Your Weekly Link
Sunday, February 23rd, 2020
Guest Speaker and Musician: Matt Meyer
Minister
Rev. Lisa Ward
Rev. Lisa will be on study leave from Monday, February 17th through Monday, February 24th. She will be on call for member pastoral emergencies.
Our service this week will be led by percussionist Matt Meyer. We are very happy to welcome Matt back to First Parish as a guest musician and worship leader. Matt has led hundreds of services for UU congregations across the country. He has a degree in hand drumming and has studied abroad in Cuba, Ghana and Central America. Matt serves as Director of Community Life for Sanctuary Boston, a contemporary worship UU community. We look forward to a rousing and meaningful worship experience.
There will be NO Silent Prayer and Meditation on Feb 27th or March 1st.
Religious Exploration
Nursery care will be available from 10:15 to 11:45 am in the Link hallway for infants and toddlers up through age 3.
On Sunday, February 23, all children from preschool through grade 8 will attend the entire worship service in the Meeting House. Coming of Age does not meet this week.
Youth Chat will not be meeting this week on the 23rd. Have a joyous and relaxing school vacation!
Coming of Age will not be meeting this week on the 23rd. Have a joyous and relaxing school vacation!
Care Packages: We are about to start gearing up for our annual joint project with the Caring Committee of preparing and mailing off care packages for recent grads of First Parish! Start collecting and dropping off donations of toys and treats you would like to send to our young adults to show them how much we care for them. We will be sending out care packages in early March – official final donation date to be announced.
Upcoming Dates to Note:
· 3/14 Youth Group Overnight
· 3/15 Youth Led Worship Service
· 4/12 Easter Sunday – Youth hide the Easter eggs for the annual Easter egg hunt
· 4/26 UU Heritage Walking Trip in Downtown Boston
· 5/1 Coming of Age Celebration Potluck
· 5/3 Coming of Age Worship Service
SOLAR PANEL PROJECT UPDATE
Now that we’ve had the marvelous unanimous vote for solar panels and electrical upgrades, the “sausage making” process of permitting, electrical construction bids and fundraising has begun. This is a very fluid process that will take months. We will give periodic updates in the link for those interested in following the flow. For more details, feel free to contact members of the solar panel committee (listed below).
Feb. 7th — Bidding inquiries were sent to four electrical engineering companies for bids on the electrical upgrades. the work will need to be done during a time when electricity can be shut down for a few days.
Feb 10th — The permitting paperwork has been received by Eversource. This is a 55 business day process. The contract with the solar panel company will then be signed upon Eversource’s specific site particulars. We will then have a better idea of the timing of the solar panel installation.
As of Feb 20th — 58 1/4 solar panel donation pledges have been made. Contact Debbie Alsebai for legacy campaign details and/or to join the campaign task force. See the campaign update fuurther down In Faith, Ruth Heiden, Lisa White, Karl Pastore, Tony Dutzik
Events, News and Announcements
First Parish Auction 2020:”Spring for Good!”
Auction Item of the Week
You may recognize this week’s Auction Item as a pew from our very own sanctuary! Master Carpenter Karl Pastore of FP Adirondack chair fame has big plans for this precious cast-off! You’ll be amazed how this pew will be transformed in the hands of Karl and want his new iteration for your home, cottage or she-shed!
Do you woodwork too? Transform metal into useful or artistic creations? Make Sandart? Perhaps you will want to teach an informal class?
Let’s share our generosity and talents while raising Funds for FP!
THANKS IN ADVANCE
SAVE THE DATE & RSVP NOW
PLAN YOUR OWN MEMORIAL SERVICE
March 7 — 1 – 3:30
Facilitator: Rev. Lisa Ward
A true gift that you can give your loved ones is to offer suggestions for planning your memorial service. At a time when they will be struggling with grief, some clarity supports their gathering to honor your life. We will walk through several possible aspects of a memorial service, offer resources and devote time to explore your unique being – your unique voice.
Please rsvp to the office: office@fpmilton.org, if you plan on attending.
