Author Archives: Elizabeth Richardson

2023

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Peter & Margaret Johnson

 

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.

5 Feb. At our annual meeting, Peter Johnson and Elizabeth Richardson retired from our vestry.  He (or his wife Margaret) had served almost continuously since 1985.

Peter was senior warden for two rectors:  William Blaine-Wallace and Pamela Wertnz.  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 had served almost continuously since 2003 as a vestry member, clerk of the vestry, or junior warden.  She 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.

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

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

If you were a clock, what time would you show? 

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“Saying goodbye is not easy.” resonated in my head this week. Monday (1/9) was my last day after nine weeks at the Suffolk County House of Correction for the Art and Spirituality Program. When leading the opening group check-in, I asked participants: “If you were a clock, what time would you be now?” Some people said they were in the morning; some people said they were in the afternoon. What spoke to me was that some people said they were at 12 o’clock midnight, which means it is an end but also a start of something new. I related to their words deeply. Indeed, without goodbyes, we would not be able to have a new beginning. The ending of something can also be a new start for people who are looking for a change.

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Happy Holidays

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Last Friday at Boston Warm, we had a party: there were red-clothed tables, a community-decorated Christmas tree, a Christmas movie, hand-decorated cookies, all of it. It was such a joyful and relaxing moment as a community. As always, my favorite moment was our Uno game (shout out to Junior for winning four games in a row)! I’ve often found that when we play Uno, the game brings us together, and there is tangible relaxation in the atmosphere. We can all focus on flexing our skills. Overshadowed by fun and friendly competition, our differences are minimized. This focus on play is also part of what makes drama therapy effective.

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Creativity in Our Parish Hall

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I was back in several groups this week. Specifically, on Thursday at Cafe Emmanuel, we had a musical performance during our lunch meal. It was a pleasure to have students in Boston Conservatory play for everyone. The combination of music, art, meal, coffee, and company was deeply satisfying. When the sunlight got through the room and the stage by the beautiful window, I also noticed people following the tempo of the music during the performance with satisfied faces. We all agree that music is a great way to connect people in the room, and that power in art is not limited to painting, and it also includes music, performance, poetry, and other creativity, etc.
Meanwhile, I also couldn’t take my eyes off the rainbow message we have been making since this year. Each small piece of paper from each week is now gathering like a big rainbow flag which includes non-stop memories for three months; that’s amazing. Three months is probably not a long time for many people, but it means a lot to me as an art therapist student working at Emmanuel Church.
December 10 was Human Rights Day; the theme for 2022 is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All.” I understand we still have many difficulties going on in the social system and suffering on a personal level. Advocating from a personal level, step by step will become a power to inspire people in the future. Therefore, I created a music box representing all of Cafe Emmanuel’s energy this year, and I will continue working on it.

Embrace the grief!

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Portrait of Tenzin by Wanyi Huang

It has been a week (two weeks for Common Art and Emmanuel Cafe) of my not seeing people in the group because of the holiday and a cold.  During this short absence from the groups, I got a notification about the sudden loss of our long-term “artist in the kitchen,” Tenzin.

I am thinking about the connections between people and me, the experience of loss, and the available place of grief. I know these topics seem like a broad and never-ending speech, but it happens to our community so often. The pain of grief can impact both mental and physical health. Some people might experience difficulty keeping an energy balance, eating, or sleeping. Continue reading →

In Honor of Trans Day of Remembrance

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Today (11/20) is Trans Day of Remembrance. This year in the United States, we remember at least 32 transgender people who were murdered, with over 4/5th of them being trans women and 85% of them people of color. [1] Something else I am reflecting on today is how immense the contributions of trans* people have been and continue to be in our culture. From the Black drag queens who modeled the original chosen families, to the movement leaders today who continue to use their unique experiences to direct our energy as change-makers, alternative and organizing spaces would not be what they are today without trans and nonbinary people. Today I honor the trans people who were lost, and celebrate those who are living.

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Being Present Consistently

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This Monday (11/14/22) was my first time leading the opening and ending of the Art and Spirituality Program with other facilities and volunteers at Suffolk County House of Correction. This program provides people in prison with accessible art materials, valuable time just sitting together and making art, and space to express missing and thanking their loved ones.  As usual, we started by reading the poem, “Reflections after Compline” by Sue Stock [1] and sharing a word that reflects the day. Then we made cards or origami art together. After creation, we came back as a group and shared our creativity.

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Pledging is like a Play-Doh Fun Factory.

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Before I begin, I think it would be remiss not to recognize the wisdom and brilliance of the four other women who have preceded me in this by answering the call to share thoughts about pledging to Emmanuel Church in the recent weeks of Stewardship. I’ve been inspired to hear from each of them, and it must be noted that (to my mind anyway) each of them has intricately built upon the work of the others with a through-line and a continuity, with every individual part contributing to a whole that is even greater than the sum of its parts. The overall effect has been beautiful, touching, and as profound for all of you, I hope, as it has been for me. With that, I will frankly admit that it was a very poor strategic decision on my part to volunteer to go last. Seriously, how does one follow that? So let me just say you might want to level-set your expectations right now. Continue reading →

God is there.

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Where charity and love are, God is there.  Emmanuel’s stewardship theme this year is “Love your neighbor”.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard about different ways that we can think of our neighbor.  A few weeks ago Karen King highlighted several places where the command to love our neighbor is found in the Bible.  She shared one of her favorites, Jesus telling in the Gospel of Luke the parable of the Good Samaritan.  Our neighbors can be those who were strangers but made neighbors thanks to compassion and mercy. Building on this the following week, Carolyn Roosevelt reminded us that the Samaritan made a pledge to the innkeeper to pay for his neighbor’s care.  Last week Mary Blocher spoke to us about how Emmanuel ensures that there is room at the inn by keeping the doors open, the programs running, the staff paid, the lights on, and the hospitality flowing.   Continue reading →