WEEKLY CONNECTOR

 www.fpsudbury.org                                                                                                                          January 28, 2015   


WORSHIP
SUNDAY, February 1

Youth Sunday

"Youth Explore Families and Love"

   

This Sunday, February 1, join First Parish of Sudbury Unitarian Universalist as our Senior Youth group leads our worship service and explores aspects of love and families. By birth, by chance, by choice, love makes a family. Celebrating the spirit of sibling love, our youth will explore the power of love (over hate) and the love amongst friends who are our chosen families.

 

The youth have chosen to share Sunday's offering equally with Big Brother, Big Sister, an organization devoted to youth/adult mentoring. Their vision is to never say "no" to a child in need of services in the communities, which contributes to better schools, brighter futures, and stronger communities for all. At the heart of their stated mission is, "to enhance the quality of life of children through professionally supported mentoring relationships with responsible and caring volunteers."

 

Today's service is intergenerational with messages, readings and music for all ages. Young children will be cared for in the Parish Hall during the service.

   

Sunday Worship begins at 10:00 AM and will be followed by a fellowship hour in the parish hall. Religious education and Childcare are available. First Parish of Sudbury is a Unitarian Universalist welcoming congregation, encouraging and celebrating the participation of all people regardless of theological belief, sexual orientation, or gender identity. If you are a seeker of scientific, technological, or spiritual meaning in life you will be warmly welcomed.

 

The First Parish of Sudbury Meeting House is located at 327 Concord Road, across from Town Hall. For more information about upcoming events, visit fpsudbury.org or call 978-443-2043.



A Message From Rev. Marjorie

What a beautiful day. The snow is falling, there are no cars on the road, and besides shoveling to keep the front door open, I am thinking of First Parish and the coming weeks/months. It is amazing how fast the fall and holidays flew by and it is these next months of February, March and April that remind us what being a New Englander is really all about. I have been thinking a bit about our forbears over the last few days in preparation for this storm. I have been thinking about how the early settlers did not have a weather channel or radio to warn them about such storms. They did not have large-scale grocery stores or traffic bans. They faced the weather that came day in and day out and they always had to be prepared. They woke early to a cold house, broke the ice on the buckets of water in the barn and fed the livestock, they made cheese and bread and went to the root cellar when they needed provisions. They hitched up their horses to sleighs when the snow was deep and cut a track from their hearth to the meetinghouse. My guess is that they probably had more consistent snow, but with climate change the weather has become less predictable. I am guessing that our forbears had a less complex life without the Internet or cable television and yet they had a life that was filled with work and prayer. I am guessing that when they saw snow like we see today they would pray and build up the fire and ration the oil for the lamps. We are so blessed today, there is something comforting in being able to turn that thermostat dial. Yet yesterday I made sure that I had enough candles and wood just in case and I prayed (seeded the universe with intention) for the safety of us all.

 

Friends, as the snow falls and is cleaned up over the next few days I invite you to think about the coming months at First Parish and how you would like to be more involved in a community that endeavors to bring meaning into our lives. I invite you over the next few months to engage deeply and to participate in the offerings that we will be sharing outside of Sunday mornings at First Parish. (See list at top of this Connector.) Consider attending the Seekers Potlucks (held the first Saturday of every month), engage in the sessions on Journey of Discovery (listed on the FPS calendar), and read/discuss the book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. This is one of the books that I am currently reading, which I find truly thought provoking. Gawande, a surgeon (at Brigham and Women's Hospital) and a writer (at the New Yorker) explains that, "We've been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think. . .[it] is to ensure health and survival. But really. . . it is to enable well-being. And well-being is about the reasons one wishes to be alive."

 

As we consider the First Parish community and the wishes for our lives, in contrast to those who gathered 375 years ago, I would like to remind us of how much we have to be thankful for: we are not struggling to survive on the frontier, we are thriving and we have good news and community care to share with those who find their way to our meetinghouse. Let us be bold enough to invite in the newcomer and the stranger. Let us revel in how far we have come in these 375 years and imagine where we would like our adventure to take us from here, what meaning we would like to make, what legacy would we like to leave? Let us take stock and plan for our future together. Be safe as the storm rages and know that you are never far from my thoughts. Peace and Love, Rev. Marjorie

 

STEWARDSHIP 
Sustaining and Growing
Commitment to Our Future

As a congregation and as an organization we are solid and healthy. We stand today on the foundation our forbears built for us. As UUs we believe that we have positive values to offer the world, and as a congregation we connect with and support each other.

