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Spotlight On: Black Lives Matter
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King's Chapel stands in solidarity with black people throughout the U.S. who are struggling with the pain of yet another unconscionable and needless taking of a black person's life. We acknowledge the brutal killing of George Floyd last week, and the recent deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and other black Americans as a manifestation of the anti-blackness that continues to plague our country. Our minister David Waters witnessed to this pain as part of the Interfaith Day of Mourning and Lament on Monday. See the moving video here. Read our full statement here.
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My Dear Friends-
This week we mourn the loss of over 100,000 lives to COVID-19 even as we lament the black lives taken by brutal, systemic racism. We struggle with our anger and our grief even as we search for ways to make meaning from this moment. We struggle in a time when the red of Pentecost might remind us of martyrdom as much as the movement of the Holy Spirit. It is in the context this time that we approach the Sunday when we honor our partnership with First Unitarian Church of Kolozvár. Our hearts are heavy with the loss of life here at home, we turn to our partners in Kolozvár, Transylvania, and commemorate the martyrdom of the minister-scholar Rev. Dr. Imre Gellérd-himself a victim of state persecution.
As we move from the fervor of Pentecost into the long stretch of the church's Ordinary Time, we're reminded of our call to translate the inspiration of the Spirit into the long, arduous work for peace and justice. We take up our tools and embark on that work, even as we say the names and tell the stories of those taken from us.
In faith and love,
David
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From the Lay Preacher on Partner Church Sunday
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On landing in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2006, it felt as if something exceptional was about to happen as we drove into the city past blocks of bland concrete apartment buildings on broad boulevards constructed by the communists and suddenly arrived in the old town of narrow streets, medieval buildings, charming plazas, and baroque churches. The minister of the
Biserica Unitariană
of Kolozsvár (the Hungarian name of the church and town), the Reverend Ferenc Bálint Benczédi, welcomed us. The next day we met Judit Gellérd, a prominent medical doctor in Budapest, graduate of theological studies in Boston, and accomplished violinist who had written a book about her father, the minister-scholar and martyr Rev. Dr. Imre Gellérd, entitled Prisoner of Liberté. She gave us a copy of the book, and the minister gave us a copy of her other book, A History of Transylvanian Unitarianism through Four Centuries of Sermons, the result of a daughter's twenty-year effort to bring her father's manuscripts into print. We met parishioners, saw historic sites, and discovered the birthplace of Unitarianism. Back in Boston as senior warden at King's Chapel, I remembered Carl Scovel taking an earlier trip to Transylvania and sharing the transformational experience, then preaching on the powerful achievement of the Unitarian founder, Ferenc Dávid, who persuaded King John II Sigismund Zápolya at the Diet of Torda to issue the Edict of Religious Toleration in 1586. With the help of Earl Holt, our minister, we organized a Partner Church Committee in 2007 with Peter Coccoluto as chair, and the relationship was re-established with First Unitarian Church of Kolozsvár, now approaching its centennial anniversary. On Transylvania Sunday at King's Chapel, June 7, the life and legacy of Imre Gellérd will be the story of our lay sermon: "The Martyr of Transylvania Who Sold Everything for Hidden Treasure."
-- Denton Crews
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Join the King's Chapel Zoom"Block Party" | Friday June 5, 5-6 PM
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Conversations with ..... The First Women of Yale College | Monday June 8, 6 PM | Zoom
For those unable to attend, the Conversation will be recorded. Email gretchen@kings-chapel.org after June 10 for a copy of the recording.
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The Art of Mourning Jewelry: Special History Event with Metalsmith and Collector Sarah Nehama |
June 8, 6 PM | Co-hosted by the King's Chapel History Program and Mount Auburn Cemetery | Zoom
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Weekly Bible Study Wednesdays 6:15 PM
| Zoom
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Coffee with the Clergy |Weekly on Thursdays 10-11 AM | Zoom
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Conversation with the
Educators: Critically
Examining Our
History | Thursday
June 11, noon |
Zoom
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Pride Weekend June 12-14th
Starting June 5th, King's Chapel will once again join Boston Pride to show support of the LGBTQ community! There may not be a parade this year, but there are other ways to celebrate!
Boston Pride encourages everyone to show their Pride by decorating their windows, doors, porches, yards, cars, neighborhoods, and (especially) their pets for traditional Pride weekend, June 12-14. Share photos of yourself, friends, family, and/or household wearing your Pride outfits and displaying your Pride decorations. This also happens to be the same weekend we celebrate King's Chapel's 334th birthday- so while you're at it, feel free to wish KC a happy birthday in a video or hold up a happy birthday sign in your photos too. We'll use these photos or videos in our Sunday Morning Prayer video worship on June 14th. Tag @bostonpride in your Instagram stories and use the hashtags #KCproud and #wickedproud on Facebook and Twitter! And please e-mail your photos to laura@kings-chapel.org so we can include you in the beautiful King's Chapel Pride collage!
Then, join us at the Zoom Block Party on Friday, June 12th, where we will celebrate Pride week in the best King's Chapel style!
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King's Chapel 334 Birthday | Sunday June 14 | Join Us
Join our services on June 14 and
celebrate King's Chapel's 334th birthday! Take a photo or video of yourself holding a sign and wishing KC a happy birthday. Send to laura@kings-chapel.org, and we will use these photos or videos in our Sunday Morning Prayer video worship on June 14th.
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Theology on Tap | Wednesday June 17 | 6 PM | Zoom
Join us on Wednesday, June 17, for the re-launch of Theology on Tap! The topic: "Where is the Holy Spirit in the Current Crisis?" Email
laura@kings-chapel.org for login access.
