Second Parish Unitarian Universalist
Hingham, Massachusetts
Glad Tidings
From the Minister –
How wonderful it is to be able to feel things deeply!
The sheer delight of fresh air when you have been indoors all day;
The never ending wonder of sunrise and sunset;
The sound of wind through the trees and the utter wetness of the rain;
The excitement of finding something that was lost and is found:
My fountain pen,
A beautiful word forgotten,
The return of an old book,
The reconciliation after estrangement,
The first step after months of illness…
How wonderful! (Howard Thurman, 1899 – 1981)
How wonderful, indeed. Gene Chamberlain was always giving us reminders – reminding us to look around, to listen, to pay attention. Often in the part of our service devoted to our Joys and Concerns, he would report the first sighting of a robin in spring; the sound of the peepers bursting forth in song; the joy he felt being with us every Sunday; and the fun of watching our children learn and play and listen. Gene didn’t just experience these wonders – he told us about them during our services. He was always reminding us to notice all the wonders around us. He modeled a way of living that was grateful for all of the little things to take delight in.
It’s easy for all of us to lose track of that sense of wonder, the gifts that each season brings us, the joy we felt so intensely when we were younger. Gene showed us that you could feel that same wonder and delight at any age. I remember the year that he rode the old fire engine in the Fourth of July parade. The delight he took in that opportunity would not have been foreign to a boy (or girl) of ten.
What a life? Wasn’t it wonderful?
SERVICES – February 5th: Michael Servetus: A Unitarian Martyr – Servetus is one of the few genuine martyrs in our Unitarian faith tradition. He was burned at the stake in 1553 in Geneva, Switzerland, for his criticism of the doctrine of the Trinity. He was also a physician who was among the first to understand the circulation of the blood through the body. February 12th: What Is Spirituality? – Many people like to describe themselves as “spiritual, not religious.” So what does it mean to be “spiritual?” The wisdom of the Buddha offers some clues. February 19th: Lent: Mindfulness and Self-Denial – The traditional practice of the forty days of Lent calls on us to “give something up.” Why should we? February 26th (Rev. Kim Preveza will be preaching): Spiritual Homemaking - How is our home life a spiritual practice? How do we create a home for our souls? Inspiration abounds from the story of the Sheep and the Pig Who Built a House to
Thich Nhat Han.
In Faith,
Paul
.
Calendar of Events for February
Weekly Meetings
Sundays Worship Service at 10:00 am
Mondays Sewing Group 9:30 to 11:00 am
Saturday, Feb. 11 8:00 am Men’s Breakfast
Tuesday, Feb. 28 7:30 pm Book Group
Music Schedule for February – STILL WAITING FOR MUSIC FROM MARK…
2/5: Diane and David Whiting, vocalists
2/12: The Choir
2/19: Diane and David Whiting, vocalists
2/26: Choir
Community
Men’s Breakfast
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The next men's breakfast will be Saturday, February 11 at 8 AM in Cushing Hall. All men of the parish are cordially invited to attend. We will continue our tradition of hearty breakfasts with some healthy foods included. Please email Lou Belknap at lsbelknap@verizon.net or call him at 781-749-5519 if you can attend. There is no agenda, but come prepared to discuss whatever is on your mind.
Book Group
The next book group meeting
will be on Tuesday, February 28th at 7:30 pm at the Sprecher's home in
Scituate. We are reading Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens-a memoir by this
brilliant author who recently died of cancer.
Winter Adult Education Classes
Science and Morality
Wednesdays 12:15 - 1:45 and 7:00 - 8:30 in the Art Room in the Oakleaf Clubhouse at Linden Ponds
January 18 – April 4
As part of our ongoing series of seminars co-sponsored by Second Parish and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Linden Ponds, we will be considering the question of whether science can be the best guide in determining human values, morality and ethics. We will be using the book The Moral Landscape by Sam Harris as a jumping off point to the discussion. Books and more details available from Sandy Peavey (781 749-6081) or Rev. Sprecher.
From Age-ing to Sage-ing: Rev. Paul Sprecher, Second Parish:
Thursdays 2:00 - 3:30 Feb 16 - April 15 at the Whiton Room in the Hingham Library
All of us – children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged, seniors and beyond – recognize that we are a part of the process of aging. Until recently most Americans accepted and understood aging as a process of gradually increasing personal diminishment and disengagement from life. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi’s book From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Profound New Vision of Growing Older proposes a new model of late-life development – called sage-ing – a process that associates old age with self-development and spiritual growth. Sages, he claims, draw from the growth techniques of modern psychology and contemplative spiritual practices of the world’s wisdom traditions. Schachter-Shalomi’s model of spiritual eldering draws on three sources: models of the traditional tribal elder whose wisdom guided the social order for thousands of years; state-of-the-art breakthroughs in brain-mind and consciousness research; and the ecology movement, which urges us to live in harmony with the natural world. This class offers lectures, readings, and learning experiences to understand these concepts and apply them to our own lives. Students will be asked to purchase a copy of Shachter-Shalomi’s book From Age-ing to Sage-ing, which will be available for $10.25 at the first class.
