Church of the Redeemer (copy) News

A celebration of Rev. Michael Dangelo's 10th Anniversary as the Rector at Church of the Redeemer

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:35:59 GMT

Enjoy this slide show of Mike Dangelo's journey of ten enlightening and stimulating years at the Redeemer!

Welcome Back!

Barbara MacDonald — Tue, 27 Aug 2024 14:13:52 GMT

Dearest Redeemer Family,

Summer's gentle breezes have given way to the crisp promise of autumn, and with it, the joyful return to our shared spiritual home. We trust your summer was filled with good times, holy moments, and the restful pause we all need to recharge our souls.

As the leaves begin their colorful transformation, we invite you back to the heart of our community, where faith, fellowship, and joy await.

Mark your calendars for our Kick-Off Sunday on September 8th! We'll gather for our 10 am service, followed by a delightful Welcome Back Picnic. Laughter, shared stories, and delicious food will set the tone for a vibrant season ahead.

This fall also brings exciting opportunities to deepen our connection with God and each other:

Choristers: Our renewed Choristers program for children 8 and up will meet every Sunday at 9 am. Let their voices rise in joyful praise!

Evensong: Bask in the serene beauty of Evensong at 5 pm, a moment of quiet reflection to close your weekend.

8 am Holy Eucharist: For those seeking an early morning connection, our 8 am service provides a peaceful start to your Sunday.

Whether you're returning from travels near or far, or simply easing back into the rhythm of fall, know that you were dearly missed and are eagerly welcomed back. Let's embrace this season with open hearts and joyful spirits, ready to walk together on the path of faith.

With warmth and anticipation,

Mike+

The Holiest of Weeks

Barbara MacDonald — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:04:51 GMT

Dear Redeemer Faithful,

As I write this Holy Week invitation, I am preparing myself for a rite particular to the ordained, known in ecclesiastical shorthand as "The Chrism Mass". In the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, the Tuesday of Holy Week is set aside as a special moment for priests and deacons to gather under the care of their bishops for the reaffirmation of ordination vows and the reception of holy oils (blessed by the bishops) for parish use throughout the year. These oils are for the anointing of the sick, the anointing of the baptized, and a variety of sacred, solemn, and intimate pastoral rites that arise over the course of a given year.

This Holy Tuesday is very different from others. Our Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Alan M. Gates, will celebrate his final Chrism Mass as our chief pastor. It is a bittersweet moment as those of us who love and care for him will no longer have the same relationship with him as we once had. Sure, we will see him from time to time at diocesan events, but his time among us in this particular role is drawing to a close. I will miss him, but we are not left without hope. As we prepare to welcome a new shepherd, we are reminded that the work of the Church transcends any one leader, grounded in the eternal presence and loving-guidance of God. Together, in that grace we will travel this time of transition with faith and hope.

In the rite for the Ordination of a Priest in the Book of Common Prayer, a series of questions are put before the candidate. They include a commitment to respect the bishop, study the scriptures, offer the sacraments, pattern life in a holy fashion, pastor the faithful, and persevere in prayer. And at the end of these commitments, the bishop offers this prayer:

"May the Lord who has given you the will to do these things give you the grace and power to perform them."

It reminds me (every time I read them) that ministry, for both lay and ordained, comes from God. The grace that flows through ministry, and the power required to undertake and complete it, are sourced not through human hands but through Divine Love. God is at work directing and empowering the work of the Church, no matter who the bishop might be. The work of the Church is first the work of God, and without God, the work of the Church is both a misguided and misbegotten thing.

This week in the life of the Church serves as the lodestone for everything we say and do in the life of the Church. I offer no hyperbole when I say that this week is the defining reality for anyone who considers themselves a Christian and, by extension, the Church that Christians create by their common life. In this Holy Week, we are given the reminder of the extent of God's love; born of a human mother by the Holy Spirit, lived, preached, healed, loved, crucified, and raised from the dead on the third day. Christianity is born this week in the commemoration of the Last Supper, the Garden tribulation, the arrest and suffering, the crucifixion, the silence, and the eternal joy of the Feast of the Resurrection.

I invite you to take part in this great week of weeks. Join Jesus and his disciples as they travel to the Upper Room, to Pilate's chambers, and to the pain of Golgotha. This is an invitation to partake in the work of God, to immerse ourselves in the story that defines our faith and to witness firsthand the love that God has for each of us. And no matter how distant or ill-equipped we may feel to participate in this ministry we must remember that it is not we who guide and govern it. God is at work. God is moving in and through it. Divine Love empowers it, blesses it, and kneads it into the deepest recesses of our souls. And through our God-empowered prayer and devotion, grace will pour abundantly into our hungry souls. We need only say 'yes'.

"May the Lord who has given you the will to do these things give you the grace and power to perform them."

Faithfully and Fondly,

Mike+

From the Rector: The Toolbox

Barbara MacDonald — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:43:55 GMT

The toolbox, a mere namesake in our household, represented something quintessentially Dad – an embodiment of good intentions without the handiness to match. His approach to fixing things leaned heavily on the expertise of neighbors, handymen, or virtually anyone else. Painting? Perhaps that was within his realm, to an extent. But actual repairs, constructions, or the artful employment of tools as our Homo sapiens ancestors intended? That was a different story altogether. Yet, there it was – a toolbox in the fullest sense of the word.

From what lingers in my memory, the toolbox was a sturdy steel Craftsman construction, its heavy lid secured by two simple clasps. Inside, a liftable tray revealed a deeper compartment, a sort of childhood cavern where myriad objects found their home. It functioned, for all practical purposes, as a portable junk drawer. Filled with spare screws, odd pipe fittings – eleven little copper elbows, with the twelfth now a permanent fixture under the kitchen sink – along with an assortment of twist ties and fasteners. However, the toolbox's real surprise lay in its sparse inventory: just two tools and both hammers. A hefty carpenter’s framing hammer and a rubber mallet. The rubber mallet's purpose remained a mystery, but the framing hammer, oh, it had its moments – a quick fix here, whack there, or a forceful adjustment to the immovable this or that.

