November 10, 2022

This fall, we have been using the Godly Play curriculum with the younger children in the Upper Parish Hall on Sunday mornings. As we gather in our circle a few minutes after the 10:00 bells finish ringing, I look around and wonder how the story will unfold for this group of children and adults that has come together this morning. I have told these stories many times over the 32 years since I first taught Godly Play at Epiphany and it is never the same, just as it will be different today for each of the children watching to see which tray I will get from the shelf for today’s story. And so we settle in and begin… Over the course of the last three weeks in October, we told the story about Noah and Naamah, we traveled in the desert with Abraham and Sarah, we escaped Pharoah and his army. During the flood, the ark rose higher and higher above our heads as the waters rose. Abraham and Sarah traveled to new places across our desert box, wondering if God would be in these places too. And the children helped God’s people through the parted waters of the Red Sea.

At the end of each story we ask wondering questions:

Each week, as the children listen to the story and retell the story to themselves afterwards or play with the Play-Doh or other materials that we put out, the far end of the Upper Parish Hall becomes this particular group of children and adults’ space for our time together.

I wonder how many spaces we each have at Epiphany? I wonder what we bring to our spaces and what our spaces bring to us? I wonder how God changes us in these spaces.

Nelia Newell, Warden

Our next Midweek @ Epiphany will be on Wednesday, November 16. Each Midweek begins at 6:15 pm with dinner and fellowship, followed by formation opportunities for adults, youth, and children. Dinner on November 16 will be curried butternut squash soup, salad, pizza, and fresh-baked cookies. 

Needed:  60 bags of Thanksgiving groceries and grocery store gift cards!

Thanks to all who have already donated groceries and gift cards for our annual Thanksgiving Food drive to assist the Council of Social Concern family program. This is a Neighbors Serving Neighbor program Epiphany has supported for over a decade. Grocery store gift cards assist with buying a turkey or pork roast and fresh produce.

It’s an early Thanksgiving and our final collection day is this coming Sunday, November, November 13. Bags go into narthex. Grocery store gift cards marked with the dollar amount on the envelope may be dropped off at the office or in the secure drop box to the left of the office door. Store cards may also be mailed to the office. 

All are welcome to Epiphany’s annual, free holiday tradition on Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm! Support this age-old tradition spanning three decades, and browse through a variety of unique and beautifully crafted gifts, including works of art, costume jewelry, White Elephant treasures, and knit and craft items. To entertain the kids while you shop, check out the Kids Store for a "kids only" holiday shopping experience (no adults allowed!) where children can purchase family gifts, some crafts, and children’s books.

This year’s Silent Auction will have items such as golf at Fishers Island, three holiday-themed gift baskets, two handmade quilts, two tickets to a Boston Speakers series talk, a unicycle, beautifully made pinecone wreaths, nutcracker collections, sets of jigsaw puzzles for all seasons, plus other festive baskets. We will also sell homemade apple pies for $15 each, cookies, breads, treats, lemon curd, homemade jams, and butter pickles. The cafe will offer a delicious menu and a nice place to gather with family and friends. 

For the last 17 years, the Parish of the Epiphany has provided a Thanksgiving meal for the young people at St Stephen's Youth Programs (SSYP). For many years this was a fun afternoon of crafts and games and food at St. Stephen's. More recently, as a response to COVID, we began providing food for families to take home and prepare for their own family Thanksgiving dinner. 

This year, we have decided to continue providing food for at home meals figuring that we are feeding more people by providing food for entire families. This is more important than ever as our families, many of whom already face food insecurity, now are dealing with significant food cost increases.

In 2020, we began offering our Latinx families the option to have a pork shoulder instead of a turkey. Pernil and rice with gandules are traditional foods for Thanksgiving for many of our families. More than half of our families choose pork so we will continue to offer both this year. Instead of a bag of groceries, this year we will give a gift card to each family with their meat of choice. This allows our families to choose exactly which foods they want to make and eat.

If you would like to support this effort, donating Stop and Shop gift cards ($25 value) or making a monetary donation are both greatly appreciated. Click here to let me know that you want to provide a gift card or 2 or 10 :) If you would prefer to give money toward this effort, just let me know.

Gift cards and monetary gifts are due Sunday, November 20. You may place items in the envelope labelled SSYP Wahoo — Betsy Walsh in the church office, drop them at my house or hand them to me at church on the next 2 Sundays. 

Thank you so much and Happy Thanksgiving!
Betsy Walsh

We are looking forward to fellowship hours on Sundays in November, and would greatly appreciate your help! Please click on the button above to contribute a baked good, a gluten-free snack, fresh fruit, or your help with serving and clean-up. 

Have you been called to serve? We need a servant as a leader of our parish — to lead us, and to lead others to us. Who else do you see as a leader among us? Who else’s gifts would you raise up? Who would you call?

Between now and Thanksgiving, we ask you to share your nominations, of yourself or others, for leadership roles in our church next year. You can nominate someone online or using the ballot box at the back of the church. Click here for helpful descriptions of each role. Or you can share nominations directly with anyone on the Nominating Committee: Eunice Aikins-Afful, Marie Johnson, Dave McSweeney, Reverend Nick, or Corey Hollenbeck. We look forward to learning how you (or someone you nominate) will serve. Thank you!

Every year, the sanctuary is decorated with beautiful poinsettias and greens in memory of loved ones or in gratitude for blessings received. To dedicate a poinsettia using our online form, please click here. Submissions must be received by Sunday, December 11 so that your dedication may be included in the Christmas bulletins.

To make a contribution in any amount for the poinsettias and greens decorating the church, or to the music during our services, please give online. Select "Christmas Flowers/Music" from the "Fund" dropdown menu. You can also drop a check in the Sunday offering plate or mail it to the parish office. Please make checks payable to the Parish of the Epiphany and write "Christmas Poinsettia/Music" in the memo line. 

On Sunday, December 4 at 5:00 pm, all are invited to a harpsichord concert performed by Peter Sykes. One of the most distinguished and versatile keyboard artists performing today, Peter Sykes is on the music faculties of both Boston University and the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. He will offer music by Froberger, Buxtehude, Bach, and Couperin, playing his own 2005 Allan Winkler harpsichord that is patterned after a 1719 Carl Fleischer original from Hamburg. Admission is free; donations are gladly accepted.