For what do you thirst?
For some, it's freshly squeezed orange juice or special Scotch; hot cocoa topped with whipped cream or redolent aged wine. For others, their thirst is for knowledge or for an understanding friend.
We've all known intense thirst, at one time, so we can imagine the desperation of a castaway in a lifeboat, adrift under blazing sun in the ocean, or of a child crossing the desert alone, far from any clean water. In these instances we, too, might be tempted to lap up the ocean's salt water or the stagnant, polluted water close at hand, even though they will make us sick. We're that desperate.
This Sunday is about thirsty people who have run out of good options. It's for anyone who feels that way now, or might someday, or wishes they could help another stuck in that situation. A cup of cold water is being offered.
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Lenten Journey: Discovering the Sacred Through Art
Lent Dinner and Discussion |Wednesdays 7 PM Parish House |
March 22, 29, and April 5
Join a small group considering the upcoming Sunday's scripture by looking at art. We begin with a light dinner at the Parish House, then talk about what we see in the art, using artwork and poetry found in "Imaging the Word." Copies are available for participants. This week, we may make our own art, too.
Come any Wednesday you are free; let Parish Administrator Gretchen Horton know in advance, if possible at Gretchen@kings-chapel.org.
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Sunday Art Presentations after Morning Prayer 12:30 PM
Sunday March 19 | The Jesus Window at King's Chapel and Its History - Bill Kuttner, past archivist
The window will be displayed for view on March 19, and again on Easter Sunday, April 16
Sunday March 26 | King's Chapel as Sacred Space: The Architecture of Peter Harrison -
Todd Lee, architect
Sunday April 9 | Creating Contemporary Stained Glass Windows for Sacred Spaces -
Emanuel Genovese, stained glass artist |
Concert Series: Bach Family Reunion
March 26 | 5PM
Please join us for the season finale of this year's concert series, as we focus on the Bach family on
Sunday, March 26, at
5 pm.
This concert is presented in memory of Jay R. Schochet, a longtime member of the church and faithful supporter of the Concert Series. Jay and his wife Suzette went on one of their first dates at one of the very first concerts given in our series almost 60 years ago. They heard, among other things, J.S. Bach's Cantata 78, so that cantata will also be on this program, along with the motet Lobet den Herrn, and works by cousins Johann Ludwig and Johann Michael Bach.
Tickets are now on sale, click HERE to purchase. As always, you save $5 by getting your tickets in advance.
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Black Lives Matter | Minns Lectures
Friday and Saturday | March 30-April 1
Two Unitarian experts will speak about the Black Lives Matter movement: the President of Starr King Seminary in Berkeley California, the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, and Meadville-Lombard Affiliated Professor, the Rev. Mark Morrison Reed. The two lectures are entitled, "Historical and Future Trajectories of Black Lives Matter and Unitarian Universalism." The Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, Executive Director of the UU Urban Ministry in Roxbury will serve as respondent. Rev. Reed will speak Friday, March 30 at 6 PM at First Church Boston (66 Marlboro St.). President Bray McNatt will speak Saturday, April 1 at 3 PM at First Parish Cambridge in Harvard Square (3 Church St). The lectures are free.
To register, and for more information, click HERE or contact King's Chapel members Charles Perry, Medb Sichko, and Bill Kuttner, all members of the sponsoring Minns Committee. |
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Last Sunday, the children amazed us with a grand performance on the orffs during the Morning Light service. We attended the Common Art Show which featured art by members of the Common Cathedral community and made a little art ourselves in the form of mosaics with Emanuel. Join us this
Sunday, March 19th
, as we hear Jesus tell a Samaritan woman about living water and paint our own pictures of life with watercolors. If you have any questions about our church school program, please email Ryan at
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King's Chapel hosts common art
On Sunday morning, over 15 artists from
common art, a program of
common cathedral, displayed their artwork at an art show in our Parish House, held between our
9 and 11 AM services. We saw jewelry, oil and acrylic paintings, lovely knitted products, and delicate hand cut paper art. As I dashed up to join the
11 AM Morning Prayer service, the two leaders of common cathedral asked me if the artists could extend their stay longer than originally planned. Why? Because they were enjoying the company of King's Chapel members, and the warm hospitality you all showed.
That's what church is -- a warm welcome, and knowing we're valued. Each of you made that possible, by bringing food, talking with the artists, affirming their abundant talents.