This very toolbox, sparse as it was, likely sparked my own tool-fixation, a drive to be at least modestly handy. Sifting through Dad’s toolbox, recognizing its ineffectiveness, was a moment of awakening. Over the past thirty years, I’ve amassed an eclectic collection in my own toolbox – planes, rabbet and block, a spokeshave, cabinet scrapers, and not one, but three distinct hammers. My toolbox is a testament to preparedness, equipped for frequent troubles and even those unlikely to ever materialize.

Reflecting on Dad’s humble toolbox has led me to introspect about my Christian faith. I possess a broader toolset than many a believer – Greek and Hebrew, an expansive knowledge of historical periods and geographies, an understanding of theological nuances and church protocols. My spiritual toolbox is brimming. Yet, in the light of Dad’s simple, almost barren toolbox, I can’t help but question: is more really better?

In confronting life’s vast and varied challenges, from domestic upheavals to global crises, I often reach for my metaphorical toolbox. I ponder over the countless parish tempests in the proverbial teapots. Perhaps Dad’s philosophy, albeit with a different set of tools, holds a profound truth. What if, in the grand scheme of things, love is the only tool that truly matters? When one approach fails, perhaps all we need to do is reach back into that toolbox for another iteration of the same powerful, yet simple tool. Amidst all the complexities and strategies, the Christian toolbox might just need two tools, both fundamentally the same. When one seems inadequate, we simply try the other – a continuous cycle of reaching in, grasping, and beginning anew and always with love in hand.

Mike+

From the Rector: The Resonance of Tradition: The Symphony of Music and Faith at Redeemer

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 17:40:46 GMT

As you pass the vintage photograph on your way to the choir room, you are walking in the footsteps of a legacy that spans generations. Beginning with a men and boys choir at the turn of the 20th century, the baton has been passed through an illustrious array of faithful contributors. There was Craig, a teacher from the Chestnut Hill School who infused pedagogical grace; Cindy Johnson, whose keyboard artistry lifted spirits; the choral enthusiasm of Mary Reynders; Michael Murray's reinvigoration of the choristers program in 2016; and most recently, the effervescent John Meyer Spressert, who brought a blaze of youthful energy with his guitar. At Redeemer, music and youth have long been interwoven in a vibrant tapestry, each thread adding a unique hue to our community's spiritual fabric.

In the Anglican tradition, music isn't merely an aesthetic pleasure; it's a form of spiritual language. I would argue that the Book of Common Prayer 1979 and the Hymnal 1982 are not simply books but the reverberating heartbeats of the Episcopal Church. These texts bestow words of solace, acknowledgment of our human frailty, and our hope-filled joy, while also framing our Christian journey with hymns and anthems that resonate through time.

In my last letter, I announced the arrival of a Children’s Homily as part of our Sunday service—an endeavor that excites and, to be candid, terrifies me. But innovation doesn't stop there. We’re charting a refreshed course for music in Sunday School, thanks to Sarah Taylor (spouse of Nigel Potts). Every Sunday, towards the end of the Godly Play and Apostles classes, Sarah will shepherd our youngest from their Sunday School classes into the Children’s Chapel for a 15-minute musical journey. It will be fun, but it’s also intended to be a joyful exploration of our deeply rooted musical canon.

Many of our senior members speak eloquently about the spiritual depth hymns add to their lives, having absorbed them in school chapels long ago. As many schools have unmoored themselves from their respective religious traditions to steer more secular courses, local parishes are the last places remaining for children to recite the prayers and sing the songs of our faith. If we don't acquaint our children with this sacred repertoire, are we not creating a chasm between the spiritual wisdom of our tradition and the souls of the next generation?

My ambition is to sow seeds of our hymnal heritage into the fertile ground of our children’s spirituality. And, as I am wont to believe and say more often these last years, "Faithful experiments are indeed good for the soul!"

In Christ,

Mike+

From the Rector Michael B. Dangelo -- The Resonance of a Name: A Journey from Zeal to Grace

Barbara MacDonald — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 17:16:56 GMT

For those like me, raised in an atmosphere of fervent Christianity, the word "Jesus" is not so much a name as it is an ever-present companion, shaping the contours of life in both obvious and nuanced ways. My boyhood home was a fortress of religious piety, the kind that would send tremors of alarm through the editorial halls of The New York Times or The Boston Globe. Mention it to Twitter's legions of secular warriors, and watch how quickly you are pigeonholed into dated archetypes of religious dogmatism.

We were the epitome of Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting attendees: resolute in our creationist convictions, disdainful of premarital affairs, and fervently expressive about our personal conversions. The Jesus of my youth was a vigilant moral sentinel, inscribed into every facet of daily life, ensuring that we continually evaluated our ethical decisions lest we stray too far.

However, it was not until my college years and my sojourn into Episcopalianism that I discovered a different theological landscape, one that swapped the restricting moral gauntlet for an expansive meadow of divine affection. I encountered, within the pages of the Hymnal 1982 and the Book of Common Prayer, a deity whose affinity for humanity was not predicated on moral rigor, but flourished in the expansiveness of unconditional love. The God I met was less a surveillance state and more a boundlessly benevolent parent, reveling in the joys and follies of His earthly children.

