Kristina DeFrancesco
Prayer for a New Day
Prayer for a New Day
Worship, News
Kristina DeFrancesco
Blessing of the Animals October 3

Join us October 3 at 5pm for an outdoor Blessing of the Animals. Animals on leashes or in carriers are warmly welcome, as are stuffed animals and photos.

Blessing of the Animals October 3
Sermon
Kristina DeFrancesco
Easter 7 (5/16/21) – Kyra Cook

“I am not a priest—I just poorly play one on Facebook live. My study of the Bible is relatively recent and shallow—I didn’t find my way into regular worship until I met Gene. Sure, my childhood featured Easter Sunday services in fluffy Talbots dresses and two-weeks each summer of Vacation Bible School… but those were less an expression of my belief in God than they were my being easily bribed by flowery dresses and weeks of time at Grandma’s house.

I’m not a rector, but Iama writer. I’ve consumed a lot of stories in all sorts of different media. I love the craft of storytelling, and the tropes and tools we writers use to tell a story right. That’s why I think I love John’s gospel.”

Easter 7 (5/16/21) – Kyra Cook
Sermon
Kristina DeFrancesco
Easter 4 (4/25/21) – David Urion

“This fourth Sunday of the Easter season is awash in images of shepherds and flocks. This Gospel passage, and the 23rd psalm from which its imagery derives. The original audience listening to Rabbi Jesus would have been more than familiar with the frequent use of images of sheep and flocks in scripture and teaching.

Years ago, when I dropped out of college for a bit of time that was graciously considered by the dean of students as a “leave of absence”, I lived on a farm in the Upper Connecticut Valley in New Hampshire. This farm raised blueberries and trees and was self-sustaining for its own produce. Living there was, quite literally, living off the land. Like most New England farmers, the man who owned the farm was responsive to his neighbors’ needs. Farming in New England is not for the faint of heart and you survive in solidarity with the other resolute souls who try to earn their living out of that stony ground and frequently harsh climate. One of the neighbors kept sheep, and when he would need to leave town for a time, we took care of his sheep. It was thus that I had a very short-career as a not very capable shepherd. The Mediocre Shepherd, you might say.”

Easter 4 (4/25/21) – David Urion
Sermon
Kristina DeFrancesco
Easter 2 (4/11/21) – Garrett Yates

Easter Sunday puts a pause on the world’s worries: pilgrims make their pilgrammages; choirs belt out their strong hallelujah’s; the pope says mass for thousands; preachers mock death; the adorned altar proclaims spring, and for a brief shining moment the hope of Jesus Christ risen is tangible. But then the world blinks, as it were, loses its concentration and returns its attention to other pressing matters: COVID variants in the air, a border in disarray, a boiling planet and brutal gun violence. Then it turns to look for this hope again, and it’s gone. An array of forces is approaching us led by the baddest bully of them all: death. Where is that Easter bravado today?

One week after, do you still believe in Easter? How? There was once a man who did not believe in Easter. His name was Thomas the Twin; we might call him St. Skepticus.

Easter 2 (4/11/21) – Garrett Yates

Join Us this Sunday for the Memorial Tree Lighting & Blue Christmas Service

Each year on the first Sunday of Advent, we hold two very special services of remembrance.

The first occurs at dusk, 4:30 pm, when we light the huge Douglas fir at the top of the church driveway in memory of those we mourn during this usually festive season. The Memorial Tree was planted in the 1980s to commemorate the tragic passing of three young parishioners, and is the centerpiece of a short, poignant service at which we switch on the beautiful lights and hang ornaments for those we wish to remember.

Our Blue Christmas service immediately follows in the St. Anne’s Sanctuary at 5 pm. For those who have lost those most beloved to them, this service allows reflection in mourning and celebration through candles, quiet, and prayers.

We welcome any and all to attend one or both of these special services. For more information, please contact the Parish Office (781.259.8834).

Join Us on All Saints' Day

Fauré Requiem for All Saints’ Day, November 5

On Sunday evening November 5 at 5 pm we will observe the feast of All Saints with the Requiem by French composer Gabriel Fauré, accompanied by a chamber orchestra. In this serene and beautiful work, beloved by singers and listeners alike, Fauré sets the traditional words of the Latin Requiem mass to peaceful, moving music. Join us at this special event as we gather to remember all the faithful departed.

Join us for Evensong!

This Sunday, October 1 at 5 pm, come and experience evensong, an Anglican liturgy of rare and mystical beauty in which the Word is illuminated by music. Our next evensong will honor Thérèse of Lisieux, known as “The Little Flower.” The choir will chant the psalms and prayers, sing the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis as set by Stanford, and offer the lovely anthem “Like as the Hart” by Herbert Howells. Join us!

Welcome Back Sunday & Ministry Fair: September 17

Please join us in Flint Hall after both services for a lively Coffee Hour and chance to chat with old friends and newcomers. Representatives of our many commissions, fellowship groups, and service committees will be available to tell you about their vital work for the parish of St. Anne’s. The gathering will also feature our “Gallery of Creation” exhibit - a joyous celebration of what we all enjoyed, tried, cooked, saw, and experienced this past summer. This is also the day to bring in your filled pencil cases or supplies! We will bless the students, educators, and cases at the 10 am service. We hope you will join in all this fun as St. Anne’s kicks-off another program year!

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September Sunday School Resumes - Welcome Home!

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Our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program (preK-7th) begins with Children’s Chapel at 10:00 on September 10. We will all head to the service together for the Sign of Peace and Holy Eucharist. During the Coffee Hour, there will be a registration table for all families with CORI check updates and health/photo forms.

