Take a moment to look at the leaves and feel the warm air. I wonder . . .  what does the end of summer mean to you? What does it mean for you?

For parents and children, it means “back to school.” But the word “back” is deceiving–like a new school year is same old, same old. It’s actually startlingly new; new classes, new people, new teachers, new material, new expectations; and every few years, at least, totally new buildings. Just this morning I saw my oldest off to her first day of high school–a new school in a different town where she doesn’t know anyone yet. Be of good courage, I whispered. Be of good courage, says our sacred scriptures, again and again. 

These are days when the youngest of us are being asked to step boldly into new spaces. It takes a courage we adults generally don’t have to muster–at least not every year.

Our church school community has a lot of first days of kindergarten in the next week–ten by my count. What a huge moment. (Say a prayer for T, T, G, C, J, K, K, L, MK and S!) Even more of our children are headed to new middle schools, and first days of high school this week and next. 

We’ve already wished Godspeed to H, M, L and E, and sent them with our love and blessings off to college. 

Wow. Are these guys brave or what. Be of good courage, friends. We love you!

Let’s support these children of ours–with prayer, with love, and with encouragement. And let’s be inspired by them. Where might you be asked to step boldly in this new season? Be of good courage. You are held in the love of God and the love of this community. 

~Bryn

A year ago, Jonathan and I walked into Epiphany for the first time. On somewhat of a whim, we decided to come check out where friend Jeremy Bruns was playing. On a hot summer Sunday, we sauntered into the sanctuary to find that rare New England summer sight — people in church pews. Lots of them. Lots of you.

After being warmly greeted, we sat down, and marveled at the large number of kids in church, the large choir, and general vibe. There is just something special about Epiphany. You feel it as soon as you walk in. About midway through the opening hymn, I turned to Jonathan and whispered, “This just feels like home.” He nodded. (And shushed me for talking during a hymn.)

A year later, we are both so deeply grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Epiphany community. It does indeed feel like home for both of us. 

I am particularly grateful to be a part of this community as a seminarian, which I described to a group of kids in the parish as a bit like being a priest with training wheels on. Thank you for welcoming me into your pews, into your community, and into your pulpit. 

I believe John Wesley was right when he said there is no such thing as Christianity in isolation; Jesus calls us to live out our faith in, with, and through community, a truth Epiphany seems to embody so naturally. 

In seminary, there is no shortage of seminars and hand-wringing over how to “reimagine” church and foster much-sought, seldom-found community. As I hear from my colleagues serving in parishes across the country, I am continually struck by the beautiful, unique strength of the Epiphany community. We are a growing, energetic family who understands what it means to be the church, to learn, to serve, and to love one another. We worship so beautifully, from the wonderful Parish Choir to the dedicated Lay Eucharistic Ministers to the stunning flowers. You have also taught me so much about how to connect what we do in worship with how we live our lives. 

I am especially thankful to Nick and Janelle, who as mentors, teachers, and friends, continue to teach me about the grace, passion, and dedication necessary for ministry. 

I am about midway through my Master of Divinity as part of The General Theological Seminary’s hybrid program, and as the fall semester revs up, I am, with gratitude, looking forward to another great year at Epiphany, another great year with you. 

Dear Epiphany friends, thank you for the welcome, thank you for all you teach me, and thank you for being you. What a blessing. 

~Clayton McCleskey

Have you ever wished you could understand more about the history of racism and the movement toward anti-racism in the US? The Episcopal Church has developed Sacred Ground to meet our faith community’s need to inform ourselves about the past and to act for a more just future. This very powerful and personal small-group program uses our faith and personal experiences as a lens to look at American treatment of racial minorities, including Black Americans, Indigenous Americans, Asians, and those of Hispanic descent. 

Here at Epiphany, a group of us, led by Rev Nick, piloted this program in 2023 and found it compelling and transformative. Now we are enrolling participants in  Sacred Ground groups that will run from October 2024 through March 2025. Using videos and readings, we’ll meet every second week for 11 weeks,  exploring our country’s treatment of marginalized groups and looking at where we can grow into justice and love of neighbor.

Consider engaging with this curriculum this winter. The rewards are very rich! As the course developers say, “It holds as a guiding star the vision of beloved community — where all people are honored and protected and nurtured as beloved children of God, where we weep at one another’s pain and seek one another’s flourishing.”

