Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Arbella-June Newsletter 2008
First Parish of Watertown
Arbella
June 2008
for calendar of events please go to our website: fpwatertown.org and go to the member page for the calendar
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
“My Bad or Yours? Mark W. Harris
Have you heard the phrase “my bad”, meaning my mistake? Not long ago I ordered a slice of pizza with a side salad, paid for it, took it back to the office, and discovered I only had the salad. The young clerk at the pizza shop recognized me as I came through the door, acted apologetic, and blurted out, “My bad.”
He took responsibility for his mistake. That can be a hard thing to do. Can you admit a my bad or do you try to make it a your bad?
Greeters: Jane Knuttunen and Nancy Dutton
Social Hour: Kyle and Kelly Morton
Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
Youth Sunday Worship Service
In addition to our youth leading us in worship, we will celebrate some special “rites-of-passage” ceremonies. This year, those ceremonies include “First Chalice” for our 8-year-olds, “First Mentor” for our 11-year-olds, and recognizing the high school graduation of Cody Urban. If you aren’t familiar with these wonderful ways that we honor our growing youth, check out the “rites-of-passage” link on our R.E. website at www.chalicedreamer.net.
Greeters: Youth Greeters
Social Hour: Beth and Isabel Tappan-deFrees
Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
Flower Celebration and All Church Picnic Mark W. Harris
Our final service of the church year always features that great UU tradition of Flower Celebration, which comes to us from the Czech Unitarian martyr Norbert Capek. Please bring a cut flower to church. This day also marks
our annual all church picnic. Please bring a dish to share for the feast that follows the service. And plan to help us celebrate with an Environmental Fair. You will be able to purchase CFL bulbs, and Canvas FPW grocery bags as well as participate in a hands on discussion on alternatives to gas lawn mowers.
Greeters: Anna and Mike Anctil
Social Hour: All Church Picnic
Mark your calendars for Summer Worship dates at First Parish.
The full schedule will be mailed to you.
The dates for the lay services are:
July 13, 20, 27
August 3, 10, 17
All services begin at 9:30 a.m.
Captain’s Log
I finally feel as though life has calmed down a little after the flurry of delivering four Minns Lectures in two weeks.
Now I simply have to write the final one for General Assembly. The Minns Committee treated Andrea and me to a lovely dinner at Stellina’s after the fourth lecture given here in Watertown. Thanks to the 15 or so FPW members who attended one or more lectures, and especially to Martha Scott, David Morrison and Bobbie Brown who put on a pre lecture reception.
We have a few short weeks to finish our church year and say goodbye to Roberta and Mark C. I will be sad to see both go, but also am happy that they can further their career goals and feel a sense of personal fulfillment. Mark will see the Fellowship Committee of the UUA in the fall, and then begin a church search. He is smart, witty and Italian!, but most important, committed to our ministry and our congregations. I wish him all the best.
You have probably heard rumors that we will not have an intern next year. Our first round of interviews did not produce a candidate. Rather than pursue the process further, I thought it might be a good time to take a sabbatical (three months) in the winter/spring of 2009. It will be a sabbatical in residence in Watertown, as Andrea and I need to pick up the pace of working on our book contract. (An Introduction to the Unitarian and Universalist Traditions). At this writing I am thinking I will take three more months in 2010, and then return to having interns again. It is strongly recommend that ministers not have interns if they are on sabbatical. Ministers typically receive one month of sabbatical leave for each year of service. So I will complete two sabbaticals (each spread over two years so it is three months each year) by the end of 14 years of service. (More details in the fall).
This should give the new DRE time to settle in to the position before I take some time off to write. Mark C. and I talked about his sermon on goodbyes before he gave it. I told him it was the kind of topic that elicits responses whether it was a good sermon or not! Sometimes it works that way. Goodbyes are hard, especially when it is with someone who has given so much to make our congregation a thriving institution. I can only hope that my relationship with the new DRE approaches the kind of positive rapport I experienced working with Roberta. She has helped build a solid RE program and reinvigorated youth group, but also has provided a wonderful presence in many aspects of church life here. We are all grateful for what she contributed.
Heading into summer we will feel more pain than usual, but we can also look ahead to the excitement of a new church year in the fall. If you just say the words “Founded in 1630,” you instantly realize that our congregation has always survived change and thrived again.
Andrea and I will spend our usual time in Maine. I am teaching a UU History course at Ferry Beach, and both of us are preaching in Rockland, ME. July is my vacation month, with August on call. During the summer, please use our home email: themanse@comcast.net. I hope you have relaxing summers. We hold you all in our hearts wherever your travels take you.
Mark
R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Roberta@chalicedreamer.net
cell phone: 617-872-5145
I cannot believe I am writing my final Arbella column! It feels very sad that my time working as your Director of Religious Education will soon be coming to a close. And yet it is hard to get too swept up in the sadness knowing that change can often bring great things for all of us! You will likely soon be welcoming a new DRE who will probably be bringing strengths different than mine. She (or he) could lead you on a fabulous religious education journey you never imagined.
Before I go, I wanted to share my top 10 favorite things that I love and will miss about First Parish …
1. The compassionate community! When someone is in need, many FPW members and friends are reaching out with a helping hand. When someone needs a friend, many of you are there with a smile. When I ask anyone why they keep coming to FPW, they almost always say the “community”. It is easy to see why.
2. The commitment to making our world a better place. Seeing all the social justice work done by our small congregation is energizing. It offers all of us hope that we can make a difference in our world today!
3. The diversity in our community. It is great to come together with others who are different from us. Being in community with different people also translates into getting a variety of important work done for our church and our world. Each of us likes helping with different projects and that collectively translates into an amazing amount of volunteer power.
4. The RE committee. Their collective efforts have brought a wide variety of gifts to our RE program. Some people give me the credit for how great our program is, but it is in large part because of all of their talent and dedication. I know that in the hands of their wonderful leadership, First Parish’s RE program will continue to grow, thrive, and prosper!
5. The joy of working with others. Not only do I believe that projects led by more than one person are better because you get different insights and perspectives guiding the work, but it is more fun too. The laughs and camaraderie we have shared have been priceless!
6. Our teenagers. I love how vital our Youth Ministry has grown to be! I am inspired by the many ways our youth have become deeply involved in our congregational life and it has been wonderful to witness how welcomed their participation is. Knowing teenagers so committed to making our world a better place gives me real hope for our future.
7. Our children. Each and every precious one of them! Their smiles. Their giggles. The sweet things they do. Their willingness to help others. Their incredible way of inspiring adults to see the world from new perspectives. And their way of really opening our hearts to the beauty and love in our world!
8. The music. The glorious sound of children singing in our sanctuary always opens my spirit like nothing else. It compliments the harmony that we enjoy from our youth and adult choirs. And all of the amazing musicians that share their talents with us.
9. Charlyn Bethell. I try to avoid focusing on any one person in my public writing because so many of you deserve my thanks and praise. But I feel that Charlyn’s dedication to First Parish is just remarkable. For the entire five years I’ve worked as your DRE, she has served as the RE Committee chairperson and acted as my supervisory liaison. She’s been an incredible mentor, teacher, and friend!
10. The FPW staff team. You all already know what a great minister we have in Mark Harris. I have grown in so many ways through my work with him. And then we get the unique situation of kind of having two ministers for the price of one with Mark’s wife, Andrea Greenwood, doing so much quietly behind-the-scenes to benefit our church community. And then we have Patty Devore bringing us exceptional music, Nancy Dutton keeping us efficiently organized, Alan Flynn reliably taking care of building needs, Barry Greess compassionately advising our youth, Charlyn Bethell leading our children and youth in joyful singing, and Brigitte Bender tirelessly handling our rentals. FPW is super lucky to have such dedicated staff. It has been so nice to work with this talented team!
These examples of what I love about First Parish highlight that I have many terrific memories from my time working as your DRE. While I will be staying a member, it just won’t be the same not being here on Sundays. Knowing that I will still see you all and that the memories will stay with me forever are making saying goodbye easier. The love, support, and fond memories that you all gave me are precious gifts that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I thank each and every one of you for them!
Ferry Beach
Don’t forget that Roberta is a Ferry Beach booster. That means she is happy to answer any questions you might have about this awesome UU summer vacation experience. (as are many other First Parish youth and adults who have been to Ferry Beach and love it!) They have a nice variety of conferences for youth, families, and adults to nurture your UU spirit while enjoying a fun vacation on the beach. See Roberta for more details or check them out on the web at www.ferrybeach.org
Clean Up Day
A special thanks to all those who helped out with our annual spring clean-up day on May 10. Workers included: Bob Shay, Michael McCarthy, David Benson, Nick Haddad, Martha Scott, Susan Lind-Sinanian, Will Twombly and Mark Harris.
Gay Pride Parade
The year’s parade will be held on June 14. There will be a service at 11am at the Arlington St. Church in Boston followed by the parade at 12pm. If you would like to participate with First Parish see David Morrison and remember to wear your FPW t-shirt if you have one.
Donor Recognition
The Finance Committee wishes to thank all the members and friends of First Parish listed below who have so generously made pledges to support the life of our church in the 2008-2009 church year. This year we exceeded our financial goal for the canvass, and as importantly, have achieved almost 100% participation in the canvass. If you would like to join the community of people who through their financial contributions enable First Parish to continue to play its important role in all of our spiritual lives, please feel free to speak to our Minister, Mark Harris, or Bob Shay, Finance Committee Canvass Coordinator about making a pledge to First Parish.
Pledge Name
Allendoerfer, Karen
Altamari, Michael and Roberta
Anctil, Mike and Anna
Beck, Barbara
Bender, Brigitte
Benson, David & Dutton, Nancy
Berney, Carole
Bethell, Charlyn & Urban, Guy
Bloom, Ann
Boenau, Marilyn
Brown, Gretchen
Brown, Roberta
Burns, Ginger and Neil Zarin
Button, Kathy
Chamberlin, John & McSweeney, Sara
Chipman, Eric
Collins, Marianne & Michael
Cudhea, Peter
Dansereau, Paul & Miller, Julie
Day, Paul & Mulvaney Day, Norah
Demb, Sue & Joe
Dickinson, Chuck
Dussault, Diane
Emerson, Carmen
Erickson, Johanna
Felty, Jim
Fitts, Judi
Flint, Susan & Haddad, Nick
Glover-McDade, Anna
Goodwillie, Tom and Tesi Kohlenberg
Greess, Barry & Cleary, Jeanne
Hansberry, Barbara & Leon, David
Harrington, Anne
Harris, Mark & Greenwood, Andrea
Hart, Kyle & Johanna
Hebeisen, Brian and Elizabeth Strekalovsky
Howe, Mary
Howe, Virginia
Johnson, Christopher & Repp, Ken
Kamm, Roger & Judy
Katz, Carole
Knight, Anna
Knuttunen, Jane
Kuder, Sue
Latner, Betty
Libbey, Meryl
Lind-Sinanian, Susan
McCarthy, Michael
McDonald, Valy
Merkl, Jean & Gorman, John
Montesino, Paul
Morton, Kelly and Kyle
Mountain, Joani
Oliva, Celeste and Joe Garland
Parsons, Beth
Pierce, Lee
Portz, John & Montague, Meredith
Proskauer, Charmian
Refior, Wendell
Rhoda, Randy
Ryan, Eileen
Schlivek, Mary
Scott, Martha and David Morrison
Shaw, Jill and Barbara Farrell
Shay, Missy & Bob
Shepard, Diane & Thom
Tappan-deFrees, Elizabeth & Isabel
Turner, Patricia
Twombly, Will & Sue
Urban, Martha
Vogel, Jerusha and Ken
Warren, Kathy & David
Rummage Thanks
Many thanks to those who helped out with our annual Rummage Sale, especially our co- chairs Jane Knuttenun and Sue Kuder. We had a final profit of $1,421,10. Here are the folks who helped. Thanks to them and others who may have assisted (let us know if we missed you!): Eileen Ryan, Missy Shay, Ginger Burns, Barbara Farrell, Jill Shaw, Carole Katz, Joani Mountain, Meredith Montague, Kathy Button, Joanna Erickson, Marianne and Michael Collins, Barbara Hansberry, Susan Flint, Will Twombly, Gretchen Brown, Beth and Izzy Tappan-deFrees, Jan Klein, David Morrison, Channing Mendelsohn and Mark Harris
Here is a FPW rummage review from Yelp.com. Folks may find it amusing and affirming!!!
##########
Oh, hell yes, the First Parish of Watertown Unitarian Universalist
Church rocks! Today was my official "Garage Sale Crawl", usually done
once a year to remind me why I despise bargain hunting in people's
front yards... and the rainy weather made me realize even sooner why I
can't stand arguing over getting a used shirt for 25 cents instead of
50. So, I was heading home, and just as I was beginning to renounce life,
love, and goodwill -- there it was! "Rummage Sale May 3rd,
35 Church Street, 10 AM - 3 PM" -- My car practically steered
itself into the parking lot, where I parked and was promptly yelled
at by the bank employee guarding the four bank spots. So I moved
the car, and walked my grumpy self into the basement of
F.P.O.W.U.U.
Immediately friendly faces asked me if I was looking for anything in
particular, and directed me to the corner of the room where all the
baby clothes were stacked. I filled my bag full of cheap-o crib sheets,
fleecy jackets, and baby blankets, and walked out only spending $11.
