Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- This Week in Worship
- Briefly with Bev
- Religious Exploration
- Music
- News & Announcements
- Events
- Social & Environmental Justice
- Beyond First Parish
Sunday Service October 15th
“We The People” – Democracy at First Parish
Worship Associate: Worship Committee
Greeter: Jennifer Grant
Social Hour: Michael Grant, Steve Yakutis and Guy Pugh
Audio: Jeremiah Sitkoff
This week’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.
Briefly With Bev
Beannacht / Blessing
The Blessing of the Animals service on Sunday was both meaningful and a lot of fun for me. I hope those of you in attendance felt the same way. And it got me to thinking further about blessings. Here is one of my favorites from an extraordinary Irish poet, author and priest, John O’Donohoe. Its title is Beannacht/Blessing and it is dedicated to his mother, Josie.
On the day when the weight deadens
on your shoulders and you stumble,
may the clay dance to balance you.
And when your eyes freeze behind
the grey window and the ghost of loss gets into you,
may a flock of colors, indigo, red, green and azure blue,
come to awaken in you a meadow of delight.
When the canvas frays in the currach of thought
and a stain of ocean blackens beneath you,
may there come across the waters a path of yellow moonlight
to bring you safely home.
May the nourishment of the earth be yours,
may the clarity of light be yours,
may the fluency of the ocean be yours,
may the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow wind work these words
of love around you, an invisible cloak to mind your life.
With Love and Peace,
Rev. Bev
Religious Exploration
Click here to shop items to be delivered directly to church.
Registration is open for a fundraising event hosted by RE and led by new member Gretjen Helene called Pysanky as Talismans: the Art of Gift Giving which will be 1-4pm Nov 29th Sunday in Parish Hall.
Using the traditional Ukrainian Pysanky wax-resist process, as well as the deeply rooted symbolic meanings written on the eggs, we will create gifts of abundance and beauty for your loved ones. Come with nothing and leave with colors, aromas, kits to continue creating thereafter, and gifts to give to your family and friends in the holiday season. The wax-resist dying process starts with placing wax where you would like to retain the base color. Then a subsequent color is dyed and wax is then placed upon this color to retain it. Each layer or color + wax then retains all the colors together upon the surface and in the final magical moment the wax is removed to reveal all the colors.
We will venture deep within traditional symbolic meanings so that students can write/create an eggs that embody talisman wishes for recipients. We will also talk about techniques for varied color affects and combinations. Students will take home the Talisman egg creations they made in class, as well as their Pysanky beginner’s kit so they can continue creating more gifts at home!
Since we will be using candles and hot wax, this event is designed for ages 12+ This course is being offered as a fundraiser! This will cover the cost of the course, the materials and donation in support of First Parish Milton andSunflower of Peace. MINIMUM DONATION $145.
Gretjen Helene (mixed media/photography) is donating her time and expertise to lead this event. She is a professional photographer and fine art/sculptural photographer who works with traditional alternative photographic processes as well as in a documentary style.
We’d love to bring everyone to Muse Paint Bar in Dedham on Nov. 1 from 3-5pm, but we need to have at least 10 folks before we reserve the space! Wanna go?
Want more ? Find all things Kids and Youth on the RE Linktree. For more information on any of the above contact Susannah at redirector@fpmilton.org or call 470-223-0337
Music
This Sunday we welcome our regular guest music leader Yukiko Oba, who will provide service music, including the prelude and postlude.
MILTON COMMUNITY CONCERTS
During the SING FOR THEIR SUPPER concert on October 3rd, a total of $1102.43 was donated to support the Milton Community Food Pantry and Milton Residents Fund. It’s not too late if you’d like to add to that total by sending a check or by using Venmo. Thank you to all who attended and gave so generously.
News & Announcements
Please join us for the All Church Council on Friday, October 23rd at 6:00 pm in the Parish Hall. We request that at least one representative from each committee attend, but all church members and friends are welcome! In addition to learning about committee priorities for this church year, we will have a facilitated exercise by Rev Bev, and an introduction to the Breeze app by Jen Pinkus and Lisa White. The meeting will last from 6-8 p.m.
We will have a light supper of pizza and salad. Please join the fun.
PLEASE RSVP by Monday, October 19th so that we can plan for the food. RSVPs can be sent to Susan at manager@fpmilton.org. If you need childcare, please let us know. We have sitters lined up in case we need them.
Any questions about the meeting? Please contact Nancy Devine at Ndevine11@gmail.com
Events
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE Annual Potluck Harvest Supper
November 7th 6:00pm-9:00pm
Join us at this beloved tradition with wonderful food, conversation, and community.
More information to follow !
Social & Environmental Justice
Wednesday, October 21st is the start date
As in the past, First Parish will be making and delivering lunches to MainSpring (Fr. Bill’s Brockton site) at two locations in Brockton. We have been asked to provide 70 lunches on the third Wednesday of each month. The drop-off location will remain at the lower parking lot of FP, and will take place between 12:40 and 1:00.
The Social & Environmental Justice committee thanks you for your past efforts and we hope you are able to join us again this year.
Click here to Sign up
Beyond First Parish
Join First Parish Friends to see the musical “Operation Mincemeat” at the Colonial Theatre on October 25th at 6;30 PM. Debbie Alsebai will be leading a group to carpool to the theater and potentially have a Potluck diinner beforehand.
‘Operation Mincemeat” is the true story of the secret mission that won World War II. The show won an Olivier Award and Tony for the Best New Musical. Entertainment Weekly said it was the #1 Broadway Show in 2025!
Email Debbie Alsebai at Alsebai@verizon.net or text tel:(617) 821-9460 with number of seats, seat location and at cost group price you prefer.
Please note there is no elevator to the Dress Circle or Balcony.
- Orchestra $155, $140 or $118
- Dress Circle $100 or $78 (Senior >65 and Students $80 or $70)
- Balcony $62 and $51 (Senior >65 and Students $62 or $51)
Tickets are limited so get your orders in ASAP
The Message
By Ta-Nehisi Coates
The CCTRJ Book Group will be reading “The Message” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The author takes us on three pilgrimages—to Dakar, Senegal; Columbia, South Carolina; and Palestine—exploring how the stories we
tell can either expose or distort our realities. Please join us for a discussion on untangling ourselves from destructive myths and embracing the
liberating power of truth.
October 6th: 7:00 PM – 8:30PM (Zoom),
Discuss Parts I, II, and III
October 26th: Time and location TBD (in person vs on Zoom)
Discuss Part IV.
Please register Here or email CCTRJbookgroup@gmail.com
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, 10:30 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: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D44ACA728A02-64605820-copy#/
You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.