Saturday, May 07, 2005
May 2005 Newsletter
Captain’s Log
Springtime helps us look. The other day I was out in my garage reattaching a wooden panel that had come loose from the door. I knew that someone had either kicked it off, or it fell off some months ago. But winter sometimes helps us to neglect or forget about those things that require our attention. Perhaps we spend these months trudging around with our heads down, all bundled up in layers of clothes. We can’t see what is around us, as so much energy is used simply getting through the season of cold and illness. Then as soon as the first crocus appears, we are ready to look at all those beautiful flowers, and everything else that is crying out for our attention. Here I am, everything says, please notice me.
Our 375th annual meeting of the First Parish of Watertown is now behind us. The reports from all the committees may be something that is easy to ignore, but I encourage you to look. We are a church that has done amazing things in terms of generosity and care and programs for our community and the larger world at large. This past month I had a bit of a challenge in the wake of being critical of the town’s 375th committee. I felt as though I had done quite a bit of work preparing programs for the 375th that would be great events for the entire town. And yet, despite the fact that they had been informed, the committee seemed to refuse to “look” at what we had planned. My perception was that we had been left out of the initial publicity. After a letter to the editor and an email exchange, the committee wanted to help others notice what we are doing.
It hurts not to be noticed, especially when we have done a lot of work. I worry about this in the context of the church all the time. Some people do yeoman’s work on committees or feel like they are doing coffee hour every other week. Some people make a significant financial commitment to this institution. This year we are printing a list of all the pledgers for the first time to publicly say thank you for supporting this liberal religious community. Spring is a time to notice all those things we have either neglected and left unacknowledged; the broken lock on the shed, the hours of work hidden in the pages of our annual report, the hours of labor we have given to create a wonderful event for many people, the time and generosity of many loyal members.
Spring is a time to be grateful for all those things we failed to look at. Thank you for all those people who put a dollar or two in the collection when nobody was looking, who carried a chair upstairs with the hope that more people would come, who put coffee in the pot or laundered a dirty tablecloth so the Fellowship Committee would not have to do it one more time, who volunteered to be responsible for some event even though your calendar is on overload. In the spring, we say thanks for all those gifts that renew us. And each and every one of you who gave time or money to First Parish renewed this community so it can continue to be here. We may think that no one noticed, but it is important work that you do. You get to be 375 by noticing all the people who got us here, and want us to be around serving people and building community for 375 more.
Mark
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday, May 1, 11 A.M.
"Holding Hands, Walking With the Wind"
Rev. John Hickey, the Executive Director of the UU Urban Ministry
Rev. John E. Hickey is the Senior Minister and Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry. One of the oldest social service agencies in the country, the Urban Ministry has a long tradition of working with the underserved communities in Boston and providing a means for Unitarian Universalists to put into practice their commitment to social justice. Please come to a discussion after church to learn more about Renewal House, youth programs, the Asian food pantry and more.
John graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 2002, and before joining the Urban Ministry served as the Acting Interim Minister of the First Church in Belmont. Prior to entering Divinity School, John enjoyed a 30-year career as a corporate lawyer and business executive. He is a graduate of Columbia University Law School (JD, 1968), and Wesleyan University (BA, 1965). He currently serves as a Trustee of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and on the Boards of the Star Island Corporation and Partakers. He is a former Board member of the Corporate Bar Association, and was a founding director of the Pro Bono Partnership, dedicated to harnessing corporate legal skills for community nonprofit organizations.
Music:The choir is singing with Charlyn Bethell playing the oboe.
Greeters: Barbara Ives and Andrea Karls
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 8, 11 A.M.
“Does God the Mother Trump the Father?”
Mark W. Harris
Time Magazine recently highlighted a renewed religious interest in Mary. The recently deceased Pope was a devotee of Mary. Do we have need for female divines in our lives, too?
Greeters: Christopher Johnson and Ken Repp
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 15, 11 A.M.
“Holding Life Loosely”
Darrick Jackson
Taoism teaches us how to be open to what life brings us. In our fast paced society, is their room to bring some of the Taoist principles in our lives?
Greeters: Will and Sue Twombly
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 22, 11 A.M.
“Delayed Gratitude”
Mark W. Harris
Everyone one of us makes choices that we regret when we make them, but they actually turn out for the best. How often are we happy about those things we didn’t want to happen, but later it turns out we are are glad they did.
Music:Special Presentation by FPW Open Choir!!(see newsletter article below)
Greeters: Judy and Roger Kamm
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 29 11 A.M.
“ Death This Year . . . has taken men’ . . and women”
Mark W. Harris
John Holmes writes, “Death this year has taken men (and women) whose kind we shall not see again . . . On Memorial Day, let’s look at the lives of those who died this past year. How did they touch us or influence our lives?
Greeters: Ken and Jerusha Vogel
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Among Us
Our sympathy to the following members who have suffered losses in recent months:
Jim Felty’s mother died in March at the age of 92
Former member Patricia Clark’s husband Neil died in early April in Arizona, where they had moved after marriage. Patricia’s address is: Patricia Balfour, 13717 West Via Tercero, Sun City West, Arizona 85375.
Marcos Sebastian Portz was dedicated in church on April 24. Welcome and congratulations to Marcos. He is the son of Meredith Montague and John Portz, and brother to Elisa.