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Organ Recital | Wednesday June 17, 7:30 PM | Livestreamed
Since it has become so very complicated to throw a proper birthday party, this year Heinrich has elected to play an organ recital instead. This grand event will be live-streamed from the Methuen Memorial Music Hall
, the home of the great organ that once stood in the Boston Music Hall just down the street from King's Chapel. You can listen on YouTube
- the live event begins on Wednesday June 17 at 7:30 pm. For your convenience, the good people of Methuen leave the recording of the recital up on their YouTube channel after the live event, so if you are busy that night on Zoom with Theology on Tap, or 7:30 is just past your bedtime, you can watch (and fast forward through the boring bits!) anytime after the show.
Heinrich will play Dudley Buck's
Variations on The Last Rose of Summer (a bit early perhaps, but it's such a pretty tune), Gershwin's
Rhapsody in Blue, and Vierne's
Third Symphony.
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Update from the Wardens and Vestry
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The inaugural meeting of the newly constituted Vestry held this week provided an opportunity for reflection and engagement, beginning with a moving tribute on the Day of Mourning and Lament provided by our Minister of Education and Membership, continuing with an invitation for participants to share their personal sense of connection with the church and concluding with an invitation to consider the opportunities ahead as we move into a post-pandemic society, building on the innovations that have served us well these last few months even as we look forward to a return to the traditions that we know and love.
Augmented with reports from the Minister on worship, the Treasurer on the budget, and the Wardens on our collective COVID response, the meeting concluded with an invitation to gather in the early fall to chart our course forward together.
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From our Community Action Committee
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The Louise D. Brown Peace Institute Still Needs Our Help
The Louis D Brown Peace Institute is on the final stretch to reach their goal of $400,000, with only $44,845 to go! If you have not yet had the chance to contribute, or would like to make an additional gift, there is still time. Father's Day is June 21; this would be a wonderful gift to give in honor of a father. You can donate by going to the King's Chapel Team site here.
As Amanda Pickett, our CAC Chair has said: "the Peace Institute has not yet met their goal and, because they are our partner,
their goal is
our goal.
Their work of justice and healing is
our work of justice and healing." Let's do what we can to support this work.
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Dear King's Chapel volunteers and friends of Greater Boston Habitat for Humanity (HFH),
Under different circumstances I would be calling and passing out fliers for our summer build which had already been scheduled for June 20 2020. As you may already have guessed it has been cancelled with other builds in greater Boston area.
l would like to ask that we keep our pledge financially to donate $40.00 per volunteer or whatever you can afford. The Community Action Committee, will round out the amount given to $750.00, as due by each team. If you can give more, it is deeply appreciated.
Please make your check/donation out to
King's Chapel with "HFHGB" on the memo line. Our donations will be compiled to HFH as a single donation.
I will miss the camaraderie and great spirit you all bring to the builds.
Thank you one and all and
God bless and hold us all in this period of transition.
Emanuel Genovese
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Pentecost Sunday
Last week we celebrated Pentecost by donning red attire for our Coffee w/the Clergy and Block Party Zoom gatherings, and on Sunday our members gave us a beautiful multilingual reading of the descent of the Holy Spirit from the Acts of the Apostles!
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"We Rejoice with Those Who Rejoice, and Weep with Those Who Weep"
~ Romans 12:15
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 We rejoice with our Minister of Education and Membership, David Waters, as he celebrates his graduation last week from Harvard Divinity School. We are grateful
that, in his searching, he found us and is here with us.
Congratulations, David!
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Sunday Services | Partner Church Sunday with Holy Communion
Morning Light 9 AM via Zoom
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Skip Lewan, piano
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| Morning Prayer 11 AM via YouTube |
- The Rev. Joy Fallon, Senior Minister
- David Waters, Minister for Education and Membership
- Heinrich Christensen, Music Director
- Denton Crews, Guest Preacher
- Sudeep Agarwala and Jennifer Webb, soloists
- Louise Perkins, Tim Nelson-Hoy, lectors
Readings:
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Did you miss last week's sermon or want to hear it again? Listen
HERE
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Again this week as we go to press, technical and engineering questions regarding the musical selections for this Sunday's service are still being ironed out - obviously, we want to keep things fresh for you!
What can be said with some degree of certainty is that the music will reflect our combined efforts of serving Transylvanian Communion, along with reflections on our current political situation. These two aspects will be represented musically by the hymns
Find a Stillness and
Once To Every Soul and Nation. You simply must tune in on Sunday to see and hear what happens!
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Staying Connected
with King's Chapel
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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.
Ways in which you can reach us are:
Worship
Prayer Connection
For those in need of a prayer, or a virtual pastoral call, please reach out to Joy
at 617-227-2155 x109 or email
joy@kings-chapel.org
, or you can reach David at 617-227-2155 x 105 or email
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Contemplative Communion Service
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I
f you have been yearning for the quiet, intimate candlelit service of Wednesday nights, you can find the video HERE
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The campaign is getting closer to the goal of $206,000 thanks to the generosity of our members and friends. The need, though, continues far past the goal. With other revenue sources discontinued due to the pandemic, and expenses continuing as we keep keep the lights on and the staff busy, we pray that you will help us meet our needs and donate today. You can
donate online, or by mailing a check to the parish house. Thank you!
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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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While we do not gather weekly for worship, we continue to offer you this newsletter, virtual services, and more. Bringing online content to you comes at a cost, and we no longer have the collection plate to pass each Sunday.
Additionally,
10% of the plate collection is designated for our Community Action partners.
Please consider a weekly donation to the plate, and donate
HERE.
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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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