Since most of you yelpers have an anti-breeding stance, I have no
worries that I'll be able to go here and get baby things without you
all stealing my bargains.
Oh, I didn't go to the service here, but I'm sure it's nice too.
New Members
On Sunday, May 18 we were pleased to welcome four new people into membership. Here are their bios:
Paul V. Montesino. writes “May you live in interesting times," is a phrase loosely attributed to the Chinese that was used by Robert Kennedy in 1966. I don’t know where those words came from, but I believe I have lived through those times myself. I was the son of a man who was imprisoned for his political convictions against a dictatorship. Educated the first ten years of my life by a top Jesuit educational institution where I was not shy to express my opposition to the middle age oppression of the Inquisition, I was witness to the destruction of every religious and civic institution in my society and its replacement by a communist dictatorship.
I came to Boston in the 1960s and have lived in Watertown since 1972. First as a senior banker and later as a college professor where I have taught more than six thousand students, I have always been involved in community affairs of one kind or another, first in my high school in Cuba, and later on behalf of my business and college or my personal beliefs in America. I am also a Watertown Library writer in residence of record and my writings on behalf of people who, as David Henry Thoreau would describe “live lives of quiet desperation,” are part of my literary history. Whether against the current war in Iraq even before it started, or a Cardinal who sacrificed integrity for expediency or many other causes that try to impose unfairly on those who cannot shake that quiet desperation, my writings have always been on record and can be easily located if you have the patience to Google them under my name.
It is that long journey that brought me to the doors of First Parish of Watertown. But don’t take me too seriously. There is also a light part in my life: It is the joy of having my grandchildren nearby that really “makes my day.” Eat your heart out Clint Eastwood.
Carmen Emerson is a native of Helena, Arkansas, and comes to Watertown by way of Nashville, Tulsa, Waterloo, New Orleans, and Orlando. She and husband, Jim, married 22 years ago after working together in a community theatre production of "Damn Yankees." She has been a UU since 1989, when she joined the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, where she served on its teaching parish committee, its committee on ministry, and as president of its board of trustees. She also worked as office administrator for the Florida District UUA. After a 25-year legal career as a paralegal and manager of a bonds/securities law firm, Carmen answered a call to ministry and is currently a student at Andover Newton Theological School. She is currently completing a ministerial internship at the UU Service Committee, and looks forward to volunteering in FPW's religious education program in the 2008-09 church year."
Matthew and Katherine Callabro were both born and raised in Rochester, NY. They met in High School, both went to Penn State for college, and were married in 2006 after they graduated. They moved to Boston almost two years ago, and just moved to Watertown (down the street on Summer St.) nine months ago. Matt is an Auditor working for KPMG, and Katherine is pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University.
Katherine was raised in the United Church of Christ faith. Katherine was first introduced to Unitarian Universalism through some of her fellow graduate students at BU. She was drawn to the open environment that encouraged freedom of thought concerning religious values and the emphasis of searching for truth instead of simply accepting a set of approved beliefs. While her UCC church was very liberal, Katherine still found it limiting in using reason to explore faith, often feeling a sense of guilt for raising doubts about the nature and existence of God. When the UU faith was presented to her, she was surprised and pleased to find that so many others had many of the same ideas about how to explore religion. In a way, she was a UU long before ever learning about it.
Matt, on the other hand, was raised as a Catholic, and was much more reluctant to participate in any kind of church related activities after his experience. His natural inclination to question and doubt that which seemed improbable, such as transubstantiation, lead him to spend much of his time in the principal’s office for disrupting Sunday school classes. Also, he disliked the judgmental nature of the church, including the condemnation of other religions and sexual orientation. However, his experience thus far at First Parish has been a welcome contrast to his prior expectations, because the church accepts all faiths and backgrounds, while maintaining a cerebral outlook on life and religion.
In addition to the intellectual stimulation from attending services, Matt and Katherine are excited to become more involved in the social and community aspects of the church. The environment that they have found here is what originally attracted them to Boston in the first place; they can’t wait to start building their life in the Watertown community, and particularly in the First Parish Congregation.
Bring back water
Please remember to collect some water from the place where your summer travels take you. Near or far please fill a small container with water from the place you visit so that you can share the life flowing spirit of your summer adventure. Our Water Service will be on Sunday, September 7 at 11:00 a.m.
Watertown Community Solar Challenge
The deadline to participate in the Solar Challenge has been extended to June 30th. The goal is to reach 150 donors who can give $100. We only need approximately 20 more people, organizations or businesses to donate. You need not be a Watertown resident to participate as you can use First Parish’s address of 35 Church St. Watertown MA 02472. Let's meet the challenge! We have forms at church or contact Mike Anctil or Brian Hebeisen for more information.
Do You Have Concerns About How FPW Makes Use of our 'SPACE'?
The Parish Committee has started a 'Space Use Task Force' to evaluate such concerns because we have become aware of problems that staff are having related how church office and classrooms are currently beingused. We are investigating these issues fully with staff, but also want to find out if there are additional issues that concern congregation members.To that end, Ken Repp and Isabel Tappan-deFrees will be leading an open forum on this issue on Sunday June 8th from 12:30 - 1:30. The purpose of this meeting is to document existing concerns.
Ultimately, our goal is to be able to make both short and long term suggested plans for improving how the First Parish building works for all of us. We invite you all to come share your concerns...
Making a Mark
By Mark Caggiano
On Sunday, June 2nd, I will have the honor of performing my first memorial service. It is not a true funeral, but a service for a Harvard reunion. The most interesting aspect of the service for me is the class for which it is in remembrance: the Harvard Business School Class of 1948. The majority of these alumni were World War II veterans, and the largest majority of them have died. They are older than my parents. Many have lead fascinating lives over a tumultuous period in American history. But they are also regular people with regular lives, now gathering together to relive old times and perhaps to remember those who are no longer amongst them. Planning for the service has been educational, both in trying to pull together a meaningful worship experience for a group of non-UUs and learning about their experiences through the years.
Learning about what makes a group of people function is the most important part of being a minister to them. When you know too little, you cannot find the right place for your message. In other words, you cannot know what it is they will find meaningful. If you take the time to learn something about the people – their achievements and their failures, their highs and their lows – you can provide them a memorable experience as they attempt to remember those that have come and gone.
As I reflect upon my time here in Watertown, my experiences have been much like my planning sessions for the upcoming reunion. Almost two years ago, I was a new face in the church. I was not Darrick, Jim, Sue or Fayre. That was not good or bad, but it was different. We had to spend some time learning about each other. We did that at committee meetings, potlucks and of course Sunday mornings. Some of you heard my bad jokes and hopefully all of you have forgiven me for them. I heard from some of you about your ups and downs during the week and had ongoing conversations to check in. Others inquired into my life and my family. My daughter Alyssa sang with the choir when she could and my teenage son Nick sat in the front row trying not to look too bored. We all shared together cookies and coffee, but we also shared so much more. This was all a part of having a meaningful relationship together, a meaningful and long-lasting worship experience.
I have enjoyed my time here in Watertown. In truth, I stumbled upon a notice for the internship here at the last minute and applied under the working assumption that I was too late. But I met with Mark and I met with the Parish Committee. Like any relationship, we put our best feet forward and I was happy to find out that the church was even better than self-advertised. I hope I have lived up to the church’s expectations, as I value my time here enormously and have tried to be a minister to you in my newborn, fumbling way.
But as I mentioned a few weeks ago, it is important to mark clearly the time of one’s parting. Some of us will surely meet again, but it will be a new beginning, a new time together. I will be a minister, an old friend, or maybe even a lawyer (hopefully not). Like old classmates, we will come back together with nostalgia, some funny stories and perhaps a bit of sadness. Time will pass, but we can remember what it meant to be together. This is the way of things.
You truly have something wonderful here on the shores of the Charles River and I was blessed to have been a part of it for a short while. Thank you for being here and for being you. I will remember you always.
Goodbye.
Mark C.
Lost and Found
Over the year we have accumulated in the church office an array of items that have been found throughout the church. During these last Sundays we will have them available at social hour for you to see if there is anything that belongs to you.
Summer Worship Services
We are still trying to finalize our summer worship schedule. During the summer months of July and August we will hold six lay led services, all of which begin at 9:30 a.m.
Sometimes the services follow our standard Order of Worship, and sometimes the leader takes us on a very different path.
The dates this year for the lay services will be: July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 10, 17.
If you are interested in leading a service, please contact Chris Johnson (781.209.0944 orLesHons@verizon.net).
DRE Survey Input
We have been receiving applications for the position of Director of Religious Education and are now interviewing candidates. We would like to invite First Parish members and friends to help us by sharing any thoughts you may have about the R.E. program or about what makes a good DRE -- anything that you would like us to bear in mind as we proceed with the search. Feel free to contact Charlyn Bethel, chair of the DRE Search Committee.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Fund Raiser for AIDS Program
Eliza Petrow, the daughter of FPW member Beth Parsons will be showing a film about a program she recently started in rural China. The program- under the AIDS Orphan Salvation Association and in partnership with Dr. Kay Johnson of Hampshire College- provides treatment, care and support to HIV+ children, many of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The program received generous support from DC-based Medical Care Development International to carry out the program for the first 12 months; however, additional HIV+ children in need of assistance have been identified and we require continued financial support to sustain and expand the program from June 1, 2008 onward.
Please join us for pizza from 6:30-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2008 at First Parish to be followed at 7:00 by a viewing of the Oscar award winning short-documentary (39 minutes), "The Blood of Yingzhou District," which features several of the kids in the program. Eliza will also provide a brief overview of AIDS in China, and will discuss the effectiveness and importance of the program. (If you wear glasses, be sure to bring them so you can read the sub-titles and see the photos clearly).
Donations to support the program are encouraged and welcomed. All donations are tax deductible and will be handled by the US-based Alliance for Children Foundation. 100% of proceeds will go to the program.
Cyclone Relief
UU Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association have launched a humanitarian relief fund to help survivors of the cyclone that struck Myanmar (formerly Burma) on May 3. This was our special charitable offering for May. We also wanted to extend the opportunity to donate to this special offering to others who could not be in church on May 18. So far we have collected $559. Checks can be made out UUSC/UUA Cyclone Nargis Relief Fund. Please send checks to church within the next week, and we will send all the checks from FPW at one time.
With wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, Cyclone Nargis pummeled Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta resulting in 134,000 dead or missing people.
World news reports are chronicling the tension between the international aid community, which wants to roll out a massive disaster response, and the Myanmar government, which wants to control all aid delivery. Given that situation, many concerned people are asking whether it makes sense to contribute to the relief effort. Since the storm struck, organizations with offices on the ground in Myanmar have, in fact, been leading critical and effective recovery work behind the scenes of the international aid debate.
Two UUSC program staffpersons were in Myanmar just before the cyclone struck, and are now in communication with NGO contacts there to support these vital relief efforts. Because of the relationships formed in Myanmar and our existing partner relationships in southeast Asia, UUSC is now able to work with organizations on the ground delivering relief directly to affected groups. To read more on UUSCs response please visit www.uusc.org
A number of concerned constituents have asked if UUSC will be launching a relief fund to aid Chinese earthquake survivors. After careful consideration, UUSC has decided not to do so since the Chinese government is mounting a robust relief effort and we feel it is important to concentrate on Myanmar where the situation is still desperate.
Escape To Vermont
September 26 – 28, 2008 Fourteenth Annual B&B Weekend offered by the UU Church of Rutland, VT. Enjoy the beauty of Vermont, UU hospitality, and a choice of guided activities: hiking, kayaking, bicycling, antiques/arts, cider making, soaring tour, touring historic sites and quaint towns, and much more. Registration by August 1, $250 (single) and $450 (double). After August 1, $300 (single) and $500 (double). For more information contact uufoliagevermont@yahoo.com or (802) 353-7969.
www.rutlanduu.org
Arbella
June 2008
for calendar of events please go to our website: fpwatertown.org and go to the member page for the calendar
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday, June 1, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
“My Bad or Yours? Mark W. Harris
Have you heard the phrase “my bad”, meaning my mistake? Not long ago I ordered a slice of pizza with a side salad, paid for it, took it back to the office, and discovered I only had the salad. The young clerk at the pizza shop recognized me as I came through the door, acted apologetic, and blurted out, “My bad.”
He took responsibility for his mistake. That can be a hard thing to do. Can you admit a my bad or do you try to make it a your bad?
Greeters: Jane Knuttunen and Nancy Dutton
Social Hour: Kyle and Kelly Morton
Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
Youth Sunday Worship Service
In addition to our youth leading us in worship, we will celebrate some special “rites-of-passage” ceremonies. This year, those ceremonies include “First Chalice” for our 8-year-olds, “First Mentor” for our 11-year-olds, and recognizing the high school graduation of Cody Urban. If you aren’t familiar with these wonderful ways that we honor our growing youth, check out the “rites-of-passage” link on our R.E. website at www.chalicedreamer.net.
Greeters: Youth Greeters
Social Hour: Beth and Isabel Tappan-deFrees
Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 11:00a.am.
