Uncategorized

The Work of Christmas: A Season of Darkness and Light

Posted on by

December 26, 2024

At our exquisite Christmas Eve service, a service of dark and light, love and grace, concern and care, Reverend Pam recalled the words of Howard Thurman, minister of, and to, the disinherited:  “When the song of the angel is still, when the star in the sky is gone, when kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their sheep, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among people, to make music in the heart.”

Thurman was one of several religious intellectuals who firmly believed in ecumenism and care for the vulnerable. With other preachers, teachers, and mentors at Howard and other universities (among them Benjamin Mays and Mordechai Johnson), Thurman focused on creating a church of the future that embodied non-violence as an active force against oppression. His vision was to “create the first real community of black scholars”.

Thurman also reflected upon Advent and Christmas themes of darkness and light. In The Luminous Darkness: A Personal Interpretation of the Anatomy of Segregation and the Ground of Hope (1965), he finds hope and light in coming to terms with the racial issues of his time, knowing that God is also God in the dark. Bishop Julia Whitworth also called upon Thurman in a coda in her Christmas message this year. His poem entitled “I will light candles for Christmas…” is all-encompassing, opening us up to joy despite sadness, hope amid despair, courage in the face of fear, citing “… Candles of love to inspire all my living, Candles that will burn all the year long.”

May we embrace the Work of Christmas as prompted by Presiding Bishop Sean’s missive: “…[committing] our lives to creating a world that is more just and more loving, in which the grace and truth that came down to us at Christmas is kindled all year long.”

 We wish you a blessed New Year,

–Mary Beth Clack, Mary Blocher, Cindy Coldren, Pat Krol, Liz Levin
–Published in This Week @Emmanuel Church December 26, 2024

 

 

Martin Luther King and Prophecy

Posted on by

“As a young man, with most of my life ahead of me, I decided early to give myself to something eternal and absolute. Not to those little gods that are here today and gone tomorrow. But to God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
–Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., chapter 4

As commemorations for Martin Luther King, Jr. take place in various venues this month, we reflect on his prophetic voice, prompted by Pam’s sermon on the Second Sunday after the Epiphany. Pam spoke about the work of “connecting the dots” in scripture and sacred stories. By listening closely to the messengers of God who link the human and the divine, we deepen our understanding of these narratives–these “pieces of the fabric of community.” Continue reading →

Creativity in Our Parish Hall

Posted on by
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.

1900

Posted on by

Joseph Hersey Pratt, M.D. (1872-1956)

Dr. Joseph H. Pratt joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School and served as secretary of Ascension Chapter of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew.  He reported in the Year Book of Emmanuel Parish that members of its Sailors Committee visited about a dozen vessels per month to distribute literature and invite men to the mission church.  See also his later role in founding the Emmanuel Movement.