Why Celebrate All Saints Sunday?
In September and October, Jews recognize Rosh Hashanah (the New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement); Muslims celebrate Eid (the last day of the Ramadan month of fasting). But what are the high holy days at King's Chapel, in the autumn? Most of us would quickly name special holy days in winter and spring: Christmas, Easter, and possibly Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, or Pentecost. If pressed for an autumnal holy day, we might mention Thanksgiving. But would All Saints and All Souls also come to mind, as a high holy day? Should it? It's this Sunday, November 6th.
I now give far greater weight to All Saints Sunday than I did growing up. That may be because I was raised Protestant, before Protestants began their pendulum swing back towards liturgical seasons and holy days. It may be because I was younger and less familiar with death. But most likely, it's because I'm much more aware of my own mortality now.
Last Sunday evening, Heinrich and Shawn asked me to read a poem by Mary Oliver, in between portions of the requiems sung so beautifully by our choir. I read:
When death comes like a hungry bear in autumn,
....Like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity...
[not fear or resentment or panic].
Therefore, Mary Oliver writes, she will treasure life now, each moment as holy:
When it's over,
I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms....
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
This Sunday, each of us has the chance to show our amazement and thanks for life and for those who have gone on before us. We will light candles for them, symbols of the light they shined into our lives. All Saints: it's a high holy day in November, and an early day of Thanksgiving.
+ Joy
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A Collect for Election Day
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgement and light riseth up in darkness, grant us, amid our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou wouldst have us do, that the spirit of thy wisdom may save us from false choices, that in thy light we may see light and in thy straight path we may not stumble; and this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+Book of Common Prayer, King's Chapel
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The Reverend Fiedler Guest Preaching
Today, November 2nd, the Rev. Shawn Fiedler will guest preach and celebrate Holy Communion at Boston University Marsh Chapel. The service begins at
11 A.M. On
Thursday, November 10, Shawn will speak at Harvard University's Morning Prayers. The service will be held in Holden Chapel on Harvard Yard at
8:45 A.M. All are welcome to these services.
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Habitat for Humanity Fall
"Build Out" | Saturday,
November 5
Join us at a local area HFH home, place to be determined in the Roxbury or Roslindale area. We would like to gather ten generous people who enjoy using their hands at a variety of tasks. There is room for every level of skills...fear not!! This will be a full day, 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, with a one hour lunch break.
A donation to HFH of $40.00 per volunteer is welcome, and is optional. Please feel free to adjust amount up or down according to your situation. Make contribution out to King's Chapel with a notation "HFH Build". The Community Action Committee will match and assure that HFH Greater Boston receives a minimum of $750.00, and, of course, the volunteer's handiwork. To register, and for more information, contact Emanuel Genovese at
emanuelg1@verizon.net
or
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All Saints and All Souls Service | November 6 | 11 AM
As is our tradition at King's Chapel,
during our All Saints and All Souls Holy Communion Service on November 6, at 11 AM, worshippers will be invited to come forward to light a candle in memory of those who have died. Special large candles will be lit for those who were members and died in the last year; please contact the church office to make us aware of any such members who have passed away. Additional candles will be available for all who wish to offer prayers for the saints and souls we hold dear in our hearts. The choir will offer selections
from Requiems.
Please join us for this special annual service, and for the luncheon following, to be held at the Parish House.
+ Joy
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Listening Over Lunch | Sunday, November 6
The Adult Religious Education Committee hosts our third such gathering, a simple lunch at which we can learn from each other in small group discussions as we explore our own beliefs and uncertainties.
This year we'll have the rare opportunity to learn also from our visitors from Transylvania, the Reverends Norbert and Maria Racz. We will reflect on the holiday we are celebrating, All Saints and All Souls. This celebration coincides with Halloween, a holiday that began in pagan times, marking the end of the harvest and beginning of winter, the thin border between the world of the living and the world of the dead. In ancient times, people believed ghosts entered our world during this time. We'd love to have you join us-bring your ghosts, your beliefs, your questions, and your capacity to listen.
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Fall 2016 Minns Lectures: Sources of a Global Faith | November 11, 12, and 13
unique opportunity to hear and learn from three prominent Unitarian ministers from Kolozsvár, Transylvania who serve the Transylvanian partner churches of King's Chapel and First Church Boston. Lectures, panel presentations, and concluding sermons will explain the ideals and core practices that Transylvanian Unitarians hold dear, and explore how they may help to shape a compelling Unitarian faith for the future that has true global appeal.
