The Week ·
Sunday, March 7: 9:30am: Worship
11:00am: Tables of 8
Tuesday, March 9: 10:00am: Bible Study
6:00pm: Worship Planning
Wednesday, March 10: 7:00pm: Choir Practice
Saturday, March 13: 8:00am: Men's Breakfast
Sunday, March 14: 9:30am: Worship
11:00am: Tables of 8
5:00pm: Youth Group
Calendar of Events ·
We welcome all who worship with us this day. May you know God’s presence and find inspiration for devotion and service. This morning the leaders in worship are: Rick Jenkins, sound engineer; Wayne and Phyllis Kaufman, ushers; Deb Marshall, liturgist; Dean Stalnaker, pianist; Sarah Johnson, violinist; Bruce Ackley and Donna Helgren, communion servers; Rev. Dr. Holly Heuer, preacher. All music today is used by permission CCLI –1800777/One License #A-716927.
Thanks to Calvary Creations for hosting fellowship hour today. We serve Fair Trade coffee in reusable mugs and juice in reusable cups.
Prayer concerns this week: Edna Waters, Lu Farnworth, Jane Smithson, Chichester family, Brendan Magee’s father, Beth Hewlett (fire in building)
Please register your attendance in the friendship folders located on the chairs in the inside aisle or on the table in the narthex. Children are always welcome in worship. However, there is a nursery on the garden level for those who would enjoy some special attention from our care providers, Ruth and Alison Lewis.
There is a special blue envelope in your pledge envelope box marked per capita. Per Capita is the amount that Calvary pays to Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly for each active member in our church. It is our way of expressing our connectional relationship as Presbyterians. If you wish to pay your own share of per capita, please mark your check/envelope "per capita." For 2010 the per capita apportionment is $24.53. To make it easier for our counters, we ask that you round up to $25.00. Thank you.
Copies of the Upper Room for March/April are available in the narthex.
The chime choir will be rehearsing with Tom Keilmeyer on Wednesday, March 17 @ 6:00, Wednesday, March 24 @ 6:00, and Sunday, March 28 @ 10:45 (after worship).
If you are interested in planning our worship services, please meet this Tuesday, March 9th at 6:00 pm. There will be a pot of soup and good conversation.
Last habitat building date!!! Carpenter’s helpers habitat build dates that still need volunteers: Thursday, March 18. Please email Beth Hewlett if you would like to volunteer: bethhewlett@hotmail.com.
Sarah Johnson (our violin player at Calvary) is going to be having a solo performance with the Lamont Symphony on Thursday, March 11th at 7:30 pm at the Newman Center (corner of E. Iliff and University Blvd). The tickets are FREE, but you have to pick them up in person and they go very quickly (you can get up to 4 at the time). You can get them at the Newman Center Box Office, Monday - Friday, 10 - 4. We hope many of you can come and hear a fabulous concert and support Sarah, too! If you need a ticket and were unable to go to the Newman Center, see Holly Hoxeng. She may have extra tickets.
Tables of 8: During these first four Sundays of Lent you invited to join a small group for light brunch and conversations each Sunday after worship. The hosts will have written questions to guide the discussions. We are hoping to enhance our sense of community, as we share our lives with one another. The Tables of 8 were a great hit 2 years ago and are back by popular demand. The dates for the table conversations are: Feb 21, 28 and March 7 and 14.
One Great Hour of Sharing "fish boxes" will be available for your use during lent. There are 3 disciplines that Christians are invited to practice during the 6 Sundays of Lent – fasting, prayer and almsgiving. We join with Presbyterian Christians around the world in supporting One Great Hour as our almsgiving. Those are the funds that went straight to Haiti following the earthquake. We will receive the offering on Palm Sunday. So, bring your fish and other contributions then.
We will be making hygiene kits for Haiti on Sunday, March 21st after worship. Please mark you calendar and plan to stay after fellowship hour to help assemble these kits. We will also be collecting the necessary items to include in these kits during Lent. Please bring the following items for the Hygiene Kit:
1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28")
1 — washcloth
1 — wide-tooth comb
1 — nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
6 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips.
Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment.
Interested in keeping our reader board updated? FIAT is looking for one or two folks who are interested in grabbing the attention of those driving by. If you are interested contact Anne Baldrige or Edie Lovegren.
Tisa Roberts is here on Wednesdays from 10 – noon. She will be in worship on Feb. 21, March 7, 21. She can be reached at lroberts@stu.iliff.edu.