Flower Celebration and All Church Picnic Mark W. Harris
Our final service of the church year always features that great UU tradition of Flower Celebration, which comes to us from the Czech Unitarian martyr Norbert Capek. Please bring a cut flower to church. This day also marks
our annual all church picnic. Please bring a dish to share for the feast that follows the service. And plan to help us celebrate with an Environmental Fair. You will be able to purchase CFL bulbs, and Canvas FPW grocery bags as well as participate in a hands on discussion on alternatives to gas lawn mowers.
Greeters: Anna and Mike Anctil
Social Hour: All Church Picnic
Mark your calendars for Summer Worship dates at First Parish.
The full schedule will be mailed to you.
The dates for the lay services are:
July 13, 20, 27
August 3, 10, 17
All services begin at 9:30 a.m.
Captain’s Log
I finally feel as though life has calmed down a little after the flurry of delivering four Minns Lectures in two weeks.
Now I simply have to write the final one for General Assembly. The Minns Committee treated Andrea and me to a lovely dinner at Stellina’s after the fourth lecture given here in Watertown. Thanks to the 15 or so FPW members who attended one or more lectures, and especially to Martha Scott, David Morrison and Bobbie Brown who put on a pre lecture reception.
We have a few short weeks to finish our church year and say goodbye to Roberta and Mark C. I will be sad to see both go, but also am happy that they can further their career goals and feel a sense of personal fulfillment. Mark will see the Fellowship Committee of the UUA in the fall, and then begin a church search. He is smart, witty and Italian!, but most important, committed to our ministry and our congregations. I wish him all the best.
You have probably heard rumors that we will not have an intern next year. Our first round of interviews did not produce a candidate. Rather than pursue the process further, I thought it might be a good time to take a sabbatical (three months) in the winter/spring of 2009. It will be a sabbatical in residence in Watertown, as Andrea and I need to pick up the pace of working on our book contract. (An Introduction to the Unitarian and Universalist Traditions). At this writing I am thinking I will take three more months in 2010, and then return to having interns again. It is strongly recommend that ministers not have interns if they are on sabbatical. Ministers typically receive one month of sabbatical leave for each year of service. So I will complete two sabbaticals (each spread over two years so it is three months each year) by the end of 14 years of service. (More details in the fall).
This should give the new DRE time to settle in to the position before I take some time off to write. Mark C. and I talked about his sermon on goodbyes before he gave it. I told him it was the kind of topic that elicits responses whether it was a good sermon or not! Sometimes it works that way. Goodbyes are hard, especially when it is with someone who has given so much to make our congregation a thriving institution. I can only hope that my relationship with the new DRE approaches the kind of positive rapport I experienced working with Roberta. She has helped build a solid RE program and reinvigorated youth group, but also has provided a wonderful presence in many aspects of church life here. We are all grateful for what she contributed.
Heading into summer we will feel more pain than usual, but we can also look ahead to the excitement of a new church year in the fall. If you just say the words “Founded in 1630,” you instantly realize that our congregation has always survived change and thrived again.
Andrea and I will spend our usual time in Maine. I am teaching a UU History course at Ferry Beach, and both of us are preaching in Rockland, ME. July is my vacation month, with August on call. During the summer, please use our home email: themanse@comcast.net. I hope you have relaxing summers. We hold you all in our hearts wherever your travels take you.
Mark
R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Roberta@chalicedreamer.net
cell phone: 617-872-5145
I cannot believe I am writing my final Arbella column! It feels very sad that my time working as your Director of Religious Education will soon be coming to a close. And yet it is hard to get too swept up in the sadness knowing that change can often bring great things for all of us! You will likely soon be welcoming a new DRE who will probably be bringing strengths different than mine. She (or he) could lead you on a fabulous religious education journey you never imagined.
Before I go, I wanted to share my top 10 favorite things that I love and will miss about First Parish …
1. The compassionate community! When someone is in need, many FPW members and friends are reaching out with a helping hand. When someone needs a friend, many of you are there with a smile. When I ask anyone why they keep coming to FPW, they almost always say the “community”. It is easy to see why.
2. The commitment to making our world a better place. Seeing all the social justice work done by our small congregation is energizing. It offers all of us hope that we can make a difference in our world today!
3. The diversity in our community. It is great to come together with others who are different from us. Being in community with different people also translates into getting a variety of important work done for our church and our world. Each of us likes helping with different projects and that collectively translates into an amazing amount of volunteer power.
4. The RE committee. Their collective efforts have brought a wide variety of gifts to our RE program. Some people give me the credit for how great our program is, but it is in large part because of all of their talent and dedication. I know that in the hands of their wonderful leadership, First Parish’s RE program will continue to grow, thrive, and prosper!
5. The joy of working with others. Not only do I believe that projects led by more than one person are better because you get different insights and perspectives guiding the work, but it is more fun too. The laughs and camaraderie we have shared have been priceless!
6. Our teenagers. I love how vital our Youth Ministry has grown to be! I am inspired by the many ways our youth have become deeply involved in our congregational life and it has been wonderful to witness how welcomed their participation is. Knowing teenagers so committed to making our world a better place gives me real hope for our future.
7. Our children. Each and every precious one of them! Their smiles. Their giggles. The sweet things they do. Their willingness to help others. Their incredible way of inspiring adults to see the world from new perspectives. And their way of really opening our hearts to the beauty and love in our world!
8. The music. The glorious sound of children singing in our sanctuary always opens my spirit like nothing else. It compliments the harmony that we enjoy from our youth and adult choirs. And all of the amazing musicians that share their talents with us.
9. Charlyn Bethell. I try to avoid focusing on any one person in my public writing because so many of you deserve my thanks and praise. But I feel that Charlyn’s dedication to First Parish is just remarkable. For the entire five years I’ve worked as your DRE, she has served as the RE Committee chairperson and acted as my supervisory liaison. She’s been an incredible mentor, teacher, and friend!
10. The FPW staff team. You all already know what a great minister we have in Mark Harris. I have grown in so many ways through my work with him. And then we get the unique situation of kind of having two ministers for the price of one with Mark’s wife, Andrea Greenwood, doing so much quietly behind-the-scenes to benefit our church community. And then we have Patty Devore bringing us exceptional music, Nancy Dutton keeping us efficiently organized, Alan Flynn reliably taking care of building needs, Barry Greess compassionately advising our youth, Charlyn Bethell leading our children and youth in joyful singing, and Brigitte Bender tirelessly handling our rentals. FPW is super lucky to have such dedicated staff. It has been so nice to work with this talented team!
These examples of what I love about First Parish highlight that I have many terrific memories from my time working as your DRE. While I will be staying a member, it just won’t be the same not being here on Sundays. Knowing that I will still see you all and that the memories will stay with me forever are making saying goodbye easier. The love, support, and fond memories that you all gave me are precious gifts that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I thank each and every one of you for them!
Ferry Beach
Don’t forget that Roberta is a Ferry Beach booster. That means she is happy to answer any questions you might have about this awesome UU summer vacation experience. (as are many other First Parish youth and adults who have been to Ferry Beach and love it!) They have a nice variety of conferences for youth, families, and adults to nurture your UU spirit while enjoying a fun vacation on the beach. See Roberta for more details or check them out on the web at www.ferrybeach.org
Clean Up Day
A special thanks to all those who helped out with our annual spring clean-up day on May 10. Workers included: Bob Shay, Michael McCarthy, David Benson, Nick Haddad, Martha Scott, Susan Lind-Sinanian, Will Twombly and Mark Harris.
Gay Pride Parade
The year’s parade will be held on June 14. There will be a service at 11am at the Arlington St. Church in Boston followed by the parade at 12pm. If you would like to participate with First Parish see David Morrison and remember to wear your FPW t-shirt if you have one.
Donor Recognition
The Finance Committee wishes to thank all the members and friends of First Parish listed below who have so generously made pledges to support the life of our church in the 2008-2009 church year. This year we exceeded our financial goal for the canvass, and as importantly, have achieved almost 100% participation in the canvass. If you would like to join the community of people who through their financial contributions enable First Parish to continue to play its important role in all of our spiritual lives, please feel free to speak to our Minister, Mark Harris, or Bob Shay, Finance Committee Canvass Coordinator about making a pledge to First Parish.
Pledge Name
Allendoerfer, Karen
Altamari, Michael and Roberta
Anctil, Mike and Anna
Beck, Barbara
Bender, Brigitte
Benson, David & Dutton, Nancy
Berney, Carole
Bethell, Charlyn & Urban, Guy
Bloom, Ann
Boenau, Marilyn
Brown, Gretchen
Brown, Roberta
Burns, Ginger and Neil Zarin
Button, Kathy
Chamberlin, John & McSweeney, Sara
Chipman, Eric
Collins, Marianne & Michael
Cudhea, Peter
Dansereau, Paul & Miller, Julie
Day, Paul & Mulvaney Day, Norah
Demb, Sue & Joe
Dickinson, Chuck
Dussault, Diane
Emerson, Carmen
Erickson, Johanna
Felty, Jim
Fitts, Judi
Flint, Susan & Haddad, Nick
Glover-McDade, Anna
Goodwillie, Tom and Tesi Kohlenberg
Greess, Barry & Cleary, Jeanne
Hansberry, Barbara & Leon, David
Harrington, Anne
Harris, Mark & Greenwood, Andrea
Hart, Kyle & Johanna
Hebeisen, Brian and Elizabeth Strekalovsky
Howe, Mary
Howe, Virginia
Johnson, Christopher & Repp, Ken
Kamm, Roger & Judy
Katz, Carole
Knight, Anna
Knuttunen, Jane
Kuder, Sue
Latner, Betty
Libbey, Meryl
Lind-Sinanian, Susan
McCarthy, Michael
McDonald, Valy
Merkl, Jean & Gorman, John
Montesino, Paul
Morton, Kelly and Kyle
Mountain, Joani
Oliva, Celeste and Joe Garland
Parsons, Beth
Pierce, Lee
Portz, John & Montague, Meredith
Proskauer, Charmian
Refior, Wendell
Rhoda, Randy
Ryan, Eileen
Schlivek, Mary
Scott, Martha and David Morrison
Shaw, Jill and Barbara Farrell
Shay, Missy & Bob
Shepard, Diane & Thom
Tappan-deFrees, Elizabeth & Isabel
Turner, Patricia
Twombly, Will & Sue
Urban, Martha
Vogel, Jerusha and Ken
Warren, Kathy & David
Rummage Thanks
Many thanks to those who helped out with our annual Rummage Sale, especially our co- chairs Jane Knuttenun and Sue Kuder. We had a final profit of $1,421,10. Here are the folks who helped. Thanks to them and others who may have assisted (let us know if we missed you!): Eileen Ryan, Missy Shay, Ginger Burns, Barbara Farrell, Jill Shaw, Carole Katz, Joani Mountain, Meredith Montague, Kathy Button, Joanna Erickson, Marianne and Michael Collins, Barbara Hansberry, Susan Flint, Will Twombly, Gretchen Brown, Beth and Izzy Tappan-deFrees, Jan Klein, David Morrison, Channing Mendelsohn and Mark Harris
Here is a FPW rummage review from Yelp.com. Folks may find it amusing and affirming!!!
##########
Oh, hell yes, the First Parish of Watertown Unitarian Universalist
Church rocks! Today was my official "Garage Sale Crawl", usually done
once a year to remind me why I despise bargain hunting in people's
front yards... and the rainy weather made me realize even sooner why I
can't stand arguing over getting a used shirt for 25 cents instead of
50. So, I was heading home, and just as I was beginning to renounce life,
love, and goodwill -- there it was! "Rummage Sale May 3rd,
35 Church Street, 10 AM - 3 PM" -- My car practically steered
itself into the parking lot, where I parked and was promptly yelled
at by the bank employee guarding the four bank spots. So I moved
the car, and walked my grumpy self into the basement of
F.P.O.W.U.U.
Immediately friendly faces asked me if I was looking for anything in
particular, and directed me to the corner of the room where all the
baby clothes were stacked. I filled my bag full of cheap-o crib sheets,
fleecy jackets, and baby blankets, and walked out only spending $11.
Since most of you yelpers have an anti-breeding stance, I have no
worries that I'll be able to go here and get baby things without you
all stealing my bargains.
Oh, I didn't go to the service here, but I'm sure it's nice too.
New Members
On Sunday, May 18 we were pleased to welcome four new people into membership. Here are their bios:
Paul V. Montesino. writes “May you live in interesting times," is a phrase loosely attributed to the Chinese that was used by Robert Kennedy in 1966. I don’t know where those words came from, but I believe I have lived through those times myself. I was the son of a man who was imprisoned for his political convictions against a dictatorship. Educated the first ten years of my life by a top Jesuit educational institution where I was not shy to express my opposition to the middle age oppression of the Inquisition, I was witness to the destruction of every religious and civic institution in my society and its replacement by a communist dictatorship.
I came to Boston in the 1960s and have lived in Watertown since 1972. First as a senior banker and later as a college professor where I have taught more than six thousand students, I have always been involved in community affairs of one kind or another, first in my high school in Cuba, and later on behalf of my business and college or my personal beliefs in America. I am also a Watertown Library writer in residence of record and my writings on behalf of people who, as David Henry Thoreau would describe “live lives of quiet desperation,” are part of my literary history. Whether against the current war in Iraq even before it started, or a Cardinal who sacrificed integrity for expediency or many other causes that try to impose unfairly on those who cannot shake that quiet desperation, my writings have always been on record and can be easily located if you have the patience to Google them under my name.
