June 2022 Newsletter
Our Vision:
We aspire to be a beacon of
liberal religion, strong community,
and transformative service,
rooted in Love.
Liberal Religion

Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

The service is also streamed each Sunday on the First Parish Facebook page. You do not need a Facebook account to watch it.
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Sunday June 5 We Blaze
This Pentecost Sunday we remember the story of Pentecost and the way the Spirit still burns within each of us and this community. Pamela is preaching. It is traditional to wear flame colors - red, orange, yellow - on Pentecost Sunday. And if you have red, orange, or yellow candle holders of any size which you would be willing to lend for the service, please let Pam know (or just bring them with the appropriate candle) on Sunday morning.
Sunday June 12   We Are the Rainbow
In our annual Pride Sunday celebration, we will bring together art, music, poetry, and parades to bless us in all our beautiful diversity and to remember the welcome which still needs to be offered. Carey, Kate, Ellen, Annie, and Susan will join Pamela and Elizabeth in leading this service for children, youth, and adults.
Sunday June 19 Slavery in Scituate
On Juneteenth, Richard, Jen, and Miles will join Pamela in reflecting on the legacy of slavery in our community.
Sunday 26 UUA General Assembly Worship
Our UUA General Assembly culminates today in the biggest UU worship service of each year. Because GA is in Portland, Oregon, this year, the service will be broadcast at 12:30 ET. So rather than gather in person to watch it at the church, we’ll set up a Zoom meeting to stream the service and watch it together. Learn more about the service and its leaders.
Summer Services 2022
In July and August, we offer informal worship each Sunday at 9 a.m. Our theme this year is “Spiritual Practice.” If you have a practice of yoga, t’ai chi, play, meditation, walking meditation, prayer, food, being in nature, or other practice which helps you ground yourself and would be willing to lead it on a Sunday morning.
From the Minister
During the RE Sunday celebration on May 22, Carey spoke about what participating in the program meant to her as a teacher and as a member of First Parish. I thought her words were so important, that this month I’m using this column to share them with you:

Carey said:
As I sat down to write the message I wanted to share about my experience in RE, I recalled the book, All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten. I believe the same could be said about RE – All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in RE! I have so many stories, lessons, and moments I could share but coming off of an election season, I have learned the value of making being clear and brief, so I offer the following three lessons from my time with our RE community.

  • Adaptability – Our RE group rolled with whatever we had in the moment. This might be the cold weather, the wind, a need for another leader, whatever came up with created workarounds. For our holiday pageant, yours truly was late to the service because I mixed up the time, so our group did some switching of animal ears, assigned others the appropriate outfits, and Cara even jumped in as one of our cats!

  • Love – even in the most challenging times or hard conversations we found joy and love. It might mean that we were appreciating a connection, finding gratitude in our shared time, finding clarity around a moment during a discussion, or experiencing the human and laughter in sharing a story.

  • Civility – we spent some time talking about our UU covenant and what it means to us as a community. The kids then helped the RE leaders create a covenant for how they/we would be together during class. Fish did a wonderful job helping the kids create this covenant as he added wonderful visuals and images. We read this covenant, together, each week as a reminder of our agreement. At one of our Sundays when the kids were playing in the playground, a few kids noticed and shared that there was some rough play and actions that, perhaps, did not align with our covenant. They asked if we could create some ground rules for our playground and we did.

All the lessons we learned over this year and the previous pandemic years are important but, for me, this last one stood out. It was a reminder that our covenant has meaning in the words we share together each week. And it is also a model for how we should BE together wherever we go. It reminded me that it is important to be intentional and clear about ground rules and expectations. In coaching, for example, we call this idea designing relationships where, before a conversation, we work together to identify what we need for our session today, what will support our work together. Setting these ground rules is a powerful and important way to show up authentic, inclusive, and kind.

Thank you to all our young people, RE leaders, and Eileen for your tremendous work and energy this year. I was grateful to be a part of it.

I look forward to continuing to live out our covenant together in the coming year.

See you in church,

Pamela
May 2022 Notes from the Music Director



Thank you to Damian for reading the poem for Primavera. Thank you to Christina who lead the music beautifully in my absence May 15th.

There are 3 choir rehearsals in June. The choir will be on hiatus for July and August.

Our choral anthems for the month of June: 

June 5th- Turn the World Around by Harry Belafonte.

June 12th- On the Strand arranged by Jay Althouse.

June 19th- In All of My Life by Scott Kearns.

