THE UNITARIAN
April 26 , 2015

Vol. 69, No. 36

 

Join Us For Worship This Week

 

FirstU photo graphic
First Unitarian Church of Worcester, MA
90 Main Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01608

 Worship at First Unitarian 
       

On Sunday childcare will be available

    during worship beginning at 10:15 a.m.  

Sunday Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary 

  

 

Sunday, April 26, 2015
"Taking it Slow" 
Our lives can make us very busy, so busy we even take undue pride in how many things we have to do. Our spiritual health requires us to slow down from time to time, to take a sabbath rest in our week and free ourselves from our busy-ness.
On this Sunday before May Day, we honor our work and our rest from working.
We will honor the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart preaching.

Before and After Worship This Week

 9:15 a.m.
10:15 a.m.
10:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.

11:45 a.m.
12:00 p.m.

 
OWL for 5-6 grades in Mirick Room 1
Nursery Care in Classroom 4.
Worship Service in the Sanctuary.
Sunday School following dismissal from worship.
Art Auction Finale - See article below.
Fellowship Hour in the Bancroft/Dining Rooms. All are invited.
Friends of the Garden Meeting in Mirick Room 1.
Lecture Series in the Chapel. See article below.+
Funding Our Visions - Follow-up discussion in Unity Hall on the
Finance Committee's insert in this Sunday's Order of Service. 

Organ Concert Tonight

 

This Friday at 7PM you'll have the unusual opportunity to hear Beethoven and other symphonic composers played on the 1st U King of Instruments.

 

Jonathan Wessler (of Boston, with degrees from Oberlin and Eastman) will perform a phenomenal program of orchestral transcriptions and

works that aren't normally heard played on a pipe organ in this free concert.

 

Jonathan has prepared an innovative and diverse program of rare gems for this his Worcester debut.

 

Click here for more details.

 

Open Mic Tonight - 2 year Anniversary

 

The JHH Open Mic has exceeded the dream I envisioned. With Lydia Fortune as our vibrant hostess, the open mic has consistently grown. Lydia and I are supported by  Phil Nigro, Sten Gustavson,  Sue Shaw and Bob Shaw.  We couldn't have it every 2nd and 4th Friday without their faithful assistance. 

 

This Friday, April 24th, we celebrate two years with a  steady following of  talented performers.  We are considered the best listening room in Central MA and welcome seasoned, "first-time", and anyone -in -between performers.  Performers learn to develop their talents in a friendly environment. Join our vibrant hostess, Lydia and the rest of the JHH Open Mic regulars this Friday to celebrate! --Linda Wyatt

 
Art Auction Closes This Sunday

 

The 2015 Auction is not quite finished! Do to time constraints the Art Auction in the Chapel did not close on Sunday. Bidding will remain open until 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 26th when the winners will be announced after Sunday service. Thank you to all who participated in the general Auction on Sunday and helped to make it a great success. If you are bidding on the Art Auction we look forward to seeing you this Sunday for the closing. If you are unable to be there this Sunday we will be happy to hold a proxy bid for you; contact Madeline ([email protected]) or Mary ([email protected]).
Adult Faith Development Programs - This Sunday

Sundays @ Noon Lecture Series 

 

April 26 in the Chapel

Restorative Justice and Curbing Youth Violence 

  

On April 26th, Claire Shaeffer-Duffy, the Chair of the Center for Nonviolent Solutions Board of Directors, will talk about the Center's work  in the Worcester Public Schools with a focus on Sullivan Middle School. Her talk will highlight the importance of grounding conflict resolution in a larger context of Peace Education.


There will be time for questions and discussion at this session. Our hope is that these conversations can lead to ideas for how First Unitarian Church of Worcester could be involved to support a broader adoption of Restorative Justice and Peace Education  for youth throughout Worcester.

 

Volunteers Needed for the Installation Service

 

We will need many volunteers to help with the Installation Service.  Click here to read this article and sign up online. There are also  sign-up sheets in the dining room.


Volunteer opportunities


1.  Setting up the church on Saturday, May 2 at 9 AM. - Volunteers Needed.


 

2.  Cleaning up after the service and reception ends, around 6:30 PM on 

Sunday, May 3. - Volunteers Needed.

 

3.  Preparing the following finger foods.  ALL SLOTS FOR FINGER FOODS ARE FILLED - THANK YOU.

 

4.  Decorating - 3 slots filled - more available.


 

A. Additional help urgently needed for the Installation

 

For the installation service and reception on May 3 we need taller plants or trees to serve as focal points in our plant groupings in the garden we want to create in the Bancroft Room. We could also use for this purpose taller garden ornaments, a small garden bench or garden chairs, stands from which we could hang hanging plants, or other interesting garden items. These all would be enormously helpful in our design. Could you email me if you could loan us any of these items so they could be incorporated in our plans?  [email protected]. They can be brought to the Bancroft Room on Friday, May 1 between 10 AM and 4 PM, or Saturday, May 2 between 9 AM and 10 AM.  We are most grateful for your help.

 

B.  We need volunteers to make flower arrangements for the buffet tables.  Time can be determined at the convenience of the arrangers. 2 slots filled - more available 


 

We welcome your contributions and thank you for your assistance.

 

Click here to sign up online 

 

Giving Time and Talent: The Social Justice Committee
 
Michelle is a relatively new member of our congregation.  She has quickly become involved with the congregation first by joining our choir and then taking on the responsibility of Assistant Treasurer. She has recently become involved in adult faith development programming.  We asked Michelle to talk about what her involvement means to her and she had this to say:
 
"I value the ability to share my ideas about adult development with a group of First Unitarian members who also are interested in furthering the educational opportunities for adults at church and seeing those ideas come to fruition.   Although I offered to do something different and not a UU program, it was approved.  Thus allowing a Christian based program to be offered at First U.

