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The Holy Weedwhacker: October 1 at 10am

Robin Morjikian

Why We Give: The Poindexter Family

When I was about 12, my mother and father separated. Money was tight. She worked three jobs – shuffling from a department store to Hertz car rental to a night shift on a psychiatric ward – to keep food on the table and clothes in our closets.

Every Sunday she took us to Calvary Baptist Church in New Orleans. When the offering plate came around, she dug into her wallet and pulled out a few $20 bills. Then, she passed the plate to my sister and me, so we could put in our own money.

My mother’s commitment to tithing amazed me. We had so little that I often played football in donated cleats. A new pair of blue jeans was a luxury. And yet, each Sunday she would part with what she had spent hours that week earning.

“No matter how little we have, we have enough,” she told me. “It’s our obligation to help others who don’t have this much.”

This is how I learned the value of giving to the church. It’s a value I am deeply committed to, in part, not only because I believe it’s the right thing to do but also because it helps me honor the memory of my mother and the sacrifices she made for her faith and family. Those efforts helped me get to Brown University, where I played football, met my wife, Brie, and got the foundation for my career in commercial construction.

Our family joined Calvary in 2010. Brie and I were looking for a new church home after relocating to San Francisco. We knew we would be starting a family soon and now have two daughters: Eve, 7, and Zoe, 9.

Being part of this congregation has enriched our lives. Its ministry in the community has helped me become more aware of injustices in the world and an advocate for social justice.

Every year we make our pledge to Calvary, we push ourselves to give more. We push to a point that we sometimes become anxious about it. But inside it feels good. It’s what I know my mother would have done.

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."