It was a joyous time for me. I'm deeply grateful for all the planning done by Judy Luca and Jim Carroll of our Community Affairs Committee, for the warm spirit of the day, and for my new artwork!
Joy
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News from the Parish Administrator
Building Progress | Thanks to our Building Committee
After a lot of work and preparation by our Building and Grounds Committee, we will begin to see activity happening at King's Chapel in the next few weeks, as part of our planned improvement of our facilities. The goal is to have all this work completed before Palm
Sunday, April 9
. After Easter, we will begin the renovation of the bathroom at the church, to make it handicap accessible. Beginning today:
- Our painter will start refurbishing the chipped chancel rail, where we kneel to receive communion. He expects this work to finish by the end of next week.
- Our contractor will begin work installing our new glass doors at the Chapel. We will need to use the side entrance while this work is being done (where we host Punch on the Bricks in good weather). Upon completion of the installation by month's end, the painting crew will work on touch up around the doorway and our large wooden exterior doors.
- Upholsters will be returning some pew cushions and measuring others. They hope to have the last of the priority cushions completed by the end of next week.
- Our carpenter is going to work on the exterior sign board, affixed to the front pillar, which has recently rotted due to weather. He hopes to start this in the next few weeks, with April 7 as a completion date.
Please contact me if you have any questions/concerns about any of these projects. Thank you to Steve Courtney, Chair of Buildings and Grounds, all the other committee members, and many of you who have offered ideas and suggestions. Onward we go!
Gretchen Horton, Parish Administrator,
617-227-2155, ext. 108
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Fund for Scovel Portrait and his Companion to the Prayerbook
We are pleased to report that a portrait of Carl Scovel, our beloved senior minister from 1967 to 1999, has been commissioned with the Vestry's concurrence and Carl's approval. The artist is a noted New England portraitist, Mary Minifie, who recently painted the portrait of Chief Justice Margaret Marshall of the Supreme Judicial Court. Artist Minifie's work can be viewed on her website, www.maryminifie.com. She and Carl have been engaged in a number of sittings for his portrait over the last few months, and we anticipate that the portrait will be finished and ready to be presented to the Parish in the early fall.
If you would like to participate by making a contribution towards the cost of the portrait and also towards the publication of Carl's book, A Prayerbook Companion, A Guide to Christian Worship, please send a check to the Parish House, payable to "King's Chapel" with the note "Scovel Project" on the memo line. Carl has expressly asked that donations to this project not be in lieu of Stewardship giving to the Annual Appeal, to ensure that this project does not diminish funds for the Annual Appeal. He has also asked that any surplus funds contributed to this project be donated to the King's Chapel Minister's Discretionary Fund
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Our 11 AM Worship | The Small Order of Service
For the last four years, the church staff has produced each week two orders of service for the 11 AM Sunday services. For years, the Large Order of Service format had been used during major Christian worship periods when many newcomers join us, such as on Palm Sunday and Easter. The church understood that for newcomers and less frequent worshippers, it can be difficult to participate fully in our 11 AM worship, when they must move between multiple worship resources: the small order of service, the prayer book, our pew hymnal, and inserts including those hymns not found in either our 1937 Unitarian pew hymnal or in our prayer book.
As a result, upon the Rev. Fallon's arrival, we extended the use of the Large Order of Service throughout the year, as a way to welcome newcomers to the church each Sunday. The majority of worshippers at King's Chapel now use this Large Order of Service.
However, other worshippers find it most meaningful to read prayers and responses directly from their prayer books, relying on the prior Small Order of Service. We have continued to provide the small Order also, with the appropriate hymn inserts. The process for creating two Order of Service each week requires staff to fully complete one Order accurately each week, and then to create a second parallel Order which includes all the same components. With all the weekly details of 3-4 changing hymns, 3 changing scriptures, 3 changing chants, and weekly new lectors, lay readers, ushers, flower donors, and announcements, this has been a challenge to accomplish accurately.
With the departure of the Rev. Fiedler last Sunday, our full-time staff engaged in preparation for the Sunday 11 AM worship is reduced from 4 to 3 (senior minister, music director, parish administrator). Each of these staff, and our part-time front desk administrative assistant also has many other duties.
After much consideration, we have concluded that we are unable to continue to provide the second, small Order of Service at Morning Prayer. We regret this. It was a difficult choice, because we understand that some of our members prefer to read our prayers directly from our prayer book, rather than from the text in a printed order of service. As a result, we have made every effort to include in the Large Order of Worship all of the prayer book page numbers for every worship component, so that members can continue to have an Order of Service that fully allows them to use the Prayer Book for worship. It is our hope that the Larger Order of Service will continue to enable members to worship directly from their prayer books, for those wishing to do so.
