The Spire

the electronic newsletter of

First Parish of Norwell,

Unitarian Universalist

In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use

January 10, 2024

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In This Issue

Worship Services

From the Minister

Spiritual Snack

Caring Corner

From the Director of Community Engagement

Help Needed

Winter Weather Issues

Alliance Book Review

Date Change

Trivia Night

Lunchtime Poetry Series

Mental Health Grants

Circle Dinners

FPN Book Group

Night on Broadway

Red Cross Blood Drive

Ongoing/Recurring Events

Multiplatform Services on

Sundays at 10 am

Rev. Susan Chorley preaching

unless indicated otherwise

The Soul Matters theme for January is Liberating Love

Sunday, January 14: "Love in Action"

Exploring the ways that MLK invited people into an ethic of love - and it wasn't just about feeling or embodying love - but rather, putting love into action.

Sunday, January 21: "Search for Truth and Meaning"

Another expression of fascism is an attack on public education and institutions of higher learning. We will explore our UU values around a search for truth and meaning and the dangerousness inherent in shutting down critical thinking.

After worship, join us for the next Coffee Hour Service project. We’ll be making get-well and cheer-up cards for those who are sick or in need of some love. All are welcome to participate! There will be lots of card-making material and inspiration, and some lists of people who would love to receive the cards.

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

There will be a discussion group following the service.

click here to join on Zoom

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,

I haven't been able to take my Christmas tree down yet. I have slowly been gathering the other decorations and putting them in their boxes, but the tree is still standing and glowing. I'm ok with it - though I know it is time to let go.

As we enter into 2024, we as a community are facing a lot of letting go- whether it is letting go of the past, letting go of our ability to "do life" the way we once could or letting go of a beloved person who has transitioned from this life. I am curious what the invitation is for you in letting go. How does it feel in your body? Where is it you resist and where is it you can feel release?

As we face the joys and challenges of 2024, let us not let go of our significance as humans nor the significance of being in community with other humans. This January/February worship series on the global rise of fascism and exploring spiritual practices is inviting each of us to be aware of the dangers "out there" while also recognizing and attending to the fears or griefs we hold "in here" (in our own bodies).

You are wanted. There is a place at the table for you at First Parish of Norwell. In 2024 may our community continue to be a balm for the weary - a connector for the isolated - an inspiration for the seeker.

To more letting go and steadfast connection,

Rev. Susan

Spiritual Snack

"Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are."

~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

from a speech to students at Barratt Junior High School

Philadelphia, PA (1967)

Caring Corner

By now, you have heard that Deanna Riley passed away peacefully on Sunday. A memorial service will be planned and held here in the spring. If you would like to send a card to Deanna's son and his family, you may send it to:

Sean and Amy Riley

P.O. Box 732

Forestdale, MA 02644

We're pleased to share the thank you note we received from Diane Fischer, Corresponding Secretary at Congregation Sha'aray Shalom:

Thank you so very much for your generous donation toward our security funding. Having a fundraiser for out temple was an incredible act of selfless generosity. As you know this is a very tense time and having security when have services and events is allowing us to feel able to worship feeling safe. Thank you again.

We are sad to inform you of the recent death of former member Walter Weber. Before retiring to Florida, Walter and his wife Barbara were long-term members here.

From the Director of Community Engagement

Happy New Year!

We are studying Paganism in January (though the poetry group will focus on Christianity on January 11 because I asked Susan to discuss a pagan poet last month – sorry for the confusion).

Interestingly, the Pagan New Year isn’t celebrated on January 1 – it’s observed on Samhain, a late-October festival of the dead that is similar to Dia de los Muertos and Halloween. Pagan traditions and rituals take their cues from the natural cycle of the seasons. Samhain is a festival for the dead because its late-Autumn position in the Wheel of the Year marks the death of so many plants and greenery.

Some of our students learned about Shamain on Sunday; they built an altar to remember loved ones who have passed. As I was cleaning up their altar I was teary, having just learned about the passing of a beloved community member. I took comfort in the care the kids had taken to construct their altar, and in their joy at learning together. For a quiet moment down in the preschool by myself, I felt so sad for our loss and so grateful for our community – both things at the same time.

I hope that we can begin this new year together in the spirit of Samhain, remembering those we have lost. And also in the spirit of Yule, our actual current position in the Wheel of the Year. Again taking cues from nature, Pagans spend the winter months fostering the fellowship that allows us to survive in the cold. The Winter Solstice is a time for creating joy out of darkness, for writing love letters.

Sometimes I am struck by how fragile we are – dealing with loss and grief, illness and health challenges, recovery from surgery and emotional trauma. We need each other. We need to check in on each other.

I invite you all to reach out to each other in small ways – quick notes or texts to ask after one another, brief reminders of our care and support. We are in the winter now, but we are there together. There is so much strength in that.

With love,

Amanda

Help Needed

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

Winter Weather Issues

As we move into 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!

Alliance Book Review

All are invited to join us on Zoom on Wednesday, January 17 at 10 am for a wonderful book review presented by Betsey Detwiler. Please use the link below, NOT the information in the Alliance program booklet.

click here to join

Meeting ID: 859 6099 4344

Passcode: 518098

Date Change

The joint meeting of the Parish, finance and Invested Funds Committees originally scheduled for January 7 and been rescheduled to Sunday, January 21 at 12:30 pm in the Fogg Parlor.

Trivia Night

Join us on Saturday, January 27 at 5 pm in the Parish Hall. This fun event is a great chance to hang out with FPN friends and put your knowledge to the test. There will also be kids’ trivia and supervision on the playground. Bring a dish to share for the potluck.

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 Thursdays, January 11 and February 8 in the Fogg Parlor.

Mental Health Action Team Grant Program

The Mental Health Action Team (MHAT), an arm of the Fogg Outreach Committee, offers a financial aid assistance fund to aid parishioners of First Parish of Norwell with high deductibles or large co-pays who wish to access mental health services. The application is on the First Parish website and Rev. Susan confidentially reviews all applications. Members of the congregation and long-time attendees are encouraged to apply soon - the money allocated is there for you! Questions and comments regarding the application process may be addressed to Rev. Susan.

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.

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, January 15: “An Irish Country Doctor” by Patrick Taylor

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

"Night on Broadway: Musicals Now Coming to YouTube

During the early 1980's First Parish members performed excerpts of Broadway musicals. Some years included a musical involving children. The musicals on YouTube are "unlisted" which means one needs to have the YouTube link in order to view them. One cannot get the link by searching with Google. For those of you who joined our church later you might find it enjoyable and amusing to see what some of our now older members were up to in that time period. Contact Dexter Robinson if you would like to receive the link to a musical and/or would like to be on a distribution list to receive notification when other musicals are on YouTube. To date the following musicals are on YouTube: Camelot, Annie, and Peter Pan.

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.