Author Archives: Elizabeth Richardson

2007

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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 sanctuary’s 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.

We joined with Boston Jewish Spirit to form a programmatic partnership called the Emmanuel Center in order to promote mutual engagement of our congregations and interfaith initiatives in Boston.

 

 

 

Inside out

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Second Sunday of Advent (A), December 8, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

Isaiah 11:1-10 And with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. (That’s some powerful bad breath bad breath!)
Romans 15:4-13 On behalf of the truth of God.
Matthew 3:1-12 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

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 →

2002

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May 30. The Rev. Suzanne Radley  Hiatt, whose memorial statue stands on our pulpit, died.  See our discussion of her appreciation for Pauli Murray.

Under Rector Wm. Blaine-Wallace, Betsy Bunn served as Sr. Warden, Allen Thompson as Jr. Warden, and Bill White as Clerk of the Vestry.  They hired Elaine Construction to begin restoration of the nave, sacristry, and other parts of our building damaged by fire.

Betsy Bunn, Sr. Warden 2001-2003

1999

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1997

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  • The Rev. William Blaine-Wallace met Rabbi Howard A. Berman and began working together as the struggle for marriage equality began to unfold in Massachusetts.
  • Ryan Turner joined the chorus of Emmanuel Music as a tenor.
  • Having arrived in our parish in the early 1970s, Stephen Babcock served on our vestry for two years under the Rev. William Blaine Wallace. 

    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.

 

Love can’t wait.

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Christ the King, Proper 29C, November 24, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

Jeremiah 23:1-6 Alas shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!
Colossians 1:11-20 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power.
Luke 23:33-43 Save yourself.

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 →

1994

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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 →