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From the Minister
This Sunday we explore one of the great Christian dramas. We read from the Book of Revelation of a war in heaven. Michael the Archangel, fashioned with sword and shield, assembled his band of angels to battle "the dragon." The great red dragon, with a tail that stretched across a third of the stars of heaven, rallied his company of angels to fight back. And there was a war in heaven.
The Book of Revelation is without a doubt the most peculiar and curious writings in the Christian cannon. Protestant reformer Martin Luther wondered if the work even belonged in the bible. It was the only New Testament book on which reformer John Calvin did not write a commentary. The Book of Revelation is full of mythical-like visions and prophecies. Mind bending tales of a seven-headed dragon and beasts from the sea. We read of a world turned upside down; a world in apocalyptic array.
The Book of Revelation is odd and perplexing, strange and paradoxical, to be sure. And it might just be what this world needs.
+Shawn
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Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry |Rev. Mary Margaret Earl Last Sunday
Many thanks to the Rev. Mary Margaret Earl for preaching at both Sunday services last week, and sharing about the work of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry located in Roxbury. Located in the historic center of the African American community of Boston, UUUM works with a network of 50 Unitarian churches,
including King's Chapel, to provide an after-school program for teens in the Boston public schools, a summer enrichment program, a domestic violence shelter, and other services. They are located just up the hill from the largest mosque in Boston, and work on issues of immigration and interfaith justice also. To learn more about the UUUM, click here: http://www.uuum.org/ .
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A Note from the Chancel Committee
You might have noticed that we have switched to the use of white wine in the celebration of Holy Communion. The decision was made in an attempt to reduce the damage done by red wine on our communion linens. The use of white or amber wine is an increasingly common practice in North American liturgical churches that celebrate Holy Communion with some frequency. White wine was the preferred choice for many protestant reformers. Luther, Calvin, and others hoped that white wine would help their followers see the bread and wine as symbols. For many centuries, white wine was easier to access on the European continent. Some churches use grape juice for Holy Communion. In the 19th century, many protestant denominations were persuaded that the unfermented juice of the grape was an important witness to the grace of God and of the churches resistance to the abuses of alcoholic beverage. Methodist Thomas Bramwell Welch took the lead and invented the pasteurization process for the prevention of the fermentation of grape juice-Welch's Grape Juice. In some parts of the world and in some traditions (including Morm
onism), water is used.
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From the Chair of Adult Religious Education: Providing Support to Muslim Partners in Boston
Last autumn, King's Chapel sponsored a three-part series on Islam, as part of Rev. Joy Fallon's call for us to educate ourselves about Islam, and to welcome all. While planning the lecture series, I worked with both John Robertson of CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) and Sheik Imam Fahmy at the largest New England mosque, located in Roxbury (the ISBCC, the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center). Both of these Boston Muslim leaders are now helping to organize support for Boston area Muslims, some of whom are frightened and others who are spending many hours, yet again, sharing facts about their faith. As a follow up to our series, I urge all who are interested to show solidarity with our Muslim friends. Please consider the following, and let me know if you have special interest in this issue.
1. Join me for a visit to the ISBCC (Roxbury mosque) in the near future, during their prayer service; if interested,
please email at
jfn777@gmail.com.
2. Become a 'Friend of ISBCC': Make a financial contribution (no matter how small) to our interfaith partners at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (http://links.masboston.org/interfaith-supporters) and help them reach 100 Friends of ISBCC by February 11th. Your gift will offer tangible support to Muslims as they face the additional costs of P.R. work, advocacy, security and hosting community events. Support is a distinctly Christian way of saying "we are all Muslim."
3. Talk to Muslim friends and colleagues, and visit a local mosque to express your care, support and solidarity in person. The more personal the better - a note, a hug, a delivery of some home baked goods!
4. Stay informed: Sign up for e-newsletters from the Council on American Islamic Relations (http://www.cairma.org/) or the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (http://isbcc.org/) to learn about community events, local actions and calls you can make.
Thanks for your consideration.
