This Week at Emmanuel Church
     October 31 - November 6
 
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Sunday, November 1

Daylight Saving Time ends at exactly at 2:00 am (before church) on Nov 1st 2015. The clocks fall back by an hour this weekend as we return to Standard Time. This signals lighter mornings and an extra hour in bed before church! 

This Sunday, we welcome Jackson Jeffrey Stein into the Christian family through his baptism.  Jackson is the son of Lauren Keiper Stein and Eric Stein, and the younger brother of Abigail Stein.  We also welcome back The Rev. William C. Cruse, serving as our deacon today while The Rev. Susanne George co-leads Small Wonders.  Bill was our seminarian last year.  He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in New Hampshire in June, and expects to be ordained to the priesthood at Emmanuel Church on Thursday, January 21, 2016 by The Rt. Rev. Robert Hirschfeld (God willing and the people consenting, that is).

This Sunday will be a Smalls Wonders Sunday. This is our program that meets the 1st Sunday of each month, for half an hour during the sermon and prayers of the 10:00 service. We are using the Godly Play curriculum, which is based on Montessori principles. Children have an innate sense of the presence of God. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, gain religious language and enhance their spiritual experience though wonder and play. A simple seasonal/lectionary appropriate story will be told using the Godly Play materials. Curiosity and imagination will be encouraged as the children experience the mystery, joy, and love of God! The program is led by our deacon, the Rev. Susanne George, and Jaime Bonney, who has recently joined our deacon in this ministry.

Bethlehem Bazaar in the Parish Hall - this Sunday pl ease stop in the parish hall after the service to see the beautiful olive wood handcrafts on sale to benefit a guidance center for Christian children in Bethlehem, called the Tawjeeh (Steering) Center for Democracy.  Proceeds from the sales will go directly to assist Christian families to pay school and medical fees, and for educational programs that promote peace and human dignity.  Payments can be made by checks or cash.  

On Sunday afternoon at 4:00 PM Emmanuel Music Concert
In the Parish Hall at Emmanuel Church, Emmanuel Music will continue its exploration of the works of Felix Mendelssohn, (the man who revived public interest in Bach pretty much all by himself), and Hugo Wolf, known for his musical wit and humor. The series will feature the Arneis Quartet and the Lydian String Quartet, veteran Emmanuel Music singers William Hite and Kendra Colton performing the entire glorious Italienisches Liederbuch, and others from the Emmanuel Music ensemble. For tickets visit:http://www.emmanuelmusic.org

SUNDAY PARKING
- the Back Bay Garage on Clarendon Street. The address for the garage is 500 Boylston St., 02116. Pink tickets are available during coffee hour. Your ticket is good for a 3 hour period on Sunday between 8:00am to 8:00pm. The price for 3 hours is $5. Beyond that the regular rate applies. 

       Upcoming Events & Important Information:   
    
2016 Pledge Season has begun -  Over the course of the next several weeks, please prayerfully consider making a pledge of financial support to Emmanuel Church for 2016 so that we can make commitments for our staff and programs inside and outside of Emmanuel for the coming year.  Pledge cards and other materials will be in the mail in the next few weeks.  We encourage you to deepen your engagement with this vital parish in a way that will enlarge our capacity for welcome.

Connections!  We need correct mailing addresses for all. We are now full-swing into our program year and we want to keep everyone in the info-loop. Our Parish Directory is a great way to do this and updates are being finalized. Have you moved? Have a PO Box now? Please take a moment to send this updated information to Amanda March @ [email protected] or call 617-536-3355, ext. 10.

Fruit of the Vine at Communion -  Our trial use of adding grape juice at communion has been declared a success!  Both grape juice and wine will be served at the communion station in front of the baptismal font.  The grape juice will be in the ceramic chalice.  Only wine is available at the rail. Our offering of non-alcoholic fruit of the vine is in response to recent calls within the Episcopal Church for Episcopalians to re-examine our relationship with alcohol, and because of our heritage of the Emmanuel Movement (forebear of AA).  As a matter of theology, the Episcopal Church teaches that receiving only bread or only wine constitutes full communion.  However, just as we began to offer gluten-free bread, we add non-fermented grape juice to our sacramental offering to extend the hospitality of the sacrament.  

