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
- News and Announcements
- Events and Meetings
- Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
“The Call of Remembrance”
Worship Assistant: Steve Yakutis
Greeter: Amy Kavadlo
Audio: Nicholas Miller
Social Hour: Tony Dutzik & Elise Henricks
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.
Wow! Already coming onto Memorial Day! It’s a tough one this year, with so many armed conflicts in the world: nations at war, gangs and governments battling, civil wars and coups. On a day of sacred remembrance in the United States of soldiers who have died dedicated to the cause of a free nation, we see that the addiction for war remains a devastating choice in humanity.
Memorial Day is not a day to dismiss the habit of war but a day to recognize the fact that wars happen and that their existence remain a persistent thread in the fabric our lives.
Memorial Day calls for sacred remembrance of ultimate efforts made by those who believed they were serving the good. The sacrifice of a soldier’s life is a reminder of our own. Their life lived needs our response, needs our notice, needs our sadness, needs our hope that it won’t have to happen again.
How are we living this existence that has been protected by ultimate dedication? Are we protecting liberty for all in our choices? Are we cultivating our gifts for the common good? Are we developing different ways to manage conflict?
There are many who would say that war is inevitable. On Memorial Day, as we lift up the loss and devastation, let us ask ourselves why we choose to make war inevitable. It need not be so. Remember this terrible choice. It need not be so.
This I pray. Rev. Lisa
Music This Week
This Sunday the music will be provided by our regular guest pianist Arman Mohammad. His musical selections include “Till there was you” by Meredith Wilson, “Remember Me” by Anthony Gonzalez, and the “Yellow Jacket” by Shaun Martin.
RE This Week
UU Summer Fun Registration!
It’s time to formally register for our UU summer fun! Follow this link to register. If you signed up on the “Express Interest” form, we still need you to officially register with this link! 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
Have you received an email about the Ministerial Performance review that’s being conducted? Your input is vital and –don’t worry–completing the survey only takes a few minutes. So complete it and send it off in one sitting! The survey will be open through June 4th. The Committee on Ministry will then gather and analyze the data and share a summary with you in September.
If you have any difficulty accessing the survey, please contact Jeff Stoodt at jmstoodt@gmail.com
Summer Services Are Just Around the Corner!
Consider sharing something of yourself with the congregation this summer—there are just a few dates remaining for these lay-led services. Services start at 9:30 and can be as unorthodox as you’d like—even outside!
Please contact Steve Yakutis at steve.yakutis@gmail.com or Lisa White at lisawhite1250@gmail.com if you’re interested or want to learn more.
Events & Meetings
Next storytelling event will be Saturday, June 8, at 4 p.m., in the Children’s Chapel.
Some storytelling is spontaneous after drawing a word or a phrase from a bag. Some people bring a prepared story with a previously announced theme.
See next week’s Link for the June 8th theme.
Start cleaning out your attic, garage, and closets – you can declutter and help raise funds for First Parish at the same time!
DONATION drop-off information
We’re looking for clean, gently-used furniture, sporting equipment, toys, clothes, books, lawn and garden items, household goods, bicycles, and more…
Please assist our volunteers by organizing your items by category.
DROP OFF times: First Parish – In the Link
- Sun, June 9: 9am – 11am
- Wed, June 12: 9am-noon
- Thurs, June 13: 4pm-7pm
- Sat, June 15: 2pm – 5pm
- Sun, June 16: 9am-noon
- Mon, June 17: 9am-noon, 4pm-7pm
- Tues, June 18: 9am-noon, 4pm-7pm
- Wed, June 19: 9am-noon, 4pm-7pm
If these times don’t work for you, please email Jen Pinkus (jennifer.pinkus@gmail.com) to arrange an alternate drop-off time. We may also be able to arrange to pick up your items.
Can you help? We need LOTS of volunteers to:
- staff the donation drop-off hours
- help set up and organize on June 20-21
- staff the tables and help with set-up or clean-up on the day of the yard sale (June 22)
- clean up and distribute leftover items after the yard sale on June 23-24
If you can commit 2 hours or 20, we’d appreciate your help! Please Sign Up via Signup Genius or email Jen Pinkus (jennifer.pinkus@gmail.com)
The event is open to the public – rain or shine – spread the word!
On June 9th, the Membership Committee will host our annual end-of-church-year PICNIC. Once again, it will be a Pot Luck feast. No one brings the deliciousness better than First Parish folx, so think about what you would like to bring and please let us know on our Sign-up Genius;
We will have temporary tattoos again ! Bubbles ! Lawn games. Music and special surprises !
Come one, come all and lets be in delicious community on June 9th.
If you can help with set-up, clean-up or have questions, please email Leslie:
Social & Environmental Justice Committee (SEJC)
June 5th 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!
Beyond First Parish
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13.2)
On weekdays, St Michael’s in Milton hosts migrant families from Haiti and Central and South America in our parish hall, and Immigrant Family Services Institute (IFSI) in Boston assists them with paperwork, lessons in English and other skills, and providing a meal. To augment our hospitality we are looking for volunteers and donations of needed items.
Please consider how you can help wrangling cabs for an hour in the morning, teaching ESL,playing games with children, picking up prepared meals, or donating needed items or funds to defray the costs of paper towels, toilet paper, and garbage stickers!
Learn more by clicking here ,and finding IFSI Volunteer and IFSI Donation needs. Help where you can! In Matthew 25, Jesus tells us quite clearly that whatever we do for the least of Jesus’ siblings we do for him, and our invitation is to do that here.
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 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
To schedule appointment on or after Mar 18 please visit www.redcrossblood.org and
enter sponsor code: MICA or call 1 (800)-Red-Cross
Join us for world-class jazz music on the beautiful UUUM greenspace. We’re happy to announce The Makanda Project will have three concerts this summer at the Urban Ministry. Join us under the summer sky for these free shows in the heart of Roxbury.
- Saturday, July 13th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- Saturday, August 17th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- Saturday, September 14th from 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Events are free! | All are welcome | Bring a lawn chair
Click here for more information
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.