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From the Sabbatical Minister
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Recently on Facebook I saw a "Rogue Jesus: Following Jesus A Life of Faith in a Postmodern World" post: "If right now you find yourself struggling with organized religion, know this: So did Jesus." I think we forget how much of a radical Jesus really was in his day. How he thwarted the religious hierarchy and constantly tried to change the rules to make them more authentic and humane. The past two weeks in church our scriptures have pointed to the truth that Jesus cared more for humans than for the laws that tried to confine them. It is important in our lives to prioritize what we value most over the expectations of the world around us. As followers of Jesus we have a great leader in how to do that. Reading the lectionary this summer has served as a great reminder for me of how much the scriptures feed my day to day life.
Thank you for the warm welcome and endless kindnesses as we worshiped together this Summer. I look forward to hearing from Joy how you deepen in your faith this year and walk humbly with your God. I hope to bring much of what I learned about my faith to my congregation in Dedham this year all while not challenging their humanism (too much). I hope we can find many ways for our two different congregations to walk together to serve something better than either of our congregations can alone. My first hope is to have my congregation to be aware of all the amazing concerts at King's Chapel. If you missed the four handed piano concert by Heinrich Christensen and Robert Winkly you can join us at First Church on Friday September 27 for a repeat in celebration of the repair of our 100 year old Steinway.
I also hope to encourage my congregation to join the vigil once a month at the correctional facility.
I know we will all soon be busy with our fall agendas but I want you to know how grateful I am for our time together and excited I am by the future of King's Chapel with Joy and David and Heinrich and Gretchen and Faye and Laura and Clark!
I say goodbye for now, with love,
Rali
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Celebrate and Thank Rali Weaver!
This Sunday, September 1, Rali Weaver will conduct her final Morning Prayer service as King's Chapel sabbatical minister. After the service, please join us on the bricks outside the vestibule to thank Rev. Weaver with
cake and
a celebratory toast.
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Homecoming Celebrations!
Sunday, September 15
Morning Light - 9:00 AM (Parish House Little Chapel)
Church School Kickoff!- 10:00 AM (Parish House)
Morning Prayer - 11:00 AM (King's Chapel - main church)
Luncheon -12:15 PM (Parish House)
Homecoming Luncheon
Celebrating King's Chapel and its historic Parish House!
Sunday, September 15!
You are cordially invited to the Parish House at 12:15 PM on Sunday, September 15 to kick off the new church year at the annual King's Chapel Homecoming Luncheon. Enjoy a sumptuous feast with full lunch and homemade desserts prepared by the Hospitality Committee. Welcome back our beloved Senior Minister Joy Fallon, who has been on a well-deserved sabbatical since last June. Also, learn more about the history and architecture of the Parish House and Parsonage in a presentation by historian Faye Charpentier, Program Director for the Historic Site Visitors Program at King's Chapel. These important buildings are not only beloved by King's Chapel members and ministers, but are also considered classic examples of 19th-century Boston architecture. Join us. You'll be glad you did!
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Saturday, September 14
1-5 PM |
UUUM Makanda Jazz Project
Sunday, September 15
9 AM
| Morning Light service resumes
10 AM
| Church School Kickoff
12:15 PM | Homecoming luncheon
Wednesday, September 18
5:30 PM
| Contemplative Communion service resumes
Sunday, September 22
2 PM
| Piano Concert at the Parish House to benefit UUUM
Sunday, September 29
12:30 - 2 PM | Boston Athenaeum
Special tour for King's Chapel of the King's Chapel Library Exhibition
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Vigil at the Correctional facility
Last Sunday we led the vigil at the South Bay Correctional Facility which houses those detained by I.C.E. 6 of us from King's Chapel attended with about 8 other congregations with a total of 45 free persons in attendance. Across from us were the waving hands of those detained.
Tim Nelson-Hoy aptly led us in song, as we remembered that "Somebody's hurting our families and it's gone on far too long." Tim reported that it all seemed closer than it had at the last vigil in part because we passed the unhoused in the walkway below us and our portable speaker was quieter than the one the month before causing the listeners to stand elbow to elbow to listen.
Most striking of all was the police presence--two police cars pulled up and parked on each end of the crowd of vigil participants. The police officers stood by, occasionally speaking into walkie-talkies mounted right beside their holstered pistols. Were they there to monitor the vigil, and intervene if we stepped out of line? Or were they there as a hedge against violence that might be directed against us, perhaps as a caution in the wake of the white supremacist shooting in El Paso? Or both? either way the violence seemed closer then than it had in the July vigil.
