Our Vision:
We aspire to be a beacon of
liberal religion, strong community,
and transformative service,
rooted in Love.
|
|
|
Please note that Gmail may clip the newsletter - see the bottom and click on
[Message clipped] View entire message
|
|
Sundays October 2 - October 23 Quest: To Live and Love More Fully
As we return from summer travels, whether to the Pegotty or beyond, we will use the metaphor of journeys to reflect on our own lives and our life as a church. “Quest” comes from the Latin root meaning “ask, seek.” We are here to ask the big questions, seek and share our responses, travel where our understanding leads us, and then together practice living according to our values. Our covenant lays out this journey every week in different words. Over this series, we will wonder and reflect together on our own and the church’s journeys and what soul-widening adventures we may seek, using stories and music from around the world to help us see ourselves more clearly.
|
|
Sunday October 2 at 10:30 a.m. Quest: Saying “Sorry”
On this Sunday between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Pamela and Elizabeth will lead a service for all ages on the difficulty and importance of acknowledging when we have wronged another and saying, “I’m sorry.” Pam will tell the Hasidic story Gershon’s Monster.
|
|
Sunday October 9 Quest: Our Journey for Justice
Members of our Social Justice Committee will lead the service, talking about their personal journeys and our work as a church, focusing currently on racism. Alma and Carol will share reflections and Carol will tell the story of a young Taino boy’s encounter with Columbus and his men.
|
|
Sunday October 16 Quest: Inherent Worth and Dignity
Respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person is the first principle of our Unitarian Universalist Association and foundational to our theology and practice. This morning we will celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of some of the youngest members of our community as we dedicate Wyatt, daughter of Shadi and Ben. We will also reflect on how we fall short of our quest to honor all people using the Islamic folktale Mullah Nasruddin Feeds His Coat. Pamela and Elizabeth will lead our worship.
|
|
Sunday October 23 Quest: The Beauty of our Way
Our Quest series ends this Sunday with an African folktale The Lion on the Path inviting us to think about how we will live out our church goal of using the power of creativity to make the world more just. Pamela and Elizabeth will lead this service.
|
|
Sunday October 30 Facing Our Fears
Our annual Halloween service invites us to reflect on what scares us. Children (and adults) are invited to come in costume for a Halloween parade. The Rev. Ms. Kate will join Pamela and Elizabeth to lead this service. A UCC minister who now serves as the Presidential Communications Officer at Northeastern University, Kate is a long-time friend of Pam’s.
|
|
Looking Ahead to All Souls Sunday, November 6
Each year on the first Sunday in November we remember loved ones who have died since last All Souls Day. If you have lost loved ones this past year, please send their names to Pamela for this service. And if you’d like to participate as a reader, please let Pam know.
|
|
From the Minister
Often when people meet with me they apologize for taking up my time. “This is what I’m here for,” I always say. And I could add, “These conversations are some of what I love most about doing ministry.” So it seems a good time to share these words, adapted from a 1957 newsletter column by the Universalist minister Peter Lee Scott:
When To Call The Minister
- When you have problems you'd like to discuss, concerning your children, your job, your relationship/marriage, or anything else where a sympathetic ear might be of help.
- When you're going into the hospital or know someone else in the congregation who is.
- When someone close to you has died or is critically ill.
- When you're planning to be married, or wish you could be.
- When you're pregnant and are rejoicing, pregnant and wish you weren’t, or are trying to get pregnant.
- When you, or a friend, or neighbor would like more information about Unitarian Universalism.
- When there are community issues you'd like to discuss.
- When you appreciate or are upset about something I've said or done.
- When you'd like to talk about religion with me.
- When you've received bad news.
- When you're feeling overwhelmed.
- When you've had good news and want to share it.
Call, email, text or go to calendly to set up a time to talk.
See you in Church!
Pamela
|
|
Notes from the Music Director
Join us for a choir rehearsal Sunday mornings from 9:00-10:00 a.m. We’d love to have anyone in 7th grade or older join us in song.
Our choir anthems for the month of October:
10/2: Hashiveinu -This traditional Hebrew song is a simple piece with deep complexity. It is a prayer from the book of Lamentations 5:21 “ Restore us to yourself oh Lord, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old”. Hashiveinu calls us to reawaken, to see beyond the darkness, to talk to each other and seek restoration.
10/9: Come, Come Whoever You Are- A song of pilgrimage with poetry by Rumi and new words by Scott Kearns.
10/16: I’m Finding My Way Back to Now from “Heart Songs and Circle Songs” by Heather Pierson and Bernice Martin.
10/23: The Road Home - Composer Stephen Paulus was commissioned to compose a piece based on a folk melody. He fell in love with the tune The Lone Wild Bird from the Southern Harmony Songbook of 1835. He asked Michael Dennis Brown to write new lyrics which describe the universal theme of returning and coming home after being lost or wandering.
10/30: Night Noises by Ruth Elaine Schram is a fun, scary Halloween Song!🎃
See you in Church!
