March Worship Theme

Forgiveness

How we move forward after a break or hurt in a relationship makes all the difference. How do we ask for and seek forgiveness? How do we let go of past hurts so we can move forward ourselves? And what happens when what happened will never be “okay”? The wisdom of the season of Lent, the spiritual preparations for the Persian New Year, and the stories of our lives intersect powerfully this month for our shared reflection.

This Week in Worship

Sunday, March 16, 2014

10:30am WORSHIP

“Unforgiven”
Rev. Parisa Parsa
Music by Emma Jean Moulton and the Meetinghouse Choir

Have you known someone who did something terrible you just can’t bring yourself to forgive? Have you ever been that person for another? This morning we reflect on how to hold the tension between our universalist faith in the possibility of redemption for all with our inner sense of justice.

Religious Exploration

Sunday, March 16, 2014

This Sunday,Children will start at the Meetinghouse before being dismissed to there classes.

Passages and Neighboring Faiths will go directly to their class room.

No Youth Chat and Youth Group on Sunday, March 16, 2014. All youth are invited to attend the worship service. Youth Chat and Youth Group wiill be held on March 23, 2014

Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the office at office@fpmilton.org.

News and Announcements

Circle Suppers in March!

Would you like to attend a circle supper? The Membership Committee is organizing 3 circle suppers in March: Saturday, March 22 (family friendly), Sunday, March 23, and Sunday March 30.

The purpose of a circle supper is very simple—to join in fellowship with fun people from church. This is a great way to meet new friends and see your old friends. The suppers are hosted by members of First Parish.

To attend a circle supper, sign up at social hour in the Parish Hall March 16 at the Membership Committee table.

We Hold in Our Hearts…

We send our deepest sympathies to Mary Blanchette and her family on the recent death of her brother Jack.

COMMITTEE FAIR MARCH 16 and 23 — CURIOUS??

Have you ever wondered how First Parish works? Are you new to First Parish and wonder how members of the congregation become involved in worship, or, how week after week, wonderful goodies appear at Social Hour? Or, have you been around First Parish for a while and wonder how decisions are made that affect everything from new paint to new religious education programs?

Whatever your experience, we’d love to have you learn even more about First Parish at Committee Fairs which will be held during Social Hour on March 16 and March 23. Please join us — munch and learn — at either or both of these Social Hours.

Under the category of “Never Have We Needed It More”, the FP Earth Centered Spirituality Group will host a Celebration of Ostara, the Spring Equinox on Saturday, March 22, at 7pm in the Parish Hall.

The name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre was adopted in England for the Christian holiday of Easter, which falls on the Sunday after the full moon following the spring equinox.

Please join us as we bring in Spring and new growth without and within with a planting ritual, group prayers, readings and music.

Following the ritual, all are welcome to stay for a Pot Luck social hour. For more information please contact Pam Dorsey at 617-698-0057 or Mark Whall.

Sunday Service Volunteers – Ushers Needed!

Part of the Sunday morning worship experience is assisted by volunteers who provide flowers, light the chalice, greet us in the narthex, host social hour and usher. We have many open usher slots from now until the end of our program year in June. Please consider being volunteer for this position as well as the others. Follow the link below to get to Sign Up Genius and add your name to the date and slot you wish to fill. You may also access this on the Members Page of the website.

New Theater Group Starting!

We are blessed to live so close to Boston and have so many theater companies in our midst. Theater is a great way to get out, be entertained and think!!

On Thursday, March 27 at 7:30 or March 29 at 4:00 we are going to kick off the First Parish Theater Group by going to see “The Whale” at the Boston Center for the Arts at 527 Tremont St in Boston.

This is the New England Premiere of the 2013 Lortel Winner –BEST PLAY. It stars some of Boston’s best actors (John Kuntz, Maureen Keiller and Georgia Lyman) and runs for 1 hour and 50 minutes with no intermission. If folks are up to it we can get a quick bite to eat at a next door restaurant and chat about the play afterwards. Please let me know if you are interested in being part of this group and if either of these dates would work for you. I am so excited to share my love of theater with new and old friends at First Parish!

“The Whale” Charlie has hidden himself away in his Northern Idaho apartment and is quietly eating himself to death in the wake of a personal tragedy. With his health deteriorating, Charlie makes one last desperate attempt to connect with his estranged daughter Ellie, a sharp-tongued and wildly unhappy teen whom he has not seen in 15 years. As Charlie embarks on his quest for redemption, he looks to his enabling caregiver Liz, ex-wife Mary, and Mormon missionary Elder Thomas for closure, meaning, and forgiveness.