Daylight Savings Time begins next Sunday, March 14th. Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour.
In the Community ·
Glimpses of the Presbytery at Work. An Easter-eve Vigil Service, organized by a task force of Denver Presbytery, will be held on Saturday, April 3, at Montview Blvd. Church. All are welcome to join together in this moving service of light, words of proclamation that trace God’s saving acts in history, a celebration of the Eucharist, and the glorious music of the Montview ministry of music. The service begins at 8:00 p.m.The Presbytery of Denver
March Habitat Volunteer Opportunities:
Lunch Hosts Needed:
During the months of March and April, Habitat is hosting out-of-town college groups from across the country who will be coming to Denver to help build during their spring break. To show our appreciation for these college volunteers, we would like to be able to provide lunch each day they build with us. Available February dates: 3/17, 3/18, 3/26, 4/23. This is a great opportunity for those who love to cook or for groups looking for a community service project. Please contact megan@habitatmetrodenver.org or 720-496-2717 for the details about providing lunch for a group ranging in size from 10-30 students.
Site Hosts Needed:
Habitat needs volunteers to serve as site hosts on the Bails Townhome construction project near I-25 and Colorado Blvd. Site hosts are responsible for setting up the volunteer registration stations, and for helping construction volunteers sign in when they arrive at the site. Site hosts need to arrive at the site by 8:00 am and work until approximately 10:00. If you are interested, please contact jeanne@habitatmetrodenver.org
Sponsor the Habitat Hustle!
Habitat's Youth United program is organizing a 5K race to be held on Sat. May 22. In addition to runners, we are also looking for sponsrs. If you or your organization would like more information on becoming a Habitat Hustle sponsor, please contact jeanne@habitatmetrodenver.org or 720-496-2713.
Outlet Team Captains Needed:
Join the Outlet as a Team Captain Volunteer and help organize key areas of the Outlets. This program requires a short-term weekly commitment, and Captains will be trained to help run our recycling program and work on the floor to keep the donation docks cleared. (The two Outlets are recycling 5-7 tons of materials weekly so come help us with this effort!) Volunteers are needed during the week and especially on Saturdays. To join this winning team, contact alice@habitatmetrodenver.org or 303-996-5468.
Food Drive:
During March, Habitat's construction staff will be collecting non-perishable food at the Bails Townhome Construction Project at 4350 E. Bails Place to go to the Feeding Minds Enriching Lives Food Pantry which benefits students and their families at Molholm Elementary School. (One of every 10 students at Mulholm is homeless; 92% of the students are on free or reduced-price meal programs.) Volunteers working at the Bails site can bring items for donation to the site. Food Requests: canned protein, rice, canned vegetables & fruits, soups, PB&J, pasta & sauce, and anything else you deem appropriate. Also needed are family personal care products. If you will not be volunteering at the site, but would like to donate to this cause, please contact megan@habitatmetrodenver.org or 720-496-2717 to make other arrangements.
Is there a summer adventure waiting for you at highlands camp? There are opportunities for everyone in the beautiful mountains of Colorado. Highlands Camp and Retreat Center brochures for this summer of 2010 are available on the table in the narthex.
Warren Clark, the executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), will speak at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church on Monday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. on "Bringing Peace to the Holy Land: What We Can Do." There is no admission charge. Ambassador Clark assumed the leadership of CMEP, a coalition of 23 public policy offices of Protestant, Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and agencies, including the Presbyterian Church USA, in 2008 after a distinguished career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
During his diplomatic career, Ambassador Clark served in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Canada, and at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. Representing the United States on the UN Security Council, he negotiated for the U.S. on Middle East issues and participated in Middle East oil price negotiations. At Harvard University's Kennedy School, he led a study group on the Middle East. He studied Islamic jurisprudence at Johns Hopkins University, studied Arabic in Beirut, and lived for two years in Aleppo, Syria. As a Lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve, he served in U.S. Naval Air Intelligence in Morocco, briefing Sixth Fleet commanders on Middle East political developments. A graduate of Williams College, Ambassador Clark earned graduate degrees from Johns Hopkins, Georgetown and Harvard Universities and Virginia Theological Seminary.
