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Keeping King's Chapel's members and friends connected each week while we are Physically Closed but Spiritually Open.
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Celebrate Christmas with King's Chapel
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Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve Service
on Thursday, December 26
On Christmas Eve we offer again the long-standing King's Chapel Lessons and Carols service, one of our most beloved services of the year. Led by Music Director Heinrich Christensen and our professional choir, we tell the Christian story in word and song, ushering in Christmas with reverent candlelight and carols. Although we cannot gather physically this year in our beautifully decorated sanctuary, you can participate fully, relish the organ and poinsettias, and thrill to the music via our website, anytime after 9 AM on Christmas Eve. (www.kings-chapel.org)
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Christmas Day
Live Service on Zoom
on Friday, December 25 at 10:00 AM
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Join King's Chapel for the Fourth (..and final!) Week of Advent
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What is your favorite way to receive an invitation? Do you still prefer a written invite received by mail, or is it easier to respond quickly to a text or Facebook message that pops up on your phone? Do you like to hear an actual voice at the other end of the line, or do you enjoy seeing the evite rise out of its virtual envelope, knowing you have some time to consider your reply?
If you were God, how would you send an invitation to humanity? How did God send you invitations in the past? Did your response matter?
Frederick Buechner imagines Angel Gabriel aghast that the entire future of humanity rests solely on the answer of a young Mary. Others tell a different tale: that Mary was the fourth or fifth person Gabriel approached before getting a "yes." In your experience, which is more likely: that we have just one chance to respond rightly to an invitation from God, or that God will tenaciously keep trying to break into our lives, sending off many different forms of invitation?
The fourth Sunday of Advent is about Love - ours and God's.
Joy
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Give Hope by Supporting our Community Partners
Support one (or more!) of our community partners this Advent season. See our blog post to find the complete list ways to give hope. In brief:
- Louis D. Brown Peace Institute: Your donations of any amount will go toward re-entry back packs for formerly incarcerated men and will be used to buy items such as a $100 clothing voucher, a $90 T pass, and a food voucher. Checks can be made out to King's Chapel and in the memo line include "LDBPI ReEntry Kits. Learn more here.
-common cathedral is gratefully accepting donations for our unhoused neighbors. Coats, new socks, sweatshirts, sweaters, pants, hats, gloves, hand warmers, blankets, and sleeping bags can be delivered on January 20th 1-4 PM to St. Paul's at 138 Tremont Street, Boston. Contact Sierra Mink sierra@commoncathedral.org for more information.
- Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry (UUUM): Support Roxbury independent artists of color this holiday season using this directory to shop local.
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 From the Environmental Action Initiative: Guest Preacher in January
The King's Chapel Environmental Action Initiative wants to remind you that Re v. Fred Small will be preaching a sermon titled "Radical" at both services on January 10 and will hold a workshop on the afternoon of January 24 to King's Chapel members. Here's what Rev. Tom Owen-Towle had to say about Fred:
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Photo by Maricris Vlassidis
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"Fred's vision, his preaching, and his music helped us find hope and courage in the midst of despair and fear. Fred's ability to touch inward springs of heart and spirit enabled us to "center down," in the words of Howard Thurman. At the same time, he challenged us to move beyond individual responses to the climate crisis to address the structures that perpetuate climate injustice. If you have a chance to bring Fred Small to your congregation, do it!"
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 Reading Group Monday Evenings in January, sponsored by the Adult Religious Education Committee
Monday evenings from 5-6PM in January, plan to join David Waters and Kent Wittenburg in a reading group to explore the spiritual side of environmental justice and the relationship of humans and the earth through the literature of Joy Harjo, current U.S. poet laureate and member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
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 Holiday Staff Schedule
The year is (finally) coming to a close, and the staff of King's Chapel is scheduling a much needed, well-deserved break. All staff will be out of office (even those who work from home) beginning Christmas Day, December 25th, until Monday January 4th. Our services will be held via Zoom, as you will read in another section of this newsletter. For any emergencies you can continue to contact Joy, David, or Gretchen. Merry Christmas to all, and we pray for blessings on the new year. |
 First and Second Sundays after Christmas Services
On Sunday, December 27 and Sunday, January 3 the Rev. Joy Fallon will lead worship live at 9:00 AM via the Morning Light service on Zoom. The additional Morning Prayer Service video will not be offered while other staff members and our choir are on vacation.
All regular services will resume on January 10, with the Rev. Dr. Fred Small as our special guest preacher. |
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Coming Up: Between Sundays Special Editions
In observance of Christmas and New Years, we will be creating special editions of Between Sundays for the next two weeks. Look for our newsletter in your inbox on Wednesdays December 23 and December 30. Our regular scheduled newsletter will resume in the new year on Thursday, January 7. Have a happy and healthy Christmas and New Years!
