This Week in Virtual Worship

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Sunday, December 27, 2020 10:30am

“Staying Power”

Facilitated by: Timothy Ellis

Worship Associate:  Penny Partridge

Music: Tim Steele

Audio Engineer: Daniel Truog

Virtual Social Hour Host: Amy KavadloPlease see the zoom link below. 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. Here is the zoom link for Sunday: 

Meeting ID: 897 796 221

Password: 038939Please be on the lookout for an Order of Worship which will be emailed to you on Saturday, 12/26

Sunday’s offering will be deidicated to the services and ministry of First Parish.

We’ve added the offering to the service with a new way to give- text to giving! We will continue having a social hour after services. Just stay on the Zoom worship call.  It will be good to worship together. Do join us on Sunday if you can! 

Important Christmas Eve Announcements

We will be offering 2 Christmas Eve Services this year. For extra Zoom security, we are CHANGING our zoom links for the services from our normal Sunday link. Both the 5pm and 10pm Services will have unique Zoom Links. The links are below and meeting ID’s/passwords below.

With the holiday next week, our email communication schedule will also be changed.

Order of Workships for both 5pm and 10pm Services- Scheduled to arrive in your inbox by 9:30am (in 2 separate emails) on 12/24.

If you do not receive the order of worship by 10:30am for the service you wish to attend, please email office@fpmilton.org. 

Order of Worship for 12/27 Service- scheduled to arrive in your inbox 12/26.

Each week, Tim Steele, our music director, offers a column entitled “Our Music This Sunday”. Tim has been working diligently, even within the challenge of zoom offerings, to bring a variety of music and musicians to our faith community.

With the added gift facilitated by our DRE Laurel Whitehouse in the calling of musicians within the community for our video pageant this year (full listing in an article below), we have an astounding wealth of musical artistry to share, to enjoy, and to cherish.

I’ve asked Tim if I could highlight his column this week.From Tim: “Lots of music to enjoy this week. Thanks to all the musicians who are so generous with their time and talents, not just this week but throughout the church year.

On Christmas Eve at 5pm come and enjoy a virtual Christmas Pageant. Stuart Ryerse and congregants will be providing festive music. At 10pm you are invited to join our virtual service at 9:40 pm if you’d like to hear some music to put you in the Christmas spirit. An array of musicians from our congregation have prerecorded selections for our prelude.

We will also hear from our Hunsacker soloists Grace Allendorf, Jennifer Sgroe, and Melissa Joseph. Rumor has it that even the Meetinghouse Choir may make an appearance somehow.On December 27th we welcome Karl Pastore and Grace Allendorf as our musicians. Karl will be playing two pieces by Bach on the guitar, and Gracewill be singing two selections by prominent African-American composersLeslie Adams and Jacqueline B. Hairston.” — Tim Steele

Blessings Abound! Rev. Lisa

MUSICAL SELECTIONS for the 5 pm Christmas Eve Worship Service:

We are fortunate to include many musical contributions from members of the congregation:

“Happy Christmas” by John Lennon, performed by Nathaniel Miller;

“Carol of the Bells” by Mykola Leontovych, performed by Nicholas Miller;

“Good King Wenceslas” music by John Mason Neale, performed by Leona and Jeremiah Sitkoff;

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” words by Phillips Brooks, music by Lewis H. Redner,

performed by Lisa White and Jeff Stoodt;

“Little Drummer Boy” by Katherine Kennicott Davis, performed by

Franc Graham and Dean and Jeff Fletcher;

“The First Nowell” English Carol, music by William Sandys, harmony by John Stainer,

performed by Sophie D’Alessandro and Jennie Mulqueen;

“Silent Night” words by Joseph Mohr, music by Franz Xaver Gruber, Meetinghouse Choir;

and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe, performed by Xavier Sophinos

Table of Contents

For Events, News and Announcements 

1.  Guest Speaker for Sunday Service

2.  Pledge Letter Reminder

3   Covid-19 Testing

4.  Weekly Meditation 

5.  Lunch brigade & Father Bills volunteer opportunity

6.  Racial Justice Conversations

7.  UUU Ministry Community Conversation

8. Fair Foods volunteer opportunity

Events, News & Announcements

Timothy Ellis will be leading the service on Sunday 12/27. Timothy is our Field Education student at First Parish this year focusing on communications and racial justice. They are currently in their second year of the Master’s of Divinity program at Harvard Divinity School pursuing ordination as a Unitarian Universalist minister. Originally hailing from Wisconsin, they are a lifelong UU. Timothy previously served the Eliot Church of Natick (UU/UCC) as a part of the ministry team. They like large bodies of water and learning about outer space. Timothy lives in Jamaica Plain, Boston with their partner Shaya, two housemates, and lots of plants.

