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The Holy Weedwhacker: October 1 at 10am

Alison Faison

Lent 2023: Coins and Jesus

Lent is a time for you and your child to prayerfully reflect and reconnect with God. Taking a walk to observe changes in nature can reveal the Lenten story. The seed grows in the darkness into a flower blooming in the light. Jesus walked in the wilderness, experienced a harrowing last week on earth, and then is risen at Easter. If you would like to read Lenten children’s stories with your child, check out “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle and “Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter” by Laura Alary. You are invited to join us on a Lenten journey to deepen our faith and deepen our community as we walk towards Jerusalem in search of new life and resurrection.

Calvary’s theme is “The Currency of Christ: A Devotion Through Coins in the Bible. Using excerpts from Jill. J. Duffield’s book Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion through Ten Objects, we will explore the ways the imagery of coins is used again and again in scripture. In the Bible, coins are precious items to be found when lost; they are sometimes given to God in offering or used as a means to cheat innocent victims. Coins were used to test Jesus and to betray Jesus. Coins symbolized more than just currency in Jesus’s day, and money (in the form of coins, cash, checks, credit cards, and NFTs) continue to play a large part in our own society. How might coins help us experience the holy in our everyday lives? How can these ordinary objects serve as a means of grace or a connection to the divine?” Parents can explore these topics in the Parent Small Group Lenten Bible Study beginning on Sunday, March 5 at 9 am. The group meets every Sunday through March 26. Sign up for the Lenten Studies Kick Off Luncheon happening this Sunday, February 26 at 11:15 am. Whether you’re new to Bible study and small groups or whether it’s your favorite part of church, all are welcome to join us!

Another way to connect with the meditative spirit of Lent while nurturing your body and spirit is to join our new Kundalini Yoga: Magical Mondays classes beginning on Monday, March 13 at 6 pm. Classes will run on Mondays through April 17. There will be no class on April 10 as Calvary is closed on Easter Monday. Rocky Blumhagen and Laura Paradis are seasoned yoga practitioners and teachers who will welcome you into safe movement with music. No yoga experience required. Laura will also teach the 9 am yoga class for the Women’s Retreat on Saturday, March 18. Join us in community!

More to Explore

Calvary’s 169 Years of Change-Makers

Occasionally I hear comments to the effect of, “Calvary’s recent highlighting of political issues can deter people from attending worship services.” My response is something like, “Since July 23, 1854, for 169 years, Calvary has been addressing human rights issues directly related to Jesus’ radical welcome. In 2020, we, along with many congregations across the U.S., became a Matthew 25 church that outwardly proclaims our commitment to feeding the hungry, clothing the unclothed, housing the unhoused, and loving those who are pushed aside and threatened by the workings of established societal systems.” In July 2021, I wrote a short children’s book called “You are a Calvary History-Maker.” I noted stories researched by Joe Beyer and information written in Carol Green Wilson’s book “Many Years One Message: Calvary Presbyterian Church: 1854 – 1979.” The opening line of my story is, “You are a Calvary history change-maker whether you have been sitting on the velvet sanctuary pew for half of your life or have only watched a few online services while sitting in your jammies on the couch this year.” The Protestant idea that we are the “community/priesthood of believers” gives us all permission to participate in our own faith-formation, as well as points to the responsibility to actively respond to our call. We don’t attend worship so we can watch the pastors and staff do community outreach. We attend worship to be inspired to courageously carry out the call of Matthew 25 into our relationships, work life, spiritual growth, and public action.

Summer with Children and Youth

Summer is a busy time for families as they shift from the school-year schedules to summer camps, programs, and vacations. How does church fit into families’ summer schedules? Many years ago, Calvary held summer worship services in the chapel and did not offer childcare. It was a time when pastors would go on study leave and vacations and folks would be out of town. It was a good time for families to sit together during worship. For almost ten years, we have had childcare open every Sunday throughout the year. We support families whenever they come to Calvary. Families have the choice to sit together during worship or walk their children to childcare and Sunday Studio.

More About Juneteenth

Join the Calvary Racial Equity Initiative (REI) Team after worship this Sunday, June 18, to celebrate our newest Federal holiday and the oldest known holiday that observes the end of slavery in the U.S. Enjoy Coffee Hour with treats from a local Black-owned business and information about Black heroes. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger announced that the enslaved people in Texas were free by the order of the president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1862. The Calvary church building will be closed on Monday, June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth. This blog will provide links to Juneteenth history resources and information about reparations. Amos 5:24 "But let justice and fairness flow like a river that never runs dry."