Rev. Lisa Ward has been our settled minister since August of 2016. Ordained in 1992, Rev. Lisa has served congregations in New York City, Queens, White Plains, NY and Harford County, MD. A graduate from Union Theological Seminary in NYC, she has engaged in social justice initiatives throughout her career… 
This Week in Worship
“In the Same Boat”
Facilitated by: Rev. Lisa Ward
Worship Associate: Chris Clifford
Music: Tim Steele
Audio: Nina Truog
This service is on Zoom Only. Pleases see email from earlier this week about Parish Committee’s decision to pause in person services.
Please see the zoom link below. Please log in at 10:20, to give some lead time for the service at 10:30. You will be muted, but you can communicate through the chat box. If you do not have zoom on your computer, please download it ahead of time. It is free.
Sunday’s offering will go to the service and ministry of First Parish.
Monday, January 17th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. day
I just finished sharing a run through with MICA (Milton Interfaith Clergy Association) for the Martin Luther King, Jr, celebration to be held this Monday at 6:30 pm. Being fully remote, we are availing ourselves of Milton Access TV, which has been so generous during these covid times to bring important town events to the public. Information about the program can be found below in the Link.
As a Universalist, Martin Luther King, Jr. had a deep and wide vision of humanity’s “inescapable network of mutuality.” This vision helped him live in the assurance of non-violent revolution and the powerful dynamic that is now named “diversity, equity and inclusion.”
This comes through building relationships and strengthening mutuality. It comes from the humility of recognizing that we cannot fully know what transformation will look like, yet have the courage to walk together into the unknown. It comes from deepening in care of one another and sharing our stories to broaden understanding. It comes from showing up, again and again, to recognize that we are, indeed, intricately connected.
When we live that network of mutuality, we open to the abundance of life that can be known in community. We expand possibility, enrich our resources, and strengthen our bonds. We find ourselves resilient, creative, grateful and generous. All because we feel the essence of mutuality, an embodiment of soul’s wisdom.
Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa
Religious Exploration
Following the decision of the Parish Council, there will be no Religious Exploration classes this Sunday or next. Look for a Special Edition of Last Week/This Week on Friday with Religious Exploration materials to use with your children, if you so choose. Check your email from last Friday in case you missed last week’s Special Edition, with story links and games to play as a family to begin our exploration of January’s theme, Living With Intention. And to further explore Living With Intention as a family, check out Soulful Home which was sent out on 1 January. Please let me know if you need anything resent to you (dre@fpmilton.org).
Monday 17 January is the start of Thirty Days of Love. Each year between Martin Luther King Day and St. Valentine’s Day, Side With Love asks us to harness the power of love to stop oppression. Each of the four weeks has a different social justice focus. There are “playlists” for individuals, families and congregations posted on the Thirty Days of Love page of the Side With Love website (https://sidewithlove.org/30-days-of-love-2022). For a preview of what to expect check out the offering from 2021.
Molly B. Nolan, Transitional Director of Religious Education
Music Selections
This Sunday we welcome guest soloist Ron Williams to our worship service. He will be singing a dramatic song by Lena Mclin from her song cycle “Free at Last: A Portrait of Martin Luther King”. This song is called “He Came To Alabama” and recounts the story of the three protest marches in 1965 along the 54-mile highway from Selma, Alabama to the capital of Montgomery. These non-violent activists were advocating for voting rights for all African Americans while protesting racial injustice. Ron will also be singing the African American national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson.
Charlie Franich will also be offering Jesse Colin Young’s “Get Together”.
Table of Contents
News, Announcements and Meetings
1.Blessing Bags
2.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr virtual Celebration
3.Cooking for MainSpring
4.Electrical Vehicle Presentation
5.Social and Environmental Justice News & Events
6.MCC Concert Postponed
7.UU Urban Ministry Architecture Series- Episode 4
Blessing bags offer grace that is small but love filled. They contain personal care items for unhoused/unstably-housed people in downtown Boston and will be distributed through the Cathedral Church of St. Paul Monday, January 17. If you’d like to donate, please see items below that go in each bag.
We will have a clear plastic bin in carriage house labeled, ‘Blessing Bags’.
All bags can be dropped off to the clear bin in the carriage house by 1:00 pm Sunday, January 16, 2022
Each bag includes:
White unscented bar soap
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Comb
Shampoo
Deodorant
Hand lotion
Sun block
Tissues
Small hand sanitizer
Paper face mask
All to be packed into a gallon sized freezer Ziploc bag.
Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Celebration-Virtual
Monday, January 17, 2022 at 6:30 pm
2022 Theme
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Regine Michelle Jean-Charles
Dean’s Professor of Culture and Social Justice, Director of Africana Studies
in the department of Cultures, Societies, and Global Studies
Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Northeastern University
The public is invited to join the
Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (MICA)
as we remember and honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Cooking for Mainspring January 29th !
The Membership and Social and Environmental Justice (S&EJ) committees are teaming up to prepare and deliver a hot, healthy meal to Mainspring in Brockton on Saturday January 29th! Saturday morning, Jan 29, Steve and Debbie will lead one of their famously fun cooking classes. Debbie will supply recipes; S&EJ will supply the disposable baking pans; Volunteer cooks will prepare and deliver dishes to the church parking lot by 2pm and Pat and Tracey will deliver food to Brockton.
Join the class, cook for yourself, for Mainspring, or BOTH!
Menu: Shepherd’s Pie and Apple Crisp
To sign up for the cooking class and/or if you are willing and able to prepare a dish for Mainspring, use this Sign-up Genius page. Questions: contact Debbie Alsebai or Tracey Robinson
Saturday, January 29th Schedule
10:00 am-12:00 pm
2:00 pm -2:15 pm
Deliver prepared food to parking lot at First Parish – S&EJ will deliver the meals to Brockton – similar to our lunch delivery program.
Electric Vehicle Presentation
Sunday, February 6th
Eric Miller will help you decipher Electric Vehicle (EV) terminology, how they work, and the factors that can help you decide which EV could work best for you.
After the presentation, Eric will show the EV specific features of some example vehicles. Main presentation will be on Zoom as well, but not the vehicle tour.)
Please sign up and let us know you’ll be attending.
Thank you!
News from S & EJ Committee
IF YOU HATE LITTER (Think: BOTTLES)
Contact your state legislators NOW, please!!!!!
Massachusetts needs to update its 1983 Bottle Bill with a new version (H3289/S2149) to cover products like water, sports drinks, “nips,” teas, and other beverages, and to increase the deposit incentive to 10-cents. Modern bottle bills boosted redemption rates / reduced the solid waste stream and litter in ME, MI, OR, and elsewhere. First Parish Milton promoted a single-use local plastic bag ban in the past. Let’s get going NOW, before February, to move this bill out of the Joint TUE Committee where it’s stuck. Contact [1] your state legislators to co-sponsor H3289/S2149; and [2] Sen. Mike Barrett (mike.barrett@masenate.gov) and Rep. Jeffrey Roy (jeffrey.roy@mahouse.gov), TUE Co-chairs. Massachusetts produces nearly 6M tons of waste annually, mostly beverage containers. Solid waste burned in incinerators pollutes nearby neighborhoods. We can do this!
Mainspring Lunch Bag Program
Next date is Wednesday, January 19th
The Sign up Genius has the Wednesday dates listed- you can sign up now!
If you require more information or have questions please contact Peter Schneider at peterlschneider@gmail.com
Fair Foods is a non-profit program that rescues fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted and uses it to feed our communities. We volunteer together unloading and sorting food and packing bags once a month.
The next volunteer date is Saturday, February 12th
If you want to volunteer, please sign up on Sign up Genius by Thursday
evening before the event. Start time and locations vary depending on Fair Foods’ needs, but typically start at 8:30 a.m. at their warehouse at 70 Amory Street in Roxbury.
Other volunteer opportunities are also available at Fair Foods on weekdays from early morning until mid-afternoon.
Any questions or for more information contact Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com
MCC CONCERT POSTPONED
The Milton Community Concert originally scheduled for February 12th will be postponed due to the latest COVID surge. This concert, “A Night of Cinema Magic” featuring silent film organist Peter Krasinwski will take place on Saturday evening, May 28th. Please mark your calendars for this exciting event. All other concerts are taking place as scheduled at this point.
Click here for more information
Behind the Scenes: Tackling a Major Restoration of an Historic Structure
Feb 07, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Join us for Episode #04 of Treasures of the Meetinghouse as we speak to architects and project managers from DREAM Collaborative and historical preservationist, Andrea Gilmore, about all that goes in to restoring and renovating a building – and historic landmark – like First Church Roxbury.
STAY CONNECTED
Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Other times by appointment
MINISTER OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment
The Church office is closed on Fridays
Sundays through mid June
- Worship, 9:30 am in the Meetinghouse
- Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am
SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)
The link to SignUp Genius is: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday1
You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.