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 Worship
    sanctuary Join Sam Teitel this Sunday morning at 10:30 when he asks, “Where Were We?” There are two competing voices that we often hear in the discussion about whether or not the church should get involved in politics and social justice. There are folks who believe that a pulpit is not a place where a minister can stand up and talk about their own political agenda every week. There are also folks who believe that for the church to stay true to our mission and to stay relevant in our modern world we have no choice but to take stands for social justice. This morning we are going to talk about how we as the church can balance our need to be a safe space for all people with our need to work for justice.
    trebleclef 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 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 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!

  • Choir Seeks New Alto Paid Soloist

    Please spread the word! First Parish is seeking a paid staff alto/mezzo soprano for the sanctuary choir. The position begins in September of 2016. Pay is competitive and good sight reading skills are important. The church has a very exciting, dynamic, and growing music program, and its choir sings diverse music including traditional, classical, early music, gospel, spirituals, Broadway, world music and other genres. The choir normally sings three Sundays per month from early September through mid June at 10:30 AM with a 9:45 AM warm-up. Rehearsals are Wednesday evenings from 7:30-9:30 PM. There are three other excellent staff soloists.

    Contact Rip Jackson, Director of Music, to apply.

  • Open House to Welcome Rev. Anne

    dessert 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

    Water Communion 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.

  • Memorial Garden Remembrance Bricks and Annual Fall Service

    memorial-garden 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

  • Lexington Food Pantry

    Lexington Interfaith 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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