Looking for ways to serve? Read about the need for desserts, socks, and sorters of bottles and cans!


The Sloop's Log
 January 2019

Newsletter of the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate


 We aspire to be a beacon
of liberal religion, strong community,
and transformative service.
We aspire to be a Beacon of…..
 … Liberal Religion

Worship in January
All services begin at 10:30 a.m. in the sanctuary.
Children and youth begin in the sanctuary with the adults to share in the opening of worship, and then leave with their teachers for Religious Education. Nursery care is available upstairs for children over
18 months, but children are welcome to remain with parents.

Sunday January 6                Waking to a Another Way          
This Sunday is Epiphany, when tradition celebrates the arrival of the magi at the home of the toddler Jesus and his family. Pamela Barz will reflect on new journeys. This is also the final Sunday in our series “Angels Among Us: Flying in the Face of Fear.” After the service we will be putting away the Advent and Christmas decorations from the sanctuary and Old Sloop Room. Please take home your angel picture and any Christmas Flowers you may have donated.  The choir will sing The Sound of Winter. Julianna Dunn will greet; Cathie McGowan and Vicki Davis will usher; and Alma Morrison and Ray Des Roches will host coffee hour.
 
Sunday January 13                Unitarian Roots                  Judy Campbell, guest preacher
The Rev. Dr. Judith Campbell returns to our pulpit for two Sundays to help us reflect on the roots of our Unitarian Universalist tradition. This Sunday Judy will look at the Unitarian side, considering our history in England and Transylvania, as well as on this side of the Atlantic. Judy Campbell is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and the author of several books and articles. She has published children's stories and poetry, as well as numerous essays on the arts, religion, and spirituality. She holds a PhD in Arts and Religious Studies and a Master of Arts in Fine Arts, and she offers writing workshops and spirituality retreats nationally and internationally. The choir will sing If I’m a Unitarian Universalist. The Parish Committee will host coffee hour. We are in need of greeters.
 
Sunday January 20               Universalist Roots                Judy Campbell, guest preacher
A look at the roots of the Universalist side of our tradition and how those roots nourish us today. The Choir will sing Will Justice Roll Down? .   Carey Borkoski will host coffee hour. We are in need of greeters.
 
Sunday January 27               Happy Birthday, First Parish!
It was on January 18, 1635 that a group of Scituate residents covenanted with the newly arrived minister John Lothropp to form the First Parish Church of Scituate. Today we will celebrate our birthday and our on-going story with cake, the honoring of our membership anniversaries (Nancy W. Crafts – 60 years; David Allen and Gail Anderson – 50 years; Jackie and Richard Leach and Janie Versoy – 45 years; Anne Weaver and Donna Brindley – 40 years; Jane and Mark McGuinness and Rhonda Gorski – 30 years; Ruth Kuhn and Frank Kilduff – 25 years; Maryann Linker, Brian Croke, and Jill Capodanno – 15 years; Judy Wolffer – 10 years; and Pamela Barz, Charles Jones, Billy Timmins, Tracey Timmins, Kim Dickinson, Hal Stokes, Brian Sutton, Patti Sutton, Jen Bokavich, Jenn Mackey, Mark Matthews, Dawn Brindley-Howe, and Spencer Howe – 5 years). The Choir will sing Source of Peace. We are in need of greeters and someone to host coffee hour. We would also like to serve homemade birthday cakes. If you would like to bake a cake, please let Lin Haire-Sargeant, chair of the Religious Services Committee, know (hairesarge@massart.edu)

  Ministries of Hospitality

There are many opportunities for ministry each Sunday as we greet, create space for conversation, and add color to our worship. Please sign up to serve in the Sloop Room or online at the following:

Sign up to be a Greeter:  http://www.signupgenius.com/greeters
Sign up to host coffee hour:  http://www.signupgenius.com/coffeehour
Religious Services Brainstorming Meeting
There will be a Religious Services brainstorming meeting after church on January 20, to plan Joy Made Visual during joy month, starting January 27, 2019. Please email Lin Haire-Sargeant: hairesarge@massart.edu or call her at 781-545-2510. Or, Just show up!
From the Minister  

Every year’s eve the author Neil Gaiman writes a New Year’s wish. This is his wish from December 31, 2011:

I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.
Because if you are making mistakes,
then you are making new things,
trying new things,
learning, living, pushing yourself,
changing yourself, changing your world.
You're doing things you've never done before,
and more importantly, you're doing something.

