The first word that comes to mind when I think about Emmanuel is open-heartedness. It’s clear from the moment you enter the door that all are welcome here, no questions asked, no conformity to one doctrine, one church tradition, one brand of spirituality required. Yes, of course, it’s a Christian institution. But there’s no requirement to comply with a physical attitude – or for that matter, a spiritual attitude – to feel comfortable here. Kneel or stand at the communion rail, if in fact you take communion at all. Pass the peace to those around you, whether it’s the peace of Christ or simply an expression of good will from one person to another. It’s more than possible at Emmanuel to simply revel in the company of the like-minded – or maybe not-so-like-minded – people around you. Drink in the music, which is what got me here in the first place. Continue reading
Author Archives: Elizabeth Richardson
Grateful Former Wardens
About 25 years ago we spotted a headline on the front page of the Boston Globe stating, “Historic church in Back Bay is about to close and become a concert hall”. We greeted this semi-accurate and hyperbolic announcement with great joy! It prompted us to investigate and soon to embrace Emmanuel as our church home.
Otherwise
I appreciate the opportunity to share some thoughts on my gratitude for what Emmanuel Church has been for me.
Shortly before her death in 1995, the American poet Jane Kenyon wrote a poem entitled “Otherwise”. Very ill at the time and keenly aware of her imminent passing, Kenyon names with gratitude the simple pleasures of her day, concluding each gratitude with the phrase “it might be otherwise”, until the short poem concludes with “one day, I know it will be otherwise”.
2020 Videos about Giving Time & Talent
Because of the pandemic these “pulpit pitches” were recorded for our YouTube channel. Thanks to Christopher Connors, Nancy Coppelman, Carolyn Beard, and Michael Vimont for their testimonials and witness to our ministry.
Leaving without Saying Goodbye
This week at common art the unexpected departure of one of our beloved community members was announced. We were told that he had found a job and had just moved to start it. It was his wish to leave without telling many people and to leave no contact information. While I have only been at the program now for two months, I felt this loss greatly. He had worked as our barista, our food liaison, if you will. He served the community coffee and meals with a smile and could often be heard laughing.
Pulling in New Participants
This week went smoothly. Monday at the prison, I chose to have the women attending Art & Spirituality share a word they felt drawn to. I spent the evening writing them in script. I am thinking that I may add more words over time to build some kind of collage of them. I think it would be nice to set it up each week for the women to see, especially as it grows with more words.
A Rainbow of People
This week started off really well with my Monday group at the prison. For the opening I suggested the group share a color that we could feel connected to that day. It was an unusually small group, and so, before everyone shared their colors, I had an idea. I wrote down each color mentioned and then, as I sat with the women chatting, I colored a piece of paper in a gradient of the colors and cut it into strips to make little bookmarks. Before making the gradient, I had found each color and then laid them out in an order that looked nice. While doing this and chatting with the women, I made sure to notice their process and reflect it back to them. The two women mentioned that this time was very calming and quiet for them and that just being there felt therapeutic.
Engaging Participants
This week at Boston Warm was slower. Everyone seemed a little tired and unmotivated, which made it difficult to get them to feel engaged. On Monday, however, at the Suffolk House of Corrections program on art and spirituality, I had some positive interactions that gave me a glimpse of the small ways I could be a positive presence at my sites. Continue reading
The Healing Power of Art
We welcome Marielle Carpentier, our art-therapy intern from Leslie University, who will post about her experiences with common art in the coming year. She writes about her first day here, September 29.
This week I had the great opportunity to lead a table at common art in doing collage. One major attraction of the day was painting pumpkins, which was also a great success. I was worried that the excitement of the pumpkins would mean that I wouldn’t be working with many people, but was happily surprised by how many people joined me. A big part of the success was thanks to artist-in-residence, Allie, for sourcing great magazines and stamps. Often with collage, interest and success can come down to what kind of images are available. I found a big reason the collage table was successful was because people could find images that they could relate to or that inspired them. Once these images are found, the excitement to create something with them begins. I found it interesting to see what inspired each person who came to my table. Some were excited by the detailed stamps, some the images of nature, and some the words in the newspapers. Even with the exciting (and very successful) pumpkin painting, I was so happy to have many people interested in engaging in collage.
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye is never easy to do, yet it is something that I have been preparing for over the course of the semester as I knew my time at common art would be ending. It was time to begin bringing closure in these meaningful connections that have blossomed over the last nine months. It feels as though I have been coming to common art both for years and for only days. There has been a comforting familiarity walking in and being greeted at common art by community members eager to get started. On the other hand, each week has been full of surprises as I consistently learned new things.