 

Every year in late winter First Parish of Sudbury's members and friends are asked to make a commitment to First Parish's financial future, so that we can continue to make a difference in our own lives and in the world. Just as we would not have our community without everyone's participation, we need everyone to own their financial commitment to First Parish.

 

This year, the Stewardship Team and the Board of Trustees are focusing on sustaining First Parish's financial future. We want to insure that we can meet our financial obligations now, and we want to plan for financial stability for the future.

To encourage each of us to step up our financial commitment, an anonymous donor has offered to match, dollar-for-dollar, any increase in pledges this year. For more details about this generous pledge match, contact the Stewardship Team.

Susan Stocker, and the Stewardship Team

 

Journey of Discovery

Rev. Marjorie will be leading a series of five discussions beginning on February 15 that will include teachings, life experiences, thoughts, and insights on a particular topic. Several members of First Parish have been invited to share their thoughts about the topic and their practices. As you can see from the list below, the topics might be considered challenging but provide an opportunity to share your own thoughts and questions. We think this process will create an atmosphere of sharing. 

February 15 - Is God Really Dead?
March 15 - Why Soul? (discussion of spiritual versus religious and what is soul?)
March 29 - Holy Week - A Guide to Contemporary Life
April 26 - Civility As A Spiritual Practice
May 31 - Sowing the Seeds of Transformation

Please mark your calendars for these dates and plan to join the discussion. 

 First Parish Strategic Planning
  
Click here to view "First Parish of Sudbury Strategic Plan Framework."

SERVICE AUCTION - May 9, 2015.

 

The Service Auction date has been changed to May 9.  We apologize for any confusion this change may cause and thank all those who reminded us of school vacation! Every year First Parish holds a gala auction in the Parish Hall to raise money for our operating budget.  There will be food, music, a silent auction and a live auction - and always a lot of fun.  Please be sure to attend. Child care will be provided. The Service Auction Committee will be contacting you to see what delightful items you can donate for the auction. Be creative!

 

Service Auction Committee Members:

Gail and Jan Hardenbergh, Liz and Erin Llewellyn, Sherene Aram, and Sherri Cline.

 


PARISH OFFICE

The Parish Office is staffed week days 
 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.   

If you need to contact the office outside of regular office hours, please send an e-mail to
[email protected]
 or leave a voice mail at 978-443-2043. E-mail and voice mail will be checked regularly on week days.  
 
 
FIRST PARISH OF SUDBURY OPEN FOR BUSINESS TODAY

Help:  We need a coffee provider for this Sunday, February 1.  If you can help, please contact Leslie Silva at [email protected].
UPCOMING ADULT PROGRAMS
Seekers' Potlucks (All ages welcome) - potluck supper, music, discussion and worshipful presentation made by Rev. Marjorie. 1st Saturdays of the month at the Meeting House at 5:00 pm:  February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2.
_______________________________________

Journey of Discovery Group Presentations and Discussions (Rev. Marjorie) Sunday afternoons at the Meeting House at 2:00 pm: February 15, March 15, March 29, May 31.
_______________________________________

The Salon
will be discussing the ideas presented in "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End" by Atul Gawande (the book referred to in Rev. Marjorie's article) on March 15, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm, in the Brackett Room.
_______________________________________

January:  

Jan.28: S.T.O.P. (6:30-8pm - Commons)

Jan.29: Insight Meditation (1-2:30pm-Commons)

Jan.29: Choir (7:30 - 9pm - Commons) 

Jan.31: Gath. of Men (11am-1pm-Library)

Jan.31: In-Home Dinner 

Feb.1: Choir (9:00 - 10am - Sanctuary)
Feb.1: Worship - Youth Sunday
Feb.1: Hop Brook (11:45-1pm - Commons)
Feb.1: CHC (11:45am - 1:00pm - Library)
Feb.1: COA Wkshp. (3-4:30pm (Brackett)
Feb.1: Women's Allian. Potluck (5pm-Commons)
Feb.1: GMMS (4:45-6:45pm - Parish Hall)
Feb.2: Bd. of Trustees (7-9pm - Commons)
Feb.3: Yoga (7:45-8:45am - Commons)
Feb 3: Quilters (7-9pm - Commons)
Feb.3: WAG Meeting (7-9pm - Brackett Room)
Feb.4: REC Meeting (7-9pm - Brackett Room)
Feb.5: Insight Meditation (1-2:30pm - Commons)
Feb.5. Choir (7:30 - 9pm - Commons)
Feb.7: Seekers Potluck - "Connect"  (5:00pm-8:00pm - Commons)
Feb.8:  MCC and FPS end hunger event with End Hunger NE/Outreach (See below)


Coming Up in February:
Feb.15: Journey of Discovery  (2-4pm - Brackett Room)

To view the full Meeting House Calendar Click here.

