Exceptional performers join Friends of Music on Saturday, March 5, for the 25th annual Bach Marathon. The morning session (10 a.m.) features "UA Musicians on Tour," showcasing international touring performers from UA Fred Fox School of Music performing Bach in some unusual combos, such as a bassoon quartet and a saxophone quartet, in addition to the more usual voice, strings, harpsichord, piano, organ, and oboe. Their programs will highlight not only music by J.S. Bach but also music by his contemporaries and others influenced by Bach. After the morning session enjoy a "Bach's Lunch" ($10; place your order when you arrive for the morning session). The afternoon recital features world-renowned organist Jonathan Biggers, bringing incomparable flair, style, and energy to the organ music of Bach. Tickets (available at the door) are $25 for the morning or afternoon session, $40 all day, and $10 for students.

Please join us for our First Sunday Music offering for March, on Sunday, March 6, at the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services, when the Canterbury Choir and Canterbury Apprentices will sing Francis Poulenc's stirring Mass in G major. This setting of the Mass for unaccompanied chorus dates from 1937, and is marked by extended use of antiphonal dialogue between groups of upper and lower voices, or contrasts between staccato and legato, soft and loud dynamics, solo and tutti passages. The tremendous emotional power of this Mass setting is very appropriate for this Lenten First Sunday offering. The choir will also perform motets by other French composers, including Duruflé. So that you don't miss any of the prelude music, please plan to arrive a few minutes before service time.

Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and St. Philip's Food Pantry ministry will be accepting donations of nonperishable food in unbreakable containers. Desired items are canned meat and meat entrees, canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned beans, dried pasta and canned pasta sauce, soup, peanut butter, and cereal. We also gratefully accept checks made out to St. Philip's with "Food Pantry" on the memo line.

Keep apprised of next steps in the search process by attending the education forum on Sunday, March 6, at 10:15 a.m. in the Murphey Gallery. The search committee will describe the tasks they will be working on over the next month. Also check out our Parish Profile, which is posted on the Rector Search page of St. Philip's web site.

It's only a few weeks until the application deadline at St. Philip's. So if you know someone who would make an inspiring rector, let them know about St. Philip's and the March 25 application deadline. (Please be discreet in your phone call or email. Although it is okay to alert clergy to rector positions that might interest them, it is difficult for everyone if that priest's staff or member of the congregation accidentally intercepts a voice mail message or email and jumps to premature conclusions.) If a priest expresses interest in St. Philip's, please tell them to contact the Rev. Canon Megan Traquair (megan@azdiocese.org), who receives all applications for clergy positions in our diocese.

Bishop Smith has designated March 6 as Chapel Rock Sunday throughout the Diocese. On that day, the Bishop is asking each church and congregation members to support the Chapel Rock Campership Fund for the benefit of our children and youth. The experiences that our campers have at Chapel Rock are life changing and extraordinary. Please join with us in changing lives and help send children and youth to camp this summer! You may contribute to support the campership fund on Sunday, March 6.  You can also go to Chapel Rock's web site to contribute securely online.

Our beautiful stained glass windows are in need of serious restoration work. The good news is that interested parishioners may adopt a window for a donation ranging from $132, for the smallest windows, to $5,800, for the largest. All donations are fully tax deductible, and as windows are completed a small brass label will identify each donor. The Preservation & Endowment Foundation is sponsoring the restoration. Members of the Preservation & Endowment Foundation board will be in the Perry Garden Sunday morning to answer questions about the stained glass window project. Look for us between the 9 and 11:15 a.m. services.

St. Philip's new Parish Nurse, Carol Jones, will be introduced at the 7:45 a.m. service Sunday and will be available in the Perry Garden between services to meet you and answer any questions you might have about her role. Carol is an Arizona licensed registered nurse. She is a commissioned Faith Community Nurse (FCN), Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C), and has extensive experience and education in adult and pediatric nursing. Carol will be volunteering as the Parish Nurse at St. Philip's and beginning on March 8, will have office hours in the church office to meet your health ministry needs every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., as well as the first Sunday of the month between services. Carol looks forward to speaking with you and getting to know you!

Waterborne, a show of Original Watercolors by Martha Lee McKiernan, will be in the Murphey Gallery beginning on Sunday, March 6. The show will kick off with a reception from 12:15 till 3 p.m. There will be the gamut of what Martha Lee paints: horses and cowboys, pottery, and scenes from travel, children in their loveliest moments of discovery, and people experiencing life as it comes. As you wander among these paintings, know that creating them brought her happiness and she hopes that viewing them does the same for you.



Hebrew Scriptures: Joshua 5: 9-12
Psalm 32
New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5: 16-21
Gospel: Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32