This revelation comes at a fortuitous time as we approach the commencement of the Episcopal program year—a season of renewed devotion and community that, though time-consuming, offers something uniquely invaluable. My assertion is simple, yet profound: The Church is the lone institution in your life that seeks to reveal God's boundless love to you in a deeply personal way. Yes, the cacophony of life's responsibilities is loud, and the demands on our time are ever increasing. Yet here, in this sacred community, you will find the grounding for all other aspects of your life.

More than that, the Church could be the sanctuary that encourages you to discard what is toxic to your soul. And there, you'll find a different Jesus, not one of moralistic scrutiny or antiquated scientific beliefs, but one with arms outstretched and eyes beaming with love. He invites you in only to propel you back into the world—a world that stands in desperate need of individuals who are renewed, reconciled, and steeped in the boundless grace of God.

In this transformative journey from zeal to grace, I am reminded that the resonance of a name can evolve, reflecting the mutable landscape of our beliefs and experiences. Yet the name "Jesus" remains, not as an overseer of a moral fiefdom, but as a symbol of eternal, undiscriminating love.

Summer Sabbath and the Role of Worship: Rest, Renew, Reconnect

Barbara MacDonald — Wed, 07 Jun 2023 14:51:26 GMT

In the heart of my backyard, nestled between the grandeur of a towering maple and the vibrant hues of a blooming hydrangea, sits a gift Faye gave me for Christmas last year. It's a rocking camp chair called the Nemo Stargaze. It is simply the most comfortable chair in the world; something between a hammock and a camp chair. That chair is an invitation to rest, to slow down, to embrace the sweet lullaby of a summer's breeze. The chair, in all its humble simplicity, symbolizes for me the concept of a summer sabbath. Yet, while it whispers of restful solitude, it also reminds me of the value of community and worship, and therein lies the paradox of the Christian sabbath.

Summer, in all its glory, tempts us to eschew routine, to embrace a life less bound by the constant ticking of the clock. It invites us to cherish sunlit mornings and languid afternoons, to find joy in life's simple pleasures – a ripe watermelon, children's laughter echoing through the neighborhood, the soothing rhythm of the ocean waves. This is the spirit of the summer sabbath; a time to rest, renew and reconnect with the divine rhythm of life.

But, just as a tree needs both sunlight and water to thrive, our sabbath time requires a balance of solitude and communal worship. Picture, if you will, our summer sabbath as a garden, fertile and waiting to be filled. Private reflection and rest are the seeds we sow, but public worship, the gathering of our Christian community, is the rain that nourishes those seeds, encouraging them to sprout and flourish.

Public worship is not merely an obligation to check off our spiritual to-do list. It's a vital lifeline, a time for us to come together as a parish community, to learn, to share, to uplift one another. It's where we sing our praises, voice our doubts, share our joys, and carry each other's burdens. It's in these shared moments that our understanding of God's love deepens, and we find the strength to carry this love out into the world.

As the summer unfolds, think of the church not as a place of duty, but as a sanctuary in the midst of life's hustle and bustle. It's a place to refuel, to be reminded of God's grace, and to reignite our spiritual fervor. And just as we need the Sabbath for rest, we need the church for renewal and reconnection.

This summer, I implore you to weave worship into your summer sabbath tapestry. Let the hymns fill your soul, let the words of scripture inspire you, let the sense of community uplift you. As we gather together in worship, we not only deepen our own faith but also help to nurture the faith of those around us.

The Stargaze camp chair in my backyard is inviting, but so too are the doors of our church. As you find time to rest and rejuvenate this summer, remember the importance of communal worship. The sabbath is a dance of both solitude and togetherness, and it's in that balance that we truly begin to embody the rhythm of God's grace.

You and I were created to both enjoy rest and engage in worship. Don't allow the allure of the summer sabbath to overshadow the power and purpose of shared worship. Both are critical ingredients in the recipe for a nourished and fruitful spiritual life. So, this summer, rest in your hammock but also rejoice in your church. Embrace the joy of both the silent whisper of a summer breeze and the harmonious hymn of a worshiping community.

Rev. Mike Dangelo +

A Time to Build - An update from Rev. Mike Dangelo

Barbara MacDonald — Wed, 08 Feb 2023 14:07:45 GMT

Dear Friends of the Redeemer,

What an update I have for you all this morning! As of today, A Time to Build... has received over $467,000.00 in pledges! Amazing! What a joy and answer to prayer.

We also learned last week that the Norfolk Street Project of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston (our particular project if you will) goes before the Zoning Board for final approval this week! Please keep the HHGB team in your prayers. After zoning approval comes the Building Permit phase which could take up to twelve weeks, but after zoning approval, the runway is clear!

Habitat has also helped us look ahead for build dates a little farther into the future. We now have four dates for the next four months: Friday, February 24th, Saturday, March 4th, Friday, April 21st, and Saturday, May 13th. Signups are available now for February 24th and March 4th!

As I will be on a family trip to see my mother on February 24th, I am hoping to find a team point person for that day. Not a lot of heavy lifting save giving the team a gathering point at the Church and coordinating rides. Easy peasy leadership opportunity!

Once again, thank you for making this amazing project a possibility. There is a lot more to come on including children in this work. Also, we will have more information soon on Epiphany-Redeemer projects in particular. Below you will find the sign up information for theFeb 24th and March 4th dates. So excited and blessed!

In, Christ,

Mike

We've reserved the following dates for you all - February 24, March 4, April 21, and May 13. Your February and March dates are available for sign-up on Volunteer Hub. Below are the Build Day details. We are excited to continue this partnership and have you all on build site again soon!

We still utilize Volunteer Hub to register all volunteers onsite, the link includes all necessary information including site location, construction staff contact info, waivers, etc. Your Volunteer Hub link is listed below and should be distributed to your organization for anyone who wants to participate in the build. Registration closes 48 hours before a build day. All volunteers must register on Volunteer Hub no later than 48 hours before your Build Day, we are unable to extend the registration period. Anyone not registered on Volunteer Hub cannot participate in the Build Day.

