March 26, 2023

This Sunday


Christian Education

  • 10:00am: Adult Forum (in person, in church library, and livestreamed)
  • 10:00am: Sunday School, 5th grade and older (in person, in church office)
  • 10:00am: Sunday School (in person, in Sunday School classroom, and livestreamed)


Worship Services

  • 9:00am: Worship Service with Communion (in person)
  • 11:00am: Worship Service

(in person and livestreamed)


Fellowship

  • Following the 11:00 Worship Service: Coffee Hour
  • 7:00pm: Young Adult Life Groups




van Gogh, Vanderbilt Art in the Christian Tradition

Worship This Sunday

Scripture Reading

John 11: 1–3, 5–6, 17–41a,

43b–44


This Sunday, Rev. Barb Lemmel and Rev. Mitch Hay will be preaching at the 9:00am and 11:00am services,

"Take Away the Stone"

A Message from Rev. Mitch Hay

When my family attended Navy church services when I was very young, we got into our "Sunday Best." For my brother and me, that meant stiff little polyester boy-suits, clip-on ties, shiny shoes, and Brylcreemed hair. For some church-folk today, getting into one's "Sunday Best" isn't so much about stiff clothes, but about putting on a stiffly smiling mask of strength and invulnerability to protect and hide the hurting, tender child of God that resides under the mask. It is a tragic irony that for many people, church is the the last place they feel safe to express grief or loss or fragility; church is the last place to be seen crying.


My chaplaincy work at Lahey Hospital has given me a concentrated experience of being with folk as they cry-- in shock at dreaded diagnoses, in grief over tragedy, in anger at the lack of solutions or answers, in mourning over loss. I've witnessed a lot of tears at the hospital over the last few months; I've shed a bunch as well. And I've come to appreciate how precious a faith community is that feels safe enough and human enough to weep in.


I am so grateful that Jesus wept. It's a reminder of how holy and human our own tears are.  


Lenten Blessings,

Pastor Mitch



As always, Steve Garnaas-Holmes describes it better than I can:




 Jesus wept.

                           —John 11.35


For Lazarus, for Mary and Martha,

for Jerusalem, for us—Jesus weeps,

and invites us into the spiritual discipline of weeping:

to cede control, to be, after all, a body, baby-weak,

subject to the sting of love,

the pangs of our connectedness.

The rend in the fabric of Oneness

is made real in the rend in your eyes,

the crack in the wall, the opening of your flesh.

You surrender to a current,

like a river pulled into the ocean,

deep within you, flowing out,

a holy out-flowing.

Tears come when you have gone beyond yourself,

embodying a divine bond, severed yet still holding.


Weep; for even if you have not suffered

you have loved a suffering world.

Break the seal.

Feel the aliveness of a good cry.

For if you can weep you can hope.

If you can weep you have loved, and will love again.

You flow with God, who weeps for us in grief,

and weeps with joy.



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Ed Mark Lecture: This Sunday!

Rev. Cornell Williams Brooks

on the Bibilical Empirical Case for Reparations

Our Ed Mark Lecture (on Sunday, March 26) will feature Rev. Cornell William Brooks, a Kennedy School professor and former president of the NAACP. His address will be: Exonerating History: Mrs. Callie G House and the Biblical Empirical Case for Reparations.The event, at 7:00pm, is free to attend and will also be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Click here for a shareable poster with all the details!


Professor Brooks recommends these readings to prepare for the lecture: 


This recent article at Religious News Service explores Rev. Brooks' work with the National Council of Churches and Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism to create a blue-print for reparations to African-Americans, supported by faith-based communities. 

Lenten Opportunities

The weeks of Lent, which extends through March until Palm Sunday on April 2, will have special programming at Adult Forum and on Wednesday evenings, along with daily opportunities for Young Adults and others online:

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Here (right) are daily prayer cards from A Sanctified Art, each on the theme “Seeking: Honest Questions for a Deeper Faith”. They are available in hard copy at church, or here in pdf form.

