This Week in Worship

Sunday, September 22, 2019

10:30am – 11:30am in the Meetinghouse

“Source of Being”

Minister

Rev. Lisa Ward

A valuable resource that Unitarian Universalist Congregations have in Massachusetts is UU Mass Action, a statewide justice advocacy group. Their mission is “to organize and mobilize UUs in Massachusetts to confront oppression.”  UU Mass Action “provides pathways towards justice and identifies opportunities in which we can live our values.”   

UU Mass Action will assist in UU visibility during tomorrow’s Climate Strike at City Hall Plaza in Boston, which provides a good meet up for those of us who are able to go (see the article below).  Along with public witness organizing, UU Mass Action assists congregations in advocacy trainings and has the inside track on legislative initiatives and bills which address UU values of justice and equity.  

In our mission to welcome all to build a just and healthy world, we need to identify other organizations that can help us expand our reach in collaborative efforts and shared service.  As we do so, our collective voice becomes stronger, our common hope expands, and our belief in health deepens. We gain new insights, discover varied perspectives and find we are not alone.

 Check out their website: https://www.uumassaction.org/.  We are a contributing congregation.  And I hope to see you in Boston tomorrow!  

Blessings Be, Rev. Lisa

Religious Exploration

Nursery care will be available from 10:15 to 11:45 am in the Link hallway for infants and toddlers up through age 3.

On Sunday, September 22, all children from preschool through grade 7 will begin in the Meetinghouse and then move to their classrooms.

Religious Exploration classes will begin meeting on Sunday, September 22. All classrooms are located downstairs. Preschool through grade 1 will be enjoying Spirit Play in the Preschool classroom. Grades 2 and 3 will be exploring the UU Principles during the fall and the Passages program beginning in January, meeting in the Primary classroom. Grades 4 through 7 will be continuing the two-year Friends and Neighbors curriculum, learning about various faith traditions through videos and visitors. This group will meet in the Activity room. Grade 8 will be participating in the Coming of Age program this year.

It is time to register your child or youth for classes this fall! The Religious Exploration Committee requests all families to register your child or youth before September 22. Please use this link to our online form: Online registration form (or paper registration forms are available on the RE bulletin board in the Link hallway).

Youth Chat (for grades 8 through 12) will meet on Sunday, September 22. Youth are invited to begin arriving at 10 am to make a hot beverage and settle in. Formal Youth Chat programming runs from 10:30 to 11:30 am three Sundays a month. This week the group will be creating individual beverage mugs and generating a list of topics for future meetings.

Coming of Age for grades 8 through 10 will meet on September 22 for youth and their mentors from noon to 2 pm. Rev. Lisa will be joining the group to lead some fun bonding activities. Ongoing COA classes will be held in the youth room from noon to 1:30 on most Sundays. All COA youth need to link up with a mentor before September 22.

MUSIC THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday the choir will be singing an anthem by Gerald Custer, called “What the Heart Sees”, with a text by Helen Keller. There will also be a guest soloist, soprano Melissa Joseph, who will be singing “This River”, by Uzee Brown, Jr.

Events & Announcements

The Boston Climate Strike

Timeline for Boston Climate Strike
Friday, September 20, 2019 

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM Community Events at City Hall Plaza
art activities, partner organization tabling, sign making, community mural

11:30 AM – 1:00 PM  Main Rally at City Hall Plaza
speakers, dances/songs/bands, slam poetry!

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM  March to Massachusetts Statehouse

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Action at Massachusetts Statehouse

Jennie Mulqueen, Hale & Tucker Smith and Rev. Lisa plan to attend Friday’s Climate Strike events at Boston City Hall Plaza, joining UU Mass Action folks around 10:30 a.m. for group singing at 10:45 (look for YELLOW T-shirts) before the rally cranks up.  If you’d like to co-commute, be at the Red Line/Mattapan Trolley’s stop at Central Avenue about 9:45 a.m., this Friday.  Wear yellow if you have any…. bring your signs, voice, and passion.