R.E.flections by a chalice D.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Earlier this month, the children explored the subject of rules. I titled the exploration, "Rules, Rules ~ Are they necessary tools?" We looked at the 10 commandments as we wondered if we need rules for a peaceful world. While one of the original purposes for religion was to guide human behavior, many people insist that they don't need anyone telling them how to act. But are spoken and unspoken rules necessary for establishing a healthy and safe environment for all?
I used to be optimistic and trust that people would be respectful and considerate without being told to be. But my experience in the real world has taught me that some people will and some won't. I had to accept the reality that not all people will follow the rules I chose to live my life by. The important thing for me to realize was that the reason many people don't follow my rules is because they are following different rules. We each come from different experiences, so we prioritize different rules to live our lives with.
Some people I've met through the years assume that anyone that doesn't follow their rules is either "bad" or "doesn't care enough". But often times it comes down to different expectations or perspectives. I have discovered that open and honest conversation has never hurt any situation. Instead, the communication has helped create increased understanding, mutual awareness, and a respectful environment for all involved.
I've always appreciated those quotes declaring that peace starts within the home. I think that's true. We all learn our first life lessons about fairness, cooperation, and working together from our families. Any parent of a two-year-old can tell you of fascinating and frustrating struggles as their child tries to figure out the rules. Life can feel like a series of temper tantrums as your child assesses what behavior is and isn't acceptable. This process of figuring out the rules doesn't magically end when your child turns 3 or 5 or even 10. It just becomes more sophisticated and abstract as the child grows older. And we adults are still trying to figure some things out.
My experience as a mother has shown me that children need consistent rules to know how to act. We adults do, too! Although we each try to be our best, life is better when we all know what is expected of us. For these reasons, I think we could all benefit from routinely stopping to think about our behavior at church. Whether we call them rules or guidelines, what are reasonable behaviors to expect from one another? Here are some things I would like us to consider.
1. Our sanctuary is a sacred space. While the word "sacred" may hold different definitions for some of us, I'm sure we could all agree that the sanctuary is a very special place. Therefore, we need to treat the space like anything else we consider very special. While no running and no eating seem like obvious guidelines for our sacred space, I would even say that no children's games are appropriate for this room. There are plenty of other spaces in the church to play.
2. Our church is the "home" for our community, so we need to work together to take care of it. All of the supplies, materials, and toys at church also belong to our community and need our care. I have to admit that I'm always a bit sad when I discover our toys or RE supplies left out. Even worse is when I find them destroyed or missing. Because we share this home with one another, we have even more responsibility than we do in our individual homes to always keep it looking nice. While we can leave clean up for another day at our own homes, it is essential to the health of our community that we always leave the things we use at church in the same condition we found them. Unless, of course, you are leaving them better!
3. The church community is our spiritual family. I'm often telling my own children that we need to respect everyone at church. I try to be clear that while we don't have to be friends with everyone, we do need to be friendly and considerate. I think this attitude could greatly influence many interactions in our church community. From how much food we take at social hour to the words that come out of our mouths, we need to consistently think about how our actions are affecting those around us and consider the interests of others.
4. It takes a village to raise a child. It is our responsibility as the adults in our church community to help guide our children. Most significantly, they learn from our example. Do we reach out and help one another? Or do we prioritize our own needs first? Do we take good care of the church? Or do we rush out without noticing how things look? Do we take the time to help someone else's child make a good choice about how to act while at church? Or do we watch inappropriate behavior happening and disregard it as someone else's problem? Yes, parents are primarily responsible for their children and no, they shouldn't be socializing downstairs while their kids are running around upstairs. But we need to jump in and help as needed. Reasonable limits and gentle guidance from adults helps kids know that the people at church care about them.
Many religious liberals seem to fear too many rules. Unitarian Universalists insist that "deeds not creeds" is the basis of our faith. The significance is on our good actions, not our words. And while that ideal is great, we all can certainly use some reminders, suggestions, and inspiration for what those good actions can be. What do you think they should be?
RE Announcements:
Save the date! Youth Sunday will be on Sunday, June 12th and we are thrilled that Cody and Giles will again be leading us in worship. We will join our children as many rites-of-passages are honored and celebrated. This year's rites-of-passages include first chalice for our turning 8-year-olds, coming-of-age, and congratulating our high school graduates. This is always an incredible, not-to-be-missed service for folks of all ages!
Youth Group Advisors Needed
Are you talented, creative, and fun? Are you willing to support our youth (Cody and Giles) as they create the exciting youth group we've always wanted? You could be one of our Youth Group Advisors next year. Best of all, you get paid a small annual stipend of $500 and you get to work with a partner. Interested, please see Roberta for more details.
First Parish Children's Ministry Wish List:
Quilting Supplies (clean, cotton fabric) needed by May 8th
Quality dress-up clothes (nice imagination clothes your child outgrew)
A Midshipman’s Musings
I wrote the following poem after doing a meditation of faith. We all have faith in something. For some of us it is a deity, others humanity. Some have faith in nature, love, or karma. There are many things in which we can have faith. What is the source of your faith?
River of Faith
By Darrick Jackson
Faith
Is the current
That runs through the river of life
We sail down this river
Every day,
Every minute,
Every hour.
We come across many obstacles in our path:
Stones,
Whirlpools of despair,
Logs and debris blocking our way.
