The First Church in Belmont

THE UNITARIAN  November 4, 2014

In This Issue
Reflections from Rev. David Bryce
Music Notes from Alfa Radford
Upcoming Events
Calendar 

Next Issue:  November 11

Deadline: 3pm November 6 

 

Wednesday, November 5 

10:00am Alliance Board. CR.

4:30pm   Bye Bye Birdie dress

               rehearsal. PH.

Thursday, November 6

5:30pm   Bye Bye Birdie perf.

5:30pm   SGM. Library. 

Friday, November 7

7:30pm   Bye Bye Birdie perf. 

Saturday, November 8

7:30pm   Bye Bye Birdie perf.

Sunday, November 9

8:15am   Nova Choir. Sanct.

9:25am   Sr. Choir. Parish Hall.

2:00pm   Parenting Kids. Lib.

3:00pm   Bye Bye Birdie perf.

7:00pm   YG. Parlor/UH.

Monday, November 10

7:15pm   Parish Board. Lib.

8:00pm   Meditation. cl5.

Tuesday, November 11

Office Closed.

7:30pm   Adult Progr Cte. CR.

7:30pm   Membership Cte.cl5.

Wednesday, November 12

7:00pm   CRE Cte. cl5.

7:30pm   Facilitators. Lib.

7:30pm   Human Rts Cte. CR.

7:30pm   LPC team. Study.

 

Looking Ahead

November 21: Coffeehouse

 

Link to church calendar  

This Sunday
Music: November 9, 2014

Prelude: Aria (from Organ Concerto #10) -G. F. Handel (1685-1759)

Alfa Joy Radford, organ

Offertory Solo: Last Letter Home -Lee Hoiby (contemp.)

Chuck Claus, baritone

9:00 Nova Choir: Mi Y' Malel (Who can re-tell) -Hebrew Folksong

11:00 Sr. Choir: Im Herbst (In Autumn) -J. Brahms (1833-1897)

Postlude: (9:00 & 11:00)

G. Gershwin Transcription: "The Man I Love" Nina Grimaldi, piano

  
The flowers this Sunday are given by Caroline and Jim Staton in honor of their five grandchildren, Wyatt, Foster, Harper, Hunter, and Katherine.
  
Ushers:
Sarah Cliffe & Sean Westgate
Martin Plass & Diana Dill
  
Welcome & Announcements:
Jack Weis and Tom Neel 

 

Social Action Corner

ACTION IS OUR PRAYER

Grow Clinic! Grow Clinic!

Children's HealthWatch, the Grow Clinic's research arm, identifies the need for additional services for children in pediatric emergency rooms with "food insecurity." Please help us support these medically fragile babies in economically fragile homes. Baby Food Stages 1 & 2 and Enfamil Next Step Soy Formula.

FOOD: ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MEDICINES 

Celebrating Roxbury's Historic Meetinghouse: Past, Present, & Future

Sunday, November 16, 2-4pm

Join us for an exciting program that will explore the architectural and cultural importance of this 1804 Meetinghouse and the current rehabilitation project.

WOW!!! Sooooo Close!!!

Oh lovely and generous First Church family, we have bought 45 Coffeehouse Season Tickets, just 15 short of our goal! Hooray! NOW:

1. QUICK, grab your checkbook and get on board for this final push!

2. If you SAID you were going to buy one or you really MEANT TO buy one, NOW IS THE TIME! Send in your check today or come to the coffee hour this Sunday, November 9!

3. If you've already bought a ticket, many thanks! (Now, can you maybe convince a friend to get one, too?)

   Support ten important beneficiaries and bring yourself and a friend to these great shows for half price! And even if you miss a show or two, you have the comfort of knowing all the beneficiaries will receive your full support. And who knows, maybe we can even beat our sales goal and really make our 30th year one to remember!!!

   Will YOU be the one to put us over the top? GO, GO, GOOOOO! Send your check for $99 made out to First Church in Belmont, memo line marked Coffeehouse, to P. O. Box 113, Belmont 02478. Or hand your check or cash to Jim Staton, Lauraine Dalton, Anne Selman, or Susan Street. And ... MANY, MANY THANKS!

