Second Parish Unitarian Universalist
Hingham, Massachusetts
Glad Tidings
From the Minister –
During our lovely and moving Flower Communion service on June 20th, the last service of the church year, Sarah Phillips mentioned that she had discovered a beautiful rose garden in front of the church. I thought she was referring to the “memorial garden” just in front of the church, but she corrected me and said it was in the rock behind the memorial garden. I had to look closely as I left that morning to see that indeed there was a rose garden right up on top of the rock. How often I’ve walked by, looked at children sitting on the rock, fixed the lights that illuminate the front of the church on the lawn, and never seen the rose garden! I’m grateful that Sarah pointed out one of the undiscovered charms in our little haven at the top of the rise.
I suppose it’s a commonplace to mention that there are many rose gardens on our paths each day. I often take our golden retriever puppy Annie for walks in Whitney-Thayer Woods. We like to try out new trails and explore where they lead. Sometimes the path turns unexpectedly muddy and sometimes the trail just ends and we have to turn around. Several times we’ve ended up in rather surprising places. Always there are enchanting new discoveries – a jack-in-the-pulpit, a flower I haven’t seen since I was a boy; a new and lovely fragrance from some combination of plants, flowers and trees; a stream flowing serenely on its way, rarely visited and happy for a dog to take a refreshing drink from its waters.
Staying alert for surprises like these, whether in exploring new places or discovering what’s really hiding in plain sight in familiar places, having a conversation with someone we know well and discovering a new dimension of who they are, or meeting a stranger and finding a sudden connection you never expected – all of these are bits of grace in the middle of ordinariness – and all come to us when we pay attention. This summer is a great time to hone our skills in paying attention and finding grace all around us.
Two reminders: Deedee and I will be holding an open house on Sunday, July 11, from 2:00 to 5:00. We’re at 27 Grove Street in Scituate. Take 3A South to Scituate, then turn right on First Parish Road at the first traffic light after you see the “Welcome to Scituate” sign. Continue to the first stop sign at Grove St. and turn right. You’ll find our house on the right after about .3 of a mile, just past Tanglewood Drive, where you can park if our driveway is full. We know some of you will be elsewhere on that day, but we hope to see many of you then.
We will resume our regular services in the fall on September 12th with a Water Communion. As you go away during the summer (or stay home), remember to gather a bit of water wherever you go; we will then share it in this service as we reflect on what we have done during the summer. Have fun, look for hidden rose gardens, and be safe until we meet again.
In Faith,
Paul
A Second Parish Night at “Evening Under the Stars”
Just bring a picnic and come to visit, eat dinner, and hear a concert all in Hingham at the South Shore Conservatory. The cost for lawn tickets is $15 in advance.
This is the schedule:
July 10 Pops Concert with Nicholas Palmer conducting
July 17 New Black Eagle Jazz Band
July 24 Amanda Carr and the Kenny Hadley Big Band
July 31 Black Sea Salsa
August 7 The Music of Rodgers and Hart
If you are interested please e-mail or call Jane Shute. We will select the date that the most people can come, so sign up for all that interest you.
Thanks,
Jane Shute
781-749-6518
shutehing@verizon.net
A Message from the Collectors
Our fiscal year ends on June 30. Please complete your pledge payments for the current fiscal year as soon as possible. We count on your pledges when we approve the budget each year: if we do not receive payments in a timely manner, we must borrow to pay expenses, most notably salaries. And please remember that our expenses continue during the summer, even though the church is not open. You can stay current on your pledge for the coming year by mailing your check to the church office. Thank you.
-Submitted by Lou Belknap and Alice Brewer
IT’S NOT TOO SOON TO START THINKING ABOUT THE SERVICE AUCTION
Save the evening of Saturday, November 6th for the Second Parish Service Auction! That may seem like a long time away, but summer is a good time to think creatively, so start now to come up with ideas for services you (or your children) can offer to others in the congregation.
We are hoping to add gift certificates to local business establishments to our auction this year. The Springfield UU church solicited more than 100 gift certificates from local merchants for their auction, most in the $25-50 range, but a few as large as $100. They ranged from restaurants to oil changes to grocery stores to hair salons and everything in between. The business establishment can get publicity and a tax deduction for its donation, and Second Parish can get some interesting items for the auction. We just need you to ask the business establishments you frequent if they are willing to donate a gift certificate for the Second Parish auction. We will provide them with a letter thanking them for their generous donation to Second Parish, and we will include promotional information about them in our auction booklet.
