by Stacey Hilliard | Dec 4, 2024 | Conversations
“The ritual of lighting candles at Advent is not a shallow exercise. It begins the Christian year with a clear reminder that God so loved the world Jesus came to provide the best example of how to find beloved community amid our challenges…It acknowledges, with the lighting of a simple candle once a week, that God is still in our midst, still calling us to be the body of Christ “\’until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.’”
Read Bishop Bickerton’s full Advent letter, HERE.
by Stacey Hilliard | Dec 3, 2024 | Conversations
On Sunday, December 1 – the first Sunday in Advent – we celebrated our annual “Blessing of the Greens.” It’s a fun, family-oriented service during which we learn about how the decorations we use, both inside and out, came to represent our faith. (Yes, even a Christmas Tree, with its Pagan roots.) We lit the first candle on our Advent Wreath, sang a lot of carols, and offered our blessing over it all. (You can watch a recording of the service here, or read the history of our decorations here.)
This Advent season, we will offer a special blessing on a different figure from our home nativity sets. Everyone is encouraged to bring figures from their home to be blessed each week. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, the Messenger, at https://crawfordmethodist.org/subscribe/ to find out which figures will be blessed next! (Spoiler: We’ll bless the baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.)
by Stacey Hilliard | Dec 3, 2024 | News
Many of Crawford’s musicians are members of other choirs, orchestras, and so forth. And at this time of year many of those organizations are performing concerts of Christmas music you might enjoy. Here is a short list of upcoming musical events at which you’ll find one or more Crawford member. Those Crawford musicians invite you to join them for one or more of these upcoming performances. Click on the links below (in red) for more information.
Just added: Compaq Big Band Concert at City Winery… two shows on Sunday, Dec. 22! See below!
Copley Singers Holiday Concert Series
Multiple dates and locations
Irish Tenors Christmas Concert
Multiple dates and locations
Celtic Woman White Christmas Symphony Tour
Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
Wednesday, December 18, 7:30pm
Hancock Carillon and Morning Glory Ringers Christmas Concert
Hancock United Church of Christ, Lexington, MA
Friday, Dec. 15, 10:30am and Sunday, Dec. 1, 3:00pm
Compaq Big Band Christmas Concert
City Winery, Boston, MA
Sunday, Dec. 22, shows at 3pm and 7:30pm
by Stacey Hilliard | Nov 19, 2024 | Uncategorized
Join us on Saturday, December 21 for a Christmas concert by the Back Bay Chorale, of which our own Barb Siftar is a member! This concert is a local favorite every Christmas season!
From bbcboston.org:
Don’t miss this annual highlight of the holiday season, featuring the mighty Back Bay Chorale, brass, organ, and Boston’s favorite carol sing-along…The Back Bay Chorale’s “A Boston Christmas” returns, bringing the warmth and cheer of the holidays to our audiences through choral music. The grand but inviting, historic space provided by Old South Church, the sounds of brass and organ, and the invitation to sing carols that many of us have known since infancy all signal that this is a time of year for reflection, connection, and hope.
When: Saturday, December 21, 2024 • 4:00 pm
Where: Old South Church, 645 Boylston St., Boston , Copley Sq.
How to get tickets: Tickets are Dress Circle, $65.00 floor, fully accessible. Preferred balcony seats are $36 each. Bernadette needs your ticket request and money to buy the tickets no later than Sunday, December 1.
Good to know: Parking will likely cost approximately $45. The MBTA is also an option, as the Copley Sq Green Line station is very near the venue.
Questions? If you’re interested or have any questions, Bernadette would appreciate a text or phone call to let her know (617-947-3161).
by Stacey Hilliard | Nov 17, 2024 | Sermons
Debt, by definition, is future-oriented. It represents a promise in the present of something we will do in the future. It becomes a problem when the future arrives and the promise is not fulfilled. The Bible has a lot to say about how to handle debt—both to those who incur it and those to whom it is owed. There are even entire public policies about debt in the Bible. Let’s learn more.
– Pastor Anne
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