This may have been an illusion- as we weren't in more danger this month than last. In part it may have been just a simple awareness of brute facts we have been privileged to ignore: we have been close to violence against immigrants, against the addicted and unhoused our whole lives, we just manage to ignore them most of the time. We have a responsibility in some sense to walk with those our society usurps of their freedom, and work with others working to bring them freedom. Whether this new sense of closeness is real or not it is hard to know but we hope it is.
Jennifer Kronstain reminded us that this vigil raised questions of faith. We worshiped facing windows of waving prisoners, but we have no way of knowing if our worship, our being there had any tangible impact on them. We imagine in the waving hands and cut out hearts pressed to the windows that our showing up matters but of course, our vigil had no impact on process or legislation, nor did we seek such. Did we do this for us so we feel like we tried to help or did we do this for them even though we can't solve their problem? Who are we serving?
We suppose the answer to that is God.
Just as if a preacher preaches and a choir sings to a half empty congregation we hope the word of God and our prayers transmit to the world around us. Our prayers on Sunday sandwiched between the correctional facility and the police officers and the addicted unhoused showed a hope and a promise of seeing the unseen. There is still so much work to do, but showing love to our neighbors is a good place to start. We hope you will join us for the next vigil on Sunday, September 29th at 2 PM.
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Bell Ringing and Service
Last Sunday, as one contingent of King's Chapel parishioners gathered in South Boston in solidarity with the detainees held in Suffolk County Jail, another contingent gathered in the balcony of our Chapel to commemorate 400 years of African American history. At 2:30pm we held a brief service of prayer, song, and reflection. It seemed a poignant illustration of our multiple, intersecting identities as a community: as visitors from the Freedom Trail explored the sanctuary below, we began our service with an a cappella singing of "O God Our Help in Ages Past." The bustling activity below quieted as we sang, the acoustics amplifying our little chorus. Our visitors that afternoon encountered not only a church of historical significance, but an active, committed community of faith. In the balcony where once sat slaves and free people of color, we gathered to remember, to mourn, and to celebrate. As 3pm approached, we adjourned to the choir room to close our service with James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing," followed by the ringing of our bell with others throughout the nation. Who are we? Conservators of a historic tradition and practitioners of a living faith. How are we to be? As ones who draw inspiration from the love of truth, the spirit of Jesus Christ, the worship of God, and the service of all. The sound of our bell pealing on Sunday was indeed sweet, echoing the rhythms and verses of Johnson's "black national anthem": by turns mournful, bittersweet, and joyful. The sound of struggle, redemption, challenge-and grace.
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News From The Parish House
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The Parish House will be closed Monday, September 2 for Labor Day.
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Help!! Volunteers Needed
Front desk volunteers needed on a regular basis on Monday and Wednesday mornings, 9:30 am - 1 pm. Tasks include answering phones and other reception duties. Some light data entry work may also be included, if interested. Will also need Volunteers for Tuesday mornings in September. Please contact Gretchen to discuss details administrator@kings-chapel.org |
September 22
Piano Action Special Event
: King's Chapel Parish House,
64 Beacon Street
, at 2 PM
(Please note location and early start time. Free admission, all donations will go to UUUM)
Zina Schiff, violin and Heinrich Christensen, piano - Copland, Still, and more
October 27
Mortal Musings
King's Chapel Choir, Jeremy Bruns, organ
Desenclos: Requiem
Parry: Songs of Farewell, 1-3
Schuman: Carols of Death
December 1
Advent Baroque
King's Chapel Choir, Soloists and Orchestra
J.S.
Bach
Church
Cantatas 62 and 140, and J.D. Zelenka: Magnificat in D
January 26
The Big Chill
, Winter Soiree celebrating our new pianos
King's Chapel Choir
This concert will be held at the King's Chapel Parish House,
64 Beacon Street
Because space/seating is limited, we recommend that you reserve tickets in advance
February 23
Sonata
The history of the organ sonata from Scarlatti to the Bach Family to Woodman
Heinrich Christensen plays the C.B. Fisk Organ
March 29,
G.F. Handel:
Alexander's Feast
Presented in memory of Jay R. Schochet
After the end of the "official" concert season, on April 26 the choir will offer
Evensong at Eastertide
(4:30 PM organ recital, 5 PM service, admission free)
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Doctor, inventor, poet, and King's Chapel member Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was born on August 29, 1809. Among his many and varied accomplishments, Holmes designed a simple and affordable stereoscope, which he intentionally did not patent. His design became the basis for the mass influx and popularity of stereoscopes in the United States. People were able to experience the world from their homes by viewing 3-D images from around the globe. 3-D images and movies, augmented reality, and virtual reality continue to capture imaginations of people today. Imagine what looking at a 3-D image for the first time in the 1850s would have been like! This program will help visitors explore the history and science of 3-D images through the hands-on experience of trying various forms of 3-D viewers, including the Holmes stereoscope, View-Master, anaglyph 3-D (red-blue glasses), and Google Cardboard. Drop in programming daily.
