Second Parish Unitarian Universalist
Hingham, Massachusetts
Glad Tidings
From the Minister –
We Unite… We Covenant… We Pledge
With love for each other and with respect for each person’s search for truth, we unite – in
the spirit of Jesus – for the worship of God and the service of our neighbors. – Second Parish Covenant
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. – Declaration of Independence
Second Parish is one of the churches founded in this state and other parts of New England (especially in Maine and Connecticut) as a church for a whole community united in shared beliefs but more especially on a commitment to walk together—to covenant together—in love and service. These original churches were supported by taxation, since the ministers of these churches were regarded as moral teachers of the community even if not everyone agreed with their theology or their politics. Second Parish in Hingham was founded as Hingham grew southward and some of the residents found it hard to make their way to First Parish (Old Ship) in the middle of winter. In a somewhat unusual measure for the time, one resident of South Hingham, Theophilus Cushing, donated the land on which the church stands and the people of South Hingham erected our meeting house in 1742—without the approval of First Parish or anyone else. They were determined to have a church close enough to their homes to worship in and they donated their own work and materials to make it happen—even though they were still paying taxes to support First Parish (and continued doing so until their petition for their own parish was approved by the General Court in 1746).
Massachusetts finally stopped collecting taxes to support our parishes in 1832—pressured in part by the Universalist side of our blended religious family, whose congregations always supported themselves with voluntary contributions from their members. One proud part of our heritage from the earliest churches in the colonies is our tradition of congregational polity—our self-governance and complete independence as a local religious organization. While we are part of the Unitarian Universalist Association, our congregation has complete autonomy in governing ourselves, calling a minister, defining our particular identity as a faith community, and supporting ourselves.
With this radical autonomy comes the responsibility to provide the financial means for this common work we do in providing for ourselves and for our neighbors this community of memory and hope. Our founding fathers undertook great risks when they founded this nation; the founders of this church also took some risks in creating this free religious community. Our task is to maintain this heritage and pass it on to those who will follow us. As we renew our covenant with each other this year, let us—with love for one another—generously share our time, treasure and talents in supporting and growing this beloved community we have at Second Parish.
In Faith,
Paul
Leadership Board Notes
Second Sunday Plate Collection
This year, Second Parish has given away the second Sunday “plate” or loose collection to a non-profit organization that is doing good work in the community. In April, we will give away our plate to the South Shore Hospice in memory of members and friends we’ve lost.
The hospice philosophy recognizes that every person deserves to live out his or her life with respect and dignity, alert and free of pain, in an environment that promotes quality of life. This concept of care came to the United States in the early 1970s, at a time when the vast majority of terminally ill people died in the hospital, often alone and in pain. From its beginnings, hospice has focused on the whole person - body, mind and spirit - with the understanding that serious illness profoundly impacts not only the patient, but family and loved ones as well.
In the past months, we have given away the following amounts to non-profit organizations:
November - First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis
- UU website templates - $166
December - Wellspring - $153
Christmas Eve - D.O.V.E. - $900
January - Father Bill's - $283
February - Hingham Interfaith Food Pantry - $240
March – Hingham High School Fund - Bosnian Student Exchange - $251
Thank you to everyone who contributed.
Informational Meeting on April 1 Following the Church Service
There are several building and grounds issues that have come up recently. The Leadership Board would like to have an informational meeting to discuss these issues.
Following the service on April 1, we will have a meeting to talk about the various issues. The first issue is a proposed railing for the stairs to the pulpit. We have an architect’s design and have begun to get quotes for the work. We want to share the drawings and answer any questions that people have.
Also, the Town of Hingham has approached Second Parish regarding our land behind the church. The first part of this issue is to request from Second Parish an easement which would allow people access to conservation land the town already owns and land it is considering purchasing. We have been assured that there are Massachusetts statutes in place that place no liability on the church. This issue might come up at Hingham’s Town Meeting in April.
Secondly, we have been approached by the town about possibly selling a small portion of our land behind the church parking lot. In theory, a small parcel from Second Parish could connect a piece of land the Conservation Commission already owns with land they are considering purchasing.
We are not going to vote on these issues on April 1. This is an informational meeting only. If a vote is required, it will be taken at our Annual Meeting in June.