As you come up with ideas for donations, you don’t have to wait until the fall to submit them. Just send an email (or a note if you don’t have email) to Sandy Peavey at speavey56@msn.com or 204 Linden Ponds Way, Unit 310,
Hingham, MA 02043.
-Submitted by Sandy Peavey
News from our Music Program
On June 13th Second Parish was fortunate to have gospel singer Jandi Strong-Dennis as guest soloist. Jandi is originally from Liberia, in West Africa, and came to the United States in 1979. During the service she sang several inspirational gospel songs, without accompaniment, at times shaking the rafters with her powerful voice. It was a memorable experience for all who attended, and we plan to have Jandi back in the future.
-Submitted by the Music Committee
A Dedication to Gloria
Several years ago I decided I wanted to learn how to play the piano. My dear friend Gloria Trowbridge was kind enough to encourage my ‘late blooming’ efforts and introduced me to a lovely piano teacher right here in Hingham, Jean Knapp. I was fortunate enough to immediately click with Jean and so the lessons began. It was immediately apparent to me that I needed a better piano to undertake my efforts.
Through Jean I found a used piano reseller and purchased a lovely Steinert piano. I was so excited and embarked on my journey. I don’t know if I enjoyed the friendships with Gloria and Jean more than the piano lessons or the sound of the music I was learning to play more, but all in all it was a terrific time in my life.
Unfortunately life sent me in a different direction with some significant family obligations that interrupted my quest to tickle the ivories. My ability to focus on my lessons and practice was severely limited. And, then an even bigger change ensued as my family needs took me to Florida for several months.
I was aware of the church’s quest to purchase a piano for the choir loft using money donated in remembrance of Gloria from a friend; in addition Gloria also left a bequest to Second Parish in her will. Over the winter Len and I talked and we decided to see if the piano in our home that I found through Gloria’s help, would be a good fit. Lo and behold it all worked out.
So as you sit in church and enjoy Mark’s magic on the keys I want you all to know that Gloria Trowbridge was very much a part of that piano finding its way to our church. I am sad that my friend is no longer with us but it pleases me more than words can say that through Gloria I was able to help fulfill a quest of Second Parish to have a piano in the choir loft.
I think that Gloria would be thrilled. I know I am!
Enjoy the music and cherish the memories. I plan to.
With love, Mariann O’Connor
Thank You Notes:
AIDS Walk 2010
Thanks to the generous people of Second Parish, my AIDS Walk Team, George Pittman and Friends, raised $2,300, exceeding our goal of $2,000! -Mark Slawson
Thank You
Thank you everyone at Second Parish for your thoughtful gift of the necklace and earrings. I have worn them several times already! I have enjoyed my years singing in the choir loft and have made many dear friends. I’m sure I will be back again periodically to sing and visit. Thank you again for your thoughtfulness. Fondly, Beth Morrell
Garden News
64 tomato plants doing well, potatoes and beans coming up, parsley and basil on the way. Our thanks to our landscaper Rich of Glades Landscaping for moving materials, and for his upcoming work trimming and cleaning up the property.
A
good neighbor, Townley Budde, gave us some beautiful planters with flowers for
our side door.
Thanks so much! Submitted by Sarah Phillips
A note from Sandi: Sarah bought the urns for the front of the church and planted them – Thank you Sarah!
News from our Cooperative Religious Education Program
We ended the Religious Education year with a wonderful Children’s/RE Sunday. We celebrated our children and teachers. And this year we also celebrated the Adult Religious Education program.
On behalf of the congregation – Thank you to all our teachers. Thank you to Julianna Dunn, Pam King, Anna Maude and Susan Weisenbeck for teaching with the Primary age children. Thank you to Suzette Droster, Baba Shetty, and Jane Shute for leading the kids in the Intermediate class. Thank you to Lissa King and Lizzie Mackey for babysitting and teaching the Nursery children. Thank you to the many, many people who volunteered to be helpers. Thank you to
Rev. Paul Sprecher for the Adult classes
It is such a joyful occasion to see what the children and adults learned in the course of the year. And they get the chance to teach us.
