Third Sunday of Easter
in the Sanctuary

Sunday, April 14th at 10:00 am

The Rev. Pamela L.Werntz, presiding & preaching

*It's Marathon Weekend so please plan accordingly in terms of transportation and parking. Road closures, no parking, and no stopping information provided by the City of Boston can be found here. The Emmanuel Church website has subway and parking garage suggestions. Directions can be found here.

Sunday Musical Notes

Cantata Bach Sehet, welch eine Liebe hat uns der Vater erzeiget, BWV 64

Motet Poulenc Vinea mea electa

Join us virtually on our YouTube channel.

Coming up!

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Finding Our Way: Developing a Practice of Contemplation with Land
Tuesdays in April, 6pm (online)

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul offers a course from The St. Paul Center for Theology and Prayer, led by the Rev. Rita Powell, Episcopal Chaplain at Harvard. In ‘Finding our Way’, the goal is to connect to the land around us, and the history of that land, in prayerful, healing and transformative ways. Attendees will be able to take the ideas explored in the course back to their own parishes and landscapes.

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The Jerusalem Youth Chorus: April 14th at 4:00pm
Transforming conflict through song.
Based in Jerusalem, this ensemble consisting of 24 Palestinian and Jewish students
will be on a North American tour and will perform at Emmanuel.
Overnight hosts for the performers needed: More information

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Join us for Coloring Bach! April 28
These Sundays this season we're handing out copies of artwork inspired by the week's cantata, along with colored pencils for you to use. We invite you to color while you listen to the music. We'd also love to see what you create! Share your artwork with Emmanuel Music either by tagging us on social media, or by emailing Director of Engagement Megan Bisceglia

Requiescat in Pace
A service celebrating the life of Henry Lussier will be held at Emmanuel Church on Saturday, April 13 at 3 pm. Henry had long associations with Emmanuel Music: as a tenor in the chorus, and as a member of the board of directors and the marketing committee.

History of the Holy Lands and Peoples

Join Rabbi Shire and Rev. Werntz for a 2-part series - The Holy Lands and Peoples - on April 10th and April 17th at 7:00pm. This is an opportunity for the congregations of Central Reform Temple and Emmanuel Church to learn more about the history of the places we call the "Holy Land" and the people who have lived there for millennia. We are blessed with a Rabbi who is a gifted teacher. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more at this important time. If you are interested in attending, please let us know at info@centralreformtemple.org so we can ensure that you receive the Zoom link.

Emmanuel Center Movie Night

Emmanuel Center, a partnership of Emmanuel Church and Central Reform Temple of Boston, are pleased to offer the first of a monthly three-part movie series on race and racism. Our first movie is A Most Beautiful Thing, which tells the story of the Manley High School rowing team, America’s first all-Black high school crew team, a group of men from Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods dominated by rival gangs. On the water, they learned the lessons of discipline demanded by this grueling sport and come to value believing and trusting in themselves and their teammates. We are delighted that Ralph Freidin and Jan Hilley, co-chairs of the Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's Conversations-on-Race, will be our facilitators. Ralph is also a member of CRT.

The movie is available on Amazon Prime, YouTube or Apple TV, and will be the focus of our Zoom conversation on Sunday, April 21 at 7 PM. If you are interested in attending, please let us know at info@centralreformtemple.org so we can ensure you receive the Zoom link.
Central Reform Temple invites you to Second Night Seder

Dear Emmanuel Church friends and family: You are invited to CRT’s Second Night Seder on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at 6:30pm.

Our congregational Seder is open to members, non-members, friends, and family to share concepts of liberty and the Exodus from slavery, as well as delicious traditional Passover foods and rituals.

The donation is $68 per person (free to children under 13). We also provide financial support upon request…no questions asked.  If you wish to attend our in-person Seder, you must RSVP and pay no later than April 8th by clicking here. This is very important since we must let our caterer know by that date. All payments must be made at the time of your reservation, and no money will be accepted at the door.

If you have questions, please contact us at info@centralreformtemple.org.

