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

“Memories of Maury”

Summer worship starts at 9:30 am

“Remembrances of Maury”

Our first summer service will be led by Dan de Angeli, sharing memories of his father and reflecting on how Dan was shaped by Maury de Angeli. Music will be offered by pianist Deborah Galiga and the classical trio of Joel, Lily and Rose Morschel.

Dan has been coming to First Parish since 2011, when he met FP member Liz O’Rourke. Dan likes to fix things for people. He sees his role at FP Milton as participating in service to the community. He has made countless lunches for Mainspring in Brockton and is now an active part of our support team for the Farris Family, newly arrived from Syria. This will be Dan’s first time of leading a summer service. Please come –  at 9:30 a.m.! – or tune in from wherever you are.

Facilitated by: Dan de Angeli

Audio: Casey Miller

Worship Services are hybrid.

Join us in person or on Zoom. Please log in at 9:20, to give some lead time for the service at 9:30.

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.

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

Heading off into the summer months; a time for renewal, regrouping and, perhaps, reframing in our lives, I’d like to reiterate a bit of the soulful travel kit shared in a sermon, in response to affirming feedback.

It is fundamentally true, in Jon Kabat-Zinn’s apt adage: “Wherever you go, there you are.” It is also true that wherever you go you have the resources within to fully be “there”, finding grounding, resilience and a sense of life’s worth. Three natural resources are: body wisdom, relational power and wonder.

Some reminders of BODY WISDOM:

    Ø Breath. Ever available for calming and centering, for renewing and releasing. The breath is connected to trees in the life sustainng exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. This gives us the natural understanding of connectedness to all of life…of belonging in all of life. Life has our back through breath.

    Ø Our bodily senses reach out to the world through taste, sight, smell, sound and touch. This helps us understand that there are many ways of knowing, many kinds of connection.

    Ø And we are earth beings. The warmth of sun, the release of wind, the expanse of sky, the nourishment of water — in our bodies — on our skin. These resources are here for us to ever draw from.

Another tool is RELATIONAL POWER. Shared being, connecting with others, this is a lifeline – not only in difficult situations but in the simple challenges of living day to day. Beloved community can uphold us. Reach out. Let others in.

And then there’s WONDER. Wonder inspires awe and humility, gratitude and generosity, reverence and responsibility. This life is far more than just us. Which, in fact, helps with justice (just sayin’)

Wonder. Some classic and well tested practices can access this resource. A practice of gratitude or noticing delight. Making room in your life to help others. Creating time in your life for some form of Sabbath, some form of taking a break from the business of your life. And cherishing joy in oneself or another. 

Of course you can add more and change priorities, but do know this. We are well equipped from birth to find our way with and for one another. To come alive in this vast, glorious gift of being.

Blessings Be. Amen.

Rev. Lisa’s Summer Schedule:

June 15 – July 15: a mix of 2 weeks of vacation and work away (General Assembly, Pittsburgh, and Minister of the Week at Star Island, New Hampshire)

Aug. 4-13: work away: Minister of the Week at Chautauqua Institute, NY

Aug. 27 – Sept. 4: Vacation

Religious Exploration

We have the happy news that we have hired a ¾- time Family Ministries Director: Louise Smith-Erb. Their position will start this August.

The Family Ministries Director is a new position for First Parish and Louise, so we will call on our practice of adaptive change to innovate a new religious exploration model for all ages. Current goals are to maintain an RE program for children and youth, integrating opportunities for family ministry and gatherings. Adult faith development and intergenerational community building are also a part of their portfolio.

Here is their bio:

“Louise is excited to be the Family Ministries Director at First Parish Milton! They are especially looking forward to building community with young people and learning together how to deepen care for ourselves and each other. During the school year, they study interfaith leadership and conflict transformation as a Master of Divinity student at Boston University School of Theology. Outside of their academic and professional life, they enjoy connecting with the queer community, running, knitting, and reading. They are a genderqueer individual and feel most affirmed when referred to with they/them/theirs pronouns, though she/her/hers will do in a pinch. Louise’s go-to fun fact is that their family once grew a giant pumpkin that won “Most Beautiful” at the Cumberland Fair in their hometown of Cumberland, Maine.” 

