life @ the crossing

3.30.11

Crossing Cross
what's going on ...
this week @ the crossing
giving @ the crossing
contact us
small groups
meditate: lenten readings

this week @
the crossing
more details? check
Thursdays @ 5:25pm at the Cathedral
Simple Evening Prayer

Thursday @ 6pm at the Cathedral
Crossing Community Worship
 
Thursday after worship:
Dinner @ Fajitas n Ritas
 
Next Thursday after worship
Open Mic Night
Celebrate Trans Faith Week and share some talent!
  
Real Faith for Real Life
Small Groups :
Open to newcomers!
  
Group 1: meets weekly, Tuesdays @ 6:30-8pm at Cathedral 
  
Group 2: Meets every other week, Wednesdays at 7-9pm in Cambridge -- next meeting April 6.
  
Group 3 - for people in partnered relationships: Meets every other week, Mondays at 7-9pm -- next meeting, April 11.
  
Fill out survey and send to Crossing member Sue Spilecki writerspilecki@comcast.net.

 

 

giving @

the crossing

hands
It takes prayer, care, people and money ($30,000 from our own community, to be exact) to bring the ministries of The Crossing to life. If we pool our resources -- and invite others to share, too -- we can do this! Here's how:

GIVE NOW
Click DONATE to give right now. And share the link with family, friends and others you think would love to help a ministry like The Crossing flourish.
 
PLEDGE FOR 2011:
Download and fill out this Giving @ The Crossing card to promise your support for the year to come.
our mission

the crossing at the altar 

The Crossing is a community that seeks to walk in the life-changing, world-changing Way of Jesus, sharing the love, hope, beauty and justice of God in the city of Boston.

 

Everybody is welcome to join as we gather for transformative worship, spiritual practice and 

authentic community; as we fuse the wisdom and mystery of ancient traditions with that of urban mystics, artists and activists; and as we move out to join God in healing, freeing and blessing all people, communities and the earth. 

 

contact us

The Crossing community has been blessed with passionate, gifted members who give a whole lot of themselves for love of God.

 

If you want to learn more, share more or engage in worship, community or action, please contact the conveners for each of our ministry areas:

 

WORSHIP: where we fall in love with God

Isaac Everett / isaac@thecrossingboston.org

Ben Whaley / ben@thecrossingboston.org 

 

COMMUNITY: where we grow in love for each other and ourselves

Rev. Steph Spellers / revsteph@thecrossingboston.org

Keith Nelson / keith@thecrossingboston.org

 

ACTION: where we share God's love with our community and the world

Vicki Morte/ vicki@thecrossingboston.org

 

CONTACT US BY PHONE: 617.482.4826, x318
 
LINK WITH US ON THE WEB: www.thecrossingboston.org
a good word from north carolina

I write to you from the Episcopal House of Bishops meeting in North Carolina, where I'm serving my first term as ChaplaThe Futurein to the House. (Jason Long and Arrington Chambliss presented Saturday and set it off right!). It's insanely intimidating to be one of two priests providing pastoral support, organizing liturgies and preaching multiple sermons to the gathered body of nearly 200 bishops. But last Thursday night, before I left for North Carolina, The Crossing community did a laying on of hands for me. Folks stretched out to touch my head and shoulders, or the shoulder of the person closest to them, and Kevin Vetiac prayed an amazing Holy Spirit-filled prayer over me. I took that power, and stories from our community and images of your faces, with me to the House.

 

It's been a beautiful and heartening experience walking with the bishops and praying with them as they cast a vision for what's next in the life of the Episcopal Church. If I've preached well, listened well, loved well in my time here, it's because you are with me and I'm representing the hope we find in Jesus Christ at The Crossing. So big thanks to God and thanks to you. And now, back to the bishops ...

 

 

one big community

Crossing Lenten Blog 

The Wilderness Way

Folks in our community have created a prayerful, gorgeous online magazine/blog for Lent. Follow the link above and you'll find art, reflections and even some sermons on this most reflective season of the church's life. Updated periodically with more contributions. Send yours to Keith / keith@thecrossingboston.org.  