But we can’t turn around and go back.
Faith is pushing us onward,
Ever forward
Into our future
With the power of faith behind us,
We can zoom past the stones,
Skirt the edges of the whirlpools,
And it will give us the force to push the debris away.
When we trust to faith,
The path may still not be easy.
But know that there is a way through.
Faith will push us through.
Blessed Be.
Only a Child Program Coming in June
George Ledger is a Unitarian Universalist who spends most of the year in Guatemala. A few years ago he began a program called Only a Child in Guatemala City. This special program offers housing and schooling to homeless street kids whose lives otherwise might well be destroyed. George will be with us before church on June 12 at 9:30, and then will also make a brief presentation during the service. More details next month.
Giving Box
Our Giving Box for May and June will be the UU Urban Ministry’s sponsored Renewal House, a shelter for battered women and their children. The list of needs will be announced and emailed to FPW members and friends. Thanks to all who gave items for the Alliance for the homeless in March and April.
375 Programs Begin in June
Mark your calendars for Sunday night, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. when the British historian Roger Thompson, the author of Divided We Stand: Watertown, Massachusetts 1630-1680, will be here to speak on the “Religious Beliefs of the Early Settlers.” Books will be available for signing.
Concert a Big Success
Thanks so much for all your assistance with our Annual Social Action Benefit. Thanks to all who baked, took tickets, moved chairs, or arranged publicity (special thanks to Paul Dansereau and David Morrison). Jacqueline Scwab was wonderful! It was our biggest success yet with one of these benefits. We sent $1,800 to Aid to Incarcerated Mothers.
Annual Dinner
Special thanks to everyone who played a role in making our annual dinner and talent show a great success. This included Meredith Montague and Andrea Greenwood who helped organize the food, Diane Shepard who organized our talent show, Ken Vogel our MC, and everyone who cooked or performed or helped set up or clean up. The best news is that we have exceeded our canvass goal of 83,000 and are now at $86,000 plus. Congratulations to everybody.
Women and Work
May meeting - Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Elaine McArdle will lead a Memoir Writing Workshop. We will learn how to write about our lives -- we all have stories! -- and get inspiration to do so. Elaine is a freelance writer for the Boston Globe and other publications, and teaches memoir writing workshops at Grub Street, the Boston writing center. This workshop will be in two parts. The second meeting date will be determined at the meeting.For more details email Kathy Warren at kwarren@juno.com , or speak to her in church.
We always welcome newcomers.
Book Group
FPW Book Group -will meet on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m.. The book is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This is the story of Amir, a young man who has to wrestle with many demons from his past, and it all takes place with a back-drop of Afghanistan’s recent history. The meeting in June will be that American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The date is June 21.
Men’s Group
The Men’s Group will meet on Sunday, May 15. The topic will be end of life issues, and the facilitator will be Michael McCarthy. Breakfast will be provided by John Asare. All men are welcome.
Covenant Groups
New First Parish Covenant Groups have been formed. They will meet at the church on Sunday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. and at the home of Ken Repp and Chris Johnson on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. speak to Mark Harris if you would like to join one.
New UU Class
Any newcomers who wish to learn more about Unitarian Universalism are welcome to come to an open class on Sunday morning, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. Please come with your questions about our free faith.
Spring Has Sprung - Annual Clean-up
It is that time of year again! B&G is having Our Annual Spring Clean Up Day on Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. . Sign-up sheets for a variety of much needed work will be available at social hour. Even if you can only come for a short time we will welcome the help. See David Benson for questions It is a fun time with refreshments provided. Hope to see you there!!
Summer Services
We had wonderful and fun Summer Services last year! It is already time
to think about and plan for 2005's summer services . These are lay
services that are held in August at 9:30 am, lasting about an hour.
Members and friends can plan the service individually or as a group.
Members of the Worship Committee help with setting up, music, and
refreshments if needed. We need VOLUNTEERS for AUGUST 7, 14, 21, 28.
If your have ideas and/or would like to volunteer, please contact
the Worship Committee or Mark.
All Church Rummage Sale on Saturday May 7
It’s time to clean out the closets and drawers, check the attic, basement and garage, and gather your treasures for the annual rummage sale. We need household and kitchen items, children’s clothing, “white elephants”, sports equipment, toys and games, musical instruments, books, tapes & CD’s Š whatever you can donate! (The only items we don’t accept are large furniture, computer equipment, exercise equipment and adult clothing).
However, this year we will be exhibiting a bulletin board at the sale for large and/or heavy goods. Post a description of any large item you’d like to donate along with your phone number. There might be someone at the sale who’s interested in coming by your home to see it and pick it up, with proceeds to benefit the church.
You may drop off items at the church on Friday evening May 6 from 6:00-9:00 P.M. or Saturday morning May 7 from 8:00-10:00 A.M.
We also need your help! There is setting up and pricing on Friday evening and Saturday morning, selling during the day, and then of course clean up. Sign up on the bulletin board in the social hall, or speak with Jane Knuttunen (923-0243).
Musical Musings Special Open Choir Sing!!!
We are inviting all those secret singers out there to join us for
a very special open choir sing at church on May 22nd. It is often
difficult to make a weekly commitment to our rehearsal every Monday
night, so we will have only one rehearsal for this occasion. Wouldn't
it be great to be able to sing 3 or 4- part harmony?.
