2010
March 7 • "Forgive Us Our Debts" by George Yandell
"Margaret Atwood is one of my favorite fiction authors. I was surprised when I found her article titled "A Matter of Life and Debt," which she wrote about the debt crisis around the world. Some of Ms. Atwood's words...
February 21 • "Opening Doors" by Ellen Roberds
"Calvary's halls are filled with visiting preachers and city visitors. The Lenten Preaching Series provides a place for people to gather and to grow..."
February 7 • "Lenten Preaching Series " by Andy MacBeth
"It is a pleasure to announce our preachers for the 2010 Lenten Preaching Series at Calvary Church. We look forward to welcoming you to our 12:05 noonday preaching services and to the wonderful Waffle Shop lunches held just downstairs each day..."
January 24 • "Updating Your Job Description" by Andy MacBeth
"Calvary staff members have been working on updating our
job descriptions. It is good to be clear about what each of
us does, to whom we report, and things like that. You need
a good job description if you want to be able to effectively
evaluate your work..."
January 10 • "Farewell, John Palmer" by Andy MacBeth
"Parishioner John Palmer has played the organ at our 7:45 a.m. service for twenty years..."
2009
December 20 • "Paths" by Bonnie Malone
"The first time I walked a labyrinth was in my first month at Calvary ..."
December 6 • "Quiet Joy" by Andy MacBeth
"Church life is often counter-cultural, and nowhere is this more true than during Advent. At a time when community activities, concerts, fund-raisers, and family gatherings are burgeoning, our tradition is to create some peace and quiet in the midst of the noise..."
November 22 • "Feeling Called" by Andy MacBeth
"In my junior high days, I wanted to be an expert on parliamentary procedure. I got over this impulse before too long, but I remember that if someone asked for a “point of personal privilege” it meant he or she wanted us to suspend the rules long enough for them to make a personal statement that might have nothing to do with pending legislation. Here’s mine..."
November 8 • "Subtlety" by George Yandell
"Early this morning I woke to the soft sound of
the rain starting to fall on our roof. It was like
a caress from the heavens. As I grow older, the
subtle things of life take on more meaning..."
October 25 • "Going Fishing" by Andy MacBeth
"I love the fishing stories in the gospels.
This may be because I love fishing. But
I realize that my idea of fishing – as
a recreational activity carried out in
the great outdoors – is very different
from what fishing meant to people for
whom it was a means of survival..."
October 11 • "Namaste: Please, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? " by Bonnie Malone
"I waited in the long security
check line, required for
the rare and surprising
opportunity to see the
Dalai Lama..."
September 27 • "Following the Way of Jesus" by George Yandell
"These are observations about Calvary Church. In this season when we’re being reminded to make our pledges to God through the Church, I feel deep gratitude for our congregation and what it stands for."
September 13 • "Living in the In-Between" by Andy MacBeth
"It is a bit tricky living with the knowledge that we could be moving to Oregon--even if there's just a one-in-three chance!"
August 30 • "Gearing Up for Fall Programs" by George Yandell
"I read this morning's article in the Commercial Appeal about some state legislators considering a bill that would dictate starting all public schools in Tennessee after Labor Day."
August 16 • "Tending Your Garden - One Foot at a Time" by Andy MacBeth
"Back in March, my brother told me he had decided to do some 'Square Foot Gardening.'"
August 2 • "In Memory of Mary Magdalene" by Bonnie Malone
"As I sit to write this, it is the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene. What a woman! Her memory captures the imagination..."
July 19 • "Great Summer Sunday Classes Continue"
Spiritual Journey to Freedom & Love • General Convention Review • Welcome Class • Honduras Mission Trips • Simple Living • Summer FUNdays
July 5 • "On the Road to Emmaus" by Suzanne Henley
"The physical dimensions of Ruthie Davis' world are 8' x 10'. She has no tv, radio, or books. She lies in bed unable to move..."
June 21 • "Who We Are" by Andy MacBeth
"Calvary is blessed with the clearest identity of any congregation I have served! Almost any parishioner can tell you that while we draw people from a wide area that includes West Memphis, northern Mississippi, and all the eastern suburbs, we are a parish committed to making God’s love visible in downtown Memphis. This is where we have been—and felt called to remain—for 177 years!"
June 7 • "The Holy Spirit Found in Relationships" by Bonnie Malone
"The film Chocolat tells the story of a gypsy woman and her daughter as they relocate to a very traditional and religious village in the French countryside...They arrive in the middle of Lent and open a chocolaterie--shocking for certain, but not as shocking as their refusal to go to church."
and
"Sabbath" by Robyn Mauldin
"I recently had the privilege of spending the weekend with 11 other young adults (YAMs) from Calvary Episcopal Church." We spent the weekend reflecting on the idea of Sabbath..."
May 24 • "Remembering the Transient Jesus" by Andy MacBeth
"From a Florida Newspaper's Letters to the Editor: 'Of the many terms that might be used to describe Daniel H., whose passing was noted on B1 of your 4/15 edition, 'transient' seems the least appropriate.'"
May 10 • "We Will, with God's Help"
"On Sunday, April 26, our Bishop Don Johnson made his annual visit to Calvary and celebrated Baptisms and Confirmations, marking a special commitment and step in the spiritual journeys of many in our Calvary community."
April 26 • "Calvary Experiments with 'Think, Pray, & Do' Service " by Andy MacBeth
April 12 • "The Eighth Day " by George Yandell
"Resurrection: literally, from the Greek, 'to be raised from a prone to a standing position.' Though the event is not described, the resurrection of Jesus represents the watershed of New Testament history and the central point of Christian faith."
March 29 • "My Weekly Gift " by Andy MacBeth
"I noticed last Sunday the surprise in the eyes of one of the parish children who was passing the ark at collection time--how many people put nothing in the ark! Or the plate either! What should I tell him?"
March 15 • "Why Worship" by Andy MacBeth
"I am grateful to be part of a parish where people are pretty clear that we do not exist just to worship God and care for one another, that the focus of our energy needs to be outward, on 'Making God's Love Visible in downtown Memphis and the world,' as we often say!"
March 1 • "Green Lent Rationale " by Andy MacBeth
"When I think of Lent, I see a church draped in purple-or one where items of particular beauty, like an ornate cross or altar, get covered with a somber neutral-colored Lenten array. So what's this about Lent going GREEN?"
February 15 • "What Would Paul Think? " by Laura S. Trott & George S. Yandell
"...Out of curiosity and due to the upcoming 'Jesus & Paul' Seminar with Marcus Borg and Dom Crossan, I asked George, 'What would Paul think about Lent at Calvary?'"
February 1 • "Lenten Preaching Series" by Andy MacBeth
"We call the Lenten Preaching Series one of Calvary's "Gifts to the City," and it surely is! But it is also a gift to this whole parish to see and hear the wonderful speakers who are coming."
January 18 • Epiphany Eyes by Andy MacBeth
"The Epiphany season begins with this business about a Star that gets the attention of some spiritually-attuned folks 'from the East.'"
January 4 • Have a Wide-Awake New Year by Andy MacBeth
"Our friend Evelyn was sixty-four when her husband died. She went back to work, moved into a smaller apartment, and underwent other changes."