Date: February 24 & March 4

Time: 8:30 am-3:00 pm with a lunch break at 12pm. Clean-up begins at 2:30 pm.

Site Locations: 725 Parker Street Boston MA 02120

Online Volunteer Sign-Up: http://vhub.at/churchredeemerbuild

Online Volunteer Sign-Up Deadline 1^st Build Day: February 22

Online Volunteer Sign-Up Deadline 2^nd Build Day: March 2

Day-of Contact: Cathy Kurczak, Construction Site Supervisor (617) 515-2883

ITEMS TO BRING:

Dress in clothing that can get dirty and wear sneakers or work boots.
Food and drink for the day, including lunch, snacks, and plenty of your beverage of choice. Water will be offered. No fridge is available. Lunch is not provided.
Wearing a mask is encouraged by all volunteers.
Printed waiver only for 16/17-year-old participants via Volunteer Hub. All volunteers must be at least 16 years old to participate in a Build Day.

Every volunteer arriving at the build site must be registered on our online volunteer platform (VolunteerHub). I also encourage you to read Frequently Asked Questions on our website.

Please feel free to contact me via email at esterfarah@habitatboston.org with any additional questions related to your BuildDay(s).In the case of inclement weather, please contact the Day-of Contact, Cathy (contact info above), before arriving on site. We look forward to seeing you on site!

Statements from Rev. Mike, Rt. Rev. Alan Gates and Rt. Rev. Gayle Harris and Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry

Barbara MacDonald — Mon, 23 May 2022 16:37:10 GMT

From Rev. Mike Dangelo--

Dear Friends of the Redeemer,

I write to you this afternoon from a crossroad within my soul. On Saturday night as I was putting the final touches on my Sunday morning sermon, my phone (like yours) alerted me of the murder of ten black Americans at the hands of an angry and young white supremacist. Those murdered people just like us going about their daily routines providing for themselves and their children. Celestine Cheney, grandmother of six, was grocery shopping with her sister. Andre Mackniel was shopping for a birthday cake for his three-year-old son. Hayward Patterson was just waiting in his taxicab to pick up a shopper when he was murdered. This violence was horrific and numbingly predictable. It was that story we continue to hear about a mentally unstable young white man hatefully fueled to violence by racially charged lies and sentiments. And like all of these terrible stories, these murders were preventable. Had this young man's parents, his friends, his relatives, or his systems of education and justice acted in concert on the information they all had, these innocents would have been saved. I could not gather my soul in a way to address it, and I am still at a loss on how we might confront the sick sin of white supremacy that cancerously infects our national soul. What strikes me today is how American Payton Gendron is. Gendron hailed from Conklin, New York, a rural town on the border of New York and Pennsylvania. With a population of just over 5,000 people, Conklin's citizenry represents the kind of majority white small town America that is worlds away from the cosmopolitan and diverse worldviews of our East and West Coast realities. Relegated to the limited and narrowing economic horizons of much of America's hinterland, the positivity and possibility of upward mobility is being dragged down by factors far beyond our control. And, when the optimistic stories of America no longer move someone to hope and possibility, other narratives filled with lies and hateful sentiments begin their pernicious work of radicalizing the young and impressionable. There is no excuse for the murders committed by Payton Gendron, but the seeds of his hate were sown in the soil of isolation, watered by hopelessness, and fertilized with anger, cruelty and hate. These too were all preventable.

What then can an Episcopal Church and its community of Christians do in light of this great field of thorns growing in our midst? Every piece of our life as the Church stands against the forces that created Payton Gendron. We are a community. Isolation is inimical to us. We are called to gather from across the panoply of the human experience breaking the divisive barriers of economics, ethnicity, education, gender, sexuality, and all of the dividing walls that keep human beings apart. We are agents of the Gospel and its message of hope. We believe that in raising Christ from the dead, God has broken the power of sin and death that drag people into hopelessness. Ours is the most hopeful story that can be told. And, we are called to love. Love is not just avoiding behaviors that are wrong, it is actively seeking out those that are alone and estranged so that they might experience God's abiding love with and through us. Through God's own Gospel story and God's own Gospel love, we can and will starve the seeds of hate planted all around us.

From the Bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts

“Christ has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” ~ Ephesians 2:14

Last Sunday’s reading from Acts explored ways in which Jesus’ followers came to understand that – in his teachings and in his salvific death and resurrection – Jesus was breaking down dividing walls of hostility and alienation. We do not need to tell you that this mission is not completed, that dividing walls endure, that distinctions are still bitter and deadly. We remain in the midst of our deep national reckoning with the dividing wall of racism, which is stubborn, systemic, and sinful. The weekend massacre in Buffalo displays yet again that toxic intersection of simmering racism, online indoctrination into white supremacist philosophies, and appallingly simple access to lethal weapons.

“The loss of any human life is tragic, but there was deep racial hatred driving this shooting, and we have got to turn from the deadly path our nation has walked for much too long,” said our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, in his May 16 pastoral statement. He called on us “to uphold and protect the dignity of every human child of God, and to actively uproot the white supremacy and racism deep in the heart of our shared life.” Likewise, Bishop Sean Rowe of the Diocese of Western New York – which includes Buffalo – urged prayer, “not as a substitute for taking action, but to prepare to do so. In the coming weeks, we will need to gather our resolve and raise our voices again against racism and hatred, and commit ourselves to freeing our nation from this epidemic of gun violence.” (Read Bishop Rowe's statements here and here.)