I look forward to leading a summer service where we’ll sing some of our favorite hymns, and learn some new ones!
Here is a favorite for the summer campers :

Make new friends but keep the old.
One is silver and the other gold!

Musically Yours,
Beth
From the Religious Education Coordinator




Hi there,

Another RE year is over in a blink of an eye and it's time for me to dedicate my time to new ventures. As I reflect back on my 3 years as RE Coordinator, I'm in awe of this wonderful community of children and adults who hold each other up spiritually, champion all human, animal and earthly rights, and embrace change with open hearts and minds. I'm amazed at how you come together to discuss and support issues around justice, are in constant search of new ways to expand your faith, and always there to offer service to others in need.  

I'm overwhelmed by your kinds words of support over the past 3 years and want to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be part of your loving community and allowing me to get to know your children. I also want to thank all the teachers who dedicated their time to the RE program. The RE program's continued success is not only the UU based curriculum but most importantly the commitment of the teachers investing in the future of the children who are learning the values of being a UU. I wish you all continued success in your RE endeavors and hope the program continues to grow.

Be Safe!

Eileen
Religious Education Coordinator,
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Scituate MA
Adult Faith Exploration this Summer
Would you like to go deeper this summer in exploring who you are and what you value? Would you like to get to know other members of the congregation in a different way? Consider signing up for the Spiritual Autobiography program or participating in a small group using Brene Brown’s work to look at their lives. If you participated in either of these programs before, you are welcome to do so again. Indicate interest and learn more.
Strong Community
Take a Coffee Break
Join Pamela in the Old Sloop Room on the 2nd Wednesday of the month for coffee and conversation between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. Coffee and tea will be provided, you bring the topic. Children are welcome. So are handcrafts if you like to keep your hands busy while you talk. The third one will be Wednesday June 8.
RE Family Get Together - Friday June 10, 2022
After another year of ups and downs, we all deserve a night to celebrate our RE families and our First Parish community. Please join us Friday, June 10 from 5-7pm for an RE Family Get Together. We'll have food, drinks and plenty of fun for the kids.

We also want to take the opportunity to get your feedback on the past year and start planning for the next one. This event is open to new families who may have an interest in learning more about our program. This is a great opportunity to invite friends who are searching for an active church with a vibrant RE program.

Let us know how many adults and children will be attending.
 
Becky and Cara
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Scituate MA
...Transformative Service
Social Justice News

Social Justice Team Meeting Schedule Change for the Summer
The Social Justice Team is changing their meeting schedule for the months of June, July, and August. We will be meeting once a month, on the third Tuesday, from 7-8:30 pm. The next meeting is June 21. 

Please join us as we begin to turn our attention towards ways in which we, individually and collectively, can enact the first and fifth UU principles (the inherent worth and dignity of every person; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large) by starting to explore the organization UU The Vote at our next meeting. If you are interested in learning what we can do to promote values-based conversations about the issues, join us this summer.

If you have other interests in the area of Social Justice and would like to get support from us on how to get started, please speak to someone on the committee or let us know in advance of one of our meetings so we can add you to the agenda. Contact the Chair, Ellen.

Social Justice Team invites you to the Mashpee Powwow (July 1-3)
The Social Justice team encourages you to attend the 101st annual Wampanoag powwow (pawâw) on the tribal reservation in Mashpee MA — visitors are welcome! It's a three-day event over the holiday weekend, so we're not arranging a church group, but church families and friends might enjoy making their own arrangements together. The theme for this year is “Honoring the Four Directions.” The 3-day gathering features drumming and dancing, vendors, contests, food, and special events. Check the church website for resources about powows, dance, and visitor etiquette.

July 1, 2, & 3 (Fri - Sun) at the Mashpee Wampanoag Pawâw Grounds (next to the Community and Government Center), 483 Great Neck Road South, Mashpee MA. Gates open at 10 am; Grand Entry starts at 1 pm daily. Admission: $10 Adults / $5 Children (free for kids under 5). No drugs, alcohol, or dogs allowed.

-Social Justice Team
Community Building Work Day
Sponsored by The Herring Pond Tribal Council

For those looking to build relationship with a local Indigenous Tribe, the June 11 Work Day below is a chance to support a cause important to the Herring Pond Wampanoag tribe in Plymouth. If you are interested in hearing more or attending the event, please contact Social Justice Chair Ellen.

-Social Justice Team
Scituate Pride Activities
In addition to our Pride service on June 12, the Scituate Pride organization is offering town-wide events. 

See the full list of events at the town website.

On Saturday June 25, there will be a walk and speeches beginning at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.