Monday, May 08, 2006
The Arbella - Newsletter for May 2006
The Arbella
Newsletter of the First Parish of Watertown for May 2006
For calendar listings :
Please go to www.fpwatertown.org and click on calendar of events for May 2006
Sermons and Topics
Sunday May 7, 2006 at 11:00am
“A Faith for a Few?” Mark W. Harris
Is there a relationship between social class and the religious choices we make? Does our UU faith only appeal to a small group of liberals who read a lot and listen to NPR? We say we are a faith for all, but who do we welcome?
Greeters: Guy Urban and Charlyn Bethell
Social Hour:Martha Scott and David Morrison
Sunday May 14, 2006 at 11:00am
“Small Change” Mark W. Harris
Some years ago the French film director Truffault made a film called “Small Change.” It was about children. Today as we dedicate Roane and Gates Morton we will consider how small things can have a big impact.
Music: Charlyn Bethell will be our guest musician.
Greeters: Martha Urban and Barbara Beck
Social Hour: Randy Rhoda and Jan Klein
Sunday May 21, 2006 at 11:00am
“There and Back Again” Darrick Jackson
The archetype of the journey is that you leave home to a place that transforms you and then you return home again, forever changed. This Sunday marks my last service as Intern and the beginning of the return leg of my ministerial journey.
Greeters: Kyle and Kelly Morton
Social Hour: Joani Mountain and Beth Parsons
Sunday May 28, 2006 at 11:00am
“We Hold Them Dear” Mark W. Harris
We consider meaningful memories of some
of those well known people who have died
in the past year.
Greeters:
Social Hour: Eileen Ryan
Captain’s Log
Another annual meeting has come and gone. This has only happened 376 times. Nothing new here. How does an institution last so long considering the ups and downs of the congregation, the town and the nation? It is truly remarkable. Ministers come and go. Even church pillars crumble (or move away!) and are replaced by others who stand up and say, “it is my turn now.” Demographics here in Watertown changed dramatically, and we almost succumbed, but somehow were tenacious enough to hold on. Survival is an amazing thing. We are able to change. We won't give up. We teach others what an important entity this institution is.
Every year in April, I (and a few others) am invited to march with the President of Harvard College at the head of the graduation processional. Every year until this one, I have said to myself that this seems like too much effort for too little gain except the “prestige” of being in the Harvard parade. I always said no. The minister of the First Parish of Watertown is invited to be at the head of the line because back in 1636 our minister helped found the college. We were already six years old by then. Harvard would not have been born without us. This year I decided to march.
When you think about it, despite the fact that “surviving” sounds like a hanging on by the fingernails’ kind of activity, it is really the fundamental goal in life. Although we survive by enduring difficult weeks, months or years of stress or pressure or adversity, we do so by adapting, by changing either ourselves or our circumstances. Sometimes when a boss is annoying, or school exerts an enormous amount of pressure on us to do more and more work, it seems hard just to survive the day or week. When the pressure is too great you must seek alternatives - a job where you can feel better about yourself, or a school that nurtures you rather than one which makes you feel worse every day.
Surviving of course takes on a whole new meaning in the context of evolution. Here the survivors are the true winners. Somehow certain species adapted. They may not have been the most perfect looking or even the strongest, but they were the ones who could find their niche in the environment and survive. It is too bad we think of survivors as barely hanging on because when we have survived to construct a new day, it is truly amazing to look back on what we have gone through. From three hundred and seventy-five years of our history, to seven years in school for my son finishing elementary school, there is a sense of celebrating survival. Any survival is a victory, and we can say, We did it! We founded Harvard! We have been accepted at a new school!
I have never seen a reality TV show, so have little knowledge of what the “Survivor” show might be like. Of course it is played up like a competition - the smartest or the cleverest wins out. But you know it is not the smartest or the cleverest, it is the survivor who survives. That’s important to remember as we fret over everything about us that is not the best or the brightest. It is 376 years later and we are still here. You all worked hard. You believe in what we are doing. You came together as a community. There was support, a willingness to change, and a hope for tomorrow. We survived. How many others can say that?
Mark
Among Us
Congratulations to Keith Shay (son of Bob and Missy) and Lisa Fhagen, who are proud parents of a baby boy, Kymani Jordan, who arrived on Easter Sunday at 1:18 p.m. California time. He weighed in at 8 lb 13 oz, 20 1/4 ".
We saw three Girl Scouts from FPW pictured in the Watertown Paper for their river clean-up efforts - Dominique Altamari, Charlotte Holt and Madison Umbrello. Great job!