Our Atrium time will begin at 9:30 on September 17, with Parents of Good Shepherd (preK-1st grade) and Mustard Seed (2-4th grade) meeting in the People of God Atrium. Students in People of God (5-7th grade) will attend the 10:00 service and meet in the Sanctuary at 11:15 (after a quick snack in Coffee Hour!) for a Welcome Back and review of Acolyte poise and procedures. All Atrium groups will meet at 9:30 on September 24.

Zen for Christians: Starts June 22

Zen for Christians: A Summer Reading & Meditation Series

What is Zen Buddhism? How can Zen strengthen our connection to God/the Divine? How can Zen be practiced by Christians responsibly and respectfully, in a manner that neither appropriates Zen nor violates one's Christian commitments?

In this bi-weekly summer series, we will engage these kinds of questions as we learn about and practice Zen meditation. To do so, we will use Living Zen, Loving God by the Zen-trained Jesuit priest, Ruben Habito, a renowned expert in Christian Zen practice and inter-religious dialogue. Each meeting will be divided into two parts, with the first 35-45 minutes focused on discussing chapters from Fr. Habito's book, and the last 20-30 minutes dedicated to practicing Zen meditation together. Meetings will be hybrid (in-person at St. Anne's and on Zoom) and will meet from 6:30-7:45 pm on the following five Thursdays: June 22, July 6 and 20, August 3 and 17. If you are interested in participating, or have any questions, please email Joe. 

All Invited to the Social Justice Commission Movie Night on June 2

The St. Anne’s Social Justice Commission is excited to invite you to its next Climate Justice movie night on Friday, June 2 at 7:00 in Flint Hall.  The 37-minute documentary, Current Revolution, describes the challenges of converting our electricity grid from fossils fuels to renewables. Boston University Professor Nathan Phillips, a well-known climate activist, will respond to the film and discuss his work on this issue with ISO New England. A community supper will precede the film. To RSVP, please email Alex Chatfield or Dave Gronewold.

Evensong: Sunday, April 30 at 5 pm

Come and experience evensong, an Anglican liturgy of rare and mystical beauty in which the Word is illuminated by music.  Our next evensong (the first since the pandemic) will be offered on Sunday evening April 30 at 5:00 pm, when we will honor St. Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The choir will chant the psalms and prayers, sing the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis as set by Herbert Sumsion, and offer the lovely “Evening Song” by Josef Rheinberger.  Join us!

RESCHEDULED!

Our second installment of our Speaker Series “Encountering the Divine” has been rescheduled to Thursday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. Please join us then in Flint Hall for a discussion on the historical and theological connections between Judaism and Christianity.

St. Anne's Speaker Series

Encountering the Divine through Multiple Faiths

While we often associate Jesus with Christian traditions, how might we encounter Jesus, and/or the Divine more broadly, through faiths beyond Christianity? Specifically, how might traditions and practices associated with Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism aid us in encountering the Divine? In this multi-week series, three religious scholars from Boston College will lead us in an exploration of how these various faith traditions might help us engage spiritual resources, in a responsible way, beyond the traditional boundaries of Christianity. We hope you'll join us for one or more of these fascinating lectures on the Thursdays of April 13, April 27, and May 4 from 6:30 to 8 pm.

St. Anne's Hosts Area Blood Drive: Please Give on Wednesday, March 22

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive in St. Anne’s Flint Hall on Wednesday, March 22, from 10 am to 3 pm. The need is great, and all donors will receive a $10 Visa gift card, as well as be entered in a $3000 Visa gift card drawing! To register, please visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter the code STANNEITF. Further details can be found by downloading this flyer. Thank you!

Lenten Family Formation

We entered Lent this year with new friends, renewed in-person worship, and Atrium time and special offerings. Although we think of Lent as a spiritual journey for each individual, our St. Anne’s children know Lent as the count-the-purple-Sundays in the snow season, listening to parables of Jesus about how God’s Kingdom grows with love for our neighbors and ourselves. To make tough concepts concrete memories this year, our children meet once a month in multi-age Children’s Chapel for the love lessons in The Good Samaritan, Psalm 23, and The Sower. They will have art reflections and practice being creators. They will visit The Butterfly Place to introduce one transformation example of Creation. They will have an opportunity to bake bread for Holy Eucharist, as well as make small pillar candles to receive the New Light after Easter.

In our smaller groups in the Atria, they meet in People of God (gr 5-7) to talk about family surprises and reconciliation in Abraham and Sarah’s tent, Rebekah and Isaac’s blessings of their sons, Jacob and Leah and Rachel’s ancient blended family and sibling rivalries. In Mustard Seed (gr 2-4) children wonder about the Good Shepherd and the Found Sheep, then the Found Coin and the parables of the Insistent Friend and the Ten Bridesmaids. In Good Shepherd (gr preK-1) they will hear about the Hidden Treasure, the Precious Pearl, and the Found Sheep.

Our Teen Formation students were invited to walk with families, our warden and priest, and 3,000 others a few days before Ash Wednesday in the WinterWalk Boston, to support the homeless. Teens also meet with Garrett to play games together and countinue the year’s theme of sacred spaces and reflect on how we show up in them. Some of our teens serve the parish community as the Livesteam Techs and Nursery Staff, as well, and we’re so grateful for their involvement and dedication.

And not to be missed, we will have an all-parish Game Night for everyone to play together on a Friday evening in March, hosted by the Family Engagement Commission!

Lent is here, and in community with our own families and wider parish, we learn that by taking part in our faith family at St. Anne’s, we are given new opportunities to grow and build foundational experiences as children of God and followers of Jesus.