Nov. 14. Craig Smith, our music director and founder of Emmanuel Music, died. Richard Dyer wrote an obituary for Emmanuel Music.
Piano-collector Hu Youyi purchased our Casavant organ and shipped it to the Organ Art Center on Gulangyu Island, Fujian Province, China, where it was restored by Rieger Orgelbau and installed in a concert hall (above) in 2017. See also the record for Opus 700 in the Pipe Organ Database.
Second Sunday of Advent (A), December 8, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
O God, hope of the prophets, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
It’s the second Sunday of Advent, and once again (in the Church, anyway) we have to go by John the Baptist in order to get to the baby Jesus. I don’t know about you, but whenever I encounter John the Baptist, in scripture or in people that remind me of him in day-to-day life, I have a strong urge to steer clear. It’s not that I disagree with John the Baptist’s message; it’s just hard for me to look at him and hard to listen to him, especially when he starts his blistering critiques of well-meaning religious teachers and priests (which is what Pharisees and Sadducees were). I feel inclined to respond, “Look, come back and talk to me when you’ve calmed down and you’ve had a good meal and a shower.” But John the Baptist never calms down. And I don’t want to look him in the eyes any more than I want to look people in the eyes who are rough and wild and eating whatever they can find out of garbage cans in the wilderness of places like the Back Bay. I don’t want to listen to John the Baptist any more than I want to listen to the angry rants about injustice from a disgruntled resident of the women’s shelter downstairs or anyone else, for that matter. Continue reading
31 May. Our 12th rector, The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz, was ordained to the priesthood in our diocese by The Rt. Rev. Thomas M. Shaw, SSJE. Having graduated from the Episcopal Divinity School, she was sponsored for ordination by Christ Church, Cambridge, whose rector The Rev. Robert Tobin was her mentor.
Roof and other post-fire repairs began.
Dec. Under the editorship of Nelina Bachman Emmanuel News was published with its new name, Voices.
Stephen Babcock welcomed congregants to our sanctuary for more than twenty years.
Then following The Rev. Hugh Weaver’s suggestion, he began to serve as usher and welcome congregants on Sundays. His ministry was to last more than two decades, until the Covid pandemic put an end to it. Standing outside what we now call the Babcock Doors in all seasons, he greeted each parishioner by name and helped newcomers find their way. His smile and kindliness will be remembered by all who have been privileged to know him.
The Rev. Dr. Deborah Little 
Wyman, who was sponsored by Emmanuel, was ordained to the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. Barbara Harris, the Episcopal Church’s first woman bishop. She describes her “Journey to Street Priesthood” on common cathedral’s website. See also 1996.
Christ the King, Proper 29C, November 24, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
Merciful and generous God, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
There are days when I am tempted to depart from preaching the lectionary – and this is one of those days. There’s a lot going on this morning. Today is the Feast of the Reign of Christ – or Christ the King Sunday. This is the last Sunday in the church year – the completion of our lectionary cycle of Bible readings – our version of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah!1 Our new liturgical year begins next week. Also, it’s almost Thanksgiving and just past the somber 50th anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. We are celebrating the baptism of Connor Christopher Carmine today, welcoming him into the household of faith at Emmanuel Church. And it’s pledge stewardship Sunday – a day on which we give thanks to God for this parish’s important witness in the world, and pledge our financial commitment to do all in our power to keep the ministries and ministers of this place going – or better, growing — for another year! Quite a casserole! And those are just the things I know about. I’m sure there’s more going on with you all. (That’s just how life is, isn’t it?) Continue reading
John Harbison; photo credit: Julian Bullitt
John Harbison dedicated to our benefactor Priscilla Rawson Young his memorable setting of 1 Corinthians 11:23-5 as “Communion Words“, which we sing with his other service music in Lent.
James Primosch composed “Meditation for Candlemas”, first of several motets based on the poetry of Denise Levertov, who attended Emmanuel in the 1980s. It was sung in our service on Feb. 1, 2015. Here is the text of “Candlemas” from her collection Breathing the Water (NY: New Directions, 1987). Continue reading
Proper 28C, November 17, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
O God of our testimony, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
Our collect for the day is my all-time favorite. “Blessed Lord who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them.” Eat this scroll – as the story goes in Ezekiel. This is holy scripture – eat up! Inwardly digest it. Except, I have to say, apocalyptic Biblical literature, can be hard to swallow for many progressive Christians, and that is what is on our plates in today’s Gospel lesson from Luke.
Biblical scholars are in wide agreement that these passages, written as a prediction, describe what had already happened to the followers of the Rabbi from Nazareth. By the time Luke was written near the end of the first century, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Roman army in the year 70. Nations were rising against nations, and utter chaos and devastation were being experienced by those who claimed Jesus as Lord. Was Jesus able to predict this future? Just as sure as he was able to quote Isaiah and 2 Chronicles that predicted the same thing. Continue reading