Pledge Letter Reminders by Susan DeMinico

Pledge reminder letters went out last week- you should have received by now. There is a typo on the letter- it says FY18 instead of FY21. The information on the letter- what you have paid and your pledged amount- is correct. My apologies for not catching the mistake.  If you have any question on your pledge, please feel free to message me manager@fpmilton.org or leave me a message in the office. Pledges are not due until 6/30/21, and tax letters will be going out the end of January, for your planning purposes.

In partnership with Fallon Ambulance/Transformative Healthcare, the Town of Milton will offer free COVID-19 tests on Sundays in December to Milton residents and those that work in Milton. Drive-through testing will be available each of the next four Sundays at the DPW Yard, 629 Randolph Avenue (Route 28).December 27th, 10am to 3pm

To receive a test: You do NOT need to be showing symptoms of COVID-19. Tests are first come, first serve, with no pre-registration. Please bring personal identification.For the safety of yourself and others, please wear a mask or face covering and remain in your vehicle unless directed by staff on site.

Meditation continues ….

All are welcome to join for 30 minutes of silent meditation/prayer on:

Thursday evenings at 7:00pm 

Sunday mornings at 9:30am

Newcomers and friends welcome.

Please contact Tracey at tdr02186@gmail.com if you have questions or want to join us!  

“As of this week, First Parish members have made 1,737 lunches for the clients of MainSpring House in Brockton and Evelyn House in Stoughton.

With much gratitude to all the lunch makers who have contributed to this ongoing effort since March. We hear that the clients appreciate our nutritional meals.”

Volunteers are needed on December 30th. Volunteers acquire food and pack 10-20 lunches and deliver to the church between 12:45-1pm on Delivery day. One team lead drives all the lunches to the shelter in Brockton.

If you can help, please contact Peter Schneider at peterlschneider@gmail.com for instructions or if you already know the drill, signup on our Mainspring Signup

Genius – please indicate number of lunches you will bring.

Racial Justice Focus GroupBi-weekly Conversations by Zoom with Rev. Lisa, Timothy Ellis and Debbie Alsebai Next Session: Wednesday, January 6, 7:00pm – 8:30 pm The isolation due to Covid-19 and the stark, unequivocal events of racialinjustice in this nation has encouraged a widespread willingness to examinewhat is needed for true equity and justice for all. Let’s answer the call.Part of the work is seeing more clearly. This does not call for shame andblame, but for the courage of discomfort and openness to new choices and newchanges. What does it mean that history is white washed? How does white privilegeplay out, even among well-meaning liberals? What is the networking ofsystemic racism? We’ll meet every other week to share stories, examinearticles and short videos, and encourage one another to further see theculture we have been taught to navigate. This is a hope-filled endeavor.Please join us and invite your friends. A zoom link will be sent out theweek of the conversation. Interested?  Contact the office: office@fpmilton.org.

 Fair Foods is a non-profit program that rescues fresh produce that would otherwise be wasted and uses it to feed our communities. We volunteer together unloading and sorting food and packing bags on the 2nd Saturday of every month, starting at roughly 9 a.m.

Next session is Saturday, January 9th

If you want to volunteer, please text or e-mail Tony Dutzik at 617-291-4685 or tdutzik@earthlink.net  by Thursday evening before the event. Start time  and locations vary depending on Fair Foods’ needs, but volunteering typically takes place at First Parish Dorchester, 10 Parish St. in Dorchester, near Fields Corner, or at Fair Foods’ new warehouse in South Boston. Please wear a mask and bring gloves if you have them.

Tune in to UU Urban Ministry Community Conversation Several months ago, the Rev Mary Margaret Earl joined our worship service to share news from the Urban Ministry at First Church in Roxbury.  She invited us to participate in a series of Community Conversations organized by the Urban Ministry.  The next Conversation is on January 26 “What’s Happening to Roxbury: A Conversation on Gentrification and Displacement,” featuring Roxbury Native, Marisa Luse, a life-long Roxbury resident who considers her neighborhood the “village” that nurtured and raised her. She has extensive nonprofit management, community engagement and civic leadership experience. Tune in from 6 to 7:30 on the 26th. Link coming soon!  Special thanks to Conversation sponsor First Parish in Lexington

REMINDER – Notices for The Link need to be sent to both office@fpmilton.org and manager@fpmilton.org.  It is how we make sure your announcement is included each week. Please send your announcement on Tuesdays for inclusion

in the Thursday edition of The Link.