Second Parish Unitarian Universalist
Hingham, Massachusetts
Glad Tidings
From the Minister –
The beginning of another new year always seems to come as a little bit of a shock – “My goodness,” I think, “can it really be almost 2008 – already?” There are of course all of the usual feats of memory we must retrain at the beginning of a new year – the date on checks is the one which usually trips me up the most, but there is also a palpable sense of new possibilities with the new year. Maybe this is the time I really could make a new beginning, we think to ourselves. For whatever stubborn bad habits, opportunities not taken, talents not exploited, kindnesses not done, the new year is always an opportunity to take stock and decide to do things differently – maybe not a revolution; but just a few small changes of intention can make a lot of difference in our satisfaction with the direction of our lives.
Assistive Listening System: I’m excited that, thanks to the Unitarian Universalist Association, we have an opportunity to try out a system which makes it much easier to hear our services. I know of several people who would find attending services here much more fulfilling if they could hear better, and I hope that we will find this try out sufficiently compelling to lead us to purchase a system of our own. Please ask me or our ushers about this system.
Second Parish Adult Religious Education at Linden Ponds: I’m delighted to announce that I will be teaching our winter Adult Religious Education class at Linden Ponds. Chris Beukman of the Pastoral Ministries Office there extends a warm welcome to members of Second Parish and anyone else from Hingham to join these classes, which will be co-sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Linden Ponds. This will be a great opportunity for residents of Linden Ponds to get to know members of our congregation and to get interested in joining us on Sunday mornings.
I will be teaching a course we’re calling “Faith of America’s Founders and Their Influence on Unitarian Universalism in America.” The class is based on a curriculum provided by All Souls Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and consists of a brief introduction on DVD highlighting some aspect of our American roots – the Pilgrims of the Mayflower, the contribution of our Universalist forebears to religious freedom and the separation of church and state, Thomas Jefferson and Joseph Priestley, Theodore Parker and Abolitionism, etc. – followed by a discussion of how this historical experience remains relevant to our faith and our politics today.
We will be meeting Wednesday afternoons from 1:00-2:30 on the following Wednesdays: Jan. 16 & 23, Feb. 6, 13 & 20. Our meetings will take place in the Derby Music/Classroom. Please let me or Sandy Peavey know that you will be joining us.
I
think this will be a great opportunity to promote Second Parish at Linden Ponds
and also to learn some exciting history – but it’s important that we have a
good representation from Second Parish helping to make it happen.
In Faith,
Paul
Notes from the Leadership Board
One concern that we occasionally hear mentioned at Second Parish is the one about a lack of communication that makes it difficult for people to know what and when things are happening. This problem is bound to sometimes occur in any group that meets as a whole only once a week and that also has many small groups within the larger one doing their own things. It seems to me that most people at Second Parish, and certainly the minister and his staff, generally try to keep all of us informed. There is a way easily available to everyone, however, to keep up-to-date. And if you’re reading these words, you’ve already discovered it. The Newsletter contains most of the information regarding events, dates, news, times, plans, needs, etc. that fill each month of the church calendar, facts you need to know to stay abreast of the latest goings on. Please spread the word to those who haven’t become readers of the Newsletter yet. And thank Sandi Smith, Alice Brewer, and Lou Belknap who faithfully keep getting it out to us on time.
-Allan Viden, Leadership Board Chair
This has been a relatively quiet month, but progress was made on the restrooms with the combined efforts of Susan, Julianna, and Mariann to clean and paint both areas. We also decided to end our relationship with our current sexton, George Sullivan. On a temporary basis, Paul Kirsch, our former sexton, will fill in until a permanent sexton can be hired.
-Len O’Connor, Properties Chair
The votes are in! We are officially moving our worship start time on Sunday mornings to 10:00 beginning
January 6, 2008. Thank you to all those who participated in our survey. The vote was overwhelming in favor of the idea of an earlier worship service. We hope that this change will work better for everyone's schedule. Thanks all!
-Julianna Lovell, Worship Chair
Music Schedule for January
1/6 Choir
1/13 Elizabeth Morrell, soprano
1/20 Choir
1/27 TBA
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, January 19th. 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.