Specific speakers, topics and times are as follows: "Transcendentalism in Transylvania" by the Rev. Csaba Mezei, Friday, November 11, King's Chapel, 6 pm; "The Future of Transylvanian Unitarian Liturgy" by the Rev. Norbert Rácz, Saturday, November 12, First Church Boston, 12 Noon; and "What Will Be the Sources of a Global Unitarian Faith?", a panel discussion with Revs. Norbert Rácz, Mária Racz, Czaba Mezei, and Roger Bertschausen from the UU Partner Church Council, Saturday, November 12, First Church Boston, 3 pm. In between the two events on Saturday, November 12, at First Church Boston, a free box lunch will be served, and area congregations active in UU partner church activities in Transylvania and elsewhere around the globe will host information tables highlighting their partnership programs.
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A Day to be Experienced and Remembered |
Sunday, November 13
On Sunday, November 13, at King's Chapel, the morning service will honor our Unitarian Partner Church in Kolozsvár, Transylvania. Its minister, the Reverend Norbert Rácz, will preach the sermon. We are expecting a delegation of UUA leaders to participate in the service, and the partner church ministers, Reverend Rácz and Reverend Fallon, will celebrate communion in the Transylvanian tradition.
As sixteen parishioners who've been to Transylvania well know, the relationship between our congregations is deep and transformative. Since the 1920s, there have been numerous visits between Boston and Kolozsvár. Transylvania is considered the birthplace of Unitarianism as we know it.
Reverend Rácz and his wife Mária will be in Boston to deliver the Minns Lectures (see separate article). During their week-long visit, we will have opportunity to visit with this young couple and share our cultures and our faith. More information about opportunities to meet and greet our guests from Transylvania will be announced soon.
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BAGLY's Harvest Homecoming | November 15
Harvest Homecoming is a
laid back event for squashing stigma and introducing people to BAGLY (Boston Area LGBTQ Youth). There will be d
rag queens, karaoke, food, and drinks! Claim one of the 3 tickets still available via the Community Action Committee and join Amanda for this great event!
Tickets for the BAGLY Harvest Homecoming can be found at
BAGLY Holiday Potluck | November 23
The BAGLY Holiday Potluck is open to all at the Community Church at 565 Boylston Street (Copley Sq). Folks are definitely encouraged to cook and bring food! For more information, contact Amanda at
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Theology on Tap | November 16 | 7 PM
Believer. Non-believer. Confident. Curious. Join us for a lively discussion of big questions at a local pub.
On November 16 at 7 PM we will discuss Death and the Afterlife. What have been the different views about these, in the Bible and in other traditions? What are your understandings? Shawn will be away so Joy will start off our discussion.
Anyone 21 and over is welcome to join. We will meet at The Kinsale Pub and Restaurant, located across from City Hall Plaza. RSVP to gretchen@kings-chapel.org. |
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Membership Gathering | November 29 | 6 PM
Interested in membership? A gathering exploring our history, our beliefs, and how we govern ourselves will be held on Tuesday, November 29 at 6:00 PM at the Parish House. If you are interested in joining, new members will be formally welcomed on Sunday, January 22 at 11 AM. Not quite ready for membership? No problem. You are always welcome at King's Chapel.
If you wish to attend, contact Cathy Price at cmmp48@comcast.net. |
Advent Book Group | Wednesday Evenings, November 30 - December 21
Deitrich Bonhoeffer was killed by Hitler a few days before Germany surrendered. He was 37. But this young Lutheran minister left an indelible mark through his writings, including those from prison. How did he understand the promise of Christmas, amidst his bleak circumstances? How could he still treasure Christmas, and remain convinced of God's love breaking into this world, despite the horrors around him? Small excerpts of Bonhoeffer's writings have been collected in this daily devotional for Advent and Christmas: God is in the Manger. Rev. Fallon will lead the discussion from 7-8:30 pm on Wednesday evenings, after the 6 PM service. A simple dinner will be served in the Vestry Room behind the pulpit. Books are available for $10 at the Parish House or in the Vestibule after church during November. Register with Gretchen at gretchen@kings-chapel.org. |
| Pre-Annual Meeting Hearing at King's Chapel | January 8 | 1 PM
The Pre-Annual Meeting Hearing will be held on January 8, 2017, at the Parish House for the purpose of asking questions, discussing agenda items, airing and resolving confusions or problems with matters which will come before the Annual Meeting. A light lunch will precede the Hearing. The Hearing itself will start around 1:00 PM and end about 2:30 PM.
