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
“The Art of Noticing”
Facilitated by: Rev. Lisa Ward
Worship Associate: Chris Clifford
Music: Dzidzor Amorin
Audio: Brynne Mershon and Colin Glazer
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 International Institute of New England. Jeffrey D. Thielman , President and CEO of International Institute of New England will speak. The mission of the International Institute of New England is to create opportunities for refugees and immigrants to succeed through resettlement, education, career advancement and pathways to citizenship.
We made the shift from hybrid to remote worship and church life fairly easily. We have a new adaptability that we wouldn’t have even thought about two years ago. It’s still exhausting. It still frays edges. It still challenges hope. But we have facility in our connections, and creativity in our gatherings. We have resilience in our days and deepened appreciation of the importance of community.
One positive addition to remote worship is that we can bring back our Story for All Ages which is also referred to in UU circles as Time For All Ages. With the tiered roll out of vaccinations, all ages have not been able to meet together in the Meetinghouse. A resident theologian commented just the other day that all ages gathering for worship brings a wider sense of welcome. Singing the children and youth to their programs after the shared story sends a message of care and connection that is missed.
So, a step toward that hope, since we all are zooming in, is bringing back the story section. This Sunday we will have the opportunity to see a recording by Lea Morris, story teller and musician. Lea contributes to “Soul Matters”, the resource network that supports our monthly worship themes.
Day by day we navigate these times. Be well. Care for yourselves and each other.
Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa Ward
Religious Exploration
Thirty Days of Love has begun! Thirty Days of Love is the annual program of Side With Love to help us harness the power of love to end oppression. The format of Thirty Days resources is Read, Watch, Act, Listen and Worship plus live events. Each week there is a focus on a different area of engagement. There are resources for every age each week. This week the focus is Reproductive, Gender & LGBTQIA Justice. Find out more at https://sidewithlove.org/30daysoflove.
This week we have added back Time For All Ages. We are still fully remote this week. It has been awhile since Time For All Ages has been part of our worship experience. As before, the Time For All Ages is early in the worship so children can partake of the whole worship or stay for a more limited time.
On Friday afternoons, while we are fully remote for worship, a Religious Exploration email with curricula excerpts goes out to our RE families. The stories are read aloud versions of the story we’d be using in Religious Exploration. The activities suggested are screen free. There may be directions parents wish to refer to that can be printed out or read off your screen, but children do not need to engage with the screen for the activity.
Molly B. Nolan, Transitional Director of Religious Education
Our guest musician Dzidzor Amorin will be returning this Sunday. Dzidzor Amorin (pronounced jee-jore uh-more-in), is a pianist, producer, arranger, and composer currently studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. From jazz and electronic, to classical and orchestral, Dzidzor performs and composes music in a variety of styles and genres. Dzidzor is currently pursuing a dual degree in Film Scoring and Contemporary Writing and Production. He grew up in Tyler, Texas and his parents are from Ghana.
Table of Contents
News, Announcements and Meetings
1.MICA MLK Jr. Celebration video
2.MICA Survey
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
In case you missed Monday’s virtual MICA MLK Jr., Celebration led by keynote speaker, Dr. Regine Michelle Jean-Charles–Dean’s Professor of Culture and Social Justice, Director of Africana Studies at Northeastern University, the recording is available for replay. Please find link below to view:
MILTON EQUITY Survey
The Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (MICA) has been asked to share the Milton Public Schools Equity Steering Committee’s survey to help obtain feedback on their definition of Equity. This is in service of the Milton Public School’s Equity Audit that took place in the Spring 2021.
From the Equity Steering Committee: “We are asking community members to provide us with that feedback in a short survey (2 questions). We have attached the link to the survey below for your reference.”
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, homemade 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 Shepards Pie and/or Apple Crisp and deliver prepared dishes to the church parking lot by 2pm.
FUN IDEAS:
MAKE IT A FAMILY AFFAIR: ask children to join you in cooking or to join the 10am cooking class; cooking as a family is a great winter weekend activity
YOUTH CAN EARN SERVICE HOURS: invite the youth in your house to do the cooking – you can help by delivering to the church on Saturday afternoon
COOK A DOUBLE BATCH: one for Mainspring and one for your family dinner!
Sign up now to receive recipes and details
Questions: contact Debbie Alsebai or Tracey Robinson
Saturday, January 29th Schedule
10:00 am-12:00 pm
Join an online cooking class with Debbie and Steve – all cooking done in your own home.
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, noon
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
Climate Justice
Take 2 ACTIONS for Massachusetts
- Oppose polluting Peabody Peaker Plant [5.3 min. YouTube video). Contact:
Gov. Charlie Baker 888-870-7770 constituent.services@state.ma.us @MassGovernor
*see link below
Sec. Kathleen Theoharides 617-626-1000 env.internet@mass.gov @EEASecretary
[A peaker plant runs only in periods of high electricity demand; site is in the middle of a designated Environmental Justice community. UU Mass Action campaign item.)
2. Support Green Future Act for MA (H.3292)
[Milton’s State Rep. Bill Driscoll, Jr. is its lead sponsor. Goals: net-zero MA emissions by 2050 by charging fossil fuel importers to fund green infrastructure. 60% of all spending must benefit Environmental Justice communities. Time-sensitive!]
Mainspring Lunch Bag Program
Next date is Wednesday, February 2nd
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.
link for more information
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.