Final Choir Sing
Open Choir will sing at the Flower Communion on June 18th. There will be only one rehearsal on the Monday, June 12th at 6:45 PM. and that Sunday before the service.
ALL CHURCH RUMMAGE SALE COMING MAY 6
Spring is here and while cleaning out your closets, checking the attic, basement and garage, consider donating your old treasures to our annual rummage sale. Please bring your saleable items to church on Friday evening May 5 from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. or on Saturday morning May 6 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. To help see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the social hall, or speak with Jane Knuttunen.
WANTED:
Household goods
Small appliances, radios, alarm clocks , cameras– Please bring only working appliances
Kitchenware, glassware, dishes, etc.
Bric-a-brac, jewelry, ‘white elephants”
Children’s toys, games, stuffed animals
Adult and children’s books, records, tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs
Children’s clothing
Linens and other dry goods
Small sports equipment
Small furniture
NOT WANTED:
Baby equipment such as strollers, beds, and highchairs can’t be accepted because of safety and liability reasons
TVs for disposal reasons
Any large, heavy items that can’t be easily moved
Adult clothing – we don’t have room
If you have items on the not-wanted list please write up a description and/or take a picture of the item for posting on a bulletin board which we will display during the sale. Prospective buyers can contact you directly and pick up these large items from your home. Questions: Please call Jane Knuttunen (617-923-0243) or Meredith Montague (617-924-1899)
Newcomer Breakfast
The Fellowship Committee will host a Newcomer Breakfast on Sunday, May 7 at 9:30 a.m. All newcomers are welcome. Most have received a special invitation. The two weeks following the breakfast will feature a New Unitarian Universalist Class for everyone who wishes to learn more about our church and how it works, and about Unitarian Universalism. This will be held on May 14 and 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Sunday Covenant Group
The Sunday Covenant Group is an open meeting. The next session will be on Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. The topic will be on how we reconcile our present UU faith with our childhood or young adult faith. What was positive about your childhood faith that you still find meaningful? What do you need to let go of? This is for all faiths - Catholic, Protestant, no background at all, or born UUs. This session is partly based on the UU curriculum The Haunted Church, and will be facilitated by Mark.
A Music Ministry for our Children and Youth
Notes from Charlyn Bethell
Two of the best-kept secrets at First Parish are the Children’s Choir and the Youth Choir. Perhaps you’ve heard sweet sounds from the social room or the sanctuary before or after the service, or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to hear us perform in a few services earlier in the year. We hope that after last Sunday (April 30), when the Youth Choir sang, everyone will know about us!
The Children’s Choir consists of singers ages 6 to 11 (with some leeway), and they have sung in services twice so far this year. The Youth Choir is for teenagers and almost-teenagers. They sang at Christmas with the First Parish (adult) Choir, and their performance last Sunday was their second by themselves. We plan for each choir to sing at a church service three or four times during the church year. All children are welcome to sing.
Music has always played an important role in our church, as indeed it has in all churches. It connects us inwardly to our spirituality and outwardly to our sense of community. Involving our children in musical activities at First Parish is not only an “extracurricular” fun activity; it’s a way to include them more deeply in our common religious life.
The Children’s and Youth Choirs are an extension of our Religious Education program at First Parish. We sing songs whose words have a strong connection to our UU principles. We sing about nature, social action, peace, spirituality, and singing itself. We do multicultural songs to better understand diversity, and we often sing these in their original language. Our songs fit the spirit of our church, and they’re fun to sing.
But we can do more than just sing words! In order for the words to have their effect, the musical expression of the song must be realized to its full potential. To this end, we use rehearsals to review and strengthen basic musical skills. We review how to sing, including how to stand and how to breathe properly to sustain a sound. We work to sing in a “head voice” to develop control and match pitches. Singing in tune is a skill that all children can develop, and the choir provides a supportive atmosphere in which to do it. Children use their ability to read words and then extend that into reading music notation. We learn to listen so that our voices are blended and one voice does not dominate. We work to pronounce vowels the same way and to place the consonants around the vowels at the same time. We learn to sing with expression and follow a conductor. We work together to sing softly or loudly as would further the musical effect. We often sing by memory, which is a skill in itself. We learn to depend on each other and to think in sound. Finally we learn to negotiate and make group decisions, furthering each child’s self-esteem and confidence with every performance.