CMEP was founded in 1984 to use the historic Middle East experience and policy perspectives of the member bodies as a resource in the public policy arena. CMEP endeavors to maintain dialogue with the U.S. Congress, the Administration and the diplomatic community to advance important foreign policy concerns, assessments and advocacy positions. CMEP also works to help members of its organizations around the nation to advocate effectively for justice and peace for all people and countries in the Middle East. Among its priorities are the avoidance and resolution of armed conflicts; human rights; arms control; foreign aid; and the unique nature of Jerusalem -- sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims. More information about CMEP is available at www.cmep.org
Brian McLaren will present two lectures in March on his upcoming book, A New Kind of Christianity. He will speak at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church on Friday, March 5, at 7:00 pm and on Saturday, March 6, at 9:00 am at St. Andrew United Methodist Church (3340 White Bay Drive in Highlands Ranch). Tickets for both lectures are $25, single lectures are $15. A Patron’s dinner will be held at 5:15 pm on Friday with Dr. McLaren, and the cost of the dinner and lectures will be $50. Students receive a discounted ticket of $5 per session, and scholarships are available for those who may need them. Brian McLaren is a noted author and activist who has been published in Sojourners, Christianity Today and The Christian Century and has appeared on Larry King Live, NPR and PBS among others. Time Magazine recently named him one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America today.
Ready for Spring to Arrive? Celebrate with Fun and Renewal! Colorado Interfaith Power and Light (CoIPL) presents Walkin’ Jim Stoltz’ Multi-media Concert "Forever Wild." Jim has walked 27,000 miles of American wildness and presents it pictures, words, guitar and song. March 20, 2010, 7:30 pm, at University Park United Methodist Church, 2180 S. University Blvd., Denver. Tickets $10-20 (sliding fee). Complete information (including preview clip and ticket purchase) at www.coipl.org. CoIPL works with congregations of any faith on becoming good stewards of Creation. Contact Betty Goebel (303 429 57920) for more info. Walkin’ Jim is also performing in Boulder on 3/19/2010, hosted by Clean Energy Action & Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice, details at www.cleanenergyaction.org.
In the aftermath of the terrible earthquake in Haiti, your prayers, gifts and actions are making a difference. In a time when so many symbols of safety and security have been destroyed, your support of the One Great Hour of Sharing and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) have been a tangible witness of God’s presence and hope. Working in concert with Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alliance and Church World Service, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has provided assistance toward:
• Food, water and 35,000 hygiene kits and baby kits at 15 distribution sites.
• Temporary shelters for the many people left homeless.
• Supplies and vital infrastructure support including electrical, water, sanitation and security at Hôpital Sainte Croix (Holy Cross Hospital) in Leogane, one of the few operating medical facilities in the region, and the Faculty of Nursing Science of the Episcopal University of Haiti (FSIL).
• Initial assessments and ground work for community psycho-social recovery.
We cannot thank you enough for your compassion and generosity. We have been inspired by so many stories of children, youth groups, and congregations each doing their part in support of the earthquake response. The damage has been devastating, but as Presbyterian mission co-worker and PDA staff member, Carlos Cardenas, reports, despite the devastation, "Hope is alive." Thank you for bringing hope to the people of Haiti. You can find situation updates and information on how you can get involved by visiting the PDA Web site.
As God’s people we are called to stand in the "GAP" - to GIVE. ACT. PRAY.
GIVE - Financial support for relief efforts can be made online and designated to DR000064. Gifts can also be made by phone at (800) 872-3283, and checks can be mailed to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.
ACT - Prepare for a special worship service in your congregation using the hymn, bulletin inserts and other worship resources available from PDA. Congregations and individuals can also put together hygiene kits and baby kits to be distributed through Church World Service.
PRAY - Join with others in lifting up the people of Haiti and those seeking to provide aid in this critical time. As the eyes of the world turn to Haiti, let us join our hearts in prayer.
Thank you, your gifts and prayers make a difference!
Building Community ·
Calvary offers a variety of activities that build community in different ways. We intentionally work to provide a lot of opportunities and venues in which one may "get – and stay – involved" with the congregation, our community and the broader world of the church. We are actively focused on nurturing meaningful worship, on doing mission, on ministering to our community, and on teaching our faith. We welcome all who would like to join in empowering our community to be faithful disciples and obedient servants.
Mission & Outreach ·
Calvary is committed to and supports a number of mission projects in the local community and around the world. Our church is a giving church: Calvary has had the highest per capita giving record in Denver Presbytery for some years now. We are very proud of that. We support a missionary in Nepal and have supported a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, and have sent a mission team to New Orleans. We build Habitat for Humanity houses and contribute to Neighborly Thrift Store. And on first Sundays we give food to the Covenant Cupboard. Our members are involved in a wide variety of community services, including the Denver Dumb Friends League, Crop Walk, Brookshire House, Toys-for-Tots, the Heifer Project, Engineers without Borders, the League of Women Voters, and other service programs.