If you have any interest in taking part, please sign up here, and we will be in touch in early September. To learn more as we finalize the times and types (in-person? Zoom?) of groups we’ll run this fall, you can also reach out to Betsy Walsh, Marion Dry, or Carol Hollingshead with any questions.

Pam Chester 

Save the date: Sunday, September 22 at 5:00 pm will be our first special music event of the 2024-25 season, a service of Choral Evensong sung by the Parish Choir and Choristers. Though rehearsals will have restarted only three weeks earlier, we’ll get the season off to a running start with William Walton’s electric ‘Chichester Service’ for 8-part choir, soloists and organ. The anthem will be a beautiful setting taken from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The day is done” composed by Stephen Paulus, for 7-part choir (thanks to Barbara Bing for introducing me to this setting). Congregational responses and hymnody will make use of all voices present for this service at the close of the day.

By the time we sing this service, our music brochure of special services and concerts should be ready for distribution. I would like to to once again thank all of those who generously donated to the Friends of Music last season, and to those who have already made contributions for the upcoming 2024-25 season — without your support, these special services and concerts would not be possible! Continued thanks also go to the Choir and Chorister families, who donate so generously of their time and talents.

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” —Luke 6:38

All best wishes for the remainder of August,
Jeremy Bruns

…And the night shall be filled with music,
And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall be banished like restless feelings
And silently steal away.

(Henry Longfellow, Stephen Paulus)

And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest
I would flee to a far-off place
And make my lodging in the wilderness.
I would hasten to escape
From the stormy wind and tempest.”

Psalm 55: 7-9

In 2012, the Waldo Canyon Fire burned more than 18,000 acres, destroyed nearly 350 homes, and killed two people in Colorado Springs. I was serving as a priest in a large downtown Episcopal church at this time, and the community was absolutely overwhelmed. A year later, another fire, the Black Forest Fire, burned 15,000 acres, destroyed nearly 490 homes, and two people died. We were in shock, the trauma was real, and all we knew to do was turn to one another in help, support, love, and prayer. We rallied around one another, held community conversations to process our trauma, set up communication plans, and began working on disaster preparedness plans. Amidst the flurry of activity and care, I noticed in myself a deep desire to run. To get away, to find peace, as the Psalmist says, to find “wings like a dove,” and “fly away and be at rest.”

There are times, seasons, chapters of our lives when we are utterly overwhelmed. The world is spinning faster than we can keep up, work, change, transition, a relationship is lost to death or despair or disagreement, our health seems to be slipping through our fingers, the social, political, or economic realities leave us in tears or feeling crushed under their weight. We all know what it means to feel anxious, depressed, or overwhelmed. If only we could “fly away and be at rest.” Now, you may be feeling this weight because of something within you or outside you in our world. Heaven knows there are lots of things to choose from. We are not alone in the overwhelm.

What I learned in that particular two-year period of ministry in Colorado Springs was that the only way out was with others and with God. To know, to believe, to experience the truth that we are stronger together. To not turn and run, but to turn and be with. As we find ourselves in the middle of the dog days of summer, I rejoice that I have you in my life. I rejoice that we are together as the people of Epiphany. And that when we are overwhelmed, for whatever reason, we can turn to one another. I want you to know that this is a strong, loving, resilient, faithful community we call home—your overwhelm is not yours alone; we can carry it together by sharing it with one another. The Psalmist closes Psalm 55 towards the end with these words: “but I will call upon God, and the Lord will deliver me.” This deliverance, of course, is found together. This is where God happens.

Rev. Nick Myers

It’s so great to be worshipping at Parish of the Epiphany again! Some of you may have noticed that I wasn’t around much in the previous program year. This absence was because almost exactly two years ago, the vestry voted to put my name forward as an applicant to become an ordained deacon in the Episcopal church. After review from the diocese, the application was accepted, and last June I officially became a postulant. I began the formation process in September and, as part of that, I was doing a parochial internship at St. John’s Church in Gloucester. It was a wonderful experience, but I’m so glad to be back at my spiritual home.

