This Week in Worship

Summer Services 9:30 a.m. – Children’s Church

July 16, 2017

Worship Leader: Francesca Cipriani
Musician: Emma Jean Moulton
Worship Associate: Mallory Digges

“If You Have One Good Parent, You Have A Chance”

Harvard Divinity School ministerial student Francesca Cipriani explores the topic of assumptions about good parenting, particularly when there are complicated roles and factors.

Summer Office Information

• Office Hours for the summer generally are Monday – Thursday 10 am – 2 pm. (This may vary depending on vacation schedules).
• If you are coming to the church office, please let us know in advance. We may not hear the doorbell with the window unit air conditioners purring.
• The Link will continue to be published weekly. There will be no written announcements at Summer Services. The deadline remains Tuesday.
• Check Kiki’s Corner for information on the staff’s comings and goings for the upcoming week.

Rev. Lisa Ward, Minister

Rev. Lisa will be out of the office during July and August as follows:

• June 29 – July 10
• July 19 – August 14

She will be writing for The Link occasionally for the summer.

Here is her latest message.
______

A true strength within the culture of Milton is the Milton Interfaith Clergy Association. Clergy meets once a month to discuss ways that we can serve the spiritual well-being, as it is diversely experienced, of the community of Milton. We drafted a mission statement this year to focus our work together.

“The Milton Interfaith Clergy Association cares about the spiritual life of all people in Milton. We strive to increase interfaith understanding. We build partnerships and connections between diverse faith communities, faith leaders, civic leaders, and organizations so that together we can better promote justice for all people. We gather the community to both bear witness to brokenness and celebrate all that is sacred in our midst.”

Ways this has manifested is the on-going “Courageous Conversations toward Racial Justice”, the “Let’s Talk About Hate” town-wide initiative and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. We also offer worship services to senior housing residents and prayers and invocations at town events..

An initiative that is in the works, spearheaded by Rabbi Fred Benjamin, is an Interfaith Israel Trip in July of 2018. This would be a nine day tour and teach-in in Jerusalem, Galilee and Haifa. Because a certain amount of participants are needed to organize the trip, MICA members have been asked to inquire of interest in their faith communities.

If you are interested in learning more (itinerary, costs, etc.), please contact me at minister@fpmilton.org. Rabbi Benjamin returned from Israel just months ago and highly recommends the experience, designed for interfaith understanding.

Blessings Be,

Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Laurel Whitehouse,
Director of Religious Exploration

Religious exploration programming for children or youth will resume in September. Enjoy your summer, everyone!

Youth room painting will be happening over the summer – helpers needed. Please email me if you’d like to volunteer some time on this much-needed project.

News and Announcements

Sunday Meditation Time Change

• Meditation will be from 8:30 – 9 a.m. through July.
• Thursday evening meditation will continue to meet from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
• Both sessions happen in the Children’s Church.
• Monday evening Yoga continues throughout the summer.

Part of the Message from Rev. Sue Phillips

Regional Lead, New England Region UUA and FP Milton member

Friends,

I’m writing to let you know that I’ll be leaving my position as the New England Regional Lead at the end of July.

My departure is bittersweet. Over the last nine years, I have been inspired by story after story of creative, generative congregations and leaders retooling Unitarian Universalism into a relevant and transformational presence in communities across New England. I will miss you!

And I am leaving to take up work that is absolutely captivating to me. I will become a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School, where I will work to support the emerging landscape of millennial spirituality at the edges of and beyond traditional religious institutions. I will carry into this new role everything I’ve learned from our people, and from so many of you.

– Rev. Sue Phillips

Upcoming Summer Worship Services Schedule through September 3

Time: 9:30 – 10:30 am
Location: Children’s Church
Come support our worship leaders over the summer.

July 23, 2017

“Walking a Labyrinth”

First Parish member Elise Henricks will lead a discussion and a walk around First Parish’s portable labyrinth.

Worship Leader – Elise Henricks
Musician – Emma Jean Moulton
Worship Associate: Susan Batson

July 30, 2017

“Articulating Our Pluralism”

In the text of the UU Principles and Sources, it is said that our living tradition draws on “many sources,” and that we are “grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith.” However, this implied pluralism is not clearly defined anywhere in our covenant. How might we articulate it, both to the world and to each other? And what might a greater focus on religious pluralism mean for our practice? Come and hear Harvard Divinity School ministerial student Andrew van Tine contemplate these questions.

