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
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
“Finding Spirituality in the Practice of Yoga”
Guest Speaker: Jayne Ogata
Worship Assistant: Franc Graham
Usher: Tracey Robinson
Greeter: Kaitlyn Pedotti
Music: Tim Steele
Social Hour: Elizabeth Menne & Marie-Laure Brown
Audio: Sophie D’Alessandro
Sunday’s offering will be given to the Prison Book Program. The mission of the Prison Book Program is to support people in prison by sending them free books and print resources that meet their specific needs and interests. Member Katie Vhay will speak on their behalf.
Masks are strongly recommended in the meetinghouse; masks are still required for those who have not been vaccinated. Respect and consideration should be given to all regardless of their masking choice. Speaker.
When I first arrived nearly 7 years ago, our Music Director, Tim Steele, shared with me his vision of the Milton Community Concerts (MCC), which had just begun the year before.
The vision, as stated on the MCC website (https://www.miltoncommunityconcerts.com/), is to provide “a concert series designed for the enjoyment and benefit of the town of Milton and neighboring communities on the South Shore, while celebrating diversity and community.”
Throughout the years, including the rough remote COVID years, the Concert Series has filled the Meetinghouse with musical nourishment, from local opera singers, to youth choirs, to organ accompaniments of silent movies. Tim, First Parish volunteers, family, friends and colleagues have brought this gift to the Milton community and beyond. At least two concerts a year are benefit concerts for local social service agencies, widening the generosity of spirit and nourishment of souls.
As you will see in an article below, Milton Community Concerts has received two grants this year that will help seed future concerts. The recognition is well deserved and a gesture of hope for the outreach of First Parish in Milton.
Bravo, Tim, and thanks for all you do.
Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa
Jayne and her family have lived in Milton for more than 22 years. She has been active in a number of local community organizations, including Citizens for a Diverse Milton, Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice, and Celebrate Milton. She has worked as an educator in a range of capacities and contexts, including as a whole-school change coach, an adult ESOL teacher, and a middle-school English teacher. Jayne began her yoga journey about 15 years ago and has been teaching yoga since the fall of 2018. She trained with Jacqui Bonwell (Sacred Seeds Yoga), and is a Yoga Alliance registered teacher.
Music For Sunday
The choir anthem for this Sunday is called “The Greatest of These”, by Jane Marshall and Christopher Wordsworth. Ms. Marshall, who passed away in 2019, was a revered and prolific composer who taught at Southern Methodist University in Texas for many years. A trio by Canadian composer Brian Tate will also be sung by Jennifer Sgroe, Grace Allendorf, and Daon Drisdom, “Together We Are!”
Religious Exploration
RE classes will be a multi-age gathering this Sunday, as we deepen in community among children and youth.
Interested in an interfaith youth group? Several Milton Interfaith Clergy are exploring the possibility of a youth group, of middle to high school age, who would meet to create a supportive community, primarily designed by the youth. An informal gathering, including pizza, is scheduled for Sunday, March 5, at 5 pm, at First Congregational, across the town green. Please contact Rev. Lisa if there is interest (minister@fpmilton.org).
Events and Meetings
What’s all this talk about an 8th Principle?
As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, First Parish in Milton affirms and promotes seven principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. Our congregation’s Racial Justice Task force is supporting a movement within the UUA to adopt an 8th principle focused on racial justice. To that end we will hold a series of listening circles in January where members and friends can learn about the proposed principle. We hope you can join us.
All sessions will be on ZOOM and the link will be emailed to you prior to the session for which you register.
Feb 26th 12:00 pm in person in Parish Hall
Book Drive
You may donate gently used and new paperback (NO HARDCOVER) books in the following categories:
Nonfiction: dictionaries (in all languages), thesaurus, almanacs, trade skills, business, hobbies, self-help, sports, spirituality and books by LGBTQ authors and people of color.
Fiction: Westerns, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction.
To learn more about the program, visit prisonbookprogram.org
Boxes will be located in narthex or you can drop thru slot by office door. Drop off deadline is March 3rd.
Commitment Sunday is Coming Sunday, March 19th
Sunday, March 19th, when we will close out our church community’s FY2024 Annual Budget Drive with a Gathering in Gratitude Brunch immediately following the service. We are planning a delightful array of food, some spirited entertainment, and the opportunity for members to express their gratitude publicly for any member whose gifts to First Parish they would like to celebrate.
Please join us for an uplifting event, and, by the way, if you haven’t yet submitted your financial commitment, your cordially invited to do so below.
Submit your FY2024 Pledge here
Gratefully,
The Stewardship Committee of First Parish: Charlie Franich (chair), Mallory Digges, Eric Miller, and Mark Ostrem.
