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
- Message from Rev. Lisa
- This Week in Religious Exploration
- Events and Meetings
- News and Announcements
- Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
“Keep Wonder Alive”
Worship Assistant: Amy Kavadlo
Greeters: Owen McGonagle & Cathy Sheedy-McGonagle
Flowers: Trisha Tu
Audio: Nina Truog
Sunday’s offering will be given to Thrive Gula. THRIVE Gula assists communities in post-conflict northern Uganda to heal from the traumatic effects of war, sexual exploitation, extreme poverty and the resulting loss of opportunities. ED, Mick Hirsch will speak.
Please join us for service at 10:30am.
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.
Did you know that “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” and “Jingle Bells” were written by Unitarian composers?
Or that Jingle Bells was the first carol to be played in outer space? On December 16, 1965 the astronauts from Gemini 6 and 7 jokingly claimed to have seen an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO), referring to Santa Claus on his sleigh, followed by airing the carol.
There are several stories of Carols being sung to encourage brief truces during war. A French soldier in the Franco-Prussian war stood up, unarmed, on Christmas Eve 1871 to sing “O Holy Night” for all to hear. And during World War I, “Silent Night” was sung together by British and German soldiers during a day-long truce on December 25, 1914.
“O Holy Night” had another claim to fame on Christmas Eve 1906 when it was part of what is believed to be the first radio broadcast.
This Christmas Eve day, falling on a Sunday, we will have a carol and song sing-a long, with stories about the tunes at our 10:30 am service.
Do you have a favorite Holiday song or carol that you would like to celebrate? Please contact me (minister@fpmilton.org) with a request, and Tim and I will endeavor to incorporate it in the morning service. Please let me know by Tuesday, December 19.
Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa
Rev. Lisa will be on vacation from December 25 through Jan 1
RE This Week
Events and Meetings
On Christmas Eve, there will be 3 services: a 10:30am service, the 5:00pm pageant and 10:00pm candlelight service. Please join us!
Holiday Fundraiser
The bidding ends December 17, at our holiday fair. The proceeds will go to church operations.
It’s Holiday Fair Time ~ bring your friends! Share on Social Media!
This Sunday, our much-anticipated Holiday Fair at First Parish is happening.
You will be able to enjoy:
* Craft making and cookie decorating — for all ages!
* Chili and cornbread for lunch
* Read a book with Santa and get your picture taken!
* Kids Only Shop for Gifts for $1 or less
* Fair Trade items, baked goods, and crafts from 10+ local crafters
* Carol singing and a performance by some of the youth from Milton High
* Free Cycle/Good Will OfferingTable of new or newish Holiday Decor and Gifts
* Family Holiday Movies ending with Tom Kemp in “The Spuces and The Pines”
Climate Action@HOME – upcoming discussions
The Climate team is planning monthly updates after worship for those who want to learn more about climate action. If you have topics you would like to discussion please contact Tracey Robinson at tdr02186@gmail.
January 14th- Heat Pumps: Come hear a panel of FPM members share info about their experience with installing heat pumps in their homes.
Join us 12:00 pm after social hour in the Chase Parlor.
News and Announcements
Childcare during Choir Rehearsals
Starting in January 2024, childcare will be available in the nursery starting at 8:30am for caregivers to attend choir rehearsal. If you have any questions about joining the choir, please contact Tim at eliztim95@gmail.com. If you have any questions about childcare, please contact Louise at re@fpmilton.org.
January is a great month to volunteer!
It is cold outside – but warm at First Parish!
CLICK HERE to SIGN UP!
We are looking for SOCIAL HOUR HOSTS, GREETERS & WORSHIP ASSISTANTS
Haven’t done this before or need a refresher? No worries! A committee member will reach out to you the week of your sign up to provide instructions and guidance.
Thank You and we look forward to your participation!
Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)
The Social & Environmental Justice Committee would like to thank the First Parish congregation for their generous donations to Share the Plate in support of Milton Welcoming Haitian Neighbors. $1,142.15 was raised.
THE GIFT OF EARTH (& JUSTICE) ADVOCACY
from First Parish Social & Environmental Justice Committee
We know we can make individual choices to live more sustainably, to lessen impacts on our shared planet (thus far, no Planet B. ) Collectively, our choices matter. ADVOCACY, supporting key legislation and informing our legislators about important pending bills, is even more important. It’s easy to identify your state legislator (s) here — input your zipcode.
For a proposed bill to become law, State House co-sponsors give it clout and influence its chances of approval. Legislators represent you: make sure they know what matters to you. Call, email, text, and/or post on social media. Hearing from as few as five or six constituents about a particular bill puts it on their radar. Really.
Here are two bills with impact which merit your action:
H3690 and S2104— the Bigger Better Bottle Bill represents a proven way to reduce plastic pollution by expanding product categories and raising the deposit fee to 10 cents. Our state’s current system is outdated and insufficient. Imagine: no more alcohol NIPS, water, or sports/vitamin beverage bottles littering the streets, riverways, or beaches. [a MassPIRG initiative]
S.481 / H.872 (aka Polluters Pay) — this establishes a climate change superfund and promotes polluter/manufacturer responsibility to “clean up its act.” Right now, consumer-citizens pay for all the bad outcomes like solid waste, litter, and public health risks. [a UU MASS Action campaign item]
It’s wonderful that First Parish members live in many different municipalities: Boston, Canton, Milton, Quincy, Randolph, and more. Together, we can make an an impact IF we advocate for it.
Zero Waste for the Holidays
Celebrate the holiday season with zero waste. Waste from holiday meals, gift giving, and packaging can trash our holiday spirit by harming the environment. We throw away at least 25% more trash during the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day than any other time of year.
Learn how to reduce your waste during the holidays with our panel of experts from PIRG and Environment America.
December 20th is the next date!
S&EJ (Social & Environmental Justice committee) is looking for volunteers the first and third Wednesday of each month to contribute lunches. We hope to deliver 70 lunches twice a month to support shelter guests.
See updated instructions on the Mainspring SignUpGenius page and signup whenever you can help out.
We are counting on your support!
Beyond First Parish
RYP Holiday Concert (feat. John Muratore)
Dec 22, 2023, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
UU Urban Ministry, 10 Putnam St, Boston, MA 02119, USA
Join us for a heartwarming celebration of the holiday season, with the music of acclaimed classical guitarist, John Muratore!
This concert is free, and we hope you will join us for an evening of celebration and world class music. Donations are welcome, and will benefit UUUM’s Roxbury Youth Programs.
SAVE THE DATE to join us for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day Project
Monday, January 15th 10:00 am-11:30 am
Cunningham Hall-75 Edge Hill Road., Milton
We invite families and friends to join us in assembling “blessing bags” for those in our area facing the challenges of housing and living in harsh weather.
Sponsored by Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice.
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.