Weekly Update

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The email newsletter of First Parish in Lexington is published on Wednesdays at 4 pm. Submissions are due on Mondays at 10 am. Email submissions or inquiries to the church office.
  • Sunday Service

    life-storiesThere’s a myth of who we are that many of us grow up with — heard as children, or in our heads, or from other — and frequently, that story becomes real as we live into our lives as adults. How is it that we can explore other possibilities, in the face of our own doubt and insecurity, and build a new story that we can live out in our troubled world? Join Deborah Weiner Soule as she asks these questions and invites us to explore.

    There will be Sunday school for Pre-K through 8th Grade. The nursery will be open for babies and toddlers.


    trebleclef

    This Sunday, guest pianist and church member Deborah Yardley Beers will play some piano music from her December 11th faculty concert. She will play Béla Bartók’s thrilling “Scherzo” (from Suite, Op. 14) and Joseph Haydn’s lyrical “Adagio” (from Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI/50). Rip Jackson will join Deborah in playing Claude Debussy’s impressionistic “Menuet” (from Petite Suite) for four hands piano. The sanctuary choir will sing Stephen Paulus’ hauntingly beautiful “The Road Home,” with soloist Elizabeth Walsh. Elizabeth will also sing Stephen Sondheim’s nurturing song “No One is Alone” (from Into the Woods).

    audio-icon-small Listen to last week’s sermon by Rev. Anne Mason, “What Gives Us Strength?”

  • Poinsettia Sale – Deadline Today

    poinsettiaIt’s time to plan for a festive sanctuary this holiday season! First Parish will be accepting orders for poinsettias from Wilson Farm.

    The cost is $10.00 for a 6 1/2″ pot, with proceeds going towards the purchase of greens for holiday decorating of the church. Order forms and payment (cash or checks made payable to First Parish in Lexington) are due on Wednesday, November 30th. Orders will only be accepted with payment.

    After the Christmas Eve services, you may take your poinsettia home. If you’d like your plant to be in honor or in memory of someone special, please include a message, which will be printed in the Christmas Eve order of service.

    To place an order, please download and print the order form here, or fill out an order form at the piano, and return with your payment to the church office by Wednesday, November 30th. Please contact Jane Foley in the church office with any questions. Thank you!

  • Transgender Day of Remembrance, November 20th

    transgender

    A Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil will be held on the Battle Green on Sunday, November 20 at noon. Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual observance that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

    Reverend Anne Mason and Director of Religious Education Lisa Maria Steinberg of First Parish in Lexington invite the Lexington community to participate in this vigil and public witness. They invite families and youth in the community to join our families and youth for this important social justice event.

    Grace Ann Stevens, author of No! Maybe? Yes! Living My Truth, and Musings on Living Authentically will also speak to those gathered.

  • Special Food Collection, November 20th

    As Thanksgiving approaches, please help your neighbors by donating non-perishable food items to the Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry. Items needed include baked beans, canned fruit, canned vegetables, cereal, macaroni & cheese, “Meals in a Can”, pasta, peanut butter, rice, soup, spaghetti sauce, and tuna fish.

    A special collection will take place on Sunday, November 20th. Please bring your donations then or at any time to the bin outside of the church office.

  • News from the Board
    Tom-Rich

    I want to offer a huge thank you to everyone who made our Second Annual Folk Concert a huge success on Sunday.  Needless to say, Rip spent many hours planning the concert, arranging for guest musicians, and preparing the First Parish choirs. Thanks to the Sanctuary and Children Choir for their hard work, especially those who had solos at the concert. Thanks to Jane Eckert for coordinating the advertising campaign for the concert; to Hazel Graham for organizing the food at the reception; to Bill Pittore for being sound engineer extraordinaire (did you see how many mics were up there?!); to Mark Therrieau for joining Rip’s friends from Vermont in the band; and to Jane Foley for preparing the concert program handout.

    For those of you who missed the concert, Rip and the Sanctuary and Children’s Choirs have scheduled two more concerts this year: 10:30 AM on Sunday, December 18th is the Winter Solstice Celebration Concert and 3:30 PM on Sunday, May 7th is a Broadway Cabaret Concert.