As we go into this new year full of uncertainty in our government, in the world, and for some in their personal lives, I invite you to take the risk of trying something new- a new idea, a new action, a new understanding, a new connection - and with it the risk of making a mistake. Only stasis can be without mistake - and in the long run stasis cannot lead to greater life. How can the church help you to discern and try this new thing?

All good wishes for growth and new life in 2019!

See you in Church,   
Pamela

Minister’s Schedule 
Pamela Barz will be having surgery on January 7 and will be on medical leave through January 21. If you would like to talk with a minister while she is out, Stephanie Shute Kelsch, minister of the 2 nd Parish in Hingham, and Lise Adams Sherry, minister of the First Parish in Norwell, will be available.

Religious Education News


    

Our study of the Bible with a set curriculum will take a slight detour early in January to build on the fun we had with our Fierce Angels pageant in December. January 6 th is 3 Kings Day or Epiphany. The Three Kings bring gifts but also deceive King Herod who is afraid of a “King of the Jews” being born in his Roman Territory. The Three Kings don’t tell Herod where Jesus is and an Angel (fierce?) tells Joseph to escape with his family to Egypt. Herod is to start of campaign of terror where he kills male babies trying to prevent a new king from challenging him.
  
Our religious education classes will discuss the story of gifts, camels and travel in the Pre-K to 2 nd grade class. We will use the story “Hurray for Three Kings Day” by Lori Marie Carlson. The older 3-4-5 th grade classes will learn about immigration vocabulary words like: refugee, migrant, border wall, and terms for our immigration policy as it would relate to what would happen if Joseph had to migrate today. The older 6-7 th grade class will also look at immigration and the Bible verse. In addition to border walls and immigration the idea of sanctuary cities and safety for immigrants will be discussed.

Later in the month of January, the movie “Ground Hog Day” with Bill Murray comes on all the TV networks. I want to suggest that you look at this movie with your children or grand-children as a spiritual reflection on life. “Ground Hog Day” can be viewed as a deep theological discussion on what we do with our daily time and especially how change happens in our life. The movie is a fun example of looking at life on many different levels. Bill Murray’s character changes for the better when he realizes the spiritual axiom of Love for his neighbor.

***********

The OWL ( Our Whole Lives) group OWL's next meeting date to be determined.

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SciCohRockWell Youth Group
The next Youth Group meeting is this Sunday January 6, 2019 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Scituate.

Below is the updated list of meetings and events:

Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm youth group meeting - Channing 

Fri Jan 25 - Sun Jan 27, 2019 All day 2-night CON this weekend. SciCohRockWell Hosted at Channing 

Sun Feb 3, 2019 5:00 pm – 7:00pm youth group meeting 

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First Parish OWL Registration 2018-2019!
Please remember to register your youth. Y outh must be registered to participate in the program.
Registration forms for OWL are be available at church on Sundays or online: OWL Registration Form . You may fill them out and either bring them to church, or email them to Stephanie Stewart, our parish administrator, firstparishscituate@verizon.net

First Parish Religious Education Registration 2018-2019!
As we plan for the coming year, it would be very helpful to have children and youth register now. Registration forms are attached to this email RE 2018-2019 . We also rely on parents and other adults to serve as teachers and members of the RE Committee. While you are registering your child(ren), please take a minute also to fill out the "Support our Children's Religious Education Program" Form and indicate how you will contribute this year. In our cooperative program, each family is asked to support the program in some way, whether by teaching, serving on the RE Committee, or coordinating a program or event. The forms will also be available at church on Sunday. Please either drop them off at church, or email them to our parish administrator at firstparishscituate@verizon.net .

