Whoops! Those words hit close to home for me.

 

But there are some among us who've learned the lesson better than I. Tomorrow morning we hold a memorial service for Elsie Wilmerding, who joined with her husband Patrick two years ago as members of King's Chapel. Elsie died of ALS this summer, too young. She had many wonderful qualities, but one that especially strikes me is how thoughtful she was when she spoke. How well she listened first, long and hard. How kindness pervaded her responses. How as a teacher she showed by every word that though we all learn differently, each of the rambunctious boys in her class made in God's likeness. She conveyed that to friends and her beloved family, too.

 

As all of us come back together this Sunday for Homecoming, how wonderful to be in a community where our goal is seeking the truth and speaking it with love, listening well to one another, and serving all. I give God thanks for all of you and for this community, where we can keep learning and growing.

Makanda Jazz | THIS Saturday, September 15

This Saturday King's Chapel will be participating the next Makanda Jazz Concert, an ongoing series presented by Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministries, one of our Community Action partners. Please join us on  September 15th from 12:00- 4:00 for a community picnic where we will grill hot dogs, serve lemonade, meet the UUUM community, and enjoy music on their historic green  (10 Putnam St. in Roxbury). We would like many hands to help serve and mingle-- please let Amanda Pickett know if you can help out:  amanda.e.pickett@gmail.com

Wednesday Holy Communion Service 

This Wednesday, September 19th, we will hold our first Wednesday Holy Communion Service of the Fall season. In response to your feedback this service will begin slightly earlier, at 5:30 PM, and finish by 6:00. We will focus on the contemplative nature of the service, and feature contemplative and meditative music, with no homily. We will continue our tradition of gathering on the chancel for candlelit communion, and will keep the prayers and sung anthem that our community loves so well. All are welcome to come experience this midweek candlelight service of rest, rejuvenation, and contemplation. 

In 2016, under the leadership of our then Senior Warden Cliff Allen, King's Chapel hosted the kickoff for the Freedom for All Massachusetts, the campaign working to protect transgender people from discrimination in public spaces like restaurants, hotels and hospitals. In summer 2017 KC hosted the campaign again for a month, when they found themselves between office spaces after the sale of the Congregational building on Beacon Street. Now, as the November statewide vote on this issue draws closer, all are invited to come to a Theology on Tap to discuss Transgender Identity and the Christian Faith. What does it mean to welcome and love all? What do the Scriptures say? What is transgender identity, anyway? How can engaging with our transgender community members deepen our faith? What questions do we still have? On September 19th, will be joined by a member of the MA Freedom For All faith team and will meet, as always, at the Kinsale Pub at 6:15 PM. 

After Homecoming, we kick off the choir season with a festive Choral Evensong on Sunday, September

23. Heinrich will play a prelude recital at 4:30 and the service starts at 5. 

This service will also serve as the opening service for the Boston Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, so for this special occasion we will offer "A Boston Evensong" - meaning all the composers featured are local or have ties to Boston. In addition to our own Daniel Pinkham, they include Everett Titcomb (who was the organist at our neighboring church St. John's on Bowdoin Street), perennial KC favorites James Woodman and Carson Cooman, as well as Hillary Tann, Megan Henderson, Louise Mundinger, and Marc Hoffeditz. The King's Chapel Choir will be joined for the occasion by two guest choir who will join in for various parts of the service: Magnificat Boston, directed by AGO Boston dean Louise Mundinger, and the choir of First United Methodist Church in Melrose, directed by Andrew David Mattfeld. Patrick Walker has written a new organ piece just for this occasion; it will be premiered as part of the prelude recital. 

The service will be followed by a festive reception at the Parish House - please join us to greet friends old and new!

Thanks to those who have given or pledged this year to the Annual Stewardship Financial Appeal. 

For those who "haven't gotten around to it"....here is an easy way to get going!

Please click here   to support the King's Chapel 2018 Stewardship Campaign via credit card, or dial Gretchen Horton at 617-227-2155, ext. 108, to make your contribution.