Sunday Services 10 a.m.

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1 April 16, 2008 Vol. VI Issue 16 Sunday Services 10 a.m. April 20: Enslaved As the Jewish community celebrates the Passover holiday, remembering the story of the Israelites liberation from slavery, we will contemplate the ways that we are enslaved in our own lives, and also confront the reality that slavery is still very much of our global economic system in the 21 st century. April 27: In Our Hands Before our minister goes on a five-week sabbatical (to return to the pulpit on June 8 th ), she will have a few words about the symbolism of the human hand and what is literally and spiritually in our hands. May 5: Misty-Dawn Shelly, Student Minister Release, Receive, and Return The threefold path of the labyrinth walk: walking in, center, and walking out, is a spiritual practice that originated for those who could not take the actual journey to the Holy Land. The symbolic journey fulfilled the seeker s religious commitment of pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Walking the labyrinth and being your student minister have similarities. Let us explore together this spiritual practice, among others and reflect on our time together as we take with us whatever this experience has held. Ushers, pulpit arrangements and Coffee Hour hosts are needed! Volunteer today by calling the church office , or by signing up at Coffee Hour! TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! The Fogg Ad Hoc Committee wants to hear from you. We have scheduled an open meeting for Sunday, April 20th at 11:15 AM in the Skylight Room. Please come and join us in the conversation after our worship service.

2 The Spire April 16, 2008 p. 2 FIRST PARISH CHURCH of Norwell, Massachusetts 24 River Street P.O. Box 152 Norwell, MA Office Hours: 9-Noon, M&F 9-1, T,W, Th PHONE: FAX: office@firstparishnorwell.org HOME PAGE: Minister: In an emergency, call the Parsonage: Director of Religious Education: Stuart Twite, drestuart@aol.com Director of Youth Programming Jennifer Anderson saccharine.half@gmail.com Music Director: Gingy Grimes Parish Committee: John Meddaugh, Chair (Home) Committee Members: Melody Barlow, David Dube, Cathy Phillips, Jim Pickel, Derek Sulc and Sally Turner Treasurer: Marta Reese Collector: Jeannette Mitchell Minister Emeritus: Rev. Richard M. Fewkes The deadline for the next issue of THE SPIRE is Sunday, April 27 th. Submissions may be ed as an attachment to: office@firstparishnorwell.org, or dropped off in hard copy or disk at the church office. In the Spirit As anyone with control issues knows, it s hard to let go of responsibility and even harder to delegate! I find myself a very fussy mother hen lately as I prepare for a five week sabbatical from April 28- June 2, falling prey to the egotistical fantasy that the health and wellbeing of our congregation is more my business than it is anyone else s. And so I admonish myself frequently lately to let go, to stop trying to anticipate the detail of every need that might arise, and to trust and appreciate the strength of our congregation s staff, leaders and members as I prepare to apply myself to my studies during the month of May. I know the time will fly by in a blink, and upon my return more than half of the community will say, She was gone for five weeks? Q: How long will you be gone? A: I will be on sabbatical from April 28 June 2, This is the first part of my six-month sabbatical, the remainder of which will be taken in Q: What will you be doing? A: I will be taking an intensive class at Andover-Newton on congregational discernment, having my doctoral candidacy review, and attending the Festival of Homiletics in Minneapolis at the end of May. Q: Who should I call if I need a minister? A: Please call the church office if you have general questions about the church. They may refer you to a member of our Parish Committee or to a committee chair who can give you information about programming. Stuart Twite, our Director of Religious Education, is Religious Leader In Charge during my absence, and he is responsible for worship services while I am away, as well as being happy to talk with you about other matters regarding our church, our tradition, or religious education. Judy Bond is the chair of our Pastoral Caregivers Team. Please call Judy if you have news of illness, accident or loss in our congregation. She and her team have been trained in pastoral care and can arrange for hospital visits, meals, rides and other kinds of pastoral support. Please keep in touch with Judy at Judybee63@comcast.net or call her at We have been working very hard to prepare the Pastoral Caregivers Team and they are ready and even excited to be the center of pastoral news and information in my absence.

3 The Spire April 16, 2008 p. 3 (In the Spirit, continued) Q: Won t Misty-Dawn still be here? A: Misty-Dawn has been a wonderful student minister and a joy and inspiration to work with. She has made a very positive contribution to our church in her short time with us, and her Field Education term ends as of May 5. I will miss her, too, and know what we all wish her well as she continues her journey to the ordained ministry. We will be bidding Misty a fond farewell after our service on April 27 th. Q: What if there s a death in the congregation? A: If a member of our congregation passes away during my sabbatical, I will be notified and the family and I will decide what to do. If a friend or family member dies and you would like to host a funeral or memorial at First Parish, please let Stuart know and he will refer you to one of my clergy colleagues who will be offering such services in my stead. Q: Can I call or Vicki with nonchurch items? A: I will miss you. Please understand that whenever I am in touch with one of my parishioners, I am always your minister. There is no such thing as a non-church contact with any of you. If we run into each other at the gym, the grocery store or the movies, by all means come say hello and give me a hug! Q: Can I help support the church in some special way during sabbatical? A: Yes. Come to worship services, offer to help usher, greet visitors, listen carefully to the Joys and Concerns and support one another. When in doubt, refer to our covenant and live by it. That s the best way to support the church in any season. CARING CORNER Our condolences to Dan Phillips and his family on the death of his mother, Claire. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Jack Christensen after a recent injury to his hand. Congratulations to parishioner Paul Vercollone, who was presented the Lela Ray Presidents Award for Outstanding Community Service at the South Shore Community Action Council s 14 th annual Local Heroes Award Night on March 26 th. Paul has supported many local projects, in particular the Marshfield Boys and Girls Club. Well done, Paul! ALLIANCE ANNUAL BUFFET LUNCHEON AND ANNUAL MEETING Wednesday, May 7 12 noon Delicious casseroles, salads and yummy dessert Members and friends, please come! In faith, hope, love, and gratitude, Vicki

4 The Spire April 16, 2008 p. 4 Environmental Justice Sunday a Great Success Thanks to many participants and much support, our Environmental Sunday was a great success! More than a dozen people indicated interest in the Green Sanctuary program that will be your Service Committee s yearlong focus next year. Contact Elizabeth Robinson: eerob2001@yahoo.com, for further information and to become involved. Kate Sanborn (kmsanborn@verizon.net, ) received many orders for metal water bottles to replace using plastic and non-recyclable bottles. She will continue to offer the bottles for sale over the next two Sundays. 15% of the purchase price will come back to First Parish to support environmental issues. Sustainable South Shore ( will receive a $1000 donation thanks to the generosity of the congregation and rounding up from the Service Committee. The 7 th and 8 th grade church school class collected many, many plastic bags that will be recycled. Thanks to them and their teacher, Cathy Phillips, for coordinating this project. Linda Kakulski shared much valuable information and resources during coffee hour with her multi-board display and library of books. Look for her again at the 5 th annual Earth Day Sustainable Living Festival to be held Saturday, April 19, 10:00a to 2:00p, at Mary Jeanette Murray Bathouse, Hull, MA. WORSHIP WORKSHOP Saturday, April 19 at 10-11:30 a.m. in the Meetinghouse Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes on Sunday morning during the worship services? Would you like to gain confidence in the pulpit as a lay preacher, reader or liturgist, and to understand how our Order of Service flows (and why it is arranged in that particular order)? Would you like to be part of a strong tradition of lay worship leadership at First Parish, especially in preparation for Rev. Vicki s sabbatical? Come to this workshop, adapted from her popular seminary workshop Moving Through the Liturgy, and learn. We d truly love to have you. ircle Dinner The next Circle Dinner will be Saturday, May 3. For those who might be relatively new to our congregation, this is a potluck dinner that is held in a number of homes on one evening. A number of people volunteer to host, and are assigned a group of people to attend. Each person brings one food item, e.g. dessert, for the group. The host provides beverages. It's relaxing and fun, and a great way to get to know people outside of the rush of coffee hour! Please contact Mary Mercier at church, or by telephone ( ) or (mary.e.mercier@verizon.net) if you would like to attend. Let me know if you are willing to host, or would simply like to attend. See you at The Annual Family Disco Bowling Night, Saturday, April 19 th at the timeless Satuit Bowlaway (1 Cole Parkway) in beautiful Scituate Harbor. Please contact Les Taylor at , asap, to make your reservation!l

