Please join us this Sunday at 10:30am when Dan Fenn will ponder the human phenomenon of epiphanies – those sudden, unexpected flashes of new insights – which come upon all of us once in a while. This Sunday, which marks the Feast of Epiphany in many faith traditions, seems like an appropriate time for such thoughts.

The sanctuary choir will sing Felix Mendelssohn’s beautiful anthem “Behold a Star from Jacob Shining” (from Christus). Elizabeth Walsh will sing Alan Menken’s insightful song “I See the Light” (from Tangled). Tim Jacoby will sing Dan Forrest’s lyrical and profound “The Work of Christmas.” And for the centering music and postlude, Rip Jackson will play Schubert’s lyrical “Andante” (from Piano Sonata in A Major) and John Stanley’s rousing organ piece “Voluntary in C Major.”

This Saturday, January 6th at 2:00pm, all are invited to join the family of long-time First Parish member Bill Smith as they honor his life in words, music, and remembrances.

This Sunday, and on the first Sunday of every month, the Social Action Ministry Committee will place a food donation basket in the sanctuary for non-perishable food donations to benefit the Lexington Food Pantry. This basket serves to remind us that there are hungry people in Lexington, and that we can make a difference. Please place non-perishable items into the basket in the sanctuary on the first Sunday of each month or during office hours in the basket outside of the main office.

Please contact Lynne Yansen or Tom Wanderer for more information.

Are We Still The Green Congregation On the Green?

24 First Parish Folks have already said Yes!

Join them on Sunday, January 14th at 11:45 in Parker Hall to create the new

Climate Action Team

Together we will imagine and organize what we can do together right now and in the coming year.

Save the date: Come to Worship on February 11 and hear Rev. Fred Small, Climate Activist and one of the initiators of the Green Sanctuary movement.

Find out what others are doing :

Massachusetts Campaign for a Clean Energy Future

350.org Massachusetts

Climate Exchange Massachusetts and Massachusetts Carbon Pricing Legislation

UU Ministry for Earth

UU Mass Action

For more info contact

Dave Pollack  or Stephen Shick or Bob Kvaal

Many people at First Parish participate every year in the Lexington Martin Luther King Day of Service. Following is the introductory announcement to the nature and events of the Day put out by the town-wide MLK Day of Service Committee:

5th Annual Lexington MLK Day of Service

Monday, January 15, 2018

The Town of Lexington will hold its 25th commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with its 5th Annual MLK Day of Service by shepherding our community to take part in assisting those in need. Our objective is to engage and mobilize people of all ages to participate in events and activities to serve others. United in philanthropy under the auspices of the Town Celebrations Committee, our target this year is to serve 2,000+ people through 400+ volunteers.

Program and Activities:

9–10:30 a.m. at Grace Chapel – Lexington Human Rights Council sponsor a Community Dialogue on Race. An opportunity to discuss in small groups ways to employ Dr. King’s principles, tactics and strategies to achieve greater equality & justice.

11 a.m. Unity Walk from the Lexington Battle Green to Cary Hall. Come and join our community in this fun and symbolic show of unity and solidarity in the name of equality and social justice.

11:30 a.m. at Cary Hall Commemoration Program and Musical Performances – Brief and uplifting performances by Lexington literary performer Regie O’Hare Gibson, Lexington Student presentations and Special Needs Arts Program (SNAP) Sing Along Chorus.

Volunteer activities throughout Lexington, Waltham (YMCA) and Brighton (Boston):

Activities include  card-making for hospitalized children and veterans, meeting with homeless families at the Waltham YMCA for a day of activities, an invitation to Lexington Seniors to gather at Brookhaven for music, refreshments, and reflections on King’s legacy while donating to the new Bedford Green Apartments for previously homeless veterans, fleece-making of blankets, scarves, and hats, and a variety of opportunities for donations to places like the Lexington Food Pantry.

Evening concert:

UnMet Remembers MLK Day in Roxbury

Opera unMet brings their critically acclaimed performance The Ties That Bind to First Parish in Lexington  on Monday, January 15 at 5PM.  Through music, readings and interactive participation, this celebration has drawn diverse audiences together for over 20 years to reflect on the great works of  Dr. Martin Luther King. Featuring  Alan Rias, Emerald Johnson, Marta Rymer, Cliff Blake, Ellen Polansky, Joey Lenfest, Ezra Stevens and Marshall Hughes.  The performance is family friendly, thought provoking and inspiring.  It has been called ‘one of the brightest lights to shine on MLK Day’.