    In the spirit of community,

     

    Tom Rich

    Board Chair

     

  • Pizza and Game Night

    pizza-and-game-night-copy-1All are welcome to attend this monthly gathering for games and pizza! Please join Rev. Anne and Sadie Kahn-Greene for some group games and board and card games. If you have a favorite game to share, please bring it along!

    Please come on Saturday, November 12th at 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Parker Hall. Please RSVP here or email Lisa Maria Steinberg, Director of Religious Education, if have questions.

  • Creative Callings this Thursday

    yarnAll are welcome to participate in an informal group of members and friends who enjoy fiber arts. On Thursday, bring your knitting, crocheting, beading or other fiber work and meet in the church parlor from 2:00 pm to 3:45 pm for a low-key time of fellowship, creativity, and sharing of ideas.

    Just drop by or email Karolyn Eisenstein to join the email list.

  • The Great Fall Auction Catalog is Online!

    The Great Fall Auction catalog is available!  You can view it by clicking here.

    A couple reminders:

    – you do not need to be present to win!  If you see a live auction item you’d like to bid on but can’t attend the auction, fill out the proxy form by clicking here or email FallAuction@fplex.org with the item and your maximum bid.

    – we still have room for a few silent auction items, so email FallAuction@fplex.org if you’d like to donate something.  Gift cards are easy to donate!  How about a nice bottle of wine or two?

    – The Auction is November 19th at the church. Doors open at 6 PM; silent auction bidding is from 6-7:30 PM; live auction starts at 7:30 PM.  Checks and credit cards accepted (checks are preferred, to make your contribution go further).

    The Auction Team,

    Toni and Pete Tasker, Margie and Bob Gibbons, and Tom Rich (chair)

  • Unity Group November Meeting

    unity-novemberThe next meeting of the Unity Group will take place on Monday, November 14th beginning at noon. All women of the church are welcome!

    12:00 Socializing

    12:30 Lunch

    1:30 Program

    If your last name begins with S, T, U or V, please bring a dessert.

    Everyone else, please bring a main dish, side dish or salad.

    The Program

    First Parish’s new minister, The Reverend Anne Mason, has gone through a long and circuitous route to becoming a Unitarian Universalist Minister.  She will explore her spiritual path as it has evolved towards what she calls a ‘Post-Christian’ perspective. Come prepared with questions to engage in conversation, and be prepared to answer a few questions yourself!

     

     

  • Winter Outerwear Drive
    watchGently used or new  (and CLEAN) fall and winter outerwear for children, women, and men is being collected during November for immigrants supported by WATCH in Waltham.
    Families need winter jackets, coats, snowsuits, snow pants, hats, gloves or mittens, and boots. Men’s sizes tend to be smaller (M and L, not XL usually).  Rugged outdoor coats for men are especially appreciated (most of these guys have outdoor construction jobs), and “stylish coats for women” are also a hit. Please make sure everything is clean and mended, so it can be distributed without delay. Please no other clothing this year.
    Donations continue until early December. Bring items to the Collection Center outside Jane’s office. Questions? Contact Elaine Hylek or Marty Kvaal
  • Deadline: December 4 – Al Jacobson/Communities Without Borders Traveling Fellowship

    cwbAl Jacobson / Communities Without Borders Traveling Fellowship
    December 4, 2016 Deadline

    The Al Jacobson / Communities Without Borders Traveling Fellowship supports First Parish youth and adults as FP/CWB liaisons, strengthens First Parish’s commitment to CWB, and provides financial support for youth service trips. It sponsors two First Parish high school students or adults annually to travel with CWB and support its mission in Zambia. Each year, two fellows will be selected and awarded $2000 (about half of the cost) to participate in the annual CWB service trip to Zambia.

    Who is eligible?
    All First Parish high school, college-aged and adults are welcome to apply. Each year two people will be selected by the AJ/CWB TF Advisory Committee through an application process.

    What is the timeline?

    Applications are due on December 4, 2016. Interviews will follow in December and January. Applicants will be notified by February 1, 2017. Travel takes place every summer in late June and early July for a two-week service trip.

