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

    The prophet Bahá’u’lláh had a vision for the world working together and united in peace. He taught that we are all one race, and that we can live together with regard for each other, appreciating our differences while respecting our common humanity. What can we learn from the religious views of the Bahá’ís?

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

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    The sanctuary choir, with soloists Austin Burns, Shannon Canavin and Grant Hicks, will sing Haydn’s exuberant “The Heavens are Telling” (from The Creation). The sanctuary choir, with soloists Austin Burns, Chris Hess and Julia Jaffe, will also sing Rip Jackson’s mystical “Rondo” (from The Beatitudes: A Journey of Compassion, Justice and Love Triumphant) for the anthem. Guest soloist Shannon Canavin will sing Rip Jackson’s ethereal “The Good Samaratin” (from The Beatitudes: A Journey of Compassion, Justice and Love Triumphant). For the centering music, Erik Svenson will play Mozart’s beautiful “Romanza” (from Concerto in Eb for Horn, No. 3 K. 447). And for the postlude, Rip Jackson will play J. S, Bach’s powerful “Prelude and Fugue in G Major.”

    Click here to listen to Rev. Anne’s sermon from last week, “Enough is Enough.”

  • This Sunday is “Bring a Friend to Church” Sunday

    Be sure to invite your neighbors, your co-workers, and your children’s friends to come to church this Sunday. We have so much to share with Lexington, and it will be great to continue to make our church more accessible to folks that have, up until now, only walked by this historic building while wondering what goes on inside!

  • Voices on the Green – SOLD OUT!

    Thanks to the overwhelming interest in Voices on the Green, tickets are sold out! Please stay tuned for information about the next event, when the theme will be “Living in the Hyphen.”

     

     

  • 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.

  • New UU Class

    Are you new to First Parish and/or interested in learning more about Unitarian Universalism? Please come to the New UU Class, which will be held on Saturday, February 11th from 9:00am to 12:00pm. The class is for new visitors to First Parish, new members, and anyone wanting a refresher! The class will include discussion about UU beliefs, the Seven Principles, the six Sources, and the UU symbol – the flaming chalice. We will cover the benefits and responsibilities of membership at First Parish, what our motto Love, Seek, Serve means, our mission, and our covenant and why it is different from a creed. We will also speak about church governance and opportunities for connection and service.

    Please contact Rev. Anne Mason at minister@fplex.org or Jane Foley, our Parish Administrator, at 781-862-8200 or admin@fplex.org.

  • Bystander Intervention Training – only a few spots left!

    bystanderThere are only a few spots left for the Bystander Intervention Training on Saturday January 28th 9:00-12:00. In response to the needs of this community, we will be offering a Bystander Intervention Training with Tony Pilot. Mr. Pilot has had a long career in public safety and service, including 18 years with the Brookline, MA police department. He brings experience as an educator in Brookline’s Public Schools, as a RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) trainer, a member of SRT (Special Response Team), as well as other areas of instruction and training in public safety. Additionally, Mr. Pilot has been a student of Wing Chun Kung Fu for 30 years. Join Tony, Lisa Maria, and Rev. Anne in learning techniques and language for standing up to bullying and speaking out in public when something is not OK.

    Please sign up in advance with Lisa Maria by Tuesday, January 24th.

  • Spring Potluck Dinners Sign-up Ends on Sunday

    potluckSunday will be the last day to sign up for Spring Potluck Dinners. These dinners are a great way to get to know newcomers and long-time members of First Parish.

    When you sign up, you will be able to choose which evenings are best for you, as well as indicate whether or not you could host a dinner. After you sign up, groups of 8-10 people are formed and attendees gather for a potluck dinner in a group member’s home one evening a month for four months. The same people remain in each group for each dinner. There are also options for family potluck evenings where children have their own dinner together, separate from the adults.

    Sign up during social hour on Sunday. Questions about spring potluck dinners? Please contact Linda Coyne at lindatcoyne2@gmail.com.

  • Free Screening of “Beyond the Wall”

    On Saturday February 11 @ 10am at the Lexington Venue, please bring family and friends to a free screening of the film, “Beyond the Wall.”

