The Unitarian
October 27, 2015


This Week
November 1: Bring-Your-Checkbook-to-Church Sunday!
Because of the late start of our church year, Coffeehouse Season Ticket sales are running behind the pace of the last couple of years and we are getting pretty nervous on behalf of our beneficiaries. So we're going for a big push on November 1st to start getting caught up. We have sold 40 (BRAVO and THANKS, FRIENDS!) and our goal is to match or surpass last year's record 62. So let's go for it and see what we can do! Check or cash, at both Coffee Hours or by mail! Send a check for $99, memo line marked Coffeehouse, to First Church in Belmont, 404 Concord, Ave., PO Box 113, Belmont 02478.
        Go, First Church!
UU News & Resources
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First Church groups & committees
The next issue of The Unitarian will be on November 3. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Wednesday, October 28.
E-mail submissions
(maximum 75 words) to [email protected]

 

Sunday Worship - November 1
Sermon: Those Things That Haunt Us
There are things in our past that "haunt" us; that live on within us. Some of these lie forgotten, and a subset of these can rise up suddenly surprising us with their intensity. But they can also teach us about ourselves and about possibilities.

- Rev. David Bryce preaches.

Prelude: Vor deinen thron
J.S. Bach (Leipzig, 1750), Dylan Sauerwald, organ

9 a.m. Anthem, Nova Choir: Dona Nobis Pacem, Josef Rheinberger (1839 - 1901)

11 a.m. Anthem, Senior Choir: Requiem, Robert Schumann (1810 - 56)

Offertory: Der Erlk�nig
Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828), words by Goethe; Chuck Claus, Baritone

Postlude: Lamento, Johann Jakob Froberger, (Vienna, 1656), Dylan Sauerwald, harpsichord
  • Services at 9 & 11 a.m.; childcare is provided.
  • Sunday, November 8: Rev. David Bryce
  • Sermon archive: uubelmont.org/sermons
Please remember that Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. on Saturday night and clocks get set back one hour.

From the Senior Minister, 
Rev. David Bryce
Rev. David Bryce
A few week ago several members of the staff and I attended a workshop here at FCB on building and maintaining staff covenants. The workshop was led by staff from New England Region of the UUA. It was attended by staff members from ten UU congregations who worked in groups on beginning to develop a working covenant for their team.
        Those of us from FCB who attended the workshop (Charlotte, Julie, Lillian and I) have brought back to the rest of the staff materials to use in developing a covenant for the FCB staff.
        Why covenant?
        Because we are a covenantal congregation and religious tradition.
        We are not held together by creed or formal doctrine. The Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations are recognized as a statement of who we are now. They are not seen as timeless, eternal or binding upon all for the rest of existence.
        Unitarian Universalists, in their congregations and as an Association, are called to be together in covenant with one another. That means individuals in covenant with others in their congregation, but also in covenant with others in Unitarian Universalism.
        And our Unitarian Universalist congregations are in covenant with one another.
        This means we agree to walk together in faith, support each other on our journey, and - when necessary - to call one another back to right relationship and right action.
        Our staff covenant - like the behavioral covenant of this congregation - will be a statement of who we are, what we are about, and how we will be with one another.
        As is often the case with covenants, mission statements or vision statements the process can be just as important as the product. That is sometimes difficult for task oriented people to "get" but it is an important truth.
        Of course, the product is important as well. It reminds us who we are, reminds us that we are a religious community and reminds us how we intend to be with one another. And it reminds us to be gentle with one another when we fail, as we occasionally will. We are, after all, only human.
        I am grateful to the New England Region staff for providing the workshop, grateful to those of our staff who attended, and look forward to developing a meaningful statement to guide the work of our staff as we strive together to serve the members of this congregation.
Music & RE Program News
Does your family have an unusual or especially meaningful holiday tradition? We'd love to hear about it. The FCB staff team is beginning to plan our holiday service, in which the children's choirs all sing. We would like to include several of your special traditions interspersed between story and song as part of the service. Click here for more.
Adult Programs
The Fall Adult Programs Brochure is here.
 
There is lots happening this week at First Church!

First Church Book Group - Wed., Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m., Library: Discussion of Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Hootenanny/Jam Session - Thurs., Oct. 29, 7:30 p.m., Library
Women's Retreat Registration Deadline is Oct. 31 ... click here for more information.
Prayer Workshop with David Bryce - Sunday, Nov. 1, 12:30 p.m.

 

Coming Up:
The Conversation Project - Sunday, Nov. 8, 12:30 p.m.
Events & Announcements
The Social Action Committee sends an update from the UU Urban Ministry:
  • Sunday, November 1: Join us for the Installation of the Rev. Mary Margaret Earl as Senior Minister and Executive Director of the UUUM. 
  • Sunday, November 8: the 2015 Mendelsohn Lecture at 3 p.m. Shay Stewart-Bouley and Debby Irving will present "Tell Me the Truth: Exploring the Heart of Cross-Racial Conversations."
  • Calling all UU Teens! Join with the youth in the Roxbury Youth Program for "Environmental Justice in the City," a year of learning, sharing, and justice making, starting December 9.
  • Details on all these events, and much more, at uuum.org.