New Year's Eve Annual Evening Prayer Service and Potluck | 5:30 PM | Little Chapel
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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.
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Please note the following Holiday Schedules:
Nursery Care will not be available December 29 and January 5. Nursery care will resume on January 12.
Parish House offices will be closed December 24 - January 1. We will re-open on January 2.
Tuesday Morning Meditation is cancelled for December 31. This meditation group will resume on January 7.
Lectio Divina is cancelled for January 1 and 7. This group will resume on January 15.
Contemplative Communion is cancelled for Wednesday January 1. This service will resume on January 7.
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De-greening the Church | Sunday December 29 | Following the Morning Prayer Service
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Join us on Sunday December 29 after the Morning Prayer service to de-green the church. Many hands make light work and the more people that help, the merrier - a fun way to close the Christmas season!
We are removing greens early this year as we prepare for the scaffolding to be raised inside the sanctuary beginning on Monday December 30, so that the work on the center ceiling can begin.
We hope to see you here!
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The Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, Executive Director of UUUM to Preach | Sunday January 5
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 Join us for the first Sunday of the new year when The Rev. Mary Margaret Earl will preach. at our services.
The Rev. Mary Margaret Earl is Executive Director and Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry. In this ministry, she has worked to strengthen bonds between UUs and the Roxbury neighborhood where the UUUM operates. She is on the Moral Movement Massachusetts leadership team, which works to connect faith leaders with those impacted by poverty.
Prior to the UU Urban Ministry, she spent 10 years at a faith-based nonprofit in Rhode Island serving the homeless community, She is past president of the Board of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, recipient of the Heroes of Faith Award from the Rhode Island State Council of Churches for her interfaith work, and is a longtime vegan committed to standing up for nonhuman animals.
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Conversation with Historian, Former UUA President John Buehrens | Monday, January 6, 6 PM | Little Chapel, 64 Beacon Street
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| The Rev. John Buehrens has just published a new history book about Unitarians in Boston just before the Civil War. He'll speak at our Little Chapel, located at 64 Beacon Street. For those interested, join us for a short Epiphany Service preceding his remarks (5:30 - 6 PM at the Little Chapel). |
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On Sunday December 22, I believe we had our largest turnout to make sandwiches for our homeless neighbors and to attend the c
ommon cathedral service in the unforgiving cold at Brewer Fountain on the Boston Common.
There were many poignant moments as always. Rob, a longtime member of the CC congregation, spoke about how difficult it was this Christmas after having lost his brother earlier this year. At the same time, he privately and publicly offered an optimistic view of listening to lost loved ones for guidance during this season. He asked us to consider how they would want us to feel during the holiday season. "Sidewalk Dennis" followed Rob's thoughts by telling him "You did not lose your brother because I am your brother... I love you... We are all each other's brothers..." Dennis is well known on the Common. He often can be seen doing his sidewalk chalk art at various locations. See the attached picture for his simple artistic statement on Sunday.
My friend Chris ("The Drifter") continues his celebration of being housed after being granted "Section 8" housing in East Boston earlier this year. It is the longest he has been housed. On Sunday, he was especially joyful because he was asked to fill out a form from his landlord indicating his desire to continue at his residence. "Nobody before has ever asked me to stay longer" Rob said. Subsequently, He and I also talked about the Annual Homeless Persons Interfaith Memorial Service on December 21 at the "Church on the Hill." In 2019, 43 homeless people in Boston passed away. A study last year revealed that the death rate for homeless living on the streets of Boston is nearly three times higher than those living in shelters and almost 10 times higher than the general Massachusetts population. There needs to be broader awareness of this and the reasons why some sleep on streets instead of shelters.
~ Gary Riccio
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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.
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Sunday Services
Sunday, December 29
The First Sunday after Christmas
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Morning Light | 9 AM
Rev. Joy Fallon, preaching
- Skip Lewan, piano
- Simon Pilecki, Verger
- (please note, no Church School or Nursery Care this week)
Morning Prayer | 11 AM with The Great Litany
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Heinrich Christensen, Music Director
- Mary Sears, soloist
- Michael Bergeron, Head Usher
- Joan Hunt and Betsy Peterson, Ushers
- Clark Aitkins, Verger
The Readings:
Psalm 148: 10-13
Isaiah 63: 7-9
Matthew 2: 13-22
The flowers on the chancel are given by the Chancel Committee in celebration.
At the communion rail following the service Bill Kuttner will greet those
interested in learning more about King's Chapel.
After the service, please join us for coffee and refreshments in the vestibule, hosted by Carol Kemp.
Each Sunday, 10% of the plate collection will go to our Community Action strategic partners:
common cathedral, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, and the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministries, to do works of mercy, justice, and healing. All cash and checks not specially designated will be considered a plate offering.
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You can listen to David's sermon of December 22
HERE
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On Sunday December 29, soloist Mary Sears will treat you to some of her favorite carols, T
he Holly and the Ivy, Mary's Boy Child, and the
Coventry Carol. Organ voluntaries are based on the Lutheran Christmas chorale
Vom Himmel hoch da komm ich her.
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There is no Tuesday recital on Year's Eve.
Join us back at the church at 12:15 PM on Tuesday January 7 for
Tim Macri, flute
String Quartet
Jan Brandts Buys: Christmas Quintet
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A Note From Tuesday Meditation
This past Tuesday a meditation group consisting of long term KC member Barbra Faye, brand new member Dorie Seavey, Gary Riccio and Stephen Courtney had their last coming together for the decade as we will not meet again until the New Year, January 7th. In this upcoming session, at Barbara's suggestion, we will meditate for a full 30 minutes instead of our normal 20 minute sessions. We look with expectation to how that 30 minutes might effect the rest of our day. How might it effect your day? Open to all.
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Want to know what's
going on at
King's Chapel?
Click
HERE
to view the King's
Chapel Calendar at our website
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Volunteer: Sign up for Hospitality
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Anyone can help!
Enter your email address and select a spot to fill. New volunteers may choose to co-host with a buddy.
Questions? email hospitality@kings-chapel.org
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We are grateful to those who provide for flowers each week, during our Morning Prayer service.
If you would like to give flowers in honor of a loved one, please contact Anne Sexton, chair of our Chancel Committee at
annewsexton1@gmail.com . The cost for an arrangement is $85; a check can be mailed to the Parish House, indicating the date you have chosen and the inscription you would like.
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Contributing to Between Sundays
Our e-newsletter is sent each Thursday afternoon. Want something in Between Sundays? Feel free to email
administrator@kings-chapel.org with a written piece and/or pictures before Wednesday at 5 PM.
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Accessibility Assists
Our beautiful Georgian sanctuary was designed by Peter Harrison and completed in 1754. To make our services and programs more accessible, one of the box pews has been made wheel-chair accessible. Ushers are available to assist those wheelchair users to that pew. Additionally, we have installed an accessible bathroom on our main floor. An usher can direct you to the vestry.
A sound system has been installed in the sanctuary of The Chapel to amplify the sound during worship services. Hearing assistance devices are available for your use. Please see an Usher for assistance.
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