Between Sundays

Keeping the Parish Community Connected

Thursday, December 1, 2022

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Worship With Us | Sunday, December 4

Scripture Readings: Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19

           First Lesson: Isaiah 11: 1-10 Second Lesson: Matthew 3: 1-12

Morning Light with Communion

Worship 9:00 AM

In person at 64 Beacon Street and on Zoom at 9:00 AM.

Doors open at 8:45.

Morning Prayer with Communion

Worship 11:00 AM

In-person at 58 Tremont St. and live-streamed.

Doors open at 10:30.

From the Minister

If you want to gently and quietly prepare for Christmas, join the Advent retreat on Saturday Dec. 10 at the parish house. But don’t expect that on Sunday, when we instead must endure a scruffy John the Baptist haranguing anyone content with their religious life. “Be transformed,” he shouts; “change your hearts and lives!” But truthfully, doesn’t that have some appeal in this world of ours? It’s also the story of Scrooge, who gets an unpleasant wake up call from the Spirits of Christmas past, present and future, and is transformed. For Scrooge, Being transformed requires a massive shift away from himself and towards others, a change in how he spends his money and uses his time. And the change brings him deep joy, a re-birth for an old man. It’s possible for all of us this season. That’s the power of Advent. Come, taste and see. 

From the Bench

We open this Sunday with Bach's famous Wachet auf, reminding us to stay alert while we wait through the Advent season. Mindy Hinkel will make a triumphant return from the RV parklands of the wild wild west and sing her favorite Messiah aria O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings. The tenors are having a week off, so the remaining choir members will sing some fun SAB rep; Dan Pinkham's Hosanna, Kodaly's Veni Emmanuel, and a fresh Advent Agnus, written especially for the occasion by the tireless music director.

History Hours and Historical Greening

The History Program’s winter open hours are Fridays and Saturdays, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Bell & Bones guided tours start on the hour, and Express Crypt guided tours on the half-hour. 

Interesting history books and King’s Chapel tee shirts make good gifts!

In honor of this weekend’s Chapel Greening, some Greening History:

In Anglican churches, greening pre-dates the Christmas tree by many centuries. Greening’s roots are actually pre-Christian: people from many cultures, eras, and faiths have brought evergreens indoors (especially plants that bear winter fruit) to raise their spirits through the cold months. For churches, these greens naturally symbolize the promises of birth and eternal life at Christmas. In England, greening plants included, of course, holly and ivy, but also mistletoe, bay, yew, rosemary, and various pines. Many of these are New England decorating favorites as well!

(Thanks to janeaustensworld.com)

Advent at King's Chapel

Advent Book Group

Mondays in Advent 6:00 PM



Join us at 6:00 PM on the Mondays in Advent for the Advent Book Group! Meeting in-person and via Zoom in the Parish House, we’ll read What’s Left of the Night?, an Advent devotional exploring the idea that “darkness harbors much more life and renewal than many may presume.” Come explore light in the darkness with us this Advent!

Download a PDF of the devotional here, and register with Laura here.

Annual Greening of King's Chapel

December 3, 10:15 AM

The greening of our beloved sanctuary takes place on Saturday, December 3rd. Help is needed to hang wreaths and lengths of greens from the upstairs balcony, and greens on the outside railings. A wonderful opportunity to celebrate as we prepare the church for the Advent and Christmas season!

Volunteers are asked to be at the church by 10:15 AM. We hope to finish the project by 1:00 PM at the latest. The more hands the merrier!



For further information please contact Anne Sexton 781-383-9028 or text 339-236-0002. annewsexton1@gmail.com

Advent Crafts

December 4, 10:00 AM



Come join us this Sunday, December 4, at 10:00 AM in the Parish House, following Morning Light, for Advent Crafts! We’ll make Advent wreaths, decorate cookies, make Christmas ornaments, create Christmas cards, and more! 

Contact Laura to join: laura@kings-chapel.org

Advent Quiet Retreat: Saturday, December 10, 10:00 AM-3:00 PM at the Parish House, led by Rev. Fallon

Already Starbucks has Christmas-themed paper cups, and the hectic season is upon us in full swing. But you might yearn this year for another side of Christmas: time to pause and quietly consider what the story might mean for you right now. The day will include a short time together in the Little Chapel, lunch together, times of individual contemplation throughout the parish house, and if desired, times of discussion together.

