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Spotlight On: Music in the time of COVID
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Emily Dickinson said it so memorably:
Musicians wrestle everywhere -
All day - among the crowded air
I hear the silver strife -
And - waking - long before the morn -
Such transport breaks upon the town
I think it that "New Life"!
In the last few months, we have seen musicians wrestle mightily in these unprecedented conditions. We have all been exploring how we could continue to make music in the virtual realm. In many cases, that has meant trying to figure out how to recreate the things we would normally do, now on new and less familiar platforms - in video, Zoom calls, livestreams etc.
But other creative folks have sought Dickinson's "new life" by creating things that did not exist at all before, and likely never would have existed, if we hadn't found ourselves in this peculiar set of circumstances. Back in the early days of lockdown and quarantine, composer Graham Gordon Ramsay found himself "waking - long before the morn -" from very unsettling dreams. And as a sort of creative catharsis, Graham started to write miniatures for organ, titling them "Introspections".
Read more about Music in the Time of COVID HERE.
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My Dear Friends--
This week Matthew gives us the story of Jesus' encounter with the Canaanite woman who asks him to heal her daughter. I wonder, have you had as much trouble with this story as I have over the years? There's a phrase you may have heard of: "the scandal of the cross". It references 1 Corinthians 1:23, in which Paul talks about Jesus' crucifixion as a skandalon, or "stumbling block" to those expecting a triumphant messiah to deliver them from oppression. Surely, the reasoning goes, a messiah wouldn't be subject to the ignominious death reserved for criminals and enemies of the state. Now theologians have spilled fountains of ink on the scandal of the cross, but while I understand the concept, I've never really felt it as keenly as I'm sure Paul's audience did. Perhaps when you've grown up with the crucifix as a staple of your tradition since childhood, the scandal wears off!
Continue reading David's message HERE |
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King's Chapel Welcomes All to our Sunday Services
Morning Light Service
Sundays from 9:00-9:30 AM on Zoom
Come join us for an intimate service of contemporary music and prayer as we gather to listen to the Word, share our joys and concerns, and abide with one another in fellowship. The music is led by Roland Skip Lewan from the piano, incorporating elements of jazz and improvisation.
Contact Laura Zeugner Administrative Assistant, for login information.
Morning Prayer Service
New virtual services posted by 11 AM on Sundays on YouTube
Each week we film the elements of our traditional Morning Prayer service, featuring beautiful music, stately prayers, and our ministers' reflections on the week's lessons. Our choir members and music director Heinrich Christensen provide newly recorded material as well as occasional pieces from our past recordings and CDs, as we explore the virtual new frontiers of making music.
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A Psalm in Summer
I strain my ear
to hear your voice,
O, Lord.
My heart holds silent
as it can
when anxious thoughts assail.
Where are you
in these moments
full of doubt -
These days of questioning
my very faith?
There!
I hear you, God!
I hear you sing in
rustling leaves
and chirping birds -
In swaying grass
caught by a gentle breeze.
You speak my name
in every sound
that wafts across
the summer air.
And every song you sing says,
"I am here,
and you are mine!"
From Psalms from the Heart: Prayers for Times and Seasons of Faith by Marion van der Loo
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Staff Vacation
Joy continues to be away until August 24. While on vacation David and
Heinrich will be available to take good care of you all. Be in touch with them directly if you have any needs, and they can reach Joy if the need is urgent.
Gretchen will be on vacation until September 8. For any administrative assistance, Laura is available.
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Chapel Restoration Project Continues
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The underside of the lower tower roof, capitals, louvers, tower door and upper tower cornice have been scraped and painted and have come out beautifully. They are currently working on the upper portions of the columns and prepping them for paint.
There will be stainless steel support rods going through the columns to support the outer wood detail in order for the contractors to work on the bases of the columns.
The roofers have cleaned out the gutters and replaced damaged or slipped slates. The repairs to the copper will be completed once the upper section of staging is removed.
Much more work continues! Stay tuned!
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| Join forces with our voter action initiative. On Monday, we will screen a 40-minute movie titled "Suppressed 2020: The Fight To Vote," followed by discussion. Email [email protected] for login access.
Let us know if you're already involved in electoral justice efforts or sign up for one of the three campaigns we've vetted. Email Dorie Seavey for more information. Check out our discussion forum.
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 Theology on Tap: "The Tower of Babel and the Work of Ongoing Creation" | Wednesday August 19 | 6 PM | Zoom |
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Conversations with the Educators will be taking a needed break next week, but will resume later in the month!
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An open Zoom meeting will be held for all those interested in participating in the King's Chapel History and Slavery Memorial Project. The meeting is open to those individuals who previously signed up to work on one of the two sub-committees, as well as others who would like to actively participate. The meeting will be hosted by David Waters, assisted by Faye Charpentier, director of the history program, and church member Dean Denniston. Additionally, Miguel Gomez-Ibanez and Cliff Allen, who have agreed to chair the Physical Memorial and Living Memorial sub-committees respectively will also participate. The purpose of the meeting is to bring folks up to date with respect to the project, make committee assignments, discuss goals, timelines and next steps. |
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Save the Dates
All events below will be held via Zoom
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Mondays, September 14, 28 and October 5: Book Group, "How to be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi, sponsored by the Community Action and Adult Religious Education committees
Wednesday, September 16: Theology on Tap
Sunday, September 20: Homecoming!
