Announcements at First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington, MA

Issued Friday, Feb 3, 2012 in a First Parish e-mail. To start or stop receiving announcement e-mails, send your request to weekly@firstparish.info.

Weekly Announcements go out every Friday. Deadline for submissions is 9 am Wednesday.

For longer articles that are not for upcoming events, send your material to spire@firstparish.info. The Spire is issued on the first Sunday of the month starting in September.

First Parish Mission Statement

We choose to be a liberal religious community, welcoming to all.
We encourage each other on our spiritual journeys,
support one another through the changes in our lives
and challenge the excesses and injustices of our time.
Called to love and upheld by joy, we live our faith.

Sunday, February 5: Rev. Marta Flanagan preaching

Stewardship Sunday has arrived! We will Rise Up together and, as a group, make our annual pledges to the life and work of our church. See Rise Up! Stewardship 2012 for more info.

Audio Recordings of the Sunday Sermon are available at Sunday Sermons. You will need to login to hear the sermon. While you are on the audio recording page, click on the sermon that you would like to hear. Please note, the service has to download before it begins playing; this can take 1 - 3 minutes.

About STAR Programs

The purpose of STAR Programs is to support and enrich spiritual growth in the First Parish community.

Pre-registering helps our planners and facilitators, so please sign up for programs you intend to attend. To register, contact the church office at churchoffice@firstparish.info or 648-3799 x. 10. Some programs have a fee. If this fee (or any other detail) presents an obstacle, please talk with Marta (marta@firstparish.info). STAR programs are open to all, and we want to know about anything that makes attending difficult.

Other questions? A program you would like to propose? Please contact Bonnie Zimmer, the coordinator of the Adult Programming Working Group, at bonnie.zimmer@gmail.com.

STAR Offerings for 2011 - 2012

Mark your calendars! Make the commitment! Space is limited so call the office to sign up! For more specific information on any of these programs, follow the links below, check the bulletin board near the kitchen door, or visit the STAR table at coffee hour.

Remember, if you are an individual or a committee interested in offering an adult RE program at First Parish, we want to hear your ideas and support you!

First Wednesday (except August), 7:15-8:30 pm: SOUL - Sharing Our Unique Lives
Women's Ritual and Discussion Group
Registration required

Are you interested in women's ritual and feminist spirituality? A group of women meets monthly to create women-centered ritual and discuss our spiritual lives from a feminist perspective. The group meets at the church on the first Wednesday of each month from 7:15 pm-8:30 pm. The next meeting, led by Leigh Benowitz, will be on January 4, in the Parlor.

Although this is not a drop-in group, we welcome new members! For more information and/or to arrange a visit to try us out, please contact Nan Owens at NanandSue@aol.com or at 617-776-2503.

Thursdays, 8-9 am, Through End of Church Year: Lectio Divina
Tobey Lounge with Rev. Marta Flanagan

Are you interested in experiencing a new spiritual practice? Are you looking for a way to hear the Holy, to receive nudges and comforts? Are you seeking a deeper spiritual companionship of others at First Parish? If so, Rev. Marta Flanagan invites you to join her, and First Parish members Josh Davis and Annette Sawyer in engaging in a weekly practice of prayer and biblical reflection for an hour for the next seven Thursday mornings. Lectio divina is a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with the Holy and to provide spiritual insights. Lectio Divina is not about literalism but about using the text as jumping off point to hear where you be being lead or what you are being offered at this time in your life. The principles of lectio divina have been practiced in monastic communicates for nearly 2,000 years. We will use biblical readings for Lent to go deeper in our spiritual lives. If you are interested please e-mail Marta at minister@firstparish.info.

January 7, Saturday, 9 am - 4 pm: In the Beginning: An all day contemplative retreat with Rev. Marta Flanagan

Fee: $55
Registration deadline: Sunday, December 18

The winter retreat will focus on what it is to begin anew and begin again. As the New Year begins, what are you ending and what are you beginning?

Often times what we call "retreats" wind up being forums, workshops or meetings. This January, Rev. Marta Flanagan will facilitate an honest-to-goodness retreat. Our time together will include silence, prayer, and journaling. We will share simple meals. Please wear comfortable clothing (bring layers so you can go outdoors), and bring journals and pens, yoga mats, and anything else that might add to your day.

A fee of $55 covers breakfast, lunch and rental of the comfortable facilities at Rolling Ridge Retreat Center in North Andover (rollingridge.org). If this fee creates an obstacle please contact Marta (marta@firstparish.info).

Spirituality on the Stage

The stage has long been a place to muse about matters of the heart and the mind. This church year, join Rev. Marta Flanagan for three Sunday Matinees at the SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston. Our group rate tickets are $45 a show. Reservations must be made through the church office three weeks in advance of the show to secure the reduced ticket price and a seat (please note this advance purchase requirement did not apply to the October 2 performance of Next Fall).