Elizabeth
|
|
Adult RE/Connection
Faith Like a River: Themes from Unitarian Universalist History
Our study of the stories of the people, ideas, and movements that have shaped our Unitarian Universalist tradition continues in October with Against the Flow — Orthodoxy and Heresy on Monday, October 17, and Rising Tides — Reason as a Religious Source Monday, October 24 at 7 p.m. Both sessions will meet in-person in the Parish Hall, but if attending in-person isn’t possible, you may attend on Zoom. Please contact Pam for the Zoom link or with questions. Though there is a flow to this course, each class is stand-alone so you may attend one or more. The class will run on two or three Monday evenings each month Sept-Nov and Jan-April.
|
|
Religious Education for Children and Youth October 2022 |
|
|
Our program for children pre-K through grade 6 is off to a good start with 25 children registered in that age group.
This is the UU year in the three-year cycle of our RE program, and this group is reflecting on what it means to have a moral compass and how one develops that compass using the UUA curriculum Moral Tales with their Sunday School teacher Melissa. Parents and other members of the congregation are needed each week to assist Melissa. No preparation is needed - you just show up on Sunday and offer an extra pair of hands. Please let RE Co-Chairs Cara or Becky know if you’d enjoy working with our children one Sunday.
Coming of Age
Pamela and Doug will begin leading a coming of age program for youth grades 7-11 in November. This group will learn about world religions through discussions and visits to places of worship and use these visits and discussions to reflect on their own beliefs.
Senior High Youth Group Forming
During the pandemic, SciCoRockWell, the joint youth group of the UU churches in Cohasset, Norwell, Rockland, and Scituate, disbanded. The RE Director at the First Parish Norwell has taken the initiative in reconstituting a joint youth group which would meet twice a month for fun activities and service projects.
Scituate youth are welcome to participate. Youth must be registered in the RE program to do so. Speak with Pamela for more information.
|
|
Social Justice News
Help the Social Justice Committee Get Out the Vote on Sundays in October: The Social Justice Committee is working with UU The Vote, a Get Out the Vote organization within the UUA, to write postcards to people who are often affected by voter suppression. This nonpartisan initiative targets people in marginalized communities with information on when and where to vote and the voting methods available in their area. We will not be asking voters to vote for particular candidates or a political party. Postcard writing sessions will occur on Sundays in October (the 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd) immediately after church services. The postcards, colored pens, and a script for what to write will be provided. The Social Justice Committee will take care of mailing the postcards.
Writing colorful postcards to infrequent voters has been shown to increase voter turnout year after year in towns and cities across the country. Some of the voters have no internet connection or phone numbers on file and may receive no other contact regarding voting information than a postcard from you. You can make a difference! Help us reach our goal of sending 250 postcards.
Postage is the biggest cost of this initiative. We will be accepting donations to offset the postage expense and appreciate anything you can contribute either at the postcard writing sessions or outside of that time. Cash, checks made out to the church with a notation of “GOTV postage” or Venmo donations will be accepted. If you have any questions please contact Ellen.
Social Justice Committee Meetings in October:
Monday, October 3
Thursday, October 20
All meetings are online from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. and the Zoom link is the same each time. The agenda will include our progress on UU The Vote postcard writing, among other topics. Please join us for all or part of each meeting. We are always open to discussing social justice projects in which people are interested that we are not currently addressing.
Petition - Support Indigenous Spirituality and Sacred Practice:
A 400-acre sand and gravel mine threatens Juristac, the most sacred grounds of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band just south of the San Francisco Bay Area. It would also block a critical wildlife corridor, and take 86,000 gallons of water a day from a sensitive aquifer. Sign the petition to say NO to an open pit gravel mine at Juristac. They are looking for signatures from people all over the country – the farther away, the better. Show Santa Clara County, California, the world is watching!
Thank you!
Ellen, Social Justice Committee
|
|
Ushers Needed
Are you looking for a way to participate in the church community with a small time commitment but a big reward? Join our Usher Team! You will need to be at church by 10:15 a.m., greet and assist at the sanctuary door, collect the offering, and straighten up the pews after the service. With enough volunteers, you will probably only serve once every two months or so, just 4-5 times during the church year. You can join with a friend, partner, spouse, or high-school-age youth, or we can pair you up with someone! It's a great way to meet people!
Come see us at SIGN-UP SUNDAY October 2 after the service, or email Cathie if you are interested!
Thank you!!
Cathie, Usher Team
|
|
Craft Night for the Snowflake Fair
Calling all holiday elves (aka Fiddidlers 2.0)- no talent required! it’s time to get creative and start making (super easy) crafts for the church’s upcoming annual Snowflake Fair Saturday, December 3, 9-2 p.m. We have scheduled a series of evening craft nights…guaranteed to de-stress, and generate crafting endorphins, and while we’re being creative we’ll be building community. Any church member, middle school age and older are invited to participate. A special shout-out to new church members… please join us! (Senior elves are currently working on daytime/children's craft times to be announced soon!). If you would like
to come and need a ride, call me Eileen and the amazing elves will find you a sleigh ride!
Like all good holiday elves, think snow!
-Eileen - Snowflake Fair Chair
|
|
October Monthly Calendar 2022
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
