Is Epiphany helping you? It’s designed to be the season we glean insights, epiphanies into who Jesus is, a topic about which people have debated for millennia!

Moreover, at first glance our first two epiphany stories actually seem to obfuscate rather than clarify: the stories of the wise men and Jesus turning water to wine. Are we really supposed to think wise men followed a star thousands of miles to see Jesus, and that Jesus literally turned water into gallons of wine? I side with scholars not wed to literalism, who interpret both as parables, carefully crafted by their authors not to convey facts, but to convey a deep truth.

What might that be? Both may show us courage in the midst of uncertainty, something we all need now.

Perhaps the wise men are called “wise” not because of their astronomy skills, but because they saw an unknown gleam and began a long journey, though they did not know where it would end. Knowing when to begin something in the face of uncertainty takes courage and wisdom..

Likewise, in this week’s tale of Jesus turning water into wine, an event called Jesus’ first miracle or sign, Jesus hadn’t wanted to perform this miracle. When his mother tells him the wedding wine had run out, he replies that it’s not his problem. Because mom disagrees, Jesus defensively adds, “It’s not my time,” as if she were interfering with the script he’d had about when to go public. Apparently he didn’t feel ready.

So the real miracle for me is that Jesus relented, beginning his ministry in a way he didn’t plan or expect, at a time he hadn’t chosen. It’s so easy to say ”not now” or “I’m not ready.” But for Jesus, when a need arose, at the location where he was, Jesus did respond (after some nudging), using the very ordinary water jugs right at hand. For all those gathered, they received from him an abundance beyond their dreams

O God, may we also be courageous amidst our long uncertain time, bravely stepping into what we hear you calling us to do. Be at our side. Amen.

Worship With Us | Sunday, January 16

Morning Light Worship Service | 9:00 AM

Virtual on Zoom only

We'll open up Zoom at 8:50 for greetings, start the service promptly at 9:00, and a short "coffee hour" will follow the service. There will be no in-person Morning Light service today.

Morning Prayer Worship Service | 11:00 AM

For those joining us from home, the live-stream is available on our website homepage and on our YouTube channel.

Read the Reopening Task Force's latest statement for more info.

Monday January 17

Staff will not be working on this day, in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday

Email kentwitt@gmail.com to be sure to receive materials before the first meeting and register here on Zoom to join us.

Register here to get the link to the Zoom meting. Check out the blog for the Environmental Action Initiative here.

This week's Tuesday recital features our good friend Carson Cooman who will play organ works by the British composer Howard Skempton in celebration of his 75th birthday coming up later this year.

Recitals are now live-streamed directly from the Tuesday Recitals page on our website where they then wander down to a playlist where you will be able to catch a past recital if you missed it, but you can also still find them on our YouTube channel if that is your preferred medium. 

Theology on Tap: Reimagining Epiphany

We often think of “epiphany” as a momentary: a moment of personal realization, or a moment when the divine breaks in and reveals itself to us. In our church, we celebrate Epiphany not only as moment, but as a season. As we travel through these weeks of Epiphany, what could it mean for us to imagine Epiphany in ways that build on the traditional stories that we’ve often heard? On Epiphany Sunday, Joy shared some alternatives to the traditional Epiphany story. We’ll reflect on those at this month’s Theology on Tap, and ask how they help us to understand the meaning of Epiphany in our lives—our ordinary, everyday lives—as we begin a new year. I look forward to seeing you there! We continue to meet via Zoom. Register here to join.

Register here to join.

​Advance tickets online $20 (general), $15 (students/seniors)

We highly recommend watching the recent Chorus America 30-minute documentary found here, if you’d like to familiarize yourself a bit more with the amazing career trajectory of Alice Parker as a trailblazing composer, arranger, and conductor. 

Tickets are on sale here - as always, you save $5 by buying tickets in advance. Proof of vaccination required, and masks must be worn at all times in the building. 

Register here to attend.

Please visit our website for more information

In accordance with the City of Boston’s “B Together” initiative, History Program visitors aged 12+ must show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to tour the chapel. Accepted forms of documentation include:

To learn more about this policy, please visit: Introducing B Together | Boston.gov

For the first time in over a year, our beautiful Paul Revere bell did not peal at 11:00 on the 11^th day of the month to call for attention and action to climate crisis. It was just too cold and windy on January 11, so with a promise to resume the ringing on February 11, we stayed at home. Rumor has it that a few hardies (diehards?) rang bells and banged on pots and pans in front of their homes. This rumor has not been verified. But stay tuned next month, and please join us in this vital call to action. Weather willing, we’ll be ringing on February 11. Contact Sylvia Soderberg for more information.

Arts Emerson offers this event based on Afro-futurist Octavia E. Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. Those of us who read her novel as part of an Adult Religious Education Committee program in early 2020 cannot forget it. It’s a powerful story of spiritual growth and of a dystopian America in 2024—envisioned in 1993 with disturbing accuracy. The show is described as genre-defying, with a melange of music styles: “opera” seems to come closest. More information at artsemerson.org.

ARE has reserved tickets for the 2PM matinee on Sunday February 20. If ten people commit to buying tickets, we can get a discount: $63 for $90 seats. For those who cannot manage that price, ARE can help pay. But we need to know soon whether to pursue the group discount or to simply plan for some of us to go to the same performance. Tickets start at $25. If interested, please contact Betsy Peterson, betsytpete@gmail.com by January 15.

With heavy heart, we will say our goodbyes next week to Jennifer Roesch, our Communications Coordinator. Jennifer has been with us for six years, first as an Educator for the History Program, then handling our communications since the start of COVID. Jennifer has brought so much energy and enthusiasm to her work and to our team, learning on the job while teaching us all at the same time; she will be sorely missed. We wish you all the best, Jennifer, as you venture off to new beginnings!

We rejoice with Emanuel Genovese, who celebrated his 80th birthday this past week!

Emanuel has been making art with our church school, joining us with sandwich making, and organizing our Habitat for Humanity builds for many years. Emanuel gives so much to all, we pray that Emanuel took the day to celebrate himself!

Blessings to Emanuel!

To request prayers email Joy (joy@kings-chapel.org) or Cynthia Perkins

(prayerrequest@kings-chapel.org)