-Submitted by Julianna Lovell
Community
Men’s Breakfast
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The next men's breakfast will be held at 8:00 a.m. in Cushing Hall on Saturday, April 14th. All men of the parish are welcome to join us for a high cholesterol breakfast and conversation. We have no set agenda. Come prepared to talk about anything on your mind. We break promptly at 9:00 a.m. Call Lou Belknap at 781-749-5519 if you can join us, or email me at lsbelknap@verizon.net.
Organ Concert on April 15
The annual concert celebrating our Wissinger organ will be on Sunday, April 15, at 3:00 p.m.
This year we are pleased to present organist Nancy Granert. Ms. Granert is the organist at Boston’s Emmanuel Church and teaches organ at Boston University. She is soloist and accompanist on five CDs released by the Harvard University Choir and has performed and taught in Japan and Mexico. In 1985, as part of the Harvard Bach Commemoration, she presented the Boston premiere performance of many of the then newly-discovered Neumeister chorale preludes. Ms. Granert played at the dedication of our organ in 1993, and we are especially pleased to have her back.
Ms. Granert’s concert at Second Parish will include works by Bach, Buxtehude, Sweelinck and Spanish composers, which will display many of the features of our wonderful organ. There will be an after-concert reception in Cushing Hall. The concert will be open to the public and tickets will be sold at the door for $10. We hope you will consider becoming an Organ Concert Patron for $25. Please join us for what promises to be an extraordinary event.
2007 Organ Concert Committee
Alice Brewer
Jane Shute
Mark Slawson
Kurt Weisenbeck
Friday Night Soup and Salad - April 13th
Hot Topic: Wreck of the Bark Kadosh: The Story of a Gravestone in the Hingham Cemetery. Hear the long-forgotten tale behind one of the most intriguing gravestones in the Hingham Cemetery. This talk takes you up and down the stormy coast of the South Shore, landing you finally in some familiar places, close to home. This talk will be presented by Allan Viden.
Book Group
The next meeting will be April
24th (4th Tuesday this month, due to school vacation) at 7:30 p.m. at Jennifer Love’s home (100 Gardner St.) The book this month is
American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln Conspiracies by Michael W. Kauffman. Any
questions, call Jennifer Love at 781-749-3243.
The “Red” Hymnal
Hymns of the Spirit, the red hymnal, is no longer used during our church service. Before offering them to another church, anyone who would care to own one may contact Paul or Sandi.
51stAnnual Year of the Second Parish Arts and Crafts Exhibit and Sale – May 1-9
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The entry forms have been mailed and soon you will be receiving an invitation to become a patron or sponsor of this event.
A letter to our loyal advertisers, inviting them to continue with their ad, has also been mailed. This letter approach is a new one for us. Hopefully it will save on volunteer time and we are hoping it will work.
This will be our third year that we will be extending our show for a full week of exhibit and sales. It has proven to be financially successful for the church. Please mark your calendars and be willing to help in the many jobs to be filled.
The Junior Exhibit mailings have also been sent to all the schools on the South Shore. Any child may enter individually if he or she wishes. Jane Shute or Joyce Schreier may be contacted for information.
-Submitted by the Art Show Committee
Stewardship
What Is Covenant Renewal?
Spring is here, so pledging can’t be far behind! Covenant Renewal is the name we’ve chosen for this year’s annual Springtime appeal in which all members and friends make a most important decision for the coming church year - July to June. This year we are asking everyone to volunteer time and talent to our spiritual community as well as financial help. In pledging, people renew their commitment to the life of Second Parish and its ministry as well as their own faith.
Covenant Renewal brochures containing information about this year’s appeal are being prepared for each Second Parish family and friend. Details about needs and goals and budgets will help you to see where the church is during this exciting time of growth and vision. Answers to some questions you may have are included to help you understand the process. We ask you to review the information in your brochure carefully, ask for more explanation if you have questions, and then consider your commitment to Second Parish for the coming church year.
Key dates to mark down. The brochures will be distributed following the service on April 22 to those in attendance, or mailed the following week to those not in church that day. On April 29, Pledge Sunday, the morning service will focus on Covenant Renewal. After church on that day a budget presentation will provide further information about church finances. Finally, we will be asking everyone to return their volunteer and financial pledges by Sunday, May 6.