Bring a dish to pass and enjoy an evening meal in someone’s home with fellow parishioners! No agenda– just a pleasant evening and conversation. Members and non-members alike are welcome. Suppers are planned for the following dates at the home of Myrtle Flight (in Milton)
Friday, Feb 21, 6 – 9 PM
Sunday, March 15, 5 – 8 PM
Monday, April 13, 6 – 9 PM
Sign up during coffee hour following any Sunday service, or contact Debbie Alsebai (617-821-9460) or Richard Venable (617-792-4124)
Part 2: Looking at the System
Time: Monday, February 24th, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Milton Hospital, Nangeroni Education Center
(199 Reedsdale Road, Milton, MA 02186)
Join us for a discussion on social determinants of health such as cultural competency, trust concerns, housing access, immigration status, and language barriers.
Advance registration will be required, so please RSVP here or e-mail courageousconversationsmilton@gmail.com.
First Parish Green ACTION Team selected Mass. Interfaith Power and Light to receive the “Third Sunday” plate collection on February 16. Thank you for your donations. Below is its website link with many helpful resources and references about energy efficiencies to “greenify” your home and more.
For those who missed the introduction:
· Interfaith Power & Light, founded in 1998 has chapters in 40 states today.
· Over 250 Houses of Worship (HOW = synagogues, mosques, temples, and churches) in MA, including ours, are members.
· Its policy advocacy informs and guides UU Mass Action, UU Ministry for the Earth, and Beacon Hill legislators.
· Thanks to its sustainable energy expertise and educational outreach, approx. 85 MA HOWs are now solarized — second only to CA. Within the year, First Parish Church Milton UU will be another (thank you!). Others for which solar is not possible benefit from its broad consulting services enabling them to shrink their carbon footprints.
· Above all, Mass IPL adds moral imperative and social justice to the climate change conversation.
EXPLORING AGING TOGETHER
Second and Fourth Wednesdays of the Month
11 am to 1 pm, (Bring a Bag Lunch)
Chase Parlor (next to the kitchen)
Open Meeting. Come when you can. Newcomers welcome.
Next Session: February 26th
What can we learn from each other as we age? We all have stories within us of facing the unknown and navigating changes, of adjusting to loss and appreciating what’s before us. We will meet twice a month to share our wisdom, our queries, and our wonderings. Each session will focus around a theme. More questions? Contact Penny Partridge at ppartridge9@icloud.com.
SAVE THE DATE !!!!
Collage Art Reception to Meet the Artists
Sunday, March 8th during coffee social hour after worship service-11:30am
Welcome the artists and other folks from Winter Valley, a non -profit retirement community just down the road. Liz O’Rourke is the Activities Director there and she made this show possible for us to enjoy.
Many artworks are for sale. A list will be made available in March.
HOLD THE DATE: Sunday March 22, 2020 at 12:00pm-Parish Hall
The Social Justice Committee presents:
CRISIS AT THE BORDER:
A firsthand account of the legal issues and humanitarian costs of U.S. immigration policy on the U.S./Mexico border
Solar Panel Legacy Project
So far 58 1/4 panels have been donated! Everyone is encouraged to live our UU values and get in on this gift to the future.
Pledge Forms will be available at our Coffee Hour table which will be a regular feature on Sunday’s until we wrap up the campaign on 5/1 or when all the panels have all been spoken for. Each Panel is $800 and if necessary payment can be spread over 3 years for just $23 a month. 3 panels would just be $67 a month. 1/4 and 1/2 panels are also available.
Think of who you want to commemorate!
We are looking for ideas on our Legacy installation so stop by the table with your ideas and see the marvelous ones JB Clancy drew up.
Help Wanted – our committee is looking for a few others members if you would like to be part of this important Legacy Project. Stop by our table at coffee hour or reach out to Debbie Alsebai at 617-821-9460.
June 24, 2020-June 29, 2020, Providence RI
Early Bird Registration is now Open!
Click here for more information.
Snow Cancellation Information:
If the Milton Public Schools close for snow, so does First Parish. Sundays we realize are trickier. We will call it by 8 a.m. on Sunday. Look for cancellations in three places. If you don’t see cancellation information, we are open.
~Channel 5, WCVB television. Look for First Parish – Milton. Check their website if you want to get automatic, direct notification through the TV station. www.wcvb.com.
~Check our Facebook page. First Parish Milton UU. We will post cancellations there. Our Facebook page also feeds our Twitter account @FPMilton.
~Check our website, www.fpmilton.org. We put a banner on the home page with closing information.