   P.S. FLASH -- UPDATE! It seems that some people think that after Sunday, November 9, we are no longer selling tickets. NOT TRUE! We are still in active sales mode, even if we might miss a coffee hour! IT'S NOT TOO LATE! Our beneficiaries need you more than ever and there are still seven great shows ahead this season for you to enjoy! Thanks so much!
  

  

UUSC (uusc.org)

  

 

The Unitarian Newsletter 

Submission Guidelines

 

Please submit articles for the newsletter to Susan Street in the following format: 

- Times New Roman font, 10 point. 

- jpeg for photos

- pdf for attached documents 

- [email protected] for e-mails.  

- avoid phone numbers unless their owners don't mind them being published on the FCB website. 

 

 

 

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First Church Office
:: 617-484-1054
5 Things To Know This Week
  • Bye Bye Birdie, November 6, 7, 8, & 9 
  • Voices of the West Bank and Israel, November 16
  • Belmont Unitarian Alliance Lunch & Program, November 19
  • Second Friday Coffeehouse, November 21
  • Coffeehouse Season Tickets Still Available! 
Sunday, November 9, 2014 

Timey Wimey Things

Rev. David M. Bryce

 

9:00 & 11:00 Church Service                           

Childcare for infants and young children

(For weather-related Service and Children RE class cancellations, please check 617.484.1054 x250.)   

 

The title of this sermon is not at all descriptive of the topic but if it helps... Sometimes we or other people use metaphors or similes to describe something, metaphors that sound "right" but have no real relationship to what is being described.

 

[Some will be familiar with the television series Doctor Who. I have watched far too much Doctor Who of late. But doing so has had the wonderful effect of inspiring a number of sermons, including this one.]

 

** Next Sunday, November 16 **

Rev. David M. Bryce preaching, UUSC (GAYT)

 

Sermons in text and audio format can be found at uubelmont.org/sermons

Reflections from Rev. David Bryce, Senior MinisterRev. David Bryce

I am struggling with the issue of "illegal immigration."

     My vision of the far off world that is to be is that there will be no borders, no national boundaries. We, the people of the world, will be free to move from anywhere on the globe to anywhere on the globe as easily as you and I can now move from Massachusetts to anywhere in this country.

     But conditions are not right for that now.

     One of the moral struggles we in this nation face is ensuring to workers a living wage and basic employee rights. How that can be an issue in the twenty-first century I do not know, but it is an issue and is becoming ever more critical.

     Immigration increases the number of people seeking work and affects job availability and therefore affects wages, benefits and working conditions.

     However, I know that some of our economic treaties have helped to create unemployment in other countries; I know that crime is a major problem that people are fleeing; and I know that some of the tactics that we are using against undocumented immigrants are denying legal rights and breaking up families.

     I am also deeply concerned that much of our immigration debate seems tinged with racial and cultural prejudice.

     Most of all, I ask myself how justice, compassion, human values and our Unitarian Universalist values call for us to think and act.

     More on this next time.

Alfa Radford
Music Notes from Alfa Radford

BYE BYE BIRDIE opens this week!

CAST PARENTS: We request that each family bring 3 doz. cookies for the public Receptions being held after the Fri, Sat & Sun performances of "Bye Bye Birdie." Cast B families bring them on Friday; Cast A on Saturday. Please label Reception, and leave them in the church Kitchen.

TICKETS still AVAILABLE! Contact 617.484.2930 or [email protected]

"Bye Bye Birdie is SO entertaining!" -exclaimed an attendee at the Dress Rehearsal. You won't want to miss it!

PERFORMANCES: Thur, Nov 6th - 5:30pm; Fri, 7th - 7:30; Sat, 8th - 7:30; Sun, 9th - 3:00  Click here to see the flyer!

