THE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 12TH FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S DAY
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- This Week in Worship
- Briefly with Bev
- Religious Exploration
- Music
- News & Announcements
- Events
- Social & Environmental Justice
- Beyond First Parish
Sunday Service October 11th
“Blessing of the Animals”
Animals of all kinds bring beauty, inspiration and joy into our lives. They are
our teachers, companions and protectors. Join us for this service as we
bless and celebrate the animals in our lives. Animals of all kinds on leash
or in carriers are welcome to come to this service. Use your judgement and
if your pet would not enjoy this gathering in our sanctuary, feel free to bring
a photo for us to bless.
We will also have a pet memorial table present in worship, so you are
invited to bring a picture or other item to represent those animals no longer
with us that have enhanced your life.
Note for Parents/Caregivers from RE Committee: There is no RE Class Sunday, kids and youth will stay in Meetinghouse the whole time instead of going RE Classes for this Multi-Generational Service. If your child is older than 3 and needs a break to play, please accompany them to and stay with them in Parish Hall (where coloring sheets, crayons, and some toys will be available). Nursery is available for under 3 years old.
Worship Associate: Steven Yakutis
Greeter: Joanna Dahl
Social Hour: Tasha & Mike Bello, Richard & Deb Venable
Audio: Jeremiah Sitkoff
This week’s offering will be given to the Center for Common Ground. The Center for Common Ground is a non-partisan, Black and women-led voting rights organization founded in 2018. They focus their work in voter suppression states where more than 20% of voters are voters of color – Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. At the Center for Common Ground their goal is to ensure every voter knows their voice and their votes matter. Collaborating with local partners, they strive to mobilize ALL voters of color, both those who consistently participate in elections and those who have yet to exercise their right to vote. Tina Egan, Volunteer Coordinator will speak on their behalf.
Briefly With Bev
This Sunday is FP Milton’s Animal Blessing Service. Having never done one before, I am finding it a challenge to decide what to include, how simple or complex to make it, and what to do if someone brings a snake to be blessed. Well actually, I have that last concern covered as Susannah is sharing the blessing part of the service with me and she has happily agree to handle any reptiles.
Planning this service has also reminded me of a trip Donna and I made in 2016. The main destination was the Grand Canyon but after driving that far, we were obviously not limiting ourselves to one destination. So, in our research we discovered Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab Utah.
Three things to know about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary:
- Motto – Together we can save then all
- Mission – To bring about a time when there are
- No More Homeless Pets
- Vision – A better world through kindness to animals
There is so much I could tell you about Best Friends but the story that had a huge impact on me was that it was Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that took in the 22 fighting dogs confiscated from Michael Vick and successfully rehabilitated them helping to transform public perception and proving that dogs from fighting backgrounds could be rehabilitated. Learn more about these dogs.
Check out all the wonderful programs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary at: Animal Sanctuary | Best Friends Animal Society
And if you ever find yourself near Kanab Utah, I highly recommend visiting the amazing place.
With Love and Peace,
Rev. Bev
Religious Exploration
NOTE from RE Committee: There is no RE Class for Animal Blessing Service, kids and youth will stay in Meetinghouse the whole time instead of going RE Classes for this Multi-Generational Service. If your child is older than 3 and needs a break to play, please accompany them to and stay with them in Parish Hall (where coloring sheets, crayons, and some toys will be available). Nursery is available for under 3 years old.
Click here to shop items to be delivered directly to church.
Registration is open for a fundraising event hosted by RE and led by new member Gretjen Helene called Pysanky as Talismans: the Art of Gift Giving which will be 1-4pm Nov 29th Sunday in Parish Hall.
Using the traditional Ukrainian Pysanky wax-resist process, as well as the deeply rooted symbolic meanings written on the eggs, we will create gifts of abundance and beauty for your loved ones. Come with nothing and leave with colors, aromas, kits to continue creating thereafter, and gifts to give to your family and friends in the holiday season. The wax-resist dying process starts with placing wax where you would like to retain the base color. Then a subsequent color is dyed and wax is then placed upon this color to retain it. Each layer or color + wax then retains all the colors together upon the surface and in the final magical moment the wax is removed to reveal all the colors.
We will venture deep within traditional symbolic meanings so that students can write/create an eggs that embody talisman wishes for recipients. We will also talk about techniques for varied color affects and combinations. Students will take home the Talisman egg creations they made in class, as well as their Pysanky beginner’s kit so they can continue creating more gifts at home!
Since we will be using candles and hot wax, this event is designed for ages 12+ This course is being offered as a fundraiser! This will cover the cost of the course, the materials and donation in support of First Parish Milton andSunflower of Peace. MINIMUM DONATION $145.
Gretjen Helene (mixed media/photography) is donating her time and expertise to lead this event. She is a professional photographer and fine art/sculptural photographer who works with traditional alternative photographic processes as well as in a documentary style.
