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Sunday, February 25, 2024
The Second Sunday in Lent
8 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
A said service of Holy Communion
in the Chapel
9 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
A service at the Crossing,
with congregational hymns and organ music
11 a.m. - The Holy Eucharist, Rite II
A service at the High Altar in the Church
with music for choir, organ, and congregation
[This service will be Livestreamed]
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Everyone will agree that last Sunday’s festive coffee hour announcing the public phase of the Capital Campaign was wonderful. The Parish Hall was full of excitement and positive energy and it is clear that parishioners are genuinely interested in how they can help achieve the campaign’s goal.
Of course, the real highlight of the hour was the unveiling of the campaign tracking chart that children in our Christian Formation Group created and, especially, hearing from two members of the group, Lily and Molly, talk with great presence and clarity about how they decided what to make, and what it represents to them. There will be more about their thought and design process in next month’s Agape.
Now that we have officially entered the public phase of the campaign, we are planning and organizing many different ways in which to share the Case and story. The first of those are coming up soon, and we hope that many of you will take the opportunity to engage with fellow parishioners, enjoy some nourishment, and learn more about the campaign.
On Thursday, March 7 at 1 p.m., we will host an Afternoon Tea at Calvary, complete with requisite tea sandwiches and sweets. The following Sunday, March 10 at about 12:15 p.m.(following the 11 o’clock service Coffee Hour), we will host a Lunch and Learn session, providing a light lunch, beverages, and dessert. Please do sign up as soon as possible so we know how many people to expect and can plan accordingly. You may do so by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling the campaign phone at (412) 735-6918.
Last, but most definitely not least, the wonderful campaign video that was produced by our talented Rector, is now available for your viewing pleasure on YouTube. The link to watch it is https://youtu.be/oR-VBMGHrw0, or click the thumbnail below. As you are watching it, please take a minute to jot down any questions that it raises for you and bring them to one of our sessions for answers.
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Lily will be fulfilling Girl Scout cookie orders on Sunday, February 25 and Sunday, March 3 after the 11 a.m. service. Please bring cash or a check to receive your pre-ordered cookies. Thank you for supporting our Girl Scout Troop!" | |
Downtown Walk-in Ministry | |
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Trinity Cathedral downtown hosts a walk-in ministry that provides the most vulnerable among us food, toiletries, clothing, and referral services. They participate along with four other downtown churches as members of the Downtown Ministerium.
They would appreciate donations of individually packaged shampoo, bar soap, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dish detergent, laundry detergent, rolls of toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, and diapers (especially size 4 and 5). Clothing donations of adult underwear and socks is also in demand.
There is a collection box in the Parish Hall. Thank you!
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A Priest and a Rabbi Walk Into a Classroom | |
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Rabbi Aaron Bisno and the Rev. Jonathon Jensen will continue to teach a class together. We will focus on the great stories of Judaism in the Book of Genesis. The classes will be in person in McClintic Hall, also known as the choir room, on Sundays at 10 a.m. Sessions are recorded and available on Calvary’s YouTube page. All are welcome to attend.
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Prayer and Anointing for Healing on Sundays at 11 a.m.
The ministry of healing prayer is rooted in Jesus’ own ministry, a significant portion of which involved healing and caring for those who suffered in body, mind and spirit. Throughout the season of Lent, we will offer healing prayer by anointing with oil and the laying on of hands during communion at the 11 a.m. service. If you would like to receive this healing prayer, please come to the Lady Chapel after you receive communion. The priest who is distributing communion at the station by the pulpit will join you there to offer this healing prayer. In Easter, we will evaluate to see if we want to continue this practice.
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Join our Beloved Community Initiative for a transformative musical journey that bridges worlds and weaves stories of shared human experiences. Kory Caudill, a virtuosic pianist, and Wordsmith, a prolific spoken-word artist, have teamed up to create "A Concert for the Human Family." Their harmonious blend of Appalachia, virtuosic piano, Hamilton-like narratives, and modern pop has been celebrated and embraced across the nation.
This concert is an invitation to celebrate our shared humanity, to embrace the truth about ourselves and to nurture joy, our diocesan focus for this year. The Rev. Canon Eric McIntosh, the Canon for Beloved Community Initiative, offers, “Can we celebrate that we are a product of God’s creativity? Can we do that together while at the same time acknowledging that we really make murky God’s creation? I think this concert does that.” The arts teach us what it means to be products of God’s creativity and also how to live in a broken world. The arts are an avenue to explore the ways in which our differences are an invitation for collaboration. Let us come together as a diocese for a night that responds to this invitation to creative collaboration and celebrate our shared humanity.
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The roots of this concert series trace back to a filmed event at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, which garnered international attention, including Webby and Telly awards. This groundbreaking event has since echoed across the country, touching hearts and igniting conversations around unity, love, and our shared humanity.
Now, Pittsburgh, the city of bridges, becomes the latest canvas for this musical tapestry, binding together diverse sounds and tales from all walks of life. Dive into musical narratives that traverse two distinct worlds, revealing how strikingly similar they can be.
