ago)
If the casino still gets built after this 'prayer walk', does this mean that praying is a futile endeavor?
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
If you dig a well, and don't find water, is well-digging a futile effort?
gadfly (4 months ago)
Telling one's gawd (praying) that one doesn't want a casino in one's neighborhood -- is a terrible wast of any gawd's time.

Gawds should be preventing wars and diseases -- and leave casino management to Republican anti-tax types -- who want the gamblers to pay for city services.

Don't pray -- sit-in in city hall until your mayor promises to do something.
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
I know the "rule" around here is not to respond to you at all, but I just have to ask, why do you not tolerate Christians who pray?
                    
Deb G. (4 months ago)
If you read the article again, you will see that the prayer walk was for the Kialegee Tribe as well.
                    
Soonertrain (4 months ago)
One of these days gadfly will grow up to be a big boy and, as his mortality begins to occur to him, he sure will be sorry for making light of the name of God. Bet me. If he begins choking on a chicken wing during the game and runs out of air and things start going dark ..... gawd will be Almighty God.
                    
okierose (4 months ago)
So you are saying that all Indians are republicans?
                    
myopinion (4 months ago)
25261, You're learning *gadfly* is a sad person, its best just to let him stew.
                    
Woofenburger (4 months ago)
There they go! Sicking God on you and telling how you better be afraid!

Fear is their stock and trade.
Im surprised neither "MyOpinion" or "PrayingHam" have not made some stupid remark to this story yet, let me not forget "AlternativeTeacher" hmm if ive missed anyone else who lives on here please remind me.
                    
dontliveinfear (4 months ago)
You forgot me Joe.

I am kinda hurt. But including myopinion in your group of favourite marxists made up for it.
                    
PrayingHam (4 months ago)
Joe blue, thanks for the shout out err.... dude!
Sorry to disappoint, but I was praying for your wretched soul.

I'll let you know who I was praying to soon.
                    
myopinion (4 months ago)
I'm shock that I would be included with Prayingham and A/T. Its obvious that *joehook* hasn't been on this site long. I'm definitely not a liberal.
                    
PrayingHam (4 months ago)
But we still love you MyO.
                    
myopinion (4 months ago)
dean, talk about a stupid comment.
                    
Mary Lucifer (4 months ago)
@joe... Is your name a reference to Classical Liberalism or to Welfare Liberalism, because they are essentially polar opposite? You might want to define your terms completely before coming up with overgeneralized names... Perhaps you might mean "Welfare Liberal, communists..is there a difference?" After doing a little homework, and looking up the difference, you might find a name change is in order. You also might find yourself identifying as a Liberal (probably a Classical Liberal).
@ the article... Perhaps the real silent plague is hyper-religiosity?
                    
fka (4 months ago)
I am feeling really hurt. Here I thought I was the literate liberal rant.
emporiamike (4 months ago)
This demonstration is a great way to spread a cold, or the flu. If that happens, at least they will have accomplished something.
                    
85261 (4 months ago)
Ridicule these people, but support OWS. Makes a whole lot of sense mikey......NOT
25 of 293 comments displayed  |  View All


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.
 
View All

Newsletter Sign up
Get breaking news email alerts
When significant news breaks locally, get an alert and link to the story.   
Most Popular Stories
Most Viewed
Most Commented
 
View the Top 50
These are the most viewed stories in the last 24 hours.







Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise | Privacy
Copyright © 2012, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.