If you have questions and/or want to reserve tickets please contact Debbie

Follow Rev Eric Dawson on Twitter:

Starting this week I will be sharing weekly twitter “sermons”: reflections on life and purpose. I’m not sure if I can boil things down to 140 characters, but I’m excited to try. I invite you to follow me HERE.

Music Lovers…Take Note!

It was recently discovered that our beloved First Parish organ is in need of a fairly major repair. In order to help get this costly job done without breaking our bank, the Music Committee is cooking up some opportunities for you to participate in this cause. We had a successful Cafe Blue Hills event recently raising $1,1700.00. Thanks for all those that participated and donated. Stay tuned for more!

Luminaria

Luminaria, a woman’s a cappella group originally formed from a First Parish small group ministry, has now been singing for nursing home and hospice patients for about two years. If you know of anyone who might benefit from this caring music ministry, we’d love to offer our services. Call Patricia Ostrem at 617-696-4186.

Jericho Road Roxbury is off to a great start this year!

We want you to get involved:

Take the survey. Let us know what skills you can share with a Roxbury non-profit.

Help FP Milton reach our goal.

We are just $1,000 shy of our $7,000 goal.

(Write ‘JRRoxbury & FPMilton’ in the optional designation box).

Learn more about Jericho Road Roxbury

Annual Budget Drive FY15

PLEASE RETURN YOUR PLEDGE FORM !!
In late April/early May, you will receive a letter from the office confirming your pledge amount and updated information on automatic payment options. Thank you for giving generously.

We are grateful to the following 69 households for making their commitment to the Annual Budget Drive FY2015. We have raised $184,960.00 (71%) of our goal of $260,000. Thank you for your generosity!

Debbie Alsebai
Mike & Tasha Bello
Mary Blanchette & Jim May
Bob & Anne-Marie Buckland
Chris & Karla Clifford
Harris & Melinda Collins
Robin Coyne & Rob Savage
Nancy & Dan Devine
Mallory Digges
Donna Drewes & Jonathan Baum
Frances Field
Charlie Franich & Ruth Hannon
Leah & Pat Gallivan
Andrea Geyling & John Moore
Dale Golembeski & Amy Kavadlo
Beth Gray-Nix
Beth & Keith Greenawalt
Walt & Sandra Hagenbuch
Ann Hallett
Ruth Heiden & Marsha Maurer
Elise Henricks & Tony Dutzik
Tom Hess
Wayne Johnson & Diane Fallon-Johnson
Deborah Larson Venable & Richard Venable
Laurie Macintosh
Ursula & Bill MacMillan
Scott McIsaac & Suzanne Durrell
Brigitte & Eric Miller
David Morse
Gillian & Matthew Najarian
Amy Norton
Mark & Patricia Ostrem
Glenn Pavlicek & Anita Penta
Kimberly Perez Gern & Kent Gern
Sue Phillips & Tandi Rogers
Jennifer Pinkus & Jay Beaulieu
Chris & Dottie Pitt
Tracey Robinson
Tim Steele and Elizabeth Steele
Jeff Stoodt & Lisa White
Andy Strang
Russ Tremaine
Bebe Williamson
Allison Zippay & Jim Kelly
Susan Batson & Paul Casaz
Marie Laure Brown
Barry Hume and Miguel Rodriguez
Brian Kelley & Hilary Black
Carolyn Newman & Rick Malmstrom
Cynthia Guise
Laurie McCorry
Leslie MacPherson Artinian
Amy Flanagan
Robert & Bonnie Healy
Lori & Dave Humphreys
June & Randi Scott
Bridget & Nathan Sitkoff
Katie Collins and Amanda Tobey
Elaine Craghead
Tom Kemp & Judith Darrell Kemp
Antonio Lopez-Blanco & Margaret Doherty-Lopez
Liz O’Rourke-Harris
Hale & Tucker Smith
Ian Torney
Karin Mylod

Kiki’s Corner

Rev. Parisa’s Rock Stars of the Week:
Roger Gray, Andy Strang, Chris Clifford, and Richard Venable. Thank you Building and Grounds Team! On March 1st, Roger, Andy, Chris and Richard transformed the former RE office (behind the Meetinghouse) from a overgrown, part office, part dumping ground to a wonderfully simple and clean space. It looks fantastic. Now Parisa and the staff can dream about how to make it an even more beautiful, multifunctional space. Next time you run into these four, please express your appreciation. There were a couple of pieces of furniture that were moved to the carriage house. If you have an interest in taking any of it, please let me know.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook! “Like” our page www.facebook.com/FirstParishMiltonUu 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. The link to SignUp Genius is:

Sign Up Here!