Join us on Wednesdays in February from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Renouf-Nelson Library. Learn why and how to become involved in an aspect of social justice. You'll find opportunity for  spiritual, attitudinal, philosophical, and practical formation to prepare you to engage in the many areas of social justice that need active allies. We'll discuss the Gospel imperative for social justice action as well as specific issues. It all happens in the context of lively and respectful fellowship. Our book selection for February is Journey to the Common Good, by Walter Brueggemann. This group is participant-led. We share responsibilities of prayer, creating discussion questions, and moderating the conversation. Contact Suzanne: borderimmigrationmin@stphilipstucson.org or 325-4469. Sponsored by the St. Philip's Border and Immigration Ministry.

A group is meeting on Wednesday, February 4, in La Paz at 1 p.m. to investigate creating a pictorial directory. If you'd be interested in working on the directory, please plan to attend. If you'd like to be involved in the project but can't attend the meeting, please e-mail Lois Britton or call 299-6421, ext. 39.

A drop-in support group for family caregivers, a collaboration between Pima Council on Aging and St. Philip's, meets on the first and third Wednesdays at 10 a.m. in Palo Verde. Another group meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 11 a.m. in Salvia. Facilitated by Kim Rosenfeld, LMSW, from PCOA and Brigid Waszczak.  Information: Brigid or call 577-7792.

A support group for all family members and friends of persons living with a mental illness meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 2 p.m. in Desert Sage. Sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Arizona affiliate, experienced group leaders guide discussions about challenges facing those whose loved one has a mental disorder. All are invited for fellowship and support. For more information, contact Dr. Sharon Nielsen or call 579-8229.

Are you an adult in the first half of life (20s-40s) looking for spiritual camaraderie? Spirit Lab is our twice-monthly social & discussion group. We meet first and third Wednesday eves. Come and delve into all matters of Spirit, chew on stimulating topics related to faith in our daily lives and where religion is headed, discover new viewpoints and add your own. Drop in anytime, bring friends and create new ones! Information: Cosmo Spears (342-8998).

Sunday, February 8, is Recovery Sunday. The Episcopal Church recommends that we set aside one day a year to raise awareness of substance abuse issues. Our guest preacher at the 7:45, 9, and 11:15 a.m. services will be the Rev. John Christopher. John is a cradle-born Episcopalian who disappeared from the church for decades, only to return and receive a call for clerical service. After a  rather circuitous route, he was ordained a priest last October. John has been in recovery from alcohol and drugs for over 20 years and spent a decade counseling people with chemical dependency. His burning desire is to start a Diocesan-wide recovery ministry. This will begin next fall on a part time basis and be introduced at the next Convention. John served for 6 years in Gila Bend and is now the Vicar of St. Jude's, Glendale. He and his wife, Lisa, have 3 children and 6 grandchildren between them. Lisa is a yoga instructor and serious gardener and John loves to hike and read. John is very excited to spend the day with the wonderful people of St. Phillip's.

A new "9:00 class" begins on Sunday, February 8, featuring twenty-four 30-minute televised lectures by Professor Amy-Jill Levine (Vanderbilt University Divinity School) on the Hebrew scriptures, set against the background of ancient Israelite culture and history and followed by class discussion for the rest of the hour. There will also be occasional presentations on special topics by the facilitator and perhaps others. Bernd Fenik, facilitating. In La Paz.

THREE FORUMS
--"Prison Issues in America and Arizona" will deal with such questions as Why does the U.S. have the world's highest incarceration rate? Presenter is Rebecca Fealk with "Read Between the Bars," a volunteer-based Tucson organization that gets free books directly into the hands of incarcerated women and men in Arizona and advocates for prison reform.
--Committee for the Prevention of Gun Violence will present Victoria Steele, State Representative, Legislative District 9, Tucson, who will discuss bipartisan efforts to address gun violence prevention.
--"Addiction and Recovery: State of the Union Address" will be presented by Charles Gillispie. Participants will receive information about substance use trends in the United States and the three categories of substance use problems, and learn how to best intervene when a loved one is struggling with addiction.

The February show in the Murphey Gallery will be  "Art Inspirations: Sights, Sounds, and Smells of the Southwest," a collection of photographs and the art they inspire, featuring photographer Donald Knight and artists Scarlett Taylor, Pam Cheeseman, Deanna Thibault, and Barbara Amyx. Meet the artists at an opening reception from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.


Honoring Volunteers
--At 11:15 a.m., the children and family ministries invite the families of the all the Sunday School children to participate in appreciating our amazing Sunday School volunteers, who we are so fortunate to have work with our children every week. A sign up sheet for brunch dishes will be in the children's center the next two Sundays, or feel free to contact Tamzin Sugiyama directly to sign up to bring something to the brunch. All families are invited to join in the brunch festivities.
--At 12:30 p.m., come celebrate the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the good work that you do! Prayer shawl knitters, past and present--whether you've made dozens of prayer shawls or are still working on your first--are invited to come be our guest and enjoy lunch and fellowship, catch up with other prayer shawl knitters, swap patterns and share techniques. Bring your knitting! Please e-mail Helene Woodhams or call 529-0765 to let us know if you can join us.


At 3 p.m., our winter resident members (may we call you Snowbirds?) will gather at Saucy Cutlip's for an afternoon of chit chat and getting to know other birds of a feather. All Snowbirds, both current and ex, are cordially invited. So are year-round parishioners; we all love it when you join us. Please call Saucy at 572-6611 to RSVP and receive directions to her house. Our guests always make this such a fun gathering so don't miss out!