It is that long journey that brought me to the doors of First Parish of Watertown. But don’t take me too seriously. There is also a light part in my life: It is the joy of having my grandchildren nearby that really “makes my day.” Eat your heart out Clint Eastwood.
Carmen Emerson is a native of Helena, Arkansas, and comes to Watertown by way of Nashville, Tulsa, Waterloo, New Orleans, and Orlando. She and husband, Jim, married 22 years ago after working together in a community theatre production of "Damn Yankees." She has been a UU since 1989, when she joined the First Unitarian Church of Orlando, where she served on its teaching parish committee, its committee on ministry, and as president of its board of trustees. She also worked as office administrator for the Florida District UUA. After a 25-year legal career as a paralegal and manager of a bonds/securities law firm, Carmen answered a call to ministry and is currently a student at Andover Newton Theological School. She is currently completing a ministerial internship at the UU Service Committee, and looks forward to volunteering in FPW's religious education program in the 2008-09 church year."
Matthew and Katherine Callabro were both born and raised in Rochester, NY. They met in High School, both went to Penn State for college, and were married in 2006 after they graduated. They moved to Boston almost two years ago, and just moved to Watertown (down the street on Summer St.) nine months ago. Matt is an Auditor working for KPMG, and Katherine is pursuing her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Boston University.
Katherine was raised in the United Church of Christ faith. Katherine was first introduced to Unitarian Universalism through some of her fellow graduate students at BU. She was drawn to the open environment that encouraged freedom of thought concerning religious values and the emphasis of searching for truth instead of simply accepting a set of approved beliefs. While her UCC church was very liberal, Katherine still found it limiting in using reason to explore faith, often feeling a sense of guilt for raising doubts about the nature and existence of God. When the UU faith was presented to her, she was surprised and pleased to find that so many others had many of the same ideas about how to explore religion. In a way, she was a UU long before ever learning about it.
Matt, on the other hand, was raised as a Catholic, and was much more reluctant to participate in any kind of church related activities after his experience. His natural inclination to question and doubt that which seemed improbable, such as transubstantiation, lead him to spend much of his time in the principal’s office for disrupting Sunday school classes. Also, he disliked the judgmental nature of the church, including the condemnation of other religions and sexual orientation. However, his experience thus far at First Parish has been a welcome contrast to his prior expectations, because the church accepts all faiths and backgrounds, while maintaining a cerebral outlook on life and religion.
In addition to the intellectual stimulation from attending services, Matt and Katherine are excited to become more involved in the social and community aspects of the church. The environment that they have found here is what originally attracted them to Boston in the first place; they can’t wait to start building their life in the Watertown community, and particularly in the First Parish Congregation.
Bring back water
Please remember to collect some water from the place where your summer travels take you. Near or far please fill a small container with water from the place you visit so that you can share the life flowing spirit of your summer adventure. Our Water Service will be on Sunday, September 7 at 11:00 a.m.
Watertown Community Solar Challenge
The deadline to participate in the Solar Challenge has been extended to June 30th. The goal is to reach 150 donors who can give $100. We only need approximately 20 more people, organizations or businesses to donate. You need not be a Watertown resident to participate as you can use First Parish’s address of 35 Church St. Watertown MA 02472. Let's meet the challenge! We have forms at church or contact Mike Anctil or Brian Hebeisen for more information.
Do You Have Concerns About How FPW Makes Use of our 'SPACE'?
The Parish Committee has started a 'Space Use Task Force' to evaluate such concerns because we have become aware of problems that staff are having related how church office and classrooms are currently beingused. We are investigating these issues fully with staff, but also want to find out if there are additional issues that concern congregation members.To that end, Ken Repp and Isabel Tappan-deFrees will be leading an open forum on this issue on Sunday June 8th from 12:30 - 1:30. The purpose of this meeting is to document existing concerns.
Ultimately, our goal is to be able to make both short and long term suggested plans for improving how the First Parish building works for all of us. We invite you all to come share your concerns...
Making a Mark
By Mark Caggiano
On Sunday, June 2nd, I will have the honor of performing my first memorial service. It is not a true funeral, but a service for a Harvard reunion. The most interesting aspect of the service for me is the class for which it is in remembrance: the Harvard Business School Class of 1948. The majority of these alumni were World War II veterans, and the largest majority of them have died. They are older than my parents. Many have lead fascinating lives over a tumultuous period in American history. But they are also regular people with regular lives, now gathering together to relive old times and perhaps to remember those who are no longer amongst them. Planning for the service has been educational, both in trying to pull together a meaningful worship experience for a group of non-UUs and learning about their experiences through the years.
Learning about what makes a group of people function is the most important part of being a minister to them. When you know too little, you cannot find the right place for your message. In other words, you cannot know what it is they will find meaningful. If you take the time to learn something about the people – their achievements and their failures, their highs and their lows – you can provide them a memorable experience as they attempt to remember those that have come and gone.
As I reflect upon my time here in Watertown, my experiences have been much like my planning sessions for the upcoming reunion. Almost two years ago, I was a new face in the church. I was not Darrick, Jim, Sue or Fayre. That was not good or bad, but it was different. We had to spend some time learning about each other. We did that at committee meetings, potlucks and of course Sunday mornings. Some of you heard my bad jokes and hopefully all of you have forgiven me for them. I heard from some of you about your ups and downs during the week and had ongoing conversations to check in. Others inquired into my life and my family. My daughter Alyssa sang with the choir when she could and my teenage son Nick sat in the front row trying not to look too bored. We all shared together cookies and coffee, but we also shared so much more. This was all a part of having a meaningful relationship together, a meaningful and long-lasting worship experience.
I have enjoyed my time here in Watertown. In truth, I stumbled upon a notice for the internship here at the last minute and applied under the working assumption that I was too late. But I met with Mark and I met with the Parish Committee. Like any relationship, we put our best feet forward and I was happy to find out that the church was even better than self-advertised. I hope I have lived up to the church’s expectations, as I value my time here enormously and have tried to be a minister to you in my newborn, fumbling way.
But as I mentioned a few weeks ago, it is important to mark clearly the time of one’s parting. Some of us will surely meet again, but it will be a new beginning, a new time together. I will be a minister, an old friend, or maybe even a lawyer (hopefully not). Like old classmates, we will come back together with nostalgia, some funny stories and perhaps a bit of sadness. Time will pass, but we can remember what it meant to be together. This is the way of things.
You truly have something wonderful here on the shores of the Charles River and I was blessed to have been a part of it for a short while. Thank you for being here and for being you. I will remember you always.
Goodbye.
Mark C.
Lost and Found
Over the year we have accumulated in the church office an array of items that have been found throughout the church. During these last Sundays we will have them available at social hour for you to see if there is anything that belongs to you.
Summer Worship Services
We are still trying to finalize our summer worship schedule. During the summer months of July and August we will hold six lay led services, all of which begin at 9:30 a.m.
Sometimes the services follow our standard Order of Worship, and sometimes the leader takes us on a very different path.
The dates this year for the lay services will be: July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 10, 17.
If you are interested in leading a service, please contact Chris Johnson (781.209.0944 orLesHons@verizon.net).
DRE Survey Input
We have been receiving applications for the position of Director of Religious Education and are now interviewing candidates. We would like to invite First Parish members and friends to help us by sharing any thoughts you may have about the R.E. program or about what makes a good DRE -- anything that you would like us to bear in mind as we proceed with the search. Feel free to contact Charlyn Bethel, chair of the DRE Search Committee.
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Fund Raiser for AIDS Program
Eliza Petrow, the daughter of FPW member Beth Parsons will be showing a film about a program she recently started in rural China. The program- under the AIDS Orphan Salvation Association and in partnership with Dr. Kay Johnson of Hampshire College- provides treatment, care and support to HIV+ children, many of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS. The program received generous support from DC-based Medical Care Development International to carry out the program for the first 12 months; however, additional HIV+ children in need of assistance have been identified and we require continued financial support to sustain and expand the program from June 1, 2008 onward.
Please join us for pizza from 6:30-7:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 1, 2008 at First Parish to be followed at 7:00 by a viewing of the Oscar award winning short-documentary (39 minutes), "The Blood of Yingzhou District," which features several of the kids in the program. Eliza will also provide a brief overview of AIDS in China, and will discuss the effectiveness and importance of the program. (If you wear glasses, be sure to bring them so you can read the sub-titles and see the photos clearly).
Donations to support the program are encouraged and welcomed. All donations are tax deductible and will be handled by the US-based Alliance for Children Foundation. 100% of proceeds will go to the program.
Cyclone Relief
UU Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association have launched a humanitarian relief fund to help survivors of the cyclone that struck Myanmar (formerly Burma) on May 3. This was our special charitable offering for May. We also wanted to extend the opportunity to donate to this special offering to others who could not be in church on May 18. So far we have collected $559. Checks can be made out UUSC/UUA Cyclone Nargis Relief Fund. Please send checks to church within the next week, and we will send all the checks from FPW at one time.
With wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour, Cyclone Nargis pummeled Myanmar’s Irrawaddy delta resulting in 134,000 dead or missing people.
World news reports are chronicling the tension between the international aid community, which wants to roll out a massive disaster response, and the Myanmar government, which wants to control all aid delivery. Given that situation, many concerned people are asking whether it makes sense to contribute to the relief effort. Since the storm struck, organizations with offices on the ground in Myanmar have, in fact, been leading critical and effective recovery work behind the scenes of the international aid debate.
Two UUSC program staffpersons were in Myanmar just before the cyclone struck, and are now in communication with NGO contacts there to support these vital relief efforts. Because of the relationships formed in Myanmar and our existing partner relationships in southeast Asia, UUSC is now able to work with organizations on the ground delivering relief directly to affected groups. To read more on UUSCs response please visit www.uusc.org
A number of concerned constituents have asked if UUSC will be launching a relief fund to aid Chinese earthquake survivors. After careful consideration, UUSC has decided not to do so since the Chinese government is mounting a robust relief effort and we feel it is important to concentrate on Myanmar where the situation is still desperate.
Escape To Vermont
September 26 – 28, 2008 Fourteenth Annual B&B Weekend offered by the UU Church of Rutland, VT. Enjoy the beauty of Vermont, UU hospitality, and a choice of guided activities: hiking, kayaking, bicycling, antiques/arts, cider making, soaring tour, touring historic sites and quaint towns, and much more. Registration by August 1, $250 (single) and $450 (double). After August 1, $300 (single) and $500 (double). For more information contact uufoliagevermont@yahoo.com or (802) 353-7969.
www.rutlanduu.org
Arbella-May Newsletter 2008
First Parish of Watertown
Arbella
May 2008
For the calendar of events, please go to the calendar(new) on the members page.
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday May 4, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
“Fasting and Feasting” Mark W. Harris
I was speaking to a colleague a couple of months ago, and he was telling me about the history of fasting. Suddenly, I was intrigued. I had also wanted to follow up my war sermon a few weeks ago with a personal response. Now I am ready to suggest that others might wish to join me in some form of weekly or monthly fasting (food or otherwise). Perhaps you might want to fast from driving or buying stuff or whatever. What might fasting do for us spiritually?
Greeters: Michael McCarthy and Randy Rhoda
Social Hour: Charmian Proskauer and Anne Harrington
Sunday May 11, 2008
“Goodbyes” Mark Caggiano
As Mark C. prepares to leave us, he will preach on what it means to say "Goodbye" as a spiritual practice.
Greeters: Beth Parsons and Meryl Libbey
Social Hour: Will and Sue Twombly
Sunday May 18, 2008 at 11: 00 a.m.
“Life-Long UUs” Lay Service
In the past we have had some from among us share why they are UUs. Most of us have chosen this faith. There are some among us, however, who were reared as UUs. What impact has that had on how they have experienced their lives? Why have they stayed with it for so long? Today, Beth Tappan-deFrees and Guy Urban will be sharing with us their reflections on their experiences of being life-long UUs.
Leader of Worship: Beth Tappan-deFrees
Greeters: Lee Pierce and Raz Mason
Social Hour: Ken Repp and Chris Johnson
Sunday May 25 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
“Magic, With Salt” Andrea Greenwood
Who doesn't love a magic trick? What a concrete reminder of mystery; an instant road back to wonder. And yet one's ability to perform magic tricks is probably in inverse relation to one's belief -- if you really believe in magic, you are not truly capable of understanding that there is deception involved. What, then, are we to make of stories in which women disappear, or are transformed? Do we believe, or learn a few tricks of our own.
Greeters: Diane Shepard and Jane Knuttunen
Social Hour: Eileen Ryan and Beth Parsons
Captain’s Log (from the minister)
I gained weight over the winter. I often gain weight over the winter, and then vow to become more active as spring and summer weather comes. This usually works to some extent, but this year I am determined to do something else. It is not just about the weight. It is about the religious implications of consuming all the time with an insatiable appetite for food, stuff, gasoline, etc. I have decided to take on the ancient spiritual practice of fasting once a week. Usually I am not a devoted follower of any spiritual discipline, although I am comfortable with both prayer and meditation. But fasting is suddenly intriguing me.