5 The Spire April 16, 2008 p. 5 James Library & Center for the Arts Ready for Spring? Treat yourself to Books in Bloom returning on May 16/17. Our popular bi-annual benefit features colorful floral displays each depicting a different book. There will be jazz by Alex Gordon, raffle baskets including a beautiful rug from Company C (a new store at the Derby Shoppes) and more. Who will win this year s people s choice award? Come vote for your favorite display. If you are interested in creating an arrangement depicting your favorite book, please give the library a call at We are looking for a few more exhibitors. Tickets for the Friday benefit party are $20 in advance/$25 at the door. Tickets for Saturday are $5 at the door. Community Sponsorship by Jackson Realty, Cavanaro Consulting and Whole Foods Market. SPRING MARKET UPDATE: THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS! The Activities Committee thanks those fine folks who have volunteered to help out at the Spring Market: Kate Sanborn - organizing the rented tables Mary Mercier - snack bar Mary Lou Sutter - raffle Peg Kitchenham - money Phyllis Buell - anyway she can! We still need one or several volunteers for publicity! And many to work the day of the Market! Anyone interested in running a plant table? Anyone interested in doing Children's Activities-face painting, games, an art project or whatever? Contact Bev Gardner at or bevgardner@yahoo.com Lyceum Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. Free Pattie Hainer presents a fascinating talk about a little known narrative by Britton Hammon, an enslaved man who worked for the Winslow family of Marshfield. New Books in the Library Staff picks this month include Forward from Here by Reeve Lindburgh How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman Sundays in America by Suzanne Stempek Shea 2009 Canvass Please be sure to send in your pledge cards as soon as possible! Questions about any of our events? Send an to jameslibrary@verizon.net

6 Religious Education at First Parish From the DRE, Our theme in Religious Education this year has been Go Up Higher: Living Your Unitarian Universalist Faith and in our bi-weekly Bible Study the Sunday before last, a discussion arose specifically about this issue. How does your involvement and attendance at First Parish impact your daily life? When you are called upon to make ethical decisions big or small, does your UU faith have an impact on what you decide? The discussion was fascinating and included many of the age-old elements of what Church is and what it can or should be. For James, the head of the Jerusalem Church and the writer of the letter we are examining, action, and especially action in community is where, as I have said before, the religious rubber hits the road. What is a religious life? And what is the role of the Church in the life of the individual and in the world? We will continue to explore these and all the great questions of life at First Parish Church and we welcome your voice. Blessings, stuart *********************************************************************** IT TAKES A PARISH! Many thanks to those among you who signed up to teach a week in our church school. If you did not get a chance to sign up, members of the Religious Education Committee will pass among you again during the next few Sundays. You can also call or me (stuart) if you would like to join in this noble work. Find a partner (if you desire), pick a date and a grade level, give me a call or , and we will be off and running! Dates and Grades available in April and May: April 27 th -One Upper grade May 4 th : One Upper Grade May 11 th : Two Lower Grades Two Upper Grades

7 ********************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************* Adult Learning Programs! A Panorama of Life Our First Parish Bible Study discusses the lasting questions of religious and spiritual life every first and third Sunday Morning at 9am in the Fogg Parlor Refreshments are provided. James Library Lyceum Friday, April the 18th_ Pattie Hainer Presents: Britton Hammon: The Life and Narrative of a Marshfield Slave Programs Take Place in the James Library at 7:30 pm and are Free and Open to All The First Parish Book Group Discusses: The Whistling Season by Ivan doig This wonderful novel about one-room schools and the joys and pains of community is not to be missed! Wednesday, May 7th at 7:00pm in the Fogg Parlor

8 FIRST PARISH UNITARIAN 24 River Street P.O. Box 152 Norwell, Massachusetts THE SPIRE April is National Poetry Month! Join us on Wednesday Evening, April the 23 rd for First Parish Poetry Night. Bring your own poetry, your favorites, or just come and listen. 7 p.m. in the Fogg Parlor Refreshments will be served Elder Luncheon Friday, April 25 th 11 a.m. 1 p.m. hosted by the Pastoral Caregivers Team Special Guest: Libet Callahan Information from Right at Home: In Home Care & Assistance This will be an opportunity for sharing fellowship, food and fruitful conversation! If you plan to attend, please speak with Misty-Dawn Shelly, our student minister, at Coffee Hour