Tag Archives: language

Godsend

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Pentecost C, June 8, 2025.  The Very Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

  • Genesis 11:1-9. And from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.
  • Acts 2:1-21. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.
  • John 14:8-17. This is the Spirit of truth…[who] will be among you.

O God of our glorious diversity, 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.

A couple of Friday evenings ago, I had the honor and delight to preach at Central Reform Temple’s Shabbat service. I preached about how the Jewish and Christian liturgical calendars are so similar (like cousins) when it comes to the observances of Passover and Easter and the 50th day after each, which is the celebration of Pentecost (or in Hebrew, Shavuot). After the service I was having a conversation with one of the members of the Temple, who was asking me about the Christian story of Pentecost. I said that the traditional teaching for Christians is that the story in Act 2 is understood to be a reversal of what happened at the Tower of Babel. We heard the two stories a few minutes ago, about how the Holy One confused (or mixed or mingled) the language of the ancient Hebrew people, but on the 50th day after the resurrection brought people of all languages together to unite them. Continue reading →

2023

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1 Feb.  The US Mint announced that The Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray and four other women will be honored on quarters next year as part of its American Women Quarters series, celebrating the contributions of women to American history.

Peter & Margaret Johnson

5 Feb. At our annual meeting, Peter Johnson and Elizabeth Richardson retired from our vestry. He or his wife Margaret had served continuously since 1985, and Elizabeth for twenty. Peter was senior warden for two rectors:  William Blaine-Wallace and Pamela Werntz.  He was project manager for renovations of our back wall (see image above) and facade.  While becoming a Master Gardener in 2018, he assumed responsibility for our garden and continues to serve on our Building Commission.  Elizabeth, who served as a vestry member, clerk of the vestry, and junior warden, continues to serve on our Communications Commission and History & Archives Commission.

9 July.We celebrated the feast of our own saint, Pauli Murray.  Our rector preached about Murray’s ordination and significance for The Episcopal Church and justice in the United States. Murray’s niece Rosita Stevens-Holsey spoke after the service and signed copies of her book Pauli Murray: The Life of a Pioneering Feminist and Civil Rights Activist.  A statue of Murray sculpted by Artist-in-Residence Ted Southwick was installed in a niche on our Sanctuary pulpit.

July 30.  Clerk of the Vestry Mary Beth Clack, Cindy Coldren, and Pat Krol reported on a Chapel Camp session devoted to repairing the breach of racial injustice in what became the  blog of their Racial Justice Working Group, We’ve Come This Far by Faith.

September. The Rev. Dr. Martha Tucker joined us as Interim Priest while our rector began her 3-month sabbatical.

The late Walter Jonas chatted with his friend Philip Henry weekly in our Parish Hall.

Nov. 10.  Walter Jonas, chair of our Care Commission, died at the age of eighty.  After earning a masters degree from Harvard Divinity School (HDS), he had been ordained a Unitarian Universalist (UU) minister and served two churches. He came here for our music and stayed to become a beloved parishioner.  During the Covid pandemic he was a founding advocate for the Emmanuel Center’s  Zoom groups for studying biblical languages.  He joined its Latin group, which was led by the Rev. Susan Ackley and her son Andy Cabell, with the help of another masters student at HDS, Carolyn Beard. He brought its current leader Peter Bonis, whom he knew at the First Church (UU).

December 1. On Rosemary Harbison‘s birthday we celebrated John Harbison’s 85th birthday (Dec. 20) with dinner and music in the Parish Hall.

Demanding & Exhilarating

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Lent 4A, March 26, 2017; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz

1 Samuel 16:1-13 But the LORD looks on the heart.
Ephesians 5:8-14 Live as children of light.
John 9:1-13, 28-38 So that God’s works might be revealed in him, we must work the works of [the One] who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work.

O God of our vision, 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.

Today is an anniversary of sorts. Nine years ago, on the Fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare Sunday, aka Mothering Sunday), I began my service to Emmanuel Church as your priest with these readings from the lectionary. I brought a basket of red pencils with me that first morning for Steve Babcock, our trusty head usher, to hand out with the bulletins. His eyebrows went up just a little bit when I handed him the basket, but he was a great sport about the odd request. (It was the first of many.) I had collected the red pencils from art supplies from my prison ministry program, raided my kids’ colored pencil sets, and I probably bought two boxes or so. I’m so happy to report that nine years later, that I would need more than twice the number of pencils that we used in 2008 and I did not have the time on my hands to collect the additional pencils needed this week!
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1986

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  • Our vestry adopted a resolution on inclusive language and welcomed changes in the language of liturgy and hymns.

  • Constance Hammond helping Gabriela Perez get a haircut, 1983. Photo credit: Michael Thompson & Hillsboro (OR) Argus

    Ordained as a deacon in our diocese,The Rev. Constance Hammond launched its Refugee Immigration Ministry, which continues to provide community-based support to individuals and families who have been uprooted by violence. In the summer of 1983, between semesters at Harvard Divinity School, she had worked with people in the Latino community in Portland, Oregon. We are proud to have sponsored her for the priesthood.

  • 19 August. Constance Rulison Worcester, daughter of our 4th rector, Elwood Worcester, died.  She had converted his rectory at 186 Marlborough St. to affordable housing for seniors. Bequeathed to an organization overseen by the Episcopal City Mission, it still provides affordable housing.

See also 1978.