I wanted a follow up to my war sermon a few weeks ago with some personal response that many of us could make, and now I am ready to suggest that others might wish to join me in weekly or monthly fasting, and that we donate our food savings for the day to some good cause. I am still working out those details, but I am hoping to elicit others who might want to fast. Many years ago when I was a student minister in Sheffield, England, I would go to a monthly luncheon for OXFAM. We would pay for our lunch, but then only receive a glass of water.
I also think we might consider other kinds of fasting as well. There is the whole question of consumption, and global warming. Do you want to fast from buying things, or television, or driving our cars for a day or more? The town of Arlington has a program where residents are asked to fast from TV for a week. I hope this sermon on May 4 will elicit some conversation on the subject.
Several people asked for the closing words from the “Cost of War service that were from Dwight D. Eisenhower. Here they are:
“Every gun that is made,
every warship launched,
every rocket fired signifies,
in the final sense,
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed.
The world in arms is not spending money alone.
It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists,
the hopes of its children.
I gave many of you the opportunity to hear a little bit about the genesis of my forthcoming Minns Lectures in my recent sermon (it is now posted on the website) Here are the details of lectures 2-4 to be given in May. I hope to see you at one or more.
Lecture 2: “Brahmin Culture for the Masses” on Thursday, May 1, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave., Cambridge -This lecture will look at the alliance of business, Harvard College, Brahmin culture, and liberal religion. How did class determine our history and who became involved with the Unitarian movement? We will also look at a few people who wanted to spread the Unitarian faith to the masses in more evangelical styles, including Margaret Fuller’s brother, Arthur.
Lecture 3: “Universalist Piety and a Classless Heaven” on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 7:00 pm - King's Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon St., Boston - This lecture will examine the Universalist faith and its appeal to a broader number of classes in society through its message of equality. If all are equal in heaven, then nobody is saved unless everybody is saved.
Lecture 4: “The Science of Salvation” on Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 7:00 pm First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown - This lecture will look at the relationship between liberal religion and the eugenics movement. Where did the birth control and euthanasia movements have their origins?
The lectures have been a lot of work, but the light is at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully some UUs will find some fruitful thought, knowledge or inspiration.
Mark
Annual Dinner - Thanks -
A special thanks to all those who made the annual dinner a success. Thanks to Mark C. for hosting, Izzy Tappan-Defrees for putting the talent show together (and all those who showed off their talents), our “sound men” Michael Collins and Michael McCarthy, and finally the Fellowship Committee for coordinating another fabulous dinner. Now we know we had much to celebrate as we exceeded our canvass goal of $110,000 with a pledge total so far of $112,000 with 70 units pledging. Thank you all.
Do you have household hazardous waste to dispose?
As Waltham residents, we can go to the Hazardous Waste facility in Lexington any weekend with our licenses as our only ID. The city requests that we take only full cars. We have not been able to collect that as a single home except one time. We'd be happy to organize to help you rid yourselves of your household hazardous waste some weekend this summer if you too do not find that you have enough to justify a separate trip to Lexington. Please email us (edefrees@aol.com or izzyt@rcn.com) if you are interested in being included and when we figure out a weekend, we'll be in touch with you.
Poem from Chalice Lighting 4/27/08 read by Isabel Tappan-deFrees
“Crossing a Creek” Martha Courtot~1975
Crossing a creek
Requires 3 things
A certain serenity of mind
Bare feet
And a sure trust
That the snake we know
Slides silently
Underwater
Just beyond our vision
Will choose to ignore
The flesh
That cuts through
Its territory
And we will pass through
Some people think crossing a creek
Is easy
But I say this ---
All crossings are hard
Whether creeks, mountains
Or into other lives
And we must always believe
In the snakes at our feet
Just out of our vision
And we must practice believing
We will come through.
Dance Steps
Our own FPW members Fatima Hussein and Susan Lind-Sinanian will help lead us through some Arabic Dances (with variations) on Sunday, June 1 after church in the Parish Hall. Bring your dancing shoes and join us!
Annual Meeting Notes from Finance Committee:
First and foremost, thank you to all members who attended, questioned and voted at 4/27’s meeting! Thank you also to all who paid pledges in 2007 – 2008 and all who have pledged for 2008 – 2009. To quote the Treasurers, the unnoted budget items – all the time and materials each of you contributes to First Parish are crucial to the church’s meeting a budget… so thank you for that, too.
In the 2008 -2009 budget, we increased the expected income on the pledge line (due to the amount of pledges) so we could meet our annual Building Fund contribution. We were able to give all paid staff a 3% salary increase and make equity adjustments in a couple of jobs to better reflect the UUAs salary targets for our geographical region.
We have increased our Fair Share dues to the Mass Bay District (with rising membership go rising dues, so this is a great increase to have to absorb!). Fuel oil for the parsonage and the meeting house have increased, but the Green Sanctuary Committee and Buildings and Grounds have worked to contract with an oil-purchasing group for churches that should help offset some of that. All in all, we are in stable condition.
40% of our operating budget is from pledges. Without each of you, we would not be able to have the quality church programs and staff we have. A couple of follow-up notes from our canvass: we build our budget on the promise of money (a pledge), in other words, we have a budget, now we have to raise the money! One new request for this fiscal year: to assist with planning, please try to pay your pledges for 2008 – 2009 by 2/28/09 rather than the end of March. If you can manage to do that, it helps our end-of-year cash flow and new year’s budget planning considerably. However, if you have a life circumstance that means you can no longer meet your pledge, please talk to John Portz.
Finally, an especially huge thanks goes to the quiet under-heralded volunteer efforts by John Gorman and Jean Merkl as our co-treasurers to keep the budget up-to-date and answer endless questions. And, of course, to Nancy Dutton, the Church Administrator, who works to keep us all organized!
Newsletter by Email
Do you have email? Do you get the newsletter in snail mail?
Save a tree!
Save a stamp or two! (rates are about to go up again!)
Get your newsletter faster!
Email fpwatertown@comcast.net if you could start getting your newsletter on email rather than paper. (If you're addicted to news-in-print, you can always print it from email... but that wouldn't be so green, huh?)
New Comers and New Members
Breakfast --
This coming Sunday, May 4, there will be a Newcomer’s Breakfast for all new people at First Parish. If you are new this year, and have not attended a previous breakfast, please come. It begins at 9:30 a.m.
New UU Classes -
On Sundays, May 11 and May 18 at 9:30 a.m. Mark Harris will offer a New UU class. It is an introduction to the history and traditions of our UU faith, and to First Parish. All are welcome at either or both sessions.
New Member Welcome -
Those who have joined First Parish as official members during the past few months are officially welcomed into the church at this service. Would you like to join First Parish? Please speak to Mark Harris or fill out an “Intent to Join Card” found in our pamphlet rack. Those scheduled to be welcomed at this service so far include Carmen Emerson, Paul Montesino, Ginger Burns and Neil Zarin.
Miscellaneous – Fellowship Committee
We had a very successful Bring a Mug Sunday on Earth Day. We have at least 60 mugs. Thank you . If you would like to bring a mug in to be used at Social Hour. Please feel free to add it to the racks. Fellowship Committee members hope to be available to help with logistics over the next few Sundays.
District Annual Meeting/ GA/Summer Conferences
Mark Harris and Randy Rhoda represented First Parish at the Mass Bay District Annual Meeting held at the First Parish of Concord in April. Mark will also be attending General Assembly this year. This is the UUA’s annual meeting. He will deliver the last of his Minns Lectures there (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida). If you are interested in the GA, please speak to Mark. In Roberta’s column you will see a notice about her being a Ferry Beach booster. There are also other UU Summer conferences and institutes. Roberta is coordinating Middle School Camp at Ferry Beach, and Mark Harris is teaching a course in UU History at Ferry Beach in July (under the auspices pf Meadville Lombard Theological School). Mark and Andrea and two of their boys are pictured on the cover of the Ferry Beach brochure. Do you want to know about other opportunities? Carole Katz can tell you about Star Island, and Mark can also inform you about others as well.
Brainstorming for Social Action
We know that many First Parish members and friends are interested in Social Action, and support the church’s Social Action work. We also know that everybody has time constraints that limit the time they can devote to activities outside of work, home and family. The Social Action Committee, with the support of the Parish Committee, is considering a new approach to its work. Rather than spending valuable time in committee meetings, we want to experiment with a project-oriented approach to social action. By this we mean planning activities of a discrete nature that the church community can participate in, from planning a Comedy Night to volunteering at the Boston Food Bank to participating in rallies concerning the genocide in Darfur. We need you ideas, and we need and your support. On Sunday, May 18, after church, please help with Social Action by spending a few minutes brainstorming for task-oriented projects the church could participate in during the next church year. We will of course continue with the on-going projects the Parish has been engaged in over the years, including the giving boxes, gifts for the grow clinic at Christmas, the spring concert, and the monthly charitable offerings. This could be a good opportunity to help the church fulfill its social action mandate.
The Social Action Committee
Calling interested moviegoers
Any takers for a grown-up movie night at the Embassy Theatre in Waltham? We could grab a bite beforehand at the Pub (or we could take-in to the movie!). Date is Tuesday May 20. Email Izzy and Beth izzyt@rcn.com! Or call at 781-893-1695. Movie will be determined when the lists for the week come out.
The following Recycling Rules were shared by David Morrison and Brian Hebeisen at the Earth Day service. Extra “green” copies are available at church.
New Curbside Recycling Rules for Watertown
Paper
Place in paper bag (not plastic) or tie with string. Put bag next to or on top of bin.
Newspaper
Magazines, phone books, catalogs
Paperback books
Cardboard - flatten & bundle smaller than 36”x36”
Paperboard (cereal, cracker, shoe boxes, etc)
Junk mail (remove non-paper items)
Envelopes (windows ok), office paper
paper bags, manila envelopes, file folders
NO – dirty paper or milk cartons
No – Dirty pizza boxes
Containers
Rinse and place inside of bin
Glass bottles/jars – remove lids, corks, neck rings
No broken or other glass such as window glass, dishes, glasses, Pyrex
Tin, Steel and aluminum food cans and lids,
Deposit and non-deposit beverage cans
Clean aluminum foil
Remove labels, may flatten
No cans containing paint hazardous material or aerosol
Plastic containers – food, beverage and detergent containers labeled 1 – 7
NO styrofoam, plastic bags or motor oil
Drop-off Recycling
Grove St. Fri and Sat 9 am – 4 pm
Yard Waste
TVs and Computer Monitors
Office Paper
Mixed Metals
Used Clothing
Hazardous Waste drop-off (in Lexington)
Need to contact Town for dates and free voucher to use the facility (617-972-6446)
Paints, Pesticides, Cleaners (bleach, etc),
Auto Care Products – oil, gas, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.
Fluorescent bulbs including CFLs
Other
R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Roberta@chalicedreamer.net
cell phone: 617-872-5145
website for RE families: www.chalicedreamer.net
Most of you have already heard the sad news that this will be my final year working as your Director of Religious Education. I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from many of you. I can’t respond to all of the emails, but please know that each one is very much appreciated! What surprised me most was how many of you said “congratulations”. Because this journey started from a family need, I didn’t initially think of it as something that warranted congratulations. And yet, it did turn into a professional success story and therefore it does deserve that sentiment. While you all seemed to know that, I was still obsessing about my loss. It’s been an emotional time of considering how much I will miss my Sundays here in Watertown with you. But you’ve inspired me to look forward to the adventures that await me.
For those of you who don’t know, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered DRE positions at three wonderful congregations. It wasn’t easy to pick between them, but I ended up choosing to go to Sudbury. I was most attracted to Sudbury because my position included being both DRE and youth advisor (and I’ve been feeling particularly called to youth ministry work lately). I’m also inspired by the congregation’s focus on spiritual development. I could definitely consider that a growing area for myself. It seems that we offer each other a nice “yin yang” type balance as we were each looking for someone with the other’s strengths. Since I’ll be staying a member here in Watertown, I’m sure you’ll hear plenty of stories about my work in Sudbury.
I know this transition will be hard for some of you, but I want to remind you that the beauty of this community is all of you. This community will continue to grow and thrive and prosper! Our religious education program is not great because of the work done by me alone; it is fabulous because of the dedication and talents of so many of you. I have spent the last few years working hard with the RE committee to put the leadership of our programming in the hands of our community. We have many committed volunteers doing amazing things behind the scenes to make many aspects of our program so vibrant. Their excellent work will carry you through this transition as you select and begin working with a new DRE.
One of those volunteers is Tom Goodwillie, who coincidentally wrote a guest piece for our newsletter a few weeks ago. It’s a perfect example of the great work our volunteers are already doing!!
R. E. and Me, by Tom Goodwillie
I taught in church school for the last three months. I was with the 8 to 11 year olds, who were working with various stories and themes from the Bible. In a typical week I led a smaller group within that class, doing drama exercises or games related to that week's material. I loved the whole experience so much so that I just had to write something about it.
Working with the kids was great. They were full of surprises. They could be funny, sweet, difficult -- occasionally impossible -- and I kept coming back for more.
Then there was the pleasure of collaborating with the other volunteers and Roberta. I mean working together in class, and I also mean conferring between Sundays about how it went last time and what to do next time.
I also have to tell you about my amazing mother. Improvisational drama in the classroom has been her life's work, and she's still doing it at age 81. I have always appreciated and admired that side of her, but until recently it was not really a part of my life. Now, of course, I have been sharing what we are doing in R. E. and asking Mom to help me think about how to do it better. She and I have both been getting a big kick out of connecting with each other in this new way.