Just as the music literature we sing reflects in its words UU principles and ideas, it also exhibits the infinite variety of musical forms and techniques. It has to be challenging, but not so difficult that the children cannot realize their vision of the piece. We do some songs a capella without accompaniment, and some with the piano or other instruments. Some songs we sing in unison, others in two or three parts, or in rounds. I look for combinations of songs that will complement each other and provide variety for both listener and singer.
So now you know that we have a children’s music ministry at First Parish. Overall, I hope that each choir will become a caring community within itself. Music is a vehicle for self-discovery, inspiration, and being connected with others in a meaningful way. It is yet one more way that we support and honor the youth and children of our church. Please enjoy and share the music with us! (The Youth Choir will sing on Youth Sunday on June 11, where they will be joined for one piece by the Children’s Choir.)
Women & Work
May’s meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd. Guest speaker will be FPW member Ann Harrington who will use poetry as a means of exploration. Do you remember what your teachers in school told you about poems? That good poems have to rhyme – the verbal equivalent to drawing within the lines? Maybe you, like me, became convinced that you could not possibly understand most poems, let alone write any. Well, it’s time to throw out all those ideas. We will start with a bowl of words and go from there. The idea is to play, have fun, and in the process, rediscover something you have had all along – a poet wishing to get out!
June’s meeting will be on Tuesday, June 27th. Guest speaker will be Carole Berney who will lead us on a river walk.
All meetings are held at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. in the Conference Room at First Parish of Watertown.
Social Action
Would you like to learn more about social action events that you could attend? We could inform you about certain speakers or lobbying efforts or protests. Did you know that some people from FPW attended the anti-war event on Saturday, April 29 in New York. We are planning on starting a list serv for social action news. Please let the office know if you wish to be part of it.
Our postponed benefit concert is on May 20th. Please see the enclosed flyer. We will be seeking people to sign-up to help the night of the concert (admissions and selling refreshments), and to bring the baked goods to sell for refreshments at intermission. Please sign-up the next two Sundays.
Please watch your email for details on this month’s Giving Box.
We have begin a new program of delivering left over bread and baked goods from Panera Bakery to the Grow Clinic Food Pantry. This pick-up is on Sunday evening with delivery on Monday morning. Five family groupings have signed up so far. Please speak to Mark or Andrea if you are interested in joining these volunteers. Patricia Fox from FPW already does this pick-up and delivery (on her own!) another day of the week with goods from another bakery.
Newsletter of the First Parish of Watertown for May 2006
For calendar listings :
Please go to www.fpwatertown.org and click on calendar of events for May 2006
Sermons and Topics
Sunday May 7, 2006 at 11:00am
“A Faith for a Few?” Mark W. Harris
Is there a relationship between social class and the religious choices we make? Does our UU faith only appeal to a small group of liberals who read a lot and listen to NPR? We say we are a faith for all, but who do we welcome?
Greeters: Guy Urban and Charlyn Bethell
Social Hour:Martha Scott and David Morrison
Sunday May 14, 2006 at 11:00am
“Small Change” Mark W. Harris
Some years ago the French film director Truffault made a film called “Small Change.” It was about children. Today as we dedicate Roane and Gates Morton we will consider how small things can have a big impact.
Music: Charlyn Bethell will be our guest musician.
Greeters: Martha Urban and Barbara Beck
Social Hour: Randy Rhoda and Jan Klein
Sunday May 21, 2006 at 11:00am
“There and Back Again” Darrick Jackson
The archetype of the journey is that you leave home to a place that transforms you and then you return home again, forever changed. This Sunday marks my last service as Intern and the beginning of the return leg of my ministerial journey.
Greeters: Kyle and Kelly Morton
Social Hour: Joani Mountain and Beth Parsons
Sunday May 28, 2006 at 11:00am
“We Hold Them Dear” Mark W. Harris
We consider meaningful memories of some
of those well known people who have died
in the past year.
Greeters:
Social Hour: Eileen Ryan
Captain’s Log
Another annual meeting has come and gone. This has only happened 376 times. Nothing new here. How does an institution last so long considering the ups and downs of the congregation, the town and the nation? It is truly remarkable. Ministers come and go. Even church pillars crumble (or move away!) and are replaced by others who stand up and say, “it is my turn now.” Demographics here in Watertown changed dramatically, and we almost succumbed, but somehow were tenacious enough to hold on. Survival is an amazing thing. We are able to change. We won't give up. We teach others what an important entity this institution is.
Every year in April, I (and a few others) am invited to march with the President of Harvard College at the head of the graduation processional. Every year until this one, I have said to myself that this seems like too much effort for too little gain except the “prestige” of being in the Harvard parade. I always said no. The minister of the First Parish of Watertown is invited to be at the head of the line because back in 1636 our minister helped found the college. We were already six years old by then. Harvard would not have been born without us. This year I decided to march.
