This Week in Worship

Summer Services 9:30 a.m. – Children’s Church

*June 25 – Dianna Wilson ~ “Creativity”

Can making art move us spiritually? First Parish member Dianna Wilson will lead this interactive service to help us find out.

Musician:Emma Jean Moulton

Worship Associate: Leslie Macpherson Artinian

Message from Rev. Lisa

I am in New Orleans at the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Asembly gathering information for our continued faith journey.

There were several requests for the five guideposts I offered in sunday’s reflection that nourish faith in what life has to offer. These are suggestions to take or leave as your intuition responds:

1. Find and cherish your lifelines. Lifelines are people who love you into health; free from comparison, competition or judgment. They are rare, so cherish them and seek more than two, for you might burn these good folk out through the toughest times. Help your lifelines share the load. You can also find important support in books or work that you love.

2. Practice kindness if it does not harm you. Practicing and receiving kindness gives you a wealth of faith in life. Ground yourself in your own worth of being first and respond to others from that place.

3. Become familiar with your being beyond circumstance. There is a river of life within you that is there regardless of your circumstance. It is the wisdom that knows “this too will pass”, that this isn’t all there is. Meditation is the primary way to this awareness, but mindful breathing also helps. Also, try doing art or go outside. Take in the world around you. Practice this regularly.

4. Practice letting go and letting God (however you describe the larger being of which we are a part). Prayer is a good avenue, or visualization of being embraced by Being. Hand some of your emotional struggle over to the mystery of cosmic harmony.

5. Create a routine of lifting up gratitude. Perhaps three gratitudes in the morning, and three when going to sleep. Create a store or canon of gratitude for reminders when needed. You can remind yourself of what you are grateful for. Journaling or lists can help.

Blessings,
Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

Religious exploration programming for children or youth will resume in September. Enjoy your summer, everyone!

Youth room painting will be happening over the summer – helpers needed. Please email me if you’d like to volunteer some time on this much-needed project!

News and Announcements

Sunday Meditation Time Change effective June 25:

Meditation will be from 8:30 – 9 a.m. through July. Thursday evening meditation will continue to meet from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Both sessions happen in the Children’s Church.

General Assembly New Orleans June 21 – June 25

Rev. Lisa Ward , Debbie Alsebai and Jennie Mulqueen are First Parish’s delegates to General Assembly.

You will be able to livestream a variety of events. Here is the link that will give you more details. https://www.uua.org/ga/off-site/2017

Great Picnic on Sunday, June 18th. Thank you Buidling and Grounds Committee members – Beth Gray Nix, Andy Strang, and Karl Pastore. Kudos to Membership Committee Members – Tucker Smith, Tasha Bello, Barry Hume and Miguel Rodriguez. And thank you to those that came and helped early and late. Many hands made light work at the end of the event. Folks were around until after 1 pm. A good time had by all!

Summer Worship Services Schedule

• Time: 9:30 – 10:30 am
• Location: Children’s Church

Come support our worship leaders over the summer.

*July 2 – Jeff Stoodt ~”Questioning Minds: Our Country’s Founders and the UU Way”

First Parish member Jeff Stoodt asks the question: How did our Unitarian principles inform the making of our country?

Musician: Joel
Worship Associate:

*July 9 – Robert Johnson ~ “Finding God in Buddhism?” First Parish member and practicing Buddhist — Robert Johnson — explores the theological aspects of Buddhism.

Musician: Emma Jean
Worship Associate:

*July 16 – Francesca Cipriani (HDS Student) ~ “If You Have One Good Parent, You Have A Chance”

Harvard Divinity School ministerial student Francesca Cipriani explores the topic of assumptions about good parenting, particularly when there are complicated roles and factors.

Musician: Emma Jean
Worship Associate: Mallory

*July 23 – Elise Henricks ~ “Walking a Labyrinth”

First Parish member Elise Henricks will lead a discussion and a walk around First Parish’s portable labyrinth.

Musician: Emma Jean
Worship Associate Susan Batson

*July 30: A.J. van Tine ~ “Articulating Our Pluralism”

In the text of the UU Principles and Sources, it is said that our living tradition draws on “many sources,” and that we are “grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith.” However, this implied pluralism is not clearly defined anywhere in our covenant. How might we articulate it, both to the world and to each other? And what might a greater focus on religious pluralism mean for our practice? Come and hear Harvard Divinity School ministerial student Andrew van Tine contemplate these questions.

Musician: Tim
Worship Associate:

*August 6: Alex Engel ~ “Fear is the Mind Killer”

Fear can motivate us and drive us to excellence, but too often fear cripples and paralyzes our minds. What can scripture and teachings tell us about our fear, and how can we live with it in our uncertain world?

Musician: Tim
Worship Associate: Leslie

*August 13 – Susan Batson and Pat Neves ~ “The Magic Within That Allows Us to Connect with the Divine, Ourselves and Others”

Pat and Susan share the sacred aspects of creativity, inherent in all humans in all cultures, that has helped them to take risks, live with more purpose and joy and to become the creative beings they were meant to be.