DRESS REHEARSALS:

MON, Nov 3, Arrive 5:00 for 6:00 Curtain

WED, Nov 4, Arrive 3:30 for 4:30 Curtain

THUR thru SUN Performances: Upper Cast Makeup Call is 1 hr. before Curtain.

LOOKING AHEAD:

Holiday Music Rehearsals for Youth/Children's Choirs begin Mon, Nov 17.

New Singers Welcome!

Jr. Choir (K-Gr4) 6:30-7:00

Chancel Choir (Gr5-6) 7:00-7:45

Youth Choir (Gr7-High Sch.) 7:45-8:30

BEAUTIFUL BOUQUETS to all our wonderful BB BIRDIE volunteers for making it a truly cooperative church community production! We are ready for the great event this weekend...

 My heart o'erfloweth! -Alfa

Caring Connection  

The Caring Connection is a group of Church members and friends who provide support to members of our community who find themselves in some difficulty and need short-term help. Please let us know if you could use some assistance, or know of someone who would benefit from our support. You may fill out a Caring Connection card, available in the hymnal holders and drop it in the collection basket, or contact Laurie Graham at [email protected] or Susan at the Church, 617.484.1054 x201.

Among Us
A memorial service for First Church member Dick Noble (March 30, 1935-September 24, 2014) will be held on Saturday, November 22 at 2pm followed by a reception in the Upper Hall.  
Lay Pastoral Care Team 

As members of the lay pastoral care team we are called to be present with you, members and friends, when you wish a compassionate listening ear during times of transition and stress whatever form it might take. We support those who are adjusting to change, loss, illness or death. We share in moments of celebration and happiness. We reach out to those who are unable to get out and who would like a visit. We share in situations that require a special touch of human kindness and an open ear. Please contact us if we might be of help or comfort. We count on the congregation to keep us in touch with pastoral needs of our community.   - Janet Amphlett, Devon Beckett, Nancy Davis, Steve Saar, Martha Spaulding, and Tom Neel

Upcoming Events: 

WE LOVE YOU, CONRAD

Let the song and dance begin! This Thursday through Sunday, scores of our young choristers will stage the award-winning musical satire Bye Bye Birdie. Based on the public drama that unfolded after Elvis Presley received a draft summons, in 1957, the show was first performed on Broadway in 1960, at which point its producers had already tried and discarded a variety of titles: first, Let's Go Steady, The Day They Took Birdie Away, and Goodbye, Birdie, Goodbye. The name of the show's central character, Conrad Birdie, was a play on the name Conway Twitty, a musical rival of Elvis's at the time. The show became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and has since become an American classic, featuring a roster of unforgettable songs, among them "We Love You, Conrad," "Put on a Happy Face," "A Lot of Livin' to Do," and "Kids."

     First Church musicals have been a part of Belmont life now for thirty-five uninterrupted years. Directing the show this year, as she has every year since 1980, is the First Church's Minister of Music, Alfa Radford, supported by the Assistant Directors Ian Garvie, Vickie Livermore, Diane Lopez, Heather Quay, and Kate Searle; the Backstage Director and lead Costumer Sandy Nayak; and the Choreographer Michael Romero. As always, many First Church families have made the production possible by helping out with costumes, sets, lighting, and live orchestral accompaniment.

     Two alternate productions will be staged, the first on Thursday/Saturday and the second on Friday/Sunday. Many lead roles have been double-cast, among them Conrad Birdie (Graham Backman, Ian Svetkey), Mrs. Peterson (Alison Hughes, Lila Searls), Kim MacAfee (Mariko Findell, Sonia Illarionova), Randolph MacAfee (Kiril Keuppenbender, Bridget Wholey), Mr. MacAfee (Eamon O'Connor, Cam Anderson), and Mrs. MacAfee (Kennady Jacobs, Mayura Thomas).

     Major characters played by the same person in all four shows include Albert Peterson (Jason Ackerson), Rosie (Amelia Ickes), the Sweet Apple Teen Girls (Cali Foster, Lily Pfister, Hana Power, Emma Sutherland, Claire Svetkey), the Sweet Apple Teen Boys (Jacob Deveikas, Libby Jacobs), and the New York Teens (Esp� Garschina-Bobrow, Natalie Kim, Amelia Rono, Heidi Rono, Naomi Salomon). Scores of other performers, many as young as five years old, will round out the cast in a variety of roles.