Join the Rev. Vicki K. Hesse, trained Prepare/Enrich Facilitator, for a Couples' Workshop on Friday evening, February 13, and Saturday, February 14. At this invigorating workshop, we will explore relationship dynamics in general and provide each couple a customized assessment with insights to your specific relationship. This process encourages heart-to-heart conversations that are the key to understanding your partner and developing a deeper, healthier relationship. Optional participation in the "Renewal of Vows" service at 11 a.m. on Saturday February 14.  It doesn't matter whether you are engaged, married, cohabitating, newlyweds or long time couples, if you are in a committed relationship (gay or straight), Prepare/ Enrich will give you the tools you need to get the most from your relationship. Happy Valentine's Day! For more information and to register, contact the Rev. Vicki K. Hesse. Pre-workshop assessment (online) required for participation, personal cost of $35. Workshop is offered for $20 to cover materials, scholarships available.

St. Philip's will hold a renewal of marriage vows and commitment promises on Saturday, February 14, at 11 a.m. If you are interested in participating, please call the church office to sign up. This is a wonderful way to share with your family the celebration of a joyous occasion. Read about previous services here and here.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18. St. Philip's offers four services. Holy Eucharist Rite I and Imposition of Ashes will be at 7:30 a.m. and Holy Eucharist Rite II with Imposition of Ashes will be at noon. At 5:30 p.m. there will be an All-Generations Ash Wednesday service (no Eucharist), and at 7 p.m. the St. Philip's Singers will lead a Sung Eucharist Rite II with Imposition of Ashes.

The annual Shrove Tuesday celebration is Tuesday, February 17, at 6 p.m. in the Galleries! Celebrate with a FEAST of jambalaya, chicken, and waffles! Don't miss this great night of great food by the J2A youth and parents and the opportunity to transition from Epiphany to Lent with Night Prayer and Burning of the Palms in the fishpond garden at 7 p.m.

Last year seven teams took "Ashes to Go" to several locations in town. About 140 people responded to our signs and other notifications, including the local news. If you are interested in joining us this year please e-mail Geri Smith or call 744-3230.

For a schedule of Lenten services and other events, click here.

"Three Years of Silence: An Evening of Stories and Relevant Wisdom from Three Years of Meditation" will be presented on Tuesday, February 24, at 7 p.m. in the Children's Chapel. Will Duncan, who recently completed a traditional 3-year silent retreat, will talk about five lessons he learned and the relevance of those lessons for us in our busy lives. Known for the humor and light-heartedness of his teaching style, he strives to bring to life the brilliance and usefulness of the ancient spiritual traditions.

St. Philip's and Temple Emanu-El will join to present a special spring retreat weekend: Exploring the Pilgrimage of Life. It will be a weekend for growth, renewal, and community building with the Rev. Dr. Sheryl Kujawa-Holbrook, on March 20-22. Explore the pilgrimage of your life, your tradition, and our wider community during this inspiring weekend. Activities include Shabbat service at Temple Emanu-El on Friday, March 20; breakfast, followed by a teaching on Saturday, March 21, in the morning at St. Philip's ("The Way of the Heart"), followed by vegetarian potluck lunch and afternoon teaching at Temple-Emanu-El ("The Journey Home"); and morning worship at St. Philip's on Sunday, at 7:45, 9, and 11:15 a.m. Suggested donation $25; childcare available. To register contact the Rev. Greg Foraker.

Lord, you have searched me out and know me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; You discern my thoughts from afar.
What thoughts do you wish to share with God? What are your concerns? Your joys? Consider taking the journey to Confirmation, Reception, or Reaffirmation for adults beginning on Sunday, March 22, and continuing through May 17. The Rt. Rev. Kirk Stevan Smith will celebrate Confirmation with us on Sunday, May 24. Call the Rev. Greg Foraker in the church office (299-6421) to register.

The J2A Youth Group will be holding a rummage sale on Saturday, April 18 from 7 a.m. till 1 p.m. to raise money for their Pilgrimage. We would greatly appreciate your gently used rummage sale donations. You can drop off items in the Palo Verde Room in the Youth Center on Sundays between 8 and 11 a.m. beginning February 15. (Due to limited storage, please call if you have large furniture.) E-mail
Lori Harwood or call 979-5126 with any questions. Thank you!

SAVE THE DATE -- Sunday, April 19 -- for the first and fabulous gourmet multi-course dinner to raise funds for the St. Philips After School Music and Homework Program. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. in the Galleries. This will be an evening to remember-and for a very good cause. Winter members and frequent flyers, make your travel reservations accordingly--you will want to be here for this first-time culinary event. Volunteers to help cook and serve needed. Contact Jean Cooper or call 529-4961 to volunteer.

The Rev. Canon John E. Kitagawa has just returned from an Interfaith Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with the Presiding Bishop and other Episcopalians, as well as leaders from the American Jewish and Muslim communities. You can read John's day-to-day accounts of his trip here. An article released by Episcopal News service can be accessed here. Listen to the Presiding Bishop's sermon by clicking here.





Several books in the Renouf/Nelson Library have recently been reviewed. These include "The Life and Times of Martha Laurens Ramsay, 1759-1811," by Joanna Gillespie, "Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson," by Mitch Albom, and "The Punishment Imperative: The Rise and Failure of Mass Incarceration in America," by Todd R. Clear and Natasha A. Frost. Click on the titles to read the reviews. Or go to the "Book Reviews" page on St. Philip's web site.