Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 2/23/2017

Weekly Link 2-23-17

Church

This Week in Worship

Sunday, February 23, 2017 @ 10:30 a.m. in the Meetinghouse

This month’s theme: Justice

Sermon: Passing

Elaine Pinderhughes

Professor Emeritus Elaine Pinderhughes’ vision, voice, and compassion have enriched the Boston College School of Social Work since 1975. Her 1989 textbook, Understanding Race, Ethnicity and Power: The Key to Efficiency in Clinical Practice, substantially changed the language of multiculturalism and human behavior in the practice arena and provided the rubric of culturally competent practice across human services disciplines.

Message from Rev. Lisa

Rev. Lisa is on vacation until Tuesday, February 28.

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse
Director of Religious Education

What’s happening in religious exploration this weekend?

Nursery care will be available from 9:00 am to noon for infants and toddlers.

On February 26 preschool children through grade 5 will attend the first part of the worship service in the Meetinghouse and then move to their classrooms. Please note that classes end at 11:40 am. Children will be walked over to join Social Hour in the Parish Hall at the end of class and need to be met there by a parent.

  • Preschool through grade 1: Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom
  • Grades 2 through 5: Special program in the Activity Room on children and youth who have made a positive difference through their fundraising or other efforts to rally support for a cause they care deeply about
  • Grades 6 and 7: Friends and Neighbors class visit to the Islamic Cultural Center of Boston (parental permission required). The group will gather and carpool from the lower parking lot at 10:15 am and should return at approximately 12:30 pm
  • Grade 8: Invited to join Youth Chat this week
  • Our Whole Lives class does not meet this weekend. The next Our Whole Lives class will be on Friday, March 3 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
  • Youth Chat will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 am and Youth Group will meet from noon to approximately 1 pm. Both groups meet in the Youth room upstairs.

News and Announcements

SING FOR THEIR SUPPER RETURNS ON FEBRUARY 26TH

On Sunday afternoon, February 26th at 3pm Milton Community Concerts presents the third annual “Sing For Their Supper”, a free benefit concert featuring ten outstanding opera singers from the Greater Boston community.

All proceeds raised through a free-will offering will go to support the Milton Food Pantry and the Milton Residents Fund. All singers are donating their time and talents for this event, which will feature favorites from opera, musical theater, and the Great American Songbook. Singers featured have sung at the Metropolitan Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and at Carnegie Hall.

Don’t miss this great opportunity to hear some amazing music right here in Milton and support two important local charities!

Cafe Blue Hills is returning!

Save Saturday, March 4 evening for a swingin’, rockin’, groovin’ evening of music and good times in our very own Parish Hall! It’s from 7 – 9 pm.

On tap right now, is a band from the Newton/ Arlington townships, Count Backwards, and they will be playing some good Ole Rock’n Roll.

Enjoy delicious desserts and the company of good friends. If you would like to perform yourself, or know someone who does, please contact Dianna Wilson. If you would like to contribute a dessert, non-alcoholic beverage or a decor item, let Deb Larson-Venable know, deb@granadahouse.org.

Proceeds will benefit the Youth Group

Live Our Values, Give Our Values

Stewardship News

Each week we will have a Faith in Action commentary from our various committees in The Link and Sunday Announcements leading up to Commitment Sunday, March 12.

Faith In Action

First Parish Music Committee, Patricia Ostrem, Chair

Modern psychology has identified only six emotions felt by human beings, as measured by sudden physiological changes. They are: happiness, sadness, surprise, fear, disgust, and anger. Unfortunately, most of these are negative feelings. But a seventh emotion, one that creates an immediate reaction, is now being studied. That emotion is called “elevation”, an experience that suddenly promotes goose bumps, shivers, and the welling up of tears. You’ve all felt it, I’m sure. People often experience “elevation” when listening to, or performing, music.

Our recent congregational survey showed that many of us feel music is a fundamental part of the spiritual experience in our services. For this we must thank Tim Steele, our talented Music Director, who gently but ably guides the Meetinghouse Choir most Sundays in anthems, prayer responses, and special music. He accompanies congregational hymns and soloists with skill on both the restored Schlicker organ and our gorgeous grand piano. Over the years the choir has been able to perform major choral works with instrumental accompaniment, supported partially by the Hunsaker Music Fund as well as by the annual giving of our parishioners. Soloists sing with guitars, rock bands urge us to move to their groove, and drummers lead the congregation in rhythmic release. And the choir comes faithfully at 8:45 each Sunday morning to help Tim elevate us all!

Imagine the Christmas Eve service with no music. Imagine a church with no choir or organ. Please know that elevation happens not only during the listening to music, but also in the MAKING of that music. Let me urge any of you with the interest, even if you lack experience, to join us! And please keep in mind the value of this elevating music program, and its undeniable link to the spiritual, when making your pledge.

Sign Up for a Stewardship Conversation

Please go to the link below to sign up for a gathering . We have scheduled them at a variety of times and on a variety of days with the hope that one of them will work for you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8TcEUTaZofaT0tWB6jy427feA5d71MzUAIyDGbufYV8gn-Q/viewform

Choose from the following dates: (If you signed up via paper, please also sign up electronically)

  • Sunday, February 26, 12:00pm, Chase Parlor. Child care provided.
  • Tuesday, February 28, 7:00-8:30 pm, Jeff Stoodt’s and Lisa White’s house. Dessert and beverages will be served.
  • Wednesday, March 1, 10:00 – 11:30 am, Moustafa and Debbie Alsebai’s home
  • Thursday, March 2, 7:30 – 9:00 pm, Bebe Williamson’s home

Check out the Social Action Flyer on the Information Tables in the Parish Hall and Stebbins Parlor. Most Sundays, the Social Action Committee will also have information available on their table during social hour.

Join for our next volunteer date taking place on: Saturday March 11th.

We meet at First Parish Milton at 10 am. Save the dates for April 8th and May 13th too!.

Volunteers from First Parish Milton needed to make and serve meals to the clients at Father Bill’s on the following dates in 2017:

  • This Saturday Feb 25th!
  • Next dates are March 25 and April 23

Please come to the SAC table at coffee hour for more details.

Courageous Conversations towards Racial Justice
(formerly known as Dialogue on Race)

  • Make up Date: Sunday, March 19, 2017
  • Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
  • Where: First Parish in Milton, Parish Hall (Same Place)

Please contact Debbie Alsebai or call 617-696-1276

Kiki

Kiki’s Corner

Check out our information tables in the Stebbins Parlor and in the foyer of the Parish Hall. There is what we call our traditional newcomer information: First Parish brochure, yellow cards for visitors to get on our emailing list, and We are the Unitarian Universalist brochure (UUA). And for those who have been members for a while, we just restocked our Caring Committee Volunteer Form and Social Action has a one page information sheet on what opportunities there are to serve and participate in programs. It’s all good and at your fingertips. Please check it out.

REMINDER THE LINK DEADLINE IS TUESDAYS (This also applies to announcements for the Order of Worship) We really count on having all submissions via email when we arrive on Wednedsay morning. Wednesday is the day we put everything together including the worship service. Thursday is to final proof, print and get everything set up for Sunday morning. Please help us out.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!

EVERY SUNDAY

Worship, 10:30am in the Meetinghouse

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

THE SUNDAY PLANNER

Please consider volunteering for important Sunday worship positions like ushering, hosting social hour, providing flowers for worship, and lighting the chalice. Sign Up Here!

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

  • Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 3 pm
  • Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

  • Tuesday – Thurday 10:00 am – 3 pm
  • Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays.