The Spire

the electronic newsletter of

First Parish of Norwell,

Unitarian Universalist

In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use

January 24, 2024

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In This Issue

Sunday Worship

From the Minister

Spiritual Snack

Caring Corner

From the Director of Community Engagement

Church Calendar

Worship Volunteers

Climate Justice Movie

Stewardship for Us

FY25 Stewardship Drive

Congregational Conversation

Egg-Painting Workshop

Alliance Event

Talent Show

Knitting Project

Winter Weather

RE Help Needed

Circle Dinners

Monthly Poetry Group

Yoga

January Events

February Events

Ongoing/Recurring Events

Multiplatform Services on

Sundays at 10 am

Rev. Susan Chorley preaching

unless indicated otherwise

Sunday, January 28: "Energy Realities" - led by Eco-Nuclear Solutions

nted by Eco-Nuclear Solutions, a group founded after today’s speaker, David Butz, presented his talk “Energy Realities” to the environmental group at First Church Unitarian, Littleton, MA. We have expanded beyond our congregation to become a local nonpartisan group of scientists, engineers, educators, and environmentalists who educate and advocate for nuclear energy.

There will be a discussion group following the service in the Fogg Parlor

click here to join on Zoom on January 28

Meeting ID: 863 9628 2968

Passcode: Justice

Dial by your location

+1 309 205 3325

Meeting ID: 863 9628 2968

The Soul Matters Theme for February is Justice and Equity

Sunday; February 4: Abundant Justice

Sunday, February 11: Guest Minister Rev. Alex Kapitan from The Transforming Hearts Collective

Sunday, February 18: Practicing Together

Sunday, February 25: Multigenerational Worship

click here to join any Sunday in February

Meeting ID: 863 9628 2968

Passcode: Justice

Dial by your location

+1 309 205 3325

Meeting ID: 863 9628 2968

Please send your joys and concerns to Rev. Susan by 8:30 am on Sundays. be sure to tell her if your news can be shared with the congregation or if it should be kept private. The 4th Sunday of each month will include am "open mic" component to Joys and Concerns.

From the Minister

Dear Ones,

Part of my self-care journey over the last month has been learning more about Zen Buddhism and the practices of Zen Buddhist meditation. I have been taking a 6-week class on Zoom with Rev. Florence Caplow, a UU minister and Zen Buddhist Priestess. I find myself looking forward to the session each week – as it helps me to settle in and slow down.

I have also been listening to a wide variety of guided meditations on Spotify in my morning quiet time or on my walks in the woods. I find that these also help me to slow down, clear my mind, breathe a bit deeper and try to remember all that is good in life. They also provide insight which sustains and inspires me.

This morning the individual who was leading the guided meditation invited all listeners to soften your eyes, your jaw, your shoulders – all things I am used to hearing. And then he said, “and now, soften your heart.” When I heard that invitation, I was reminded of the importance of softening our hearts in times of struggle or challenge.

When we soften, we build more connections. When we soften, we allow others into our vulnerable spots. With softened hearts we can let go of how we thought things would go – and acknowledge how things are. All of this practice is a gift, a learning and an invitation for loving ourselves, loving the world and loving the other.

With gratitude for this community of soft hearted souls,

Rev. Susan

Spiritual Snack

“When we love a person, we accept him or her exactly as is: the lovely with the unlovely, the strong with the fearful, the true mixed in with the façade, and of course, the only way we can do it is by accepting ourselves that way."

~Fred Rogers

Caring Corner

Sending love and care to Joanne and Deane Howard. Deane is undergoing chemotherapy at Dana Farber in Weymouth and Joanne has been recently diagnosed with ALS and beginning treatment with the medical team at MGH.

We continue in sending good thoughts for healing to Prue Miller who is at South Shore Hospital.

From the Director of Community Engagement

Please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for printable posters for both January and February events.

Hello, FPN Family!

Has the recent weather got you feeling ice-olated? (Apologies, that was pretty bad.) First Parish of Norwell has plenty of opportunities to connect with your community coming up. Join us for a Potluck meal and Trivia Night this Saturday, January 27 from 5-7 pm – this will be fun for the whole family and a great chance to socialize and show off your smarts. Sign up to host or attend a Circle Dinner so you can share a meal and great conversation with friends. Plan to attend the Pancake Dinner on Tuesday, February 13 – come for the food at 5 pm, come for a presentation by author Caroline Kautsire on racial identity in America at 6 pm, or come for both! Sign up to give blood or assist donors at the Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, February 27 from 1-6 pm. And prepare your act now (or just plan to attend) the Talent Show on Saturday, March 9 at 6 pm. With so many chances to come together, we hope you can find something to fit your schedule and deepen your relationships in our community – because those connections are so important!

Our January study of Paganism taught us that it is almost time for Imbolc, the festival to welcome spring. It’s a time of anticipation, connection, and patience. It’s a time to prepare for the thaw and ready ourselves for the work of planting together. Let’s plant seeds of community together at First Parish of Norwell! I hope to see you there.

With love,

Amanda

Church Calendar

(Please hum the trumpet fanfare of your choice before reading the next paragraph.)

Our website now includes a calendar! We have been working on this since early October. There's a button to access the calendar at the bottom of this newsletter, in the Ongoing/Recurring Events Section. You can also access it here. It will also be linked in each Weekly Update. It defaults to a monthly view, with the current day's events in a column to the right. In the top right corner of the calendar, you can click to change it to a weekly or daily view. If you click on an individual event, a dialog box will pop up. The Zoom link will be included (if applicable), and if an event is happening off-site, a map will be hyperlinked.

Worship Associates Needed

Marie Miller and Rev. Susan are recruiting worship associates for the upcoming weeks. This is an opportunity to share in leading worship by doing the reading for the chalice lighting and sometimes another poem on the theme of worship for the day. Each of these readings is chosen by Rev. Susan and emailed to you the Friday before the Sunday you are leading.

The personal reflections are an optional and added component to our Sunday morning time and are a lovely way to share a bit about yourself, your connection with the congregation or to reflect on the theme for the month. The upcoming themes are February: Justice and Equity, March: Transformation; April: Interdependence. Rev. Susan sends worship associates information about her sermon themes to assist in crafting a reflection.

Reach out to Rev. Susan or Marie Miller for more information or to sign up.

Climate Justice Team Sponsors a Movie Night Out

We are pleased to support a local partner, Norwell Farms, in raising awareness around climate issues with a fundraiser that includes a screening of the 2023 documentary "Common Ground" at Reel Harbor Cinema in Scituate. This special screening will be Thursday, February 29 at 6:30 pm. The exclusive screening highlights the untold stories behind our food system and shows examples of how regenerative agriculture can help heal our planet. For more information and to purchase tickets please go to the Norwell Farms website: https://www.norwellfarms.org/2024-movie-night

Our Climate Justice Team (through funds from the Helen Fogg Outreach Committee) has made a donation to support the event, making it free for all students under 18. It’s a perfect night out for a family or for a special Leap Year date.

SAVE THE DATE!

Stewardship for Us Weekend Workshop April 5-7

The Parish Committee, with the help of generous supporters from within our congregation, has invited consultants from Stewardship for Us to conduct a "Next Steps" weekend workshop with First Parish on Friday-Sunday, April 5-7.

Stewardship for Us provides UU congregations (and other nonprofits) with expert advice around budgets, canvas campaigns, legacy giving, strategic planning, and stewardship, all customized to match the mission and vision of each unique community. The Parish Committee's goal in partnering with Stewardship for Us is to learn what has worked (and not worked) for congregations like ours and to get an outside perspective on our stewardship efforts and overall health and vitality of our congregation today and into our shared future. We are asking everyone to plan to participate in this conversation as we chart our path forward together. Additional details to come soon about the schedule for our weekend workshop. In the meantime, please mark your calendars for April 5-7 and check out https://stewardshipforus.com/ or speak with a member of your Parish Committee to learn more. (Parish Committee members: Derek Sulc, Elizabeth Robinson, Cathy Harder-Bernier, Gabe Millins, Bernie Perry, Tom Yardley, Dave Traggorth).

FY25 Stewardship Drive

It is that time of year again! The Finance Committee is making final preparations around the kick-off of the annual canvas drive. Your financial and time pledges committed during this time support the programs, people and places that make up First Parish of Norwell. Our theme this year is 'In Giving We Receive’ and we look forward to sharing our goals for the next fiscal year in February.

If you are new to the canvas process and the budget, or just need a refresher, please join Dave Traggorth, our Treasurer, on Monday, February 19 at 7:30 - 8:30 pm on Zoom for an intro into the budget process and an opportunity to ask questions and get some answers. A recording will be made available if your unable to make that time but would like to listen in. Email Dave Traggorth if you have any questions.

Finally, thanks to all of you who pledged for this fiscal year - your financial and time commitment has been critical to our momentum and growth in this year.

click here to join

Meeting ID: 815 7409 4338

Passcode: 805539

Congregational Conversation

Sunday, February 4 at 11:30 am

Our Shared Ministry Team invites all to join us in the Fogg Parlor on Sunday, February 4 at 11:30 for a community conversation using our Right Relations Covenant as a framework for feedback and discussion. This will be a chance to reflect more deeply numbers 3 and 4 in our Right Relations Covenant. #3 Listening and Speaking. We listen with respect and attention and speak with care. And #4 Serving our Church Community. We serve our church community with generosity and good humor, and we acknowledge the service of others. How are we doing this well? How can we improve?

All are welcome to come to share in discussion and offer feedback. (The Shared Ministry Team will offer this space every other month to create an open dialogue on how our community is doing in line with our values.) This session will be co- facilitated by J P Bourque and Mary Mercier.

Save the Date

On Saturday, March 2 we will be hosting a Psyanky Easter egg dying workshop at Norwell Public Library. There will be a morning (10 am-12 pm) and an afternoon session (1-3 pm) and we can accommodate up to 14 people each session. There is a $20 charge per person for supplies. People 12 and older are welcome. Register here, or email Hope in the Church Office.

If you are not familiar, Psyanky is a Ukranian tradition using wax and special dye to make unique designs with vibrant colors. Rev. Susan attended a workshop last year at The Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton, MA and recruited the teacher to come and lead workshops here.

The Alliance Presents...

Join us on Zoom on Wednesday, February 14 at 10 am for a talk by Caleb Estabrooks of Hanover. he will be speaking about the affect of wooden ship building on the local area and the early U.S. Recently discovered artifacts and stories, including images from the Barstow’s Two Oaks Shipyard in Hanover will be shared. Join us for this wonderful program. You may share the Zoom link below with friends you think might be interested!

click here to join

Meeting ID: 859 6099 4344

Passcode: 518098

Church

Talent Show

Join us on Saturday, March 9 at 6:00 pm. Mark your calendars! Get out your music! Tune up your sax! Put on your dancing shoes! For this years’ All Church Talent Show. We are looking for all kinds of talent to join the fun. Young people who would like to sing, dance, act, or play an instrument, let Marie Miller or Amanda Adams know. We’ll help you. Adults also should let us know what their act will be and about how long it runs.

Help Keep a Tiny Baby Warm

The First Parish Knitters are beginning a service project to knit or crochet hats for preemie and low birth weight babies. These small hats would work up quickly. Here's a simple knit pattern. Look for Sue Robinson on Sunday, January 28 during Coffee Hour. She will have printed copies of the patterm and answer any questions you might have. Even if you can't join the knitters on Tuesdays mornings at 10 am, you can still make a hat to keep a new baby warm.

Winter Weather Issues

As we move through the winter months, extreme weather may require us to reschedule or cancel events. We will post a message on our website, send an email via Constant Contact, and share on our Facebook page. You don't have to be a Facebook user to view these posts. Simply click on the link above, or on the blue and white "f" logo at the bottom of any Spire or Weekly Update. Power outages or lack of internet access may make it harder for us to be in contact with you. Please be cautious and use your best judgement!

Help Needed

WE STILL NEED ASSISTANTS IN EACH RE CLASS for upcoming weeks. Please get in on the fun and sign up here.

Circle Dinners

Circle dinners are potluck meals shared with a small group of FPN members and friends - hosted at your home or in the Parish Hall. They are a chance to socialize and build connections so that we can support one another. We'd like to organize some starting in February and throughout the year!

Would you like to host? Would you like to participate? Please fill out this Google form and Heather Comeau will contact you to follow up.

Monthly Lunchtime Interfaith Poetry Series

Rev. Susan will be leading an Interfaith Poetry Group on a monthly basis this year. On the second Thursday of each month from 12-1 pm we will learn about a unique world religion, as well as a poet who represents that religion. We will then read a poem by that poet and reflect on its meaning for us in this moment as well as its illustration of the religion we are centering. Join us for a lovely and unique way to learn together through the arts. Our next meetings are Thursday, February 8 and March 14 in the Fogg Parlor.

Red Cross Blood Drive:

Tuesday, February 27 from 1-6 pm

More information will be coming down the pipeline, but for now, here’s a link to sign up for an appointment. We hope people can take a late lunch break or come after work! Blood is desperately needed in the winter because people tend to need more but donate less in the holiday season. Thank you! We will also be looking for volunteers to greet donors and staff the snack table. If you can volunteer, please contact Amanda.

First Parish of Norwell Book Group

Please join us for any or all of our monthly book discussions. We meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm on Zoom.

Monday, February 19: "West with Giraffes” by Lynda Rutledge

Monday, March 18: “Rough Sleeper” by Tracy Kidder

click here to join

Meeting ID: 847 0898 5879

Passcode: Bookworms

Yoga

The Mental Health Action Team is sponsoring yoga classes on Thursdays at 7 pm in the Parish Hall. This is a relaxing, restorative class. The instructor, Susan Walsh, teaches for all levels and is skilled at offering options for injuries or other special needs. The class is $10 per week. Bring your yoga mat!