When you think about it, despite the fact that “surviving” sounds like a hanging on by the fingernails’ kind of activity, it is really the fundamental goal in life. Although we survive by enduring difficult weeks, months or years of stress or pressure or adversity, we do so by adapting, by changing either ourselves or our circumstances. Sometimes when a boss is annoying, or school exerts an enormous amount of pressure on us to do more and more work, it seems hard just to survive the day or week. When the pressure is too great you must seek alternatives - a job where you can feel better about yourself, or a school that nurtures you rather than one which makes you feel worse every day.
Surviving of course takes on a whole new meaning in the context of evolution. Here the survivors are the true winners. Somehow certain species adapted. They may not have been the most perfect looking or even the strongest, but they were the ones who could find their niche in the environment and survive. It is too bad we think of survivors as barely hanging on because when we have survived to construct a new day, it is truly amazing to look back on what we have gone through. From three hundred and seventy-five years of our history, to seven years in school for my son finishing elementary school, there is a sense of celebrating survival. Any survival is a victory, and we can say, We did it! We founded Harvard! We have been accepted at a new school!
I have never seen a reality TV show, so have little knowledge of what the “Survivor” show might be like. Of course it is played up like a competition - the smartest or the cleverest wins out. But you know it is not the smartest or the cleverest, it is the survivor who survives. That’s important to remember as we fret over everything about us that is not the best or the brightest. It is 376 years later and we are still here. You all worked hard. You believe in what we are doing. You came together as a community. There was support, a willingness to change, and a hope for tomorrow. We survived. How many others can say that?
Mark
Among Us
Congratulations to Keith Shay (son of Bob and Missy) and Lisa Fhagen, who are proud parents of a baby boy, Kymani Jordan, who arrived on Easter Sunday at 1:18 p.m. California time. He weighed in at 8 lb 13 oz, 20 1/4 ".
We saw three Girl Scouts from FPW pictured in the Watertown Paper for their river clean-up efforts - Dominique Altamari, Charlotte Holt and Madison Umbrello. Great job!
Final Choir Sing
Open Choir will sing at the Flower Communion on June 18th. There will be only one rehearsal on the Monday, June 12th at 6:45 PM. and that Sunday before the service.
ALL CHURCH RUMMAGE SALE COMING MAY 6
Spring is here and while cleaning out your closets, checking the attic, basement and garage, consider donating your old treasures to our annual rummage sale. Please bring your saleable items to church on Friday evening May 5 from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. or on Saturday morning May 6 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. To help see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the social hall, or speak with Jane Knuttunen.
WANTED:
Household goods
Small appliances, radios, alarm clocks , cameras– Please bring only working appliances
Kitchenware, glassware, dishes, etc.
Bric-a-brac, jewelry, ‘white elephants”
Children’s toys, games, stuffed animals
Adult and children’s books, records, tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs
Children’s clothing
Linens and other dry goods
Small sports equipment
Small furniture
NOT WANTED:
Baby equipment such as strollers, beds, and highchairs can’t be accepted because of safety and liability reasons
TVs for disposal reasons
Any large, heavy items that can’t be easily moved
Adult clothing – we don’t have room
If you have items on the not-wanted list please write up a description and/or take a picture of the item for posting on a bulletin board which we will display during the sale. Prospective buyers can contact you directly and pick up these large items from your home. Questions: Please call Jane Knuttunen (617-923-0243) or Meredith Montague (617-924-1899)
Newcomer Breakfast
The Fellowship Committee will host a Newcomer Breakfast on Sunday, May 7 at 9:30 a.m. All newcomers are welcome. Most have received a special invitation. The two weeks following the breakfast will feature a New Unitarian Universalist Class for everyone who wishes to learn more about our church and how it works, and about Unitarian Universalism. This will be held on May 14 and 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Sunday Covenant Group
The Sunday Covenant Group is an open meeting. The next session will be on Sunday, May 7 at 1:00 p.m. The topic will be on how we reconcile our present UU faith with our childhood or young adult faith. What was positive about your childhood faith that you still find meaningful? What do you need to let go of? This is for all faiths - Catholic, Protestant, no background at all, or born UUs. This session is partly based on the UU curriculum The Haunted Church, and will be facilitated by Mark.
