Dinner: 5:15–6:15 p.m.
Speaker: 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Lent is a time of reflection, inquiry, and prayer, as we prepare for the heartbreak of Good Friday and the resurrection joy of Easter. During the noon hour of the Lenten season, Calvary Church invites wise and inspiring preachers into our pulpit from places near and far (geographically, philosophically, and even temperamentally). People from across Memphis come to hear voices that may challenge, but also instruct, inspire, comfort and unite. The line-up of speakers changes annually, some are known locally, others have a national following, including the late Marcus Borg, Jon Sweeney, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Diana Butler Bass.
Combined with the lunch-time offerings of the Waffle Shop, the noon experience nourishes both body and soul.
Come for the preaching and stay for the waffle. You are warmly welcomed to join in either or both of these nearly century-old Lenten traditions.
Rabbi Micah Greenstein loves Torah no matter where it comes from. "Torah" in a broad Jewish sense refers to the teachings and wisdom of Judaism, but he treasures insights on goodness, love, justice, shalom, and compassion from every faith tradition and every reflection of God's unity. What inspires him most about the Jewish legacy he lives and teaches is that it is not simply a tale of enduring persecution and surviving hate, but rather a 4,000 year-old joyful embrace of faith, family, and the blessing that comes with being God's partner in healing a broken world.
The Rev. Dan Matthews is a consistent favorite at Calvary’s Lenten Preaching Series. His preaching is inspired by powerful and meaningful stories, like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son. In light of these stories, Matthews pushes us to recognize when genuine blessings come our way. He believes that these moments of being “kissed by God” are more than being in the right place at the right time. His spiritual discipline of holy love is modeled after his mother’s ability to love with abandon. Each time he receives communion he is reminded of the transformative power of that love.
The Rev. Sam Teitel is a minister, poet and storyteller with an irreverent wit and a deep, abiding love of scripture, especially the weird parts of scripture that people don't usually like to talk about. His sermons are candid, accessible, and often funnier than he means them to be. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist, he won the grand prize at the 2018 Preachers Fight Club storytelling event. Teitel has served as the minister of The Church Of The River in Memphis since 2017. Before he became a minister, he toured and performed as a slam poet. He is beyond thrilled to be returning to Calvary’s Lenten Preaching Series!