- Sunday Worship
“When God Needs Us”
Sam Teitel, Worship Leader“A brilliant Jewish scholar once told me that the problem with the laws in the Bible is that they are supposedly written by God, and God is supposed to be perfect. But if God is perfect, my friend said, then God cannot understand what it is to hurt. And if God cannot understand hurt, how can God understand people or make laws governing people? This week we are going to be exploring ways that we can set aside our judgments of each other based on our ideals about perfection and move towards receiving each other as full human beings who are carrying histories, hurt, and hope.”
Music this week will be provided by Hannah Shields. Hannah has performed throughout the United States both as a soloist and a chamber musician. She is a laureate of the YKAA International Competition, the Fite Young Artist Competition, and the Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, and she has attended the Yellow Barn, Banff, and Taos summer chamber music festivals.
Listen to last Sunday’s sermon by Sam Teitel, “Hurt and Harmony”
- About Our Summer Worship Leader
Sam Teitel is a Unitarian Universalist poet, educator, and punk rocker. He is a 2016 graduate of Andover Newton Theological School with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Global Interreligious Leadership and is excited to be pursuing ordination into Unitarian Universalist ministry. He believes in creating a worship environment that is lively, joyful, and thought-provoking.
- A Note from the Board
Have you seen First Parish’s new website? It’s the same address – fplex.org – but it has a completely new look and feel. I visited it yesterday for the first time and was blown away! A huge thank you goes to Laura Juitt and Elisabeth Jas, the main designers and coders. They had assistance from Bob Kvaal and Jane Eckert. I can’t emphasize enough what an enormous undertaking this was. Please thank the web team the next time you see any of them.
This will be my last Weekly Update in July. I’m heading out to Utah and Idaho for two weeks on July 17th to visit family and friends. I hope to see everyone on August 2nd at 6:30 pm at the church for a welcome reception for Rev. Anne, who starts August 1st.
In the spirit of community,
Tom Rich
Board Chair - Open House to Welcome Rev. Anne
Come celebrate the beginning of our shared ministry with Rev. Anne at an Open House on Tuesday, August 2nd, from 6:30-9PM in Parish Hall. Coffee and desserts will be served. We hope that everyone who is in town on that day will stop by with their families to say a warm hello!
Tom Rich
Board Chair - Water Communion Ingathering Sunday
Whether you are spending the summer months in your backyard or travelling abroad, please gather and save a small amount of water for the Water Communion ritual during the Ingathering service on Sunday, September 11th.
The water communion is a UU ritual, a time of sharing where you’ve been and reconnecting with one another. The water is poured into a common bowl and symbolizes the UU belief that many are one. Some of the water is often saved, sterilized, and then used for ceremonial purposes, such as child dedications, at other times of the year.
- New Website Up and Running
Now that you’re here, please take some time to look around the new website! The website team has been busy making First Parish’s online presence informative, current, and eye-catching. Using a WordPress template provided by the UUA, the new website has an easier user interface, which allows visitors to maneuver around the site more efficiently. The front page lists current events, upcoming services, programs, and news, and it displays some great pictures of who we are and what we do!
The team continues to work on the new site, adding new content and information as it becomes available. If you have any comments or questions about the site, please email our Church Administrator, Jane Foley.
- Memorial Garden Remembrance Bricks and Annual Fall Service
The First Parish Memorial Garden remains lush and green this summer, thanks to our Memorial Garden watering volunteers. Parishioners and visitors may sit quietly there and enjoy the healing beauty of nature. The garden’s green plantings and granite bricks engraved with names of loved ones convey the message that those who are gone from our physical presence are still with us in memory.
We will hold the annual Memorial Garden service in late September to dedicate new bricks and remember our loved ones. First Parishioners or their survivors may request a memorial brick to honor the life of a loved one by contacting the committee chairs (Sarah Matthews or Nancy Earsy) and making a special donation for the brick’s engraving and the ongoing maintenance of the Garden.
Nancy Earsy,
for the Memorial Garden Committee - Deadline for August issue of The Focalpoint Friday, July 22nd, 12:00 p.m.
The August issue of The Focalpoint will reflect on the good works that First Parish has done over the past year, as well as announce events and plans for the upcoming church year. If you have a submission, please email Jane Foley by Friday, July 22nd, at noon.
- Lexington Food Pantry
Please help our neighbors who rely on the Lexington Food Pantry to feed their families. There are two baskets by the front doors for donations of non-perishable food items, as well as in the bin outside of the church office. You can also make a cash donation by leaving it with the office or forwarding a check to the Lexington Interfaith Food Pantry, P.O. Box 635, Lexington, MA 02420.
Questions? Contact Lynne Yansen.
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.