We’d love to bring everyone to Muse Paint Bar in Dedham on Nov. 1 from 3-5pm, but we need to have at least 10 folks before we reserve the space! Wanna go?
Want more ? Find all things Kids and Youth on the RE Linktree. For more information on any of the above contact Susannah at redirector@fpmilton.org or call 470-223-0337
Music
This Sunday we celebrate how we all connect to animals and to the world around us. The Meetinghouse Choir is sharing an anthem with a text by Chief Seattle, who was once the chief of the Suqwamish, Duwamish, and other Puget Sound tribes in the mid-1800’s. It is called “All Things Are Connected”, with music by Jeanne Julseth-Heinrich. Guest soprano Sohyun Cho will also be offering Moses Hogan’s arrangement of “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands”.
News & Announcements
First Parish needs YOU to help with our weekly support for services.
We need 1 or 2 folks to sign up to host Coffee Hour on Sunday, Oct. 18th.
Please click HERE to Sign-up.
Let’s keep the coffee brewin’!
Please join us for the All Church Council on Friday, October 23rd at 6:00 pm in the Parish Hall. We request that at least one representative from each committee attend, but all church members and friends are welcome! In addition to learning about committee priorities for this church year, we will have a facilitated exercise by Rev Bev, and an introduction to the Breeze app by Jen Pinkus and Lisa White. The meeting will last from 6-8 p.m.
We will have a light supper of pizza and salad. Please join the fun.
PLEASE RSVP by Monday, October 19th so that we can plan for the food. RSVPs can be sent to Susan at manager@fpmilton.org. If you need childcare, please let us know. We have sitters lined up in case we need them.
Any questions about the meeting? Please contact Nancy Devine at Ndevine11@gmail.com
Events
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE Annual Potluck Harvest Supper
November 7th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Join us at this beloved tradition with wonderful food, conversation, and community.
More information to follow !
Social & Environmental Justice
Help Get Out the Vote — Postcard Writing on Oct. 4
Banned Books Week is October 4–10, a time to celebrate the books that expand and challenge our understanding of the world.
Consider supporting the Prison Book Program by purchasing a book from their wishlist through Harvard Book Store – a great local bookstore. Your purchase will be donated to PBP, and participating donations will be matched by a generous donor. It’s an easy way to help get books into the hands of people who need them!
Shop the Prison Book Program wishlist today.
Eleventh Hour Standout
Because these times are rife with significant issues — take your pick: global wars, jobs, healthcare, trans rights, affordable housing, healthy food access, ICE OUT, immigration — this monthly event offers a brief time to unite. So: BYO signs, flags, chairs, singing voices, percussion, friends, and neighbors. 30 ENERGIZED minutes will amplify continued resilience and resistance. Quoting Katie, a dedicated participant, “I believe events like this are important because they fuel us in this marathon and give us chances to connect with one another… feeling filled up with energy and courage, with a heart of renewed hope.” The next event will be on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11. All are welcome; bring your neighbors; stand out and speak up.
Wednesday, October 21st is the start date
As in the past, First Parish will be making and delivering lunches to MainSpring (Fr. Bill’s Brockton site) at two locations in Brockton. We have been asked to provide 70 lunches on the third Wednesday of each month. The drop-off location will remain at the lower parking lot of FP, and will take place between 12:40 and 1:00.
The Social & Environmental Justice committee thanks you for your past efforts and we hope you are able to join us again this year.
Click here to Sign up
Beyond First Parish
Join First Parish Friends to see the musical “Operation Mincemeat” at the Colonial Theatre on October 25th at 6;30 PM. Debbie Alsebai will be leading a group to carpool to the theater and potentially have a Potluck diinner beforehand.
‘Operation Mincemeat” is the true story of the secret mission that won World War II. The show won an Olivier Award and Tony for the Best New Musical. Entertainment Weekly said it was the #1 Broadway Show in 2025!
Email Debbie Alsebai at Alsebai@verizon.net or text tel:(617) 821-9460 with number of seats, seat location and at cost group price you prefer.
Please note there is no elevator to the Dress Circle or Balcony.
- Orchestra $155, $140 or $118
- Dress Circle $100 or $78 (Senior >65 and Students $80 or $70)
- Balcony $62 and $51 (Senior >65 and Students $62 or $51)
Tickets are limited so get your orders in ASAP
The Message
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
The CCTRJ Book Group will be reading “The Message” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The author takes us on three pilgrimages—to Dakar, Senegal; Columbia, South Carolina; and Palestine—exploring how the stories we
tell can either expose or distort our realities. Please join us for a discussion on untangling ourselves from destructive myths and embracing the
liberating power of truth.
October 6th: 7:00 PM – 8:30PM (Zoom),
Discuss Parts I, II, and III
October 26th: Time and location TBD (in person vs on Zoom)
Discuss Part IV.
Please register Here or email CCTRJbookgroup@gmail.com
Stay Connected
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CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Other times by appointment
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Sundays through mid June
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