This Week in Worship

Sunday, January 5th, 2020

Minister

Rev. Lisa Ward

minister@fpmilton.org

Happy New Year!

We shared, as a congregation last week, aspects of being that we wanted to bring into the new year.  This is going to be a challenging year for anyone who is paying attention; politically, culturally, environmentally, and spiritually.  We can call on each other for encouragement and on ourselves for clear intention toward faith, love, and compassion.

Howard Thurman, 20th century theologian, articulates our opportunity toward this vision in his piece, “The Work of Christmas”

“When the song of the angels is stilled,
when the star in the sky is gone,
when the kings and princes are home,
when the shepherds are back with their flocks,
the work of Christmas begins:
to find the lost,
to heal the broken,
to feed the hungry,
to release the prisoner,
to rebuild the nations,
to bring peace among the people,
to make music in the heart.”

So May It Be.

Blessings, Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

January 5th will be a Children’s Church Sunday. Children from preschool through grade 7 will begin in the Meetinghouse and then move to the Children’s Church for a multi-age worship service looking back at 2019 and celebrating the arrival of 2020.

Youth Chat (for grades 8 through 12) will meet on Sunday, January 5. Youth are invited to begin arriving at 10 am to make a hot beverage and settle in. Formal Youth Chat programming runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am. This week the group will be bonding after the holidays and preparing for upcoming youth group events.

Coming of Age (for grades 8 through 10) will meet on Sunday, January 5, for youth and their mentors from noon to 1:30 pm. We will be discussing and sampling spiritual practices.

Save the Date: The youth group will be hosting a spaghetti supper and karaoke night on Friday, January 10. Set-up begins at 5 pm. We will be sending out a signup for groceries and helpers. Following the event, there will be a youth overnight!

MUSIC SELECTIONS

This week the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing a piece called “I’ll Be There”, by Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, and Dave Grusin. Claudia Wellington and Franc Graham will be singing “Take Up Your Spade” by Sara Watkins.​

Events, News and Announcements

Congregational Discernment Toward Installing Solar Panels 

We have a congregational vote scheduled for Sunday,

January 12 at 11:45am in the Parish Hall. 

A brief summary of the proposal is posted at the end of the link hallway.  An executive summary is available upon request.

Potluck this Sunday!

Join us every first Sunday of the month after worship in the Parish Hall for our potluck social hour. Mark your calendars! Bring a dish to share!

A thank you to our wonderful volunteers, Myrtle Flight and Dottie Pitt, for decorating the First Parish for the holidays. The decorations were beautiful.

A NOT-TO-BE-MISSED CONCERT 

On Saturday, January 18th at 7pm in the Meetinghouse, Milton Community Concerts presents “Rockin’ With Renaissance Men: A Benefit Concert”. The concert will feature Renaissance Men, New England’s professional male vocal chamber ensemble, who will take you on a musical journey from the church to the tavern, including virtuosic Renaissance polyphony, traditional Bluegrass tunes, rollicking Estonian folk music, drinking songs from around the world, and even pop songs. Also on this concert will be a guest appearance by the celebrated women’s ensemble, Ensemble Lyrae. Typically tickets for a RenMen concert cost $35-$40, but in this case admission is free; a suggested donation of $20 will go to support the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The RenMen are one of the hottest musical groups in the country, having just recorded their second album. They have garnered a devoted following to their concerts, broadcasted live-streams, and social media outlets.  Visit miltoncommunityconcerts.com for more information.

EXPLORING AGING TOGETHER

Second and Fourth Wednesdays of the Month

11 am to 1 pm, (Bring a Bag Lunch)

Chase Parlor (next to the kitchen)

Open Meeting.  Come when you can.  Newcomers welcome.

Next Session:  January 8th

What can we learn from each other as we age? We all have stories within us of facing the unknown and navigating changes, of adjusting to loss and appreciating what’s before us. We will meet twice a month to share our wisdom, our queries, our wonderings.  Each session will focus around a theme. More questions?  Contact Penny Partridge at ppartridge9@icloud.com.

Spaghetti Supper and Karaoke Night!

On Friday, January 10, the youth group will host a fun-filled night with a spaghetti supper, beginning at 6:30pm, and karaoke, beginning when the first person steps up to the mike! A $5 dinner donation per person is suggested. Proceeds will help fund future youth service trips.

In addition to karaoke and bingo, there will be plenty of opportunity to chat and unwind after the busy holiday season. Bring your friends, bring your neighbors, bring your voices and enjoy!

FAIR FOODS

Fair Foods is a nonprofit organization that rescues nutritious wholesale fruits and vegetables about to be discarded for distribution to members of the community. Join First Parish’s Social Justice Committee for our monthly volunteer day with Fair Foods at the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, 10 Putnam St. in Roxbury. Arrive in Roxbury at 10:30 or e-mail Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com if you’d like to join a carpool leaving from First Parish at 10 a.m. or if you have any questions. January 11 is our next date.

Green ACTION Gleanings

RESOLUTION: Let’s Talk about Climate Change in 2020

Why don’t we talk? FrameWorks Institute’s research indicates that 70% of Americans believe in Climate Change now, however, 65% never talk about it.  Why?  This is the first of a series of primers to help us.   (www.frameworksinstitute.org)

Many people feel confused and uncomfortable with their own understanding of climate science and remain silent: it seems too vast and complicated a topic to approach.  To bolster our science confidence, here is one Climate Change “cue card,” a simple, explanatory metaphor to imagine; more will follow in subsequent weeks:

HEAT-TRAPPING BLANKET of CO2: When we burn fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) for energy, we add more and more Carbon Dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.  This over-accumulation resembles a thick-and-growing-thicker blanket that traps heat around the world.  It upsets the atmospheric balance and disrupts climate stability. 

Takeaways: Climate Change is anthropogenic (caused by humankind).  Our habits need to change systemically (not just individually).  Each of us can make a difference working together.

Racial Disparities in Healthcare

Part 1: Looking Back 

Time: Tuesday, January 28th, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Church of Christ (330 Edge Hill Road, Milton, MA 02186)

Courageous Conversations will provide a general introduction to the racial disparities in healthcare. We will examine historical practices, discriminatory research, and events that have led to the disparities we face now.

Visit www.courageousconversations-milton.org to RSVP

Coming this spring: The First Parish Auction on March 28, 2020!

Traditionally held on a biannual basis, we are now gearing up for the 2020 auction. And that means volunteers – LOTS of them. We need folks to work on Donations, Food and Beverage, Music and Entertainment, Decorations, Check out and Operations, Publicity, and Online. This is truly an all church effort. Won’t you  join us?

Email to volunteer: Lynne Stack: lmstack258@gmail.com or Mallory Digges: maldigges@gmail.com

June 24, 2020-June 29, 2020, Providence RI

Early Bird Registration is now Open!

Click here for more information.

Snow Cancellation Information:

If the Milton Public Schools close for snow, so does First Parish. Sundays we realize are trickier.  We will call it by 8 a.m. on Sunday.  Look for cancellations in three places.  If you don’t see cancellation information, we are open.

~Channel 5, WCVB television.  Look for First Parish – Milton.  Check their website if you want to get automatic, direct notification through the TV station. www.wcvb.com. 

~Check our Facebook page. First Parish Milton UU.  We will post cancellations there.  Our Facebook page also feeds our Twitter account @FPMilton.

~Check our website, www.fpmilton.org.  We put a banner on the home page with closing information.