The Spire

the electronic newsletter of

First Parish of Norwell,

Unitarian Universalist

In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use

March 13, 2024

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In This Issue

Sunday Worship

Invitation to Practice Together

Spiritual Snack

Caring Corner

Staff Schedule Note

Easter Sunday

New Members/Visitors Series

Gratitude and Grief Group

Stewardship for Us

Mom's/Women's Circle

Movie Night and Potluck

Alliance Book Review

Side With Love Standouts

Virtual Parenting Workshop

Community Dinners Resume

Hungarian Goulash Dinner

New Online Directory

Book Group

Lunchtime Poetry Group

Mental Health Action Team Grant Program

Multiplatform Services on

Sundays at 10 am

Rev. Susan Chorley preaching

unless indicated otherwise

The Soul Matters Theme for March is Transformation

March 17: Transformed Through Giving (Stewardship Sunday)

John Hughes, worship associate

Through all the ways we give, we are transforming self and the community

This is an Outreach Sunday. The collection will go to the Transgender Emergency Fund. They provide assistance to low-income or unhoused transgender people living in Massachusetts. For more information, please click here.

March 24: Gratitude and Grief

(Palm Sunday)

Beverly Gardner, worship associate

Exploring the depth of gratitude life offers us even through struggle and challenge.

March 31: Longing for Alleluia

(Easter Sunday)

Derek Sulc, worship associate

Spring and Easter are our annual reminder that death and violence will not have the final word

Please see the Easter Sunday Celebration article for more information on the Easter Breakfast and egg hunt for the little ones.

click here to join any Sunday in March

Meeting ID: 831 8312 7593

Passcode: Transform

Dial by your location

+1 305 224 1968

Meeting ID: 831 8312 7593

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.

An Invitation to Practice Together

The Christian season of Lent began on Wednesday, February 14 and continues until Easter which this year falls on Sunday, March 31. Many Christians honor this time by giving up something or withdrawing a bit from the distractions of life.

Rev. Susan invites us to consider setting aside some time each day for a sacred practice and has created a calendar of suggestions for each day. The practices range from 3 minutes to 1 hour - and everything in between. The purpose of the time is to slow down, get connected with beauty and care, art and imagination - and to notice what happens within you as you return each day over the course of the 4 weeks.

Though this is special/sacred set aside time for you, you are welcome to share it with others - perhaps members of your family, perhaps a friend.

Above all, these practices are not a demand - but rather an invitation to us all as we move towards Spring to nurture our soul as it awakens from Winter.

click here to view the calendar

Spiritual Snack

"What I want young women and girls to know is: You are powerful and your voice matters. You’re going to walk into many rooms where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. So you use that voice and be strong."

~Kamala Harris

On January 20, 2021, Kamala D. Harris was sworn in as Vice President – the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position. She always fights for the people – from her barrier-breaking time as District Attorney of San Francisco and Attorney General of California, to proudly serving as a United States Senator and the Vice President.

Scheduling Notes

Hope Weinman will be on vacation March 19-22. She will respond to voicemails and emails when she returns.

There is no yoga class on March 21

Easter Sunday Celebration – March 31

All are invited to a lovely breakfast in the Parish Hall. Bring something to share for breakfast – a traditional breakfast casserole or something else you enjoy for breakfast. Sign up to bring something here. (The choir will eat at 8:45 so they can practice afterward.) If you would like an aluminum pan and/or a recipe for breakfast casserole, see Peg Kitchenham.

Our worship service will honor the season of renewal and rebirth in many faiths, and our RE programming will focus on four charities that help kids locally and globally. The service will be followed by an egg hunt where children will find both candy and tokens inside their eggs. They will put the tokens they collect into four jars representing the charities they learned about, and the Fogg Committee will match their tokens with donations to those charities. Kids will leave with a basketful of candy and the satisfaction of having supported charities they helped to choose.

We are excited to celebrate a very UU Easter with all of you, incorporating a shared meal, world faith traditions and community service into one fun morning. Please feel free to bring friends to celebrate with us!

New Members/Visitors Series

Sundays March 17, April 28 and May 19 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm in the Fogg Parlor

All new members or those considering joining First Parish of Norwell are invited to a monthly series beginning in March. The sessions will include information about what it means to be Unitarian Universalist, history of our congregation, information on church governance and leadership as well as the details around how stewardship and budgeting happens each year. If you would like to join one or all of these sessions, please let Rev. Susan know. Child care is provided.

New Weekly Series on Mondays in March - Gratitude and Grief

Feelings of grief and gratitude co-exist among all humans throughout the course of our lives. In fact, both experiences reveal to us our deep love for and connection to self, others and the world.

Through different modalities of meditation, art, music and poetry - we will explore together the transformative possibilities within grief and gratitude - making space for personal reflection. Join us on Mondays, March 18 and 25 from 12-1 pm in the Fogg Parlor.

This group will be co-led by Rev. Susan and Gabe Millins.

From the Parish Committee

We are looking forward to our Next Steps weekend on April 5-7 with Stewardship for Us. In preparation, we're asking everyone (even if you're not a member) to complete the following survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5FJNN9B

Thank you in advance for your participation. If you missed our email on February 9 about this process, be sure to check it out here.

