This Week in Worship

Sunday, March 13 Worship @ 10:30 am in Meetinghouse

There is guidance for each of us, and by lowly listening, we shall hear the right word. Certainly there is a right for you that needs no choice on your part. Place yourself in the middle of the stream of power and wisdom which flows into your life. Then, without effort, you are impelled to truth and to perfect contentment. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

A few years ago while leading an adult education class I asked the folks there to free-associate around the word “prayer.” I asked what words and phrases, both positive and negative, came to mind when they think of “prayer.” After they did that I then asked them to do the same thing with the word “meditation.” I want you to do the same thing. Take a moment to think of terms that describe your feelings, first with the word prayer and then the word mediation. Now take a moment to compare those lists, what do those words say about your thoughts? Is one more religious and the other spiritual (what ever that means.)

Prayer is sometimes thought of as a conversation with God. How might prayer be a meaningful practice for someone who doesn’t believe in God? How might prayer be meaningful for someone who believes in God, but sees God as impersonal and inaccessible? And what about meditation? Is it compatible with Christianity, or is mediation imply an Eastern religious practice? What might liberal Christian meditation look like?

This Sunday we will have a different sort of service, one where we explore the different religious experiences. I look forward to seeing you on Sunday.

Peace,

Rev. Hank

p.s. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead this Saturday night!

Religious Exploration

Volunteer Opportunity for kids and adults!

This spring, the children in our religious exploration program are partnering with Cradles to Crayons to collect books for children in need and to help sort and package items at the Cradles to Crayons warehouse. You can help both by bringing a new or gently used children’s book (board books are especially needed) to church between now and April 3rd and by signing up to come work at our volunteer shift at the Cradles to Crayons warehouse in Brighton on April 3rd. Volunteers at the Cradles to Crayons warehouse must be at least five years old, but everyone can help us collect books over the next few weeks. You can sign up for our shift here or contact Bridget for more information.

Thanks,
Bridget

Stewardship Sound bite

“When one loves, one does not calculate.” – St. Therese of Lisieu

Your pledge will help determine our plans for worship, social action, religious exploration and so much more … and provide a strong foundation for our next settled minister.

Please pledge today!

Pledges as of March 1, 2016: $176,930  (representing 61 households)

News and Announcements

OSTARA CELEBRATION

When: Saturday, March 19th at 7:00pm

The First Parish CUUPS Chapter invites you to a celebration of Ostara, the Spring Equinox. This is a time of hope and renewal, growth and rebirth.
Join us as we turn our energy toward opening ourselves to the potential of the season to come, planting the seeds of our goals and wishes.

The Ostara celebration will be held in the Parish Hall on Saturday, March 19th at 7:00pm. All are welcome to join the celebration and a pot luck social hour following. For more information contact Pam Dorsey at 617-698-0057

Fair Foods

Next Volunteer Date: March 19 (Family Friendly)

Please join us the 3rd Saturday of every month (March 19, April 16, May 21, June 18) at 9:00 AM at First Parish Milton’s parking lot. We will then caravan into Roxbury to help unload, sort and distribute fresh produce to an underserved community. This is a family-friendly event… kids of all ages are welcome. Feel free to stay for 30 mins or 3 hours!”

Mark your calendars!

Saturday, April 2nd · 7 – 11 PM

First Parish Silent Auction FUNraiser!!

Please join your FP community for a really fun event, with music, friends (old and new), fun activities, and some amazing auction items for every pocketbook – both large and small. We will have:

• Six different vacation homes
• Season tickets to Boston Baroque
• Gift certificates to all the local restaurants
• Yoga packages

And because we’re UUs, we have a variety of parties to choose from:

• a beer tasting party
• a painting party
• a karaoke party; and
• Several catered dinner parties

The proceeds for this event will go towards closing the gap in our operations budget – so while we’re having fun, we’ll also be helping our church to have a healthy financial future! Can’t beat that!

P.S. It’s not too late to donate items. If you have something to offer, please contact Ruth Hannon.

Decision Time is Approaching!

We have now completed our pre-candidating interviews. The process has been exhilarating and exhausting at once. As we hold the hopes, dreams, and concerns of our congregation, your Ministerial Search Committee continues to feel so hopeful for the future of our faith tradition based on the high caliber of candidates we have interviewed. We are confident we can build on the strengths of our dedicated staff and on the dedication of our lay leaders and community. Please keep us in your thoughts as we enter into a few weeks devoted to discernment.

We will make an offer to the final candidate on April 7. Note that we cannot make the offer earlier than noon that day, per UUA regulations. If the chosen candidate accepts our offer and the negotiating team and the candidate can agree on terms of the ministerial agreement, we start planning the Candidating Week, when the one ministerial candidate meets the congregation and the staff and organizes the worship for two Sundays. At the conclusion of the candidating week, the congregation will be asked to put in a yes-or-no vote, after the service.

Please mark your calendars NOW:

There are two weeks that we are tentatively holding for “Candidating Weeks.” Only one of these weeks will be chosen based on the availability of our final candidate:

• Sunday, April 24th through Sunday, May 1st
• Sunday, May 1st through Sunday, May 8th

Note: the first week starts on the second Sunday of the school vacation. The second week ends with a vote on mother’s day. Please plan accordingly.

You must be a member of First Parish to participate in this important vote; “Friends” are not eligible.

Thanks for your trust in this important task.

Debbie Alsebai, Charlie Franich, Franc Graham, Elise Henricks, Jim May, Brigitte Miller, and Tracey Robinson.

Kiki’s Corner

I am away from the office from March 6 – March 10. I will be back at church on March 13. If you have a matter than cannot wait please email or call Miriam Saavedra (Tuesday through Thursday).

REMINDER: Any forms or notes you want to leave should go into the gray box next to the office. This includes pledge forms, caring committee forms, notes for Kiki or Miriam, checks that did not make the offeratory. This insures that your papers are getting to us.

STAY CONNECTED

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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!