We shared this information about the needed change with the Vestry and Parish Council last week. We hope that church members understand. For those who have previously relied upon the Small Order of Service, we urge you to try to use the Large Order of Service on upcoming occasions, and share with us your thoughts.
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Adult Religious Education (ARE) in our Community
In our continuing effort to show solidarity and support for our Muslim friends and neighbors, the ARE is working with the Islamic Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC) to arrange a visit to their mosque in Roxbury on Thursday afternoon, May 4. The King's Chapel group will plan to leave the Parish House at 3:45 pm on May 4 and arrive at the ISBCC at 4:30 pm for a two hour tour - which will include the opportunity to witness the Muslim form of worship. Please contact John Natoli, chair of Adult Religious Education, at jfn777@gmail.com if you would like to attend or have any questions. John will assist in arranging transportation to the ISBCC for those who need it. |
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"We Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice, and Weep with Those Who Weep"
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We rejoice with our Assistant Treasurer Micah Niemy and his wife Carrie on the birth last week of their first child, son August Glen Niemy. Micah writes: "Carrie is doing great and August is perfect. He is wonderful and a blessing. Walking him around at 4 am I decided thatmaybe God gives us our children so we can understand what it means to love unconditionally. And to remind us that we are loved the same." |
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Morning Light | 9 AM
Church School | 10 AM
Holy Communion | 11 AM
The Rev. Joy Fallon will Preach
- Miguel Gomez-Ibanez, Lay Reader
- Anne Sexton, Lector
- Anne Sexton & Paul Luca, Head Ushers
- Sylvia Soderberg, Usher in Charge
- Karen Dalton, Todd Lee & Betsy Peterson, Ushers
- Lia Atanat, Verger
The Readings:
- Psalm 95
- Old Testament:
- New Testament:
The flowers on the communion table are given in loving memory of Marshall Herbert Lykins by his wife Betty Sweaney Lykins and his daughter Elizabeth Lykins.
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
Mary Sears and friends of the Hospitality Committee.
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Wednesday Service
March 22
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Evening Service | 6 PM
- Sudeep Agarwala, soloist
- Lia Atanat, Verger
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From the Bench:
By Heinrich Christensen
Our service will open with a set of variations on the hymn If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee. The variations were written by French composer Jacques Berthier, most well known for writing many of the short chants of the Taizé community.
The choir will sing a Renaissance introit by Victoria set to the words "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs". That same text will be repeated for the offertory in Handel's famous setting from Messiah.
Our motet is a contemporary take on this beautiful 16th-century French Lenten meditation:
Behold the Man, my eyes, what sight of woe!
Whom hunger, shame, the watches of the night,
and loss of blood, and sorrow' endless plight
have so deformed his beauty doth not show
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Tuesday, March 21
12:15 PM
Ciaran Nagle, Irish tenor
Tara Novak, violin
David McGrory, piano
Celtic Favorites
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March 17
, for us in Boston, is not just Saint Patrick's Day. It also marks the lesser-known local holiday Evacuation Day.
On this day in 1776, British troops evacuated Boston, ending eight-year occupation of the city. Over the previous weeks, the Continental Army, under General George Washington, began fortifying Dorchester Heights with artillery and cannons from Fort Ticonderoga. British forces, realizing defeat, evacuated the city on
March 17
, assured by Washington that they could leave safely if they did not burn the city.
Evacuation Day marks a crucial turning point in King's Chapel's history as well. It was not just British forces that left, but also Loyalist civilians. An estimated one-third of the King's Chapel congregation, including the Reverend Henry Caner, fled to Nova Scotia as Loyalist refugees. Caner's departure paved the way for the hiring of James Freeman and the church's transformation into America's first Unitarian church.
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Upcoming Meetings at King's Chapel
* March 21 | 8:30 AM:
Building and Grounds
conference call meeting
* March 28 | 6 PM:
Vestry Meeting
* April 6 | 6 PM:
Parish Council Meeting
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Easter Flowers
If you would like to contribute flowers for the Easter Services as a memorial to a loved one, please send name of person being remembered, along with your name and contact and a check for $50, to the Parish House, with memo Easter Flowers. The deadline for ordering is April 3.
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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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