The Sloop's Log
July 2017
Newsletter of
the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Scituate
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Our Vision
We aspire to be a beacon of liberal faith, strong community and transformative service, rooted in love.
Our Mission
Liberal Faith: We commit to participate side-by-side across generations in worship, religious education, social activities, environmental protection,
and social justice work—learning, sharing, and growing together.
Strong Community: We commit to care for one another, nurture the light that shines within each of us, and support each other’s individual search for truth and meaning.
Transformative Service: We commit to pursue diversity, justice, equality, reason, and discourse;
provide inspiration through music, creativity, and the arts;
and work cooperatively to affect positive change in our community and beyond.
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Summer Worship Celebrations
Join us Wednesday evenings in July and August at 6:30 pm for worship for all ages, followed by refreshments and conversation. A social time with substantial finger-food will follow the service.
The theme of the summer worship is “Finding Meaning in…”
Finding Meaning In…
Wednesday July 5 Patriotism – Pamela Barz & Elizabeth Dubuisson
Wednesday July 12 Cooking – Anna da Silva
Wednesday July 19 Watching the Birds – Jenn Mackey & Mark Matthews
Wednesday July 26 Fantasy - Michael Feeney & Mark Matthews
July's offering will go to Wellspring in Hull.
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From the Minister
In a recent interview on NPR, Shadi Hamid, the author of
Islamic Exceptionalism, reflected on the importance of faith to people in the Middle East, and then went on to reflect on the importance of faith, of a way to find meaning, for people everywhere. He said:
So I think as human beings, what we basically want is meaning. And because - for those of us who
have lost religion, especially in the West becoming more secularized, there is this gap where religion
used to be. And what's filling it in the case of the U.S. is white nativism or ethno-nationalism. And we
see the rise of far-right populist parties in Europe. In the Middle East, it just happens that people find
that meaning in religion. In the U.S., people are searching. And I think that's why we have what really
feel like existential divides for the first time in my life as an American, where we don't agree on the
idea of America because we have a different sense of what's meaningful. So when religion ceases
to kind of play this binding role of bringing people together in local communities, that doesn't mean
people are going to give up the search for meaning. They're just going to find it in other places.
Sometimes we take for granted the freedom our Unitarian Universalist tradition gives us to find meaning. It doesn’t limit our source to one book or scripture; it doesn’t limit the setting to particular building; it doesn’t limit our action to a certain ritual or way of offering charity. Our tradition offers us the freedom and the responsibility to seek meaning wherever and whenever it may come to us and to live out of that meaning in the way that seems appropriate to our lives and our context. And if our understanding changes, we don’t have to discard our faith tradition; we only have to seek new metaphors, new stories, different ways of being.
Because we are used to this freedom, we can forget that many people even in Scituate have not experienced religion in that way. How can we offer opportunities to discover meaning to them? How can we deepen our understandings and live out of them in new ways?
These are the questions we’ll be discussing at our “All-Church Goal Setting” retreat on August 9 at the
First Parish in Cohasset. I hope that you can come and share your thoughts then – or send them to me, Ann Svensen, or Alma Morrison if you can’t participate.
See you in church,
Pamela
Minister’s Summer Schedule
Pamela Barz will be on vacation July 7-11 and July 20-26, and on study-leave August 1-13. She will be available in case of emergency during the study-leave. While she is on vacation,
the Rev. Ms. Stephanie Shute Kelsch, minister of the Second Parish in Hingham, will be available for pastoral care.
Stephanie can be reached at: 781-749-7177(cell) or
skskhing4@comcast.net
. In addition, our Caring Coordinators, Julianna Dunn and Tracey Timmons are available with support for food and visits.
To schedule appointments at other times during the summer, contact Pam at
pamela.merrill.barz@gmail.com or 781-412-4233.
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Church Matters
Goal-Setting Retreat: August 9th at 6:30 pm - Save the Date!
Come one come all to the Cohasset Parish Hall, 23 N. Main Street, Cohasset, MA, on Wednesday August 9th at 6:30 pm. There, we'll be setting First Parish's goals for next year and beyond based on our new vision and mission statements. Why in Cohasset? Because sometimes you need to step out of your own soup to improve the recipe! This retreat will be be in place of our our usual weekly summer service. Childcare and dinner will be provided. - Ann Svensen and Alma Morrison
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Notes from Beth Dubuisson
Thank you to Peter Mundt and Zack Nidositko for leading the music on June 25th.
I will be attending the UUMusician’s Network conference in Arlington Virginia July 26th -30th. UU music directors, organists, song leaders from around the country and across the globe gather to sing, learn, and worship together. It is great fun sight singing along with all the other musicians. We “read” through a lot of new choral music, so I will get a good idea of what new music to order for our choir.
