Kindness Project
Two of our Church School classes have joined together to create "the Kindness Project." Strips of paper are avavilable in the Perry Garden and in the office on weekdays. They would like you to write down something kind that you have done, or something kind that someone has done for you, or something kind that you will do in the future. The church school children are in the process of creating a paper chain from the strips -- their goal is to wrap the church in the chain of kindness. 

New 9:00 Class: The History of the Bible
On Sunday, March 4, the "9:00 Class" (in La Paz) commences a new series of forums with an exciting and wide-ranging examination of the way the Christian Bible got the way it is today. It wasn't always what it is now. It emerged over more than 2000 years of writings and teachings, arguments and agreements about a book that became holy in time. There were many versions, many interpretations, and many influences which determine the book we have today. And its meaning continues to change today. Join us on an engrossing journey through time with Luke Timothy Johnson, a professor of New Testament and Christian Origins studies at Emory University, a former Benedictine monk and teach at Yale University and author of several acclaimed books in the field. Following each DVD is a discussion led by Brad Stroup. Spiritual and Theological Formation. 

New 20s/30s/40s Series: Discover the Book of Common Prayer
Young adults, please join us for four Sundays beginning March 4 to learn about our Book of Common Prayer. What we hold in our hands every Sunday is rich theologically, liturgically, and historically. We often do not realize what a gem we as Episcopalians use on a weekly basis. The Rev. Blake Hutson (who has studied the prayer book extensively) will be leading our group for 4 Sundays to discuss: The history and development of the Book of Common Prayer, the Daily Office (Morning and Evening Prayer), and the Eucharist Service (Rite I and II), and the Catechism and Historical Documents. We meet in Room 9 at 10:15 a.m. Spiritual Formation.


Joyful Feast or Ecstatic Famine: A Visual Banquet Exploring the Joys, the Pains and the Glories of Lent -- Dedicated to the memory of William Carter Cutlip
In this series of four topics, beginning March 4 (continuing March 25, April 1, and April 15) at 10:15 a.m. in the East Gallery, St. Philip's parishioner Dr. Kevin L. Justus investigates the joys and agonies of the Christian Faith and the struggles and triumphs of the artists, patrons, and craftsmen in visualizing and communicating them. Ranging from the terrifying and effective tympanum at St. Lazare at Autun, the perfect and poignant Medici Chapel, the expansiveness and brilliance of the Pozzo ceiling at San Ignatius, to the erotic and mystical Cornaro Chapel, Dr. Justus seeks to investigate and illuminate the artistic visions that so gloriously reveal our Faith. March 4's topic: The Perfection of the Body and the Path to Resurrection--Michelangelo and the Medici Chapel: the Body and Blood Made Manifest.  Spiritual and Theological Formation.


Scholarships A-Z and the DREAM Act
On March 4 at 10:15 a.m. in the West Gallery, we welcome Matt Matera of Scholarships A-Z, a nonprofit organization that improves access to higher education for all students regardless of immigration status. Based in Tucson, Scholarships A-Z's team of educators, undergraduate students, and graduate students provides a comprehensive web site with college-preparation strategies, individual academic advising, community workshops, and consultation for educators. Matt will explain that the organization empowers families and community leaders to support passage of legislation, including the federal DREAM Act, that improves access to education for all students. Since first launching in September 2009, Scholarships A-Z has helped over 300 students find scholarships and enroll in college and has provided educational resources to over 250 parents and educators. Mission Formation.

Eldercare
Eldercare forums present topics of interest to seniors and family caregivers. Speakers are experts in their fields and include doctors, researchers, authors, attorneys and other professionals. In a relaxed atmosphere, the forums offer a Q&A period and often provide supplementary materials. Contact Brigid for more information: 577-7792. March 4 and 11 in La Paz. Spiritual and Mission Formation. 

Wednesdays during Lent, beginning February 29
7:30 a.m.  Holy Eucharist Rite I
8:15 a.m.  Morning Class: Bible Challenge, with the Rev. Beverley Edminster. This challenge is simply to commit to reading the Bible 15 - 30 minutes daily. We will begin the readings with discussions and questions on the readings. Please bring whatever translation you have.
4:00 p.m.  Afternoon Class: Defying Gravity--Paradox in the Two Halves of Life, with Dr. Harry Caldwell. This class will consider the strange blend of Christian spirituality, Jungian psychology, and classic mythology Richard Rohr finds in our faithful journey to life's second half with its deeper relationship with God, inspired by Rohr's book Falling Upward (2011).
6:15 p.m.  Soup & Salad Supper (J2A Pilgrimage fundraiser) ($6 per person, discounts available -- $15 for 3, $18 for 4, $21 for 5 ...)
7:00 p.m.  Evening Class: Jesus, the Bible, and the Land, with the Rev. John Kitagawa. This class is designed to deepen participants' appreciation of Jesus as portrayed in the Bible, and in the relationship to the geography of the Holy Land.
7:00 p.m.  Evening Class: Another Look at Those Crazy Mystics, with Brad Stroup. The great Christian mystics offer this class an extraordinary opportunity to reflect and explore, but in a fresh and often stick-in-your-eye to see the Divine- maybe crazy, maybe not.

Thursdays during Lent: Noontime Recital Series 

12:15-12:45 p.m., Bloom Music Center 

March 1  Richard Strauss's "Brentano Lieder," Op. 68 with soprano Mary Paul
March 8  Original Symphonic 12-string Guitar with Pete Fine
March 15  French Horn Favorites with Victor Valenzuela
March 22  Arias by American Composers with soprano Lisa Spurlin
March 29  Love & Lent in Song with tenor Mitchell Sturges  

We are very pleased to announce that "Prima Musica," the musical training program for children ages 5-8, is beginning again, on Thursday afternoons at 5:15 p.m. beginning March 1. Students will learn to create music together in a fun and friendly environment, preparing them for the St. Nicholas Children's Choir. Sessions meet in 6-week blocks with a Show and Tell music time at the end of the 6th session. Each 35-minute session will be followed by dinner. If you are a parent of a child between ages 5 and 8 and would like more information about this great program, led by chorister and music educator Laura McCall, please plan to join us at the first session, in Room 9 at the north end of the breezeway by the children's center. A modest fee is charged for each six-week session. Scholarships are available. For more information, contact Lisa Spurlin, Jeffrey Campbell at 299-6421, or Laura McCall.  

The Pastoral Care Ministry of St. Philip's In The Hills invites you to attend Walking the Mourner's Path®, a Christ-centered grief support program. We invite those who have suffered the loss of a loved one to participate in our spring series, which meets on Wednesdays from March 7 through April 25, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Desert Sage room in La Parroquia. This program is offered for $75, the cost of materials. Partial scholarships are available. Please inquire. Registration is required. For information or to register, please call Brigid Waszczak at 577-7792 or call the Rev. Blake Hutson at the church office (299-6421, ext. 33).   

The Rt. Rev. Kirk Stevan Smith will celebrate Confirmation with us on Sunday, April 29. Consider taking the journey to Confirmation, Reception or Reaffirmation for adults beginning on Sunday, March 4 and continuing through April 22 and explore your faith with this community. The Rev. Greg Foraker, Carroll Reitz and Jen Tellman will facilitate this series.  Call Greg Foraker in the church office (299-6421) to register.