Peace, this winter.
Bill Ketchum , Director of Religious Education

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Thank You - Fierce Angels of Scituate
Many thanks to all the angels who made the pageant soar -- first, to our incredible cast of kids for their enthusiasm and bravery, and for embracing both silliness and weighty themes -- it's what RE at First Parish is all about! We were fortunate to be able to include "kids of all ages" this year, from an infant debut to more senior soloists (bravo!), which is such a gift of connection. Of course, as 'angels among us,' you in the congregation were all in the cast!

Second, my thanks to those who encourage the kids, those who help get crafty with props, those who help tie in the pageant with Advent thematically, musically and visually. Often it's spontaneous suggestions or solutions from so many of you that move us from theme to idea, to draft, to that Sunday pageant service: wings, hearts, trumpets, and trains!

Thank you, all! --Kate Glennon

 Notes from Beth Dubuisson, Music Director
 
Happy New Year!


Thank you to all the musical “angels” who contributed their gifts during the advent/Christmas season:
 
Alexis and Wesley Hine and Noah Kermond for ringing bells for our Angels Among Us hymn.
 
Cathy Kang for singing a beautiful solo on December 9th.
 
Howard Mathews and Mark Matthews for bringing their guitars and leading us in Light One Candle to celebrate Hanukah.
 
Donna Cogliano for playing Angels We Have Heard on High on her flute!
 
Vicki Davis, Laura Carson Laciner and Sarah Murdock for singing with me for our service for the longest night.  Caroline Hine and Donna Culley joined me in lovely winter themed music for the service. It was very peaceful.
 
Chris Berkeley who sang with us for the month.
 
Brian Sutton sang with us on December 23rd and the Christmas Eve service. He answered my plea for more singers and then David Sutton sang a solo and joined us in our anthems for Christmas eve with one day to learn the music!  

Alexis Hine sang (tenor!!) in the choir and played bells for the Christmas Eve service. Not only did Caroline Hine play her cello, she played bells and sang soprano in the choir ! My two daughters Jillian and Sophie were happy to sing in the choir and want to sing every year now.

Frank Kilduff and Mark Matthews  played their guitars as we sang a very special  Silent Night for the Christmas Eve service.
 
Anyone in 7th grade or older is always invited to sing with the choir. Please join us Sunday mornings at 9:00 for rehearsal.
 
Our anthems in January 2019 :

January 6th- The Sound of Winter by Jay Althouse
 
January 13th- If I’m a Unitarian Universalist   music by Betsy S. Roman
 
January 20th- Will Justice Roll Down? by Jason Shelton
 
January 27th-  Source of Peace  by Scott Kearns
Small Group Gatherings in January: "Do Not Be Afraid:"
We are beginning two 5-week small group gatherings in January using the work of Brene Brown, professor at the University of Houston, author of such books as Braving the Wilderness , and The Gifts of Imperfection . Her TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability (https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en)er has become one of the most-viewed talks. 