So please, men and women, answer the call...we want you!!!! The
rehearsal for this event will be on May 16th (the Mon. before we
sing)...at 6:30 P.M. ...babysitting will be provided and we have lots
of wonderful children here for your children to play with. Also,
because of the hour, there is food (usually pizza) for those who are
hungry. If you think you would be interested, please see me at church
or call me at home...617-527-0225....or you could speak to any choir
member. If, however, you decide at the last minute on May 16th, that
you want to come and you haven't told anyone....Come Anyway!!!! I
think it will be great fun!
Patty
Mt. Auburn Tour
Mark Harris will be leading a tour of Mt. Auburn Cemetery on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m. Started a number of years ago by Andrea Greenwood, these historic walking tours visit the graves / monuments of many significant UUs, most of whom also played key roles in American history or culture. We include Longfellow, Dorothea Dix, the Howes, Margaret Fuller, and Unitarian and Universalist founders like Murray, Ballou and Channing. This tour has been arranged in conjunction with the Coming of Age group leaders from Cambridge. Two of our youth, Giles and Cody, have joined with Cambridge youth all year to participate in this program. However, this tour is open to any and all First Parish Watertown members and friends who would like to come along. (Cambridge folk, too) Please gather near the Chapel (near the front gate) at 10:00 a.m.
Please RSVP to Mark if you would like to come along.
Aging Group
The First Parish Aging Group will meet on Sunday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. Our guest will be John Hope, a friend of First Parish and sometime attendee at church, who is a Watertown lawyer specializing in Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Probate Administration. John will speak about issues related to these questions: Do you have a living will? A durable power of attorney? What do you know about health care proxies? These are important issues for us to consider in light of the Terri Schaivo case. How do we avoid this kind of legal wrangling over our medical care and/or our estate? Everyone is invited. This will also be a time to share how we each reacted to the issues involved in response to Terri Schaivo.
All ages of adults are welcome.
GA
The Annual meeting of the UU Association will take place this year in Ft. Worth, Texas. Mark Harris will be attending this year and would be glad to share information about GA with anyone who is interested.
DOOLITTLE HOME NEEDS YOUR HELP
In 1915 Sarah Doolittle gave her family home to the Universalist Convention of Massachusetts to be used as a residence for the elderly, especially those of the Universalist faith. Over the years there has been a strong relationship between the Home and the UUA. Now, the current Chair of the Board of Trustees, who is a fundamentalist Christian, is trying to sever that tie. He even hired a policeman in uniform to keep people who disagreed with him ( UUs who are members of the corporation) out of last year's Annual Meeting. The legal costs to fight for Doolittle are mounting. Please contribute - a large check if you can, but a small one if you can't. Checks should be made out to: The UUA Fund for Doolittle Home, Inc. and sent to the UUA, Attention Jerry Gabert, 25 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02108. Please be generous. We are very grateful for your support. For more information call Rev. Dorothy Boroush, 508-824-2953, dboroush@aol.com Note; Our former student minister Fayre Stephenson has been working here for a number of years as a chaplain. This is a very unfortunate situation where a group of outsiders is trying to wrest control of a UU institution.
Bicycle Collection for Community Development at Home and Oversees
The World in Watertown, in conjunction with the Watertown Boys and Girls Club, is holding its third bike collection. This year the bikes will be donated to Bikes Not Bombs, a Roxbury based non-profit organization working for alternative transportation and community development. Bikes Not Bombs operates a bike shop in Roxbury where they achieve the dual goal of training young people to become bicycle mechanics and to become community leaders.
Bikes Not Bombs works both locally and internationally to promote peace and social justice. Of the 2000 bikes collected annually, at least half are shipped to community bike projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and, most recently, South Africa. Our own Alex Twombly is currently in Diepsloot, South Africa, a settlement hard hit by poverty and the HIV virus, where he is carrying out the mission of Bikes Not Bombs by setting up a full service bike shop and training center. For the working poor in developing countries, bikes are an inexpensive means of transportation and provide reliable transportation for commuting to school, transporting produce to market, and accessing health care and other services.
The collection this spring will take place on Saturday, May 21 from 1 - 4 p.m. at St. John's Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. Help Bikes Not Bombs achieve its mission of working towards alternative transportation and community development by donating your used bike in reparable condition. A donation of $5 is requested for each bike donation to help defray the cost of repair and refurbishing.
For more information see Will Twombly or Sue Kuder.
Program offerings this month. Won’t you join us?
April 30 - Coming of age Car Wash - $5 - 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
May 1 - Newcomer Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Info on UU Urban Ministry (after church)
May 8 - New UU Class - 9:30 a.m.
May 14 - Tour of Mt. Auburn Cemetery - 10:00 a.m.
May 15 - Men’s Group - 9:30 a.m.
May 17 - Book Group - 7:00 p.m.
May 22 - Aging Group - 9:30 a.m.
May 22 - Covenant Group - 4:30 p.m.
May 24 - Women and Work - 6:30 p.m.
May 25 - Covenant Group - 7:30 p.m. at home of Ken and Chris.
