The Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard
6 December 2018
The Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard
 SebastiĆ£o Miguel; Painting, "Jesus and John the Baptist" 

A Searchlight on our Soul

This Sunday we encounter the saintly and terrifying John the Baptist. Here is a man who can preach, "You brood of vipers...bear fruits worthy of repentance" without hypocrisy. He walked the walk and people observing his holiness were drawn to repent, to give away their second coat, to be fair and, if they were soldiers, to stop threatening people and demanding money. John the Baptist was honest and unafraid and he fulfilled his powerful calling. In his presence, even just the one depicted by the text, we are undone. Flaws are exposed. Last week we took up our posts to look for the arrival of Jesus and what we encounter in the second week of Advent is this penetrating light that searches out our very souls.

How might you describe the state of your soul as we approach the second week of Advent? What does John's searchlight reveal?
 
God sent John, but only as a forerunner.  The one who came after would offer more than just searing honesty and a call to repent. Jesus brings the grace that mysteriously changes us through forgiveness and through unimaginable love.
 



Looking for a cozy quiet place to write some cards?
A Heading Readers Will Notice
There will be Open Hours today, December 6th from 4-6, and next week on the 13th. Drop by for tea and card writing.

Sign up for our Online Advent Calendar

Advent may have already started, but it's not too late to join our crowd-sourced e-mail Advent calendar. Each day, a member of our community offers something--a poem, a reflection, a prayer--on that day's texts from the lectionary. 

E-mail Hal to sign-up for the group e-mail list and to choose a day to write. 

Everyone--students, staff, alumni, and friends of the Chaplaincy--are welcome to join in this project. 

Lessons and Carols This Sunday, 5 p.m.

We'll be taking a hiatus from our regular Sunday worship this week. Instead, we invite you attend Christ Church's annual Lessons and Carols service this Sunday evening. The service begins at 5:00 p.m., but to get a seat we recommend that you arrive no later than 4:30 p.m--and earlier if possible!

We won't be ordering dinner, but will find each other at the reception to follow. If there's appetite and interest, we can go find pizza (or something else fast and easy) as a group. 



Christianity and Slavery Exhibit at HDS

A ndover-Harvard Theological Library and Harvard Divinity School opened a new exhibit this week, as part of a course on Christianity and African Slavery in the United States. 
Using letters, sermons, and memoirs, the exhibit chronicles the theological debate over chattel slavery in the 18th and 19th century, and how both apologists and abolitionists marshaled scripture in their rhetoric. 
Particularly as we prepare for our pilgrimage to Montgomery, we'd encourage our community to consider a detour to Andover Library to take a look. 
(Special thanks to Andrew Westover for passing along news of this event.)
Please Consider Making a Gift!
Thanks to your generous support, the Episcopal Chaplaincy provides a spirtual home for students who wish to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ in the context of  a worshipping community that is liturgical and encourages them personally. The Chaplaincy recieves no funding from Harvard University or the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Please consider making a gift today that supports our student ministry and the church of tomorrow.  undefined


Schedule for the Rest of the Semester

Thursday, December 6, 4-6 p.m.: Chaplaincy Open Hours
Biblical Greek reading group from 4-5, followed by tea, conversation, and holiday card writing. All are welcome--even if Greek is...well, Greek to you. 

Sunday, December 9, 1:00 p.m.: Worship with the Outdoor Church
Gather on Cambridge Common at 1:00 p.m. for worship and Eucharist. Comtact Hal for details.

Sunday, December 9, 5:00 p.m.: Lessons and Carols at Christ Church. 
Reception and dinner (if we feel like it) afterwards. Arrive by 4:30 to have a chance at getting a seat! 

Tuesday, December 11, 8:00 p.m.: Compline
Compline is back this week, with tea and conversation to follow. Come find a space of silence amid the noise of exams. 

Thursday, December 13, 4-6 p.m.: Last Open Hours of the Semester!

Sunday, December 16, 5:30 p.m.: Last Sunday service of the semester!
Hal will be preaching, and there will be a light supper to follow. 

The chaplaincy will be on hiatus from regular services during Winter Break. However, Hal and Margery will be around intermittently during January term, and are available for any pastoral needs or just to catch up over coffee. Regular Sunday Services resume on January 27th, 2019.


Prayer Requests
If you have particular prayer requests, please reach out to us by email, or feel free to submit your prayer requests anonymously through  this google form . 


The Reverend Margery Kennelly, Chaplain
mkennelly@comcast.net

Hal Edmonson, Kellogg Fellow
episcohal@gmail.com

Two Garden Street
Cambridge, MA  02138

 
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