2014 – 2015 Coming of Age Class: Will Macmillan, Ruby Baker-Poveromo, Max Dutzik Henricks, David Casaz, Grady Stoodt. Not in the picture Josie Cousineau.

This Week in Worship

Sunday, May 3 @ 10:30 am in the Meetinghouse

Every time I drive to Maine and cross the Piscataqua River Bridge spanning the New Hampshire – Maine border, on sunny days I quickly looked to my right and try to catch a glimpse of Star Island. Yes, I’m aware that it is not the safest thing to do while driving on Rt. 95. I also know that rarely do I ever actually see Star Island, the Unitarian Universalist camp that lies almost ten miles from the bridge to the Isles of Shoals. Star is a home to me, a place where as a youth I fell in love with our faith. It is a place where I met many of my best friends, and a place which all these years later still consider home.

We all have many ideas of what constitutes home, the writer Helen Rowland says “Home, is any four walls that enclose the right person.” But home can also be place where you hang your hat at the end of the day. It is that place where you grew up, as well as the place where you are able to get away too only once a year. Home is a place where there are people who love you, a place where there are friends who know you. Home can be a nation or a set of ideals that create an operating system, a set of laws, or just assumptions where you can be whom you are. This Sunday as we hear the credo statements from the members of the Coming of Age class I hope that you remember that you are lucky to share this place with people of many generations. I hope that you and they think of this place as your home as well.

See you in church,

Rev. Hank

The Worship theme for May is Transcendence

May 3rd Coming of Age

What is it you believe about God, and death, the meaning of life and the role of faith in it? These are some of the questions that the Affirmation Class have been grappling with this year. Today you will get a chance to hear them share where they are on their religious journeys.

May 10th Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day March then return to First Parish where a service will be held.

May 17 A Year in Review

The Annual Meeting will follow the service.

May 24 Memorial Day

This service is still coming together more information will be forthcoming in the days ahead.

May 31 Acquaint Thyself…

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous Divinity School Address made 175 years ago set the American religious world on its ear, with his idea that we should get to know God ourselves. Why did this idea that is now at the center of our faith scare so many?

We will also be recognizing those who completed of the Our Whole Lives curriculum.

Religious Exploration

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Children’s Church

Class Schedule for May 3rd:

• Passages 2nd graders will go directly to their classroom.
• Neighboring Faiths 7th Graders will go directly to their classroom (library).
• OWL 8th Graders will meet in the Children’s Church at 9:45am for an abbreviated class. At 10:30am OWL students will be attending Worship.
• Youth Chat will meet in the youth room.
• All other Children will start out in the Sanctuary before being dismissed to Children’s Church
• The Nursery is available for children ages 4 and younger.

Youth Group Happenings

Care Packages to our College Youth a Hit

Thank you, Caring Committee and Youth Group for gathering funds and treats to send care packages to our First Parish college youth. We are hearing from some moms that the students were delighted and touched to receive the packages.

News and Announcements

Beltane Celebration

Saturday, May 2nd 3:30pm @ First Parish Courtyard

It was anciently the custom for all ranks of people, high and low, to go out a-maying together, garlanded with flowers and dancing in procession to celebrate the coming of summer…come jump the Beltane fire and dance and weave the ribbons ’round the maypole! with the great blue hill chapter of CUUPS…all are welcome…we share a pot-luck feast after ceremony, contact Mark Whall with questions and to RSVP if you are likely to attend — 617 282 4075
blessed be. See ya! Mark

Next Milton Community Concert is Saturday, May 16th – “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.

A potluck dinner for church members and their guests will take place prior to the concert. A nice time of year to connect with your First Parish pals, enjoy great eats (no doubt) then stay for the concert in support of a cause all dear and near to our hearts. Remember to bring a food donation along with your pot luck offering.

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 Contact Elise.

$600 more to go! — We have reached 60% ($900) of our donation goal of $1,500!

“Choose or Be Chosen” Returns to First Parish –

Friends: As you know, this past year has been a year of big changes for First Parish. Our efforts to keep a regular slate of ushers, Social Hour sponsors and flower-providers has had mixed success. To keep these important aspects of life running smoothly, the Worship Committee, in conjunction with the Hospitality Committee and the Flower Committee has decided to return to our earlier model of commitment and volunteering: Choose or Be Chosen.

Starting this Sunday, there will sheets for signing up that will include Sundays for our next worship year which beginnings in September. If every able member signs up for at least one Sunday of ushering, one Sunday of Social Hour and one Sunday of flowers, our next year will run much more smoothly. Sign-ups will continue through the end of May. Any spots not filled by that date will then be “drawn” by members of each committee and the entire calendar will be posted.

We are excited to bring this back to First Parish. If you have any questions, please speak with Leslie MacPherson Artinian or any member of the Worship Committee. Thank you all for everything you do.

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

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

Save the Dates!

Sunday, May 17 – Annual Meeting at noontime

Join us for worship in the morning that will include welcoming new members to the congregation. Warrant will be mailed to members by the end of next week and will also be available on the Members’s Page of the website.

Friday, May 29 6:30 pm – All Church Counci

The Parish Committee invites Committee Chairs and members to the All Church Council. This is a great event if you are new to committee work, know what is ahead for First Parish or have recently become a Committee Chair. There are still committee openings at this time. Feel free to contact me in the office or Chris Pitt, Ruth Hannon and Chris Clifford from the Parish Committee.

REMINDER: Notices for The Link must be submitted via email by 5pm each Tuesday. Please keep the notice to one paragraph. We welcome a small graphic or photo. This deadline allows us some time to review the information, and prepare The Link and the Order of Worship. Community Events are listed if there is room available. Depending on the length of the announcement, it may be edited to fit our space limitations. We need to have the deadline met and the email sent to both email address to assure that your announcement is in The Link and Sunday Announcements. We aim to have The Link finalized by noon on Thursday as well as having announcement printed by then. The office is closed on Fridays.

We are all busy this time of year. Committees are gathering annual reports, planning for the fall, searching for new members and bidding farewell to outgoing members. Our Religious Exploration program is in full swing, the Coming of Age Service is Sunday and we will be having other classes finished and recognized in worship over the next few weeks. The Annual Meeting preparations have been underway for more than two weeks. Parish Committee and Finance have been working to finalize the budget. All of this is on top of the week to week work we all do here. So be aware of how busy many of us are. This will be the pattern for the next 6 – 7 weeks. Then we get to enjoy and celebrate the last worship of the program year and church picnic on June 21st.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook 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. Sign Up Here!