Worship Leader – A.J. van Tine
Musician – Tim Steele

August 6, 2017

“Fear is the Mind Killer”

Fear can motivate us and drive us to excellence, but too often fear cripples and paralyzes our minds. What can scripture and teachings tell us about our fear, and how can we live with it in our uncertain world?

Worship Leader – Alex Engel
Musician – Tim Steele
Worship Associate – Leslie Macpherson Artinian

August 13, 2017

“The Magic Within That Allows Us to Connect with the Divine, Ourselves and Others”

Pat and Susan share the sacred aspects of creativity, inherent in all humans in all cultures, that has helped them to take risks, live with more purpose and joy and to become the creative beings they were meant to be.

Worship Leaders– Susan Batson and Pat Neves
Musician – Tim Steele
Worship Associate – Susan Batson & Pat Neves

August 20, 2017

“Body Wisdom”

In Interplay, a common phrase is “unlock the wisdom of your body”. We are embodied creatures, we humans. There is much we know in our cells.

Worship Leader– Rev. Lisa Ward
Musician – Peter Smith (tentative)
Worship Associate – TBD

August 27, 2017

“The Physicality of Grace”

To piggyback the previous sermon, yet standing on its own, we can feel and find grace in the living of our lives. It comes over us, passes through us, alights upon us. Let us welcome grace into our days.

Worship Leader– Rev. Lisa Ward
Musician – Tim Steele
Worship Associate – Mallory Digges

September 3, 2017 (Labor Day weekend)

“Hope is the Thing with Feathers”

First Parish member Leslie explores what it is that gives us hope and keeps us going.

Worship Leader– Leslie Macpherson Artinian
Musician – Tim Steele

Follow up Meetings to Give Light: Spiritual Nurture for Climate Activism program

• Tuesday, July 25 ( home of Hale and Tucker Smith) 7:30-9:30pm.
• Tuesday, August 29 (home of Jennie Mulqueen) 7:30-9:30pm.

What is calling you to do environmental justice work? There will be 2 more meetings over the summer to talk more about environmental justice and what might we do at First Parish. You need not have attended the June program to attend these meetings. If you would like to sign up for one of these gatherings, please contact Jennie by email.

Kiki’s Corner

Monday, July 17 – Thursday, July 20 Staff Updates

• The office is closed on Sundays and Fridays.
• Kiki and Kathy are in the office all week.
• Rev. Lisa will be in Tuesday.
• Laurel will be available on Tuesday.
• Kevin is out of the office Monday – Thursday.
• The office is closed on Sundays and Fridays.
• Tim, Joel, and Sara Elizabeth are off in July.

Jeff Stoodt, Laurie Macintosh, Jen Grant, Brdiget Sitkoff, Tucker Smith and Mallory Digges for watering our new fledging trees in July.

Members of the Building and Grounds Team (Beth Gray Nix, Ken Pastore, Richard Venable, and Andy Strang) for taking on various projects over the summer.

STAY CONNECTED

Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!

REMINDER THE LINK DEADLINE IS TUEDAYS

“Brevity Matters” – Peter Bowden, Social Media Guru and wise UU

Deadline for submissions is Tuesdays. You need to address email to both office@fpmilton.org and director@fpmilton.org to assure your announcement will be included in the weekly Link. Written announcements for the Sunday Order of Worship are derived from the announcements for The Link. We, from time to time, will also publish non-church events with a connection to a member of the church. Your submission may be edited due to space requirements. We recommend that you submit no more than 1 – 2 paragraphs.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment

MINISTER OFFICE HOURS

Tuesday – Thurday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment

The Church office is closed on Fridays

SUMMER SUNDAYS

June 25 – September 3
Worship, 9:30 am in the Children’s Church
Silent Prayer & Meditation, 8:30 am in the Children’s Church
No Religious Exploration Program , Nursery Care, Choir Rehearsal

Beginning Sunday, September 10

Worship, 10:30am in the Meetinghouse
Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am
Silent Prayer & Meditation, 9:00am in the Children’s Church

EVERY THURSDAY

Silent Prayer & Meditation, 6:30pm in the Children’s Church

SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)

The link to SignUp Genius is:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday?1472051612751