You can also learn more here: https://stewardshipforus.com/

Warmly,

Elizabeth Robinson, Derek Sulc, and your Parish Committee

Mom’s/Women’s Circle

All women/moms between the ages of 30-60 (ish) are welcome to join us. We gather for tea and snacks and then a circle focused on a selected theme. It’s a relaxed setting to check in, connect with others and rejuvenate for the weeks ahead. Our next meeting is Monday, March 25 at the Parsonage (644 Main Street, Norwell). Contact Rev. Susan for more information or with any questions.

Movie Night/

Potluck

On Saturday, March 16 in the Parish Hall we'll be showing the film "Inhabit: A Permaculture Perspective" with a little time after for discussion. If you can, please bring something to contribute to the potluck - there's a signup below. We'll snack and chat from 4-5 pm, and from 5-7 pm we'll watch the movie.

This event is free, however, please do register through this form so that we know how many people will be in attendance. We look forward to connecting with our community and learning some valuable permaculture knowledge!

Here is a form for attendees to register.

Co-sponsored by the FPN Climate Justice Action Team and South Shore Permaculture. All are welcome.

View a trailer here.

Alliance Book Review

Wednesday, March 20

at 10 am

Live in the Fogg Parlor and on Zoom

Please join us in the Fogg Parlor for a Book Review by Marcia Babcock. An avid reader, she will discuss a group of new novels and poetry. We will also have refreshments. Newcomers welcome and needed.

click here to join remotely

Meeting ID: 859 6099 4344

Passcode: 518098

Side with Love Gatherings – Re-starting Saturday, April 6

The LGBTQ + Support Group welcomes all who wish to join us on the River Street overpass beginning on the first Saturday of April from 8-10 am. This is an opportunity to be a public witness to the South Shore being a welcoming and open-hearted space for individuals who are often marginalized due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class or immigration status.

You’re welcome to bring a sign, rainbow or trans pride flag and to dress in bright colors. Future Side with Love gatherings will happen on May 4, June 1, August 3, September 7, October 5 and November 2.

Save the Dates -

Mental Health Action Team Virtual Workshops

Sunday, March 17 at 7:30 pm: "Social Media and Socializing" with Dr. Elizabeth Englander, Founder and Executive Director of Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center (MARC) at Bridgewater State University .

This talk will examine how kids are doing emotionally and socially, in light of the ways kids use screens, gaming, and social media, and how these impact challenges in school, like bullying and friendship skills. Research will be summarized, and practical approaches to family life that can help children develop emotional resilience, healthy social skills and friendships, and sensible screen and social media habits will be discussed during this presentation. We will discuss how to move forward to a healthier "new normal" and how to help parents be most productive in guiding their children.

click here to join the March 17 workshop

Meeting ID: 822 7034 6972

Passcode: 425226

Sunday, April 28 at 7 pm: Mental Health and Addiction webinar led by AnnMarie Galvin, Project Director of Scituate FACTS (Families, Adolescents and Communities Together Against Substances) and Mark Mulhern, Executive Director of South Shore Peer Recovery. More details and the Zoom link will be shared closer to the event.

Community Dinners Resume!

It's that time again. Community dinners are starting back up. (April 9, May 14 and June 11) We need help with casseroles (disposable pans and recipes supplied), desserts and salad fixings. Are you pressed for time but want to help? No problem, you can drop off your prepared meal, dessert or salad Monday night! We would be happy to meet you at church! We can cook or re-heat your casserole with ease. Your help and support in this worthwhile endeavor is greatly appreciated. Talk to Heather Comeau at Coffee Hour or call (617-962-6456) to sign up.

Hungarian Goulash Dinner

Would you like to learn more about our Partner Church in Romania? Would you like a good free home-cooked Hungarian Goulash dinner? Those parishioners who have been involved with our Partner Church and the UUA's Hungarian student support program invite you to attend the Goulash Dinner at 6 pm on Friday, March 22. RSVP to Bev Gardner.

New Online Directory

We are moving closer to the finish line in regards to the new online church directory. Thank you all for confirming your contact info with us. (If you haven't, no worries. See Heather Comeau or Hope Weinman in the Church Office.)

If you wish to add your photo to the directory, here's what you need to do:

Use your phone or tablet and take a selfie. Your camera is preset to the highest quality, which is great. All you need to do is send your photo to Heather Comeau. She will upload your photo to the directory for you.
If you don't feel comfortable taking your own photo, Becky Smock or Heather Comeau will gladly help you. '

Unfortunately, photos from prior church directories are not available to us. Photos can be imported anytime, so if you don't get to this task, no worries. We can always add the photo later.

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, March 18: “Rough Sleeper” by Tracy Kidder

Monday, April 15: "The Women" by Kristen Hannah

Monday May 20: "The River We Remember" by William Kent Krueger

click here to join

Meeting ID: 847 0898 5879

Passcode: Bookworms

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 meeting dates for the rest of the church year are: March 14, April 11, May 9, June 13.

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.