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Lenten Book Study on Wednesday evenings, March 1 - April 5.  We’ll read and discuss  Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times by Rev. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor at Chicago’s Trinity UCC. 


From the book’s descriptions: "Rev. Moss shares wisdom and challenge to uplift our spirits as we work for justice in these politically turbulent times, drawing on his own background as a spiritual and civil rights leader. This book is a life-affirming guide to the practical, political, and spiritual challenges of our day, drawing on the teachings of Dr. King, Howard Thurman, sacred scripture, southern wisdom, global spiritual traditions, Black culture, and Moss' own personal experiences. This collection helps us tap the spiritual reserves we all possess but too often overlook, so we can slay our personal demon, confront our civic challenges, and reach our highest goals.”


The study will be hybrid at 7:00 pm, meeting in person in the pastor’s office and streaming on Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/92617849023


We can order the book at a reduced rate of $17 through the BU bookstore; free copies will be available as needed. 

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The Young Adults will be engaging in a daily devotional prayer time at 10:00 p.m. for 10 minutes starting the first day of Lent (February 22). We will read a poem from the book, Queering Lent (this is also available through the church office) and pray during the season.


Holy Week Services

Maundy Thursday, April 6, 7:00 pm

A Service of Healing and Communion

Join us as we share in a simple ritual of anointing for healing, followed by the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.


Good Friday, April 7, 8:00 pm

Tenebrae: A Service of Shadows

Join us for a powerful service commemorating Jesus’ passion and death, interspersing scripture, hymns, poetry and anthems with the extinguishing of candles.


Holy Saturday, April 8 10:00 a.m.

Preparing the altar space with flowers for Easter morning. Please let Kathy Hess know if you can assist: kmhess@mit.edu.


Easter Morning, April 9

  • Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m. on the Cambridge Common, across from Harvard-Epworth Church
  • Communion Service, 9:00 a.m. in person.
  • Easter Breakfast, 10:00 a.m. Come enjoy a delicious feast prepared by our talented Harvard-Epworth cooks! 
  • Easter Egg Hunt, 10:30 a.m. Calling all children to search for multi-colored eggs hidden on the church and Harvard Law School grounds! Guaranteed to be fun, and tasty!
  • Easter Worship, 11:00 a.m. in person and live-streamed, celebrating the Resurrection of our Savior!


Easter Flower Sign-up

Help decorate the worship altar on Easter morning by donating Easter flowers in honor or memory of a loved one! We are purchasing Easter lilies, hydrangeas, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, azaleas, and mums. The cost is $20 per flowering plant and can be paid for by check or at https://harvardepworthchurch.org/giving using the “Easter Flowers” in the dropdown menu. Please sign up before April 5; you may take the potted plant home after worship on Easter Sunday. Thank you, in advance, for your donation.



Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0A4DA5AC2FA64-easter


Come help set up the Easter flowers on the altar on Saturday, April 8, at 10:00 a.m. Help us make a beautiful altar for Easter morning!


Join us for Easter Breakfast

Our annual Easter Breakfast Potluck will take place at 10:00am on Sunday, April 9, followed by the Easter Egg Hunt for the kids at 10:30. Please bring a dish to share; you may sign up at church, or contact Amy Avallone (amouse9@gmail.com 617-519-9661) or Sarah Bailey (sarahbailey202@gmail.com; 917-439-1193) with your donation or any questions. We are also happy to have last minute, unplanned contributions. Come join the celebration!

“I Love to Tell the Story” of Our Stewardship Campaign

Our 2023 stewardship campaign, “I Love to Tell the Story,” conducted in the fall, explored how we tell our stories of Jesus and God’s love. The campaign itself has a happy ending. Harvard-Epworth will benefit from the joy and generosity of your 72 pledges totaling $299,344. Of these, twenty are new pledges generously matched by one of our members at $250/pledge, adding $5000 to this total.


