Calendar
Next Issue: January 27
Deadline: 3pm January 22
Wednesday, January 21
12:00pm BelUnitAlliance. UH.
7:30pm Women's Group. Lib.
7:30pm Youth Cte. cl7.
Thursday, January 22
6:45pm Nova Choir. Sanct.
7:30pm The Conversation PtI.
Library.
7:30pm SGM.cl5.
Saturday, January 24
10:30am Mindful Yoga. PH.
8:00pm Piano Celebration
Benefit Concert. Sanct.
Sunday, January 25
8:15am Nova Choir. Sanct.
9:25am Sr. Choir. Parish Hall.
12:00pm Auction Cte. cl5.
12:30pm YG/COA Event. PH.
3:00pm Poetry. Parlor.
4:00pm Men's Group. Parlor.
4:30pm OWL. Library.
7:00pm Teacher Orient. Lib.
Monday, January 26
6:30pm Jr; 7 Chan; 7:45 Youth.
7:00pm SAC. cl5.
7:30pm Min Program. cl7.
8:00pm Meditation. Library.
Tuesday, January 27
7:00pm Path Appears mtg. cl7.
7:30pm Auction Cte. cl5.
7:30pm Breast Cancer Journey.
Library.
7:30pm Worship Cte. cl3.
Wednesday, January 28
7:30pm FCBook Gr. Library.
Looking Ahead
February 7: Auction
Link to church calendar
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This Sunday
Music: January 25, 2015
Prelude: Transylvania
-16th c. Hungarian melody
Alfa Joy Radford, organ
Offertory Solo: A virágok vételkedése (Rivalry of the flowers) -Folksong from Nyitra
Livia Racz, soprano
9:00 Nova Choir: Székely
áldás (Transylvanian Blessing)
-E. Norton (contemp.)
11:00 Sr. Choir: A Székelyekhez (To the Transylvanians)
-Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967)
9:00 Postlude: Canzona
-J. K. Kerll (17c German)
Mary Beekman, organ
11:00 Postlude: A désfalvi csere alatt (Under the Désfalva shrubbery)
-Folksong from Désfalva
Livia Racz, Emma & Hanna Racz-Kozuma
The flowers this Sunday are given by Sarah Cliffe and Peter Guthrie in memory of their parents, Pat and Frank Cliffe & Helen and Harvey Guthrie.
Ushers: Members of the New Connections Ministry
Welcome & Announcements: Betsy George & Carolyn Howard
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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 caring@uubelmont.org or Susan at the Church, 617.484.1054 x201.
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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, James Hencke, Abby Jacobs, Steve Saar, Martha Spaulding, and Tom Neel
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Explore the Kingdom of the Monarchs
Richard Waring and Kristin Phillips - Sunday, February 1, 12:30pm, Library
The Greek word for butterfly is "psyche," which translates as "soul." Many Mexicans see the returning monarchs as the souls of the dead. Join us for a photo tour of monarch butterflies at their overwintering habitat in the mountains of Mexico. Learn about this longest insect migration on earth and the perils this resilient species faces due to global climate change, logging, and pesticides.
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Writing Memoir
Martha Spaulding - Suns, Feb 8, 15, 22, Mar 1, 4-5:30pm, cl5
This workshop is designed to tap into the stories your memory holds. We will write on a wide variety of subjects and share aloud with no feedback. Bring a notebook and writing implements that appeal to you. Limited to 12 participants. Please register with Martha at mspaulding@uubelmont.org.
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AED/CPR Training and Certification
Thursday, Feb 12, 7-9pm, UH (snowdate, Feb 14, 3-5pm)
First church has arranged to have Maureen Zuccaro, a certified American Heart Association (AHA) CPR trainer return to provide certification or re-certification in CPR and the use of the AED machine for those who would like to participate. The Heartsaver AED course is designed for Lay Rescuers by the AHA. It includes Adult child and infant CPR/AED and choking using individual mannequins with plastic barrier protection. The cost is $40 per person. Registration is required and space is limited to 10 people. If you are interested, please contact Lillian at landerson@uubelmont.org.
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Social Action Corner ACTION IS OUR PRAYER |
Grow Clinic! Grow Clinic!
The GREAT JANUARY JAR RACE is coming to an end. Keep going. Keep loading jars and jars and packages and packages and boxes and boxes into your shopping cart. Thanks for your generosity of BABY FOOD when you shop this week.
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UUSC (uusc.org)
Monthly Unitarian Universalist Service Committee Note (5)
UUSC's 75th Gala Dinner Celebration is at the Westin Hotel in Waltham on April 30, and seats may be purchased for $150 each. Our church was the first home of the Unitarian Service Committee, so we have always shared a special relationship with UUSC. If you are interested in attending, please contact Rev. Bryce (dbryce@uubelmont.org). Nicholas Kristof will be the keynote speaker, and a new film plus music premieres are also parts of this exciting evening.
Don't forget to visit the Action Center of UUSC.org. For example, you can sign a petition to the Justice Department to investigate police brutality, and you will find other petitions there as well. Also see opportunities to volunteer. −Alice Trexler for the UUSC Team
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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
- sample@uubelmont.org 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 |
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5 Things To Know This Week
- Parish Board News
- Pardon Our Appearance...
- Piano Benefit Celebration, January 24
- A Path Appears, January 29
- "An Evening at the Oscars" Auction, February 7
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Sunday, January 25
The Wheel of Life and Our Partner Church
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.)
Our annual celebration of our partner church connection and our combined recognition of the wheel of life that affects both our congregations.
** Next Sunday, February 1**
Rev. Doris Hunter preaching
Sermons in text and audio format can be found at uubelmont.org/sermons
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Reflections from Rev. David Bryce, Senior Minister
Sometimes the world seems terribly chaotic.
When we see bombs going off in an African city and shooters murdering satirists in Paris, we can begin to feel that the world is spinning out of control.
It isn't, of course. There have been much more tumultuous times on our planet.
And what one person sees as tumult and disorder, another sees as the world coming into a time of reason and sense.
As ancient Roman armies swept into Celtic and German territories, no doubt the Celts and Germans felt that the world was being turned upside down, while Romans felt they were bringing order and civilization.
But more than this, how we see events and how we judge them depends in part upon what we see as the arc of those events and the expected outcome.
Decades ago, in the books Future Shock and The Third Wave, author Alvin Toffler, spoke of the rapidity of change in the world and in human lives and stated that both individuals and societies would suffer psychological shock as a result. Some, he said, would respond to this by striving to hold on to or recreate the past. They would reject modernization and would seek to impose strict adherence to what they deemed to be proper norms.
I have often thought of those books over the intervening years, especially as I have watched the rise of activism by the religious right in America and by Islamic fundamentalists around the world.
I tell myself that these people are struggling to hold on to or to recreate a past-but a past that never really was. This is why, I think, much of the religious right in the United States rejects facts. They reject not only scientific facts about the age of the world and evolution, but they also reject facts about the founders of the US and reject historical truths about people like Christopher Columbus or about American treatment of native peoples.
So I try to remember to view the retrenchments that take place in world religions or world politics as last ditch flailing against a future that cannot be stopped.
And I try to remind myself not to join in rejecting the future, but to watch the unfolding world with awe and hope, believing that it will be a world of justice and equality for all.
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Music Notes from Alfa Radford
FIRST CHURCH CHOIRS - New Singers Welcome!
NOVA CHOIR -rehearses Thursdays 6:45-8pm. Sings in church twice a month at 9am.
SR. CHOIR -rehearses Sunday mornings 9:25-10:45am. Sings every Sun. 11am Service.
YOUTH & CHILDREN'S CHOIRS
JR. CHOIR (K-Gr4) Mondays 6:30-7:00pm
CHANCEL CHOIR (Gr5-6) Mondays 7:00-7:45pm
YOUTH CHOIR (Gr7-High Sch) Mon 7:45-8:30pm
(Looking Ahead: No Children's/Youth Reh's on 2/16, 4/20, 5/25)
20th ANNUAL PIANO CELEBRATION THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!
JANUARY 24. YES, it's a great time for a 'date' with that special someone. Don't miss this very entertaining evening - a potpourri from classical to jazz, amazing boogie (all over the keyboard!), light operetta, Broadway, and even more--performed by an array of talented parishioners and friends. Following the concert, there will be a reception with delicious pastries and spiced cider. Come! Let music warm your hearts on a cold winter's night. Tickets, $10, are available at the Church Office, as well as at the door on performance night. Hoping to see you there! -Alfa
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| Children's Religious Education Information
I delight in hearing that a story, an idea, or a reflection has found a place of resonance in the hearts and minds of others. The other week, one of our members stopped me in the hallway to thank me for the spiritual practice of putting pocket change into a collection container during the annual Guest-At-Your-Table (GAYT) program. He told me that he really liked this practice, and affirmed that he would be continuing it with other worthy causes as recipients. If, like me, you haven't already sent in your GAYT donation, please do that by the end of January. Then consider continuing this spiritual practice, individually or as a family.
Our CRE program aims to teach skills and instill values, to help our young ones learn to be good human beings. To begin forming spiritually mature people. In the classrooms, they hear ideas and listen to stories, they engage in fun activities and express themselves creatively. In the sanctuary, during Sunday services, they experience communal worship and ritual, they hear poetry, music, and song. They are part of our faith tradition, our religious and spiritual family. The more we can include the children in the activities and life of this congregation, the stronger will be the meaningful place it has in their lives. Belonging to this community is a valuable and enriching experience that will influence their lives long beyond the days of childhood.
This month, families have visited that have heard about FCB from people who love this congregation. I encourage you to share with your neighbors, friends and colleagues what this worshipping community means to you. Share the love. ~ Charlotte
Highlights from Our Religious Education Wing
CRE classes resumed after the winter holidays. Pre-S/K classes continue with the Treasure Hunting curriculum. Grades 1-6 complete their exploration of World Religions on January 25.
The Grade 1-6 second term curriculum focuses on Social Justice. Children will explore the four "pillars" of our Social Action Committee as monthly themes during the remainder of the church year. The themes are: Human Rights (February), Poverty (March), Environment (April), and Peace (May). Guests from the congregation are being enlisted to present special programs related to the month's theme. In March, Kathy Crawley will share about the Grow Clinic; in April, our guests will be from the newly chartered Green Sanctuary committee. If you would like to participate and/or have an idea for a program for February's theme (Human Rights) or May's theme (Peace), please contact me in the CRE Office at your earliest convenience.
CRE Assistant, Wendy Conroy, is holding a teacher orientation for newer volunteers on January 25 at 7pm in the Library.
The 7th grade Neighboring Faiths class continues with its visits to local places of worship, with an occasional "Popcorn Theology" lesson on weekends when there is a Monday holiday.
Eighth grade Our Whole Lives (O.W.L.) began last week. It meets Sundays from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Library, with the exception of 3-day weekends.
A Parent Orientation for Grade 5&6 OWL is scheduled for February 8 at 7pm in the Library. Please contact Wendy Conroy (crebelmont@gmail.com) for more information.
~ Charlotte Lehmann, Acting Director of Children's Religious Education
Office hours (generally): Sundays 8am-1pm; Tue/Wed/Thu 10am-6pm
E-mail: clehmann@uubelmont.org.
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Among Us
Our love and sympathy to Kathy Sanders, Melina Salerno and Allie and Max on the death of Kathy's mother.
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Parish Board News January 9, 2015
Happy New Year!
This is the monthly report from the Parish Board to members of the church. We are sending out a brief update in the Unitarian newsletter and in the Sunday order of service announcements to keep you informed about what issues are facing the parish. You are invited to find any one of us at coffee hour to inquire about these updates or anything else about which you'd like more information. − The Parish Board
* The Parish Board unanimously approved the establishment of a Green Sanctuary Committee that will advise the board and all members of the congregation about ways to improve our environmental footprint and to build connections between sustainability and spirituality.
* With the impending departures of Alfa Radford and Susan Street, there will be several changes in personnel over the next few months. The board, under the expert guidance of parish member and HR advisor Ann Dexter, has spent much of the fall revising our Employee Handbook and updating medical and retirement benefits. We are also fine-tuning our procedures for hiring new employees to insure a seamless transition to the next chapter in the First Church.
* And finally, in the never-a-dull-moment category, you remember the line in the hymn "We'll Build a Land" about justice rolling down like waters, and peace like an ever-flowing stream? Well, we had a lot of justice and peace flowing into the First Church in early January! The fiercely cold weather triggered one of the sprinklers to burst and we had a minor flood in the upper gathering hall that poured down into Susan Street's office. We've removed the carpet and ceiling and cleaned up the mess and fortunately Susan's computer was spared. The conference room is Susan's temporary office for the next few weeks or until her office repair work is complete. Those scheduled to use the conference room for meetings need to schedule other classrooms, or explore options for other meeting space.
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You may never get to the awards ceremony in Hollywood, or to an Oscars after-party, but you can attend "An Evening at the Oscars" right here in the First Church Parish Hall--if you buy a ticket. Seats for our fundraising dinner and auction always sell out, and we can't offer Standing Room Only for this show. Visit the Auction Box Office at Sunday coffee hour or go to www.biddingforgood.com/uubelmont to buy your tickets. The $50 price covers admission to the cocktail reception (cash bar) and Silent Auction display, an elegant dinner with wine, the Live Auction, and musical entertainment.
The Silent Auction will begin online Saturday, January 31 (a week before the live event) and end Saturday, February 14. That's two weeks of fun in which you can track how your donations are doing and whether your bids are winning. But you must register on the website www.biddingforgood.com/uubelmont in order to participate in the Silent Auction.
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Pardon Our Appearance and Many Thanks to Luis Carrion, Bob Corning and Mike Flamang!