Arrangements for transportation and dinner following the show will depend on the number of people participating.

March 25, 2012, Sunday, 3 pm: Next to Normal

Featuring a compelling and surging pop rock score, Next to Normal shatters through the façade of a suburban family dealing with the direct and indirect effects of mental illness. Winner of three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this intense, emotional and ultimately hopeful musical makes a direct grab for the heart with its story of a family coming to terms with its past and bravely facing its future. Reservations and deposits due to church office by Sunday, March 4, 2012.

Seen on January 22: Red

Winner of six 2010 Tony Awards including Best Play, Red is a searing portrait of an artist's ambition and vulnerability. After he lands the biggest commission in the history of modern art, abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko begins work on a series of large murals with the help of a new young assistant. What takes place between the two men is a master class on the methods and purpose of art and the dynamic relationship between an artist and his creations.

Contact Joan Dyer, First Parish Office Manager at officemanager@firstparish.info.

To learn more about the plays, visit speakeasystage.com.

Monday, January 30, 7pm - 9pm: The Muslim World in Transition: A Discussion of Leila Ahmed's A Border Passage

Get the book now! Leila Ahmed was born in Cairo in 1940, and her memoir is a beautifully written and deeply insightful guide to changes in the Muslim world during the twentieth century. Ahmed tells her personal story, with all its specificity and richness, but she is now a professor at the Harvard Divinity School, teaching about women and Islam, and she weaves in lots of insights about bigger forces such as nationalism, Arab identity, men's and women's forms of Islam, why some forms of Islam are overtaking others, why many Egyptians in the 1920s were pro-Israel, and why the Middle East has become less religiously tolerant.

Copies of A Border Passage are already available for $11 at the Book Rack (13 Medford Street in Arlington Center) or by contacting Lori Kenschaft during coffee hour, so you can read it over the holidays. It is also available at the Robbins Library. If you would like to join us for the discussion on January 30, please spend at least two hours with the book so that you can really participate in the discussion.

Questions? E-mail Lori at ljk@tigana.org.

Thursday, February 16, 7 pm, Parlor: Quarterly Reading Group with the Green Sanctuary Committee

We will be discussing EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want by Frances Moore Lappé. Ms. Lappé, who lives in Belmont, will be speaking about this book at First Parish on March 31.

Books can be purchased tax-free from the book rack in the Vestery. The books are purchased at the group rate from The Book Rack.

Tuesday, February 28, 7-9 pm, Parlor: Islamism and the Veil: A Talk Based on Leila Ahmed's A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence from the Middle East to America

Ahmed's most recent book started with the question of why more women are wearing hijab now than a generation ago, in the U.S. as well as elsewhere. Her answers are entwined with the history of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist movement, since its birth in Egypt in the 1920s. This is a hefty academic book, so I will be offering a more accessible talk based on its findings. If you would like to know more about Islamism and the veil, please join us!

Questions? E-mail Lori at ljk@tigana.org.

Friday, February 3, 7:30 pm: Gardens of Delight with Jean Rosenberg
An Alliance Program

Twenty years ago, a group of mid-coast Maine residents founded a grassroots organization because they believed that northern New England would benefit from a botanical garden. By 2007 the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens (CMBG) opened on a site with salt water frontage, and since then it has been recognized as one of the "most distinguished botanical destinations in the country."

Join Alliance member Jean Rosenberg for an evening to view CMBG's exquisite and unique gardens. You will encounter landscape designs that encourage visitors to explore the five senses as well as stone features, learn about Maine's "greenest building" and its "ecologically sound planting," and admire a whimsical garden that celebrates "beloved children's literature by authors with a Maine connection."

Friday, February 3, 3 pm: Silver Maple Panel Discussion on ACMi Public Channel
(RCN 3, Comcast 8, Verizon 31)

Saturday's concert goers can meet the Coalition and get to know the background to the concert.

Saturday, February 4, 7 pm, Sanctuary: Silver Maple Forest Benefit Concert and Celebration

You are invited to a Silver Maple Forest Benefit Concert and Celebration. The 15.6 acre forest on the Belmont/Arlington line is the core of a 120-acre Alewife Reservation with about 20 mammals and 45 bird species. It is also the site of a proposed 300-unit development which encroaches into natural resource areas.

The Concert features outstanding musicians and composers: Jim Scott, Stan Strickland, Fred Small and Elka Jahns.