The Church Council budgeted $290,000 for 2023 pledges. This figure’s calculation observes a decline in the number of pledgers and the sum of pledges since highs of 111 pledgers in the 2020 campaign (run in Fall 2019) and $304,751 pledged in the 2021 campaign (run in Fall 2020). The Church Council also observed that gifts received in 2021 fell short of the sum of gifts pledged. These patterns suggest that our church, like all our institutions and lives, suffered some in the last few years. Every story has tensions, challenges.


Pledges, the commitment to give that is the core of stewardship, are essential to our church because they allow budgeting to go forth to maintain, increase, or revitalize our many ministries and care for our beloved church home. Our received gifts in 2022 exceeded the amount pledged and our pledge total for 2023 has exceeded what is budgeted. This is the happy ending. We love to tell our stories of Jesus and God’s love. These include the stories of our stewardship, the story of the pledges each of us has made. 


The Stewardship Committee thanks you for your generosity and commitment to stewardship. Our goal for our next campaign will be to raise the number of us who are able to pledge, to commit to give. No pledge is too small. Pledges can be adjusted at any moment. We can yet receive new pledges for 2023.


Yours appreciatively,


Katie Carlone, Lynette Cole Sullivan, Abby Hill, Carolyn LaRose, Pastor Barb Lemmel and Pastor Mitch Hay, Chairperson Tom Akbari (thomasakbari@yahoo.com) of the Stewardship Committee



(Painting below by Carol Aust)

Adult Forum

All are welcome to join the Adult Forum, which meets at 10:00am on Sundays in the library and on Zoom.


This Sunday, March 26, Graham Kelder will lead a session on “The Biblical Empirical Case for Reparations: Today’s Ed Mark Lecture."


In the coming weeks:

  • April 2: “Braver Angels: Communicating Effectively in a Polarized World” by Frederick Golder, local Braver Angels representative.
  • April 9: Easter Breakfast and Egg Hunt! No Adult Forum

"Bringing Healing to the Homeless”

March 28, First Parish Unitarian Church

The Cambridge Forum and the Harvard Square Business Association are presenting "Bringing Healing to the Homeless" on Tuesday, March 28. This event will feature Pulitzer Prize winner “Rough Sleepers” author Tracy Kidder and Dr. Jim O’Connell, renowned physician, humanitarian and President of Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program. More information can be found here or click here for a larger version of the invitation pictured to the left.


Thanks to Paige Manning and Lane Lambert, who led an Adult Forum on this book and topic on March 12.

Sunday School and "Godly Play”

We are blessed to have Ann Haywood-Baxter, Nancy Akbari and Warren Brown leading the children’s Sunday School class. They will bring the Godly Play circle to life, offering a creative, experiential approach to Bible stories that will enable the children to engage and understand God’s love and call in their lives. Godly Play is based in the Montessori principles, and you can learn more here: https://www.godlyplayfoundation.org/get-started


The classes will be for children from 4 years old through 4th grade, 10:00 - 10:50, in the Sunday School room (at the end of the hall, in the church basement). Children can also join this Zoom link:  https://zoom.us/j/98192451222 !


Pastors Mitch and Barb are leading a video series for youth 5th grade and older at 10:00 -10:50. We’ll meet in the classroom next to the church office upstairs.


We are looking for additional volunteers and welcome your help with Sunday School; each Sunday a volunteer will serve as “door person” and assist the primary “storyteller” with that week’s experience. This is a terrific way to assist the children in their learning; it is also a terrific way to build your own familiarity with and understanding of scripture. If you would like to volunteer, please email education@harvardepworthchurch.org or watch for sign up opportunities. Please reach out with any questions or information that you would like to share.

UMCOR Lends Support to Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria

Southern Turkey and Northwest Syria are working to recover from the devastating effects of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey last week. The earthquake was the most powerful one recorded since 1939. The subsequent 78 reported aftershocks, second earthquake of 7.5 magnitude, and extreme winter weather has led to a still-climbing loss of tens of thousands of lives.


