Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 1/9/2015

Weekly Link 1/9/2015

Jericho Road Roxbury

This Week in Worship

Sunday, January 11 @ 10:30 am in the Meetinghouse led by the Worship Committee

The Road to Justice

Please join us on this Sunday for a lay-led service: “The Road to Justice”. We’ll have great music, and testimonials from Elise Henricks, Carolyn Newman, and Ernest Best, a recipient of volunteer services from Jericho Road Roxbury. Come to learn more about what First Parish is doing to live boldly outside our walls. The collection from this service will be given to Jericho Road Roxbury, so please be as generous as you can.

Interim Thoughts from Rev. Hank Peirce

Epiphany has come and gone and we have taken down the tree, boxed the ornaments and placed the Christmas cards in the recycling bin. Christmas, like Elvis, left the building. I know that over the next few days I will find a forgotten card here or an animal from the creche there and I’ll collect them and run them up to the attic, but I just wish that the Christmas season went out with a bang. I know New Years Eve and all that, but that is New Years and I’m talking about Christmas.

As I swept up the needles from the tree that is sitting on the curb, I remembered hearing of how out in Groton, or one of those towns beyond the pale (ie: Rt. 495). Where after Christmas one of the local non-profits collects people’s trees, and gathers them in a large pile on the outskirts of town. Then on the weekend after Epiphany, with hundreds in attendance, they burn them, set alight by a flaming arrow no less! A Christmas Tree bonfire, now that is a way to end the season.

However, we live in Medford, and the city frowns on the idea of bonfires which I suppose makes sense. So instead I will have a fire in my heart, and say goodbye to Christmas and start on the rest of my year.

Twenty years ago the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute was created to serves as a center of healing, teaching and learning for families and communities dealing with murder, trauma, grief and loss. Over those years they have made a huge impact in the lives of survivors and in our community as a whole.

With that in mind I am so pleased to let you know that the financial contributions collected at the two Christmas Eve services means that we are able to give $2,021.11 to the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Congratulations.

Peace,

Hank

P.S. I’m taking my first Sunday off since I came to Milton, this Sunday, January 11, You have the excellent crew from the Worship Committee leading the service. Enjoy!

Upcoming Worship Services

The Worship Theme for January is Justice

January 18 MLK Sunday: Redemption and the New Jim Crow

On this Sunday when we honor the work and words of Rev. King we should realize that the Civil Rights Movement ended with his death. The need for protecting these rights won continues and must be upheld by each generation. Much of this Sunday’s service will come from the recent work of author Michelle Alexander.

January 19 Milton Martin Luther King Jr. Service 6:30 pm

Join Rev. Hank and other members of the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association for the yearly MLK service at Concord Baptist Church, 180 Blue Hills Ave.

January 25 Liquid Democracy

What breaks your heart? How do we decide what we as a community should support? How does what we support further our church’s mission, and perhaps as important what does that say about us and how does that belief change who we are?

Religious Exploration

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Workshop Sunday

With the theme of Justice and Diversity our workshop will be led by Myrtle Flight.

K – 7th graders will go directly to the Parish Hall for a fun filled hour of stories, poems, puppets and more.

8th graders in the OWL Program will be meeting in the Children’s Church from 10:00am – 11:30am.

Youth Chat will meet in the youth room.

The Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger

(All class start at 10:30am unless otherwise noted)

Youth Group Happenings…

YAC Meeting Sunday, January 11 at 9:00am, Chase Parlor

News and Announcements

DUELING DIVAS Concert – SATURDAY, JANUARY 10th, 8 pm (right after the Patriots game)

This is the inaugural concert for a new concert series called Milton Community Concerts at First Parish. It features nationally-acclaimed sopranos Jane Shivick and Sarah Callinan with Timothy Steele at the piano performing musical favorites from opera, musical theatre, and more. General admission is $20 (no advance sales), 18 and under are free.

All are invited, and please tell your friends. For more information CLICK HERE.

Building a New Way: The 2015 First Parish Stewardship Campaign

This week marks the beginning of our annual Stewardship Campaign – the time when we make the pledges of financial support that will sustain First Parish for the coming church year.

Congregational pledges provide more than half the money that pays for our church and its ministries – we hope to obtain nearly all of those pledge commitments in the next six weeks.
You can help make the campaign a success in three ways:

1) Respond – If you are contacted by a visiting steward or invited to a stewardship gathering, please respond promptly.

2) Participate – Our main goal this year is to achieve 100% participation in the pledge drive – demonstrating our commitment to First Parish and its future health. Please participate at whatever level of financial commitment is possible for you.

3) Give generously – Please consider whether you can deepen your financial commitment this year. If every family were to increase its pledge by just a dollar a day, we would meet our goal.

Look for a pledge form in the mail or pick one up in the office and return it by February 15. And be on the lookout for more information and updates in the weeks to come.

From the Parish Committee: Small Group Meetings – Sign up at Social Hour! Look for sign up sheets in the Parish Hall the next few Sundays. Use Doodle Poll to select your meeting time.

The mission of the Bridging Committee is to “take the temperature” of the congregation. They have organized five meetings over the next six weeks to engage the congregation in meaningful conversation about who we are, where we are now, and where we hope to go. The whole process will work best if we all make our voices heard. Earlier this week you received a detailed email from the Parish Committee outlining the process and reason for these meetings. As a reminder, the meetings are currently scheduled for:

Thursday January 22, 7 to 8:30 PM at Ruth Hannon/Charlie Franich’s house in Milton

Friday January 23, 7 to 8:30 PM at Ruth Heiden/Marsha Mauer’s house in Milton

Saturday January 31, 4:30 to 6 PM Wine and Cheese at Walt and Sandy’s house in Dorchester

Sunday February 1, 12:05 to 1:30 in the Chase Parlor, First Parish Milton

Friday February 13, 6 PM Pot Luck Dinner in the Parish Hall, First Parish Milton

Doodle Poll Link

Questions? Contact Walt Hagenbuch for questions about the meetings. Contact Carolyn Newman for any questions on using the Doodle Poll.

save the dateOther events for January and February. Stay tuned for details but mark your calendar now!

  • Saturday, January 10 morning – Visiting Steward Training in the Parish Hall
  • Saturday, January 10 afternoon – Milton Community Concert in the Meetinghouse
  • Sunday, January 25 after social hour – All Church Council
  • Saturday, January 31, 7pm – Great Blue Hill CUUPS chapter, Imbolc ceremony
  • Saturday, February 7 evening – Sweetheart Dinner (Youth Group sponsored)
  • Sunday, February 8 after social hour – Chocolate Auction
  • Sunday, February 15 – Laura Graham, Ministerial Settlement Rep, is in the pulpit for the morning service, meets with the congregation after social hour.

KikiKiki’s Corner

The office will be closed on Tuesday, January 13. Miriam, Rev. Hank and Kiki will be at an offsite meeting. If there is a pastoral emergency, please call Rev. Hank at 781.475.9891

For information that you would like to put in The Link or highlight in the Order of Worship Announcement, please email the information to both Kiki and Miriam to ensure it is seen in the office. Please note your announcement may be edited due to space constraints. We encourage brevity (one to two paragraphs max.) The Link goes out as an email blast on Thursdays and generally posted on our Facebook page First Parish Milton UU by Saturday. Submission must be received by Tuesdays at 5 pm.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!

EVERY SUNDAY

Worship, 10:30am in the Meetinghouse

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

THE SUNDAY PLANNER

Please consider volunteering for important Sunday worship positions like ushering, hosting social hour, providing flowers for worship, and lighting the chalice. Sign Up Here!