Welcome to First Parish, Louise!!

Events and Meetings

Charitable Giving and Estate Planning Workshop June 21/ Legacy Giving Committee

The Legacy Giving Committee invites you to attend an informational workshop on Charitable Giving in the Context of Estate Planning scheduled for Wednesday, June 21, 7pm via Zoom with estate planning attorney Christopher Suh. Please register in advance by using this SignUp Genius.

Attorney Christopher Suh has more than two decades of experience specializing in trusts and estate planning and charitable giving. Chris is known for distilling complex legal and tax concepts into plain English! Chris was awarded the Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) designation by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils. He is active in various networking and professional groups such as the Boston Estate Planning Council. Chris has a JD from the University of Southern California and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania.  He is with the Wagner Law Group www.wagnerlawgroup.com.

 A legacy gift is a commitment to make a future donation to First Parish Milton. The most common legacy gift, of any amount, is a bequest in your will. For more information or with questions, please contact the FP office, or members of the Legacy Giving Committee, Mike Bello, Andrew Maloney, Bebe Williamson, Allison Zippay.

News and Announcements

The office will be closed on Monday, June 19th in in honor of Juneteenth.

There will be no Yoga on June 19th.

Meditation continues …

Meditation continues to meet on zoom through the summer. We practice silent meditation for 30 minutes.

Sunday morning from 8:30-9am 

Thursday evening 6:45-7:15pm. 

Contact Tracey Robinson tdr02186@gmail.com for zoom link info. 

We would love you to join us.

UPCOMING LAY LED Service

Our June 25th service will be led by a guest from the Medford UU congregation, Carole Bundy. She will be joined by two other Medford UUs, who make up the singing trio, Molly, Will and Carole. The service is about mystery and living with unknowns. It will include the Iris DeMent song, “Let the Mystery Be” – with Molly Ruggles, the Director of Music for the Medford UUs, on the piano.

Saturday, June 24, 9am – 1pm

The First Parish

Yard Sale is almost here

DONATION drop-off information

We are 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 – Parish Hall

• Thurs: June 15, 3pm-6pm
• Sun: June 18, before or after church
• Mon: June 19, 4pm-7pm
• Tues: June 20, 10am-noon
• Wed: June 21, 3pm-6pm
• Thurs: June 22, 10am-noon

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 volunteers to:

• staff the donation drop-off hours
• help set up and organize on June 22-23
• staff the tables and help with set-up or clean-up on the day of the yard sale (June 24)

If you can commit 2 hours or 20, we’d appreciate your help ! Please sign up via Signup Genius or email Jen Pinkus

The event is open to the public – rain or shine – spread the word!

First Parish Milton volunteers provide bagged lunches to MainSpring adult shelters in Brockton twice a month on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday during the normal church year. Our last lunch delivery for this year will be on June 21st. We will take a break during the summer. Please signup to make lunches for 6/21 if you are able to help!! 

Stay tuned for plans for next year on how we can continue to support Father Bills & MainSpring. 

Thanks again to all the volunteers that have made this program a success for the last 2 1/2 years!

Sign up here

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, July 22nd.

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.

Sign up here!

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.

Beyond First Parish

MILTON GROWS! Field Trip, June 21

Calling all garden lovers! Milton Public Library’s “Milton Grows!” programming will include a field trip bus to learn about 3 local gardens (Cabot Bradley, Trailside, Wakefield) next Wednesday, June 21, 9:30-1:30, byo lunch. Important topics: native plants, trees, rain gardens, and more. $20 registration. First Parish members Steven Yakutis, Guy Pugh, and Tucker Smith will be celebrity docents at different sites. Here’s a link for complete details.

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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.