Jim has recorded or shared the stage with luminaries from the jazz, classical and folk music worlds. From Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival with the Paul Winter Consort; to a concert at the end of the Great Peace March with folk legends Pete Seeger and Peter Yarrow, Jim’s travels have taken him around the world, including a European tour with the Griffith Singers performing his choral music; recording in the gardens of Findhorn Scotland with jazz flautist Paul Horn; touring Nicaragua with Holly Near and performing in Australia for colleges and the Institute for Earth Education international conference. In his years as guitarist for the Paul Winter Consort, Jim led thousands in the song Common Ground and his own eco-anthem, A Song For The Earth. He was co-composer of the Consort's monumental choral work, Missa Gaia/Earth Mass, and recorded A Concert for the Earth in the Great Hall of the United Nations. While a member of the Consort, Jim also wrote several PBS soundtracks and composed and arranged an entire concert for the group with the Indianapolis Symphony.

Jim has long been active in the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church and has visited over 300 UU churches across the country, leading services, presenting concerts, and offering workshops. Three of Jim's songs are included in the new Unitarian Universalist Hymnbook, and Gather The Spirit has become a favorite across the denomination. Jim has served on the board of the UU Musicians Network and was Co-Chair of the ecological/spiritual activist group the UU "Seventh Principle Project."

The Concert will be held at the First Parish Arlington at 7:30 on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Adult tickets are $18 in advance at the First Parish office, at belmontcoalition.org, or $20 at the door.

The event is co-sponsored by: Coalition to Preserve the Belmont Uplands, Belmont Land Trust, Belmont Citizen's Forumm Sustainable Belmont, Arlington Land Trust, Sustainable Arlington, Friends of Alewife Reservation, Green Cambridge, and First Parish's Green Sanctuary group.

Stewardship 2012 is well underway! Pledge cards are coming in and we are making progress towards our goal of $449,000. Please plan to attend our special Rise Up service on Sunday, February 5, at 10:00 am. Our service will include the fabulously talented singer/songwriter Jeannie Gagné who has been featured at the national UU General Assembly. She will be accompanied by local musical legend Stan Strickland and our own wonderful choir. Join us as we Rise Up as a congregation in a lively service of giving! If you have any questions or concerns about your pledge, please feel free to contact the members of the Stewardship Committee:

Calling all artists! We are planning a congregational art show in February. The theme will broadly reflect First Parish's interest in the Green Sanctuary movement. Suggested works might express our appreciation and concern for nature, the environment, the interdependent web of life, climate change, the creative re-use of materials. The show will open with a reception on Sunday, February 5, and run through March 25. We invite you to display one or two pieces. The display case in the narthex will be available for small 3-dimensional objects.

We will be hanging the show on Saturday morning, February 4, and would welcome some assistance. If you are willing to help us with the hanging of the artworks please contact one of us. Meanwhile, get ready! Create!

The next monthly informal potluck supper for families with young children will be held Friday, February 10, at 6pm in the First Parish Vestry. Bring the family and a dish to share (anything is fine--it's truly "pot luck"). This is an excellent way for families to make a connection in a relaxed setting. Families with children of all ages are welcome.

Questions? Contact Kate McNeill at 483-3559 or mcneill40@gmail.com. Note: The potlucks this year will are the second Friday of every month.

Saturday, February 11, 6:30 - 7:30 pm, Sanctuary: Alternative, Experiential Worship Service For All

Do you ever yearn to explore worship in other kinds of services? Have you ever wondered what the youth in the church mean when they say "worship"? Are you interested in exploring alternative formats, functions, and modalities used to worship?

Members of the youth group invite you to join us for an alternative-style worship service in the sanctuary. There will be lots of interaction and sharing, music, reflection, and more. All ages are invited to attend, though the program will largely be geared to middle-and high-school-age youth and adults. We hope to see you there!

Always the third Sunday 7:15-9pm in the Damon Room. Contact Jean Nagle for further information (e-mail jsnagle@comcast.net).

The Monthly Prayer Circle is an open circle welcoming all who seek additional space in their end of month schedule for a time of quiet, deepening reflection and sharing of concerns and hopes with others. The Prayer Circle meets on the fourth Thursday of the month. For additional information or questions, please contact Holly Loring at hmuse23@yahoo.com.

Join First Parish's newest group, Interweave Continental (our "Gay/Straight Alliance"), for a Winter Beach Party kick-off event in the Vestry on Saturday evening, February 25. This is one beach blanket bonanza you won't want to miss! Stay tuned for more details. ...

Tuesday, February 28, 7 pm, Parlor: Join the Bylaw Work Group for an Open Conversation

Please join John Hodges, Alan Linov, Ted Live, and Josh Davis as we discuss the excellent feedback we got at the January 22 congregational meeting. We hope to provide you with responsively edited text for these proposed amendments soon. Our next regular meeting after this and before the next congregational meeting in March is Tuesday, February 24. Do join us! Or contact John at 617-354-4868 or jcfh@alum.mit.edu.

The warrant and side-by-side comparison document associated with the withdrawn motion from the January 22 meeting are available below.

If you have any difficulty accessing a document, please contact Joan Dyer, Office Manager, at churchoffice@firstparish.info.