I appreciate Deb Levering and Liz Gustavson helping me implement the 5 week program, "Embracing a Life of Meaning."  Our first meeting of this series was powerful in the stories we shared about who we are and what gives us meaning today.

The congregation benefits by the many diverse adult educational opportunities that the team was able to bring to First U.  I believe we are being enriched in mind, body, and spirit by coming together to explore ourselves and each other in ways not possible done alone." - Michelle Przekop

 

Garden News - Clean-up on Saturday - Meeting on Sunday
 
Heather

OUR BEAUTIFUL CHURCH GARDENS AND EXTERIOR:  This is an especially important year, with the up-coming installation celebration for Reverend Sarah Stewart on May 3.  Please join the Friends of the Gardens for some fun and fellowship on the 2 Saturday mornings before the Installation, April 25th and/or May 2nd, 8 am to noon--to tidy up and beautify our gardens so we can really celebrate in style (rain or shine!!) Ideas??  Banners, ribbons, flowers....

PLANT EXCHANGE:  Then our spring Plant Exchange will be on Sunday May 10 (Mothers' Day) and Sunday May 17th this year.  For those new to the church, this is a long-standing tradition: people bring potted plants (annuals, perennials, herbs, house plants) from their own garden to donate to the church on those days, and then we sell them after church at $5 per pot, as a fun exchange, AND a fund-raiser for the church and our gardens.  This year we are working toward building funds for projects like an expanded shade garden in the front, and a labyrinth around our Peace Pole.  As the snow melts from your garden beds, please be planning what you might divide and contribute!  We have plenty of large empty plastic pots in the church garden storage shed if you need one. 

 

NEXT MEETING: All who have ideas or are able to help work on the garden and foyer clean up and prep for Installation, or the Plant Exchange, please stop by our next meeting Sunday April 26th at 11:45 am.  THANKS!!

Questions?  Please contact co-chairs Kate O'Dell at [email protected] or Mary Mcalister at [email protected]

 

HOSPITALITY
Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
-teachings of Jesus

Coffee Hour Hospitality - NEW SIGN UP ONLINE
Providing refreshments after worship is a gift of service to the church. The food you bring need not be elaborate. If you would like to provide this hospitality, click here to see if others are contributing that Sunday and to sign up or you can just bring a food offering and put it on the dining room table. Invite a friend to join you in this offering.

Sunday Greeters

Being on the receiving end of a warm smile and a "good to see you" or a "good morning" is to be offered a welcoming gift. It is a gift that you can give on a Sunday morning. Reaching out in greeting affirms the one entering and the one greeting.
If you would like to be a Sunday morning greeter, please stop by the Welcome Table or speak to one of us. We will sign you up for a date and give you the information you will need.

Name Tags & Newsletter
If you need a name tag or would like to receive the church newsletter, please stop by the Welcome Table.
Lee Reid
Sue Shaw
Linda Carney

Escalating Inequality Workshops - 

 

There are upcoming workshops  about the problem of escalating inequality in this country. At General Assembly in Providence last summer, delegates to the UUA voted escalating inequality as the most pressing issue of our time.

 

This is a joint project between First Unitarian Church and the UU Church of Worcester. Three events will be held here and four will be held at UUCW, 90 Holden Street, Worcester 01606. We are excited about this partnership.

 

The following workshops are from the dynamic curriculum put out by the UUA and contain large and small group discussions, videos and personal inventories.

 

4. THE NEED FOR DIVERSITY IN UUism: Sunday May 3 at UUCW from 12:30-2:30

5. ENGAGING SOLUTIONS FOR UUism: Sunday May 17 First U 12:30-2:30

 

Escalating Inequality Task Force: Joan McGinn, Chair; Paul Ropp, Randy Ingham, Mara Pentlarge, Joe Delgizzi

 

Joan McGinn, Chair, Escalating Inequality Task Force 
Sermons

  

"A Glimpse and a Promise: Easter 2015" by the Rev. Sarah Stewart
the sermon of April 5, 2015 

 

"Sin and Forgiveness" by the Rev. Sarah Stewart
the sermon of February 22, 2015 

Our Church Family Online Directory

  

Reminder

Don't forget to sign on to use the new online directory! Click here to sign on now or go to www.firstunitarian.com and click on "OurChurchFamily Directory" at the top of the page. 

Important First U Links
Join a blog...catch up on First U news... 
offer a comment

 

Stewardship Team News:
 UUSisterhood News & Events:

http://firstuusisterhood.blogspot.com/

 
Archive: Newsletter & Minister's Memo:

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs072/1102662658575/archive/1102698304450.html 

 
Faith Development Ministries News and Events 

http://lifespanfaithdevelopment.blogspot.com/


 
Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/FirstUnitarianWorcester 

 

Worship This Week: http://www.firstunitarian.com 

Details about this week's service and more

 

Church Calendar: http://www.firstunitarian.com/calendar.cfm 

Details about this week's and upcoming events
  
Contact Us

 

First Unitarian Church of Worcester, MA
90 Main Street
Worcester, Massachusetts 01608

508-757-2708
508-753-9332 (fax)
Preaching This Week
Rev. Sarah Stewart

Rev. Sarah Stewart

 



































John Henry's Hammer









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