    Where do the CWB travelers visit?
    The AJ/CWB Traveling Fellows travel with CWB to Zambia, including Lusaka, Simukanka, and Victoria Falls.

    How do I apply?
    Applicants submit and complete applications, including 2 letters of references, to FP Office by December 4, 2016.

    Click here for the application.

    Lesley Benson, Margie Gibbons, Elaine Hylek, Al Jacobson, and Cherie Noe
    Al Jacobson / Communities Without Borders Advisory Committee

    Questions? Please contact Margie Gibbons at gibbons5@rcn.com.

  • Being a Muslim in the US These Days: A Panel Discussion

    islamPlease join our neighbors at the Follen Church for this panel discussion to be held on Thursday, November 17, 7:30pm. Panelists are Aishah Abdul-Mussawir, Library Media Specialist at the Cambridge Public Schools and co-founder of Boston Islamic School; Tahir Chaudhry, Former President, Islamic Center of Boston and member of Lexington Interfaith Clergy Association; and Saadia Amad, Master’s Degree Student in Conflict Resolution at UMass Boston. Maggie Herzig will moderate.

    For more information, click here. Questions? Contact: Marcia Butman at mbutman@gmail.com.

  • Munroe Saturday Night this Saturday

    adriansicam3Singer/Songwriter Adrian Sicam will present a solo performance entitled “Angel of Desire” on Saturday, November 12, 2016, as part of the Munroe Saturday Nights performing arts series. The performance, which will blend jazz, pop, r & b standards, and original compositions, will take place at 7:30 PM at First Parish in Lexington, 7 Harrington Road. The suggested donation for Munroe Saturday Nights events is $10/person. First Parish is handicapped accessible, and free parking is available at the rear of the church. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Visit http://www.munroecenter.org/reserve-your-seat.html to reserve your seat.

  • Newcomers Welcome to the New UU Workshop

    Theme Chalice8 – 11 am on Saturday, Dec 3. at Polly Erickson’s house:  2 Ryder Lane in Lexington

    Come for breakfast, stay for the workshop!

    Unitarian Universalists talk about deeds, not creeds. What does this mean about the role of faith in our lives? What do we actually believe if we don’t share a creed?

    We will spend the morning getting to know each other by sharing our spiritual paths, our questions, and our hopes for religious community. Rev. Anne will share some highlights of Unitarian and Universalist history and theology, leaving space for questions and shared exploration.

    If you are new to Unitarian Universalist thought, new to First Parish, or just want a chance to get to know our new minister, this is the place to be! If you are interested in membership in this congregation, you will have an opportunity to learn more about that, too.

    If you can’t come on Dec. 3rd but would like to attend this workshop at a later date, please let us know.  We will schedule another one in the New Year.

    Register with Jane in the office: admin@fplex.org or 781-862-8200 x1.

     

  • This Week at First Parish
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    Wednesday, November 9

    Special Worship Service 7:45 p.m. Sanctuary
    Choir Rehearsal 8:30 p.m. Sanctuary
    Thursday, November 10
    Creative Callings 2:00 p.m. Parlor
    Meditation 4:00 p.m. Parlor
    Saturday, November 12
    Game Night & Pizza Party 5:00 p.m. Parker Hall
    Munroe Saturday Night 7:30 p.m. Parish Hall
    Sunday, November 13
    Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Sanctuary
    Children’s Choir Rehearsal 11:45 p.m. Sanctuary & Parlor
    JHYG 3:00 p.m. Parker Hall
    Coming of Age 5:45 p.m. Parker Hall
    SHYG 7:00 p.m. Common Room
    Monday, November 14
    Staff Meetings 11:00 a.m. Office
    Unity Group Luncheon 12:00 p.m. Parker Hall
    Task Group on Building & Space 7:30 p.m. Office
    Tuesday, November 15
    Lexington Ski Club 7:00 p.m. Parker Hall
    Insight Meditation 7:30 p.m. Common Room
    Buildings & Grounds Meeting 7:30 p.m. Parlor
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