Women's Alliance Potluck date has changed to Sunday, February 1.

All women are invited to join in an informal potluck on starting at 5:00pm in the Commons. Bring a book, or your memories of it, that you have read recently and been touched by.  Serious to fluff -- all our reading helps to shape who we are.  Let's gather and share that as we maybe have more time to read during this winter season. We'll also begin discussing plans for the Retreat the weekend of April 10-12.

Gather with the men of First Parish on Saturday, January 31 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm in the Library. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Please don't miss this meeting as we will be hosting Rev. Marjorie and deciding the topic of a sermon that she will give later this spring. Everyone welcome.
Let's join together to end hunger!

 

Reminder!

 

Many hands make light (and fun!) work

 

On Sunday, February 8, at 12:00, First Parish Sudbury (FPS) and Memorial Congregational Church (MCC) will join forces with EndHunger NE/Outreach to fight hunger in Metrowest. Middlesex County is the hungriest county in Massachusetts. Help us to package nutritious, shelf-stable meals for area families. Our goal is to raise $2500 to pack 10,000 meals. Help our two congregations celebrate our joint 375-year history and our commitment to social justice outreach.

 

It's easy to help! We can go to Ames Hall at MCC (across from the Sudbury library) right after social hour. Outreach will setup and supervise four assembly lines for us to do the packaging. No prior skill needed! Children are welcome! Youth are great workers! Together with MCC, we are trying to fill 96 volunteer slots. An average person can package 160 meals in an hour. Since we're all above average, imagine what we can accomplish!  Sign up during social hour by contacting Ginny Doxsey or go online  to www.mccsudbury.org, click on the February 8 Food Packaging Event and you will see the link for online sign up.

 

Sign up for a one or two-hour shift to help pack nutritious shelf-stable meals that will be delivered to local food pantries. If you aren't available that day, please consider making a financial donation.

 

It's easy to donate! 25 cents feeds 1 kid. $1.00 pays for a family of 4. Adults and children can easily afford to support this cause. A donation of $37.50 honors our celebration and feeds 150 kids. You can give cash or a check to Ginny Doxsey during social hour (made out to "Outreach" with "2/8 Sudbury" on the memo) or go to www.mccsudbury.org, click on the February 8 Food Packaging Event and you will see the link for online sign up. Be sure to note "Feb 8 MCC Sudbury" as the purpose of the donation.

Religious Education
Volunteers Needed!

Thank you those who have volunteered to teach Religious Education to children. There are still openings for Sunday programs, special events, Story for all Ages, the RE committee and the tempDRE search group.   Please tell your friends and neighbors that we are running an RE program. We want the RE program to grow here at First Parish and ask that If you have any ideas, or have any questions about volunteering, contact Rev. Marjorie or Leslie Lowe
October 17, 2015
 

HARVEST CRAFT FAIR  

 

2015 marks the 114th Annual Harvest Craft Fair. We need co-chairs to lead the effort.

 

We have all the templates and information needed to take over these positions. Plus free training is available!  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the retiring co-chairs -  Sherri Cline, Liz Rust, and Carolyn Lee.

 

This is a very gratifying event.   Please consider carrying on this great tradition.

 

Sunday Helpers for February, 2015

February 1:
Ushers: Alex Andrews and Dave Andrews 
Greeters:   Peg Espinola
Fellowship:  

February 8:
Ushers: Nancy Moore and Helga Andrews
Greeters: Carolyn L and Jan Hardenbergh
Fellowship:  Bunny vanValey and Sue Rubel
Flowers:  Sue Rubel 
 
 
The Village on the Website: Need help with fpsudbury.org/village? Ask Jan ([email protected])

Weekly Connector:  The next issue of the Weekly Connector will be published on February 4.  The deadline for articles is January 30.  Thanks.
First Parish of Sudbury | | [email protected] | http://www.fpsudbury.org
327 Concord Street
Sudbury, MA 01776-1820