What's Happening
at First Parish -
Our Weekly Newsletter

May 15 - May 25, 2019


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

We aspire to be a Beacon of…..
 … Liberal Religion
Sunday May 19  Our Beloved Community 
On this Sunday of our Annual Meeting, we will celebrate our life together at First Parish, welcoming new members; recognizing those who have worked to strengthen our community this past year; dedicating a baby; and sharing flower communion. Flower communion is a Czech Unitarian ritual in which each person brings a flower in symbol of the gifts each offers to the community and then each receives a flower brought by someone else, symbolizing what we receive here. This is a multi-generational service; please bring a flower , leaf, or other natural object for each member of your family.

The choir will sing Sow Mercy.

Summer Services
In July and August worship services move to 9 a.m. and a simpler format. Usually a member of the congregation offers a reflection on the theme, which this year is "To the Stars." If you are interested in offering a starry reflection one Sunday, please speak with Lin H-S, chair of the Religious Services Committee, or Pamela Barz.
Sign up to greet: 

Sign up to host coffee hour:
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From the RE Director

I am really excited this week to work with the children during Annual Meeting and our “multi-gen” service. It has been suggested that we have an activity outside and what we came up with is an archaeological dig in the playground.
  

The dig works well with our RE theme of studying the Bible this year. Biblical themed dig sites have been a backbone activity for religious study for centuries. We will be using a grid system to learn about what and how we search an area. One of my favorite professors in seminary realized, after “digging” in the Middle East, that the English had taken most of the artifacts a hundred years ago. She received a grant to search the back rooms of museums in London. She made a few major discoveries because the early explorers took everything that looked valuable and placing them in storage without realizing what they had found!

I recently attended an UU DRE cluster about using the outdoors as a setting for some of our Sunday morning classes. The annual meeting has given me that opportunity to bring our learning outdoors this week. The weather looks good and I had found a few “artifacts” that can be rediscovered. I like the idea of learning about the Bible being incorporated with the outdoors, co-operation with classmates doing fun digging and learning a new activity.

Bill Ketchum, Director of Religious Education
Next Community Book Discussion -
"Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Our discussion on Fish in a Tree , will be held on Tuesday, May 21 st , from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm in the Book Club Room at the Scituate Town Library. The community discussions continue their focus on books in the Scituate school curriculum. The discussion will be led by John Scopelleti, chair of the English Department at Scituate High School.
... Strong Community
SPRING FAIR – THIS Saturday, May 18, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
The Spring Fair is THIS Saturday May 18! Dare I mention it? This morning’s forecast for Saturday is sunny.

We need:
  • A strong pair of lungs to blow up balloons to decorate out front.
  • Bakers – the more you all bring, the more we can sell. There’s never too much.
  • Coffee cake, muffins, squares, brownies, tarts, cookies etc.
  • Perennials from your yard. Whatever you want to thin out and share.

It’s too late to sign up – just do your thing, bring it and buy what someone else brought! And Enjoy!

-Alma M.
... and Transformative Service
Restorative Circles Workshop, May 31-June 2
Restorative Circles offer a different model for dealing with conflicts major and minor in families, communities, churches, and other organizations. Members of the community, trained in listening and creating space for others to listen and be heard, lead the process. Over the weekend of May 31-June 2, trainers from the UU Society of Norwich, VT, will be offering a training for facilitators at the Inly School in Scituate. The cost is $100 for the weekend, but communities of faith can pay $500 and send 6-8 people. If you would like more information or would like to participate, please contact Louellyn Lambrose, [email protected] , who has brought the training to Scituate after going through it herself in Vermont. Restorative Circles are used in school, church communities, intentional communities, cities and towns across the US. The process was begun in the barrios of Brazil, “Where the police wouldn’t go” to help resolve conflict amongst families so they could live more peaceably with one another. 
Communities who use this process have reduced the level of intensity of conflict. Facilitator Sarah-Elizabeth Anderson writes about the difference this training has made in her church: "Our Unitarian Universalist community often finds people using their reflective listening skills to co-create understanding before conflict accelerates. Committees, including the governing board, practice reflective listening during their meetings to create understanding, especially when there are differing ideas on solutions. This has assisted the decision making process, allowing for everyone's ideas to be heard and taken into account the feelings and needs of everyone attending the meeting."

Hosts Needed for Restorative Circles Workshop Participants
People will be coming from as far as Burlington, VT, for the Restorative Circles workshop and a few of them are looking for housing. If you would be willing to host another UU from out of state for the nights of May 31 and June 1, please let Stephanie Stewart ( [email protected] ) know.
Calendar for May 15 - 26

Wed. 15th
10:30 am Fididdlers

Sat. 18th
9:00 am Spring Fair

Sun. 19th
9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship and Annual Meeting

Tues. 21st
6:30 pm Community Book Discussion

Wed. 22nd
10:30 am Fididdlers

Sun. 26th
9:00 am Choir Practice
10:30 am Worship
5:00 pm Youth Group - Scituate
Save the Date

June 2
Kite flying  

June 16
RE Sunday

June 29
Pam's Thank-You Party
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.