“Reverence and respect for human nature is at the core of Unitarian Universalist (UU) faith,” writes The Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker. We believe that all the dimensions of our being carry the potential to do good. We celebrate the gifts of being human: our intelligence and capacity for observation and reason, our senses and ability to appreciate beauty, our creativity, our feelings and emotions. We cherish our bodies as well as our souls. We can use our gifts to offer love, to

work for justice, to heal injury, to create pleasure for ourselves and others.”

Reverence is our worship theme for the month. Here are some questions I’m thinking about as I prep for the month ahead perhaps; they resonate with you:

Erin S. Interim Minister

You are welcome to join in worship in the sanctuary or through the First Parish Facebook page. However, we cannot guarantee that the page will be streaming (it depends on the availability of a volunteer). No Facebook account is needed.

Social Justice News and Denominational Affairs Committee

October Special Collection - Beginning in October, on the first Sunday of the month we will take up one collection during the Offertory for the organization selected by the Social Justice Committee and on the rest of the Sundays of the month, donations will go to the work of the church. People can continue to donate electronically throughout the month for the selected organization or the church via the church website. Donations to the monthly selected organization are made under the One Time Gifts option and the specific organization name can be noted.

In recognition of Mental Illness Awareness Month, the organization selected for October is the Plymouth County Suicide Prevention Coalition, whose mission “is to promote suicide prevention, intervention and awareness in our communities, schools and throughout our county.” Since their founding in 2014, they have trained Plymouth and Norfolk County residents, teachers, first responders, corrections officers, and others in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer), Mental Health First Aid for Youth and Adults, safeTalk, (trains people to identify and respond to the calls for help often communicated by people in advance of a suicide attempt), ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention and Skills Training), and more. They teach you the skills you need to help someone in distress or in crisis.

1. Write the committee and submit written testimony in support! There are two options. Take 10 minutes to write a personal email testimony to the committee. Template.

OR Take 2 minutes to send email testimony to the committee. You can use the language that is provided, or modify it if you wish.

2. Save the date of October 3, 2023, and RSVP to come to the hearing in person and help pack the room. Wear purple to show your support! Share our Facebook event to spread the word.

This is one of 5 bills supported by MA Indigenous Legislative Agenda. Find information on all the bills on their website maindigenousagenda.org regarding email campaigns and other simple actions you can take. In 2021 a bill seeking to redesign the state seal and motto passed and MA residents are being asked to take a 5-minute survey to provide their opinions on how they will be changed. The current seal and motto depict a hand holding a colonial-era sword over the head of an Indigenous man, surrounded by a motto in Latin that means “she seeks by the sword a quiet peace under liberty,” seen as a symbol of violence against the Original peoples of this land and a veneration of settler colonialism.

The Scituate Food Pantry needs the following items :

Clam Chowder

Canned Ham (Walgreens 2/$10)

All canned fish (except tuna )

Sloppy Joe's

White Beans

Decaf (instant and ground)

Baked Beans

Mac and Cheese

Rice Pilaf

Cold Healthy Cereal (< 5 gm sugar)

The "Can Can" team at Grandma's Cupboard Thanks You All for Your Jars!

There has been a steady stream of clean used empty jelly and pickle jars in the return hamper in the church's outer hall. Each jar is worth more than a dollar to us as we fill them for the Snowflake Fair on December 2. This really is a help in keeping costs of production down.

We have more than 200 delicious offerings and hope to make at least 50 more.

You just keep finding and returning those jars and we'll keep filling them! Thank you so much from Grandma!

Snowflake Fair, Saturday December 2, 9:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m.

GRATITUDE comes in all forms and the elves are finding it everywhere they look. For example, the “Lickety Split Sugary Goodness” department of elves are frothing with excitement over the news that the Toffee/Fudge team of Laura H. is back on board and researching bubbly delicious confections to serve up this year.

And, the “You Can Never Have Enough Jeans” elves are denim blue with gratitude and want to thank Nancy M. and Laura C. for donating jeans to be transformed into designer treasurers. The “Elf Supply Shelf” team is hoping that helping hands will step up and support the elves with necessary supplies for this year’s fair. The next time you order from Amazon, please consider adding one

of the following items to your order:

-Item # FDAGB4A Clear Bags 14.99

-RANI Cinnamon Sticks, 14 oz. 18.99

-Item # B09P1GFQG4 100 Yards red satin ribbon 7.99

-Item # BOBGNRRL1V 100 yards Christmas green satin ribbon 7.99

-Item # B08THD84F8 Candy boxes with clear tops, 30-white 14.45

And the “Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle” elf team will always take the following items:

-wine corks

-worn and clean blue jeans

-worn and clean flannel shirts- all sizes, even children’s

-clear glass vases (for bulbs)

-clean OUI yogurt glass cups

-broken or costume jewelry to use as craft project adornments

-display items

-5 x 7“picture frames

-tea cups and saucers

Thank you, Merci Beaucoup, Muchas Gracias! And…Now that it’s fall and the weather has turned brisk, think SNOW!