All around us old dividing walls are being shored up and new dividing walls constructed with bigotry, vitriol, and a righteous furor. May God grant us courage and strength to resist, refuse, and combat these sinful separations.

The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates
The Rt. Rev. Gayle E. Harris

From the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church

My heart is heavy with the news that a white supremacist gunman took the lives of 10 children of God in Buffalo on Saturday. I grew up walking distance from the scene of this hateful crime, and my friends and I used to ride our bikes around the neighborhood. Buffalo’s Black community raised and formed me. I grieve with the city and people I love.

The loss of any human life is tragic, but there was deep racial hatred driving this shooting, and we have got to turn from the deadly path our nation has walked for much too long. Bigotry-based violence—any bigotry at all—against our siblings who are people of color, Jewish, Sikh, Asian, trans, or any other group, is fundamentally wrong. As baptized followers of Jesus of Nazareth, we are called to uphold and protect the dignity of every human child of God, and to actively uproot the white supremacy and racism deep in the heart of our shared life.

Please join me in prayer for the shattered families in Buffalo. Please also join me in expressing profound gratitude for the intervention by Buffalo police that likely saved many other lives. Even amid tragedy, even when manifestations of evil threaten to overwhelm, let us hold fast to the good. It is the only way that leads to life.

The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry

Rev. Mike's 2021 Annual Report to the Parish

Barbara MacDonald — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 19:15:41 GMT

Here is a video of Rev. Mike's 2021 Annual Report to the Parish, click here.

Click here for the 2021 Annual Report.

Restrictions are lifted for Episcopal churches in the Diocese

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 21 May 2021 19:32:54 GMT

Dear Friends of the Redeemer:

Spring has arrived! And with this new season of sun and flowers, the pandemic appears to be on the wane. Thanks be to God! For the last 18 months we have lived under a shadow that now seems to be passing over, and our little corner of the world turns to new life and new possibilities.

Yesterday, our bishops offered a letter to the diocese lifting most of the restrictions of the “Four Stages” document promulgated in March of 2020. Declining cases, fewer deaths and diminishing positivity rates are great news. Rising numbers of vaccinations and the governor’s lifting of restrictions mean that things at the Redeemer are set to change in earnest. Below you will find a comprehensive list of changes and dates for their implementation. Unless a date is stated specifically, the listed change will begin immediately. If you have any questions about this list or matters contained within it, please give me a call or drop me an email. I am thrilled for these welcome changes.

In Christ,

Mike+

Worship

Reservations will no longer be required for attendance. Beginning immediately.
Restroom access will return to pre-COVID practice.
Attendance will be limited to 60% of total capacity.
Masks will be worn indoors for all worshippers, choir and clergy. Outdoor mask wearing is optional.
The choir will be seated within the choir stalls.
Congregational singing is permitted.
Streaming of services will continue indefinitely.
Social distancing between households should be observed when possible.
The offering plates will be available at the baptismal font before and after services. We will not pass the offering plates for the time being.
Physical contact at the Peace is still discouraged.
Reception of communion will take place from the broadstep. Worshippers will be dismissed by rows keeping physical distance as much as possible. The cup will continue to be withheld for the time being. We are investigating other options for the consumption of the wine at communion.
Service Assistant scheduling will resume for Sundays beginning Sunday, September 12, 2021.
All parishioners, volunteers and staff are encouraged to be vaccinated.

Coffee Hour

Outdoor Coffee Hour consisting of lemonade and cookies will return to the Rectory Garden on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
Indoor Coffee Hour will return to the Parish Hall on Sunday, September 12, 2021.

Children, Teens and Family Ministries

Outdoor Sunday School for children will be held beginning on June 27^th at 9:45am continuing throughout the entire summer.
Two Family Picnic Eucharists and Activity Days will take place at Lars Anderson Park on Sunday, July 25^th and Sunday, August 29^th from noon until 2pm.
Homecoming Sunday for Children, Teens and Family programming registration will take place on Sunday, September 19^th.
Indoor Sunday School will return on Sunday, September 26^th. An outdoor and streaming Sunday School option are being considered for the fall.
Nursery care will return on Sunday, September 12^th.

Parish Offices

Beginning on Monday, May 24^th the offices will be open for normal business hours (8:30am – 4:30pm).
On June 21^st the offices will be open for summer hours (M-Th 9am– 3pm and closed on Fridays.)

A regular in-person calendar of events, classes, fellowship opportunities and outreach activities will begin on September 12, 2021.

Annual Meeting was held February 7, 2021

Barbara MacDonald — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 16:06:25 GMT

Dear Redeemer Faithful:

Historically, our annual meeting has been a wonderful opportunity to gather in faithful fellowship to celebrate a year of ministry gone by. This year, thanks to the pandemic, we altered our plans for this wonderful annual celebration. To comply with both our legal obligations and canonical ones, here's how things looked:

1. Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, February 7th beginning at 11:30am. There was be no outdoor service that day.

2. The Annual Meeting was held online via Zoom, creating a more manageable online environment with which to hold this important event.

3. In Person attendance was limited to myself and the officers of the vestry only.

4. This year we voted by our first ever annual meeting proxy. WE NEEDED AT LEAST 25 PROXIES TO HAVE QUORUM FOR THE MEETING.

5. Reports were made available before the meeting. In addition, video reports were also made available by committees willing and ready to create them!

Thank you wonderful Redeemerites for being so adaptable to these strange and difficult times.

Fondly and Faithfully,

Mike+

A Fond and Grateful Farewell to Michael Murray

Barbara MacDonald — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 20:25:36 GMT

Dear Friends of the Redeemer,

Ministry takes as many forms as there are baptized members of the Church. Each set of gifts, given by God, serves to fortify the Body of Christ in particular and life-giving ways. Over the last nineteen years, Michael Murray's gifts (many and varied) have blessed and fortified the Redeemer and her people of all ages and walks of life. He has been a minister in so many ways.