Registration for this class will be at the Senior Center in Hingham starting Monday, January 9th at 1:30.
Job Opportunity
First Parish UU Church, Plymouth, MA is now welcoming interested parties for the position of Director of Religious Education. We are a small, dedicated congregation with 12 - 15 registered children currently in our programs.
The position is part time 20 hours per week including Sunday mornings. The Director will be primarily responsible for coordinating youth religious education activities, while assisting in the growth of adult religious education programs.
Interested individuals, send a letter of interest and resume by March 31, 2012, to the DRE Search Committee: Plymouth.DRE@gmail.com
News from our Cooperative Religious Education Program
Happy February! Happy Valentine’s Day!
This Month is all about love. We will experience and explore loving the earth and each other. Last month we explored peace and justice and learned that peace begins with us. We learned about three places to strive for peace – for others, the earth, and ourselves.
“Why do we come to church?” Rev. Kim asked last month. “Peace” was the answer. As we learn about peace and justice we are also doing a great job creating a peaceful and just/fair experience in our time together upstairs and during coffee hour. Come talk with us at coffee hour and maybe play a game or build some legos with us.
This month we continue on the theme peace and justice.
February 5 A Time for Trees -- Tu Bishvat. We will gain an understanding that trees are important to all forms of life on earth and to the earth itself. We will also learn that trees are a symbol of life. Tu Bishvat “New Year of the Trees” is a Jewish holiday that signals the beginning of Spring. Trees are planted on this day in Israel. We will plant a tree when it turns Spring in New England close to Earth Day or Arbor Day. We will learn about the Arbor Day Foundation on this day too.
February 12 A Time To Love. We will explore concepts of love for family and friends. We will explore ways to express love for others. We will explore the Christian roots of Valentine’s Day. We will read a story about Louisa May Alcott, a famous Unitarian. We will do a heart craft and think about what is lovable about us and those around us. Each child will learn one of the things we love about him or her.
February 19 A Time to Help Others – Lent. We will learn about the Christian practice of penitence and service, which comes before Easter. We will explore the importance of sharing what we have with others. We will learn the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes and apply this to real life. We will explore more deeply the meaning of our Flaming Chalice. Jane Shute will be our leader this week and next.
February 26 A Time for Something Special – Jane Shute has something very special to share with you this week about her adventures. Her stories should inspire as to care for and love our amazing planet earth.
Blessings,
Rev. Kim Preveza, Minister of Religious Education
SECOND PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
Hingham, Massachusetts
SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING January 29, 2012
Warrant
To the Clerk of Second Parish in Hingham:
Greetings: In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby directed to notify the members of the Second Parish in Hingham, qualified to vote in Parish affairs, to meet in Cushing Hall on Sunday, January 29, 2012, 11:45 a.m., to act on the following articles:
(1) a resolution which reads as follows:
"We, the members of Second Parish in Hingham, request that Second Parish
in Hingham be publicly recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as
a Welcoming Congregation."
(2) The Leadership Board and the Property Commission will present to the congregation for discussion a draft Five Year Plan addressing significant preservation issues related to our property.
Hereof, fail not to make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to the Clerk of the said Parish at the time and place of meeting. Given under our hands at Hingham, January 10, 2012.
John Belknap
Nancy Hansberry
Chip King
Sandra Peavey
Sarah Phillips
Lisa Shetty
Jane Shute
Wayne Wilson
Hingham, Massachusetts January 10, 2012
By virtue of the above warrant, I hereby notify the members of Second Parish in Hingham to meet at the time and place for the purpose therein expressed.
Betty J. Tower, Clerk
SECOND PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
685 Main Street, Hingham, MA 02043
Minister: Reverend Paul Sprecher, minister@secondparish.org
Minister of Religious Education: Reverend Kim Preveza, mre@secondparish.org
Paul: (781) 210-2016 – Home and Office
Church: (781) 749-1671, secondparish@yahoo.com
Website: www.secondparish.org
We're on Facebook; you can find us here: facebook.com/SecondParish
Caring Committee: Jane Shute, (781) 749-6518, caring@secondparish.org
Paul’s Office Hours: Tues. & Wed. 10:00 am-noon, Fri. 2:00 pm-5:00 pm
Church Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs, 7:00 am-noon
Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m.
The deadline is the 3rd Monday of each month.
Next Newsletter Deadline: February 20, noon
Production Date: February 28, 10:00 am
Newsletter Team: Alice Brewer and Sandi Smith
Editors: Lou Belknap and Susan Weisenbeck
Edition: February, 2012
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