Table of Contents

• This Week in Worship
• Message from Rev. Lisa
• This Week in Religious Exploration
• News and Announcements
• Events and Meetings
• Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Beyond First Parish

This Week in Worship

Easter Sunday

“All Are Welcome“

Worship Assistant: Katie Vhay

Greeter: Amy Kavadlo

Audio: Nicholas Miller

Social Hour: Marie-Laure Brown

Please join us for service at 10:30am.

Please log in at 10:20, to give some lead time for the service at 10:30. You will be muted, but you can communicate through the chat box. If you do not have zoom on your computer, please download it ahead of time. It is free.

This week’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.

I like Easter, even though I grew up Unitarian Universalist, without the prevailing dogma of Jesus’ death and resurrection. I resonate with Easter as it resonates with the rhythm in our being – that coming back to life, that rising from within, that surge of celebration with the coming of Spring. The feeling of Spring sits well with the message of life everlasting. It sits well with Jesus’ determination, unto death, for the blooming of humanity.

In the transition of winter to spring, we naturally respond, on a cellular level, to the internal claiming of life’s wonder and resilience. With the sun’s warmth approaching, we feel more readily the urging of spiritual awakening which invites us to be more open to awe.

Jesus was teaching, and getting through to enough people to unnerve authorities, that the ground of Being, the essence of God is within your being. He affirmed that the “kingdom of God” is an embodied wonder; a state of being that is here, now, available to us if we open ourselves to its urging — to its inborn truth.

“These things I have spoken to you,” so goes a quote rendered in the Gospel of John, “that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

So come, celebrate joy, hear glorious music, and regard each other with awe for the gift of life we are given.

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Music This Week

This Easter Sunday the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing an upbeat anthem based on a traditional Kenyan folk song called “Lift Your Voices”, arranged by Patrick Liebergen. Grace Allendorf will also be singing a song of welcome and acceptance called “Here is a Place”, by Paula M. Kimpe. As a special treat, plan to arrive early to hear a prelude by our two resident recorder virtuosi, Guy Pugh and Steve Yakutis.

Milton Community Concerts would a like to invite you to our final concert of the season on Sunday, April 28 at 3pm, “In Community: A Concert Celebrating LGBTQ+ Stories”.

RE This Week

UU Summer Fun Registration!

It’s time to formally register for our UU summer fun! Follow this link to register. Per the recommendation of the Religious Education Committee, we are shifting our age range to also welcome preschoolers whose older siblings will also be attending our summer fun and/or who attend Spirit Play but may not be entering first grade. Please reach out to Louise (re@fpmilton.org) with questions about this new policy. We continue to want to be flexible and accommodating, while still prioritizing safety and a quality experience for all involved.

News & Announcements

We sincerely thank you for your generous gift to the organizations below. We are so lucky to have your support. 3/07 World Food Program $432.74 3/21 Bikes Not Bombs $1,172.68.

From the Caring Committee:

Calling all cooks, drivers, and helpers! The Caring Committee needs to update its roster of volunteers. Volunteers receive emails from the Caring Committee asking for help when community members need support. Examples include 

– cooking a meal for someone when they are recovering from surgery, or for a family when they are grieving 

– driving someone to or from a medical appointment

– mowing a lawn or other light housework when someone is ill or recovering from surgery or an injury

If you would like your name added to the list of volunteers, please let us know by filling out a form by the grey box in the link or contacting a Caring Committee member at social hour or by email. 

Caring Committee members: Marie-Laure Brown, Suzanne Glazer, Laura Reis, Heather Scranton, Lisa White

EVENTS and MEETINGS

First Parish Orientation!

Thursday, April 4th Zoom 7:00 pm-9:00 pm



The Membership Committee has scheduled our next orientation to First Parish.

If you are someone who has been attending church for awhile and want to officially join, you are invited to attend our session. We will talk about our spiritual journeys, discuss the fascinating history of our Unitarian and Universalist backgrounds, and share what First Parish in Milton offers.

If you plan to attend, please email Leslie at lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com aand she will send you the link.

Circle Supper Friday, April 5th

Here’s an opportunity to socialize with First Parish friends and acquaintances in an informal setting. These gatherings will include facilitator-led discussions of the proposed changes to Article II, which we’ll be voting on at Annual Meeting in May so that our delegates to General Assembly can represent our wishes.

Sign up and submit food contribution here:

Link to sign up

If you need help with Sign Up Genius or have questions, please contact Lisa White at lisawhite1250@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to RSVP to the Evite that was sent !

Looking forward to seeing everyone April 6th!

STORYTELLING IN THE CHILDREN’S CHAPEL

April 27th at 4:00 pm

Do you have a story you want to share? Come join us at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, in the Children’s Chapel. Our gathering will be like the Moth Radio Hour with a five minute limit for each story – but it’s not a competition. You can just listen if you want. The theme will be “Beginning.”

Questions? Contact Dan Di Angelo (dandda14@gmail.com) or Penny Partridge (ppartridge9@icloud.com).

Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)

April 3rd is the next date!

S&EJ (Social & Environmental Justice committee) is looking for volunteers the first and third Wednesday of each month to contribute lunches. We hope to deliver 70 lunches twice a month to support shelter guests.

 See updated instructions on the Mainspring SignUpGenius page and signup whenever you can help out.

We are counting on your support!

Climate Action@HOME

SUNDAY May 5, 2024 12:00pm-1:00pm Chase Parlor

Climate Action at Home wraps up our year-long series of discussion. Come learn more about Carbon Footprints!

 A small FPM group has been meeting for several months learning how to calculate our own Carbon Footprints. We would like to share what we learned and see if others are interested in learning more about their own carbon footprints. Please join us.

Bikes not Bombs

Anyone want a tour of Bikes not Bombs?

Dnaye Fangonga visited First Parish recently to share his experience and passion for the wonderful organization Bikes Not Bombs – located in Jamaica Plain. Dnaye has invited us to bring a group of interested people to tour the headquarters in JP and learn more about how social change fuels the work they do. 

If you are interested in joining a field trip, contact Tracey (tdr02186 @gmail). We will identify possible dates in the coming month.

Beyond First Parish

To join remotely via Zoom

Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice’s next read will be “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America” by Richard Rothstein. 

We will meet on Zoom on Tues 5/14/24 and 5/28/24 from 7:00 pm-8:30 pm  

For 5/14/24 we will read through Chapter 7 and we will finish the book on 5/28/24. 

It is not readily available at the Milton Library or the Boston Library (online at least) without a wait, but used copies are available at BooksRun and new and used at Amazon.  

Ibram X. Kendi in “How To Be an Antiracist” pointed out that policy is either racist or antiracist. This new book seems to add support of this concept. 

For Questions and or the Zoom link please reach out to Debbie Alsebai at alsebai@verizon.net.

AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE

Sponsored by

Milton Interfaith Clergy Association

Thursday, June 27th 1:00 pm-6:00 pm

Congregation Beth Shalom of the Blue Hills

18 Shoolman Way

Milton, MA 02186

The blood drive will be live and ready for scheduling by March 18th. 

To schedule appointment on or after Mar 18 please visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: MICA or call 1 (800)-Red-Cross.

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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.