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

“Mystery as Miracle”

Worship Assistant: Elise Henricks

Greeters: Lisa White and Jeff Stoodt

Flowers: Deborah Kelley

Faith Reflection: Cathy Sheedy-McGonagle

Audio: Colin Glazer

Social Hour: Bill and Deborah Kelley

Sunday’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.

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.

Christmas Eve Volunteers Needed

Our traditional candlelight service- come into the meetinghouse or join on Zoom where we will share reflections, sing carols, lift up the prayerful message of peace for the world.

Greeters and Ushers needed. Click below to sign up.

Christmas Eve Sign up to Volunteer 10:00 pm Service

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I attended a Courageous Conversations Toward Racial Justice offering regarding the banning of books. A panelist remarked that “libraries embody civil discourse”. We are in dire need of supporting this way of being in our society.

A friend forwarded a video of Mike Johnson, newly elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives, calling himself “the Lord’s” appointed Moses to lead legislation. We are in vital need of recognizing the crumbling of church/state differentiation, and the dangerous call for a Christian nation.

A candidate for presidency declared climate change as a hoax in a recent televised debate. We are in serious need of staying strong and clear about our accountability in human sustainability on earth.

The good news is that there are beloved communities far and wide, climate scientists devoted and brilliant, interfaith leaders humble and differentiated. This is simply, and yes, urgently, a time to pay attention, not only to that which threatens life, liberty and justice but also to that which embraces freedom, celebration, and respect for this powerfully resilient interdependent web of existence.

How good it is to be in beloved community. How good it is to learn from and value each other.

Keep on keeping on. Behold and beware.

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Rev. Lisa will be on vacation from December 25 through Jan 1

RE This Week

Music This Week

This Sunday the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing a Chanukah anthem called “V’hidliku Neirot” (And They Lit the Lamps) by Arnold Harris. Mr. Harris is a prolific composer and arranger, and is currently the Music Director at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, MA, where he has taught for 38 years. An ensemble of singers from our congregation will also be joining together to present Terre Roche’s “Star of Wonder”.

Events and Meetings

Holiday Fundraiser

Andy Strang, a recently deceased beloved member, created many prints of his photography. 

For the next few weeks a silent auction of his photos is in place. The bidding will end December 17, at our holiday fair.  The proceeds will go to church operations. 

Come and admire his work, displayed in the Link Hallway. And feel free to bid!

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.

December 10th- How can I reduce PLASTICS? – Discussion led by Mary Blanchette

Join us December 10 at 12 noon after social hour in the Chase Parlor.

January 14th- Heat Pumps: Come hear a panel of FPM members share info about their experience with installing heat pumps in their homes.

Our Holiday Fair Tree in the Narthex is in need of decorations! All new and gently used hats, gloves and scarves used to decorate our tree will be donated to the Milton Residence Fund and Immigrant Family Services Institute.

In preparation for the Holiday Fair here is how you can help!

Holiday Free-will Free-cycle

Find a unique, useful, or unusual gift, holiday supplies or decorating items in

exchange for a small free-will donation to help support the work of this church. 

(If you want to donate a few “free-cycle” items contact Tracey tdr02186@gmail.com or Tucker tsmith62676@gmail.com

Little Elf Shop

Kids will be able to buy gifts for their teachers, families, neighbors, and friends for $1

or less. Contact Dianna Wilson at diannaw710@gmail.com if you would like to

donate some of these gifts.

Holiday Sweets Bake Table

Yummy Holiday Treats will be available for sale. Donations of home baked Holiday cookies, breads, candies, cakes, pies, etc. would be welcome. Text Didi Emmons at 617-285-4312 with what you would like to contribute.

Holiday Lunch 

Warm and tasty meat and vegetarian chili with corn bread and salad will be available. Donations of Chili, Cornbread and Green salads would be welcome. Text Debbie Alsebai at 617-821-9460 with what you would like to contribute.

Elves for Set Up and Clean Up

We need a few elves to hang flyers around town and a few to come early to set up the Parish Hall from 8 AM to 10 AM and clean up from 4 PM to 5 PM pm 12/17. Contact Leslie MacPherson at lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com with your availability . 

Contact Debbie Alsebai at alsebai@verizon.net or 617-821-9460 for more information or to offer to help.

News and Announcements

January is a great month to volunteer!

  There is not much going on, it is 

  cold outside, beach weekends to the

  Cape are months away….

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!

The Milton Resident’s 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 (as they sell everything), 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. Provide the donor name and mailing address if a tax donation letter is requested. The goal is to distribute all gifts and items b 12/15/23.”

Regards,

Noreen K Dolan, MSW, LCSW

Fund Coordinator

Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)

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.

Watch Here

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

Milton Welcoming Haitian Newcomers

December 13th 7:00 pm-8:00 pm

 Milton Welcoming Haitian Newcomers will hold an online community meeting Wednesday, December 13 from 7-8pm. We will share info on our progress toward hosting a recently-arrived Haitian family. Here is the Zoom link.

Community Conversations: A Long Road Home: Roots of Homeownership Inequity

Join us and our guest, Aja Kennedy from the Boston Indicators to discuss some of the state’s homeownership support programs, and policy tensions related to design and implementation of these programs, as well as recommendations for how to strengthen them.

A Long Road Home: Roots of Homeownership Inequity

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 – 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Zoom Info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81191027113

Co-sponsored by: First Parish in Lexington and Follen Church

About Aja and Boston Indicators:

Aja is a Racial Wealth Gap Research Fellow with Boston Indicators. She is currently pursing a Ph.D. in Economics and Public Policy at Tufts University, where her research areas include urban and public economics, with a particular interest in housing, residential segregation, and land use.

Boston Indicators special report “A Long Road Home: A Racial Equity Analysis of Homeownership Support Programs in Massachusetts” leads with a history of our region’s racial homeownership gap and provides a thorough landscape scan of affordable homeownership programs in Massachusetts, diving more deeply into six key state programs and policies. The paper ends with recommendations for strengthening the existing system, derived from a series of focus groups and stakeholder interviews.

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.