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

November Worship Theme: RESPONSIBILITY

“Radical Welcome”

Worship Assistant: Chris Clifford

Greeters: Brigitte Miller and Sheldon Blackburn

Faith Reflection: Dottie Pitt

Audio: Sofia Nitolo

Social Hour: Charles Franich and Ruth Hannon

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.

Every year, the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association (MICA) hosts a “Thanks-for-Giving” service at 4 pm on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. It is a celebration of volunteers from faith and civic institutions who are lifted up as giving significantly to the life of the named institutions. (see the posting in “beyond First Parish” below). 

The two volunteers proposed by the Parish Committee this year on behalf of First Parish are Charlie Franich and Lisa White.

There are many volunteers in this faith community who do so much. It is good to have the opportunity, each year, to highlight a few. Thank you for your service Lisa and Charlie! 

Here are short bios:

Charles Franich, a stalwart volunteer, has served on several committees, including 2 Ministerial Search Committees, and has chaired the Membership, Nominating, Worship and Stewardship Committees. He has enjoyed wearing many hats and providing many hugs. His buoyant, compassionate and wise leadership has served First Parish reliably for 35 years. 

Lisa White has been chair or co-chair for the Parish, Caring, Religious Exploration, and Worship Committees. She has helped organize First Parish’s yard sale and fundraiser auction. On most Sundays, she can be found singing with the choir. Her kind, reliable, trustworthy and efficient leadership has served this congregation wonderfully for 22 years.  

 Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Music This Week

This Sunday the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing “At This Table” by Jonas Myrin and Idina Menzel, arranged by Mac Huff. The text states that everyone is welcome at this table; no one falls between, and all can speak their mind without judgment. Hunsaker soloist Carina Digianfilippo will also be singing about a welcome table in an African American folk song arranged by Florence Price, called “Some o’ These Days”

Religious Exploration

This week, our Spirit Play class will read “The Lazy Bear” a story about a bear learning lessons from his friends.

Passages will be reading “Those Shoes” by Maribeth Boelts, which focuses on the value of generosity.

Crossing Paths will be continuing its study of Judaism. For centuries, the Jewish people have endured and survived persecution. Along the way, deep spiritual wisdom and innovative spiritual practice have helped them navigate that difficult journey. While our persecution and sense of exile is significantly different than theirs, we can still learn much from them. Who of us hasn’t felt “far from home” or even “forced into exile” at some point in our lives? Identifying resources to navigate such times is a major theme of this month. It’s also a gift to know that we are not alone when it comes to the struggle and the longing for home. And as the Jewish experience reminds us, these times of “diaspora” (painful dislocation from home) can also give rise to the creation of new and lifegiving resources and rituals. This also speaks to one of the wonderful paradoxes of the Jewish tradition: The suffering of the Jewish people is deep; but their joy and hope go deeper. This will become apparent as we explore their strong sense of community, joyful and adaptive rituals, and their long history of persevering by holding on to each other and their faith. This combination of difficult struggle and deep hope allows us to see a powerful connection to our own faith. Especially when it comes to the role of community in helping us hold on to hope in the midst of struggle. For both UUs and Jews, religious community reminds us that we don’t walk our paths alone.

Next week, Wee the People is coming back from another workshop that will engage all the RE classes.

Harvest Supper Thank You!

What a wonderful turnout for the Harvest Supper gathering! Thank you all for your contributions of delicious foods – what a feast (and we really should do an FP cookbook again!). We also send our appreciation to the many First Parish musicians who treated us to their tunes and talents. And a big thank you to the Hospitality Committee for hosting the event – and to the many who helped with the set up and clean up.  It was good to be together.

Events

Last Session of Navigating the Political Climate

Meeting by zoom from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm Tuesday 26. Contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org for the zoom link.

First Parish HOLIDAY FAIR – crafters wanted 

Saturday, Dec 14th from 10 am-2 pm We will have our amazing Holiday Fair again. More information will be coming but if you know crafters who might like to rent a table, please ask them to email me for information. We are lining them up now. Leslie at: lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com

If you want to get involved again, let me know! December will be here before you know it!

The Milton Residents’ Fund gratefully accepts financial or gift card donations throughout the year to assist families and individuals who are experiencing a financial crisis. We especially need gift cards during November and early December to respond to holiday gift requests for those requesting additional assistance with the purchase of food or basic necessities, and teens/young adults/parents and seniors who have requested help with a holiday gifts, sneakers, or winter clothing. The following would be particularly helpful: grocery (Shaws or Star Market work best), $25 Target, or Amazon. Gently used snow boots for teens and young adults as well as gently used snow jackets are also welcomed (leave in FP library marked MRF). Gift card donations can be left in the grey box in the church hallway, Marked MRF. Provide the donor name and mailing address if a tax donation letter is requested. The goal is to distribute all gifts and items before 12/13/24.

Social & Environmental Justice

Next date: November 20th

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

Milton Interfaith Clergy Association invites all to the annual Thanks-For-Giving Celebration!

When: Sunday Afternoon, November 24, 2024 4:00pm-5:15pm

Where: St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

Address: 112 Randolph Avenue, Milton, MA

This Year’s Theme:

Embracing the Divine through the Divinity of Others:

Cultivating Compassionate Conversations

Guest Speaker

 Rebecca Berwick

Humanities Department Chair, The Rashi School

Followed by a dessert reception

Donations will be accepted to support

Milton Food Pantry, Milton Residents Fund & Immigrant Family Services Institute

Canned Goods & Non-perishable Food Items also accepted.

Culture Con is happening at Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY Friday, December 6 through Sunday, December 8! Please see below for a warm invitation from UUCSR and for more information on registering youth and their adult advisors:

For those of you who are unfamiliar with youth conferences, this is what they consist of — a two-night overnight event that includes all high schoolers from UU congregations in the surrounding area. The activities at the Con will include discussion-based programming, sports, art, and general fun and silliness. Cons are run by the youth and for the youth with adult supervision, but the youth are the central focus in decision-making, planning, and leading.

Culture Con will be a celebration of the UU value of Pluralism, where we honor that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, experience, and theology! Come to Culture Con excited and ready to express whatever it is you are passionate about!  The official registration forms for youth and their adult advisors are live. Please keep in mind, there are 3 forms for youth to submit and 2 forms for their adult advisors to submit.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Jamie Walowitz, UUCSR Youth and Adult Faith Engagement Coordinator via email or her direct line: (516) 472-2943.

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.