Four Tasks of Mourning Retreat   - Retreat Leader: The Rev. Lyn G. Brakeman, spiritual director, Episcopal priest, bereavement counselor.
Date: November 7, 2015, 10am - 4pm
Place: Miramar Retreat Center, Duxbury, MA
www.miramarretreat.org 781-585-2482
Fee: $40 with $15 non-refundable deposit, lunch included. Contact to register.
Focus: Mourning hurts all over and hurts even more when it is ignored. Grief is heavy. Don't sink. There is something you can do.  This retreat offers an active approach to grieving: prayer, biblical story, prayer, poetry, conversation and individual spiritual direction as desired.  

Boston-Cambridge Mission Hub funded by TogetherNow   At their last meeting, Diocesan Council voted to approve the Mission Hub proposal submitted by Emmanuel, St. Bartholomew's Cambridge, The Cathedral Crossing congregation, and Trinity Copley, along with MIT and BU chaplaincies, to establish 3-4 intentional community houses connected to our parishes over the next 5 years.  It was a very unusual proposal for expanding the mission of the Diocese, supporting and developing lay vocations, and making deeper connections in our communities. 
The overall program grant is expected to be nearly $600K (from DioMass TogetherNow funds) and will be spent on a full time Community Development Manager, training and community-building resources for the houses, and about $36K for each house to cover things like first/last month rent & security deposits for folks who need that assistance.  The next step will be to have the first year budget approved by Council (next month).  Sharon Ballard was Emmanuel's representative to the grant writing team.  Tamra Tucker also provided support.  Stay tuned for ways to get involved!

Tuesday morning Bible Study resumes this week on Tuesday  mornings throughout the month from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the Emmanuel Room (through the kitchen of the Parish House). Come whenever you are able to join us for this lively conversation with the Rector. This Bible Study meets in odd-numbered months.

Update - Boston Warm News - The staff and guests of Boston Warm@Emmanuel would like to extend a huge Thank You to Emmanuel for your wonderful hospitality. Bless you all for making us feel so welcome!
We have been asked what we are most in need of. Financial support is at the top of the list, of course-to cover paid staff and program supplies (Ecclesia Ministries is managing the fundraising and staffing). Volunteering for a few hours a month on a Monday or Friday helps the center run smoothly and enriches community life for all. We are also currently accepting donations of men's and women's winter clothing in good condition-coats, shirts, pants, hats, gloves, scarves. And there can never be too many (new) white socks! Mundane, yes-but that is where God dwells, isn't it, in the simple and everyday? Together we are making God's love real for many people. Thank you, Emmanuel Church. The Rev. Kate Layzer, program director.

Part-Time Position: Event Sexton - help us get this word out - Emmanuel Episcopal Church has been serving the urban community of greater Boston as a dynamic center for spiritual discovery and renewal since 1860. As an outgrowth of its mission, Emmanuel Church supports the work of numerous religious, social service, and artistic organizations which are vital to the health and spiritual wellness of the City of Boston. We provide space for meetings, concerts, events and functions, as well as for weddings and memorial services, both for those from within the parish and beyond.  
Responsibilities:  Our sextons are ministers of hospitality, creating a welcome, secure, and pleasant environment for event coordinators and participants. Sexton work includes preparing spaces for events and break-down afterwards, maintaining the security of the building, and having the opportunity to help us carry out our mission and outreach by providing radical hospitality to a wonderfully wide variety of people. This position requires the physical ability to lift furniture weighing up to 30 lbs unassisted.
Compensation is $15 - $25 per hour, depending on the event.
This is an ideal position for those seeking supplemental income with schedule flexibility to work on evenings and weekends. To apply for this position, please send a letter of introduction and resume to Amanda March, Parish Administrator, at [email protected]  617-536-3355, ext. 10 or the Rev. Christen Mills at [email protected] 617-536-3355, ext. 21.

Emmanuel Church provided financial support to this organization in 2015 through our outreach funds. Next Saturday, 11/7, this event will offer an opportunity to learn more.