We join with UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, in prayer for the many people affected by these devastating earthquakes, including the rescue crews seeking survivors and those caring for the injured and displaced. See below to view a new video message from UMCOR on this crisis and the response.


UMCOR has a longstanding relationship with fellow humanitarian organization, International Blue Crescent (IBC), which is established with multiple offices and project sites in Turkey. UMCOR released an initial solidarity grant to IBC to help provide tents, heaters, blankets, warm clothes, ready to eat meals and first aid kits to those who have been displaced. With the devastating damage to roads, transport and infrastructure, IBC has received hundreds of families in its Kilis Community Center for shelter, warm items, and hot meals since the first hours Monday morning. Kilis is serving as a major hub for coordination and relief efforts, including for cross-border response into Syria. Click here for a longer article from UMCOR on the response to the earthquake crisis.


Support relief and recovery efforts by donating to UMCOR's designated International Disaster Response and Recovery fund here.

Bishop Johnson Requests Your Attendance at

District Anti-Racism Training:

Rescheduled to April due to Weather!

The Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR) will offer its quadrennial anti-racism training on the theme “Intersectionality” in the Commonwealth East District on Saturday, April 1 (please note the new date--this will no longer take place this weekend). All clergy are required to attend, and laity are strongly encouraged to attend as well. This in-person training will be at Fisk Memorial UMC in Natick, 9:00-3:00. If you wish to attend, please let Pastors Barb or Mitch know! 


Participants are asked to watch these two videos in advance of the training session:

Join us for Coffee Hour

Please join us after worship for coffee hour refreshments and fellowship, outdoors whenever possible and in the Vestry in the case of inclement weather. We ask that masks continue to be worn except when eating/drinking, while inside (please see below for a note on mask requirements). 


We'd love your help filling the table on this date and going forward. Please sign up at this link (https://signup.com/go/vLAxKUQ) or contact Sarah Bailey (sarahbailey202@gmail.com or 917 439 1103) if you would like to contribute. 


When inside, we strongly encourage people to wear masks except when eating/drinking; we ask those attending to be fully vaccinated and boosted as allowed.

Friday Cafe

This is our sixth year of volunteering at the Friday Cafe. It will continue to be a hybrid affair. We will serve hot food to our guests in the hall, who will then eat the food on the church lawn.


Harvard-Epworth will send a team of volunteers to the Opening Shift of the Friday Cafe on the third Friday of each month. Several positions are available during the Opening Shift. 


Our next volunteer day of Season 9 is Friday, April 15. Please join us! Your thoughtful presence is welcomed.


Please visit https://signup.com/go/VfFWmvv to sign up. If you have questions, please contact the church office.


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Outdoor Church Sandwich Ministry

On the third Saturday of every month, a volunteer team from Harvard Epworth brings sandwiches to homeless neighbors in Harvard and Central Squares. Harvard-Epworth will join this ministry on Saturday, April 21.



Interested in bringing sandwiches? Thank you -- 20 is a good number. The homeless like meat (roast beef, ham and turkey), as well as chicken, egg and tuna salad. White, oat and whole wheat breads are all good. You can add a bit of mustard and lettuce for the meats. We avoid mayonnaise for safety reasons, but it's okay for the salads.


Interested in joining the sandwich distribution? We gather at the church at 2:30 on the third Saturday of the month. For more details, email Lane at jamaicaplainlane@gmail.com.

Serve God, Have Fun, and Be Healthier... Try the Adult Choir

Everyone knows that singing is good for the soul, but did you know that singing is good for the body as well? Singing regularly improves breathing and posture, tones the abdominal and intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, and stimulates circulation. Singing releases the body's natural endorphins, helping to relieve aches and pains. Researchers at the University of Frankfurt in Germany found that singing in a choir strengthens the immune system and notably improves the singer's mood.


These are just a few reasons to give the Adult Choir a try. We meet on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. to prepare wonderful music for the worship of God. You don't have to read music or have a beautiful voice. You don't have to commit to singing every Sunday -- many of our singers participate on a part-time basis. All you need is the ability to match pitch and to come to rehearsal on the Sunday morning you wish to sing. Our Choir is a warm and welcoming group, open to all levels of musical skill. 


