The Rev. Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Ph.D, Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church, Plummmer Professor of Christian Morals in the Faculty of Divinity. Photo by Stephaine Mitchell, Harvard Gazette.
Exploring the Narrative of Religion
Peace and greetings from the heart of Harvard Yard.
I recently returned from several weeks in Japan where I visited family in Akishima and Osaka and made
pilgrimages to Kanazawa and Nagano. I also preached at St. Alban’s Church, the English language congregation of St. Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral in Tokyo. The trip was exhausting and exhilarating. But now I’m back in Cambridge excited for the beginning of the fall term.
The acclaimed author and Zen Buddhist Priest Ruth Ozeki will be our Noble Lecturer in the spring, and much of our programming will help prepare us for her visit. Ruth’s 2013 novel A Tale for the Time Being was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and her latest, The Book of Form and Emptiness, won the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2022. Because Ruth is such a masterful storyteller, we’re going to spend some time thinking about narrative reading and narrative writing as they relate to religion.
Our Faith and Life forums will pursue close readings of the four gospels as narrative and literary texts.
Second, Stephanie Paulsell, Harvard Divinity School professor and former minister of the Memorial Church, will convene a writing group at the church to explore our own writing as a spiritual practice.
We have a great slate of guest preachers this fall for the launch of our live stream of Sunday services on our YouTube channel. Terrence Johnson, Charles Adams Professor at the Divinity School, will visit our pulpit on Oct. 15. The Rt. Rev. Shannon MacVean-Brown, Episcopal Bishop of Vermont, will preach on Oct. 29. And Melissa Bartholomew, Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Divinity School will preach on Nov. 19.
The music department promises several exciting events this fall. On Sunday, Oct. 8, the Ferris Choral Fellows will present a recital of works celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Harvard graduate Daniel Pinkham. The Harvard University Choir’s fall concert will be on Sunday, Oct. 29, featuring two twentieth-century English settings of the Requiem. The Choir will also participate in a masterclass and concert with renowned choral conductor Marcus Creed as part of the Danish National Vocal Ensemble’s visit on Saturday, Nov. 11. Last but not least, the 114th Annual Carols services will be held on Dec. 10 and 12.
Finally, our established weekly student programming—Queer Bible Study and Afterschool Snack at Sparks House—will resume once the fall term commences. We will also host a weekly service of Holy Communion on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m. in Appleton Chapel. This service will be student-centered but open to all.
On behalf of all of the staff at the Memorial Church: thank you for all the ways that you have blessed this community. We are eager to welcome your blessings once again this fall, and to continue serving each of you and this wonderful community. See you soon.
With every blessing,
Matt
The Rev. Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Ph.D. '13
Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church
Plummer Professor of Christian Morals in the Faculty of Divinity
Download the Fall 2023 Calendar
