- Sunday Worship
Join Sam Teitel this Sunday morning at 10:30, when he asks the congregation to explore what it is that our church building provides us in his sermon, “My God’s House Has Many Rooms…And We Have To Pay To Heat Them All.” As we move forward into the Twenty-First Century, many of our Unitarian Universalist congregations are starting to reconsider what role the church building itself plays in the life of their community. What makes a church? Is it just the building itself? Is it just the people in the building? Is it some combination of those two things? Or maybe it is something else entirely. There are some people who are suggesting that the era of the brick-and-mortar congregation is ending. There are others who say that these buildings are a vital part of our identities. This week we are going to be exploring our relationships with our church buildings themselves, and what those relationships mean in our current era.”
Music this week will be provided by Yukiko Sekino. A soloist noted for her performances of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin, Yuki frequently collaborates in chamber music and performs some of the most challenging twentieth and twenty-first century works. She is a graduate of Harvard University and the Juilliard School, and currently teaches piano at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the New England Conservatory Prep School. - 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. - August Office Hours for Rev. Anne
Rev. Anne Mason begins her ministry with First Parish on August 1st, and she will be holding office hours throughout the month for parishioners who wish to meet with her. Hours will be Monday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm in her office and Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm at Panera on Mass Ave.
Please sign up for a designated time slot by clicking on this link to Signup Genius. If you have trouble opening the link, please contact Jane Foley.
Rev. Anne looks forward to meeting with you!
- 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.
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Weekly Update
Subscribe to the Weekly Update
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.
Listen to last Sunday’s sermon by Sam Teitel, “When God Needs Us”