You can be forgiven if you don’t know exactly what a deacon is and why a person might want to be ordained as one. The deaconate is an ancient order of the Christian church — some say even older than the priesthood. Tradition reckons that St. Stephen was the church’s first deacon. However, in recent years, especially in the Episcopal Church, the deaconate has seen declining numbers and confusion about the role of this order in the modern world. This situation is regrettable, because a healthy deaconate is a critical part of the activation and redefinition of the church in a volatile, modern world.

So, what is a deacon?  Let’s start with what it is not — a deacon is not an assistant priest. Priest and deacons have very different though very complimentary roles. According to the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer, the ministry of the deacon is “as a servant to those in need.” The vow one takes is to “serve all people, particularly the poor, the weak, the sick, and the lonely” and to “interpret to the Church the needs, concerns, and hopes of the world.” The final clause is the most theologically powerful and profoundly humbling for those of us considering it: “At all times, your life and teaching are to show Christ's people that in serving the helpless they are serving Christ himself.”

Easy to say — hard to do! I guess that’s why we need three years of formation. So, I’ll be back at my beloved sponsoring parish this program year. I will need your help in discerning together how we can better serve Christ by serving those in need, and how we might further bring the concerns and hopes of the world into our collective hearts as a community. And I daresay, we might find a few other potential deacons in our midst because none of this is new to Epiphany.  We are and always have been a generous community, concerned about building the Kingdom of God.

I find this all very exciting and can’t wait to engage with these existing strengths in new ways. See you in the fall!

Jason Kinchen 

With the generosity of donations being made against pledges to the Capital Campaign, Epiphany’s Property Committee is working with structural engineers to identify a solution that properly repairs the Church’s historic roof and brick. In addition, Property has taken action to address needs at the rectory.

The rectory, where Rev. Nick lives with his family, is a three-story single family home with a wood and stucco exterior that was built in 1910. Property is responsible for all maintenance and home improvements on the rectory. We are mindful to expedite decisions related to the rectory especially as it relates to any disruption to their family life. Rev. Nick’s sermons always leave me thinking more deeply about how to live better in Christ’s footsteps… I don’t want to imagine sermons if he was writing them under a leaky roof, in wet clothes and cold food — for his family of six! All joking aside, in the case of 2024, quick action was needed for the clothes dryer and kitchen cooktop. Additionally, the rectory’s roof required replacement.

Property also made planned longer-term investments that included upgrading the heating system to mini-split heat pumps with air conditioning and adding insulation to the rectory walls. Property is grateful to Creation Care for guidance on these energy-efficient improvements. As part of their mission to reduce our church’s energy consumption, Creation Care coordinated an energy audit of both the church and rectory, providing valuable information to guide maintenance and improvement decisions of our properties.

Rev. Nick and Bethany are currently proposing paint colors to be approved by Property. Once the interior/exterior painting is completed, we will have fully restored the rectory for its home maintenance/improvement needs.

The collaboration between Creation Care and Property is one example of the strengths of Epiphany. While we think primarily of ourselves as a church, a place to worship together, what happens beyond services is our parish life. Said another way… Creation Care’s engagement with Property was effectively able to elevate our actionable stewardship of the Earth. Together, we make larger impacts on our world.  

Darwin Keith-Lucas, Warden
Ghost written by Heather Keith-Lucas

Two weeks ago, our fridge died. And when I say, "our" fridge, I mean, that workhorse of an appliance in our parish kitchen off Hadley Hall. That day, I made several phone calls. First, to the company from which we bought it and discovered that our fridge was 13 years old. In dog years, that refrigerator was 91 years old--a great run for a commercial fridge. When it was clear that we'd need to purchase a new one, my mind turned to working with Tony Catino, our sexton, to salvage what we could from what was inside the fridge. It was then that I realized I needed to make a few more phone calls. First, I called Winchester Rotary to let them know that they wouldn't be able to store anything in the fridge for their weekly meetings on Thursdays. Then, I checked with the women's  En Ka Society to make sure they had not planned for an upcoming event as they'd have no place to cool anything. We reached out to our Sunday hospitality team to warn them of the need for new summer punch ingredients. And, finally, I connected with AA and had to share the very bad news that they'd need new milk and cream for the sacred evening coffee at their meetings. The dead fridge reminded us how alive the parish hall can be with our community partners.

