5 PM Family Service  

Come and experience the Christmas story firsthand through an interactive pageant. Children are invited to join the singing Holy Family onstage as shepherds and angels. All are invited to join in singing beloved Christmas carols. No rehearsal required. Costumes provided. All are welcome. 

10:30 PM Lessons & Carols 

One of the best beloved and most highly anticipated services of our Christmas season, if not the entire church year, is Lessons and Carols by candlelight on Christmas Eve. The prelude begins at 10 PM, leading up to the beginning of the service at 10:30 with the traditional treble solo for the first verse of Once in Royal David's City, sung by Mary Sears. A cornucopia of carols follow, sung by the choir and congregation, in alternation with our nine readings. 

We hope you can join us for these very special services.

My Dear Friends-

 

The last Sunday of Advent is fast approaching. And by this time next week? We will have read our lessons, sung our carols, opened our presents, and Christmas Day will have come and gone. Are we ready? Or are we girding ourselves for a final flurry of shopping and wrapping and cooking and cleaning, wondering, worrying whether we've time enough to finish the race set before us? If you're feeling less than ready, know that you're not alone: your new minister is wondering and worrying too. There are papers to be finished, services to be organized, costumes to be readied (!)-will I be more of a help than a hinderance as we race toward the rejoicing we've been promised?

 

In these last days before Christmas, I offer you a little prayer I've found helpful. It's our collect for this Sunday. The collect (pronounced KAL-ekt), is a quirk of our liturgical tradition. The term comes to us from the Latin collecta or "gathering" and it's a short prayer meant to gather us together as we begin our worship. You'll find collects assigned to each Sunday and other special days of the year in our prayerbook, and each Sunday, in addition to the collects for grace and peace, we read aloud the collect for the day. On Sunday, we'll hear:

 

O Lord, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succor us; that whereas, through our shortcomings, we are hindered in running the race which is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us, though Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

If we're familiar with the lessons for the day, we might connect this prayer to Isaiah's Ahaz, the newly-minted king nervous at the prospect of imminent war. Or Matthew's Joseph, anxious regarding the mysterious pregnancy of his betrothed-and the prospect of public disgrace. Surely they-like us-might wonder if they've the wherewithal to run the races set before them.... As I've been praying the collect throughout the week, I've come to appreciate it more and more-not only for its language, with its stately beauty, or for its promise of help, but for those commas. Did you notice them, too? Bidding us to slow down, pause between the phrases, take a moment to catch our breath?

 

It's okay , our prayer seems to say, take a moment to collect yourself-all will be well. There's lots to do and we're far from perfect, but you know? God's grace is greater than our shortcomings and we've got help.

May our little prayer be of comfort to you as we approach the finish line!

 

In faith and love,

D avid

This December, the King's Chapel History Program is exploring the origins of Christmas and decorating traditions and how they have changed and evolved over time.

Today, it can feel like Christmas is everywhere this time of year, but that wasn't the case in colonial New England. At a time when most people in Massachusetts didn't celebrate Christmas, King's Chapel was the first church here to celebrate and decorate for the holiday.  

Decorating with greens in December is the oldest King's Chapel Christmas tradition, and one of the oldest Christmas traditions that exists. Greening actually predates Christianity as a cross-cultural history of people using evergreens to mark the winter solstice, which is one of the reasons why the Puritans saw greening as too pagan.

Based on church financial records, we know that King's Chapel was decorating with greens for Christmas as early as the 1690s. We also learn that King's Chapel was likely a target for vandalism at this time when the majority of people here in Boston were Puritan and didn't celebrate Christmas; year after year, the records show bills and receipts for repairing broken windows during Christmas time. But King's Chapel continued to decorate for Christmas, and the congregation today continues to keep this tradition alive!

