Table of Contents

This Week in Worship

• Message from Rev. Lisa Ward
• RE Info
• News and Announcements
• Events
• Social & Environmental Justice
• Beyond First Parish

This Week in Worship

January Worship Theme: UNITY

“Interbeing”

Worship Assistant: Amy Kavadlo

Faith Reflection: Andrea Geyling-Moore

Audio: Alex Feliz

Social Hour Hosts: Mark & Patricia Ostrem

 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.

This week’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.

It’s cold, flu and covid season! 

In order to keep our community healthy, we encourage the wearing of masks at worship services if you have cold symptoms or have been exposed to a communicable illness. Masks and Hand sanitizer will be available at all church entrances if needed.

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My very first vote was for Jimmy Carter in 1976. For me, it was a wonderful beginning of full civic life, then a voter with a choice that I felt good about. I have remained a fan of Jimmy Carter all the years of his public life. We were blessed with so many years of his shining example as Citizen.

A bound copy of President Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize lecture, delivered in Oslo on 10 December in 2002, remains on my book shelf at home. He referenced his wife and the Carter Center, then 20 years in operation, as co-achievers of the Nobel Prize. He was an earnest activist and he found fellow activists, generating a vision of human rights and peace.

In the midst of his 2002 speech he affirms: “I am not here as a public official, but as a citizen of a troubled world who finds hope in a growing consensus that the generally accepted goals of society are peace, freedom, human rights, environmental quality, the alleviation of suffering and the rule of law.”

Being 100 years old at his death, he had ample opportunities and experiences that might have turned him away from the above affirmation, as divisiveness, inhumanity and wars continued in the world throughout his life. But his determination for the beauty of humanity’s possibilities and the courage of peace that we have yet to fully embrace remained real, true and an encouragement to us all. Thank you, Sir.

With Love, Rev. Lisa

Music This Week

This Sunday the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing an anthem called “The Oneness of Everything” by Jim Scott. Mr. Scott lives in Shrewsbury, MA, and will be joining us in person for a Sunday in March. Hunsaker soloist Juan Suarez will be singing “Take Me to the World” by Stephen Sondheim, and guest soprano Sohyun Cho will be singing Margaret Bonds’ arrangement of “This Little Light of Mine”.

Religious Exploration

Students in first and second grade will participate in the UU Passages over 13 weeks and share with the congregations what they learned about the UU values on May 18. Students will take concrete actions to show how they live by those values.

Events

UPCOMING MILTON COMMUNITY CONCERT

On Saturday evening, January 25 at 7pm will be the tenth annual “Sing For Their Supper” benefit concert to support the Milton Food Pantry and Milton Residents Fund. Ten singers will be featured in this popular and entertaining program. FREE admission, donations encouraged. Visit http://miltoncommunityconcerts.com/

Navigating the Political Climate

Next Meeting is Tuesday, Jan 7 at 7 pm by zoom.

Contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org if interested.

ALL CHURCH COUNCIL

Friday, January 10th

6:00pm – 8:00pm

Open to ALL!

Please join the Committee Chairs to discuss priorities for the remainder of the church year.

A light supper will be served. Please let Jen Pinkus (jennifer.pinkus@gmail.com) know if you’ll be attending.

Social & Environmental Justice

Next date: January 15th

S&EJ (Social & Environmental Justice committee) is looking for volunteers the third Wednesday of each month to contribute lunches. We hope to deliver 70 lunches a month to support shelter guests.

Please sign up whenever you can help out by clicking on button below.

We are counting on your support!

Beyond First Parish

Watch Party at First Parish January 9th 6:00pm-7:00pm

Church Parlor

There is an interesting Urban Ministry Community Conversation coming up. It is about the Stories of African American Veterans. It promises to be interesting and include many facts you’re not aware of. Please join me for a Watch Party in our church parlor on Thursday, January 9th. We’ll have snacks starting at 5:30 and the talk is from 6-7. We can stay and have discussion to follow. Please let me know if you plan to attend.

Mary Blanchette mbpa@comcast.net

Community Conversations: Hidden Heroes – Stories of African American Veterans

Jan 09, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Virtual via Zoom

Join historian Thomas Plant and educator Cheryl Brown-Greene (Roxbury Collaborative) as they tell the stories of African American veterans and the often unsung role they have played in U.S. history.

Click for more details

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.