Thursdays, September 29 - October 24: Spiritual Autobiography group
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Conversations with the History Program: Peter Harrison's King's Chapel
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 The Conversation held on Thursday August 6 was well attended and very informative. The topic was of Peter Harrison, architect of King's Chapel. If you missed the discussion, you can find it on YouTube.
For follow up materials, including Aaron Helfand's paper, "Inspired by Gibbs: Reconstructing Peter Harrison's Lost Designs for the Steeple of King's Chapel at Boston, Massachusetts", contact Faye Charpentier.
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Community Action Committee News
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Call for Sandwich makers!
On September 6th King's Chapel will deliver 150 bagged lunches to our unhoused neighbors, via our Community Action Partner common cathedral. Three volunteers are needed to make 50 bagged lunches each, including a sandwich for each bag. If you would like more information or if you would like to volunteer, please contact Carol Genovese.
CAC Office Hours starting in September
What does the King's Chapel Community Action Committee do? Who are our CAC partners? What can I do to help? For answers to these questions and more, come to CAC Office Hours! Starting in September, CAC chair Amanda Pickett will be piloting CAC Office Hours every Monday 5:00-5:30 PM via Zoom. Drop in and discuss community action at King's Chapel. Contact Amanda Pickett for login access. |
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Sunday Services
August 16th | Morning Light | 9 AM | Zoom
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Skip Lewan, piano
- Mary Katherine Morn, Zoom assistant
- Meaghan Hamilton, Lector
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August 16th | Morning Prayer | 11 AM | YouTube
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Heinrich Christensen, Music Director
- Dan Perry, Soloist
- Mary Sears, Alison LaRosa, Heinrich Christensen, and Brian Church, Singers
- Gregg Sorensen and Todd Lee, Lectors
- Amy Meyer, Tim Nelson-Hoy, Betsy Peterson and Cynthia Perkins, Lay Readers
Scripture
- Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8
- Matthew 15: 21-28
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Did you miss Sunday's Virtual Service? If so, click here to see the full service. |
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This Sunday, we open and close our Morning Prayer video with excerpts from Ivan Høiberg's Variations on the cheerful Danish traditional summer song "En yndig og frydefuld sommertid."
Dan Perry is the main soloist for the service; he will lead our hymns and is also featured in an archival recording of the Old American Song, "At the River", arranged by Aaron Copland.
We will have a quartet consisting of Mary Sears, Alison LaRosa, Heinrich, and Brian Church offering our Deus Misereatur traditional canticle, seeing as Psalm 67 is one of the readings for the morning. All part of the exploits of the ever evolving virtual musical frontier!
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Our stewardship giving to King's Chapel continues even as we are not physically together each week. This includes our annual pledges and gifts as well as our ongoing contributions to the Sunday plate. If you have not yet sent in your pledge or gift please do so now and help us in this moment when we truly need it. If you are used to putting money in the Sunday Plate each week to support our community partners and our operating budget, you still can. The loss of this income, about $30,000, has an immediate impact on our community partners and our bottom line. Consider a monthly donation to the Sunday offering--maybe $50,$60,$75, $100 to make up for the lost weeks of attendance. Embracing our stewardship role is a way to joyfully and thankfully support the daily ongoing work that keeps King's Chapel thriving. Thank you.
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Staying Connected with King's Chapel
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While we are physically closed we are spiritually open and are working to find ways to continue our connection with you, our beloved members and friends.
Ways in which you can reach us are:
Worship
Morning Light Worship via Zoom, 9-9:30 AM each Sunday. Contact Laura Zeugner at [email protected] for login information.
Prayer Connection King's Chapel is a praying church and we have added a new link to our website page to make easy any request you may have: [email protected] . Requests sent here will be received by Joy Fallon, David Waters, and Cynthia Perkins, Prayer Circle Chair. If you prefer, also know that you can always reach out to any of us individually. |
Internet Fraud - Protect Yourself
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, churches across the nation have seen a steep rise in incidents of internet fraud and scams, especially using ministers' names and targeting church members. So far in the last two months, we've had twenty or more. Please watch out for these. I promise, we will never ask you to send us gift cards. We will never ask for your personal identifying information or bank account info. If we ever purport to say that we can't be reached by phone, be suspicious.
Some other hints to protect yourselves: Double check the "from" address to see who really has sent it, and double check the email of the person to whom you're supposedly replying. Verify suspicious emails by phone, especially if the email says not to call. Click the link below for more information on how to protect yourself and your family from internet crime.
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Contributing to Between Sundays
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