 

TAKE NOTE: Next Thursday after Worship / Trans Faith Week Open Mic Night at The Crossing

Bring friends to Open Mic Night @ The Crossing, our offering as part of Transgender Faith Week activities throughout Boston. Rachel Zall will headline, and we'll jam with friends from Transcriptions -- the transgender-friendly Open Mic Night usually based in Jamaica Plain. A night of sharing and witnessing next Thursday after worship. To share a poem, reading, song, CONTACT Penny / penny@thecrossingboston.org (or just show up!).

 

THIS Thursday @ 5:25pm / Evening Prayer 

Every Thursday before our main worship gathering, come join a quiet offering of the office of Evening Prayer. Chant through the liturgy of prayers, psalms and readings and end with prayers for The Crossing community. CONTACT Adwoa / adwoal1@gmail.com.

  

THIS Thursday @ 6pm / Worship

We take it slow in our Lenten worship, with plenty of time to pause, breathe, reflect, get still before God. Isaac Everett leads our reflection on John 9:1-41 -- the blind man is healed and seeks to be welcomed back into community (read bottom for the scripture passage).

 

Need parking? Go to Boston Common Garage on Charles Street between the Public Garden and Boston Common after 4pm, then get a parking sticker from a greeter for $5. Need directions or other info? Check our website at www.thecrossingboston.org.

 

Coming up / Holy Week @ The Crossing  

 

Wondering if it's worth it to stay in town for Holy Week in Boston? The answer is: Yes!

* Maundy Thursday, April 21, at 6-8pm: We share worship with the entire Cathedral family, including the ancient rite of foot-washing and an Agape Meal (love meal) recalling Jesus' last meal with his disciples.

* Holy Saturday, April 23, at 7-9pm: We host our Soulful Easter Vigil, a moving gathering from the tomb to resurrected life with Jesus. And you can stay afterward for an all-night Vigil at the Cathedral.

 

* Easter Sunday dinner at 7pm: Rev. Steph and her mom from Kentucky host their annual Easter dinner for the whole Crossing extended family at Rev. Steph's home in Cambridge.  

 

small groups @ the crossing

These groups are intentionally kept open in order to welcome our whole community to grow in love for God, each other aLaughing Togethernd ourselves via commitment to a small group.  

 

Real Faith for Real Life 

This will be the primary small group experience for spring. Focus on how our faith impacts real life in several key areas: daily habits, family and friends, sexual/romantic life, money, politics, forgiveness and reconciliation, and finishing with vocation and calling. Groups use our Rule for Real Life as a rich resource to guide the journey. Open groups, but with strong covenant and commitment.

   

Real Faith for Real Life: Boston

Every Tuesday at 6:30-8pm at The Cathedral: Feb. 8-May 31

CONTACT Keith / keith@thecrossingboston.org

Kevin / kvetiac@gmail.com

 

Real Faith for Real Life: Cambridge

Every other Wednesday at 6:30-8:30pm: next gathering: April 6.

Home of Stephen Gire, 5 blocks off Central Square

CONTACT Stephen / stephengire@mac.com

Deejay / deejrobinson@gmail.com

 

Real Faith for Real Life: People in Partnered Relationships

Every other Monday at 7-9pm: next gathering: April 11.

Home of Jason Long and Dani Morello, Brookline

CONTACT Jason / jason@thecrossingboston.org

Leigh / leigh@thecrossingboston.org

meditate on this: lent

The gospel for this Sunday (we hear it on Thursday): the story of the man born blind, healed by Jesus. Read it here, plus some other food for prayer & reflection ... 

 

Man Born BlindJohn 9:1-41

As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know." 

 

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. So they said again to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said, "He is a prophet."

 

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."

 

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

 

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, `We see,' your sin remains."

 

Collect (or thematic prayer) that accompanies the scripture -- from the Book of Common Prayer:

 

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Ame
n.