Tickets, ranging in price from $0 to $30 are available here:
http://tinyurl.com/yf6b5bzt
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Lenten Reading and
Discussion Group –
Julian of Norwich
Are you interested in deepening your Lenten observance, by sharing and reflecting together on a beautiful spiritual classic? Join us on Thursdays in Lent from 6:30-7:30 p.m. (through March 21) in the Evans Room (or by Zoom) for a guided discussion of Julian of Norwich’s Revelations of Divine Love. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Daniel Perett ([email protected]).
The first book written in English by a woman, Julian’s Revelations are moving meditations on God’s love, compassion, and care for us, based on a vision of Christ’s passion that she received when she was thought she was dying. Keenly aware of suffering and human frailty, Julian shares a deeply reassuring message of hope, joy, and peace, centered in God’s wondrous, unfailing love, a perfect message for our spiritual growth in Lent.
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As one of your Lenten disciplines, consider joining with other parishioners at Calvary for the service of Evening Prayer at 6 p.m. in the Lady Chapel each Monday and Thursday of Lent (through March 21).
Praying at certain points of the day has its origins in Judaism and was practiced in the early church and monastic traditions. Evening Prayer is derived from the monastic prayer services and is one of the Daily Offices found in our Book of Common Prayer. The service of Evening Prayer is about 20 minutes long and includes Psalms, Scripture, and Prayers for the day (but no sermon or music).
If you have questions or are interested in helping to lead this service, please contact Steve Shandor (steve.shandor@ gmail.com) or Michael Salmon ([email protected]).
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Children’s Liturgy of the Word at the 11 a.m. Service | |
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Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLW) at the 11 a.m. Service is a special time for children to pray, ask questions, and hear the good news of God’s love. The Sunday scripture readings are proclaimed and explained on a level appropriate to children ages 4-11. Any child in this age group may participate - no registration is necessary.
Children are invited to gather with adult leaders after the Opening Prayer and process to the Refectory. They return to their families at the time of the Peace. If you are running a little late and miss the beginning of the service, no worries! Drop in and join us in the Refectory.
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Open on Sundays from 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and for other church events as published. Details at https://www.calvarypgh.org/the-nursery
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Faith Formation Highlights | |
Last week, our Faith Formation classes reflected on the importance of Lent, inspired by Jesus' forty-day retreat in the wilderness before starting his public work. We explored Lent as a time for self-reflection, readiness, and change. The conversations shifted from seeing Lent as merely a time of giving up things to viewing it as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of God's love, which in turn, fosters personal development and change. As an activity, Miss Elsa’s class decorated small wooden flower shapes to be included in the Calvary Capital Campaign goal-tracking project. The students enjoyed adding color and creative designs to each flower which will be added to the poster as a way to track the number of pledges. | |
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The older students were delighted to present the final project during Coffee Hour. It was inspiring to see them articulate the design process and significance of the artwork. Kudos to these students for a job well done! Read more about the project here:
https://www.calvaryfaithformation.org/blog/charting-growth-calvarys-capital-campaign-journey
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The Bookstore has a large selection of books for Lent including Under the Fig Tree: Visual Prayers and Poems for Lent by Roger Hutchison, which allows the reader an opportunity to reflect, slow down, and walk with Jesus as a friend and disciple, to sit with Jesus under the fig tree and talk, listen, and glimpse the face and heart of authentic love. Explore reflections of seminary students in Praises Abound: Hymns and Meditations for Lent & Easter Week from the Seminary of the Southwest. The collection is of selected works by students of Dr. Schulz-Widmar during his thirty-year teaching career at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, Austin, Texas.
The Bookstore is open on Sunday from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the Bookstore at 412-661-0120 ext. 133 (please leave a message) or email at [email protected] and we will contact you. Cash, check, Discover®, MasterCard®, and Visa® along with touch-free payments are accepted.
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You can support the Calvary Bookstore both in-person and now online. Instead of using Amazon to find any books that you are interested in, please turn to Bookshop.org, type zip code 15206 in the Bookstore Near Me box, click on Calvary Bookstore, then the red Support this Shop! box. You will be taken to the Calvary Bookstore homepage on their site where you will find suggested readings. You can also use the search bar to find most any book your heart desires. The books will be sent directly to you.
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Spiritual Reflection –
Kate Bowler
Adult spiritual formation may be described as the step-by-step discovery of God’s presence in our lives and our personal transformation along the way. Calvary’s Spiritual Reflection meetings continue to be a regular and familiar forum for small group sharing and prayer.
For this term we use Kate Bowler’s Good Enough. Bowler is a Duke religion professor best known for her book, Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I've loved), written after her Stage IV cancer diagnosis at age 35. Good Enough is a collection of devotionals and prayers "overflowing with grace, good humor and clear-eyed counsel," says one reviewer.
Meetings are held in the Evans Room from 7-8 p.m. on the first and third Tuesday evening of each month. The meetings are hybrid, allowing “in person” conversation while others join remotely using Zoom. Upcoming meeting dates are March 5 and 19.
Email Matt Muldoon ([email protected]) or Sondra Krimmel ([email protected]) for information or to be added to the email list. Please feel welcome to join us at any time.