Here are some samples of what went on in class:
Once we told the story of Ruth. I had three kids for drama. After telling them the story, with emphasis on "Whither thou goest, I will go", it was time to think about how to act it out. OK, so you're Ruth? And you're Naomi? So I guess you could be Ruth's husband who dies, or her new husband at the end of the story, or how about both? No, don't worry, everybody, we don't have to act out any weddings. Yes, you may overplay the death scene as much as you wish _
One week, instead of giving them the usual sorts of playful activities, we made the whole group sit for an hour and talk about some problems they were having -- what Roberta called "respect issues". It was no fun, but it did yield some interesting conversation, and I think it may have even had some of the desired effect. For me, it also led somehow to the thought that it can be good for boys if some of their teachers are men.
Here's another session that was hard work but worth it. I was trying to get an improvised variant of the Good Samaritan story out of the small and obstreperous group who had chosen drama that week. It took every ounce of energy and authority that Cody and I could muster to keep bringing their attention back to where it needed to be, but in the end they did a great job and had a great time. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite session, by contrast, was a piece of cake: We gave them a game to play, an impossible building project based loosely on something in Exodus. The kids had a blast. There was not much for the rest of us to do but watch and enjoy their happy collaboration.
I know I will want to teach again next year, maybe the age 11 to 14 group or maybe the 8 to 11 again. I have also joined the R. E. Committee, mainly because the process of fine-tuning our plans from week to week has given me an appetite for curriculum development. I have a lot to learn about this, and I think I also have a lot to offer. I definitely have some ideas about next year.
Whether it's the year-to-year process of creating a curriculum together, or the week-to-week process of planning a class together, or the moment-to-moment process of working with the kids, this R. E. stuff is giving me something I need. At this point in my life I can't imagine a better way of making a contribution to First Parish and being nourished in return.
Youth Sunday is coming in June:
The seasons are rushing by and we are only a month away from our wonderful annual Youth Sunday service coming on June 8. In addition to sharing rich and inspiring worship with our youth leaders, we will celebrate some special “rite-of-passage” ceremonies. This year, those ceremonies include “First Chalice” for our 8-year-olds and “First Mentor” for our 11-year-olds. In addition, we will honor the high school graduation of Cody Urban, whom First Parish has watched grow into an amazing, confident, and compassionate young man. If you aren’t familiar with these wonderful ways that we honor our growing youth, check out our descriptive brochure at church or the “rites-of-passage” link on our R.E. website.
Social Action news from RE:
This month will be special “environmental” programming for most of the children and youth in our RE program. They will be doing a wide variety of activities regarding making our world a “greener” place. Stay tuned for service projects you can help them with!
Ferry Beach
In case you don’t know, Roberta is a Ferry Beach booster. That means she is happy to answer any questions you might have about this awesome UU summer vacation experience. (as are many other First Parish youth and adults who have been to Ferry Beach and love it!) They have a wide variety of conferences to nurture your UU spirit as you also enjoy a fun vacation on the beach. They have great programs for youth, families, and adults. See Roberta for more details or check out the brochures at church. Or check them out on the web at www.ferrybeach.org
Are We a Welcoming Community?
(from Elizabeth Tappan-deFrees)
WHAT!? Of course we are!!! We have a rainbow flag, we Greet our Neighbor, we have a Welcomer at Social Hour, a sign-in book… we have welcoming red doors on Church Street and a supportive spiritual community open to many beliefs and backgrounds… we have committee meetings to reflect on how we could be better!!
A couple of thoughts have crossed my mind, aided by comments at some of those meetings. I thought I’d share them. This is particularly for those of us who have truly found a church home at First Parish, who attend with some regularity and have church friends.
QUESTIONS:
1) Where do you park?
2) Where do you sit?
If you are newly at First Parish, or trying us out, your first impression is our parking lot. Many of us know this is a work-in-progress and needs some adjustment, but the first step to being more welcoming can be made each Sunday as the drivers among us decide where to put our cars. For those of us who know what to expect when we arrive at church and do not need assisted parking… how about the CVS lot? Or even Summer Street? Being welcoming starts at giving a visual welcome that includes a parking place. While we determine how to make that more obviously welcoming in terms of set-up, making a choice not to fill up the lot before newcomers and visitors arrive is a good start.
Then… you enter the sanctuary. Again, for those of us who already feel like First Parish is our home, think like a newcomer. As you enter the side doors from the Church Street entrance, try and imagine what it feels like to have to cross a pocket of easily accessed but full chairs to the empty chairs on the far side… often in the front or back? If a few more of us could cross the sanctuary and fill the seats on the fireplace side, the sanctuary would more easily welcome new people who might want to quietly come in and observe our routine.
Being a welcoming community does not mean simply offering a pleasant space, it also means taking a moment to make the space feel welcoming. Most of us believe it does feel so. And we are right. But it needs to be more so. We each need to make an effort to fully welcome visitors by the simple actions of thinking about parking and sitting. Our family has tried it the last couple of times we’ve been at church – it’s really not as traumatic as I believed it might be!! If you are a brave soul, who hasn’t fallen into a habitual parking and seating arrangement, kudos!!! For the rest of us, here’s a challenge to see if you can help us be more welcoming.
Notary Public at FPW
FPW Member David Morrison wanted to inform folks that he continues to be a Notary Public. His commission is good until December 4, 2009, if you ever have a need.
Making a Mark
(from Mark C., student minister)
During my studies at Divinity School, I have revisited the works of one philosopher many times and in many contexts: Immanuel Kant. For many, philosophy is rather boring stuff or self-indulgent navel-gazing divorced from the real world concerns of most people. I have been drawn to it over the years not because it is always exciting, or even relevant, but because it at least tries to get down to a fundamental way of understanding the universe and our place in it.
Kant is a special figure because his ideas permeate the social epoch known as the Enlightenment. He was revolutionary because he turned the discerning eye used in the sciences and mathematics toward metaphysics and philosophy. One Kantian tenet of enduring distinction was that there are essentially two worlds or spheres of concern – the noumenal and the phenomenal. Noumena refers to things in themselves, not their shadow or their abstraction, but the actual thing. Conversely, anything that is perceived through our senses is a phenomenon. Most would agree that they have never seen a thing in and of itself. We see it through fallible human eyes that can be tricked and distracted, and which cannot see all that could be seen. This Kantian distinction then proceeded to muck up much of theology.
Why? Because the sphere of inquiry shrank from the whole universe of possibility to the specifically knowable, i.e. the testable, repeatable, etc. Science is about experimentation, and you cannot experiment on the divine or the heavens, at least not reliably in keeping with scientific method. Kant did not deny that the noumenal existed, but he just did not think it was anything that human beings could effectively study. From this point you had a cottage industry amongst German philosophers volleying the words of Kant back and forth trying on the one hand to salvage an idea of divinity, such as with Schleiermacher and Hegel, while on the other Feuerbach and Marx tried to move away from such matters and squarely into the strictly human realm of ideas.
As the philosophers fiddled, science kept moving on in unexpected ways. The invisible universe of the subatomic became critically important to science, yet walled off from the thinking of the average person. We rely upon the firmness of the chair we sit upon, but science describes it as a whirl of electrons and neutrons and protons in various configurations making up the primary substance of the world around us. It is no less firm in our use, but perhaps less so in our minds if we pay attention to such learned matters.
Then, along came troublemakers like Albert Einstein with outlandish theories about time and space – nonsense about relative passage of time, gravity wells and other mystical creatures of scientific hyperbole. Of course, Einstein’s relativity is now accepted as scientific fact. Science also accepts ever more counterintuitive notions of the universe, with ever-smaller particles being found or theorized. But science is not the same as “us”. As science begins to tell us more and more about the unseen world, we have begun to take a lot on faith because we cannot be the theoretical physicist, microbiologist, math whiz, etc. I personally know nothing about high level physics or mathematics, so I must rely upon others to explain it all.
But if physics and math are getting a lot more fuzzy, what does that do to the crisp German theories of old? Kant relied upon science to split the universe asunder, so what happens when Einstein seems to sew it back together?
Quantum mechanics is not the basis for reclaiming the noumenal sphere, but it is something to think about as we decide what is going on around us. When we hazard to guess about the thing in itself, its ultimate nature or truth, we go down a road with caution signs put up by Immauel Kant centuries before. Paying attention to those signs is important. But the intriguing murkiness of modern physics also beckons us forward, as we see the crazy wisps of Einstein’s hair in the distance.
Summer Worship Services
During the summer months of July and August each year, we have a little break from our regular schedule. While Mark enjoys some well-deserved time away to recharge his battery, members of our congregation share some of their spirituality and insights with us by leading one of the summer worship services. These have been so well received over the years that last year we expanded the number of lay services to six. The services are more casual and the attendance is lighter than during the regular year. It’s a good opportunity to share in a comfortable way surrounded by friends. Sometimes the services follow our standard Order of Worship, and sometimes the leader takes us on a very different path.
The dates this year for the lay services will be: July 13, 20, 27 and August 7, 14, 21.
If you are interested in leading a service, please contact Chris Johnson (781.209.0944 or LesHons@verizon.net). If you would like to know what it’s like to take on one of these services, you could speak to Chris, or one of the other members who have done so in the past: Jeanne Cleary, Kyle Hart, Carole Berney, Charlyn Bethel, Wendell Refior, Roberta Altamari.
Don’t be shy! We’d love to hear what you have to say!
Fund Raiser for AIDS Program
Eliza Petrow, the daughter of FPW member Beth Parsons has invited us to the following event:
Location: Vineyard Church
170 Rindge Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
When: Thursday, May 8, 7:00PM to 9:00PM
Phone: 617.331.3765
Dear Friends (and friends of friends),
I hope you can come to a fundraiser I am organizing to support a program I recently started in rural China. The program- under the AIDS Orphan Salvation Association and in partnership with Dr. Kay Johnson of Hampshire College- provides treatment, care and support to HIV+ children, many of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS. We received generous support from DC-based Medical Care Development International to carry out the program for the first 12 months; however, additional HIV+ children in need of assistance have been identified and we require continued financial support to sustain and expand the program from June 1, 2008 onward.
Please join us for light refreshments from 7:00-7:30pm, followed by a viewing of the Oscar award winning short-documentary (39 minutes), "The Blood of Yingzhou District," which features several of the kids in the program. I will also provide a brief overview of AIDS in China, and will discuss the effectiveness and importance of the program. (If you wear glasses, be sure to bring them so you can read the sub-titles and see the photos clearly).
The event will be held at the Vineyard Church in Cambridge. The Vineyard Church is accessible on the Red Line and is about a 15 minute walk from the Porter Square T. The church has limited parking in the lot. If possible, Cambridge residents please use street parking. For non-Cambridge residents, street parking is available per a consideration by the City of Cambridge on the following streets: Notre Dame, Middlesex, Sargent and Rindge. Carpooling is encouraged.
Admission to the event is $10. Donations to support the program are encouraged and welcomed. All donations are tax deductible and will be handled by the US-based Alliance for Children Foundation. 100% of proceeds will go to the program.
If you plan to attend please be sure to RSVP so that we can arrange to have enough refreshments for all guests. If you will require childcare, please let me know in advance and I will have babysitters on-site.
Please feel free to pass this invitation on to friends who may be interested.
Thanks in advance for your support and I hope to see you May 8th!
Eliza at 617-331-3765
elizapetrow@post.harvard.edu
Open House at Fowle House
The Historical Society of Watertown invites us to the Grand Opening of the newly restored Edmund Fowle House, 28 Marshall Street, Watertown on Saturday, May 17, 2008. The opening ceremony will be at 11:45 a.m., and the house is open from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. This house has undergone a major restoration, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the 2nd oldest house in Watertown.
Arbella
May 2008
For the calendar of events, please go to the calendar(new) on the members page.
Sermons and Worship Services
Sunday May 4, 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
“Fasting and Feasting” Mark W. Harris
I was speaking to a colleague a couple of months ago, and he was telling me about the history of fasting. Suddenly, I was intrigued. I had also wanted to follow up my war sermon a few weeks ago with a personal response. Now I am ready to suggest that others might wish to join me in some form of weekly or monthly fasting (food or otherwise). Perhaps you might want to fast from driving or buying stuff or whatever. What might fasting do for us spiritually?
Greeters: Michael McCarthy and Randy Rhoda
Social Hour: Charmian Proskauer and Anne Harrington
Sunday May 11, 2008
“Goodbyes” Mark Caggiano
As Mark C. prepares to leave us, he will preach on what it means to say "Goodbye" as a spiritual practice.
Greeters: Beth Parsons and Meryl Libbey
Social Hour: Will and Sue Twombly
Sunday May 18, 2008 at 11: 00 a.m.
“Life-Long UUs” Lay Service
In the past we have had some from among us share why they are UUs. Most of us have chosen this faith. There are some among us, however, who were reared as UUs. What impact has that had on how they have experienced their lives? Why have they stayed with it for so long? Today, Beth Tappan-deFrees and Guy Urban will be sharing with us their reflections on their experiences of being life-long UUs.
Leader of Worship: Beth Tappan-deFrees
Greeters: Lee Pierce and Raz Mason
Social Hour: Ken Repp and Chris Johnson
Sunday May 25 2008 at 11:00 a.m.
