Church of the Advent

I decided on a whim to check the Unilocal reviews on the church I’ve been attending, with my husband, for four years. I especially want to address the LGBT issue raised by a reviewer last Spring. My husband and I had our marriage blessed at the Advent in October 2013. Good friends of ours, gay, had their marriage blessed there last month. I don’t know the person who wrote the review from April 2014, or any circumstances surrounding that decision, but I want to rebut the notion that clergy at the Advent are fundamentally opposed to blessing same-​sex marriages. That’s just simply not true, on the whole.
Yes, it is high, high church (with lots of music). Quite a diverse congregation. Mostly families at 9am (with a strong contingent of older folks). The 11:15am has plenty of every stripe. Conservatives, liberals, singles, couples, young, old, gay, straight — a real hodgepodge — everyone gathered for the quiet, peaceful, serene, moving, powerful, mysterious, ancient, and holy liturgy.
Definitely visit! And definitely stay for «coffee hour!»

Based on Ian M.‘s review 5 months ago, I am very encouraged by Advent’s welcoming of LGBT folks. I attended the 11:15 mass a weeks ago and felt very welcomed. I’ll be back. My review from the Spring of 2014 has been replaced with this one.

Great church in the middle of Boston. If you aren’t high church — I’m not — you’ll find the services to be relatively foreign in comparison with what you’re used to. However, the entire community at Advent really tries to make you feel at home.

I came back here after attending one of the church’s Theology on Tap events. The discussions are on theology coupled with another field of study; they’ve done theology and art and theology and rock and roll. Theology on Tap has its info on the Friends at the Advent facebook page if you’re interested.
I met Father Gray at of the events and he invited me to a service.
Of all the houses of worship I’ve checked out since moving here, the practices at Church of the Advent were the most foreign to me.
When I first walked in, I noticed a haze that I quickly identified as incense. Before taking their seats, people bowed before a cross with Jesus still on it. There was also kneeling during prayers. And people had their communion served to them. Astonishing!
It was reminiscent of the Holy Hand Grenade scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Everything had a very cool, stoic feel. And as soon as I began to wish that I brought a translator —
the choir started singing.
Now, mind you, I’m used to the dancing, shouting, and speaking in tongues of the Black Church. I’m most familiar with Negro spirituals and oppression-​infused gospel lyrics. Drums and electric guitars. Hand clapping and foot stomping.
Not here. Oh, no ma’am — not here.
Yes, there was an organ, but it was more How Great Thou Art than Down By the Riverside. I think I like it that way. The focus was on the voices as precision instruments rather than tambourines and piano and organ riffs. The hymns compelled your attention because there weren’t any of the distractions I’m used to — the cast aside shoes, the mutinous wigs.
It was a sight to behold. Ptolemy would’ve been proud.
All in all, I didn’t understand much. I was confused by the practices, the eternally-​crucified Jesus pained me to look at [He just looked so hurt] and I kept expecting to see John Donne peek around one of the corners in this beautiful church, but I’ll stop by again.
I’ll definitely try the 11:15 service. I figure I should ease my way in.
Overall, a beautiful, musical experience. :D

High, high, high liturgy. Beautiful settting. Nice scents. Kind and intelligent clergy. Wonderful people, and lots of young folks, most of whom attend at 11:15 on Sundays. A great community for 20– or 30-​something academics or professionals. A huge food/​coffee/​wine spread after each service. The communion wine is icky, though.