My husband asked me to accompany him to Philly for work this past week. Though I’m a bit busy, I am so glad I took the time to return to the city I called home for four years. While there, I was able to walk about my old neighborhood, eat at our favorite restaurants, and best of all worship with our church family.
City of Phila. Mural Arts – The Heart of Baltimore Avenue: Best way to explain what it was like to live in my neighborhood
Baltimore Avenue Mural Left Side
Right Side Mural Baltimore Avenue
Hubby and I walking Baltimore Avenue
Walking into Calvary United Methodist, a 107+ year old sanctuary in West Philadelphia, filled with radical progressive Christians was truly food for my soul. It was like I never left. The same love and power of the Holy Spirit was in full effect. A Holy Spirit of justice, inclusiveness, activism, and unconditional love.
Stain Glass in the Old Sanctuary, Now Used as Theater Space
While at Calvary, I went from being a Texas political refugee dropped into Philadelphia’s ivy league, cold politics, and tricky world of public finance to becoming a confident spiritual progressive and activist, member of the congregation, and a community center board member. There I began to understand what I now dedicate myself to understanding, the power of the sacred in space, place, and people to transform whole communities.
The real rites of passage are smaller for me though. I will always remember, like walking into the basement and seeing lay leaders dancing to James Brown while wishing my husband and I godspeed as we returned to Houston to marry, or when I was invited to assist the pastor in administering the communion. I’ve never grown spiritually the way I grew at Calvary, and I believe it will always be my spiritual home.
At Calvary, inclusiveness is not a quaint idea, but a lived article of faith
In addition to hosting the Reconciling Methodist congregation, the historic building is also a Community center which hosts local and nationally known organizations, such as:
- Cedar Park Neighbors
- University City Historical Society
- Girl Scout Troop
- Crossroads Music
- Calvary Cafe
- Curio Theatre Company
- Calvary United Methodist Church
- Grace Chapel Pentecostal Church
- Kol Tzedek Synagogue
- West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship
- International Action Center
- Prometheus Radio Project
- West Philly Food Not Bombs
- Mariposa Food Coop
- Martial Arts
- Curio Acting School
- Center for Literacy
- Camp Sojourner
- And a Pre-School coming soon!
Who is Calvary United Methodist? Here’s a few of my favorite people in the world!