John Natoli, Chair of King's Chapel Adult Religious Education
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Retreat at Glastonbury Abbey: Learning to Pray February 17-19
Not sure how to pray or what its benefits might be? That's true for many of us, both newcomers and long-timers in church. In the beauty and peace of the Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, Rev. Fallon will offer examples of ways to pray that we will all get to try, including these: daily reflections on your moments of greatest joy and greatest sadness; prayer with scripture (thinking about which character you may be in the story); prayer while doing art or while singing; and wordless prayer while meditating or reflecting on an icon or object. Come to explore, for one session, or for Friday night through Sunday morning. To register or for questions, contact parishadministrator@kings-chapel.org or go to our website at www.kings-chapel.org.
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Big Committee Meeting | Tuesday February 21
6 PM
By now I hope you have heard that the Parish Council decided to experiment this spring with a new idea-to have most committees sometimes meet on the same date. Nicknamed, for now at least, a "Big Meeting" date, but perhaps we should call it a "Many Meeting" night. It's not designed to be a mega-committee meeting.
Our first such meeting will be on Tuesday, February 21. We're inviting ALL members of the standing
committees, whether or not the committee on which you serve meets that night. This is a first-ever opportunity for the community of committees to gather and to get to know each other better.
Please plan to arrive at the Parish House in good time for a brief worship service in the Little Chapel at 6 pm. We'll give you a simple supper afterwards.
Committee meetings will start around 7 pm.
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Shrove Pancake Breakfast
Sunday February 26 | 9:45 AM
How many pancakes can you eat? We dare you to attend our Shrove Pancake Breakfast and find out! Join us at
9:45 AM at the Parish House to eat your fill before the Lent season begins. This year, we are asking for monetary or canned food donations as part of your buffet fee. All proceeds will go towards the Boston Food Bank.
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Concert Series: Handel and Haydn Society - Beethoven Sonatas | February 26 | 5PM
The next concert in our Sunday series is February 26 at 5pm, when the Handel and Haydn Society will present violinist Susanna Ogata and fortepianist Ian Watson playing three Beethoven Sonatas. As always, advance tickets are available at a $5 discount:
http://m.bpt.me/event/2770058.
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Ash Wednesday | March 1
King's Chapel will host two services on Ash Wednesday, at 12:15 and 6 PM. Ash Wednesday is the start of the Season of Lent-40 days of
reflection and
preparation for Easter. Both services will include a time of confession, a short homily, and the imposition of ashes as a sign of our morality. Ashes are made from burnt palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday observances. The Rev. Joy Fallon will preach. King's Chapel will be open from 8 AM to 6 PM with clergy and lay volunteers available for the impositions of ashes.
The first service held in King's Chapel on Ash Wednesday took place on February 26, 1868 under the ministry of the Rev. Henry Wilder Foote. His bust stands behind the pulpit at the front of the church. The Rev. Joseph Barth instituted the imposition of ashes at this service in 1966.
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Godspeed, Rev. Shawn Fiedler | March 5 | 11 AM
Our Assistant Minister, the Rev. Shawn Michael Fiedler, will be leaving King's Chapel in one month's time;
March 5 will be his last Sunday. Shawn will be moving to Chicago, Illinois to join his partner Joshua who took a new job in Chicago last fall. Shawn will be joining the staff at the historic Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago as their worship coordinator. To read Shawn's letter to the congregation and for the letter in which Senior Warden Miguel Gomez-Ibanez and Senior Minister Joy Fallon express their thanks for Shawn, and describe membership of the search committee established for our new Assistant Minister click
here. To see the job description, click
here.
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Farewell Party | March 5 | 12:30 PM
Join us on March 5 at 11 AM as Shawn offers his final sermon at King's Chapel. Following the service, we will celebrate Shawn's ministry among us with a festive reception at the Parish House. We will toast Shawn, give thanks for his work at King's Chapel, and wish him Godspeed as he embarks on a new journey in Chicago. Shawn has been with us since 2014 and was our first full-time Assistant Minister in recent memory. All are encouraged to attend. |
Lenten Devotional Group |Wednesdays at 7 PM Begins March 8
This year, our Lenten theme is "Discovering the Sacred through Art". Using a book entitled "Imaging the Word", we'll use artwork and poetry to consider the Bible passage on which the sermon will be preached the following Sunday.
Copies of the book will be available for participants.
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Common Cathedral Art Show | March 12
Mark your calendars for the "Common Cathedral Art Show" which will be held March 12th at the Parish House. The Art Show will highlight works from some of the parishioners of Common Cathedral on Boston Common. More details to follow. Hope to see you there!
