Annual Meeting

Sunday, February 6
12 Noon-2:00 pm

You are invited to a parish luncheon and the 111th Annual Meeting of our parish on Sunday, February 6, 12 noon to 2:00 pm. We will elect officers, vestry, and delegates, and hear brief reports on the "state of the parish." The Rector will present the Yule Candle Award. Please sign up for the luncheon on the list on the bulletin board or call in your reservation to 617-738-1810 before Monday, January 31. Volunteers who wish to help with preparing, serving, and cleaning up after the luncheon should contact Laura Vennard at 617-332-8924.

Lent Begins February 9

On Ash Wednesday, February 9, we will begin the solemn season of Lent. All are invited to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, with the imposition of ashes at 10:30 am and 6:15 pm. As part of your Lenten observance, we invite you to join us each Wednesday of Lent at the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 am or 6:15 pm.

From the Rector

"Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?"

Dear Friends,

On September 26, our parish began a process of discernment, responding to a questionnaire relating to the life and worship of our parish: How can we make All Saints become the best possible place for us to grow together in Christ? What do we need to do as a parish to fulfill our spiritual needs and become faithful witnesses to our baptismal vows, to work toward peace, justice and love of our neighbors?

The results of the questionnaire were announced to the parish on December 5. In summarizing the results, Senior Warden Laura Vennard and I noted that the questionnaires seem "to indicate that there is strong support for the parish's involvement in outreach and very little opposition." This winter, through house meetings, we will continue to explore outreach and try to put what we learned from the discernment questionnaires into action.

Coming during the Lenten season, the house-meetings will serve as a parish-wide reflection on the promise we all affirm in the Baptismal covenant: "Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?" Because we are created in the image of God, we are endowed with three intrinsic dignities: infinite value, equality, and uniqueness. In the light of this promise, our meetings will consider the parable of the laborers in the vineyard in Matthew 20: 1-16.

The discussions will invite us to reflect on questions such as "What is one of your first memories of injustice?" and "What are the challenges you face personally?" and "Where do you see people not being treated as if they were created in the image of God?" These reflections will be summarized during the sermon on March 13 and further discussed in small groups after the service on that day. From this process, we hope to translate the process of discernment into a plan for parish action.

I invite you to take part in these neighborhood meetings to deepen our understanding of outreach and justice and build up our parish community. Many thanks to those planning, hosting, and facilitating these gatherings.

CONGRATULATIONS INGEBORG, FRIEDRICH, AND JULIA!

January 9 will be a special Sunday at All Saints as we celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Ingeborg and Friedrich von Huene and the "first Mass" of Julia Dunbar. The von Huenes and Julia invite you to this gala celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:30 am and to the reception that will follow. All are invited to Julia's ordination to the priesthood at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul on Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 am.

Blessings to all in the Christmas season and the new year.