Donor hours from 8 am to 2 pm, as usual, and non-donor volunteer opportunities to help out from 6 am to 4 pm. All are welcome! Please consider yourself asked. To make an appointment to donate whole blood or double red cells by apheresis, please log in to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS. Thanks! No appointment necessary, but our drives are popular, so we recommend them.

Thanksgiving marked the beginning of the predictable annual downturn in the blood supply through the holidays and stormy winter weather. Please help reduce this anticipated period of reduced supply. If you'd like to volunteer to help out before, after, or during this or any of our drives, please contact John Hodges at jcfh@alum.mit.edu or 617-354-4868. Even just talking up the drives or reposting this to online discussion forums is an excellent service. Thank you so much for your help!

RE Calendar

Sock Drive

All families are encouraged to bring in clean, new or knitted socks to support the Youth Group's February initiative to help the homeless.

Youth Group News

Any youth who missed last week's meeting should contact Marcie, Erik Wilke, or Lyda Langford ASAP to let us know what roles you would be willing to have in the Youth Service in March.

Youth Group Calendar

Notes

Did you know that First Parish Youth gather monthly to worship together? Did you know that their worship looks and feels quite different than the weekly worship services that take place on Sunday mornings? Have you ever wondered what goes on in youth worship? We are all invited to experience and participate in the magic of youth-led worship! Join us for this new take on "Intergenerational Worship" as our adult members and friends are led in worship by our youth. This service will feature experiential exercises, readings and discussion based on the theme Revitalizing Compassion and Awareness, offered with the hope of strengthening a sense of connection between the generations and deepening a spirit of compassion in our greater community. Don't miss this unique opportunity!

Mark Your Calendars!
Our annual Youth Service will be on Sunday, March 4. There is a MANDATORY rehearsal for all participating youth on Saturday, March 3, from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm.

Youth Chaplain Jessica Sandberg is available to speak one on one with youth prior to any youth group meeting. Jessica is available from 6:30-7 every Sunday night for Youth Chaplain Hours. Youth can also reach Jessica during the week by e-mailing youthchaplain@firstparish.info .

Welcome to a Great Season of Music Making at First Parish!

Adult Choir Rehearsal (high school students & new members welcome)

Rehearsing Thursday nights in the Sanctuary through June 14, 2012 (except December 29, January 12, and April 19).

Adult choir will sing each Sunday except January 1, January 15, February 19, April 22, and May 27.

Band Rehearsal

Chalice Singers (grades 2-8)

"Music For Young Children Class", Ages 3-8

Please sign up to donate flowers at Members/Signups/flowers.html or from the request forms section of the web page members section. The following are dates available for this quarter:

Pick a date and dedication here and/or send to flowers@firstparish.info with that info and amount to spend from our florist and special flower requests or if you will bring your own arrangement of flowers or sculpture.

Please bring new store-bought or knitted socks (of all sizes!) to donate to the Youth Group-sponsored Sock Drive for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless. Socks can be dropped off in baskets in the RE wing or the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings. Please bring socks this Sunday, January 29, and all through the month of February! They will go to homeless individuals who really need them.

If you were moved by Rev. Leaf Seligman's message last week and missed the chance to have her sign a book, she left a few signed copies of Through the Open Window: Sabbath Meditations with us. If you would like to purchase one, please contact Lida Junghans at 617-484-2613 or ljunghans@earthlink.net. The price is $16, but Leaf doesn't want price to prevent anyone who needs one from having one, so if you are at all interested, do contact Lida.

Save The Date! First Parish's Annual Gala Auction will take place on Saturday, March 31. Mark your calendars for an evening of fun and the opportunity to enrich your life with unexpected pleasures and treasures!

If you've requested a new name tag in the last couple of months and haven't picked it up yet, you can find it now on the rack with the older name tags (to the right as you come through the front door). The Membership Committee will place the new ones more-or-less alphabetically among the many, many name tags already there. Kindly check the rack before making a disposable tag on Sunday morning. If you can't find your new name tag, the friendly MemCom people at the Welcome Table will be glad to help you.

The new Arlington Community Education has just been published, and many First Parish folks are offering classes, including David Whitford, Hillary Rappaport, Kendall Dudley, Laura Prichard, Bob Voges, and many more! The courses and registration forms can be found at Spring Catalog

Thank you for your generous donations to the Arlington Food Pantry during the month of December! We have learned that the people who use the pantry -- of all ages and abilities -- are in desperate need of hot and cold cereals. Baskets will be available for all contributions by the back doors of the Sanctuary.

Food Pantry and Fuel Assistance donations can now be made online. Donations, which are tax deductible, assist Arlington residents by providing them with much-needed food or with help paying their heating bills.