We've Come This Far XVI

April 9, 2024

“Poets, prophets, and reformers are all picture-makers and this ability is the secret of
their power and of their achievements. They see what ought to be by the reflection of
what is, and endeavor to remove the contradiction.”
--Frederick Douglass (Boston Tremont Temple lecture, 1861)

A remarkable exhibit of materials, inspired by two photograph albums owned by Harriet
Hayden, is now on display at the Boston Athenaeum. Framing Freedom: The Harriet Hayden Albums brings to life the network of abolitionists and activists who participated in the network of assistance for freedom seekers who traveled to Boston from the 1840s onward. The Beacon Hill home of Harriet and Lewis Hayden was called “a temple of refuge” by fellow
abolitionists, including Henry Ingersoll Bowditch. About one-fourth of the freedom
seekers from the South found support and solace there (Bowditch figures in our church
history: he designed the upper west windows in Emmanuel Church).

We also know of a connection that the Haydens had with Emmanuel’s Beecher Stowe family.
Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose daughter Catharine was confirmed at Emmanuel Church
in 1862, visited the Hayden’s home in 1853. Stowe referenced Lewis Hayden’s “real life
stories” in her response to critics of her books. (See “Lewis and Harriet Hayden House")

--Mary Beth Clack, Cindy Coldren, Mary Blocher, Pat Krol, Liz Levin
Joint Leadership Statement
Emmanuel Church and Central Reform Temple

The leadership of Central Reform Temple (CRT) and Emmanuel Church (the Board and the
Vestry) have been engaged in conversations together over the last several weeks about the
horrific events of October 7th and the subsequent war in the Middle East. This has given us the opportunity to express our love, care, and support for one another as covenant partners, and our anguish for the wider human family, as well as consider how we might engage
together at this time.

Our covenant relationship provides a deep foundation for us to talk about our thoughts,
feelings, and concerns about the people of Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, rising anti-
Semitism here in the US and around the world, rising Islamophobia, and the impact on our
communities. These thoughtful conversations have enabled us to examine our values, spiritual disciplines, and what we might consider our religious responsibilities as communities of faith.

To that end, it is our desire to widen the conversation to our whole community about possible
programs, educational courses, volunteer and advocacy opportunities, and the varied ways
that CRT and Emmanuel can work and pray separately and together. We believe that our
criteria for advocacy must be to support those seeking a resolution to this conflict between
peoples, highlighting peacemakers and assisting those bringing humanitarian aid and
sustenance to all who have been affected in the region. This will be how we prioritize our
choices about our learning and action.

Our first program was ‘Music Speaks’ highlighting the work of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, a
combined Israeli and Palestinian choir and their work to build bridges between High School
Youth of conflicted communities which was attended by close to 100 people last week.

We hope that as we begin to post information in our weekly e-newsletters and on the bulletin
board in the lobby, you will find a project, program, course, organization to support, or place
to volunteer that is meaningful to you.

Language Study Weekly
Want to learn or brush up an ancient language? Join one of Emmanuel's Reading Groups. We currently offer

  • Greek Reading Group - Thursdays at 9AM
  • Hebrew Reading Group - Wednesdays at 9AM
  • Latin Reading Group - Fridays at 9AM

Beginners are always welcome. Email Parish Office for the Zoom link.
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Pastoral Care
Do you know someone who is in the hospital, or confined at home? The Care Commission provides pastoral ministry by writing notes, making visits, and more. Pastoral care needs are being coordinated by Deacon Bob Greiner. If you have a need, please contact them.
Recovery Liturgy with Healing Prayers
For all people struggling with or in recovery from any form of addiction, Join us on Zoom on Fridays at 3:30 pm. This service draws from the wisdom of the 12 Step program and the liturgies of the Episcopal Church. Contact Susan Ackley for more information and/or a Zoom invitation.
Land Use Acknowledgement
Emmanuel Church is located on an area once used by the matriarchal Massachusett Tribe for fishing for thousands of years. Read our statement of acknowledgement and what our collective response should be.

Artwork at the top: Artist Unknown

15 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
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