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
“All for One & One for All”
Universalism means that no one is saved until we’re all saved.
Interdependence means grounding ourselves in love and working together for justice.
Join us for a celebration of community solutions to collective problems, and the power we each have to face the crises of our time while healing ourselves and others.
Guest Speaker: Matt Meyer
Worship Assistant: Lisa White
Usher: Dianna Wilson
Music: Matt Meyer
Social Hour: Bebe Williamson and Penny Knight
Audio: Nina Truog
Sunday’s offering will be given to the Louis D Brown Peace Institute. The Mother’s Day Walk for Peace is a beloved Boston (and FPM) tradition and celebration of our potential to create more peaceful communities. It is the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s largest fund raising event to support their services, advocacy and training. Kali Geddes, Healing Support Services Coordinator will be speaking.
In addition, you can sign up to walk and donate here
Join many other UU congregations including Concord, Needham, Dorchester, JP, Lexington, Chelmsford, Newton, and more!
*See flyer at bottom of newsletter
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.
Matt Meyer is a lifelong Unitarian Universalist with a long background as a musician and worship leader for UU congregations.
Matt lives in Boston but travels as an itinerant worship leader, bringing the good news of Unitarian Universalism to hundreds congregations all over the country.
He serves as the Director of Operations for Sanctuary Boston, a contemporary UU worship community, with rockin’ music and engaging worship that meets on Wednesday evenings online and in-person.
The daffodils were bowed the other day from an evening rain. On my morning walk, I stopped and bowed back. The delicate blossoms of flowering trees give a burst of color for a week or two. Green growth is beginning, though the skeletal structures of trees still frame the sky, soon to be filled with what ee cummings once called “the leaping greenly spirits of trees”.
Early spring is a time of noticing and a time of planting. Nature gives us this time to perceive transformation and encourage growth. It is a time to believe in blooming and the unfolding into new seasons…of the body…of the heart.
Swedish poet, Karin Boye, writes of the tender time of spring, hints of sadness and fear in the passing of time, remembrance of loss and inevitable change. She offers this wonderful phrase in naming the tentativeness and hope, the letting go and bursting forth: the greatest safety is “to rest in that trust that creates the world” – the natural trust that brings forth Spring.
Let yourself notice it all: the uneasiness and the wonder, the planting and the inevitable, the bowing and the praising. Just a moment’s notice, every day, will strengthen your natural trust to live into your life.
Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa
Music For Sunday
We are happy to welcome back percussionist Matt Meyer to lead worship this Sunday. He has led hundreds of worship services all over the country, sharing a message of love and justice through rhythm and song. Don’t miss it!
Religious Exploration
Middle School Youth Group Program
Middle school aged youth (5th-8th grades) are invited to gather for an occasional junior youth group program. This spring, based on youth interest, we will be offering four sessions of gaming (Dungeons and Dragons) and an outdoor hike.
If your registered junior youth is interested in the Sunday evening gaming group, please email bridget@sitkoff.net. Friends are welcome, but will need to register with the RE program (at https://forms.gle/723pwAZSM9LHnXoAA – choose Youth Group or Junior Youth Group as your program option).
The group will meet from 5pm – 6:30pm in the Youth room at First Parish. First Parish youth mentor Xyla Sophinos will facilitate and two RE adults will be present at each meeting.
May 7th
May 21st
June 4th
TODAY: Thursday, April 27th 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Milton Youth: Their Strengths and the Risks They Face
Nangeroni Conference Room, BID Hospital – Milton
Every three years, the Milton Coalition examines the status of Milton youth through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, with an emphasis on substance use. Join us as we share these results, compare them to our past evaluations, and discuss next steps.
Masks are required. This meeting is open to the public.
Events and Meetings
Save the Date: Sunday, May 21st
(after worship in Parish Hall )
A light lunch will be served.