If this sounds intriguing, and you would like to give the Adult Choir a try, please contact Terry at terryhalco@gmail.com, or just come to the vestry at 9:45am on a Sunday morning. 


We do ask that Choir singers be fully vaccinated, and we will continue to wear masks during rehearsals and worship services.

Be a Part of Sunday Altar Flowers

If you would like to donate altar flowers for Sunday’s worship service, please click the following link and fill out the form. You may also call the church office to make the arrangements to donate flowers. Please include the text of the dedication for the bulletin.

We will contact Coady Florist, who will deliver the flowers to the church on Sunday morning. The cost is $50. You may send a check to the church, or donate online through Tithe.ly at the church website (choose “Sunday Flowers).


This is a wonderful way to share your joys and remembrances with the church community, and brighten up the sanctuary with the beauty of flowers. After the service, you may take the flowers home with you or give them to someone else.


Flowers must be ordered by Wednesday before the Sunday of your donation.

Ukraine Relief Update from the Missions Committee

As the invasion of Ukraine moves past the six-month mark, the Missions Committee continues to collect funds for Ukrainian relieve, distributed through UMCOR and the Kyiv School of Economics. Please give via checks (made out to HEUMC) brought to worship or mailed to the church, or online at www.harvardepworthchurch.org by clicking the "Give Now" button, then choosing "Ukraine Relief" in the drop-down menu. Donations will be sent to these organizations.


Connect with us Electronically

Harvard Epworth Church Member Online Directory

Remember that we have a Harvard Epworth Church Member Online Directory.  You can log in to the directory by going to directory.harvardepworthchurch.org by clicking on the link in the menu on the church website (it's next to the live stream link).

Current users can reset their password with the "Need a password" button on the directory login. If you don't have a directory account or access to it, email office@harvardepworthchurch.org  and we will be in touch with login information for you.
Sermon Podcast Update: If you would enjoy listening to the Sunday sermon during the week they can now be found on Apple, Google, and Spotify by searching for Harvard-Epworth Church podcast. You can also still find them on the front page of our church website at www.harvardepworthchurch.org
Help Harvard-Epworth While You Shop: Our Amazon Smile link shares some of the profits from any Amazon purchases with the church: If you shop via this link, a percentage of what you spend is automatically donated to the church.
Prayer Ministry: Each Wednesday morning (from 7:45am to 8am), some of the Harvard-Epworth congregation gather by phone for meditation and prayer. This gathering is a wonderful way to begin the day and to hold the concerns of our congregation in prayer. We would love to have you join us! To join in, dial +1 (605) 468-8016 and type in our access code: 658031#.
Looking Ahead...


  • Thursday, March 23: Women's Potluck
  • Sunday, March 26, 2023:
  • 9:00am: Worship Service
  • 10:00am: Adult Forum
  • 10:00am: Sunday School
  • 11:00am: Worship Service
  • 12:30pm: Coffee Hour
  • 7:00pm: Ed Mark Lecture
  • 7:00pmYoung Adult Online Devotional
  • Tuesday, March 28: "Bringing Healing to the Homeless" Harvard Square Business Assn event
  • Wednesday, March 29:
  • Lenten Book Study
  • Prayer call
  • Wednesday, April 5: Last Day to Sign Up for Easter Flowers
  • Thursday, April 6: Maundy Thursday Service of Healing and Communion
  • Friday, April 7: Good Friday Service of Tenebrae
  • Saturday, April 8: Easter Flower Set-Up (10:00am)
  • Sunday, April 9: Easter Sunday!
  • 6:30am: Sunrise Service
  • 9:00am: Communion Service
  • 10:00am: Easter Breakfast
  • 10:30am: Easter Egg Hunt
  • 11:00am Easter Worship
Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church | office@ harvardepworthchurch.org