Book Group
The Book Group will meet on
Tuesday, January 15 at 7:30
p.m. at
Jennifer Love’s (100
Gardner St.).
The book is Lindbergh, by A. Scott Berg. Any questions, call Jennifer
Love at 781-749-3243.
Save the Date for Our Annual Concert
This year our concert is schedule for Sunday, January 27th. Andrew Garland will be back performing at Second Parish!
A Message from Gloria Trowbridge
To all of the members of Second Parish who have been so kind to me in different ways. Notes of encouragement and many lovely cards have given me great comfort – thank you all!
-Gloria Trowbridge
Gloria is at The Norwell Knoll Nursing Home (329 Washington Street Norwell, MA 02061, 781-659-2926)
Faith of America’s Founders and their influence on Unitarian Universalism in America-from the Mayflower to the Civil War-
Sponsored by The Linden Ponds Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Presented by Rev. Paul Sprecher
Five Wednesday Afternoon Sessions, January 16,23, February 6,13,20 1:00 to 2:20 PM, Linden Ponds Derby Music/Classroom
ALL ARE WELCOME
Christmas Fair a Success
The annual Christmas Fair, held the first Saturday in December, was a great success. The fair made over $5,000 before expenses, one of our best years ever. We are already thinking about how to make next year even better. Most of our shoppers are looking for unique hand-crafted gifts (not to mention our exquisite baked goods). If you are handy at all, please join the women of the parish on Monday mornings in Cushing Hall where we have a lot of fun catching up with each other and creating items for next year’s fair. Our beautiful wreaths are also very popular. We can use help taking orders ahead of time and making the wreaths the first week of December. If you have any other thoughts on the fair, please let one of the members of the Craft Connection know.
-Susan Weisenbeck, For the Craft Connection
Second Sunday Offerings
Our Second Sunday offering for December was given to our Interfaith Food Pantry. We are very happy at this time when food needs are increasing and supplies are decreasing to have been able to raise $537. January's Second Sunday offering will go to support the work of Father Bill's in Quincy.
Meadville Lombard Theological School, a UU seminary in Chicago, Illinois, announces two learning and networking opportunities for lay leaders, seminarians, and ministers:
Explore the potential and the limitations of democratic processes for creating the beloved community. During two days of lecture and discussion, consider the kinds of political activities effective in building community and how this political work is connected with the institutional life of the church.
This workshop will be led by Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University and author of "Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought."
Fees for the Institute are $130 for students; $190 for all others (not including lodging). For more information, visit our website, or email. Registration closes January 15.
News from our Cooperative Religious Education Program
Winter is really here, a time of hibernation and rest for nature and hopefully a time of reflection for humans.
As of this writing we are in the process of rescheduling our cancelled Pageant
dress rehearsal and we envision a fine presentation during the December 23
service as planned.
On Sunday, December 30, there will not be any religious education session. The
children are invited to attend the lay-laid service of Fables, which will no
doubt be very interesting. There will also be childcare in the nursery for the
youngest.
We are most grateful to volunteer teachers Anna Maude, Julianna Lovell, Pam
King and Sean Gallagher who so ably taught our first term RE sessions. Starting
on January 6, we welcome experienced teachers Suzette Droster and Susan
Weisenbeck, who will continue the Super Heros of the Bible curriculum with the
Primary group and Julianna Lovell and Anne McGuire who will explored various exciting
”Quests” with
the Intermediate group.
The teachers will be off on January 20, M. L. King Jr. week-end. I will present
a new special session entitled: “Unitarian Universalists Respect and
Appreciate Diversity”.
Warmest blessings to all.
-Liliane Verdier
, Director of Religious Education, Lilianevhing@aol.com, 781-749-9581
OWL Facilitators Needed
There will be training this January for OWL facilitators. We would love to send someone to get trained in this vital program so that we can repay Old Ship for their generosity in educating our teenagers for the past two sessions. Ideally, we would love to have a few trained facilitators. No experience is necessary – men, women, young and old are all great candidates. Please consider taking this training on either January 4th through 6th or January 11th through 13th, in Boston. Contact Liliane Verdier or Paul Sprecher and say you can help!