Admission is $15/adult, $10/students & seniors.

Please go to the website for further details and to sign up for activities. You can also email questions, or speak to Helen Cohen.

All are welcome to the Unity Group Luncheon on Monday, January 8th beginning at 12:00pm. Please bring your own lunch. Dessert will be provided. We will welcome Bill Blout from Lexington Youth and Family Services, who will focus on how to reduce stress and build resiliency for our young people.

Daring Democracy, UUA Common Read Book ~ Discussion and Interfaith Panel Response

In partnership with Minuteman Indivisible we invite you to reflect on the state of our democracy a year into the Trump Administration when we will discuss the UUA Common Read, Daring Democracy, by Frances Moore Lappé and Adam Eichen.

Every year there is a UUA Common Read that invites Unitarian Universalist communities to read a book together that is relevant to our faith and our time. This year, we are excited to be offering two opportunities to engage with this wonderful book, both in partnership with Minuteman Indivisible.

On Thursday, January 11^th at 7:00pm we will have a book discussion facilitated by First Parish’s Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Lisa Maria Steinberg, in collaboration with Marci Cemenska and Lisa Baci of Minuteman Indivisible. Although reading the book in advance will make the most of your attendance, it is not required.

Two weeks later, on January 25^th at 7:00pm, Lisa Maria will moderate an Interfaith panel of lay people in sharing how their personal faith tradition calls them to respond to the issues raised in Lappé and Eichen’s book. Come and hear how UUs, Catholics, Hindus, Jews, and others experience their spiritual practices calling them to act in our community in support of democracy.

First Parish in Concord and First Parish in Lexington are collaborating on an experiential curriculum, Beloved Conversations.

• 1.5 day retreat on February 2nd and 3rd.
• Eight biweekly facilitated discussions in small groups promote new patterns of thought and behavior.

Developed by the Fahs Collaborative at Meadville Lombard UU Theological School, this highly acclaimed program begins with a thought-provoking 1.5 day retreat facilitated by trained Fahs Collaborative staff, which will take place on February 2nd and 3rd.

Small groups of 8-10 members from both congregations will then meet together for eight biweekly facilitated discussions to promote new patterns of thought and behavior that connect both the sources of inspiration as well as the challenges of race/ethnicity. Beloved Conversations will provide a space to re-form/fuse the brokenness of racism into new patterns of thought and behavior ushering in social and spiritual healing.

Registration is now online (limited availability, full commitment required).

For more information about Beloved Conversations, visit the Meadville website or email Elisabeth Jas or Rev. Anne Mason.

The UU Urban Ministry and Roxbury Historical Society present the first in a

History & Justice lecture series:

Slavery and Abolition in Roxbury and Beyond
Rep. Byron Rushing of the 9th Suffolk district of the Massachusetts House of Representatives speaks to the history and ramifications of slavery and abolition in our neighborhood.

Tuesday, January 9th

Dinner served at 6 pm

Programming starts at 6:30 pm

UU Urban Ministry

First Church in Roxbury

10 Putnam Street

Roxbury, MA 02119

There’s still time to sign up for Spring potlucks. Those who sign up are assigned to one of several groups of 8-10 people who gather for a potluck dinner in a member home on a weekday or weekend evening once a month for four months. The same people remain in each group for the four months.

The dinners are a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with others in the church. When you sign up, please indicate which evenings are possible for you and whether or not you could host a dinner. There are also options for family potluck evenings where children are included and usually have dinner together separate from the adults.

The small groups will be formed based on the information you put on this signup list, and the monthly potlucks will begin in March and run through May.

Sign up this Sunday, or contact Linda Coyne.

Thanks to Lew Counts for capturing the spirit and peace of the 5pm Christmas Eve service.

Co-coordinators of the Caring Community of First Parish Church in Lexington, Deborah Beers and Celine Nussbaum, remind parishioners that our community is here to lend a hand if someone is in need of a meal or a ride. Debbie and Celine receive requests for help through caringcommunity@fplex.org and coordinate volunteers through our community’s page on lotsahelpinghands.com/ Volunteers who have accepted our invitation to join our lotsahelpinghands.com community are sent announcements through this website about opportunities to help as they arise, and can choose to sign up for these opportunities on the website if and when they wish. Please be in touch with caringcommunity@fplex.org if you would like us to coordinate help for you through the website when you are in need, or if you are interested in receiving an invitation to be listed as one of our volunteers.

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