Our discussion, Do Not Be Afraid: Defeating Fear with Hope, Peace, Love, Joy and a Wholehearted Life will use her work to reflect on how we let fear govern our lives and how we can move out of fear into more hope, peace, love, and joy. One group will meet on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. beginning 1/7 and be facilitated by Jenn Mackey ( jenn_mackey@comcast.net ); the second will meet on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. beginning 1/10 and be facilitated by Mary Beaulieu ( Mary_Beaulieu@hks.harvard.edu ). There is room for two more participants on Monday nights and one more participant on Thursday nights. If you would like to participate, please email the facilitator of the group you are interested before the first meeting
Monday Night Meditation
Would you like to incorporate meditation into your spiritual practice? Would you like to learn how to meditate? Would you like to add the energy of others to your already existing practice? You are invited to come to First Parish’s bi-monthly meditation sessions on the 2 nd and 4 th Monday nights from 7 -8:30 p.m . January's dates are Mondays 1/14 and 1/28. All are welcome.  Email Brian or Patty Sutton with any questions at brsutton@hotmail.com or pattysutton@gmail.com .
Community Book Discussion: “So Far from the Bamboo Grove” by Yoko Kawashima Watkins
The Community Book Discussion on Issues of Diversity continues looking at books included in the Gates and Scituate High School curriculum. The next discussion will be on Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 6:30pm - 8:00pm in the Community Room on the lower level of the Scituate Town Library. It will focus on So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins and how the book does (or does not) help create a sense of empathy towards folks who are traditionally under-represented in the books read by Scituate students.   John Scopelleti, chair of the English Department at SHS and Gates, will lead the conversation. Middle and high school students are welcome to attend.
"Frankenstein" Discussion Wednesday January 30 at 7 p.m.
(note change of date)
What does Mary Shelley’s novel have to say to us today? On Sunday October 25 as part of the 200 th anniversary celebration of the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Pamela Barz preached on the novel (you can read her sermon here:  http://firstparishscituate.org/blog/2018/10/28/frankenstein-the-monster-and-us-october-28-2018). Several people were interested in reading and discussing the book- so get a copy and come talk about it! Please email Pam if you plan to attend.
... Strong Community
Around the Parish
All good wishes to Katie Jacobsen and Lizzie Goldsmith who were married on December 24 in Stockbridge, MA. Their new family name is “Golden”.
 
Thank UU’s to : The Sullivan family for designing and making our angel wings and to them and Jenn Mackey and Mark Matthews for photographing the angels among us… to the Men’s Ministry for helping a local resident with a move on December 30…. To Marche Kellerhals for organizing our Christmas Flowers and to Meryl Pinette for arranging them in the sanctuary. (Meryl has started her own floral arrangements business!)… To Kate Glennon and all the angel actors and assistants for another funny and moving pageant… to all who donated to our Christmas Eve collection for Housing Solutions of the South Shore. We raised $771… to Rodney Hine for his meditation on Joy on December 23 and to Brian Sutton, Lin Haire-Sargeant, Donna Cogliano, Cathy Kang, and Elizabeth Dubuisson for sharing their stories of experiences with angels on December 9.
Synergy Sunday, January 13, 2019 -11:50 am - 1:00 pm in the Old Sloop Room
Please join us after church on January 13 and help us to Create Strong Community! The Parish Committee will be hosting Coffee Hour and facilitating our first ever Synergy Sunday. The goal of the Synergy Sunday meeting (which we hope to hold three times a year) is to gather members and friends together to discuss the work of the church in order to identify opportunities for collaboration, partnerships, and synergies that will enhance our programs and ministries. We specifically encourage each committee, organization, and team of the church to send a representative to share information about their group’s activities, accomplishments, goals, and challenges. Anyone who is currently involved in or is interested in becoming involved in the work of the church is welcome to attend. Please feel free to join us for coffee hour and either stay for the discussion or slip away when you need to. We will have enough food to sustain you, and childcare will be provided.
Meal Help
Like to cook? Want to help the Barz/Jones clan by preparing some meals? Follow this link to sign up to help: https://www.TakeThemAMeal.com/HVUD7384
Any questions, please call me at 781-545-2382

