[source: Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Center for the Arts] The season of Lent is a particularly important time in the life of the church. Lent gives each of us pause in our yearly pause in our yearly cycle for a period of reflection and meditation within the Christian community. The arts, and music in particular, have frequently been used to enable and enhance these two disciplines. This season, Trinity Cathedral in Downtown Phoenix offers a special Lenten series of musical events to mark this important season of the church year.
Friday 5 March 12.15pm: James Gerber (director of music and worship at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Phoenix)
Friday 12 March 12.15pm: Ilona Kubizczyk-Adler (music director, Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Scottsdale)
Friday 19 March 12.15pm: Skye Hart (director of music and liturgy, St Maria Goretti Church, Scottsdale)
Friday 26 March 12.15pm: Erik Goldstrom (Canon Musician, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Phoenix)
Sunday 14 March 4.00pm: Choral Evensong for Mothering Sunday
Trinity Cathedral is at 100 W. Roosevelt St., in Downtown Phoenix. It is readily accessible from the Roosevelt/Central Ave light rail station and the Downtown Phoenix DASH. All these concerts are free of charge. For more information, visit azcathedral.org or call 602.254.7126.
The National Weather Service is predicting a large storm to descend into the valley tomorrow, 1-21-10, bringing up to 5″ of rain, possible thunderstorms and gusty winds. The prediction calls for light rain to begin to fall after 11pm tonight and pick up around 11am tomorrow. The Downtown Phoenix Partnership is working closely with police and city staff, and will provide current information throughout the day based on the severity of the storm.
Please be aware of unscheduled road closures put in place due to flooding, debris in the roadway, and traffic signals that may be out due to a power outage.
Contact the Downtown Phoenix Ambassadors at 602-495-1500 to report power outages or debris – we will contact the correct department at the City. Also – call if you have questions about travel conditions in the downtown area – they are your Go-To-Resource!! Remember – the Ambassadors provide Umbrella Escorts – so if you need to go out during the day…they are equipped with large umbrellas and can escort you to your destination.
Earlier today (12 January 2010), a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck 10 miles outside Port-au-Prince in Haiti. This has been followed by several aftershocks. Most everyone’s thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti at the moment.
To recap: At 2.53pm Phoenix time, the primary 7.0 earthquake struck. The media has reported that a hospital and the UN building have collapsed with many of their occupants still unaccounted.
Some things you might need to know:
The US State Department toll free number for family members who are looking for info about the safety of either Americans or Haitians in Port au Prince: (888) 407-4747
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. [the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, emphasis added]
Thus begin the Amendments to the United States Constitution. As anyone who’s taken a civics course knows, the US Constitution is the “supreme law of the land” (cf. Article VI par. 2; also see the 14th Amendment).
Consider also the late developments happening with Crossroads United Methodist Church. As preface, they had a homeless ministry at their church, Central Avenue and Northern in the quasi-upscale North Central neighborhood. Then the neighborhood didn’t like seeing homeless people in their posh neighborhood, complained, got the city involved, and the city made a decision that Crossroads had to stop this ministry. After an appeal made by Crossroads, the city still stood by its decision.
Depending on your angle, it’s NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) at its finest or its worst.
Granted, when one thinks of the neighborhood around Central and Northern, one doesn’t really think about homeless ministries. Most of the homeless reside in and near Downtown Phoenix. I would think that if Crossroads wanted to do this in a more effective (whatever this means) fashion, then doing outreach and meal service would be more effective there. There’s a fantastic human services campus at 12th Ave and Jefferson–maybe a partnership there should be in the works.
But that’s irrelevant to my argument. I am, however, reminded of something from Scripture:
“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” [excerpted from "The Judgment of the Nations," Matthew 25:31-46 NRSV]
As The Rev. John Petty (All Saints’ Lutheran Church, Aurora, Colorado) noted in his blog Progressive Involvement,
In liberation theology circles, this is called the “preferential option for the poor,” which is supposed to be controversial, but, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. All four gospels state very clearly, one way or another, that Christ is a friend of the poor, identifies with them, is found with them. It’s not for nothing that Jesus was born to a poverty-stricken Jewish family from a hick little town. [source]
Jesus was a friend of the poor. Christians – followers of Christ – should be friends of the poor as well.
This brings me back to the original crux of this entry, taken from the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.
Let’s make a few assumptions here. First, that the Gospel of St Matthew is accepted canon in Christianity. Second, Christianity is accepted as a religion. In essence, the city is redefining Christianity. Christianity by city policy.
If a church wants to reach out to “the least of these” in a homeless ministries program, then it has its Constitutional rights to do so. NIMBY-ists can complain until they’re blue in the face, but it should be a Constitutional right. Wait: it is.
Last week, retired US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor stopped by KAET’s public affairs program Horizonto talk about what she’s been doing since she retired from the high court, civility in government, and her O’Connor House Project.
Justice O’Connor’s confirmation created the Horizon program back in 1981 and it’s apropos that she was the first guest in Horizon’s new set in the Cronkite School building on the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus.
Reporter JJ Hensley from the Arizona Republic sat down with Ted Simons on a recent edition of KAET’s Horizon to discuss what’s going on in Maricopa County.
With apologies to Stanley Kramer, it’s a mad, mad, mad, mad, county…
Well, we’re at that point of the year wherein everyone is taking a look back at the year that will be ending tomorrow.
To commemorate the year, here’s a look back at the major themes of posts I’ve written. Links will open in a new window.
January (see all posts) Happy New Year 2009! The new Valley METRO light rail system began revenue operations after five free-ride days and ASU Downtown Phoenix campus students were figuring out how to leverage the system in their transportation arsenal. There were two “miracles“: the Miracle on the Hudson and the Miracle at University of Phoenix Stadium sending the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl. Obama was sworn into office (twice!) to become this nation’s first African-American president. The Spring 2009 semester started sending me to the sea of humanity that is the ASU Tempe campus (meh…).
February (see all posts) There was the Barrett Honors College Light Rail Party on the 6th, and I’d like to think it was the first major non-METRO-sponsored event to occur on the then five-week-old system. Our patience was rewarded as Janet Echelman revealed the name of the public art piece suspended above the then soon-to-open Civic Space Park: “Her Secret is Patience.” And we learned that installation of Ms. Echelman’s work would begin on 9th March, though it didn’t quite take the first time. I moved this blog from Blogger to Wordpress and haven’t looked back. Constructive arguments win, and this post demonstrated how. Then, upon learning that Glendale wanted to route its share of the light rail mainly through Phoenix (viz. I-10 and the Loop 101) to Westgate, I proposed using Grand Avenue as an alternative.
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 9:6 NRSV]
O come let us adore him!
Today Christ is born: Alleluia.
Today the Savior comes: Alleluia.
Today the angels sing on earth: Alleluia. Glory to God in the highest.
Mike Rowe talks about his experiences on the Discovery Channel’s series Dirty Jobs and how his experiences have challenge his thoughts on work. His language and descriptions are a bit colorful but his observations are absolutely amazing.
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