December 8, 2021
Annual Ministry Theme: Unity

December Ministry Theme: Spaciousness

Space permeates everything, every moment of our lives.
-Pema Chödron
SUNDAY WORSHIP
December 12, 2021
Annual Christmas Pageant
10:30am on Zoom only
 
This year's Christmas Pageant will be held as a live Zoom Webinar again so that participants of ALL ages can safely participate! 

We hope you'll join us for this special intergenerational service, as we playfully retell the nativity story and share new videos of our choir and youth singing cherished carols and hymns. The service will also include a video of all of YOU from two years ago singing the FRS version of the "Twelve Days of Christmas" led by Tim Fountain!

After the service, you are invited to join us for "Coffee and Cocoa Hour on Zoom," hosted by Mara Flynn, Director of Children's Ministry. This intergenerational virtual coffee hour is a chance for everyone to connect after the pageant! ​

Passcode: BabyJ

Or One tap mobile: 
US: +16465588656,,88991364952#,,,,*860159# or +13017158592,,88991364952#,,,,*860159# 

Or Telephone:
Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 646 558 8656 or
+1 301 715 8592 or
+1 312 626 6799 or
+1 669 900 9128 or
+1 253 215 8782 or
+1 346 248 7799 
Webinar ID: 889 9136 4952
   

 Coffee and Cocoa Hour on Zoom Following the Service:

Meeting ID: 948 7113 2938
Passcode: 896559
One tap mobile:
+19292056099,,94871132938# US (New York)
+13017158592,,94871132938# US (Washington DC)
Holiday Worship Services and Opportunities to Connect
Click on the button below to learn more about our December services and events.
Congregational Candles for Christmas Eve Services

If you are planning to attend Christmas Eve service on YouTube, please stop by the church office between 9am-1pm, beginning Monday, December 13 through Christmas Eve, to pick up your congregational candle and drip protector.

Email Diane Carroll at diane.carroll@frsuu.org or call 978-465-0602, ext. 401 if you have any questions or to make other arrangements to pick up your candle.

New Member Sunday
January 9, 2022

We will be recognizing new members and renewing our commitment to one another on New Member Sunday, January 9, 2022. It would be a joy to count you among our newest groups of members.

For more information contact Cynthia Walsh at:

The Daily Muse: Now Available!
Don't ask what the world needs.
Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it.
What the world needs is people who have come alive.
--Howard Thurman 

This might be precisely the message you need on March 14. Or on April 12, how about:

Normal is nothing more than a cycle
on a washing machine.
--Whoopi Goldberg
 
The Daily Muse is a collection of 365 inspirational quotes—one for each day of the year—packaged as a standing flip-book for easy display.
 
Quotes were solicited from the congregation, resulting in a strong mix of quotes representing a diversity of people: Elie Wiesel, Sonia Sotomayor, Anaïs Nin, Greta Thunberg, James Baldwin, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ella Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, Fred Rogers, and many more.
 
There is nothing like returning to a place
that remains unchanged to find the ways
in which you yourself have altered.
--Nelson Mandela (May 25)
 
The Daily Muse booklets, which make excellent holiday gifts and stocking stuffers, are currently available for $20 each. Plan to pick one up after church on December 19, or order one here: https://bit.ly/TheDailyMuse.
CHURCH NEWS
Update and Invitation from Reverend Rebecca

This past Monday, a special message from Reverend Rebecca was emailed to the congregation with an update on pandemic safety protocols and a special invitation.

If you missed the message, you can read it here: https://conta.cc/3xUqh8B
Update from FRS Afghan Refugee Working Group

The Afghan Refugee Working group wants to thank our beloved community for their incredible generosity and support for our neighbors at St. Paul's. We were able to send requested items to them and also to fulfill their request for new underwear and socks on top of what was donated. We also sent coats, blankets, and winter clothing to IINE and put aside spring clothing to donate in the appropriate season. Even with all that, we were able to send some items up to Leeward Light to support their charitable efforts in our community.

Thank you to everyone who helped out. We will keep you informed as we learn about other ways we can help St. Paul's and the Afghan families they are housing. 

Photo above: FRS' Afghan Refugee Working Group sorted through donations last Sunday after Worship Service.
Ways to Connect With Others
Holiday Lift Program: Co-creating Joy

Many of us could use a lift this holiday season, so we invite you to participate in a program designed to spread a little joy. 

How will it work? First, indicate your interest in participating by December 15 by signing up here: https://bit.ly/frsuuholidaylift.

You will be randomly assigned another participant for whom you will leave a small token of joy. Be creative! It could be a baked good, a photograph or piece of art you've created, a copy of a favorite poem, a book that you find especially meaningful, even found objects from nature. Please do not purchase anything extravagant. Let the gift be an expression of you!

You, in return, will be the recipient of someone else's joyful giving. All exchanges will ideally be in December—but after the holidays is a fine time, too! We can help transport if necessary. 