Thank you for your generous contributions of time, talent, and treasure.
-Submitted by Allan Viden and Susan Weisenbeck, Stewardship Committee
WANTED:
A table for the vestibule - wood, about 4X2 feet - to replace smaller table now there. Contact Leadership Board.
News from our Cooperative Religious Education Program
Helene Soini and I are happy to inform you that our total parish contribution, raised through the Guest at Your Table boxes program of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee amounts to $598.46. Thank you so much for your generous donations which will help the UUSC's wonderful work for people in need around the world.
Recently our Coming of Age group attended a great workshop led by Rev. Paul Sprecher. The theme was prayers and meditations. They also went to The Friends Home, a retirement community in Hingham, for Sunday Tea. There, they contributed voice, cello and piano musical entertainment, as well as homemade brownies. It was a very successful event.
It is time to express our thanks to our Winter term Sunday School volunteer teachers, Anna Maude, Anne McGuire, Pam King, Kurt Weisenbeck and Marcia de Sousa, and to welcome on April 1st, our Spring term teaching teams:
Primary class: Julianna Lovell and Anna
Maude
Intermediate class: Suzette Droster and Susan Weisenbeck
Junior class: Pam King and Kurt Weisenbeck
The Primary class will have outdoor sessions on Parish grounds, weather permitting.
The
Religious Education Committee and I have been working on making plans for next
year. The Primary level, grades K-2 would do the excellent Bible Super
Heros and UU Super Heros curricula.
The Intermediate level, grades 3-6 would do the year long Questing
Year curriculum, which helps children explore UU faith concepts.
The Junior level, grades 7 and 8 would do the Our Whole Life curriculum with
the 7th and 8th graders from both First Parish in Hingham and First Parish in
Cohasset. This most valuable course, which requires trained
leaders, would probably rotate the location monthly. Parents will be invited
to a presentation of the course content, which has to do with human
relationships, respect and sexual education.
The seniors would form their own mini-youth group and help define their own
curricula and activities. We hope to include a few common events with the First
Parishes of Hingham and Cohasset. Please feel free to talk to Pam King, our RE
committee chair, or me with your questions or concerns.
On April 8, we will celebrate Easter, a day rich in meanings and symbols, with a special Family service for all ages, followed by a grand Easter Egg Hunt for all the children and their guests (outdoor or indoor depending on the weather). It will be an open house day. Please invite your friends, neighbors and acquaintances. Many families would love to join us if they knew the values we teach to children and what a great community we are. There will be child care for the youngest downstairs.
On April 15, the teachers will have the day off and I will lead a common Peace Wave session for all the children present. We will create our own contributions to the collective creation of the District-wide Saturday, May 12, Peace Festival event at Cedar Hill in Duxbury that I hope many of you will want to attend.
You may want to celebrate Earth Day this year with the Earth Day Sustainable Living Festival on Saturday April 21, 2007 at the Murray Bath House at Nantasket Beach, Hull. For additional info see http://www.sustainabless.org/new%20schedule.htm.
It is time to sign up for UU Summer camps or conferences. The information is posted on the main bulletin board in Cushing Hall. Feel free to ask me about Star Island where my daughter and I both enjoyed many wonderful annual Religious Education weeks.
See you Sunday.
Liliane Verdier
, Acting Director of Religious Education Lilianevhing@aol.com, 781-749-9581
SECOND SUNDAY OFFERING
The
collection of $251.00 was spearheaded by Mark Bowker, from our Coming of Age Program,
in order to help Mirela,
from Bosnia, come to spend next year as a Hingham High student.
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Easter Sunday – April 8
Easter Plant Order Form
___ Tulips at $10.00 each = $_______
___ Hyacinths at $10.00 each = $_______
___ Daffodils at $10.00 each = $_______
___ Lilies at $10.00 each = $_______
Given by Name:
________________________________________
In Honor of Name:
________________________________________
In Memory of Name:
________________________________________
Please send form and check made out to Second Parish in Hingham and mail to:
Second Parish
685 Main Street
Hingham, MA 02043
˜ No later than April 1 ™