“Families are struggling to keep food on their tables and keep their homes warm,” says Christine Connolly, Director of Health and Human Services. “Unemployment and higher gas prices have increased the demand for these services. Arlington has a strong sense of community and we are truly grateful for the donations that keep both services in operation. We hope that by adding the online feature, it will make it easier for people to donate.”

Donations can also be made by check payable to: The Arlington Food Pantry.
Please send checks to:
The Arlington Food Pantry
Health and Human Services
27 Maple Street
Arlington, MA 02476

First Parish holds two New Member Recognition Ceremonies per year when we celebrate the inclusion of new members into our community. For this program year, our New Member Ceremonies will be held on December 4th and April 29th. If you are planning to join First Parish, the preferred Path to Membership is participating in the New UU class also held twice per year. If you have been involved in First Parish for quite a while or have come to First Parish from another UU church and don't have the availability to participate in a class, please contact Joan Dyer at 648–3799 or churchoffice@firstparish.info to schedule an individual appointment with Marta or contact membership@firstparish.info to discuss your interest in joining the church. If through your discussion with Marta you decide to join First Parish, she will give you the application for membership to complete and offer you the Membership Book to sign.

There will not be scheduled signing opportunities after Sunday services as in the past. If you are intending to meet with Marta prior to the December 4th ceremony, please set up an appointment right away; the appointments are filling up. If you want to participate in the New UU Class in the spring, please express your interest by contacting membership@firstparish.info.

As our congregation continues to grow, the idea of a shared ministry becomes more and more important. We, the members of the Committee on Ministry (COM), hope to facilitate this by keeping the minister advised of concerns and successes within the congregation, as well as by helping the members understand how the minister must set priorities in order to sustain the well-being of our church community. We want to be sure she has the thinking time necessary as our spiritual leader and the scheduling time to offer us counsel as needed. So, talk to us! We will hear your comments and bring them to our meetings with the minister, which are always confidential.

We will also work with the Parish Committee in regard to the minister’s annual evaluation and contract details.

Among the members of the COM, we bring to our work years of membership as well as time served on many committees: Parish, R.E., music, membership, finance, lay ministry, leadership, and more.

We look forward to conversing with you in church, or hearing from you via email.

February is the perfect month to recognize Standing on the Side of Love as our Giving First Recipient. Standing on the Side of Love (SSL) is a Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)-sponsored public advocacy campaign that seeks to harness love's power to stop oppression. This campaign is an inclusive, multi-faith effort that emphasizes the messages of all religions based in compassion and love. Standing on the Side of Love provides opportunities to speak out and live our values, using community activism, social networking and media outreach to counter the growth of fear and hate in our communities. Standing on the Side of Love affirms that no one should be dehumanized through acts of exclusion, oppression, or violence because of their identities.

For the third year, Standing on the Side of Love has chosen to re-imagine Valentine's Day as a social justice holiday, something bigger and more powerful than a sentimental Hallmark holiday. In fact, this year Standing on the Side of Love is celebrating National Love Month, beginning on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and culminating on Valentine's Day. SSL has established a wealth of resources, activities, webinars and shared stories to give voice and action to our values. With yellow shirts, banners and signs, Unitarian Universalists and like-hearted individuals work together in actions large and small to make a difference. Let's support their efforts. And let's consider how we choose to live our mission, how we challenge the excesses and injustices of our time. We are called by love.

¹Giving First is a Social Justice program at First Parish, where 50% of our non-pledge Sunday morning offerings is given to a different charity each month. The Social Justice Committee is grateful for our congregation's generosity. We have donated over $25,000 through this program since its inception in November 2009.

Do you ever feel like you should sneak off to RE along with the kids? Hankering to learn more about daily spiritual practice, UU history, other faith traditions, expressing yourself more fully as a spiritual being? Wishing there was an adult version of "OWL" or "Coming of Age"? Help us make this a reality at First Parish!

STAR Adult Programming at First Parish (Spirit, Transformation, Adventure and Reflection) is launching its program year and we invite you to get involved. While we have some wonderful programs already planned, we are eager for more. What might you bring to our community? Create a STAR offering and bring it to life at First Parish. Teach one of the tested curricula available through the UUA or create one of your own. New and experienced facilitators and teachers are welcome.

Contact Bonnie Zimmer at bonnie.zimmer@gmail.com. to get the support or encouragement you need to let your STAR shine as a STAR facilitator this year!

In November of 2010 members of First Parish passed a resolution to establish a Green Sanctuary Policy for the congregation. Now the Green Sanctuary Climate Change Task Force and the Parish Committee are moving forward to establish practices so that we can live into the policy as a congregation.

Great News! The Unitarian Universalist Association's Green Sanctuary Program has accepted the application from First Parish to be a candidate to be recognized as a Green Sanctuary. Click Here to jump to the announcement.