“Magic, With Salt” Andrea Greenwood
Who doesn't love a magic trick? What a concrete reminder of mystery; an instant road back to wonder. And yet one's ability to perform magic tricks is probably in inverse relation to one's belief -- if you really believe in magic, you are not truly capable of understanding that there is deception involved. What, then, are we to make of stories in which women disappear, or are transformed? Do we believe, or learn a few tricks of our own.
Greeters: Diane Shepard and Jane Knuttunen
Social Hour: Eileen Ryan and Beth Parsons
Captain’s Log (from the minister)
I gained weight over the winter. I often gain weight over the winter, and then vow to become more active as spring and summer weather comes. This usually works to some extent, but this year I am determined to do something else. It is not just about the weight. It is about the religious implications of consuming all the time with an insatiable appetite for food, stuff, gasoline, etc. I have decided to take on the ancient spiritual practice of fasting once a week. Usually I am not a devoted follower of any spiritual discipline, although I am comfortable with both prayer and meditation. But fasting is suddenly intriguing me.
I wanted a follow up to my war sermon a few weeks ago with some personal response that many of us could make, and now I am ready to suggest that others might wish to join me in weekly or monthly fasting, and that we donate our food savings for the day to some good cause. I am still working out those details, but I am hoping to elicit others who might want to fast. Many years ago when I was a student minister in Sheffield, England, I would go to a monthly luncheon for OXFAM. We would pay for our lunch, but then only receive a glass of water.
I also think we might consider other kinds of fasting as well. There is the whole question of consumption, and global warming. Do you want to fast from buying things, or television, or driving our cars for a day or more? The town of Arlington has a program where residents are asked to fast from TV for a week. I hope this sermon on May 4 will elicit some conversation on the subject.
Several people asked for the closing words from the “Cost of War service that were from Dwight D. Eisenhower. Here they are:
“Every gun that is made,
every warship launched,
every rocket fired signifies,
in the final sense,
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed.
The world in arms is not spending money alone.
It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists,
the hopes of its children.
I gave many of you the opportunity to hear a little bit about the genesis of my forthcoming Minns Lectures in my recent sermon (it is now posted on the website) Here are the details of lectures 2-4 to be given in May. I hope to see you at one or more.
Lecture 2: “Brahmin Culture for the Masses” on Thursday, May 1, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Ave., Cambridge -This lecture will look at the alliance of business, Harvard College, Brahmin culture, and liberal religion. How did class determine our history and who became involved with the Unitarian movement? We will also look at a few people who wanted to spread the Unitarian faith to the masses in more evangelical styles, including Margaret Fuller’s brother, Arthur.
Lecture 3: “Universalist Piety and a Classless Heaven” on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 7:00 pm - King's Chapel Parish House, 64 Beacon St., Boston - This lecture will examine the Universalist faith and its appeal to a broader number of classes in society through its message of equality. If all are equal in heaven, then nobody is saved unless everybody is saved.
Lecture 4: “The Science of Salvation” on Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 7:00 pm First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church St., Watertown - This lecture will look at the relationship between liberal religion and the eugenics movement. Where did the birth control and euthanasia movements have their origins?
The lectures have been a lot of work, but the light is at the end of the tunnel, and hopefully some UUs will find some fruitful thought, knowledge or inspiration.
Mark
Annual Dinner - Thanks -
A special thanks to all those who made the annual dinner a success. Thanks to Mark C. for hosting, Izzy Tappan-Defrees for putting the talent show together (and all those who showed off their talents), our “sound men” Michael Collins and Michael McCarthy, and finally the Fellowship Committee for coordinating another fabulous dinner. Now we know we had much to celebrate as we exceeded our canvass goal of $110,000 with a pledge total so far of $112,000 with 70 units pledging. Thank you all.
Do you have household hazardous waste to dispose?
As Waltham residents, we can go to the Hazardous Waste facility in Lexington any weekend with our licenses as our only ID. The city requests that we take only full cars. We have not been able to collect that as a single home except one time. We'd be happy to organize to help you rid yourselves of your household hazardous waste some weekend this summer if you too do not find that you have enough to justify a separate trip to Lexington. Please email us (edefrees@aol.com or izzyt@rcn.com) if you are interested in being included and when we figure out a weekend, we'll be in touch with you.
Poem from Chalice Lighting 4/27/08 read by Isabel Tappan-deFrees
“Crossing a Creek” Martha Courtot~1975
Crossing a creek
Requires 3 things
A certain serenity of mind
Bare feet
And a sure trust
That the snake we know
Slides silently
Underwater
Just beyond our vision
Will choose to ignore
The flesh
That cuts through
Its territory
And we will pass through
Some people think crossing a creek
Is easy
But I say this ---
All crossings are hard
Whether creeks, mountains
Or into other lives
And we must always believe
In the snakes at our feet
Just out of our vision
And we must practice believing
We will come through.
Dance Steps
Our own FPW members Fatima Hussein and Susan Lind-Sinanian will help lead us through some Arabic Dances (with variations) on Sunday, June 1 after church in the Parish Hall. Bring your dancing shoes and join us!
Annual Meeting Notes from Finance Committee:
First and foremost, thank you to all members who attended, questioned and voted at 4/27’s meeting! Thank you also to all who paid pledges in 2007 – 2008 and all who have pledged for 2008 – 2009. To quote the Treasurers, the unnoted budget items – all the time and materials each of you contributes to First Parish are crucial to the church’s meeting a budget… so thank you for that, too.
In the 2008 -2009 budget, we increased the expected income on the pledge line (due to the amount of pledges) so we could meet our annual Building Fund contribution. We were able to give all paid staff a 3% salary increase and make equity adjustments in a couple of jobs to better reflect the UUAs salary targets for our geographical region.
We have increased our Fair Share dues to the Mass Bay District (with rising membership go rising dues, so this is a great increase to have to absorb!). Fuel oil for the parsonage and the meeting house have increased, but the Green Sanctuary Committee and Buildings and Grounds have worked to contract with an oil-purchasing group for churches that should help offset some of that. All in all, we are in stable condition.
40% of our operating budget is from pledges. Without each of you, we would not be able to have the quality church programs and staff we have. A couple of follow-up notes from our canvass: we build our budget on the promise of money (a pledge), in other words, we have a budget, now we have to raise the money! One new request for this fiscal year: to assist with planning, please try to pay your pledges for 2008 – 2009 by 2/28/09 rather than the end of March. If you can manage to do that, it helps our end-of-year cash flow and new year’s budget planning considerably. However, if you have a life circumstance that means you can no longer meet your pledge, please talk to John Portz.
Finally, an especially huge thanks goes to the quiet under-heralded volunteer efforts by John Gorman and Jean Merkl as our co-treasurers to keep the budget up-to-date and answer endless questions. And, of course, to Nancy Dutton, the Church Administrator, who works to keep us all organized!
Newsletter by Email
Do you have email? Do you get the newsletter in snail mail?
Save a tree!
Save a stamp or two! (rates are about to go up again!)
Get your newsletter faster!
Email fpwatertown@comcast.net if you could start getting your newsletter on email rather than paper. (If you're addicted to news-in-print, you can always print it from email... but that wouldn't be so green, huh?)
New Comers and New Members
Breakfast --
This coming Sunday, May 4, there will be a Newcomer’s Breakfast for all new people at First Parish. If you are new this year, and have not attended a previous breakfast, please come. It begins at 9:30 a.m.
New UU Classes -
On Sundays, May 11 and May 18 at 9:30 a.m. Mark Harris will offer a New UU class. It is an introduction to the history and traditions of our UU faith, and to First Parish. All are welcome at either or both sessions.
New Member Welcome -
Those who have joined First Parish as official members during the past few months are officially welcomed into the church at this service. Would you like to join First Parish? Please speak to Mark Harris or fill out an “Intent to Join Card” found in our pamphlet rack. Those scheduled to be welcomed at this service so far include Carmen Emerson, Paul Montesino, Ginger Burns and Neil Zarin.
Miscellaneous – Fellowship Committee
We had a very successful Bring a Mug Sunday on Earth Day. We have at least 60 mugs. Thank you . If you would like to bring a mug in to be used at Social Hour. Please feel free to add it to the racks. Fellowship Committee members hope to be available to help with logistics over the next few Sundays.
District Annual Meeting/ GA/Summer Conferences
Mark Harris and Randy Rhoda represented First Parish at the Mass Bay District Annual Meeting held at the First Parish of Concord in April. Mark will also be attending General Assembly this year. This is the UUA’s annual meeting. He will deliver the last of his Minns Lectures there (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida). If you are interested in the GA, please speak to Mark. In Roberta’s column you will see a notice about her being a Ferry Beach booster. There are also other UU Summer conferences and institutes. Roberta is coordinating Middle School Camp at Ferry Beach, and Mark Harris is teaching a course in UU History at Ferry Beach in July (under the auspices pf Meadville Lombard Theological School). Mark and Andrea and two of their boys are pictured on the cover of the Ferry Beach brochure. Do you want to know about other opportunities? Carole Katz can tell you about Star Island, and Mark can also inform you about others as well.
Brainstorming for Social Action
We know that many First Parish members and friends are interested in Social Action, and support the church’s Social Action work. We also know that everybody has time constraints that limit the time they can devote to activities outside of work, home and family. The Social Action Committee, with the support of the Parish Committee, is considering a new approach to its work. Rather than spending valuable time in committee meetings, we want to experiment with a project-oriented approach to social action. By this we mean planning activities of a discrete nature that the church community can participate in, from planning a Comedy Night to volunteering at the Boston Food Bank to participating in rallies concerning the genocide in Darfur. We need you ideas, and we need and your support. On Sunday, May 18, after church, please help with Social Action by spending a few minutes brainstorming for task-oriented projects the church could participate in during the next church year. We will of course continue with the on-going projects the Parish has been engaged in over the years, including the giving boxes, gifts for the grow clinic at Christmas, the spring concert, and the monthly charitable offerings. This could be a good opportunity to help the church fulfill its social action mandate.
The Social Action Committee
Calling interested moviegoers
Any takers for a grown-up movie night at the Embassy Theatre in Waltham? We could grab a bite beforehand at the Pub (or we could take-in to the movie!). Date is Tuesday May 20. Email Izzy and Beth izzyt@rcn.com! Or call at 781-893-1695. Movie will be determined when the lists for the week come out.
The following Recycling Rules were shared by David Morrison and Brian Hebeisen at the Earth Day service. Extra “green” copies are available at church.
New Curbside Recycling Rules for Watertown
Paper
Place in paper bag (not plastic) or tie with string. Put bag next to or on top of bin.
Newspaper
Magazines, phone books, catalogs
Paperback books
Cardboard - flatten & bundle smaller than 36”x36”
Paperboard (cereal, cracker, shoe boxes, etc)
Junk mail (remove non-paper items)
Envelopes (windows ok), office paper
paper bags, manila envelopes, file folders
NO – dirty paper or milk cartons
No – Dirty pizza boxes
Containers
Rinse and place inside of bin
Glass bottles/jars – remove lids, corks, neck rings
No broken or other glass such as window glass, dishes, glasses, Pyrex
Tin, Steel and aluminum food cans and lids,
Deposit and non-deposit beverage cans
Clean aluminum foil
Remove labels, may flatten
No cans containing paint hazardous material or aerosol
Plastic containers – food, beverage and detergent containers labeled 1 – 7
NO styrofoam, plastic bags or motor oil
Drop-off Recycling
Grove St. Fri and Sat 9 am – 4 pm
Yard Waste
TVs and Computer Monitors
Office Paper
Mixed Metals
Used Clothing
Hazardous Waste drop-off (in Lexington)
Need to contact Town for dates and free voucher to use the facility (617-972-6446)
Paints, Pesticides, Cleaners (bleach, etc),
Auto Care Products – oil, gas, oil filters, antifreeze, brake fluid, etc.
Fluorescent bulbs including CFLs
Other
R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer
by Roberta Altamari
Roberta@chalicedreamer.net
cell phone: 617-872-5145
website for RE families: www.chalicedreamer.net
Most of you have already heard the sad news that this will be my final year working as your Director of Religious Education. I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from many of you. I can’t respond to all of the emails, but please know that each one is very much appreciated! What surprised me most was how many of you said “congratulations”. Because this journey started from a family need, I didn’t initially think of it as something that warranted congratulations. And yet, it did turn into a professional success story and therefore it does deserve that sentiment. While you all seemed to know that, I was still obsessing about my loss. It’s been an emotional time of considering how much I will miss my Sundays here in Watertown with you. But you’ve inspired me to look forward to the adventures that await me.
For those of you who don’t know, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered DRE positions at three wonderful congregations. It wasn’t easy to pick between them, but I ended up choosing to go to Sudbury. I was most attracted to Sudbury because my position included being both DRE and youth advisor (and I’ve been feeling particularly called to youth ministry work lately). I’m also inspired by the congregation’s focus on spiritual development. I could definitely consider that a growing area for myself. It seems that we offer each other a nice “yin yang” type balance as we were each looking for someone with the other’s strengths. Since I’ll be staying a member here in Watertown, I’m sure you’ll hear plenty of stories about my work in Sudbury.
