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… 
Table of Contents
- This Week in Worship
- This Week in Religious Exploration
- Events and Meetings
- News and Announcements
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
“Are you a UU Mystic and don’t know it ?”
Worship Assistant: Elise Henricks
Usher: Debbie Alsebai
Greeter: Lisa White
Social Hour: Natalie Monroe
Music: Tim Steele
Audio: Atticus D’Allesandro
Sunday’s offering will be given to service and ministry of First Parish.
Masks are optional for vaccinated people in the meetinghouse; masks are still required for those who have not been vaccinated. Respect and consideration should be given to all regardless of their masking choice.
In college I had a Religious Studies professor named John Paris, SJ, who was always encouraging us to approach life with the newspaper in one hand and the Bible in the other. We needed to know the news of the day and we needed to gain the wider perspective that the holy book could provide. I can still see him standing at the front of the class with the New York Times (his paper of choice) and the King James Bible (his translation of choice) held aloft. The image stays with me. So does the practice of reading the news daily, and though I can’t claim to read the Bible daily I do hope to bring the wider perspective of ethics, prayer and personal reflection to the news of the day and the world we live in.
These days that isn’t easy. Like you, I am sure, I care about our imperfect and currently imperiled democracy and I care about our beautiful and very much imperiled planet, and the news of the day can be discouraging. I ask myself how do I best live in this world? Specifically how do I maintain hope, how do I stay engaged, how do I keep my equanimity- neither giving up and checking out nor becoming overwrought with worry or anger?
It helps me to have a vision of how I want to live-
- which is to see things are they are, facing what is painful while always looking for the signs of hope that exist and are emerging,
- which is to contribute to the common good, asking myself what is my particular gift to offer, – how can I best insert myself into the struggle for justice- and then do it,
- which is to trust that I will be inspired by others and seek that inspiration that I need,
- and which is stay connected to the Holy, gaining strength, perspective and peace from that abiding love.
How then shall we live? is fundamentally a religious question and one that each of us takes up daily as we make our way in life. My answer, your answer to that question is ever evolving. It helps to be a part of a faith community. The news of the day filters through this community, and we can better see emerging hope because hope and goodness are part of our language; we find and share inspiration- sometimes within the community, sometimes beyond; we work together and learn from one another and our work bears fruit because we are together; we support one another’s spiritual path and spiritual practice knowing whatever holy book you hold in your hand, there are truths that sustain us beyond the vagaries of each day, there is a love that animates and embraces us.
This Sunday, we welcome to First Parish guest minister Rev. Stephen Shick. I’ve long admired Stephen for his commitment to social justice, ministry, and spiritual life- which pretty much sums up what I just wrote about.
With all good wishes,
Rev. Tricia
Music For Sunday
This Sunday Jennifer Sgroe will be singing a solo of perseverance, “I Go On” by Leonard Bernstein, with a text by Stephen Schwartz. Claudia Wellington will also be providing a solo by Lori McKenna called “Uphill”.
Religious Exploration
Still need to register your child? The registration form can be found here.
Rev. Stephen Shick is Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Church of Marlborough and Hudson. Professionally he has been a local peace activist, national radio broadcaster, parish minister, founding director of national Unitarian Universalist programs to end the nuclear arms race, childhood poverty and protect human rights. Skinner Books has published two books of Stephen’s poetry, prayers and meditations: Be the Change and Consider the Lilies. Currently he teaches the spiritual art of speaking without a script to clergy and social justice activists.
Events and Meetings
Trunk or Treat at First Parish!
Saturday, October 29 4:00 pm–5:00 p.m.
First Parish is holding a fun Halloween activity for members, friends, and the community. Halloween is just around the corner!
On Saturday, October 29, bring your car to First Parish, decorate the trunk, and give out candy to trick-or-treaters !
Prizes for trunk decorations include gift cards for Stevie’s Pizza, the Ice Cream Smith, and the Friends of the Milton Public Library Bookshop.
Ways you can participate:
• Decorate the trunk of your car and give out candy
• Donate candy
• Help out at the event (set up, direct cars to spots, clean up, etc.)
• Bring your kids and their friends in their Halloween costumes
to trick-or-treat from car to car
If you’re interested in helping, please let Lisa White know lisawhite1250@gmail.com
HARVEST SUPPER
SAVE THE DATE
The 2nd Outdoor First Parish Harvest Gathering is almost here (November 5th). Start planning your appetizer, your song and your warm outfit. You can find more details in the Evite that was sent on Wednesday 10/19. Don’t forget to RSVP!
It’s time to begin making your plans to attend the first concert of the season with Milton Community Concerts. It will be on Sunday afternoon, November 6 at 3pm and will feature four professional vocal soloists and a combined choir performance. The choir will consist of members from First Parish as well as UCC-Norwell and many other local churches. The concert is called “Sharing Ourselves, Reuniting Our Voices: Music by Carol Koffinke”. Carol Koffinke is a prolific and popular local composer, and this concert will feature several world premiere performances. Tickets are $20 general, $10 seniors, and free for 18 and under.
Visit miltoncommunityconcerts.com to see all the details.
News and Announcements
For the Building
As we begin to return to more “normal” activities at First Parish, we wanted to remind everyone of a few housekeeping things. Please make sure to shut off the lights if you are the last one leaving a room. Please check that the external doors are shut tight- on all out doors with electronic keys, you should hear a “click” when you shut the door, if the door is properly closed. Thank you for you helping us conserve our energy use!
The worship service on October 30th will center on honoring and remembering our beloved dead. Please bring photos of those you have known and loved to church next Sunday.
Volunteer Opportunities
Fair Foods
Fair Foods is a non-profit program that rescues fresh produce that wwould 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, November 19th.
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 or 617-291-4685.
First Parish Milton volunteers provide bagged lunches to MainSpring adult shelters in Brockton twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Members of the Social & Environmental Justice committee will make the delivery to Brockton.
Volunteers are needed to acquire food and pack 10 lunches and deliver to the church between 12:45 pm-1:00 pm on Delivery day. One team lead drives all the lunches to the shelter in Brockton. Please note how many meals you are making in comments. We are looking for 70 lunches for each delivery day. Lunches should include sandwich, fruit, drink, snack/chips and sweet/cookies.
The next delivery day will be on Wednesday October 26th and then every other Wednesday throughout the year. We will meet in the lower parking lot between 12:40 and 1:00 PM.
If you haven’t made lunches in a while OR if you are a new volunteer, sign up on MainSpring Sign Up Genius or contact Pat Gallivan at pl.gallivan@verizon.net for more info.
Thanks to all the volunteers that have made this program a success for more than two years !!
Beyond First Parish
ONLINE UU HISTORY SERIES – OPEN TO ALL!
Tuesdays, October 11th thru November 15th
7:00pm-8:00pm CT
Offered on Zoom
Free
The Faith Forward program out of the First Unitarian Church of Dallas is excited to offer an online session of our UU History series for all congregations! This series is an incredible opportunity for all visitors, members, and friends to learn more about the rich and deep history of our faith. This series approaches history from the starting point of compelling stories and personalities; each session will focus on one or two people from our history. Participants explore the questions these people faced and make connections with their own lives and the world around them today. The overarching question is: how can history be translated into our religious life and practice?
To register, just use this link:
Book Group with the book THE FENCE
This is the chilling Boston story of violence against a police office by other police officers and the subsequent cover-up. The police officer beaten was Michael Cox, Boston’s current police commissioner.
Join us on Zoom, Tuesday nights 10/25/22 and 11/15/22 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm.
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.