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Welcome to New Members: Joan M. Hunt
Mother of four children and Grandmother of eight. Joan graduated from Smith College in 1965 with a major in History and a minor in Chemistry. She has an MA degree in Religious Education from Boston College, taught Sunday School and was the Director of Religious Education at The First Parish Church in Weston for 20 years and at The First Church in Chestnut Hill for 20 years. Joan says that puppetry was always an important activity to give children a chance to retell Bible stories. Presently she is a co-operator of the Mass. Bay Marionettes focusing on marionette plays for churches with plays about early colonial New England history.
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From the Church School
Last Sunday, the Church School decorated heart-shaped cookies as we learned what's love got to do with it... it being our Church and what agape, the Greek word for unconditional love, means to our community.
This
Sunday, February 22
, the children will read the story of Jacob's ladder and consider how King's Chapel can be like a gateway to heaven through our social justice actions and the agape we show toward others.
If you would like more information about our Church School, please contact Ryan at
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"We Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice, and Weep with Those Who Weep"
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We rejoice today with Cliff Allen as he celebrates his 70th birthday. Cliff has just
completed his term as our Senior Warden. Before that three year term, he served
for four years as Co-Chair of our Ministerial Search Committee. Happy Birthday to
Cliff, from your grateful congregation!
We also celebrate with our member David Wheeler and with frequent choir soloist Thomas Gregg.
David was named as professor emeritus by Suffolk University School of Business after 37 years of outstanding service.
Thomas Gregg was recently named a full professor at Boston Conservatory after the school merged with Berklee. Tom has also been invited to teach at the Music Academy International in Italy this July.
We pray for Leo Johnson and his wife Dorothy, after Leo's hospitalization for broken bones at the based on his spine. Soon Leo will be moved to a rehab facility where he would welcome calls and visits. For more information, contact Joy at joy@kings-chapel.org. |
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Sunday Services
February 19
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Morning Light | 9 AM
Church School | 10 AM
Morning Prayer| 11 AM
The Rev. Shawn Fiedler will Preach
- Sylvia Soderberg, Lector
- Anne Sexton & Paul Luca, Head Ushers
- Sylvia Soderberg, Usher in Charge
- KC Dalton, Todd Lee, & Betsy Peterson, Ushers
- Lia Atanat, Verger
The Readings:
- Psalm 91
- Old Testament:
- New Testament:
At the communion rail following the service,
Todd Lee will greet those interested in learning more about King's Chapel.
After the service, all are invited to Coffee Hour, hosted by
Amy Meyer and friends of the Hospitality Committee.
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Wednesday Service
February 22
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Holy Communion | 6 PM
- Dan Perry, Soloist
- Lia Atanat, Verger
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From the Bench:
By Heinrich Christensen
The music selected for this Sunday is angelic through and through. We will begin with two movements from Graham Ramsay's large organ work Jacob vs. Angel.
The choir will sing Benjamin Britten's setting of Psalm 91 from The Company of Heaven, a Cantata written for a special BBC broadcast.
You will also hear Calvin Hampton's There Was War in Heaven, a musical depiction of the battle between the archangel Michael and the dragon.
The postlude is Hampton's Toccata on the beloved Old 100th, from his set of variations on that tune.
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Tuesday, February 21
12:15 PM
Robert Simonds, violin
Bach, Bunch, Orff, Van Ness
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From the Freedom Trail
Join us next week during February School Vacation in celebrating the 201st anniversary of the church's Revere and Sons bell! Installed on February 23, 1816, King's Chapel's bell is the largest and "sweetest sounding" bell cast during Paul Revere's lifetime. Visit and hear the bell, and enjoy the birthday celebrations!
In addition to regularly offered Bells & Bones tours on the hour, tours to the bell will be held at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, and 2:30 PM. Visitors who tour the bell tower will receive a birthday cupcake following the tour!
King's Chapel staff will be ringing the bell throughout the week to commemorate this historic event.
Children of all ages are invited to create a bell of their own at our craft station.
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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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Upcoming Meetings at King's Chapel
* February 16 | 6 PM:
Chancel
* February 21 | 6 PM:
BIG Committee Meeting
* February 28 | 6 PM:
Joint Vestry/Council
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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
Our enewsletter is sent each Thursday afternoon. Want something in Between Sundays? Feel free to email Brad at
brad@kings-chapel.org with a written piece and/or pictures before Wednesday 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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