The Annual Meeting will be held on January 29, 2017, at 12:30 PM, following a short break after Morning Prayer. We will meet back in the sanctuary after a light snack in the vestibule. The meeting will end no later than 2:30.
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From the Freedom Trail...
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Over the past week, the Freedom Trail Program celebrated Halloween with special, after-hours tours of the crypt beneath the chapel. With two tours each evening leading up to the big night, the Freedom Trail Program lead tours for nearly 130 guests! Highlights of the tour included the candle-lit atmosphere, stories of death and decomposition, and a glimpse inside our infamous Coolidge tomb. Thanks to all who made these tours such a success! We are already looking forward to a successful Halloween season in 2017!
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"
I Wonder What it Must Have Felt Like For Zacchaeus?"
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Wednesday Service
November 2
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Holy Communion | 6 PM
The Rev. Shawn Fiedler will Preach
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- Cathy Price, Hospitality
- Lia Atanat,Verger
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Sunday Services
November 6
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Morning Light | 9 AM
- The Little Chapel
- Carol Sentenne, Verger
Church School | 10 AM
Holy Communion | 11 AM
The Rev. Joy Fallon will Preach
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Sudeep Agarwala, Soloist
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Jim Power, Lector
- Anne Sexton and Paul Luca, Head Ushers
- Cliff Allen, Usher in Charge
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Cathy Price, Pam and Michael Bergeron, Ushers
- Lia Atanat, Verger
The Readings:
- Psalm 98
- Old Testament:
Job 19.23-27a
- Epistle:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, 13-17
- Gospel: Luke 20:27-38
The flowers on the communion table this Sunday are given in loving memory of Tom Magliozzi by Sylvia Soderberg and Mark, Amy, Angus, and Oliver Nichols.
At the communion rail following the service,
Bill Kuttner
will greet those interested in learning more about King's Chapel.
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From the Bench:
By Heinrich Christensen
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This Sunday, you will hear selections from last week's concert, Requiem Masses by Palestrina and Pizzetti.
For our memorial candle lighting, the choir will sing Gwyneth Walker's arrangement of the Appalachian song Every Night When the Sun Goes Down, which you may remember from our 9/11 Evensong.
For All the Saints will be our signature hymn for the service, as we shall sing all six verses from our hymnal throughout the service.
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Tuesday November 8 |
12:15 PM
Alan Weiss, flute
Ann Rosandich, oboe
C.P.E. Bach, Gluck, Quantz
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Piano Search
We are looking for a baby grand piano in excellent condition for the 2nd floor parlor of the Parish House. Some people have found when they try to deaccession a piano, that it can be quite difficult. So here is an easy way to do it, and with a charitable deduction as a gift to you!
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News From the Parish House...
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Islam Series Recap
The lecture series offered this fall, "Islam: Beyond the Stereotypes" was well attended, with over thirty people at each event including many members of the public.
Thank you to John Natoli, for organizing and hosting this series, Karen Cord Taylor for her work on the articles for our local papers and to Babak Bina at Lala Rokh for providing the delicious food offered each week.
For those who were unable to attend, there were t
hree quite different presentations on quite different topics: "Discerning Islam: Living Faith, Localized Customs, Political Ideologies" by James W. Morris, Professor of Theology, Boston College.; "Contemporary Muslim Women: Challenges and Opportunities" by Natana J. Delong-Bas, Professor of Theology, Boston College; and "The Challenges of Young Muslims in America" by Imam Taymullah Abdur-Rahman, Muslim Chaplain at Harvard University.
All were fascinating with interesting discussions after. We hope to offer similar programming in the future!
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A Bit of Background on Hungarian Unitarianism
As we prepare to welcome the Raczes from our partner church, you might want t o learn more about Unitarianism as practiced by the Hungarian Unitarian communities in Romania.
While American Unitarianism is known for accepting a wide variety of beliefs, the Transylvanian tradition follows a more doctrinal route. It includes a catechism that its members learn before taking their first communion."