Ticket Information:

     When  Thursday, Nov 6, 5:30pm; Friday, Nov 7, 7:30pm; Saturday, Nov 8, 7:30pm; Sunday, Nov 9, 3:00pm

     Where  Parish Hall, The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist, 404 Concord Avenue, Belmont

     Tickets  $12 in advance (http://uubelmont.org/music-events/) or at the door, as long as they last. All seats are reserved. Call 617.484.2149 for up-to-date information on availability.

PARENTING KIDS WITH CHALLENGES

Andrea Prestwich - Sunday, Nov 9, 2:00-3:30pm, Library

Does your child have special challenges? Has he/she been diagnosed with Aspergers, ADHD, or sensory problems? We will offer support and share experience in a non-judgmental space. Childcare upon request. Snacks provided.

LIVING WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS

Nanny Almquist and Kathy Lind - Thu, Nov 13, 7:00pm, Library

Our lives are constantly changing and facing changes that involve illness makes us feel vulnerable. This ongoing support group facilitated by Kathy Lind and Nanny Almquist provides a space and time to understand and process feelings and circumstances related to dealing with serious illness, both for caregivers and people in all stages of discovery and recovery.

CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS

Miriam Baker & Deborah Blumberg - Thu, Nov 13, 7:30pm, CR

Many people are juggling jobs, families and their parents' or other family members' increasing medical needs, frequent emergencies and ongoing need for care. How do we cope with the needs of our loved ones and find some balance in our own lives? What do we need to learn as we take on this task? How do we find information and community? If you find yourself in this position, you are welcome at this group for discussion and support. This is a drop-in group so please attend when it is convenient for you.

"VOICES OF THE WEST BANK AND ISRAEL"

Mark Golden - Sunday, Nov 16, 12:30-1:30pm, Parish Hall 

Mark Golden will present a brief video entitled, 'Voices of the West Bank and Israel'. This video records Mark's experience last year during a two week visit to Israel, East Jerusalem and the West Bank. As an American Jew with a keen interest in Middle Eastern politics, Mark enters this profound conversation by talking to ordinary Palestinians and Israelis. The film explores important themes including the "Separation Wall." It also documents the response of the Israeli military to a peaceful Palestinian demonstration. Mark will be available to answer questions and facilitate a discussion of the issues. Co-sponsored by Social Action and Adult Programs

ALLIANCE LUNCH & PROGRAM

Wed, Nov 19, 12 noon - All Women and Men Welcome!

On Wednesday, November 19, noon to 12:35pm the Alliance lunch will be at The First Church in Belmont. Bring your own sandwich; we will provide soup, beverage, and dessert. The suggested lunch donation is $1.00 per person.

     The Alliance program will be at Tufts University's Art Gallery. We will carpool, leaving First Church by 12:45 pm. The recommended donation for the Art Gallery is $3 per person and includes free parking and a free guided tour. The tour is about 45 minutes long.

     To help us prepare for the number of attendees for this event, it is important to call Susan Street, 617.484.1054 x201 and let her know that you will attend and the number of guests you will bring. 

FIRST CHURCH BOOK GROUP

In November, the First Church Book Group will celebrate another night of poetry when we will share, ponder, savor, and discuss the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop. We will meet a week early on Wednesday, November 19, at 7:30pm in the Library. Bishop, during much of her lifetime, was not well known but she is now regarded as one of the most significant American poets of the 20th century. We invite you to delve into her work and come prepared to read one of her poems that speaks to you, or to just come and listen. You can find her work in libraries and on the web. One place to start is the Poetry Foundation at: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/elizabeth-bishop#about

     The Book Group is always open to new members and does not require a continuing commitment. Please contact Anne Stuart at [email protected] with questions and to confirm attendance. The Book Group will not be meeting in December.