Springtime helps us look. The other day I was out in my garage reattaching a wooden panel that had come loose from the door. I knew that someone had either kicked it off, or it fell off some months ago. But winter sometimes helps us to neglect or forget about those things that require our attention. Perhaps we spend these months trudging around with our heads down, all bundled up in layers of clothes. We can’t see what is around us, as so much energy is used simply getting through the season of cold and illness. Then as soon as the first crocus appears, we are ready to look at all those beautiful flowers, and everything else that is crying out for our attention. Here I am, everything says, please notice me.
Our 375th annual meeting of the First Parish of Watertown is now behind us. The reports from all the committees may be something that is easy to ignore, but I encourage you to look. We are a church that has done amazing things in terms of generosity and care and programs for our community and the larger world at large. This past month I had a bit of a challenge in the wake of being critical of the town’s 375th committee. I felt as though I had done quite a bit of work preparing programs for the 375th that would be great events for the entire town. And yet, despite the fact that they had been informed, the committee seemed to refuse to “look” at what we had planned. My perception was that we had been left out of the initial publicity. After a letter to the editor and an email exchange, the committee wanted to help others notice what we are doing.
It hurts not to be noticed, especially when we have done a lot of work. I worry about this in the context of the church all the time. Some people do yeoman’s work on committees or feel like they are doing coffee hour every other week. Some people make a significant financial commitment to this institution. This year we are printing a list of all the pledgers for the first time to publicly say thank you for supporting this liberal religious community. Spring is a time to notice all those things we have either neglected and left unacknowledged; the broken lock on the shed, the hours of work hidden in the pages of our annual report, the hours of labor we have given to create a wonderful event for many people, the time and generosity of many loyal members.
Spring is a time to be grateful for all those things we failed to look at. Thank you for all those people who put a dollar or two in the collection when nobody was looking, who carried a chair upstairs with the hope that more people would come, who put coffee in the pot or laundered a dirty tablecloth so the Fellowship Committee would not have to do it one more time, who volunteered to be responsible for some event even though your calendar is on overload. In the spring, we say thanks for all those gifts that renew us. And each and every one of you who gave time or money to First Parish renewed this community so it can continue to be here. We may think that no one noticed, but it is important work that you do. You get to be 375 by noticing all the people who got us here, and want us to be around serving people and building community for 375 more.
Mark
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday, May 1, 11 A.M.
"Holding Hands, Walking With the Wind"
Rev. John Hickey, the Executive Director of the UU Urban Ministry
Rev. John E. Hickey is the Senior Minister and Executive Director of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry. One of the oldest social service agencies in the country, the Urban Ministry has a long tradition of working with the underserved communities in Boston and providing a means for Unitarian Universalists to put into practice their commitment to social justice. Please come to a discussion after church to learn more about Renewal House, youth programs, the Asian food pantry and more.
John graduated from Harvard Divinity School in 2002, and before joining the Urban Ministry served as the Acting Interim Minister of the First Church in Belmont. Prior to entering Divinity School, John enjoyed a 30-year career as a corporate lawyer and business executive. He is a graduate of Columbia University Law School (JD, 1968), and Wesleyan University (BA, 1965). He currently serves as a Trustee of the national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and on the Boards of the Star Island Corporation and Partakers. He is a former Board member of the Corporate Bar Association, and was a founding director of the Pro Bono Partnership, dedicated to harnessing corporate legal skills for community nonprofit organizations.
Music:The choir is singing with Charlyn Bethell playing the oboe.
Greeters: Barbara Ives and Andrea Karls
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 8, 11 A.M.
“Does God the Mother Trump the Father?”
Mark W. Harris
Time Magazine recently highlighted a renewed religious interest in Mary. The recently deceased Pope was a devotee of Mary. Do we have need for female divines in our lives, too?
Greeters: Christopher Johnson and Ken Repp
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 15, 11 A.M.
“Holding Life Loosely”
Darrick Jackson
Taoism teaches us how to be open to what life brings us. In our fast paced society, is their room to bring some of the Taoist principles in our lives?
Greeters: Will and Sue Twombly
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 22, 11 A.M.
“Delayed Gratitude”
Mark W. Harris
Everyone one of us makes choices that we regret when we make them, but they actually turn out for the best. How often are we happy about those things we didn’t want to happen, but later it turns out we are are glad they did.
Music:Special Presentation by FPW Open Choir!!(see newsletter article below)
Greeters: Judy and Roger Kamm
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Sunday, May 29 11 A.M.
“ Death This Year . . . has taken men’ . . and women”
Mark W. Harris
John Holmes writes, “Death this year has taken men (and women) whose kind we shall not see again . . . On Memorial Day, let’s look at the lives of those who died this past year. How did they touch us or influence our lives?
Greeters: Ken and Jerusha Vogel
Social Hour: Trustees and Committee on Ministry
Among Us
Our sympathy to the following members who have suffered losses in recent months:
Jim Felty’s mother died in March at the age of 92
Former member Patricia Clark’s husband Neil died in early April in Arizona, where they had moved after marriage. Patricia’s address is: Patricia Balfour, 13717 West Via Tercero, Sun City West, Arizona 85375.
Marcos Sebastian Portz was dedicated in church on April 24. Welcome and congratulations to Marcos. He is the son of Meredith Montague and John Portz, and brother to Elisa.