    Written and produced by Concord filmmaker, Jenny Phillips, it was filmed locally at the Billerica House of Correction/ Middlesex Jail. Jenny Phillips and the main character, Louie Diaz, will be present after the film for conversation. The film, in coordination with the “After Incarceration There’s Life” campaign, strives to break down common stereotypes and barriers, to stimulate new conversations about re-entry, and to support preparations of individuals for release. Middlesex County Sheriff, Peter Koutoujian, calls this documentary, “Riveting, gritty, powerful, and provocative-it is real life.”

    In the spirit of thinking globally and acting locally, please join us in moving forward in conversation and action on criminal justice reform.  These once incarcerated individuals are our neighbors, friends, and family who are in need of understanding and support.

    First Parish Lexington joins First Parish, Bedford and Follen Community Church in sponsoring and supporting this event.

  • This Week in Social Action Ministry

    The Social Action Ministry (SAM) at First Parish comes from our Unitarian Universalist faith based on the values of love, justice, community and responsibility. We do this within the supportive environment of our broader church community and the mission of First Parish “…to act on our values to serve the larger community and create a more just and loving world.”

    • Last Sunday, First Parish collected $894.75 during the plate collection to benefit Lex Eat Together, a nonprofit organization that provides a weekly meal on Wednesday evenings to people in the community. Volunteers help shop, setup, prepare meals, serve, and clean up, and all are welcome. Thank you for your generous donations!

     

    • Today when we see some of our most precious values and prized progress under assault, please consider this:  pictures and stories are important ammunition in influencing our members of Congress and giving them ammunition to help them influence their colleagues. Almost everyone has a smart phone with a camera. Please take pictures of EVERY action you and your friends take aimed at defending our values (such as climate change and healthcare) especially if the action involved your Congressperson. Then, email them to your Congresspeople.  If you have a STORY about how important the issue is to you or to someone you know, include that. Your Congresspeople need to hear from you, their constituents! Here in Massachusetts, they are on the pointy-end of the spear and can use all of the support we can give them—including just thanking them for their actions. And, if you have friends in less-blue states, consider encouraging them to do the same.
  • Munroe Saturday Nights at First Parish

    The acclaimed Souled Out Artists (SOA), the story telling and performance art collaborative based in Lexington (think “MOTH Radio Hour” live on stage), will return to the Munroe Saturday Nights lineup on Saturday, January 28 at 7:30 PM with a performance of all-new stories at First Parish in Lexington.

    The collaborative was founded in the fall of 2009 by the late C. Anthony Martignetti, with the primary goal of producing a show featuring local writers with stories to tell. Since then, the group has gone on to produce several moving and engaging performances, showcasing the artistic exploration of the SOA writers, visual artists, and musicians.

    SOA’s January 28 show is entitled “8 Below,” and is a mix of unique, moving and humorous tales – all of them premiering for this performance. Performing will be Steven Bogart, Ana Hebra Flaster, Nivi Nagiel, Ted Page, Karen Russell, Denise Shea, and Paul Trainor.

    Don’t miss this great evening exploring and celebrating the creative process in many styles. 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.

  • This Week at First Parish
    Wednesday, January 25
    Economic Justice Task Force 12:00 p.m. Parlor
    Choir rehearsal 7:30 p.m. Sanctuary
         
    Thursday, January 26    
    Creative Callings 2:00 p.m. Parlor
    Meditation 4:00 p.m. Parlor
         
    Friday, January 27    
    Voices on the Green (Sold Out!) 7:00 p.m. Parish Hall
         
    Saturday, January 28    
    Bystander Intervention Workshop 9:00 a.m. Parish Hall
    Art Show Reception for Will Gibbons 3:00 p.m. Parish Hall
    Munroe Saturday Night 7:00 p.m. Sanctuary
         
    Sunday, January 29    
    Worship Service 10:30 a.m. Sanctuary
    Children’s Choir Rehearsal 11:45 a.m. Sanctuary & Parlor
    OWL 6:30 p.m. Parker Hall
    SHYG 7:00 p.m. Common Room
         
    Monday, January 30    
    Staff Meetings 11:00 a.m. Minister’s Office
         
    Tuesday, January 31    
    Insight Meditation 7:30 p.m. Parker Hall
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