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Are you traveling this summer? If so, we'd love to travel with you vicariously through photos! Please send us pictures (at laura@kings-chapel.org) of where you're visiting and tell us of your adventures
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Weep/ Rejoice
"We Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice, and Weep with Those Who Weep"
~ Romans 12:15
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 We rejoice with two of our History Educators who recently became engaged!
Will Stilwell (above) to Lindsey Caputo and Jennifer Roesch (below) to Malcolm Purintan.
Malcolm proposed to Jennifer at sunset in Islesboro, Maine- their favorite place to unwind and escape the city together. The proposal, the sunset, and the heirloom ring were all beyond what Jennifer could ever have dreamed of!
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Morning Prayer | 11 AM
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- The Rev. Rali Weaver, Sabbatical Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Heinrich Christensen, Music Director
-
Jaya
Lakshminarayanan
, Soloist
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Stephen Courtney, Lay Reader
- Michael Bergeron, Head Usher
- Cathy Price, Usher in Charge
- KC Dalton, Todd Lee, Julie Hyde, Ushers
- Clark Aitkins, Verger
The Readings:
The flowers on the Communion Table are given with love and gratitude for our children and
grandchildren by Anne and Peter Sexton.
At the communion rail following the service, Bill Kuttner
will greet those interested in learning more about King's Chapel.
After the service, please join us for punch on the bricks, outside the vestibule to thank Rev. Weaver with cake and a celebratory toast.
Each Sunday, 10% of the plate collection will go to our Community Action strategic partners:
common cathedral, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, and the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministries, to do works of mercy, justice, and healing. All cash and checks not specially designated will be considered a plate offering.
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This Sunday, soprano soloist Jaya Lakshminarayanan will delight your ears with German romantic repertoire by Rheinberger, Lachner, and Lorenz. Heinrich is back from vacation and will appropriately play variations on the festive hymn Come, Labor On by Gerre Hancock, a Texas native who for many years served as the director of music at St. Thomas on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Come, Labor On is the school song for the Saint Thomas Choir School, the tune having been composed by its early 20th century music director, T. Tertius Noble.
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12:15 PM, 58 Tremont St.
September 3
Ann Rosandich, oboe
Alan Weiss, flute
Heinrich Christensen, organ
Bach, Donizetti, Telemann
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Tuesday Morning Meditation | Tuesdays 7:30 AM| Little Chapel
An early Tuesday Morning Meditation meets in our beautiful Little Chapel at 7:30 to 8:30 AM each Tuesday, including approximately a 20 minute meditation. We explore and experiment a bit, so if you have some ideas or are a little adventurous, this brief coming side by side with others in your church community may bring some welcome fun, joy and/or peace to your day. This is for "drop-in" participation - no long term obligations. Never meditated before? Drop by and give it a try. Feel free to contact Gary Riccio at
gary.riccio@me.com, or Stephen Courtney at scourtney@scixstudio.com for more details.
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Want to know
what's going on at
King's Chapel?
Click
HERE
to view the King's
Chapel Schedule at our website:
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Volunteer: Sign up for Hospitality
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Anyone can help!
Enter your email address and select a spot to fill. New volunteers may choose to co-host with a buddy.
Questions? email hospitality@kings-chapel.org
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We are grateful to those who provide for flowers each week, during our Morning Prayer service.
If you would like to give flowers in honor of a loved one, please contact Anne Sexton, chair of our Chancel Committee at annewsexton1@gmail.com . The cost for an arrangement is $85; a check can be mailed to the Parish House, indicating the date you have chosen and the inscription you would like.
We have the following dates open for the remainder of the year:
SEPTEMBER 8TH, 29TH
DECEMBER 1ST, 8TH, 15, 22ND, 29TH
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Contributing to Between Sundays
Our e-newsletter is sent each Thursday afternoon. Want something in Between Sundays? Feel free to email administrative.assistant@kings-chapel.org with a written piece and/or pictures before Wednesday at 5 PM.
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Accessibility Assists
Our beautiful Georgian sanctuary was designed by Peter Harrison and completed in 1754. To make our services and programs more accessible, one of the box pews has been made wheel-chair accessible. Ushers are available to assist those wheelchair users to that pew. Additionally, we have installed an accessible bathroom on our main floor. An usher can direct you to the vestry.
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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