A Music Ministry for our Children and Youth
Notes from Charlyn Bethell
Two of the best-kept secrets at First Parish are the Children’s Choir and the Youth Choir. Perhaps you’ve heard sweet sounds from the social room or the sanctuary before or after the service, or maybe you’ve been lucky enough to hear us perform in a few services earlier in the year. We hope that after last Sunday (April 30), when the Youth Choir sang, everyone will know about us!
The Children’s Choir consists of singers ages 6 to 11 (with some leeway), and they have sung in services twice so far this year. The Youth Choir is for teenagers and almost-teenagers. They sang at Christmas with the First Parish (adult) Choir, and their performance last Sunday was their second by themselves. We plan for each choir to sing at a church service three or four times during the church year. All children are welcome to sing.
Music has always played an important role in our church, as indeed it has in all churches. It connects us inwardly to our spirituality and outwardly to our sense of community. Involving our children in musical activities at First Parish is not only an “extracurricular” fun activity; it’s a way to include them more deeply in our common religious life.
The Children’s and Youth Choirs are an extension of our Religious Education program at First Parish. We sing songs whose words have a strong connection to our UU principles. We sing about nature, social action, peace, spirituality, and singing itself. We do multicultural songs to better understand diversity, and we often sing these in their original language. Our songs fit the spirit of our church, and they’re fun to sing.
But we can do more than just sing words! In order for the words to have their effect, the musical expression of the song must be realized to its full potential. To this end, we use rehearsals to review and strengthen basic musical skills. We review how to sing, including how to stand and how to breathe properly to sustain a sound. We work to sing in a “head voice” to develop control and match pitches. Singing in tune is a skill that all children can develop, and the choir provides a supportive atmosphere in which to do it. Children use their ability to read words and then extend that into reading music notation. We learn to listen so that our voices are blended and one voice does not dominate. We work to pronounce vowels the same way and to place the consonants around the vowels at the same time. We learn to sing with expression and follow a conductor. We work together to sing softly or loudly as would further the musical effect. We often sing by memory, which is a skill in itself. We learn to depend on each other and to think in sound. Finally we learn to negotiate and make group decisions, furthering each child’s self-esteem and confidence with every performance.
Just as the music literature we sing reflects in its words UU principles and ideas, it also exhibits the infinite variety of musical forms and techniques. It has to be challenging, but not so difficult that the children cannot realize their vision of the piece. We do some songs a capella without accompaniment, and some with the piano or other instruments. Some songs we sing in unison, others in two or three parts, or in rounds. I look for combinations of songs that will complement each other and provide variety for both listener and singer.
So now you know that we have a children’s music ministry at First Parish. Overall, I hope that each choir will become a caring community within itself. Music is a vehicle for self-discovery, inspiration, and being connected with others in a meaningful way. It is yet one more way that we support and honor the youth and children of our church. Please enjoy and share the music with us! (The Youth Choir will sing on Youth Sunday on June 11, where they will be joined for one piece by the Children’s Choir.)
Women & Work
May’s meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd. Guest speaker will be FPW member Ann Harrington who will use poetry as a means of exploration. Do you remember what your teachers in school told you about poems? That good poems have to rhyme – the verbal equivalent to drawing within the lines? Maybe you, like me, became convinced that you could not possibly understand most poems, let alone write any. Well, it’s time to throw out all those ideas. We will start with a bowl of words and go from there. The idea is to play, have fun, and in the process, rediscover something you have had all along – a poet wishing to get out!
June’s meeting will be on Tuesday, June 27th. Guest speaker will be Carole Berney who will lead us on a river walk.
All meetings are held at 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. in the Conference Room at First Parish of Watertown.
Social Action
Would you like to learn more about social action events that you could attend? We could inform you about certain speakers or lobbying efforts or protests. Did you know that some people from FPW attended the anti-war event on Saturday, April 29 in New York. We are planning on starting a list serv for social action news. Please let the office know if you wish to be part of it.
Our postponed benefit concert is on May 20th. Please see the enclosed flyer. We will be seeking people to sign-up to help the night of the concert (admissions and selling refreshments), and to bring the baked goods to sell for refreshments at intermission. Please sign-up the next two Sundays.
Please watch your email for details on this month’s Giving Box.
We have begin a new program of delivering left over bread and baked goods from Panera Bakery to the Grow Clinic Food Pantry. This pick-up is on Sunday evening with delivery on Monday morning. Five family groupings have signed up so far. Please speak to Mark or Andrea if you are interested in joining these volunteers. Patricia Fox from FPW already does this pick-up and delivery (on her own!) another day of the week with goods from another bakery.