Creation Season at Calvary Episcopal Church

by Ellen Roberds

Creation Season, like all liturgical seasons is a thoughtful framework to help us explore theological ideas. In recent years, churches have begun to explore formally our relationship, as Christian people, to God’s creations. Fall, during the long Ordinary Season from Pentecost to Advent, has become a favored time to shift from the lectionary texts to scripture invoking creation. From here, we can explore our relationship to the earth, liturgically and prayerfully. Through sermons, in education hour, and with special events, Calvary will delve into these themes during the month of October.

If I allow myself, I can become overwhelmed with the complexities of today’s world. How to respond? Where to begin? I have learned that alone it can be hard to know where to start. It can be startling to look at statistics. And, at worse, it can be paralyzing to consider the implications of our actions. But as a community, we can step into the intrepid together. As Christians, we can use our sacred texts to ground us; our rituals to catapult us. Let this be a beginning of our studies, our responses.

He has told, O mortal what     
is good:
and what does the Lord     
require of youbut to do justice, and to love      
kindness,and to walk humbly with your God? ~Micah 6:8

On Sunday mornings we will use simple bulletins printed on a single sheet of paper for each service. It is not about just the trees. By saving this paper we are also being good stewards of water, energy, and money. We will be decreasing our carbon impact, pollution, and erosion of lands. Fact: It takes 2.6 gallons of water to make a single sheet of paper.

We will be serving coffee from the local company Ugly Mug. Their coffee is grown bird friendly, in the shade, with all-natural fertilizers and insect repellents. Good for the land, the farmers, and the coffee.

October 2

Creation season kicks-off on October 2 with Caroline Todd in the pulpit. Caroline has been a vital part of Calvary all her life. She was baptized as a baby, confirmed as a teen, and now, as a young adult, will be the preacher at all three services on October 2. She and her twin sister May served as volunteers for Community Breakfast alongside their parents almost every Sunday for nearly a dozen years. She was also an acolyte, and an active participant in Happening and EYC. Caroline is a sophomore at Rhodes College where she is exploring her interests in both Environmental Studies and Anthropology. Passionately devoted to peace and justice issues, she spent last summer in Washington, D.C. interning for Representative Steve Cohen.

Halloween Costume Swap

Looking for a new Halloween costume? Have old ones to pass down? Bring them Sunday, October 2, at 8:40 a.m. for Calvary’s Halloween Costume Swap. Support two great efforts at once: recycle your costumes and support the Community Breakfast by eating a delicious hot breakfast for $5. All activities in the Mural Room. (Last call for breakfast is 8:40 a.m.)

October 8: Blessing of the Animals

Bring your pets to the Greensward at Overton Park at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 8 for the Blessing of the Animals. All ages welcome. We will pray for pets, real and stuffed, as well as those recently departed.

October 9:Get your picture taken at the Ugly Mug Photo Booth

What mug are you using on Sunday mornings at Calvary? Do you choose a Santa mug so every Sunday feels like a holiday? Do you choose the mug you donated?  Do you search out the same one each week? Calvary has done a great thing moving from disposable cups to real mugs. Not new mugs but mugs you donated. That is important, because waste, natural resources, and damage done by green house gases are all decreased by reusable cups after only 24 uses (or less by some calculations). So show off your pride and get your photo taken with your favorite Calvary Ugly Mug on Sunday morning, October 9 and 23. We will post the pictures on Facebook to celebrate this change. Once posted, you can tell us why you chose that mug that morning.

October 16

Worship services will be offered at 7:45 and 10:00 a.m. for those not at Calvary’s Parish Retreat in Alabama. Senter Crook will preach here in Memphis and be sure to wear your walking shoes for the intergenerational walk that happens that day!

October 23:Blessing of the Recycling Bins

Calvary, Calvary Place, and The Hospitality HUB will build on our current recycling habits by adopting a comprehensive recycling program this October. We will work with Get Green Recycling for Businesses to recycle cardboard, paper, plastics #1-7. Get Green Recycling will also collect our compost and take it to a community garden. We will take our fluorescent light bulbs to Home Depot for disposal. The new bins that will be on the  first and second floors are our “public face” of recycling. Please enjoy using them. In other areas, we will use re-purposed bins, cardboard boxes (some decorated by our children), and Get Green Recycling bins. This will be a system wide learning curve. You are invited to take your time to learn the system and place your items in the correct slots and bins.

October 30: The Commissioning of the Green Team

Calvary’s Green Team, a wide representation of the parish, will continue the process of greening Calvary. On their agenda for the first several months will be to decide whether or not Calvary will join the Greenfaith Certification Process at this time.