R.E.flections by a chalice D.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Earlier this month, the children explored the subject of rules. I titled the exploration, "Rules, Rules ~ Are they necessary tools?" We looked at the 10 commandments as we wondered if we need rules for a peaceful world. While one of the original purposes for religion was to guide human behavior, many people insist that they don't need anyone telling them how to act. But are spoken and unspoken rules necessary for establishing a healthy and safe environment for all?
I used to be optimistic and trust that people would be respectful and considerate without being told to be. But my experience in the real world has taught me that some people will and some won't. I had to accept the reality that not all people will follow the rules I chose to live my life by. The important thing for me to realize was that the reason many people don't follow my rules is because they are following different rules. We each come from different experiences, so we prioritize different rules to live our lives with.
Some people I've met through the years assume that anyone that doesn't follow their rules is either "bad" or "doesn't care enough". But often times it comes down to different expectations or perspectives. I have discovered that open and honest conversation has never hurt any situation. Instead, the communication has helped create increased understanding, mutual awareness, and a respectful environment for all involved.
I've always appreciated those quotes declaring that peace starts within the home. I think that's true. We all learn our first life lessons about fairness, cooperation, and working together from our families. Any parent of a two-year-old can tell you of fascinating and frustrating struggles as their child tries to figure out the rules. Life can feel like a series of temper tantrums as your child assesses what behavior is and isn't acceptable. This process of figuring out the rules doesn't magically end when your child turns 3 or 5 or even 10. It just becomes more sophisticated and abstract as the child grows older. And we adults are still trying to figure some things out.
My experience as a mother has shown me that children need consistent rules to know how to act. We adults do, too! Although we each try to be our best, life is better when we all know what is expected of us. For these reasons, I think we could all benefit from routinely stopping to think about our behavior at church. Whether we call them rules or guidelines, what are reasonable behaviors to expect from one another? Here are some things I would like us to consider.
1. Our sanctuary is a sacred space. While the word "sacred" may hold different definitions for some of us, I'm sure we could all agree that the sanctuary is a very special place. Therefore, we need to treat the space like anything else we consider very special. While no running and no eating seem like obvious guidelines for our sacred space, I would even say that no children's games are appropriate for this room. There are plenty of other spaces in the church to play.
2. Our church is the "home" for our community, so we need to work together to take care of it. All of the supplies, materials, and toys at church also belong to our community and need our care. I have to admit that I'm always a bit sad when I discover our toys or RE supplies left out. Even worse is when I find them destroyed or missing. Because we share this home with one another, we have even more responsibility than we do in our individual homes to always keep it looking nice. While we can leave clean up for another day at our own homes, it is essential to the health of our community that we always leave the things we use at church in the same condition we found them. Unless, of course, you are leaving them better!
3. The church community is our spiritual family. I'm often telling my own children that we need to respect everyone at church. I try to be clear that while we don't have to be friends with everyone, we do need to be friendly and considerate. I think this attitude could greatly influence many interactions in our church community. From how much food we take at social hour to the words that come out of our mouths, we need to consistently think about how our actions are affecting those around us and consider the interests of others.
4. It takes a village to raise a child. It is our responsibility as the adults in our church community to help guide our children. Most significantly, they learn from our example. Do we reach out and help one another? Or do we prioritize our own needs first? Do we take good care of the church? Or do we rush out without noticing how things look? Do we take the time to help someone else's child make a good choice about how to act while at church? Or do we watch inappropriate behavior happening and disregard it as someone else's problem? Yes, parents are primarily responsible for their children and no, they shouldn't be socializing downstairs while their kids are running around upstairs. But we need to jump in and help as needed. Reasonable limits and gentle guidance from adults helps kids know that the people at church care about them.
Many religious liberals seem to fear too many rules. Unitarian Universalists insist that "deeds not creeds" is the basis of our faith. The significance is on our good actions, not our words. And while that ideal is great, we all can certainly use some reminders, suggestions, and inspiration for what those good actions can be. What do you think they should be?
RE Announcements:
Save the date! Youth Sunday will be on Sunday, June 12th and we are thrilled that Cody and Giles will again be leading us in worship. We will join our children as many rites-of-passages are honored and celebrated. This year's rites-of-passages include first chalice for our turning 8-year-olds, coming-of-age, and congratulating our high school graduates. This is always an incredible, not-to-be-missed service for folks of all ages!
Youth Group Advisors Needed
Are you talented, creative, and fun? Are you willing to support our youth (Cody and Giles) as they create the exciting youth group we've always wanted? You could be one of our Youth Group Advisors next year. Best of all, you get paid a small annual stipend of $500 and you get to work with a partner. Interested, please see Roberta for more details.
First Parish Children's Ministry Wish List:
Quilting Supplies (clean, cotton fabric) needed by May 8th
Quality dress-up clothes (nice imagination clothes your child outgrew)
A Midshipman’s Musings
I wrote the following poem after doing a meditation of faith. We all have faith in something. For some of us it is a deity, others humanity. Some have faith in nature, love, or karma. There are many things in which we can have faith. What is the source of your faith?
River of Faith
By Darrick Jackson
Faith
Is the current
That runs through the river of life
We sail down this river
Every day,
Every minute,
Every hour.
We come across many obstacles in our path:
Stones,
Whirlpools of despair,
Logs and debris blocking our way.
But we can’t turn around and go back.