UU Elevator Speech Group is happening again!
Last spring, Membership held a series called the Elevator Speech, meaning: if you were going to try to explain to someone what being a UU means during the length of an elevator ride, what would you say?
We are doing it again! Everyone is welcome to join us for a virtual conversation on three Wednesday evenings in March from 7:00 pm-8:30 pm. We will meet on March 1st, 15th and 29th.
Last year’s group found it to be an empowering experience. If you are interested in joining us, please email Leslie: lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com
News and Announcements
Social Hour Announcement
We are so glad that Social Hour in Parish Hall is once again a possibility after service. It is a wonderful time to be in community.
However, we need your help to make it happen. We need volunteers to help set up coffee, tea and simple snacks. It does not need to be elaborate. And help is available to plan the morning.
We realize we are out of practice because of years of COVID restrictions. We have very few volunteers signed up for the rest of the year.
If you can help, please go to the link below to view the online church planner. Simply click on one of the available dates to sign up.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D44ACA728A02-20222023
If you have never hosted and would like more information please email Jen Pinkus at jennifer.pinkus@gmail.com.
Getting to Zero Survey deadline is Sunday, March 5th
The Getting to Zero task force would like to hear from you about how we can best help each other to learn about climate change and take action.
Please take a few minutes to complete our short survey. It is available online (web address in the Weekly Link) or see Tony Dutzik or Tracey Robinson after worship.
Click button below to fill out the survey online.
The survey will continue to be available on the S&EJ webpage on the FPM website.
Milton Community Concerts is excited to be chosen as a recipient for two generous grants: a 2022-23 grant from the Milton Cultural Council (a part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council) and a Massachusetts Cultural Sector Recovery Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
We are grateful for this significant support of the arts in this town and throughout the state!
Fair Foods
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 once a month.
The next volunteer date is Saturday, March 11th.
If you want to volunteer, please sign up on Sign up Genius by Thursday
evening before the event. Start time and locations vary depending on Fair Foods’ needs, but typically start at 8:30 a.m. at their warehouse at 70 Amory Street in Roxbury.
Other volunteer opportunities are also available at Fair Foods, especially on Friday and Saturday mornings. Contact Tony Dutzik at tdutzik@gmail.com or 617-291-4685 with any questions or for more information.
First Parish Milton volunteers provide bagged lunches to MainSpring adult shelters in Brockton twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Members of the Social & Environmental Justice committee will make the delivery to Brockton.
Volunteers are needed to acquire food and pack 10 lunches and deliver to the church between 12:45 pm-1:00 pm on Delivery day. One team lead drives all the lunches to the shelter in Brockton. Please note how many meals you are making in comments. We are looking for 70 lunches for each delivery day. Lunches should include sandwich, fruit, drink, snack/chips and sweet/cookies.
The next delivery day will be on Wednesday March 1st and then every other Wednesday throughout the year. We will meet in the lower parking lot between 12:40 and 1:00 PM.
If you haven’t made lunches in a while OR if you are a new volunteer, sign up on MainSpring Sign Up Genius or contact Pat Gallivan at pl.gallivan@verizon.net for more info.
Thanks to all the volunteers that have made this program a success for more than two years !!
Beyond First Parish
COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS TOWARDS RACIAL JUSTICE
Invites you to explore the turmoil and confusion of Critical Race Theory
Monday, February 27, 7-8:30 pm on Zoom*
With Guest Panelists:
Claire Galloway-Jones – Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging – Milton Public Schools
Corey Dolgon, PhD – Professor of Sociology – Stonehill College
What are the fears and misconceptions of this concept?
Why is it so polarizing?
What is preventing welcoming the whole of our history?
*Due to continued covid concerns, we will be on Zoom Only
COMPOSTING IS COMING TO MILTON SCHOOL CAFETERIAS !!!
February 27th will launch a test waste diversion program at Glover and Tucker Elementary Schools lasting until summer recess. Many adult lunchroom volunteers (CORI certification required) M-F 11-1 will help children separate their food waste into compost, liquid, recycling, and trash bins. Can you help make this initiative a success?
For more information and to sign up click here.
There are many benefits to this program: solid waste reduction and harmful greenhouse gases associated with it; lower disposal fees; pride in being part of the solution; and more..
GET THE BOOK & GET READING!!
Join Tucker Smith on Thursday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. * to dive into author Doug Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard.
Copies of the book will be available to reserve/read in advance. Together, we will brainstorm ways to create America’s newest, largest National Park without any government involvement.
This event is part of “Milton Grows!,” a year-long Milton Public Library program.
[* Note: unknown yet this will be in-person or via Zoom.]
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.