This Week in Worship

Sunday, April 26 @ 10:30 am in the Meetinghouse

First Parish Milton

Please join us as Rev. Hank Peirce and the Youth Group lead our Intergenerational Worship Service this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in our Meetinghouse.
(Union Sunday postponed until June 7)

This week I thought that instead of sharing my own thoughts I would instead share with you a piece written by the late Rev. Robert Kanan. I think it points to one of the most important aspects of church life, and that is that we do not do it alone.

See you in church,

Hank

Shared Ministry

What makes my experience in the ministry so hopeful for me
is that I am not alone in this careful hearing of both pain and excitement.
This is not something reserved for only one ordained and robed.
It is something we all do for and with one another.
Ours is a shared ministry, a giving and receiving.
We tell one another our stories, our myths, our inner most thoughts-
and we seek to listen, if we can, with sensitivity and purpose and love.
We live lives.
We do not live creeds or theologies or even values.
We are engaged with real events and people,
and we are related, torn and isolated together.
We are at odds and we are sometimes very close.
The spiritual center of our lives is not found in a faith,
no matter how cherished or revered.
It comes, rather, out of the openness and honest engagement,
the courage and pain, and the love we experience with one another.
Sometimes that openness is searching and doubting,
confused or serene, ambivalent or empowered.
But it is an openness nonetheless.
And out of it comes a vision of a world made new by the reality of our lives,
lived in the service of love and justice, of gentle goodness and forgiveness.

Religious Exploration

Sunday, April 19, 2015 – Intergenerational Sunday

All are invited to the worship service led by Rev. Hank and the Youth Group.

No regular Sunday School classes including Neighboring Faiths and OWL.

The Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger.

Next Sunday, May 3: Coming of Age students will be the focal point of the worship service.

News and Announcements

Next Milton Community Concert is Saturday, May 16

Sing for Your Supper

On Saturday evening, May 16th at 7:00 First Parish and Milton Community Concerts are proud to present a benefit concert to support the Milton Food Pantry and the Milton Residents Fund. This FREE concert is called “Sing For Their Supper” and will feature an amazing array of vocal talent from all over New England performing opera, operetta, and musical theater favorites. An offering will be taken to support these charities and a potluck dinner for church members and their guests will take place prior to the concert. Please put this on your calendars and plan to attend.

The Mother’s Day Walk for Peace in Dorchester

Sunday May 10, 2015

This is a First Parish Milton tradition to both walk and donate.

Founded in 1996 by the parents still grieving a recent loss of their son to violence, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute has been a healing center, a training resource, and an education program for the city of Boston and surrounding communities. As a leading resource for families, crisis management protocol for professionals, and curriculum development for children, the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute has a well deserved reputation as an innovative leader for peace. The Mother’s Day Walk for Peace is the major fundraiser for the Institute.

CLICK HERE to sign up! It’s a great community event and wonderful opportunity to put our faith in our feet!

Meet at 7:30 am at church to carpool over, or meet us at Town Field that day. For questions, contact Elise Henricks.

We have reached 46% ($700) of our donation goal of $1,500.

Sunday Morning Volunteers 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.

Go to the Sign Up Genius and add your name to the date and slot you wish to fill. This is one small way to be able to give back to our church.

Social Hour – Hosts Ok folks we are in the home stretch. We are looking for host this Sunday, April 19 and Sunday May 31. The Hospitality Committee needs your help!

Ushers – We need ushers most Sundays between May 3rd (this Sunday) and June 21st. The basic job is help out before the service in giving out the order of worship and assisting folks as needed in the Narthex. You will also be part of the offertory section of the worship – receiving the offertory from those in the pews. After the service, you will count and record the money in the office. You are needed from about 10 am til about 11:45 am. Still plenty of time to be part of Social Hour on any given Sunday.

Flowers  – You provide flowers for the chancel on Sunday morning. You have the option of bringing your own flowers (from your garden or other natural places) or ordering through a florist and bringing them in on Sunday morning. You may also order through Cedar Grove Florist who will deliver them to the church on Saturday. Many people use the flower donation as a way to honor or remember family members or special personal celebrations. Please use Sign Up Genius to sign up and also put in your acknowledgement message.

You will receive a reminder from the office the week before you have signed up. You will also be acknowledged in the Order of Worship Announcements.

Milton Cleanup Day – Saturday, May 2, 2015 – Sustainable Milton

Hello First Parish Friends,

Alfredo Padilla and I are organizing Milton Cleanup Day on Saturday, May 2, 2015, which is a partnership between Sustainable Milton and Milton Department of Public Works. This could be a great opportunity for First Parish members to roll up their sleeves and do something positive out in the community. As Reverend Hank suggested today, maybe we can even find a way to make it into a party!

As in the past, DPW will provide gloves as well as trash and recycling bags, and the following week they will pick up the bags at the location you designate. In order to ensure they have enough supplies for all participants, please visit our website and fill out the form to sign up by April 17.

You can sign up on the event webpage at miltoncleanupday.squarespace.com and for more information about our group, visit our homepage at www.sustainablemilton.org.

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me via email. If you know anyone else who may be interested in putting together a group, please feel free to forward this invitation and spread the word.

Sincerely,

Dara Woods-Calkins
Co-Vice President, Sustainable Milton

Kiki’s Corner

Annual Meeting is Sunday, May 17th at noon. Committee Chairs – Need your reports as soon as possible if you have not already sent them to both Miriam and me. Chris Pitt, Ruth Hannon and Chris Clifford are serving as Nominating Committee this year. Please let us know your needs, if you have recruited new members and an update of your committee for inclusion in the warrant. We are grateful for all the work that you do for our wonderful community.

And for the rest of the congregation – Here are your FY15 committee chairs. Take a moment to thank them when you see them next at church or around town.

Thanks to Roger Gray (Buildings & Grounds), Amy Norton (Caring), Glenn Pavlicek (Finance), Anita Penta and Jen Pinkus (Hospitality), Patricia Ostrem (Music), Chris Pitt (Parish Committee), Tracey Robinson (Personnel), Lisa White (Religious Exploration), Leslie MacPherson Artinian (Worship), Jen Erbe-Leggett (Transition Team), and Tony Dutzik (Stewardship Team) and Debbie Alsebai (YAC).

Interested in joining a committee but were afraid to ask? Feel free to contact me in the office or Chris Pitt, Ruth Hannon and Chris Clifford from the Parish Committee.

While we expect a busy May and June, I am also beginning to put together the office summer project list. We are thinking about better ways we can use the entry at the Parish Hall to accommodate our First Parish welcome materials and also make better use of the Narthex. If you have some interest in helping us come up with alternatives, please let me know. I know we have a variety of talented folks in the congregation.

Some of you will also be hearing from me to look through old materials that have been now here for almost two years unused. We will dispose of things in late July and August if they have not been reviewed. This is a good time to look around our coat racks for missing mittens, glasses, or jackets. Please help us clean out, recycle, or throw out items that no longer serve our needs.

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!