There will be workshops on all sorts of things. I’m taking one on conducting a choir from the keyboard, and another called “No enemies: Strength through song” how singing together is a successful tool of social movements. I’ll also find out more how to lead a “Music Sunday”and what “works” work.
One workshop is “Time management for church musicians” . Maybe I’ll get more organized after 11 years! The final Sunday we will all gather and sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
I will lead the music at our Summer church services on Wednesdays July 5th, August 16th and 23rd. Hope to see you then!
-Beth Dubuisson
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The UUA Has a New President!
At the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in June, delegates from the member congregations elected the Rev. Ms. Susan Frederick-Gray as the 9th president of our Association of congregations. Ms. Frederick-Gray comes to that office after having served as the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix, Arizona, since 2008. You may read more about her candidacy and the election at: http://www.uuworld.org/articles/susan-frederick-gray-elected-president?utm_medium=uua.org&utm_source=story1&utm_campaign=homepage
Church Office Hours
The Church Office will be open Thursday, July 6 and Wednesdays July 12 and 19, and August 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm. The answering machine and email will be checked regularly.
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Opportunities for Spiritual Deepening
Come to Community Office Hours with the Minister
Thursday July 13, 9 - 10 a.m. and Thursday August 17, 9 - 10 a.m.
at the Lucky Finn Café in the Harbor
Stop by to talk about what’s going on in your life and in the world.
Bring a friend who might like to share in the conversation.
Baldwin Book Discussion at the Library
Baldwin's collection of short stories "Going to Meet the Man" will serve as a starting point to address issues of race, privilege, and community in the book discussion on July 11 at 6:30 p.m. which First Parish is sponsoring. It builds on our "Issues of our Times" discussions but is open to the whole town and
will take place in the new book group room at the library. New ideas in a new space with new people! Please come and invite your neighbors and friends. Pamela Barz and John Scopelleti will lead the discussion. John Scopelleti lives in Scituate, teaches English at the South Shore Vocational Technical High School and is also an author and a commentator for WBUR’s Cognoscenti. John has extra copies of the book – you may arrange to get one by emailing him (
jscopelleti@ssvotech.org) or by requesting a copy through the OCLN system. It is not necessary to read the whole book.
Gatherings for Craft and Conversation
Fididdlers
The Fididdlers continue to meet in the summer. Drop in at the church any Wednesday between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to participate in crafting, canning, and conversation.
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Opportunities for Ministry
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Calling All Gardeners - help us "Spruce" up our Gardens and Grounds!
This Mockorange at the SE corner of the building, lovely when in bloom, is otherwise kind of weedy looking.... Should it stay or should it go?!!!
Please join us this Thursday, 6/29/2017 at 7:00 pm for a planning meeting for the Gardens and Grounds at First Parish.
We'll walk the grounds, take some notes, and prioritize projects. From keeping the containers on the front steps looking fresh, to removing dead or dying trees and shrubs, to solving the runoff problem at the Memorial Garden, and everything in between, there's lots to do! We'll form task forces for a few specific projects and try to complete them before the end of the summer.
If you can't make the meeting but have suggestions or would like to volunteer to help with a specific project, please let me know by email.
Hope to see many of you on Thursday! -Jean Shildneck jean_shildneck@comcast.net
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Around the Parish
Good wishes to Hancie Stokes who was graduated by American University with a concentration in Anthropology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Hancie is remaining in Washington, D.C…. We extend our sympathy to Lauri Klein on the death of her mother… Donna Cogliano is out of the hospital and regaining strength at Royal Rehab Center in Norwell… Congratulations and thank you to our Coming of Age youth Max da Silva, Moira Feeney, Liam Glennon, Marina Glennon, and Robbie Murdock who presented their wise and moving credo statements on June 11 and 18.
Thank UUs: to the mentors of our Coming of Age youth: Ray des Roches, Kim Dickinson, Alma Morrison, Lee Munson, and Hal Stokes… to our off-site General Assembly delegates Julianna Dunn, Sheri Nidositko, and Jean Shildneck.
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Emelia Dziedzic
Fiona Amelang
Dawn Brindley-Howe
Ellie Dziedzic
Janie Versoy
Hancie Stokes
Julianne Ryan
Win Lawson
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July 2
July 6
July 7
July 9
July 17
July 22
July 24
July 30
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Wed. 5th
10:30 am Fididdlers
6:30 pm Worship
Tues. 11th
6:30 pm Baldwin Book Discussion at
Scituate Town Library
Wed. 12th
10:30 am Fididdlers
6:30 pm Worship
Thurs. 13th
9:00 am Minister's Office Hours
(Lucky Finn Cafe)
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Tues. 18th
7:00 pm Exploring the Old Testament
Wed. 19th
10:30 am Fididdlers
6:30 pm Worship
Wed. 26th
10:30 am Fididdlers
6:30 pm Worship
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