From the Membership Committee
Walking Group
Like to walk and chat ? First Parish Membership is starting up our walking group again. Dianna Wilson will gather interested walkers at 12:15 pm on April 30th and May 28th at the entrance to the Pope John Paul Park in Dorchester.
And afterwards if there is interest, going to lunch at a nearby spot !
Contact Dianna for more information: diannaw710@gmail.com
MILTON GREEN UP: POP-UP PICKUPS
Sunday, April 30, Noon-ish*
First Parish Church Neighborhood
Register on SignUp Genius by clicking green button below.
Join Membership and Social & Environmental Justice folks after Social Hour to scour our neighborhood for TRASH! We will provide Milton DPW collecting bags (leaving filled ones by the Carriage Shed). Please wear long pants/sleese and check for ticks at home afterwards, and wear work gloves. All ages are welcome. *NOTE: If this time does not work for you, there are two other focus areas and times welcoming your support:
Saturday, April 29, 10 – Noon at the rear of Cunningham Park (specifically, the “pit” at the dog park)
Sunday April 30,1-3 along Truman Parkway/Neponset River Greenway
“SING FOR THEIR SUPPER” ON MAY 6th at 7:00 pm
Milton Community Concerts will present the eighth annual “Sing For Their Supper” benefit concert on Saturday evening, May 6 at 7pm. The net proceeds from this concert will go to the Milton Food Pantry and the Milton Residents Fund. This year’s group of singers come from as far away as Hartford, Connecticut and western New York. For more information visit .http://miltoncommunityconcerts.com
TREE Giveaway
The Wakefield Estate is offering 3 tree species this spring: Red Maple, Bitternut Hickory and Kousa Dogwood.
Contact Mary Blanchette for information on each species or you can google them to make sure you have the correct growing conditions. Reach out to Mary if
you want any. Her email is mbpa@comcast.net.
News and Announcements
Worship Committee-Summer Services
We now have some volunteers to lead summer services but need more – both old hands and adventurous newbies.
Please contact Penny Partridge (ppartridge9@icloud.com or 413-658-4717) and pick a summer Sunday. You could think of it as a slight extension of a Faith Reflection. What could be important to you to share with us?
YES, we’re having another Yard Sale!
Start your spring cleaning ! The First Parish Yard Sale is happening again. We’ll be collecting items in June, specific dates and times TBD. The yard sale date is:
June 24th, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
. Much more to come…
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, May 6th.
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 May 3rd and then every other Wednesday throughout the year. We will meet in the lower parking lot between 12:40 pm 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
Light The Way Sunday, April 30th, 6:30PM
Milton’s First Annual Vigil to remember lives lost to overdose and substance use disorder. Sunday, April 30th, 6:30 – 7:30pm, Baron Hugo Gazebo – Town Hall, 525 Canton Ave. This event will include music, speakers, an education table – including Narcan training – and a reading of the names.
In order to have a loved one remembered, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/ZPbD9poPSbg95DhU7
This event has been organized by a group of family members who have lost loved ones to overdose and substance use disorder. They have joined together with the Milton Coalition and the Health Department to help light the way towards healing, support, and awareness so that other families don’t have to experience similar pain. Please join us.
A Memorial Service for Natalie Q. Albers, long time Milton activist and member of the First Parish Milton will be held at First Parish, Saturday, May 6 at 1:00 PM
City Life/Vida Urbana – Opportunity to Help a Community Partner
Our friends at City Life/Vida Urbana, a grassroots organization that promotes tenant rights and advocates on behalf of those facing eviction, reached out to ask for the help of this community. CLVU is planning an upcoming mailing to 2,000 people – to make them aware of their rights and available resources – as they face losing their homes. CLVU needs help preparing this mailing, and have asked for our help.
On Saturday, May 13th from 10:00am – 12:30pm, we will be meeting at the UU Urban Ministry with folks from CLVU to assemble this mailing. Can you join us? Email Vinnie Myles at vmyles@uuum.org to RSVP.
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.