Faith is pushing us onward,
Ever forward
Into our future
With the power of faith behind us,
We can zoom past the stones,
Skirt the edges of the whirlpools,
And it will give us the force to push the debris away.
When we trust to faith,
The path may still not be easy.
But know that there is a way through.
Faith will push us through.
Blessed Be.
Only a Child Program Coming in June
George Ledger is a Unitarian Universalist who spends most of the year in Guatemala. A few years ago he began a program called Only a Child in Guatemala City. This special program offers housing and schooling to homeless street kids whose lives otherwise might well be destroyed. George will be with us before church on June 12 at 9:30, and then will also make a brief presentation during the service. More details next month.
Giving Box
Our Giving Box for May and June will be the UU Urban Ministry’s sponsored Renewal House, a shelter for battered women and their children. The list of needs will be announced and emailed to FPW members and friends. Thanks to all who gave items for the Alliance for the homeless in March and April.
375 Programs Begin in June
Mark your calendars for Sunday night, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. when the British historian Roger Thompson, the author of Divided We Stand: Watertown, Massachusetts 1630-1680, will be here to speak on the “Religious Beliefs of the Early Settlers.” Books will be available for signing.
Concert a Big Success
Thanks so much for all your assistance with our Annual Social Action Benefit. Thanks to all who baked, took tickets, moved chairs, or arranged publicity (special thanks to Paul Dansereau and David Morrison). Jacqueline Scwab was wonderful! It was our biggest success yet with one of these benefits. We sent $1,800 to Aid to Incarcerated Mothers.
Annual Dinner
Special thanks to everyone who played a role in making our annual dinner and talent show a great success. This included Meredith Montague and Andrea Greenwood who helped organize the food, Diane Shepard who organized our talent show, Ken Vogel our MC, and everyone who cooked or performed or helped set up or clean up. The best news is that we have exceeded our canvass goal of 83,000 and are now at $86,000 plus. Congratulations to everybody.
Women and Work
May meeting - Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Elaine McArdle will lead a Memoir Writing Workshop. We will learn how to write about our lives -- we all have stories! -- and get inspiration to do so. Elaine is a freelance writer for the Boston Globe and other publications, and teaches memoir writing workshops at Grub Street, the Boston writing center. This workshop will be in two parts. The second meeting date will be determined at the meeting.For more details email Kathy Warren at kwarren@juno.com , or speak to her in church.
We always welcome newcomers.
Book Group
FPW Book Group -will meet on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m.. The book is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. This is the story of Amir, a young man who has to wrestle with many demons from his past, and it all takes place with a back-drop of Afghanistan’s recent history. The meeting in June will be that American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The date is June 21.
Men’s Group
The Men’s Group will meet on Sunday, May 15. The topic will be end of life issues, and the facilitator will be Michael McCarthy. Breakfast will be provided by John Asare. All men are welcome.
Covenant Groups
New First Parish Covenant Groups have been formed. They will meet at the church on Sunday, May 22 at 4:30 p.m. and at the home of Ken Repp and Chris Johnson on Wednesday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. speak to Mark Harris if you would like to join one.
New UU Class
Any newcomers who wish to learn more about Unitarian Universalism are welcome to come to an open class on Sunday morning, May 8 at 9:30 a.m. Please come with your questions about our free faith.
Spring Has Sprung - Annual Clean-up
It is that time of year again! B&G is having Our Annual Spring Clean Up Day on Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. . Sign-up sheets for a variety of much needed work will be available at social hour. Even if you can only come for a short time we will welcome the help. See David Benson for questions It is a fun time with refreshments provided. Hope to see you there!!
Summer Services
We had wonderful and fun Summer Services last year! It is already time
to think about and plan for 2005's summer services . These are lay
services that are held in August at 9:30 am, lasting about an hour.
Members and friends can plan the service individually or as a group.
Members of the Worship Committee help with setting up, music, and
refreshments if needed. We need VOLUNTEERS for AUGUST 7, 14, 21, 28.
If your have ideas and/or would like to volunteer, please contact
the Worship Committee or Mark.
All Church Rummage Sale on Saturday May 7
It’s time to clean out the closets and drawers, check the attic, basement and garage, and gather your treasures for the annual rummage sale. We need household and kitchen items, children’s clothing, “white elephants”, sports equipment, toys and games, musical instruments, books, tapes & CD’s Š whatever you can donate! (The only items we don’t accept are large furniture, computer equipment, exercise equipment and adult clothing).
However, this year we will be exhibiting a bulletin board at the sale for large and/or heavy goods. Post a description of any large item you’d like to donate along with your phone number. There might be someone at the sale who’s interested in coming by your home to see it and pick it up, with proceeds to benefit the church.
You may drop off items at the church on Friday evening May 6 from 6:00-9:00 P.M. or Saturday morning May 7 from 8:00-10:00 A.M.
We also need your help! There is setting up and pricing on Friday evening and Saturday morning, selling during the day, and then of course clean up. Sign up on the bulletin board in the social hall, or speak with Jane Knuttunen (923-0243).
Musical Musings Special Open Choir Sing!!!
We are inviting all those secret singers out there to join us for
a very special open choir sing at church on May 22nd. It is often
difficult to make a weekly commitment to our rehearsal every Monday
night, so we will have only one rehearsal for this occasion. Wouldn't
it be great to be able to sing 3 or 4- part harmony?.