A copy of the unfolding draft document concerning Green Sanctuary Practices is available online at ENVIRONMENTAL_PRACTICES.doc.

As many of you know, Elias Estabrook will be spending 8 months abroad in Senegal, participating in a "gap year" program centered around immersion and service. He is a member of the group of 57 Fellows that will work in communities in the developing world. By following his blog, you will be gaining insight into Senegalese culture as well as issues of international development and poverty.

Global Citizen Year, the non-profit that runs these programs, is working to make such international experiences more accessible to young Americans of all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. Their Fellows' scholarship fund supports their mission of fostering the growth of the country's next young leaders and promoting the importance of cross-cultural understanding in our generation. Any donations to the 501(c)(3) non-profit are tax deductible.

You can visit Elias' profile at: Elias' GCY Profile. From there, you can click on the Donate button to make a pledge to the Fellows' Fund. This money goes towards providing sizable need-based scholarships and funding the capstone projects through which each student will make a lasting impact on their host community.

As an introduction, you can read Elias' first post (which explains why he chose to take a gap year) on his Global Citizen Year profile.

If you would like news that is occurring during the upcoming week to be announced during the Sunday Service, please send an email to churchoffice@firstparish.info by Friday with your request.

Many of us at First Parish have experienced the loss of loved ones at some point in our lives. Some of us find comfort in periodically acknowledging these deaths aloud during church services.

First Parish has a long tradition of "Spoken Memorial Sundays." On specially designated Sundays, the names of our lost ones are read aloud during a special part of the service.

If you would like to have the death of a family member or especially dear friend celebrated in such a fashion, please submit the requested information at Members/spoken_memorials.html. Use the regular login and password to access the Members section (name: firstparish, same password as for the Spire). Alternatively, you may request a memorial via e-mail to Robin Schoenthaler at (robin@robinshome.com). Your loved one's name will then be recited during or around the month of their death.

The Prayer Shawl Knitters have been knitting, purling, and crocheting on their own, but it's time to start meeting together again. Please bring your knitting (or your interest in participating) to Jam 'n Java on Sunday, January 8, after church (circa noon so everyone gets some time at coffee hour). Prayer Shawl Knitters make simple warm shawls that are collected and then given by Lay Ministers at their discretion to individuals who have a care or concern, a worry or a celebration. New stitchers are always welcome, and patterns and knitting advice can be provided. Our meeting schedule will be every second Sunday of the month: January 8, February 12, March 11, April 8, May 13, and June 10. For more information contact Cathy Modica at cathym526@aol.com.

The Unitarian Universalist Association Accepts the Application for Green Sanctuary Accreditation from First Parish Arlington

The Unitarian Universalist Association’s Green Sanctuary Program has accepted the application from First Parish to be a candidate to be recognized as a Green Sanctuary. The UUA committee was very pleased by the work the Green Sanctuary/Climate Change Task Force did in adult programs and children’s education. And they were impressed by the environmental assessment of our church property provided by Interfaith Power and Light.

In order to complete the accreditation process this year, we will be working on projects in the areas of worship, social justice, and sustainability.

To access The Spire, go to Spires. As you are opening the file, you'll be asked for a User Name and a Password. Use firstparish and the password for The Spire. The document itself is not password protected. This online Spire has the same content as the printed copies.

The Mass Bay District news is also kept online. Click News at the top of the web page: mbduua.org. News for our denomination is available at uua.org.

Do you wish you had purchased a paver for the Remembrance Corner? You have another chance.

We are taking orders again till we get enough to cover the cost of having more pavers installed. After that, it will probably be several years before you have this opportunity again.

The First Parish Spire is a monthly publication of significant events for members and friends of our community. "The Lives We Share" provides an easy way for you to share life's passages with our community. You can now provide a summary of significant life events using a link on the church website, Members/LivesWeShare.html.

Use the regular login and password to access the Members section (name: firstparish, same password as for the Spire).

Example submissions include births, graduations, awards, promotions, weddings, illness/recovery or the passing of loved ones. First Parish is a caring and generous community -- this is a wonderful way to share our experiences together.

The form is easy to use and requests specific information for your submission. You are provided a record of your entry. Submissions are sent to the Church Office and will be summarized each month in The Spire. This is a great way to inform your First Parish friends of the significant things impacting your life, or lives of others, in our community. Special thanks to Cheri Minton for setting up this new feature on our website.

You'll find printed copies of The Spire at church on the first Sunday of each month, or you can access the current issue and back issues at firstparish.info/Spires/.

The UU Urban Ministry is looking to fill a number of volunteer positions.
Could one be a match for you?

English Teacher
When: Monday or Wednesday mornings (10am-noon) at the UU Urban Ministry.
What: Join our team of teachers who lead English classes for Renewal House residents and others affected by domestic violence.