To honor ministry in the midst of a local parish community upon a ministers' departure, a purse is collected of freewill offerings from parishioners to honor and thank the departing minister. To that end, the Vestry has approved the collection of a purse for Michael Murray. These funds will be gathered and given to Michael before his final day with us on December 24, 2020.

Gifts to a purse are not tax-deductible gifts given to the church. Instead the church acts as a conduit of these gifts. Checks should be made payable to Church of the Redeemer with "Murray Purse" noted in the memo line. Online gifts through our Text-To-Give system may also be made by texting 73256 on your mobile phone. Enter REDEEMERCH in the message field and follow the link to our online giving portal. Scroll down to "Murray Purse" in the drop-down menu. As mentioned above, these funds will be released to Michael at the end of his tenure. I hope you will offer a token of your thanks and gratitude to Michael for all he has done in Christ's name for the Redeemer.

In Christ,

Mike+

Unprecedented, Unpredictable, yet Undiminished

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 15:57:59 GMT

We were scheduled to regather for our first indoor worship service of Covidtide (the unofficial liturgical designation of the pandemic period) on Sunday, October 11th, but alas... So we shall do what we have all had to do for the last seven months! Adapt! On Sunday the 11th, weather permitting, we will continue to worship outdoors joined in prayer and fellowship or you can worship at 10am online and remain comfy-cozy. We will be together. We will pray and praise together. Despite it all, we are undiminished.

And therein lies the good news of Christ's Church. Our faith resides in a hope deeper and wider than either vaccines or political vacuity. Our hope lies in the God who made heaven and earth. Our faith resides in that God's extraordinary love for the world made manifest in Jesus Christ. Our faith resides in the life-giving Holy Spirit who resides in us and compels us fearlessly and hopefully into the world with grace, charity and peace. If you are looking for unprecedented, ain't no virus better than that!

And the Holy Spirit is already taking us into places we wouldn't have dreamed a year ago. Our relationship with St. Stephen's Youth Programs grows by leaps and bounds in a deeper partnership to serve the children of the South End and Greater Boston. FUEL sends along hundreds of bags of food every week for school children near and far keeping food insecurity ever before us. Our Children, Teens and Family ministries continue to discover new ways to reach out and build up the faith of our youngest members. Redeemer is about unprecedented ministry in these unprecedented times.

Be of good cheer, sisters and brothers. COVID has not diminished and cannot diminish the good work of Christ in our midst.

Thanks be to God!

Mike+

Regathering on Sunday, September 6th

Barbara MacDonald — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 12:49:55 GMT

Dear Friends of the Redeemer,

Today, I write to you in absolute joy! God willing and the bishop approving the Redeemer will regather on Sunday, September 6th for our first outdoor in-person worship service. It will be the first time we have gathered physically for worship in twenty-five weeks. Extraordinary!

Over the last months, the Ministry Team has been working hard to ensure we stay connected through on-line worship, fellowship and educational opportunities. At the same time, many have been at work preparing the necessary protocols and procedures for regathering as safely as possible.

As excited as I am, I need to warn you. In-person worship will be quite different from our pre-COVID-19 days. Some of us are eager to return to worship while others feel the need to be more cautious. To satisfy those in either category, our 10:00am on-line service will continue indefinitely. These on-line services have proven beautiful, edifying and spiritually nourishing for hundreds upon hundreds of souls near and far. In-person outdoor worship will begin on Sunday, September 6th at 11:15am. Below I am providing a list of expectations and considerations that will help you make the best decision possible for you and those in your household. I can’t wait to see you all!

- If you are 65 years or older or suffer (at any age) from diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, prolonged use of corticosteroids, damaged or scarred lung tissue, or maintain a BMI of over 30, the CDC warns that you are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Please consider thoughtfully and carefully about worshipping on-line instead of in-person for the time being.

- Children and families are warmly invited to join us for in-person worship. However, please note that any child over the age of five will be required to wear a mask for the entire service. Please know that parents or caregivers will need to ensure that children remain in their chosen seating area for the entire service which will last up to an hour. If either masks or delimited seating present significant difficulties for you and your family, please consider worshipping online instead of in-person for the time being. Please remember that children are not immune to COVID-19 and some children have contracted MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children) from COVID-19. We support our parents in whatever decision is best for their families.

- Outdoor seating will be in the parking lot accessible from Suffolk Road.

- Reservations for attendance are required through Sign-Up Genius. Seating capacity is capped at thirty households. Subsequent services will see occupancy capacity raised.

- Those without reservations will be asked to wait in a queue until it becomes clear that space for those with reservations is available.

- Parishioners should arrive at least fifteen minutes early, queuing at the welcome tables.

- Parishioners should park along Suffolk Road, or on Reservoir Avenue. The circular driveway will have limited parking for those in need of handicapped parking. The rest of the driveway will be closed from through traffic for congregational seating.

- Tables for confirming reservations, sanitizing hands, face masks and contact tracing information will be located at the circular driveway and on the driveway of the Suffolk Road parking area.

- Services will be weather dependent. Notice will go out on Saturday at 5pm if services for 11:15am Sunday are cancelled.

- Restrooms will be available before and after the service accessed through the Weld House doors only.

- Collection plates will be provided at each registration table.

- Seats will be available in pods of 2, 3, or 4 chairs per pod. If you need more chairs, please see the ushers.

- The congregation will be dismissed from the back pews to the front pews by ushers. Please remain seated until you are dismissed.

- Please maintain social distance of at least 6’.

- Should you perceive any safety issue, please notify the Rector immediately.