Last week, we experienced a sprinkler head malfunction in the Upper Gathering Hall space near the Sanctuary, beyond the glass door, leading to the Town Green. This was due to freezing temperatures. Our insurer tells me this happened at many churches last week. Thus, we weren't special, we were just lucky to have Luis Carrion, our Sexton, and Bob Corning and Mike Flamang, Building Committee members discover the leak and bail the water before more damage occurred. Contractors have dehumidified and ripped out the damaged tiles/carpet in both the Upper Hall area and in Susan Street's office below. Repair (construction, carpeting and repainting) will take a number of weeks. Please do not use the Conference Room which is now Susan's temporary office for the next month, and please refrain from using the rear Sanctuary door leading to the Upper Gathering Hall unless an Emergency Exit is required. Instead, please use the exit from the Sanctuary to the Upper Hall at the front of the Sanctuary whenever possible. Thank you.
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COME TO OUR MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA!
Yes, the time for our Nineteenth Annual Piano-Organ Celebration Concert is upon us! This Saturday, January 24 at 8:00pm. It will be an exciting, eclectic program, including genres such as classical, jazz, ethnic, light operetta, Broadway, swing, and some surprises. (Hold on to your hats!!) Attendees will hear music of Albeniz, Bach, Brahms, Chopin, Gershwin, Horsley, Lehar, Melnick, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and more! Click here to see flyer!
Pianists are Cary Bullock, Richard Curzi, Ian Garvie, Mariko Findell & her mom, Vickie Livermore, Nina Grimaldi, Erich Horsley, Larry Melnick, Alfa Joy Radford, Lila Searls, and Miriam Tepper. Joining them are Mary Beekman, organ; Chuck Claus, baritone; Melanie Bacaling, soprano; Mark Sexton, percussion. Proceeds will be used to carry on the restoration and maintenance of our Steinway grand pianos, and magnificent pipe organ.
Tickets are $10.00 each and may be purchased in the church office or at the door on performance evening. The concert will be followed by a reception and refreshments. (Snowdate: Sunday, January 25 at 7pm)
Come to the concert - come one and all,
Bring friends to the party, and let's have a ball!
- The First Church Music Committee
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THE CONVERSATION PROJECT - Part I
Rev. Rosemary Lloyd - Thu, Jan 22, 7:30pm, Lib (Part II Feb 10)
The Conversation Project is dedicated to supporting congregation members in having crucial conversations about the kind of care they would want through the end of life. This 2-part workshop begins with identifying the concerns and values that will ground and guide decision making and includes practice in how to begin The Conversation with a loved one. For more information contact landerson@uubelmont.org or visit the website: theconversationproject.org. The Rev. Rosemary Lloyd has a life-long interest in end of life care and ethics. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, Rosemary has led courses in congregational settings on aging and end of life choices for more than 10 years.
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THE NAVAJO NATION
Shelly Lowe, Executive Dir. Harvard University Native American Program - Sun, Jan 25, 12:30pm, Parish Hall
Please join the Youth Group, Social Action Committee and Adult Programs for a presentation by Shelly Lowe and a few of her students. Shelly will speak to some of the current issues that the Navajo Nation is facing. The Youth Group hopes you'll join them for this educational opportunity before their Service-Learning Trip to the Navajo Nation in AZ this February. Refreshments served.
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SPIRITUAL RENEWAL THROUGH POETRY
Jan 25 & Feb 1 - 3pm - Parlor - Peter Guthrie
Good poems can help us see ourselves and our lives more clearly, trigger moments of epiphany, and cut through the confusion of life to what truly matters. We will read and discuss poems that deal with spiritual issues in the broadest sense of the term.
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FIRST CHURCH BOOK GROUP
Wednesday, January 28, 7:30pm, Library
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
The New Yorker called Out Stealing Horses a "quiet but compelling novel,"observing that Petterson's "spare and deliberate prose has astonishing force."The Book Group is always open to new members and does not require a commitment to attend future meetings. Please contact Anne Stuart at astuart@uubelmont.org if you are interested in participating.
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THE WI$DOM PATH
Tom Neel and Martha Read
Thursdays, January 29, Feb 26, March 26, 7:30pm, Library
The Wi$dom Path is for adults, and it is about money. Three sessions will include 1) Talking About Money: to lay the groundwork to begin talking about the role of money in our lives and its connection to our well-being; 2) The Meaning of Money in Our Lives: consider how childhood & family values influence us; 3) What cultural teachings about money do we share, and what is unique to the individual?
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A PATH APPEARS IN BELMONT - A Campaign to Make a Difference - Thur, January 29, 7pm
St. Joseph's Parish Hall, 130 Common Street
Part One of a three-part PBS Series based on the book A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. This film series is about tough issues facing women and girls around the world and here in the United States. There will be a follow-up discussion led by Jeff Shea, Belmont High School social science teacher, and Massachusetts Teacher of the Year 2015.
Part Two: Thursday, Feb. 5, 7pm, First Church Parish Hall
Follow-up discussion moderated by Anne Donohue, Boston University Associate Professor of Journalism
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