We unfortunately don't have any images of how King's Chapel was decorated for Christmas in the 1700s, but we do have plenty for the 19th century. The earliest depiction of Christmas decorations at King's Chapel is this image from an 1850s illustrated newspaper. In the 1790s, King's Chapel financial records show that a Dr. Thomas Clement was paid each December for "Erecting Arches...for Christmas." Perhaps these were like the evergreen arches seen in this illustration.

Visit us this weekend through New Years to learn more about why King's Chapel was the first church in the area to celebrate Christmas!

The History Program is open daily December 20 - January 6, with the exceptions of December 24, 25, and 30.

Join with others in an annual tradition at King's Chapel:  worshiping in our Little Chapel at the Parish House at 5:30 PM, and eating a festive potluck dinner with others.  For those interested in attending, please contact Carol Kemp at carol.kemp44@comcast.net. 

Last Sunday just before the 11:00 Morning Prayer service was to begin, half of the electrical circuits went dead affecting the organ and the voice amplification system, etc. We were all reminded that our physical spaces supporting the life of the Church sometimes have a life of their own. Resiliently, the worship team and choir rose to the challenge, made the pivot and lead us effectively through a wonderful a capella service. The electrical problem was identified and repaired by mid-night the following day by the quick action of Eversource working with Veolia coordinated by our most able Church Administrator, Gretchen. It was an in-the-street utility issue, so this repair, unlike most, is expected to be a "Freebie" relative to KC. The quick repair was vital for many reasons but the real driver was the upcoming noon Tuesday recital of the Half Hour Messiah. What wasn't known was would the organ even work once the power was restored? It wouldn't. Music Director Heinrich however was prepared with a plan "B" portable digital piano so the show could go on as planned. We are in the process of repairing or replacing the organ blower motor now.

 

But if that was not enough drama, Sunday night, actually Monday morning, Gretchen received a 1 AM call from the fire department responding to a smoke alarm in the crypt. The dry sprinkler system air compressor had seized and was smoking. Repair of this sprinkler system component was even more imperative. Monday afternoon a temporary air compressor was installed, anticipating a permanent replacement in the next few days.

 

With centuries old buildings the "fun" never ends. At the beginning of year we will also be experiencing, through mid-February, the presence of Piranesi- evoking internal scaffolding to create a work platform to repair our main (blue) plaster ceiling, led by our Trustee, Sam Perry. This project will also add energy-saving insulation throughout the entire ceiling including the aisle vaulted ceilings.

 

Briefly, other B&G committee recent and ongoing activities involve:

For details or facility suggestions feel free to contact Gretchen or any Building & Grounds committee member, Sally Brewster, John Bowman,  Joe Raffone, Sam Fey,  Stephen Courtney and ex officio members Miguel Gomez-Ibanez and Sam Perry.

The Hospitality Committee extends a massive and heartfelt thank you to all who assisted with Milk Punch last Sunday, December 15. The event was a great success with up to 80 hungry guests in attendance.  (That might be a record!) The day was extra special: King's Chapel also welcomed five new members and celebrated the baptism of Gideon Allen, son of KC members Amanda Cegielski and Chris Allen.

 

I so appreciate the incredible efforts of those who worked tirelessly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including members of Amanda and Chris's families, who chopped, diced, sliced and sautéed like pros. King's Chapel members and friends who volunteered include Barbara Fay, Emanuel Genovese, Kathe German, Karen Hawthorne (vegan chef extraordinaire!), Rita Horgan, Betty Lykins, Louise Perkins, Betsy Peterson, Gary Riccio, Anne Sexton, Elliott Smith, and Becky Wittenburg. I am grateful. Merry Christmas to all! - Gregg Sorensen

Last Wednesday we held a beautiful service for Blue Christmas, a service that honors those who find the holidays a difficult time of year. Some of us struggle with grief and pain and loss at this time, and in the warm glow of candlelight we came together to pray, light our own candles of remembrance, listen to poetry and lessons, sing, and share in communion together. Even as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we hold in our hearts those who mourn.