November 17, 2022

My favorite part of my commute to Epiphany is when it comes time to drive up the Mystic Valley Parkway. The Mystic Lake is stunning, no matter the season. When I first arrived in August, the trees were green and full and often there would be little sailboats on the lake. Driving by, I would catch just little glimpses of the lake in between the fullness of the trees. When fall came around, the colors of the trees were vibrant and some mornings, the oranges, reds, and yellows would reflect on the lake.

These days, there are barely any leaves left on the trees and I am shocked how quickly it feels like fall turned into winter right about the time when we turned back our clocks. But with the falling of the leaves, much of the lake is now visible in ways that it was not before. I can now see almost the entirety of the lake and the homes that sit on the other side. It’s beautiful in its own way.

I’m going to risk a cheesy metaphor here and say that sometimes things get clearer in the winter seasons. What is covered up in other seasons is plain and bare in the winter. Almost painfully bear.

This coming Sunday is Christ the King Sunday which is the last Sunday before Advent begins. We are invited to reflect where it feels that Christ is present and alive in our midst and in the places where the reign of Christ feels absent. The hope is that if we choose to lean into this season and not just let it pass by, there might be that clarity we have been looking for.

What we know about the life of Jesus is that the reign of Christ is one of compassion, love, and deep solidarity. Even in the harshest of winters, we believe that those roots run deeper than the violence, hurt, and death. On this Christ the King Sunday we are reminded how Jesus chooses to reign—not by being this distant deity on a throne in the sky, but by being deeply present and embodied in all the moments of ordinary life.

With hope,
Janelle

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. 

Please note that, due to next week's office closure for Thanksgiving, all articles for the November 24th 3 Crowns are due on Monday, November 21. Thank you! 

Please note that the parish office will be closed Wednesday, November 23 through Friday, November 25 in observance of Thanksgiving.

The following week, the office will be staffed by volunteers from 9:00 am — 1:00 pm on Monday, November 28 and Tuesday, November 29 while our parish administrator Kathryn is on vacation. Normal office hours will resume on Wednesday, November 30. 

For Epiphany, reducing our emissions and saving energy are part of the legacy we must leave our children and grandchildren. And to help fulfil that legacy, we have developed a new role the Epiphany, “Energy Manager."

This person would be a liaison between the Property Committee and Creation Care and would be responsible for tracking the Parish’s monthly energy use and carbon emissions as well as making recommendations for savings. This role is crucial, but will only take about five hours per month.

The ideal person doesn’t need to be highly quantitative, but should be comfortable with spreadsheets and would and have a strong interest in reducing our energy consumption. If you think this might be you, and you’d like to learn more, email Josh Reynolds. 

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

Do you have a birthday or anniversary during the month of December that you would like remembered in 3 Crowns and the Sunday bulletin? If so, please send the details to Kathryn in the parish office by Monday, November 28. 

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!

Our Christmas pageant will be on Christmas Eve at the 4:00 pm worship service. All children are welcome to take part! We hold rehearsals at 11:15 am following worship on Sundays in December. You may still participate if you cannot make rehearsal! Please email Bryn to let her know your schedule and we will find a work-around. Please click here to sign your child up to participate in the pageant and to indicate their preferred role. 

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.