The Vestry Nominating Committee had held a preliminary meeting to begin the search for candidates for a number of elected positions.  At this year's Annual Meeting, the parish will be asked to vote for Senior and Junior Wardens; four Vestry positions;  two representatives to the Boston Harbor Deanery; two representatives and an alternate to the Diocesan Convention; and a delegate to Episcopal Relief and Development.  If you are interested and willing to serve in one of these positions, or if you can think of people you would recommend for one, please let a member of the Nominating Committee know.  They are Penny Lane, Frank Bunn, Barbara Devries, Paul Guttry, Tom Barber, Jim Bartlett, Margaret Johnson and Sam Warren.

Name Tags for All -  Because it's always nice to be able to attach a name to a face, we encourage you to wear a name tag. You may find them along the wall in the Parish Hall, alphabetized by FIRST name. And in our efforts to make Emmanuel Church a more welcoming and inclusive community for all, we invite you to put your pronouns (he/him, she/her, etc.) on your name tag. By doing this, we help make Emmanuel Church a more welcoming place for transgender worshippers. If you don't see a name tag along the wall in the Parish Hall, and would like to have one, please find Penny Lane at coffee hour or email her at [email protected] with your name and pronouns.

Tours at Emmanuel
Have you ever wondered about the stories behind Emmanuel's beautiful building? Today, it is home to thriving communities from Emmanuel Church and Central Reform Temple, to Twelve-Step programs and ministries to the homeless, and to dozens of music and performing arts events from Emmanuel Music and others every year. We are excited to announce that Emmanuel Church is starting to offer free, guided tours of its historic Sanctuary and Leslie Lindsey Chapel. For a taste of Boston's 19th century history and an eyeful of Boston's best architecture in the oldest building on Newbury Street, call Christen Mills at (617) 536-3355 x21 or email at [email protected] to schedule a tour.  

"This Week at Emmanuel" E-News & Updates
"This Week at Emmanuel" is a weekly e-mail digest of announcements and upcoming events at Emmanuel. If you'd like to receive these, simply e-mail Amanda March at [email protected].

Musings from the Margins...

I love to watch people draw and create. People reveal aspects of themselves through the way their bodies move and the facial expressions they make when they draw, paint, and play instruments. Some people move with aggression and furrow their brows, and others move with melancholic lethargy and have a sullen look in their eyes.  Some people make bold, confident gestures while painting, and others make tiny meticulous brush stokes.  When we are engrossed in the creative process, we are not using our cognitive energy to monitor our facial expressions or body movements; instead, we are using that energy to create.  Our need for control takes a back seat and our sadness, anger, jubilation, and many other aspects of self rise to the surface when we stop using our mental power to stifle these things and instead use it to express ourselves through artistic media.   
 
I have noticed that the most outspoken individuals tend to also move the most while creating; one man in particular at common art moves his whole upper-body while painting his pieces. His brushstrokes come from movement in his shoulder as opposed to only his wrist or finger tips, and he turns his whole torso to move his brush across his paper.  His movements are quick, and the pressure he applies to create his lines is visible.  Through the conversations I have had with him, I can tell that he is a confident and loquacious person, but, without this knowledge, I could guess the same characteristics if I just watched him paint. He uses bright, saturated colors and quickly scratches the surface of his paper with his brush.  Each stroke is so confident; he is so assured that he won't make a mistake. Likewise, when talking to this man, it becomes apparent that he is equally assured in his logic and knowledge, and he is always assertive in his opinions. He is confidence incarnate, often in a way that is overpowering. The art he makes expresses this aspect of him just as the movements he uses to create that art does. Somehow watching him work helps me grow more compassionate toward someone who is difficult for me.
 
If we sit back and observe those around us, it is amazing what we can glean.  Sometimes people show things about themselves subconsciously that they would never consciously reveal.  Acute observation of how someone moves and how someone creates has the potential to deepen our understanding of them. When we talk to one another, we reveal one dimension of ourselves, but we are each multidimensional people with a wide array of thoughts and feelings.  By being observant and deepening our understanding of others, we can increase our empathy for them.


 
- Briana Heller  



Amanda March,
Parish Operations Manager
617-536-3355, x 10