- Should a member of the congregation report a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 to the church, services will be postponed for two weeks.

I know that’s a lot of changes; however, I feel confident that we have created the safest space possible to regather as a parish community. I look forward to seeing you soon!

Excitedly,

Mike+

The Dividing Wall

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 13:39:10 GMT

If we are being truly honest with ourselves, I am not sure there’d be a single American that could say their relationship with race is simple. My relationship with race and racism are extremely complicated and that’s because I’m an American. I spent the first years of my life living in the city of Norwood, Ohio a small, poor and predominantly white city contiguous to Greater Cincinnati. And right across the literal tracks was Evanston, Ohio; Norwood’s mirror image but majority African-American. Poor whites and poor blacks competed for skilled and unskilled jobs coupled with a kind of racism that was antagonistic and often violent. White property values never rose and African-American property values always fell. Both school systems declined, and if you could get out, you got out. And so about the seventh grade, my father moved our family to the white suburbs east of Cincinnati for better schools and a safer neighborhood. Some would call it “white flight.” Some would call it “the American Dream.” Maybe it was both.

There’s more to tell, but that’s enough to make the point: each of us has a story of race. And, just to be clear, the web of stories of race that make up our nation’s story are stories that run from lifegiving to horrific. Each of us lives a life formed in some way by race by virtue of being Americans. Each of us has a story to tell, and that means we each have the responsibility to listen. I don’t mean listening in that nice way that’s just waiting for a turn to speak. I mean listening in that way that takes seriously the story of the person standing right in front of us. I mean a kind of humble listening that doesn’t judge, doesn’t fix, doesn’t interrupt, and doesn’t get angry. I mean a listening that understands the story being told to us is true because that’s how the person telling us their story wants us to understand it. We are our stories, and race is an essential part of the story that must be heard.

The murder of George Floyd has turned the ear of America to listen in a way hitherto unknown. The callous violence of George Floyd’s death at the hands of those trusted to serve and protect him has finally woken many from their silent indifference. Last night, the wardens and I met with a thoughtful, prayerful and eager group of Redeemer parishioners desirous of taking good steps in understanding the problems of race in ourselves, our parish, our city and our nation. This will be a long work that will ask much of us as a parish, but the gospel message is clear that Christians are agents of God’s reconciling love to all people. Racism stands in the way of Christ’s Great Commission, and we must address it in a prayerful spirit of hope, honesty, repentance, charity, and reconciliation.

This group will begin its work by creating a parish statement on race and racism. This statement will be the subject of prayer and conversation for the next several weeks. The statement will be sent along to the Vestry for their consideration and adoption as a theological and philosophical outline of our work as a parish. Contemporaneously, a parish-wide book group reading Waking up White by Debby Irving will begin in the coming days. This will serve as a jumping off point for those desirous of “putting their toe in the water” and those ready to “jump in with both feet” on these important matters. From there we will look at implementing the “Becoming Beloved Community” curriculum of the Episcopal Church to give us an opportunity to dive deeper into these troubled waters. In addition to these, we will look to creating real and honest relationships with our three local partner ministries commoncathedral, St. Stephen’s Youth Programs and the Epiphany School looking to joint fellowship and worship opportunities to deepen our understanding and our empathy for the broken world in which we reside. We need to hear the stories of race from our black and brown brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to proclaim the reconciling love of God demonstrated in Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension. We bear the light of Christ into a world desperate for God’s light and life. This requires of us a spirit of contrition, confession, absolution, and dedication to proclaiming Christ’ Gospel in word and deed to those far off and those near. I ask you to consider joining us in this work and journey. It will be painful at times, but it is a journey of promise in Christ’s name.

Mike +

Home Depot for the Soul

Barbara MacDonald — Fri, 29 May 2020 14:35:18 GMT

I've started a small but helpful spiritual discipline over the last weeks that goes something like this: when I go out of the house to the pharmacy, the grocery store, Dumpling House (for the absolutely necessary weekly soup dumpling take-out) or wherever, I try a new exercise of prayer. As I drive I pray for the masked drivers in the other lanes. I pray for the people pushing shopping carts across the socially distanced parking lot. And, I pray for the cashiers and workers as I zip through the aisles.

What I noticed in my prayer this week was an idea: work is essential for a hopeful soul. What I saw at Home Depot this week were innumerable people, previously sequestered at home, strolling the outdoor aisles of vegetable seedlings and flowering annuals. Their carts were loaded up with new hoses, sprinklers, grass seed and all the other normal implements of spring. But this time there was an intangible something about hitherto banal spring project shopping.

It was the same inside in the paint aisle and in the lumber section. Little projects of home and garden pushing people out into the world. And as I prayed, I didn't sense burden or obligation. I sensed hopefulness. One doesn't undertake even the simplest of home repairs or projects when one feels hopeless. The very act of repairing something, building something, or even having a gallon of paint mixed carries a certain hopefulness with it; a possible future written in the act. Yes, the work will solve a practical problem, but it will also mean a perfect tomato on a sultry August afternoon, a new baby in that repainted room that's now the nursery, or a cool living room thanks to that new window AC unit that your wife asked you to buy four years ago. Work, in so many forms, is an act of hopefulness especially in this moment of COVID-19.

Mike +

What can so few do against so many?

Barbara MacDonald — Thu, 14 May 2020 17:56:47 GMT

For an extrovert like me, social isolation is the worst. There's nothing more energizing that seeing your faces on a Sunday morning as the procession gets underway, as I say the opening acclamation, or as I stand in the pulpit. But these days, standing in the pulpit with empty pew after empty pew and only the lens of the camera looking back at me makes it all a little more difficult. I love doing it for you all, but the experience of it is something like the sound of one hand clapping.

