Wednesday, May 31, 2023
Next Sunday in Worship

In Person & Online


ZOOM LINK


Meeting ID: 946 7374 0010

Passcode: FPLex

Dial in: 646-876-9923


YouTube Link

Rev. Anne Mason and Jan Lonzarić will share a sermon dialogue about finding delight in your life as we celebrate and lift up members of the LGBTQ community.


Jan Lonzarić is a synthetic biologist and LGBTQ activist who grew up in Slovenia and moved to the US in 2017. In Slovenia, they co-founded the first asexual, bisexual and trans association and led educational workshops about those identities. Jan currently works in development of mRNA vaccines at GreenLight biosciences and leads the RainbowLight interest group for LGBTQ employees. Jan enjoys many hobbies such as baking, knitting, learning languages, aerial circus arts and Irish dancing.


We will welcome new members this week so be sure to come and get to know the new folx joining our community!


Our Religious Exploration program is pleased to invite our kids and youth to join us for Spirit Play featuring a story and work time celebrating “pride for being uniquely you” with Robi, Annelie and Caroline.  Meanwhile, our Senior Youth Groupers are meeting at 7pm to plan for their eco-justice service trip in June. Parents of our Junior Youth Groupers, please check your email as we hope to plan a special event to celebrate our year together. 


There will be a review of our 2023-2024 budget presented by the Finance Committee after Service. Please come and learn about our financial plans and ask any questions you may have. We will be voting on the budget at our semi-annual meeting the next week.

SHARE THE PLATE


This month our plate donation will be offered to UU Mass Action. On Sunday, June 11th, we will hear from Executive Director, Rev Jo Murphy about its mission to organize and mobilize UU’s in the state to confront oppression and to create pathways toward justice in keeping with our shared values as stated in our Seven Principles.

MEET THE CANDIDATES

Vote on June 11th After Service


Ruth Rose – Board Clerk

Ruth has been a member of First Parish since 1988. She currently sings in the choir and serves on the Adult Programs Committee. Over the years she has served on the RE Committee, the Canvass Committee (now the Stewardship Team), the Mayfair Committee (twice as co-chair), the Church Auction (chair), the Ministerial Search Committee, the Music Director Search Committee, the Memorial Garden Committee, the DRE Search Committee, and, most recently, the Voices on the Green team. Outside of First Parish she served several three-year terms as clerk on the board of the Boston Cecilia chorus. She is currently on the OWLL (Older, Wiser, Lifelong Learners) Program Committee at the Lexington Community Center. Her most recent career before retirement was in the reading department of the school division at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Ruth has been married to David Rose for almost 54 years and has two grown children and six grandchildren.


Susanna Whitman – Board Member at Large

Susanna Whitman is a life-long Unitarian Universalist who grew up in this congregation. Having lived in England and Scotland, she returned to her hometown in 1997. She is married to Jonathan Kinghorn, and has three adult children who grew up in the church, attended youth group, and are First Parish members. Susanna has served on the Board of her previous congregation as Vice Chair, and at First Parish was cochair of Members and Friends, and prior to that a member of the RE and Adult Programs Committees. She was on the UUA staff for over 10 years (2000 – 2011) and was also a DRE at the Melrose UU Church (1998 – 2000). Susanna is currently chairing the 8th Principle Implementation Team and is the Parish Administrator at First Parish in Needham.

 

Tom Rich – Auditor of Treasurer

Tom Rich has been a member of First Parish since 2000 and has held a number of leadership positions, including Religious Education Committee chair, Junior High Youth Group Advisor, Board member, Board Chair, Committee on Leadership and Service Co-Chair, Treasurer, Auction Chair, and Stewardship Drive Co-Chair. He has also served on multiple search committees and sings in the choir. His wife, Suzanne Adams, is Storytelling Director for Voices on the Green and a Worship Associate. 