A new fridge is on its way and with it, my hope that more people will be using it. There is room here for AA, En Ka, Rotary, and so much more. This summer, the vestry has approved the formation of a vision team to work with me to begin imagining a process where we, as a parish, will explore how we can use our building to engage the needs and gifts of the surrounding communities. We are just beginning, and it will likely take us some time before we are ready to jump into imagining what is next here at Epiphany. But, for now, it's a blessing to be reminded of the partnerships we have, the ways we use our space, the life we share, and that what's important is not the soured milk, but the people we love and serve who come here for connection, commitment, and community.

See you on Sunday,
Nick 

This past year, the Website Committee has been hard at work finding a new developer for our new website, bringing in a photographer to take photos of our Sunday and Midweek services, updating our welcome video, having a designer create a new logo, and, most importantly, listening to you, the parish, as we think of how we can be more and more welcoming. When we held listening sessions in the spring about our visual storytelling, over and over again we heard the word “welcome” and many of you shared your Epiphany story of how you felt welcomed when you first entered those doors on Church Street.

When thinking about our new logo, we wanted it to feel welcoming, and we wanted it to really feel like us. Because Epiphany is in our name, we wanted something in the logo to draw back to that story of the Magi visiting Jesus, so we thought about a star representing that story as well as having an “Epiphany moment.” We also wanted to nod to our unique

community and building. When thinking about inspiration from our building, we were drawn to the pattern found in our sanctuary lights and the concept of light going out or spreading. We also thought about how our building is in the Arts & Crafts style. In trying to resist industrialization and machinery, there are intentionally placed tiles throughout our building that are unique, human-made, and imperfect. We liked that image of a tile, or even a mosaic, that represents our humanity and symbolizes, like our Epiphany community, how individual shards of tile create something beautiful and unique when they come together.


When thinking about the fonts for the logo, we kept hearing from you that Epiphany blends both tradition and creativity/innovation and wanted a way to visually represent honoring tradition with an older style typeface and a more contemporary one. When thinking about the icon, we thought about blending a star that signifies the Epiphany story and our Epiphany moments, the pattern from our sanctuary lights that is distinctly us, and a tile to connect to the Arts & Crafts style of our building — representing how our community that comes together creates something beautiful. 


Serendipitously, after we landed on this logo, we started seeing it everywhere! Turns out this pattern is also on our sign outside the door, on our door, around the baptismal fount, on the wood that we kneel at to receive Eucharist, and more. 

This whole process made us feel that this was here the whole time. Our team felt such validation that when we were creating a “new logo” we were actually using something quite old,  that has been a part of our Christian faith, our building, and our community the whole time. You’ll see the new logo on our bulletin starting this Sunday but we will wait to put it online until our new website is launched in the fall. We are excited about this next step and this next chapter that we will all be creating together!

With gratitude from our website team,

Jim Bracciale
Erika Clapp
Kathryn Dominguez 
Kim Haynsworth 
Kate Reynolds
Alex Rodriguez 
Janell Sims
Rev. Janelle  

We are definitely deep into the green, growing season now. It's the longest season of our liturgical (church) year, and—surprise!—it isn't referencing our northern hemisphere's summer of lush trees and plentiful crops. The liturgical green, growing season is also known as "ordinary time," meaning the seasons between periods of preparation (Advent, Lent) and the great holy moments of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, and Pentecost. 

But "ordinary time" does have a lot in common with summer. Because there's not a lot of formal stuff going on, the green, growing season offers us a time to "choose your own adventure." The mixture of summer and our liturgical calendar offers each of us time for our own personal itinerary of purposeful rest and bountiful nourishment. It's like an independent study for the soul. 

So, how would you like to grow during this green season?

My summer will involve rest in the form of time off (from the church office, but also from So Much sports driving). I'll also work on my ability to let my kids grow and explore independently, as my youngest goes to sleep-away camp for two whole weeks, and my oldest travels an ocean away. (Welcoming prayers!)

And, of course, there is summer reading. Summer is my second favorite official reading season of the year. (My first favorite reading season is January—the other green, growing time of the church year, proving it really isn't about plants). This summer I'm reading Mathish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics; and The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness; and a whole bunch of fluff. How about you?

Whatever you read, wherever you go, and however you grow, I hope you find rest for your body, mind, and soul in this green season. I'll see you for some summer punch in the Cloister and I'd love to hear all about it. 

~Bryn