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 Blue Christmas Service
Yesterday we debuted a virtual version of our annual Blue Christmas Service. This year, perhaps more than any other in recent memory, many of us face the Christmas holidays with trepidation and fear of the unknown. Our Blue Christmas service offers a time and place when we can set aside any pretense of being "merry" and find God's love for us, just the way we are. Watch anytime on our YouTube channel. |
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Fourth Week of Advent Sunday Services
December 20, Morning Light | 9 AM on Zoom
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Skip Lewan, Piano
- John Natoli, Lector
- Meaghan Hamilton, Bernardo, Gabriel and Rose Aumond, Advent Wreath Lighters
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December 20, Morning Prayer | 11 AM on YouTube
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Heinrich Christensen, Music Director
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Hannah Carlson, Heather Holland,
Jaya Lakshminarayanan, Jennifer Webb, Andy Troska, and Brian Church, Soloists
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Mary Katherine Morn, Dan Taylor, Cynthia Perkins, and Mary Sears , Lay Readers
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Caroline Bergeron, Lector
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The Metcalf Family, Advent Wreath Lighters
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Did you miss last Sunday's service? If so, click here to see the full service. |
For this Sunday's service, enjoy a brief look back at last season's Advent Baroque concert, as Hannah Carlson and Heather Holland treat you to a duo recitative from Bach Cantata 62. The hymns are "In the Bleak Midwinter" and of course the grand finale of "O Come, Emmanuel," also heard in organ snippets from James Woodman's little Partita (which you can hear in their entirety on the little Noack organ in the Parish House chapel if you check out our Blue Christmas service).
Lessons and Carols will be posted on 12/24 at 9 AM so you can watch the video exactly when it fits best in your Christmas celebrations this year. We encourage multiple viewings! Our aim has been a virtual recreation of the entire service, with preludes, all the traditional lessons and sing-along carols, and choral pieces of a wide variety; Bach, Billings, and several new pieces written especially for this year's service. Among those are a "deconstruction" of the ancient English carol "There is no Rose," reinvented by Thomas Gregg, a beautiful lullaby by Graham Ramsay, and two new arrangements of "Coventry Carol" and "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" by Dan Perry.
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Giving to King's Chapel
Please consider a stewardship offering in a spirit of thanksgiving to help us through this challenging time. Every single gift in any amount is equally valued and helps enormously.
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Staying Connected with King's Chapel
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.
Worship Morning Light Worship via Zoom, 9-9:30 AM each Sunday. Please register in advance here to access the Zoom link.
Morning Prayer services are posted each Sunday at 11 AM on our website.
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: prayerrequest@kings-chapel.org . 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.
Coffee with Clergy Join Joy and David each week at 10 AM on Thursdays for an informal coffee hour via Zoom. See old friends and meet new ones! Contact Laura for login access. |
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. 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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Advent Reflection Group
Monday, December 21 at 5:00 PM
Our clergy host the final Advent Reflection group focused on the poetry of Maya Angelou and the Advent devotional provided by King's Chapel. Please register here to join and visit our Advent webpage to download our Advent devotional. |
Bible Study
Wednesday, December 23 at 6:15 PM
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Morning Light Worship Service
Sunday, December 27 at 9:00 AM
Bible Study
Wednesday, December 30 at 6:15 PM
Morning Light Worship Service
Sunday, January 3 at 9:00 AM
First Sunday Coffee Hour
Sunday, January 3 at 12:00 PM
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Join the King's Chapel History Program this holiday season for new content each Friday exploring different aspects of Christmas history and traditions! As we each prepare to spend the holiday season from home, the weekly themes will include both history posts and activities to engage with from home. Last Friday we debuted our Christmas Lights: Then and Now webpage featuring Christmas lights' historical associations with winter and the Christmas season before growing into the dazzling spectacles often associated with Christmas lights today. And of course, what does any of this have to do with King's Chapel? Read our latest blog post to learn more!
This Friday our new page on 18th and 19th century Christmas services and music- a topic you won't want to miss! |
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Did you know...The modern Advent wreath was created by German missionary Johann Hinrich Wichern in the 1830s, as a sort of Advent calendar for children at his mission's school who wanted to know how many days until Christmas. Wichern's wreath originally had a red candle for each weekday and Saturday in Advent and a white candle to be lit each Sunday. Eventually, as the wreaths grew in popularity, they were simplified from 24 candles to 4, to be lit each Sunday. Today, the color of the candles varies among Christian churches. At King's Chapel, three blue candles and a rose candle circle a white candle to be lit on Christmas.
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| | Paula and Carol delivering sandwiches |
Sandwiches for Our Unhoused Neighbors
Last Sunday dedicated members of King's Chapel provided sandwiches at the Boston Common for our unhoused neighbors through community partner common cathedral. Many thanks to our volunteers: Sarah, Eleanor and Mark Graber, Becky and Kent Wittenburg, Paula O'Keeffe, Sally Brewster!
Paula O'Keeffe shares with us what it means to give back, especially over the holidays:
First of all, I think the name Cathedral on the Common really and gloriously fits time on Boston Common where religion and human comfort meld in the best way. Because of this, it is very special to make sandwiches to serve to the guests and feed their spirit also. When Sally and I made sandwiches they were special, I thought. It is perfect that as God feeds the souls of the homeless, so does he take care of their physical needs. It is a privilege to help out.
Paula
Happy Christmas
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 Final Talk About Music! of the Year
Talk About Music!, hosted by our music director Heinrich Christensen, wrapped up for the year this past Tuesday with a hearty seasonal discussion of our favorite Christmas carols. As always, you can watch the conversation on our YouTube channel if you missed it.
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We rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ~Romans 12:15
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We hold Clark Aitkins, our sexton, in our prayers for health and healing as he recovers from COVID. Clark is quarantined at home, and feels a bit better with each passing day. We pray that his family Kelly, Sam and Alex, also heal as they begin to feel the effects of the same virus.
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We mourn with choir member Brian Church, whose sister Mary Frances passed away on December 10 after severe illness. |
 Rejoicing with Will Natoli, baptized at King's Chapel 30 years ago. This photo was offered by our member and Will's proud father, John Natoli. |
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