I know this transition will be hard for some of you, but I want to remind you that the beauty of this community is all of you. This community will continue to grow and thrive and prosper! Our religious education program is not great because of the work done by me alone; it is fabulous because of the dedication and talents of so many of you. I have spent the last few years working hard with the RE committee to put the leadership of our programming in the hands of our community. We have many committed volunteers doing amazing things behind the scenes to make many aspects of our program so vibrant. Their excellent work will carry you through this transition as you select and begin working with a new DRE.
One of those volunteers is Tom Goodwillie, who coincidentally wrote a guest piece for our newsletter a few weeks ago. It’s a perfect example of the great work our volunteers are already doing!!
R. E. and Me, by Tom Goodwillie
I taught in church school for the last three months. I was with the 8 to 11 year olds, who were working with various stories and themes from the Bible. In a typical week I led a smaller group within that class, doing drama exercises or games related to that week's material. I loved the whole experience so much so that I just had to write something about it.
Working with the kids was great. They were full of surprises. They could be funny, sweet, difficult -- occasionally impossible -- and I kept coming back for more.
Then there was the pleasure of collaborating with the other volunteers and Roberta. I mean working together in class, and I also mean conferring between Sundays about how it went last time and what to do next time.
I also have to tell you about my amazing mother. Improvisational drama in the classroom has been her life's work, and she's still doing it at age 81. I have always appreciated and admired that side of her, but until recently it was not really a part of my life. Now, of course, I have been sharing what we are doing in R. E. and asking Mom to help me think about how to do it better. She and I have both been getting a big kick out of connecting with each other in this new way.
Here are some samples of what went on in class:
Once we told the story of Ruth. I had three kids for drama. After telling them the story, with emphasis on "Whither thou goest, I will go", it was time to think about how to act it out. OK, so you're Ruth? And you're Naomi? So I guess you could be Ruth's husband who dies, or her new husband at the end of the story, or how about both? No, don't worry, everybody, we don't have to act out any weddings. Yes, you may overplay the death scene as much as you wish _
One week, instead of giving them the usual sorts of playful activities, we made the whole group sit for an hour and talk about some problems they were having -- what Roberta called "respect issues". It was no fun, but it did yield some interesting conversation, and I think it may have even had some of the desired effect. For me, it also led somehow to the thought that it can be good for boys if some of their teachers are men.
Here's another session that was hard work but worth it. I was trying to get an improvised variant of the Good Samaritan story out of the small and obstreperous group who had chosen drama that week. It took every ounce of energy and authority that Cody and I could muster to keep bringing their attention back to where it needed to be, but in the end they did a great job and had a great time. That was one of my favorites.
Another favorite session, by contrast, was a piece of cake: We gave them a game to play, an impossible building project based loosely on something in Exodus. The kids had a blast. There was not much for the rest of us to do but watch and enjoy their happy collaboration.
I know I will want to teach again next year, maybe the age 11 to 14 group or maybe the 8 to 11 again. I have also joined the R. E. Committee, mainly because the process of fine-tuning our plans from week to week has given me an appetite for curriculum development. I have a lot to learn about this, and I think I also have a lot to offer. I definitely have some ideas about next year.
Whether it's the year-to-year process of creating a curriculum together, or the week-to-week process of planning a class together, or the moment-to-moment process of working with the kids, this R. E. stuff is giving me something I need. At this point in my life I can't imagine a better way of making a contribution to First Parish and being nourished in return.
Youth Sunday is coming in June:
The seasons are rushing by and we are only a month away from our wonderful annual Youth Sunday service coming on June 8. In addition to sharing rich and inspiring worship with our youth leaders, we will celebrate some special “rite-of-passage” ceremonies. This year, those ceremonies include “First Chalice” for our 8-year-olds and “First Mentor” for our 11-year-olds. In addition, we will honor the high school graduation of Cody Urban, whom First Parish has watched grow into an amazing, confident, and compassionate young man. If you aren’t familiar with these wonderful ways that we honor our growing youth, check out our descriptive brochure at church or the “rites-of-passage” link on our R.E. website.
Social Action news from RE:
This month will be special “environmental” programming for most of the children and youth in our RE program. They will be doing a wide variety of activities regarding making our world a “greener” place. Stay tuned for service projects you can help them with!
Ferry Beach
In case you don’t know, Roberta is a Ferry Beach booster. That means she is happy to answer any questions you might have about this awesome UU summer vacation experience. (as are many other First Parish youth and adults who have been to Ferry Beach and love it!) They have a wide variety of conferences to nurture your UU spirit as you also enjoy a fun vacation on the beach. They have great programs for youth, families, and adults. See Roberta for more details or check out the brochures at church. Or check them out on the web at www.ferrybeach.org
Are We a Welcoming Community?
(from Elizabeth Tappan-deFrees)
WHAT!? Of course we are!!! We have a rainbow flag, we Greet our Neighbor, we have a Welcomer at Social Hour, a sign-in book… we have welcoming red doors on Church Street and a supportive spiritual community open to many beliefs and backgrounds… we have committee meetings to reflect on how we could be better!!
A couple of thoughts have crossed my mind, aided by comments at some of those meetings. I thought I’d share them. This is particularly for those of us who have truly found a church home at First Parish, who attend with some regularity and have church friends.
QUESTIONS:
1) Where do you park?
2) Where do you sit?
If you are newly at First Parish, or trying us out, your first impression is our parking lot. Many of us know this is a work-in-progress and needs some adjustment, but the first step to being more welcoming can be made each Sunday as the drivers among us decide where to put our cars. For those of us who know what to expect when we arrive at church and do not need assisted parking… how about the CVS lot? Or even Summer Street? Being welcoming starts at giving a visual welcome that includes a parking place. While we determine how to make that more obviously welcoming in terms of set-up, making a choice not to fill up the lot before newcomers and visitors arrive is a good start.
Then… you enter the sanctuary. Again, for those of us who already feel like First Parish is our home, think like a newcomer. As you enter the side doors from the Church Street entrance, try and imagine what it feels like to have to cross a pocket of easily accessed but full chairs to the empty chairs on the far side… often in the front or back? If a few more of us could cross the sanctuary and fill the seats on the fireplace side, the sanctuary would more easily welcome new people who might want to quietly come in and observe our routine.
Being a welcoming community does not mean simply offering a pleasant space, it also means taking a moment to make the space feel welcoming. Most of us believe it does feel so. And we are right. But it needs to be more so. We each need to make an effort to fully welcome visitors by the simple actions of thinking about parking and sitting. Our family has tried it the last couple of times we’ve been at church – it’s really not as traumatic as I believed it might be!! If you are a brave soul, who hasn’t fallen into a habitual parking and seating arrangement, kudos!!! For the rest of us, here’s a challenge to see if you can help us be more welcoming.
Notary Public at FPW
FPW Member David Morrison wanted to inform folks that he continues to be a Notary Public. His commission is good until December 4, 2009, if you ever have a need.
Making a Mark
(from Mark C., student minister)
During my studies at Divinity School, I have revisited the works of one philosopher many times and in many contexts: Immanuel Kant. For many, philosophy is rather boring stuff or self-indulgent navel-gazing divorced from the real world concerns of most people. I have been drawn to it over the years not because it is always exciting, or even relevant, but because it at least tries to get down to a fundamental way of understanding the universe and our place in it.
Kant is a special figure because his ideas permeate the social epoch known as the Enlightenment. He was revolutionary because he turned the discerning eye used in the sciences and mathematics toward metaphysics and philosophy. One Kantian tenet of enduring distinction was that there are essentially two worlds or spheres of concern – the noumenal and the phenomenal. Noumena refers to things in themselves, not their shadow or their abstraction, but the actual thing. Conversely, anything that is perceived through our senses is a phenomenon. Most would agree that they have never seen a thing in and of itself. We see it through fallible human eyes that can be tricked and distracted, and which cannot see all that could be seen. This Kantian distinction then proceeded to muck up much of theology.
Why? Because the sphere of inquiry shrank from the whole universe of possibility to the specifically knowable, i.e. the testable, repeatable, etc. Science is about experimentation, and you cannot experiment on the divine or the heavens, at least not reliably in keeping with scientific method. Kant did not deny that the noumenal existed, but he just did not think it was anything that human beings could effectively study. From this point you had a cottage industry amongst German philosophers volleying the words of Kant back and forth trying on the one hand to salvage an idea of divinity, such as with Schleiermacher and Hegel, while on the other Feuerbach and Marx tried to move away from such matters and squarely into the strictly human realm of ideas.
As the philosophers fiddled, science kept moving on in unexpected ways. The invisible universe of the subatomic became critically important to science, yet walled off from the thinking of the average person. We rely upon the firmness of the chair we sit upon, but science describes it as a whirl of electrons and neutrons and protons in various configurations making up the primary substance of the world around us. It is no less firm in our use, but perhaps less so in our minds if we pay attention to such learned matters.
Then, along came troublemakers like Albert Einstein with outlandish theories about time and space – nonsense about relative passage of time, gravity wells and other mystical creatures of scientific hyperbole. Of course, Einstein’s relativity is now accepted as scientific fact. Science also accepts ever more counterintuitive notions of the universe, with ever-smaller particles being found or theorized. But science is not the same as “us”. As science begins to tell us more and more about the unseen world, we have begun to take a lot on faith because we cannot be the theoretical physicist, microbiologist, math whiz, etc. I personally know nothing about high level physics or mathematics, so I must rely upon others to explain it all.
But if physics and math are getting a lot more fuzzy, what does that do to the crisp German theories of old? Kant relied upon science to split the universe asunder, so what happens when Einstein seems to sew it back together?
Quantum mechanics is not the basis for reclaiming the noumenal sphere, but it is something to think about as we decide what is going on around us. When we hazard to guess about the thing in itself, its ultimate nature or truth, we go down a road with caution signs put up by Immauel Kant centuries before. Paying attention to those signs is important. But the intriguing murkiness of modern physics also beckons us forward, as we see the crazy wisps of Einstein’s hair in the distance.
Summer Worship Services
During the summer months of July and August each year, we have a little break from our regular schedule. While Mark enjoys some well-deserved time away to recharge his battery, members of our congregation share some of their spirituality and insights with us by leading one of the summer worship services. These have been so well received over the years that last year we expanded the number of lay services to six. The services are more casual and the attendance is lighter than during the regular year. It’s a good opportunity to share in a comfortable way surrounded by friends. Sometimes the services follow our standard Order of Worship, and sometimes the leader takes us on a very different path.
The dates this year for the lay services will be: July 13, 20, 27 and August 7, 14, 21.
If you are interested in leading a service, please contact Chris Johnson (781.209.0944 or LesHons@verizon.net). If you would like to know what it’s like to take on one of these services, you could speak to Chris, or one of the other members who have done so in the past: Jeanne Cleary, Kyle Hart, Carole Berney, Charlyn Bethel, Wendell Refior, Roberta Altamari.
Don’t be shy! We’d love to hear what you have to say!
Fund Raiser for AIDS Program
Eliza Petrow, the daughter of FPW member Beth Parsons has invited us to the following event:
Location: Vineyard Church
170 Rindge Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140
When: Thursday, May 8, 7:00PM to 9:00PM
Phone: 617.331.3765
Dear Friends (and friends of friends),
I hope you can come to a fundraiser I am organizing to support a program I recently started in rural China. The program- under the AIDS Orphan Salvation Association and in partnership with Dr. Kay Johnson of Hampshire College- provides treatment, care and support to HIV+ children, many of whom have lost one or both parents to AIDS. We received generous support from DC-based Medical Care Development International to carry out the program for the first 12 months; however, additional HIV+ children in need of assistance have been identified and we require continued financial support to sustain and expand the program from June 1, 2008 onward.
Please join us for light refreshments from 7:00-7:30pm, followed by a viewing of the Oscar award winning short-documentary (39 minutes), "The Blood of Yingzhou District," which features several of the kids in the program. I will also provide a brief overview of AIDS in China, and will discuss the effectiveness and importance of the program. (If you wear glasses, be sure to bring them so you can read the sub-titles and see the photos clearly).
The event will be held at the Vineyard Church in Cambridge. The Vineyard Church is accessible on the Red Line and is about a 15 minute walk from the Porter Square T. The church has limited parking in the lot. If possible, Cambridge residents please use street parking. For non-Cambridge residents, street parking is available per a consideration by the City of Cambridge on the following streets: Notre Dame, Middlesex, Sargent and Rindge. Carpooling is encouraged.
Admission to the event is $10. Donations to support the program are encouraged and welcomed. All donations are tax deductible and will be handled by the US-based Alliance for Children Foundation. 100% of proceeds will go to the program.
If you plan to attend please be sure to RSVP so that we can arrange to have enough refreshments for all guests. If you will require childcare, please let me know in advance and I will have babysitters on-site.
Please feel free to pass this invitation on to friends who may be interested.
Thanks in advance for your support and I hope to see you May 8th!
Eliza at 617-331-3765
elizapetrow@post.harvard.edu
Open House at Fowle House
The Historical Society of Watertown invites us to the Grand Opening of the newly restored Edmund Fowle House, 28 Marshall Street, Watertown on Saturday, May 17, 2008. The opening ceremony will be at 11:45 a.m., and the house is open from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. This house has undergone a major restoration, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the 2nd oldest house in Watertown.