Then I start thinking about the extraordinary needs that so many have. I read of the unemployment numbers, the rising death toll, and the seemingly insurmountable task of returning to some kind of new "normal" that would at least allow us to grab a bite to eat or have a cup of coffee. The whole weight of it presses down on me, and I ask myself, "Realistically, what can our little Episcopal parish at 379 Hammond Street do to confront these challenging days in a truly meaningful and impactful way?"

That's about the moment the name Winston Churchill starts buzzing around in my brain. Now, let me be honest, having Winston Churchill whispering in your ear (even metaphorically) is a strange experience. But it makes me think of his speech to the British people and the world on August 20, 1940. That is the date when Churchill gave his extraordinary speech extolling the RAF pilots who battled back the tides of Nazi squadrons assaulting the isle. He offered this line, "Never was so much owed by so many to so few."

Now this line of course came at a time of existential struggle for Britain, and comparing it to COVID-19 might seem a little disproportionate. But what I am after here is not melodrama...it's purpose. When we look back on these strange days, I do not want us to be known as the parish that perished. I want our friends and neighbors alike to be able to think of the Redeemer with a similar sentiment of gratitude. What did we do to further the reign of God? Everything we could...to the last full measure.

Mike+

A Special Message to the Parish

Michael Dangelo — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:43:58 GMT

Meeting COVID-19 Head On

Dear Friends of the Redeemer,

COVID-19 is challenging us all in extraordinary ways. We cannot visit those we know and love. We cannot go outside without wearing a mask. We cannot gather to pray for the world in the ways we know and need.

Some of these challenges, let's face it, are inconveniences. For others, however, the economic disruption is catastrophic. Jobs are being lost, rent is going unpaid, and bringing food to the table is proving more and more difficult.

After extensive conversations with our Strategic Ministries Committee and our partners at St. Stephen's, The Epiphany School and our friends in the Newton Public School system, we believe we have two ways to meet this extraordinary moment, and we need your help.

The first is food. Whereas in years past FUEL has been able to purchase large quantities of specific foodstuffs, grocery stores and bulk food stores are now limiting the quantities of essential foods FUEL can purchase. Two of this and one of these will not meet the needs of the moment. Below is a list of the items we are asking you to consider adding to your regular grocery shopping, Instacart order, or even an Amazon or Walmart delivery order. Even if you are limited to one or two of an item, if fifty of us order one or two each, we will quickly acquire the food we need to meet our partners' needs. We will provide covered bins outside the parish offices for collection. You may also order some of these things and have them delivered directly to the parish offices. FUEL will continue to use Easter Offering funds to purchase these items every way we can, however, we need the buying power of the whole parish to meet these needs. Your generosity will make all the difference as we will be trying to fill 125 FUEL bags for delivery every Thursday.

Proteins:

1 can chicken (12.5oz) or 2 cans of tuna (5oz each) or 1 bag of beans and 1 peanut butter (28oz-40oz)

Fruit:

2 cans of fruit (15oz each) [pineapple, fruit cocktail, pears, peaches or mandarin oranges] or equivalent in individual serving cups and/or 1 jar of apple sauce (48oz or equivalent in individual cups)

Carbohydrates:

1 pound pasta [any type],

1 bag of rice

1 box of macaroni and cheese (6oz each)

1 box of cereal (20oz) or cereal bars

1 box of crackers (10-15oz)

Other:

1 can or bottle of marinara sauce (24-48oz)

2 cans soup (10-15oz each)

The second way is through VISA gift cards. St. Stephen's is looking to make fifty $50.00 cards available each week, one per family. These cards will help with incidentals as almost 70% of St. Stephen's families report having an immediate family member out of work. These cards may be purchased online or in person at Shaw's, CVS or Walgreens throughout the area. These we ask to be sent to the Redeemer Parish Office or dropped off in the mail slot at Redeemer so that we can bring them weekly as a bundle to St. Stephen's along with their FUEL Food Bags.

Friends, these are extraordinary times, and I believe that God has called this extraordinary parish to meet them with wisdom and compassion. I hope you will help.

In Hope,

Mike

I Shaved My Head...

Michael Dangelo — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:20:59 GMT

I don't want you to worry. It will grow back. I've done this before but long before I knew anyone from the Redeemer. At first, I thought it was just me. About a week ago I started having these thoughts of taking my old sheers out of the closet and putting them to work. Snip snip and all that.

After checking in with male friends on Facebook I could see I wasn't alone. One after another sensible if not imperfect home haircuts became flattops which became mohawks which became buzz cuts. It seems that one of the symptoms of cabin fever is doing to one's hair what one has always dreamed of doing. And it wasn't just my male friends. My female friends are trying crazy hair colors and new do's all across Facebook. Maybe we are all looking for a little something we can control in a time when everything is out of our control? Look no further than what we see in the mirror every morning for the particular canvas of choice!

And there it is...the world is out of our control. We all sit in the not-so-splendid isolation of home school tech support, empty wine boxes (yeah we are down to the boxes now) and the limitless ignorance of "when will this craziness ever end?" If we needed the lesson before, we sure have received it in abundance: the world is not ours to control. We are at the whim of forces that are far greater than us and microscopically smaller. And here we are...stuck looking at the same selves but now with shorter hair, and maybe we are all just a little afraid.

And so I am reminded of the twelfth chapter of the Gospel of Luke:

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. 7 But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6&7)

Fear is a natural thing. But, for the Christian, the love of God can be deeper than any fear. Jesus himself reassures us of God's love and care for us in our Luke passage. God's sovereign grace is greater than quarantines, tiny viruses and even international economies. We are of exceeding value to God. And, even if we shave off all the hairs on our heads, God still knows how many we have. Thanks be to God!

Mike+