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The Last Sunday After the Epiphany February 14, 2021 Online Worship

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The Last Sunday After the Epiphany February 14, 2021 Online Worship The Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 14, 2021 The Holy Eucharist: Rite II at 11 a.m. Online Worship Follow either of the following links for the live stream: Our website: www.calvarypgh.org/live Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CalvaryEpiscopalChurch/ The bulletin, readings, and Prayers of the People may be viewed on the Calvary website as PDFs at www.calvarypgh.org/bulletins-and-readings-archive 1 of 12 The service at 11 a.m. each Sunday will be online only with no worship in person. We will stream and record the services and then post it on YouTube and put a link to it on Calvary’s website. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. You are welcome to pray in the church, and drop off items (plastic for recycling, pledges, food or clothing for donations, etc.). The best way to contact clergy or the church office is by email or phone. Read the February issue The Rector's Gospel of Matthew Class is a series of video lectures posted to the Calvary website and YouTube on Sundays at 10 a.m. February 17, 2021 Noon – 1 p.m. Imposition of Ashes at the West doors of the church 6 – 6:50 p.m. Drive-up Imposition of Ashes in the circular drive 7 p.m. The Proper Liturgy for Ash Wednesday livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. 2 of 12 Practical and Theological Notes about Ash Wednesday Everyone should remain masked for the imposition of ashes. The clergy will sanitize their hands after imposing ashes on each person. Before receiving ashes, you will be asked whether you would like them imposed on your forehead in the shape of a cross or sprinkled on the top of your head. This second option not simply an accommodation to the realities of the pandemic. Though it is an unfamiliar practice it is the older and historic method of imposing ashes. Both methods of receiving ashes have deep theological meaning. In receiving a cross-of-ashes on the forehead we recall the signing with Chrism in the baptismal liturgy. We recall both our mortality and the new live we have received through Christ’s Easter victory as we begin our time of penitence. The older practice of sprinkling ashes on the top of the head recalls the Biblical practice of “putting on sackcloth and ashes” as a symbol of penitence. It is also reminiscent of the earth that is cast upon our bodies at the time of burial (J. Neil Alexander, A Note on Ash Wednesday and the Imposition of Ashes in a Time of Pandemic). That we reclaim this tradition for reasons of hygiene at a time when the realities of death are before us in a way that they have not been for some time is especially poignant. The connection between the Burial of the Dead and the beginning of our Lenten observance reminds us that in times of fasting, fear, and even at the grave we, as the Prayer Book says “make our song Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia” because Christ is still Risen Indeed! It is worth noting that the Prayer Book makes the imposition of ashes optional. While the imposition of ashes is a powerful symbol and ritual it is important not for its own sake but because it helps us to remember our mortality and need for God as we make the transition from the season of Epiphany to Lent. The invitation to a Holy Lent and the extended confession that makes up the Litany of Penitence are at the heart of Ash Wednesday. If you need a pledge card, please visit the Calvary website or contact Kim Pieratt in the Church office at 412.661.0120 extension 111 or email her at [email protected] Stewardship of All Our Gifts Thank you to all who have made a commitment to support Calvary 3 of 12 in this upcoming year. Giving from parishioners constitutes the majority of our income. We appreciate your generosity and commitment during these difficult times. Twenty-three families have made new pledges this year. About 30% of those who have pledged have raised their commitment from last year. If you are able, please join us and make a pledge to support Calvary’s mission and ministry. Please Wear a Mask This winter, Calvary will be offering a Discipleship Class. The class is an opportunity to take a closer look at who we are as Episcopalians and more fundamentally who we are as Christians. The class is also an opportunity for those who are newer to Calvary to connect with others and learn more about the congregation. The Discipleship Class also serves as preparation for those who are interested in the rites of confirmation, reception, or the reaffirmation of baptismal vows in the Episcopal Church. The class will be held on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 a.m. The class will take place over Zoom and use breakout rooms for small group discussions. 4 of 12 This is the Zoom link for the class: https://us02web.zoom.us /j/87350371507?pwd=NVFPZCs4UE9nd1VwZDIxQS8rQ1o5Zz09. Sessions will continue every Sunday through April 25. Each session will include a short talk by a member of the clergy or a member of the parish, small group discussion, and an opportunity to ask questions. Over the course of the class you can expect to hear about prayer, the sacraments, Calvary’s buildings, Calvary’s history and identity as a congregation, and get to know others who are new to Calvary. If you are interested in attending or have any questions about the class or about confirmation, reception, or the reaffirmation of baptismal vows contact the Rev. Neil Raman at [email protected]. The Reverend Geoffrey Royce hosts Reading the Saints, a ministry which will help us to keep the memory of the saints and encourage us to look into the wisdom of their example and writings. A saint is an ordinary person, now born into eternal life, who has accomplished in their lifetime extraordinary outcomes as a result of their devotion in faith. We are encouraged by our tradition to celebrate their witness and contribution to the Kingdom of God in our midst. This video series is posted on the Calvary website under Recorded Classes. The Teaching Family is a new course for the POLO Group (Parents of Little Ones) on Tuesday evenings with Tammy Lewis and Geoffrey Royce. We’ll be using The Path Family Storybook: A Journey through the Bible with Families as our guide. Parents will be presented with a Bible story to read with their child(ren) every two weeks. Along with this story, we will provide summaries of each lesson with some discussion questions for the family to talk over at home. Parents will then meet on Zoom for a 25-30 minute presentation by Geoffrey Royce with engagement of the story by class members. Our goal is to help parents teach their children how individual Bible stories fit together into one greater story: the story of God’s incredible love for us. The POLO group will meet by Zoom the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Please contact Tammy Lewis at [email protected] to sign up. 5 of 12 If you are interested, we’ll need your email address to send you the Zoom link. This is a great time to join the POLO Group, no matter what your child’s age! Spiritual Reflection – Frederick Buechner 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 peer ministry. For the winter quarter, we continue to use Frederick Buechner as our guide. A Presbyterian minister and contemporary author, Buechner had success as a novelist but is also renowned for his memoirs and essays on Christian faith and spirituality. See http://frederickbuechner.com. We have purchased for the group his book, Listening to Your Life, which is comprised excerpts of his writings presented as daily meditations. Meetings are held using Zoom from 7-8 p.m .on the first and third Tuesday evening of each month. Upcoming meetings will take place on February 16, March 2, and March 16. Email Matt Muldoon ([email protected]) or Sondra Krimmel ([email protected]) for more information or to be added to the email list. Please feel welcome to join at any time. Click here to read the latest bookstore newsletter as a PDF + + + 6 of 12 With more of us our working and spending more time at home due to the pandemic, the “And Also With Yinz” hoodies can be both a warm and fashionable addition to your wardrobe. Also available as a short sleeve tee shirt and both garments are available in size small to XXL. A portion of the proceeds from all ‘yinzer’ related items available at the Bookstore are donated to Sheldon Calvary Camp located in Conneaut, OH. Established in 1936, Harry E. Sheldon Calvary Camp is a camping ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. To learn more about the camp, please go to www.calvarycamp.org. If you are interested in these titles or obtaining any other items, contact the Bookstore at 412-661-0120 ext. 133 (please leave a message) or by email - [email protected] and we will contact you. In addition, we can arrange for contactless pick-up of your items.
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