You can find an English translation online by Googling "Hungarian Unitarian Catechism", and we'll have some copies available by request to the Pariah House.
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November Food Drive
During the month of November, the Church School will be hosting a food drive for the Boston Food Bank. Every Sunday
during the offering in the Morning Light service, families are invited to put non-perishable food items in a basket located in the Little Chapel. If you wish to donate and have never experienced the Morning Light service, this is a wonderful opportunity for you to see the gifts children are bringing to the Kings Chapel community. At the end of the month, we will transport the food to the Boston Food Bank where those who need it most can fill their bellies.
The list of accepted donations is as follows:
* Canned vegetables
* Vegetable juice
* Diced tomatoes
* Tomato juice
* Tomato sauce
* Spaghetti sauce
* Canned fruit (in its own juice)
* Fruit juice (100%)
* Dried fruit
* Shelf-stable fruit cups
* Canned tuna fish
* Canned salmon
* Canned chicken
* Canned bean soup
* Canned baked beans
* Drie
d and canned beans and peas
* Canned chili
* Canned beef stew
* Peanut butter
* Nuts
* Oatmeal
* Whole grain crackers
* All types of pasta
* Low sugar / high fiber cereal (Cheerios®, Raisin Bran®, etc.)
* Cream Of Wheat®
* Whole grain rice
* Dry milk
* Evaporated milk
* Boxed shelf-stable milk
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Seeking donations to Coat Boston
City Mission, our neighbors at 14 Beacon St, is once again partnering with Boston Public Schools in the Coat Boston program. For 7 years Coat Boston has been devoted to keeping children safe and warm during the winter. Brand new, warm coats are provided to low-income families in Boston. Their goal is to provide 3000 coats this winter. If you would like to participate please bring a new coat (no used coats) sizes 6-20, (no soft shell or fleece type please) to the church or Parish House. You can also donate money toward a new coat if you wish. Please make check payable to City Mission. The deadline for donations is December 10th.
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Leadership Opportunities with King's Chapel
The KC Nominating Committee (Carol Genovese, Lee Glenn and Allen Speight, Chair) is currently seeking suggestions for candidates for leadership positions for new terms starting in 2017. These include Senior and Junior Wardens, Vestry and At-Large Parish Council representatives, as well as Committee Chairs not appointed at the last Annual Meeting. Please forward any suggestions to one of the Nominating Committee members.
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"We Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice, and Weep with Those Who Weep" ~ Romans 12:15
Great news! Leo Johnson is recovering well after successful heart surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He thanks everyone for their prayers.
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Committee Meetings
November 15:
* Buildings and Grounds Meeting 7:30 AM
*Vestry Meeting 6:00 PM
November 29:
*New Member Gathering 6:00 PM
*ARE Meeting 7:15 PM
Is your committee planning to meet in the next month? Please contact our Parish Administrator, Gretchen Horton, to add to our calendar.
admin@kings-chapel.org
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Daylight Savings Reminder
Remember to turn your clocks back an hour as Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday the 6th of November at 2:00 am.
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From the Chancel Committee
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Have you ever thought you would like to donate flowers for the Sunday Service but are unsure what one needs to do?
We would like to place flowers on the chancel table every Sunday of the year with the exception of the 6 week Lenten period.
Flowers can be donated for a variety of reasons. They can be in memory of a loved one who has died, in thanksgiving for a special occurrence, or in celebration of a new birth or anniversary. They may also be donated as living prayers and symbols for peace and hope.
Please confirm with Anne Sexton if you have a regular Sunday that you would like to continue. Anne can be reached at the following email:
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Anyone can help!
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Enter your email and select a spot to fill. New volunteers may choose to co-host with a buddy. Questions? Email
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Interested in Membership?
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Contributing to Between Sundays
Want something in Between Sundays? Feel free to email Brad at
brad@kings-chapel.org with a written piece and/or pictures before Tuesday at noon!
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Accessibility Assists
Our beautiful Georgian sanctuary designed by Peter Harrison and completed in 1754, has been lovingly maintained by the congregation since its completion. One of the box pews has been made wheel-chair accessible. Ushers are available to assist those who are wheelchair-bound to that pew.
A sound system has been installed in the sanctuary of The Chapel to amplify the sound during worship services. Hearing assistance devices are available for your use. Please see an Usher for assistance.
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