For more information, go to:

https://www.uumassaction.org/new-events

The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is involved in hurricane relief initiatives in the wake of Dorian in the Bahamas. You can send donations through this link:

https://donate.uusc.org/give/248548/#!/donation/checkout

Save the Date!

All Church Council

Friday, October 4th

Parish Hall

6-8pm

Inviting committee leadership to attend to exchange info on committee activities and to provide input on FP plans for the coming year.

EXPLORING AGING TOGETHER

Introductory Meeting: Wed., Oct. 9, 11 – 1 (Bring a bag lunch.)

Location: Chase Parlor (adjacent to the kitchen)
Co- facilitators for this meeting will be Rev. Lisa and Penny Partridge.

What can we learn from each other as we age? We all have stories within us of facing the unknown and navigating changes, of adjusting to loss and appreciating what’s before us. We are forming a discussion group for people sixty and older. Timing and frequency will be up to the group. Topics will come from interests of the members, with help from relevant curricula and books. Please contact the office at office@fpmilton.org if you are interested.

The Autumn Equinox is a magical time when nature’s color pallet changes to autumn hues of the warming colors of summer’s end.  It is a time when days and nights are of equal length and time for you to bring your life back into balance too.  It is a time of gratitude, turning inward, and seeking out what has been hidden as we prepare for the shorter days to follow.

Join the Great Blue Hills Chapter of CUUPS on Saturday, September 21^st at 3 pm at First Parish Church Milton, as we commune with the cyclical nature of time, and prepare ourselves to embrace the mystery of the darkening year.

Our ritual will include the traditional Water ceremony, so please bring with you a small vessel of water that holds positive energy, a happy memory of your summer that just passed.  It doesn’t have to be from that particular place, but bestow upon it that energy and bring the story behind it with you. 

As always, our celebration will conclude with a feast from our gardens, fields and vines so please bring a dish and drink to share!

“To Return is To Become”

Blessed Be

Courageous Conversations Towards Racial Justice

Changing the Race Dance:

 A day of story-telling and creative engagement

Led by artist, activist and musician, Soyinka Rahim

When: Saturday, October 5th, 10 am – 3 pm

Morning Session: 10am-Noon; then a lunch provided,

and related session: 1-3pm.

Where: First Parish Milton

October Service Project: Blessing Bags

When:  Monday, October 14th, 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Where: First Parish Milton

Courageous Conversations seeks volunteers to help assemble Blessing Bags for people who are experiencing homelessness. Blessing Bags are filled with hygiene items, travel snacks, winter clothing, and more.

Yoga!

Mondays, 7:30pm-8:30pm

Parish Hall

Pay at the door

Slow flow vinyasa class that uses poses, breathing, meditation and focus to introduce ease. Modifications given for all levels.

Questions? Contact Office@fpmilton.org

Claiming Our Spiritual Leadership

Saturday, November 2, 2019

9:00am-3:00pm

Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester

90 Holden St

Worcester, MA 01606

For more information click here

Contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org if you would like to attend

UU Retreat for Women

Womensphere, a Unitarian – Universalist women’s group in south-eastern New England, invites ALL women to the 2019 Fall Retreat “Circle of Women – Circle of Friends” at Senexet House in Woodstock, CT, on Saturday Sept. 28th – Sunday, Sept. 29th. Come, explore ritual in our lives and honor Gaia and our world. Join singing, dancing, crafts, games, meditation, and sharing. 

For more details, email bcdwomensphere@gmail.com

Milton Change Makers Fundraiser

Protest and Change Through Music , Story, Song

Food-Drink-Raffle-Entertainent

Thursday, October 3, 2019 

7-10pm

Milton Arts Center

334 Edge Hill Rd, Milton, MA 02186

Suggested donation $20

More info: email kdghoran@gmail.com