We got to learn from the nursery children that Dr. Seuss can teach us to use our imagination and that all people are different and that is good and okay. Already they are learning our first principle that Everyone is Important – The Inherent Worth and Dignity of Every Person. The Primary children taught us about our Seventh Principle to Take Care of the Earth or to Respect the Interdependent Web of which We are All a Part. The Intermediate kids taught us about the tools we need for our spiritual journey. They, the youth, and adults all were learning about our second, third, and forth principles: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning -- and more. Really, all our principles were explored this year through stories from around the world, Bible Stories, UU History, and direct experiences of transcendent and immanent wonder.
Next year will be great. We will be exploring the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and we will be doing Second Sunday Service projects (usually on the second Sunday). We will have a Large/Small Group style. Ages Nursery through grade 7 will gather together to worship and learn together and then break out into smaller groups. We will all meet upstairs. Nursery will be in the yellow room. Kindergarten through grade 7 will use the main room and middle size room to break out into small groups sometimes based on age, sometimes based on interest. The older youth will be doing Coming of Age here downstairs with Old Ship – time to be announced. Richard Bowker and Chip King will be COA Facilitators. Yay and Thanks!
We have a couple of repeat volunteer teachers for the upcoming year. But we do need more participation. If you would like to teach a Bible, UU, or Holiday session or lead a Service project please let us know.
Looking forward to learning together,
Rev. Kim Preveza
Minister of Religious Education
We recently received the following letter from Heidi Ford and her family, who moved to Iowa last December.
June 3, 2010
Dear Rev. Paul and members of Second Parish,
I have thought of you all so many times in these past months since we moved to Iowa. I hope this note finds you well.
On the last Sunday before we moved, I really wanted to get up during "joys and celebrations" and say something profound and meaningful about our leaving, but upon contemplation I realized I would cry hysterically if I attempted to say anything. So I sat quietly and tried to enjoy my last service in all its ordinariness. Leaving was hard. As I am a turtle in temperament, it's taken me awhile before being brave enough to stick my head out of my shell...
You truly are a special group of people. At the time we started coming to church, we had no idea of the bumps in our life that were about to come. Thinking back, I can only say thank you to everyone who offered words of encouragement, made phone calls and job referrals on Charlie's behalf, and just sat quietly with us on the occasions we needed it. Your support was critical in our being able to keep our chins up. It was nice to know there would be a chance to be with all of you every week, away from the craziness of every-day life. I love you all for your acceptance and tolerance of all the fidgeting and bumping as we sat in the back of church every Sunday. It made a huge amount of difference to us all, especially me. My only disappointment is that we were in Hingham for so long before finding you, and then we were off before we could really settle in and help in a significant way. I promise to you all that I will "pay it forward".
We are settling into life in Iowa. Generally, we do like it here except for missing our old friends and there being no ocean. People are friendly and the pace of life is much calmer than that back East. Charlie likes his job, the kids are adjusting, and as in Hingham, the school principal and I have become fast friends, what with all the phone calls he's had to make to me. We are still looking for a church. You all gave us big shoes to fill.
I know that Flower Communion Sunday is coming up soon. I am sending along a flower to add, with the thought that one does not have to be physically present to be in communion with others.
Keep us in your thoughts and prayers and we will do the same for you.
Heidi Ford
SECOND PARISH UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
685 Main Street, Hingham, MA 02043
Minister: Reverend Paul Sprecher, Email: minister@secondparish.org
Minister of Religious Education: Reverend Kim Preveza, Email: mre@secondparish.org
Paul: (781) 210-2016 – Home and Office
Church: (781) 749-1671 Email: secondparish@yahoo.com
Website: www.secondparish.org
Paul’s Office Hours: Mon. & Wed. 9:00 am-noon, Fri. 3:00 pm-6:00 pm
Church Office Hours: Mon., Tues., Thurs, 7:00 am-noon
Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m.
The newsletter is published monthly.
The deadline is the 3rd Monday of each month.
Next Newsletter Deadline: August 16, noon
Production Date: August 24, 10:00 am
Newsletter Team: Alice Brewer and Sandi Smith
Editors: Lou Belknap and Susan Weisenbeck
Edition: Summer, 2010
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