So please, men and women, answer the call...we want you!!!! The
rehearsal for this event will be on May 16th (the Mon. before we
sing)...at 6:30 P.M. ...babysitting will be provided and we have lots
of wonderful children here for your children to play with. Also,
because of the hour, there is food (usually pizza) for those who are
hungry. If you think you would be interested, please see me at church
or call me at home...617-527-0225....or you could speak to any choir
member. If, however, you decide at the last minute on May 16th, that
you want to come and you haven't told anyone....Come Anyway!!!! I
think it will be great fun!
Patty
Mt. Auburn Tour
Mark Harris will be leading a tour of Mt. Auburn Cemetery on Saturday, May 14 at 10:00 a.m. Started a number of years ago by Andrea Greenwood, these historic walking tours visit the graves / monuments of many significant UUs, most of whom also played key roles in American history or culture. We include Longfellow, Dorothea Dix, the Howes, Margaret Fuller, and Unitarian and Universalist founders like Murray, Ballou and Channing. This tour has been arranged in conjunction with the Coming of Age group leaders from Cambridge. Two of our youth, Giles and Cody, have joined with Cambridge youth all year to participate in this program. However, this tour is open to any and all First Parish Watertown members and friends who would like to come along. (Cambridge folk, too) Please gather near the Chapel (near the front gate) at 10:00 a.m.
Please RSVP to Mark if you would like to come along.
Aging Group
The First Parish Aging Group will meet on Sunday, May 22 at 9:30 a.m. Our guest will be John Hope, a friend of First Parish and sometime attendee at church, who is a Watertown lawyer specializing in Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Probate Administration. John will speak about issues related to these questions: Do you have a living will? A durable power of attorney? What do you know about health care proxies? These are important issues for us to consider in light of the Terri Schaivo case. How do we avoid this kind of legal wrangling over our medical care and/or our estate? Everyone is invited. This will also be a time to share how we each reacted to the issues involved in response to Terri Schaivo.
All ages of adults are welcome.
GA
The Annual meeting of the UU Association will take place this year in Ft. Worth, Texas. Mark Harris will be attending this year and would be glad to share information about GA with anyone who is interested.
DOOLITTLE HOME NEEDS YOUR HELP
In 1915 Sarah Doolittle gave her family home to the Universalist Convention of Massachusetts to be used as a residence for the elderly, especially those of the Universalist faith. Over the years there has been a strong relationship between the Home and the UUA. Now, the current Chair of the Board of Trustees, who is a fundamentalist Christian, is trying to sever that tie. He even hired a policeman in uniform to keep people who disagreed with him ( UUs who are members of the corporation) out of last year's Annual Meeting. The legal costs to fight for Doolittle are mounting. Please contribute - a large check if you can, but a small one if you can't. Checks should be made out to: The UUA Fund for Doolittle Home, Inc. and sent to the UUA, Attention Jerry Gabert, 25 Beacon St. Boston, MA 02108. Please be generous. We are very grateful for your support. For more information call Rev. Dorothy Boroush, 508-824-2953, dboroush@aol.com Note; Our former student minister Fayre Stephenson has been working here for a number of years as a chaplain. This is a very unfortunate situation where a group of outsiders is trying to wrest control of a UU institution.
Bicycle Collection for Community Development at Home and Oversees
The World in Watertown, in conjunction with the Watertown Boys and Girls Club, is holding its third bike collection. This year the bikes will be donated to Bikes Not Bombs, a Roxbury based non-profit organization working for alternative transportation and community development. Bikes Not Bombs operates a bike shop in Roxbury where they achieve the dual goal of training young people to become bicycle mechanics and to become community leaders.
Bikes Not Bombs works both locally and internationally to promote peace and social justice. Of the 2000 bikes collected annually, at least half are shipped to community bike projects in Nicaragua, El Salvador, and, most recently, South Africa. Our own Alex Twombly is currently in Diepsloot, South Africa, a settlement hard hit by poverty and the HIV virus, where he is carrying out the mission of Bikes Not Bombs by setting up a full service bike shop and training center. For the working poor in developing countries, bikes are an inexpensive means of transportation and provide reliable transportation for commuting to school, transporting produce to market, and accessing health care and other services.
The collection this spring will take place on Saturday, May 21 from 1 - 4 p.m. at St. John's Methodist Church, 80 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown. Help Bikes Not Bombs achieve its mission of working towards alternative transportation and community development by donating your used bike in reparable condition. A donation of $5 is requested for each bike donation to help defray the cost of repair and refurbishing.
For more information see Will Twombly or Sue Kuder.
Program offerings this month. Won’t you join us?
April 30 - Coming of age Car Wash - $5 - 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
May 1 - Newcomer Breakfast 9:30 a.m. Info on UU Urban Ministry (after church)
May 8 - New UU Class - 9:30 a.m.
May 14 - Tour of Mt. Auburn Cemetery - 10:00 a.m.
May 15 - Men’s Group - 9:30 a.m.
May 17 - Book Group - 7:00 p.m.
May 22 - Aging Group - 9:30 a.m.
May 22 - Covenant Group - 4:30 p.m.
May 24 - Women and Work - 6:30 p.m.
May 25 - Covenant Group - 7:30 p.m. at home of Ken and Chris.