Questions? Contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration at julie.amery@frsuu.org.
Retired Old Men Eating Out (ROMEO)
When: Tuesday, December 14 at 11:30am, Poet's Inn at Whittier Tech, 115 Amesbury Line Road, Haverhill

The Christmas meeting of ROMEO will be held at The Poet's Inn at Whittier Tech. The venue was chosen unanimously by those present at the November meeting after an invitation from the Inn manager. A full Christmas dinner will be served and the cost is $13.95 per person.

Reservations are required. Please contact Les Ferlazzo at sealore@live.com or 617-429-2087 to reserve your spot.

“Take no salt, nor cut your bread with your knife greasy”
-George Washington, Rules of Civility #92.
Climate Action Project
When: Tuesday, December 14 at 7pm, in-person and on Zoom

An informed citizenry insistent on urgent government action to slow climate change! In response to this need the FRS Climate Action Project plans to:

  • Think globally, work locally, act personally.
  • Raise awareness within FRS and the local community on the urgent need for climate action by organizing a series of events, discussions, and communications on key climate change topics.
  • Grow the reach and effectiveness of our small group by attracting more FRS members and friends to join with us in this cause, and by collaborating with other like-minded local organizations and agencies of government.
  • Publicize concrete actions by which concerned citizens can combat climate change in their personal lives, through government channels, and/or by participating with advocacy groups.

For more information, contact Karen Kuhlthau at karenkuhlthau@gmail.com.

Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 924 4420 2910
Passcode: 309226
Dial by your location: +1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Exploring Elderhood Together
When: Thursday, December 16 at 1pm on Zoom

Geriatricians: Medical Specialists for Healthy Aging

The typical older adult of the 21st century is vastly different from their ancestors. One remarkable difference is that we are living longer -- decades longer than our grandparents. As today's elders, we have the potential to enjoy many engaging and productive years in later life. We also have the potential to develop health issues which can limit quality of life and shorten our lifespan. 

Our presenter, Dr. Michael Sandberg, was board-certified in geriatrics in 1990. He practiced as a geriatrician for 25 years and served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Tufts Medical School, where he taught geriatric medicine in the Tufts Family Practice Residency until his retirement. Michael is a member of FRS.  

Michael's approach to care of elders has always been wholistic and focused on the medical, cognitive, mental health, functional, and social changes related to aging.

Join us for this informative program and bring your questions: What's normal aging? What can I do to maintain or improve my overall health and quality of life? How can I reduce the risk of injuries? How can I be a more active participant in my healthcare? How do I plan for my medical future?

This is a live presentation via Zoom (link below) with time for questions and discussion.
 
No registration is required. 

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 966 8876 5086
Passcode: 517079

Exploring Elderhood Together brings people over 60 together to reflect on topics related to what it means to grow older in the 2020s and, through sharing from our own lived experiences, build a greater sense of belonging within our community. 
FRS IN THE COMMUNITY
Second Annual William Lloyd Garrison Lecture
When: Friday, December 10 at 7pm at the Old South Church

Newburyport celebrates William Lloyd Garrison's legacy on his birthday! December 10th is also Universal Human Rights Day!

Click on the link for more information: lecture.porthistory.com
Holiday Gift Programs: Fulfilling Family Wishes

Each year the Community Human Services Committee supports two programs during the holiday season: Family to Family led by Newburyport Youth Services and YMCA of Greater Newburyport, and Emmaus House in Haverhill. We hope you will consider supporting these programs again this year.

The Family to Family program has 100 more families in need this year than last year. We are asking you to consider being an elf to help support this effort. To learn more about how you can participate, go to https://newburyportyouthservices.com.

The Emmaus House program is asking for help in providing holiday gifts for the families residing in their shelters. This year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Emmaus has created a registry at Target. All the family wish items are listed on the registry. Items can be purchased and then sent directly to Emmaus.

To view the registry and participate, click here!

Email the following contacts for questions:


Holiday Messages for the Incarcerated

There are more than 1400 Unitarian Universalists who are currently incarcerated. 
Before COVID we sent actual Christmas cards. Now the Church of the Larger Fellowship (CLF) is asking us to send holiday messages on paper templates that they provide for us.

Would you be willing to spread cheer and let them know that someone on the outside is wishing them well?

For more information, including a sign-up sheet for messages, click on this link:
December 10th is Human Rights Day!
Click here to read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


Thank Our UUs

If you would like to thank another parishioner, please email cynthia.walsh@frsuu.org.

Once a month we will publish a list of thanks to all who help to make our day a little brighter and our community stronger!
Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Ministerial InternDavid Livingstone; Affiliate MinisterStan Barrett; Affiliate MinisterHelen Murgida; Minister EmeritusThe Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church OperationsRob Authier; Office AdministratorDiane Carroll; Audio-Visual CoordinatorRob Close; Director of Children's MinistryMara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual ExplorationJulie Parker Amery; SextonDonny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Holly Cashman; Vice Chair–Tina Benik; Finance Chair–Tim Fountain; Governance ChairJuliana Beauvais; Endowment TreasurerKim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Micah Donahue; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Vern Ellis, Minnie Flanagan, Michelle Kimball, Lucy Litwin, Annie Maurer, Jim Supple, Renée Wolf Foster.
First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950
978-465-0602 | frsuu.org