Make the day your own, as you need. The Rev. Joy Fallon will provide materials for your use, the church will provide lunch, and the cost is free. Please register in advance with Laura so we know how many may join us. laura@kings-chapel.org

Blue Christmas Service

Wednesday December 14, 6:00 PM at King's Chapel

Each year King’s Chapel offers a “Blue Christmas” service for any of us for whom this Christmas season finds us “blue.” To be saddened or grieving at any time is hard; when everyone else around you seems to be celebrating, we feel especially lonely. Please join us for this quiet, candlelight service. All are welcome.

This service will be in person and will be livestreamed from our website.

Mark your Calendars!

December 18: Milk Punch luncheon 12:15 PM

December 20: Half Hour Messiah 12:15 PM

Christmas Services:

December 24: Family Pageant 5:00 PM

December 24: Lessons and Carols 8:00 PM

December 25: Christmas Day Service 11:00 AM

Stewardship Campaign 2022

There is so much for us to be thankful for at King's Chapel--including your generous support of the church through Stewardship! We are in our last month of the campaign and are falling short of our goal. We hope that those of you who have not yet given will now do so, and if you have already given we pray that you will support our work and give more. Blessings abound when we put our faith into action.

Looking Back

Environmental Action Initiative Conversations

On November 2, the Environmental Action Initiative hosted the second Conversation with Scott Budde on the topic of Investing and the Environment. If you are invested in the stock market and you care about how those investments might or might not be fueling the climate crisis, we recommend viewing the recording of the talk as well as the speaker slides. Scott was particularly informative on strategies for influencing company's environmental impacts through shareholder activism. A direct link to the YouTube recording is here.

Masterful Counterpoint

On Sunday, November 27, our remarkable Music Director Heinrich Christensen created and delivered the splendid solo concert “Counterpoint,” Bach organ pieces paired with works by modern composers: Florence Price and Alexander Shaverzashvili (20th c.), and local contemporaries James Woodman and Larry Thomas Bell. Despite the holiday weekend and a cold rain, we were pleased to welcome a sizable and enthusiastic audience, including composer Larry Bell. Heinrich’s dazzling gifts and versatility were on display throughout, particularly in the concluding Bach Prelude & Fugue in e minor.

Please mark your calendar now for our next concert: Sunday, January 22, 2023, at 5 p.m. We’ll begin celebration of the Pinkham Centennial, honoring Heinrich’s predecessor at KC and prolific composer, Daniel Pinkham. The program will pair Pinkham compositions with work by well-known local composers Graham Gordon Ramsay and Carson Cooman.

Tuesday Recital

December 6, 12:15 PM at King's Chapel

Tuesday Recitals for the month of December are wall-to-wall holiday music!

We open this week with the seasonal visit from Hiroaki Honshuku and his merry elves in the A-No-Ne Trio, playing Hiro's groovy arrangements of Christmas favorites.

Virtual Bible Study

Wednesdays, 6:15 PM on Zoom

Join us for our weekly lectionary-based Bible study, beginning at 6:15 PM. Contact Tim to register.

Weekly Thursday Coffee

Thursdays, 10:00 AM on Zoom

Bring your cup of coffee or tea and join other King's Chapel folks for an informal conversation by Zoom every Thursday morning. Drop in for any part of the hour. Register here to join.

"We Weep With Those Who Weep,

And Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice"

~Romans 12:15

We mourn with Cliff Allen the death of his brother Clark. Cliff's unstinting care of his brother for the last years, as his brother endured a stem cell transplant and recovery, is inspiring for all who know them. Daily they conversed and texted, sharing each others’ lives fully. We give thanks for their mutual love and support, a glimpse here on earth of the unconditional love in which Clark is now held in heaven.

The King's Chapel Prayer Circle is a group of individuals including our ministers, who offer prayers for any who request it, and always in complete confidence. The group is facilitated by Cynthia Perkins. To request prayers please contact Joy (joy@kings-chapel.org) or Cynthia (prayerrequest@kings-chapel.org).