Special Events ·
Calvary always enjoys an occasion to celebrate our life together in Christ. We have regular pot-luck dinners, breakfast celebrations, work days, and a fellowship time with delicious treats following worship. We enjoy each other. We welcome you to share your time and talents with us to help make our church a more vibrant congregation.
The Week's Parables:
The scripture readings for each Sunday of Lent will focus on the parables of reversal in Luke. Jesus turned the world upside down!
Your worship team has written modern day parables, which they have offered as a benediction during worship. The text of that modenr parable, together with some suggestions for reflection during the week, follow below. We hope this offers you offer a way to deepen your experience of the Lenten season.
Luke's Parable
And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"
Luke 13:6-9
Modern Parable
Superintendent Lander takes his job to heart. He is passionate about watching as the school system grows in achievement and gains significant results preparing students for the future. He clearly understands that his role in the enterprise of learning is to create opportunities for educational success and to supervise the stewardship of resources available to the district.
And
it is because of his commitment to excellence at all levels of the school system that Superintendent Lander often walks the halls of the schools he manages – observing all the elements that make this district tick.
As he passes Mrs. Vine’s classroom, he notices something that he’s seen before; a classroom in chaos – noisy students out of their chairs, clearly unfocused on the task of learning. Mrs. Vine is focused, however. She is working one-on-one with a student who Lander knows is struggling to mainstream into the general classroom setting. Labor intensive, a distraction to others, this student has not experienced the kind of success the school has been designed to deliver.
"Mrs. Vine, I have walked by your classroom many times over the last three months and I find you focusing on this one student at the expense of the others. He’s not progressing. It’s time to move him out of a regular classroom. We need to use your time more effectively for the class as a whole!"
Mrs. Vine answered, "Superintendent, leave the student in my class for one more semester. I need time to dig a bit deeper into how he learns, how we can all learn from him. If we connect and things improve, fine. If not, after the semester finishes, we can make other plans."
As you read this parable each day, let the Spirit bring to mind a willingness to wait for the fruit of what has been planted deep in our soul. We offer suggestions for your daily Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to help deepen your understanding of the parable.
Prayer: Offer your prayer by beginning, "Creator and sustainer of life – work within me to understand the struggles of life in this place. Give me wisdom to know when the focus of my labor is something that is out of place in my vineyard or something that just needs more time, more nurturing and strength from you." Try sitting quietly with God, placing on the table the focus of your labors. One by one, pick each one up and examine it in your prayer. What does God tell you about that work? Should it be sustained and nurtured, or discarded?
Fasting: At one of your meals this week, take time to consider the great work involved in growing or preparing your food. How many had a hand in it? Consider the farmer who grew the crops. How much of that effort depended on the hand of God, making things grow? Who brought those crops to market? Who sold them? At any point, can you imagine anxious thoughts related to expectations that could have caused the person to simply give up? Drawing energy from your trust in God, where you can find the hand of God at work in their lives? In your own life?
Almsgiving: How can you be the one who digs deep for another? How can you till the soil so that the whole vineyard benefits? What alms would signify, for you, a spiritual connection to those who struggle to thrive in this world?
Education ·
We believe that through education we learn to love God with our minds, and so we offer ongoing educational programs at Calvary, with opportunities for study for both adults and children on Sunday mornings after worship. There are always choices in our adult classes, as we try to respond to different needs and interests. Our pastor regularly teaches a daytime Bible study classes, as well as leading Advent study sessions and a Lenten series. We love our children. We offer them opportunities to learn the faith through the rotation model of education. They cook, do art projects, work on the computer, sing, memorize Scripture, do drama and play as they explore God’s covenant with us.
Music ·
We have an active music ministry that offers praise to God through instrumental and vocal music. We always welcome new voices in our adult choir, which practices on Wednesday evenings at 7:15, and in our small but enthusiastic children’s choir, which performs regularly in special worship services during the year. We are inspiringly led by Dean Stalnaker, our music director. Our beautiful organ and grand piano fill the sanctuary with glorious sound.
Small Groups ·
We believe that the Spirit moves in forming compassionate community. Here at Calvary we have an active small group ministry with a variety of interest groups forming regularly. Currently we have a cooking group, a movie group, our Saturday morning men’s breakfast, the Thursday crafters guild, and a Mariners and spiritual growth group. We are always open to ideas for a new group activity. Do you have one?