Childcare Provider
When: Monday or Wednesday mornings from (10am-noon) at the UU Urban Ministry.
What: Take care of a small group of children during our English classes.

Cooks (Individuals or Groups)
When: Occasional Wednesday evenings (4:30-7pm) at the UU Urban Ministry.
What: Cook a healthy meal for ~40 students, parents & volunteers. Stay for game night!

For more information on these or other volunteer opportunities, please contact:

Rev. Kate Wilkinson
Coordinator of Congregational Outreach and Volunteers
Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry
617-318-6010 x214

In response to parishioner requests, the Memorial Garden Committee is providing another opportunity to honor your loved ones by sponsoring one or more engraved brick pavers in our beautiful First Parish Remembrance Corner.

You have another opportunity to secure a lasting memorial inscribed with your message:

The Remembrance Corner is just outside the rear door of the sanctuary. Please visit it at your convenience.

The Remembrance Corner has been and will continue to be funded and maintained solely through the sale of engraved pavers. Additional pavers will be added only when the required number have been funded to cover the cost of pavers and installation. A 4 x 8" paving stone is $95, and an 8 x 8" paver is $180.

To purchase an engraved paver, please fill out the PDF form and leave it with a check payable to First Parish in the Memorial Garden mailbox in the church office. Please write Remembrance Corner on the memo line. Email any questions to pavers@firstparish.info or ask any member of the Memorial Garden Committee: David Landskov, John Laurenson, Allan Tosti, Barbara Tosti, Mary Young.

Would You Like Your Child To Be Dedicated at First Parish?
Sunday, March 6, during worship services

Child Dedication Ceremonies occur twice a year during Sunday worship at First Parish. The next scheduled child dedication is Sunday, March 6. During a child dedication ceremony, children are welcomed into our community and blessed by our minister with water brought to us at Ingathering Sunday by our congregation.

If you and your family are interested in having your child or children participate in a child dedication ceremony, please contact the church office. In preparation for this service you are asked to meet with our minister, Rev. Marta Flanagan. Please contact the church office at churchoffice@firstparish.info or 648-3799 with any questions you may have, and to set up an appointment with our minister.

Churchgoers: Did you know the Church has an e-mail group? Yes, and you can join by e-mailing arlingtonuuconnection-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. You can view the description of its mission and past messages by at groups.yahoo.com/group/arlingtonuuconnection/. The idea for an e-mail connection was thought up quite a few years ago at Ferry Beach for us to communicate regards getting together, to tell about events, to advertise needs or resources, to just express yourself! There are two moderators (David Landskov and myself) to prevent spam and unwanted members, and possibly to send a message back to the sender for reconsideration if the message seems to have been written in anger. There are 75 members, but the traffic has been slim, mostly to let people know of concerts, discussions and the like, also apartments for let and wanted. As long as I am writing everyone, here is a message: consider joining our Poetry Group, next meeting Monday night January 31st at 7 at the Library Conference Room. We bring our favorite poems or one of our own to read and discuss. Here's one that our poetry coordinator 12/26 service, wearing a handsome pink blouse, suggested I edit when I ran across her at the Blood Donation day Saturday!

PINK
Pink is beautiful sunrise and sunset. But not so beautiful for ones wardrobe!
(inspired by pink ray into the gray skies one recent dawn)

The Green Sanctuary Group is pleased to report that at the November 21st congregational meeting, the Members voted in favor of adopting the Green Sanctuary resolution with a few amendments. The final adopted resolution appears below:

Resolution on Becoming A Green Sanctuary Congregation

AS MEMBERS OF FIRST PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

We recognize the seriousness of the challenges posed by dramatic climate change. Life on our beautiful planet is threatened by an exploding population, destruction of the environment, and excessive use of fossil fuels.

We have a responsibility to be mindful of the environmental consequences of our choices for the sake of the human community, all other species and the resources that sustain them now on earth, and for future generations.

We value the seventh principle of our Unitarian Universalist Association: “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.”

We strive to be a green sanctuary congregation whose way of living as a religious community is grounded in sound environmental policies and practices.

We seek an identity as a religious community that enables us to embody a “green way of life.”

We hope that when members and staff make decisions concerning First Parish - its maintenance, the use of its facilities, its programs, and its outreach to the community - they seriously consider environmental factors as well as issues of cost, functionality, and aesthetics.

We seek Green Sanctuary Accreditation from our Unitarian Universalist Association.

Information about the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Green Sanctuary Program is available Here.

Committee service and work on special projects is where community happens! These activities also create a wonderfully reciprocal experience-you give your time and talent to the community, and you receive connection and satisfaction, and often fun and playful experiences with remarkable people in return.

Some of our essential committees are still seeking members. Many of these committees do not require heavy-lifting, but they do thrive best with a critical mass to serve as a 'brain trust.' If you are intrigued, please come talk to me during coffee hour or e-mail me at: ljunghans@earthlink.net.