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The Contemplative Prayer group meets for silent prayer and reflection, both in person and on Zoom Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Evans Room. For more info and a Zoom invitation, contact Lucy Weingartner at [email protected] | |
The Lenten Series is back! Each Tuesday in Lent one parish in our district of the diocese will host a simple supper at 6 p.m. followed by a Eucharist at 7 p.m. A different preacher is featured each week. | |
Adults of all ages are invited to our Lenten Quiet Day, an opportunity to slow down, be quiet, spend time with God and refresh your spirit. We’ll reflect on “Jesus as the True Vine,” a theme inspired by John 15:1-17. The morning will include worship, meditations on a theme, and periods of silence, during which participants can choose to pray, read, draw, or journal on their own. Prompts will be available for those who would like more structure during the periods of silence. We will end our time together with a Eucharist in the Lady Chapel. | |
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Christ-Centered Yoga continues on Monday nights through March 11, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Every-body and all-bodies are welcome. You may join any week! We meet in the Parish Hall for 20-30 minutes of yoga, followed by journaling.
Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat or beach towel, and paper and pen for journaling. Optional items to bring are yoga blocks, and/or a bath or beach towel for your knees, hips, etc. on the hard floor.
Christ-Centered Yoga is led by Calvary parishioner, Elizabeth Hepburn Miller. Please contact her with questions or concerns at www.bebyelizabeth.com or email [email protected].
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2024 Sacred Ground Dates Announced
Sacred Ground is part of the Beloved Community Initiative, the Episcopal Church’s long-term commitment to racial healing, reconciliation, and justice in our personal lives, our ministries, and our society.
There will be sessions of Sacred Ground going on at various locations throughout the Diocese of Pittsburgh this year. Please encourage friends, family, fellow parishioners and other congregations or faith based groups to participate.
There are some very positive changes to Level 1 based on feedback from the surveys from participants. This will give us time to implement some of the new initiatives (less readings, more up to date articles, more discussion time, and only 8 sessions). We are also adding a "Sacred Ground" Level 2 for those who took Sacred Ground and want a deeper dive into the content, more research and/or more action oriented programming. The level 2 sessions consist of 6 sessions.
New Level 1 Session for Sacred Ground on Tuesdays at St. Thomas Church, Oakmont, at 6 p.m. Dinner will be provided.
New Level 2 Sacred Ground Sessions on Thursdays at St. Thomas Church, Oakmont, at 6 p.m. Dinner will be provided.
New Level 2 Sacred Ground Sessions on Wednesdays, April 3 - May 8, 2024 in the Conference Room at Calvary Church, East Liberty. Time TBD. Dinner will be provided.
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Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
AA: Alcoholics Anonymous; CYAM: Calvary Young Adult Ministry;
ESL: English as a Second Language
Friday February 23, 2024
Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop and Martyr, 156
Saturday February 24, 2024
Saint Matthias the Apostle
9:00 a.m. Lenten Quiet Day
Sunday February 25, 2024
The Second Sunday in Lent
The Holy Eucharist at 8, 9, and 11 a.m.
10:00 a.m. Children/Youth Formation
10:00 a.m. Priest/Rabbi Class
10:00 a.m. Gospel and Breakfast (GAB)
10:00 a.m. Choir Warm-up
11:00 a.m. Children’s Liturgy
12:00 p.m. Coffee Hour
12:00 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting
Monday February 26, 2024
Photini, the Samaritan Woman, c. 67
6:00 p.m. AGO Dinner and Meeting
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer
6:15 p.m. Vestry Dinner
6:30 p.m. Christ-centered Yoga
7:00 p.m. Vestry Meeting
7:00 p.m. Contemplative Prayer
Tuesday February 27, 2024
George Herbert, Priest and Poet, 1633
11:00 a.m. Staff Meeting
6:00 p.m. Lenten Preaching Series at St. Thomas, Oakmont
7:00 p.m. AA Meeting
Wednesday February 28, 2024
Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, Educator, 1964
9:00 a.m. Wednesday Workspace
10:00 a.m. ESL Conversation Class
12:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist
6:00 p.m. Interlude Group
Thursday February 29, 2024
6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer
6:30 p.m. Lenten Reading Series
6:30 p.m. Mahjong
6:30 p.m. Inquirer’s Class
7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Friday March 1, 2024
David of Wales, Bishop, 672
Agape Deadline
Saturday March 2, 2024
Chad of Lichfield, Bishop, 672
12:00 p.m. Adwa Celebration
Sunday March 3, 2024
The Third Sunday in Lent
The Holy Eucharist at 8, 9, and 11 a.m.
10:00 a.m. Children/Youth Formation
10:00 a.m. Priest/Rabbi Class
10:00 a.m. Gospel and Breakfast (GAB)
10:00 a.m. Choir Warm-up
11:00 a.m. Children’s Liturgy
11:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist with Heinz Chapel Choir
12:00 p.m. Coffee Hour
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An archive of the past months weekly email blasts
may be viewed on the Calvary website at
www.calvarypgh.org
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