Musician: Tim
Worship Associate: Susan and Pat

*August 20 – Rev. Lisa ~ “”Body Wisdom”

In Interplay, a common phrase is “unlock the wisdom of your body”. We are embodied creatures, we humans. There is much we know in our cells.

Musician: Peter Smith (tentative)
Worship Associate:

*August 27 – Rev. Lisa ~ “The Physicality of Grace”

To piggyback the previous sermon, yet standing on its own, we can feel and find grace in the living of our lives. It comes over us, passes through us, alights upon us. Let us welcome grace into our days.

Musician: Tim
Worship Associate: Mallory

*September 3 (Labor Day weekend) – Leslie ~ ~ “Hope is the Thing with Feathers”

First Parish member Leslie explores what it is that gives us hope and keeps us going.

Musician: Tim
Worship Associate:

Follow up Meetings: Give Light: Spiritual Nurture for Climate Activism program on June 11, 2017.

What is calling you to do environmental justice work? There will be 3 meetings over the summer talk more about environmental justice and what might we do at First Parish. You need not have attended the program to attend these meetings. Here are the dates. If you would like to sign up for one of these gatherings, please contact Jennie by email.

• Tuesday, June 27 ( home of Jennie Mulqueen), 7:30-9:30pm.
• Tuesday,, July 25 ( home of Hale and Tucker Smith) 7:30-9:30pm.
• Tuesday, August 29 (Home of Jennie Mulqueen) 7:30-9:30pm.

Dear Friends,

First of all, I need to say a heartfelt thank you to Linda and David Carney-Goodrich for their leadership and enthusiastic support of adding an environmental justice component to our social justice work at First Parish Milton. On Sunday, June 11, FP MIlton’s Social Action Committee sponsored a workshop led by the Reverend Fred Small entitled “Give Light: Spiritual Nurture for Climate Activism”. Peter Schneider was also instrumental in creating publicity materials and getting the word out about our gathering. Finally, without Debbie Alsebai and Linda, we might have had some rumbling stomachs, so a hearty thank you to them for providing nourishment for our soul diving!

Attendance was strong; we had over twenty-five FP MIlton multi-generational congregants in attendance, including Rev. Lisa and Laurel Whitehouse. It was indeed powerful to be in our sacred space on Sunday afternoon as we went deep into environmental justice and sustainability. Moving forward, I am genuinely inspired to continue the conversation and we will be doing so by holding three visioning gatherings over the summer. As we ponder the UUA Green Sanctuary Certification program and how we can do environmental justice work as a faith community, it is important to hear many voices during the team formation and visioning process. It is also important to acknowledge from the onset that this effort simply CANNOT be the work of a small team; there MUST be buy in and commitment of the larger congregation if this initiative is to sustain and have any meaningful impact.

At these meetings we will discuss four fundamental questions:

• What is calling you to do environmental justice work?
• What, specifically, do you have in mind for First Parish Milton?
• What questions do you have?
• What do you imagine could be your role in working for environmental justice at FP Milton?

(Most likely, the Green Team will meet monthly to provide leadership and coordination of efforts throughout the congregation. If this level of commitment does not feel right, we invite you to think out of the box and consider what projects or initiatives you could spearhead in a coordinated and well-led campaign.)

These meetings will be held on the final Tuesday evenings of the summer months: June 27 (Home of Jennie Mulqueen), July 25 ( Home of Hale and Tucker Smith), and August 29 (Home of Jennie Mulqueen) from 7:30-9:30pm.

If you would like to sign up for one of these gatherings,please contact Jennie by email.

Namaste,
Jennie Mulqueen, Social Action Committee Member

Summer Office Information

• Office Hours for the summer generally are Monday – Thursday 10 am – 2 pm. (This may vary depending on vacation schedules).
• If you are coming to the church office, please let us know in advance. We may not hear the doorbell with the window unit air conditioners purring.
• The Link will continue to be published weekly. There will be no written announcements at Summer Services. The deadline remains Tuesday.

Kiki’s Corner

Kiki is attending AUUA’s Professional Administrator’s Program and General Assembly in New Orleans this week.

STAY CONNECTED

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REMINDER THE LINK DEADLINE IS TUEDAYS

“Brevity Matters” – Peter Bowden, Social Media Guru and wise UU

Deadline for submissions is Tuesdays. You need to address email to both office@fpmilton.org and director@fpmilton.org to assure your announcement will be included in the weekly Link. Written announcements for the Sunday Order of Worship are derived from the announcements for The Link. We, from time to time, will also publish non-church events with a connection to a member of the church. Your submission may be edited due to space requirements. We recommend that you submit no more than 1 – 2 paragraphs.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday – Thurday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays

SUMMER SUNDAYS

June 25 – September 3
Worship, 9:30 am in the Children’s Church
Silent Prayer & Meditation, 8:30 am in the Children’s Church
No Religious Exploration Program , Nursery Care, Choir Rehearsal

Beginning Sunday, September 10

Worship, 10:30am in the Meetinghouse
Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am
Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

EVERY THURSDAY

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 6:30pm in the Children’s Church

SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)

The link to SignUp Genius is:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday?1472051612751