All interested First Parish folks are invited to meetings of the Diversity/Inclusion Group (D/IG). Our mission: to work together to make First Parish as welcome and inclusive as we can be and to assist outside efforts with a similar goal. We define diversity to include race, social class, gender, age, disability/special needs, and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender).

If you are interested in participating in decisions over upcoming plans, or if you are able to make a short or long term commitment to work on a particular issue, please join us. We usually meet on the third Thursday of the month at 7 pm. For more information, contact diversity@firstparish.info.

Upcoming

Activities to Date

The Compassionate Communication groups conduct empathetic conversations in pursuit of stronger and more robust relationships in personal, family, church, and professional life. These groups are neither therapy groups nor covenant groups. They are study groups that offer the opportunity to learn and practice compassionate communication skills. We are currently reading Marshall Rosenberg's Non-Violent Communication, and we discuss examples from our everyday experience.

There have been two Compassionate Communication groups. Group I (the Blue Whales) meets on the first and third Mondays of each month, and Group II (the Giraffes) meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month. Whales and Giraffes are the sea and land animals with the biggest hearts! Both groups are accepting new members.

In January we added a third group, the Meerkats (named after a land animal that is known for being very adept at strengthening social bonds). This new group is geared toward people who are new to compassionate communication. We will begin with a five-session read of Bonnie Fraser's book, Connection: A Self-Care Approach to Conflict Management (3rd Edition), which presents basic concepts of compassionate communication and offers numerous exercises to practice these concepts.

The Social Justice Committee is pleased to announce our two newest working groups: Walking in Arlington, led by Rachael Stark, and Boston Area Gleaners, including Oakes Plympton and Laurie ("Duck") Caldwell. Stop by the Social Justice table this Sunday to learn more.

The Green Sanctuary Group has books that it is recommending in a white display by the Social Justice table on Sundays. The Group is selling them at cost from our local book store, and you can ask to borrow the book instead of buying it.

The latest book is The Great Disruption. The Great Disruption was covered in Tom Friedman's column on the 7th. On the 8th it was the most e-mailed piece on the NY Times website. We encourage everyone to read this compelling, optimistic guide to getting humanity through the problems of capitalism and climate change. This book takes the biggest picture of all the books we read this year and is our Book of the Year.

This year's previous books were The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One, and Seasick: Ocean Change and the Extinction of Life on Earth. Don't panic; these books are not talking about the extinction of all life.

Three books from last fall are The Weather of the Future by Heidi Cullen, Climate Central's CEO, The Windup Girl, Time Magazine's 9th best fiction book of 2009 and a Hugo and Nebula Award winner set in a climate changed 22nd century, and Eaarth by Bill McKibben, who says our hope depends building the kind of societies that can concentrate on essentials. Bill McKibben talked about Eaarth in Lexington last August.

There are also Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan, 64 short rules that reinforce his food manifesto: "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plant.", Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, 18th on the New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller List in January, The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell that concluded "People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease," and the substantially revised bible of climate change Plan B 4.0 by Lester Brown that we studed two years ago.

We are looking for members to help make the church and our lives more in keeping with good environmental practices. We look forward to talking with you.

For people who want to develop their writing in the company of other writers—meets on the second Sunday of each month, from 12:30 to 2:30 pm in the Damon Room.

Bring writings if you like or just come and join in. No matter what your experience or writing style … all are welcome!

For more information, contact Judy Young at spirewriters@gmail.com or P.J. Gardner at 646-6849.

Please join us! We hold drop-in groups Mondays (gather at 6:00pm and start at 6:15 in the Damon Room) and Sundays, (gather at 9:00am and start at 9:15 next door at the Senior Center at Maple and Academy St.) We sit for 35 minutes in the style of Vipassana (Insight) Buddhist meditation, and beginners are welcome. By focusing on mind/body sensations in meditation, it is possible to become more mindful in daily life. ALSO 3 ongoing groups for those who already have a regular mindfulness practice, meet one Sunday night each month for Buddhist-themed support and discussion. There is a waiting list to join one of these groups. For more information, contact Lynn Rosenbaum at 646-0313 or meditation@firstparish.info

Arlington Workers in Transition is an ongoing group for anyone interested in help with networking and coaching through their job search activities. We meet Tuesdays, 10am-noon, in the 4th floor conference room at Robbins Library next door to the church. Questions? Contact Stewart Jester at 643-6123 or dstewartjester@aol.com.

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
630 Massachuetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476
Parish Office Phone: 781–648–3799
Website: firstparish.info
e–mail: churchoffice@firstparish.info

Regular Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday 10am to 4pm, Tuesday 1pm to 7pm. Other times by appointment.

This is a Welcoming Congregation
warmly and openly welcoming to gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people.

First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington

ANNOUNCEMENTS