Thank you!
Julianna Dunn, Co-Chair Caring Committee
Bottles & Cans Collection in January 
One of our major fundraisers each year is sorting bottles and cans at the Scituate Transfer Station. This year we have the month of January.  We need volunteers to sort and bag at the station, others to transport to the Cohasset redemption center, and one person each week to coordinate them. Please sign-up for a shift on the sign-up genius at Bottles and Cans for January 2018
Happy Birthday in January!
Devon Smith                          
Gail Anderson                       
Janie Culbert                          
Jan 27
Jan 28
Jan 28      
... and Transformative Service
Men’s Ministry
The Men’s Ministry of First Parish gathers monthly, usually on the first Saturday of the month, for breakfast and a service project in the community. They don’t currently have a project for Saturday January 5, so they will just meet at 8:00am for breakfast at the home of Alan Donaldson, 64 Satuit Trail in Scituate. All men and boys are welcome. Please contact Chuck Jones ( Charles_a_Jones@yahoo.com) with questions or ideas for future projects.
The Blue Boat Coffeehouse - Save the Date
On Saturday, January 12, 2019, from 6:00-9:00 pm, the Blue Boat Coffeehouse is back, so mark your calendars with the date!

Unity Club - Desserts for Senior Luncheon

Unity Club is proud to volunteer desserts for the senior luncheon for the month of January. Sixty servings are the suggested amount, so each volunteer can make approximately thirty servings.
 

Desserts are to be dropped off at the Trinitarian Congregational Church on or before 10:30 a.m. on the following dates:

January 3: Roxanne Greim and Eileen Donaldson

January 10: Jean Shildneck and Julianna Dunn
 
January 17: Laura Smith and Need another volunteer
 
January 24: Need 2 volunteers
 
January 31: Need 2 volunteers
  
Your efforts are greatly appreciated. Please call Roxanne Greim at 781-545-3541, if you can provide a dessert for one of the open dates.

Thank you for your help.
 -Roxanne Greim, Unity Club
Last Week to Deck the Tree with Socks for the Homeless
The winter months are the most difficult time of year for the homeless. We are collecting socks this month to help warm some of the most vulnerable among us.

Please bring new socks (still in their packages) for men, women, or children to church and place them in the baskets on the Christmas tree. The socks will be distributed through Haley House, Rosie’s Place, and Cradles to Crayons in January. 
January Calendar
Thurs. 3rd 7:15 pm Committee on Ministry

Sat. 5th 8:00 am Men's Ministry

Sun. 6th 9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE
5:00 pm Youth Group - Scituate

Mon. 7th 7:00 pm Brene Brown Group One

Tues. 8th 9:30 am Publicity Committee

Thurs. 10th 7:00 pm Brene Brown Group Two

Sat. 12th 6:00 pm Blue Boat Coffeehouse

Sun 13th 9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE
11:50 am Synergy Sunday

Mon. 14th 7:00 pm Meditation
7:00 pm Brene Brown Group One

Tues. 15th 6:30 pm Community Book
Discussion
Wed. 16th 10:30 am Fididdlers

Thurs. 17th 7:00 pm Brene Brown Group Two

Fri. 18th 7:00 pm Celildhe
Sun. 20th 9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE
11:45 am Religious Services
Committee mtg

Mon. 21st 7:00 pm Parish Committee
7:00 pm Brene Brown Group One

Wed. 23rd 10:30 am Fididdlers

Thurs. 24th 7:00 pm Brene Brown Group Two

Sun. 27th 9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and RE
Mon. 28th 7:00 pm Meditation
7:00 pm Brene Brown Group One

Wed. 30th 10:30 am Fididdlers
7:00 pm Frankenstein discussion

Thurs. 31st 7:00 pm Brene Brown Group Two
 
 
Our Mission
Liberal Faith: We commit to participate side-by-side across generations  in worship, religious education, social activities, environmental protection,
and social justice work—learning, sharing, and growing together. 

Strong Community : We commit to care for one another, nurture the light that shines within each of us, and support each other’s individual search for truth and meaning.
 
Transformative Service: We commit to pursue diversity, justice, equality, reason, and discourse;
provide inspiration through music, creativity, and the arts;
and work cooperatively to affect positive change in our community and beyond.