 

Bob Coyne - Auditor of the Trustees

Bob grew up in Avon, NY, a small town in western NY, came to Boston to attend Northeastern University majoring in Finance and settled in the area following graduation. He is co-founder of Aligned Vision, a small, high-tech manufacturing company located in Chelmsford. Bob moved to Lexington in 1977 and has been married to Linda since 1980. He followed Linda to First Parish in 1999, signed the membership book in 2000, served as Treasurer for three years beginning in 2005 and has been a member of the Finance Committee since that time. While Bob has not worked as an auditor since his second co-op job at Northeastern “a few” years ago, he looks forward to taking on this roll at First Parish.

 

Johnathan Richardson – Board Member at Large

I grew up attending First Church, Unitarian Universalist, in Boston, hearing the sermons of Reverend Rhys Williams (1929-2003), also a close family friend. My mother, Rebekah Richardson, worked closely with Rhys to offer aid to seniors, creating the Hale-Barnard Corporation in Boston, which still exists today. In church matters, I take a lot of inspiration from my mother, who is now a senior herself, living in a nearby community, still interested in many charitable endeavors. My wife Dorothy and I joined First Parish in Brookline in about 1999 when our first child (Elliot) was about 3 years old. Our second child (Ian) was born in 2002. We shepherded both of our children through all phases of Religious Exploration, both of us teaching many different classes. Over the past several years I have helped with the Coming of Age class, and I was so happy to attend the recent Coming of Age service at First Parish Lexington. The one thing I have learned through my many years of involvement with Unitarian Universalism is that there is so much to learn, and I look forward to learning more from our Reverend Anne Mason and others at First Parish Lexington!


Dorothy and I are excited to have landed in Lexington for our next phase of life. The town is quite familiar to us since I have worked nearby for more than 20 years and we have a number of close family friends living here as well. We have felt very welcome and at home at First Parish Lexington from the first moment we walked in: There was no question that we wanted to become members; which we have! I am very impressed with the level of commitment of the FPL congregation: it is evident in so many aspects of the church. I would like to carry on with this tradition of service.

 

Mia Roop - Treasurer

Mia grew up in Lexington and went to Colby College. For 35 years she worked in high tech sales for Lotus, SPC, Symantec, Nuance, and Claris (subsidiary of Apple). Mia has been married to Larry Roop for 37 years and started attending First Parish in 2007. She has two adult children (John and Maddy) who attended Religious Education, Youth Group, OWL and Coming of Age. Mia was a First Parish Greeter and Greeter Coordinator for many years, served on the Personnel Committee in 2014, and is currently a member of the Racial Justice Team, the Preserving our Democracy Team, the Board, and the Personnel Committee. She also coordinates Social Hour and the Living Our Values Fair.


David Bovet – Trustee

Member of First Parish since 1981. Chair of Finance Committee and Board member (both ending June 2023). Co-Chair of 2017-2023 Capital Campaign and 1986-1989 Capital Campaign.

Managing Partner of New Harbor Consultants, a boutique management consulting firm. Previously a senior partner at Oliver Wyman, economist at The World Bank and Coast Guard officer. Degrees in engineering, business and economics.

Please help the Youth Group creatively reuse and recycle (during their Service Trip) by donating your used Jean Jackets on which to paint eco-justice social messages. All sizes (from kid’s and teen’s to women's and men’s) are welcome. Perhaps it may show up in a fundraiser next year! The collection box will be outside the R.E. Office door.  

NOTICE OF SEMIANNUAL MEETING


Sunday, June 11, 2023

Immediately Following Service


As members of First Parish, we have the right and privilege to be present, be informed, and offer our vote for the new slate of Board officers, the next fiscal budget and the revisions to our bylaws as proposed. Please attend the meeting and let your voice be heard through your vote. For those unable to in person, you may join via Zoom, which will have the same login as the Sunday service.

Click Here for the SAM Warrant (Links Corrected)

Ready to Vote on our Draft Congregational Covenant


The five components of the draft covenant have been highlighted these past five weeks and listening sessions have been held. To prepare for voting at the upcoming Semi-Annual Meeting, listen to a recording about our Covenanting Process over the past two years. A congregational covenant offers an opportunity to raise the “we” above the “I”, the community above the individual, and act upon the promises we make. Some members have made inquiries about several components. Here are some UU resources about white supremacy culture to deepen our understanding from Dave Horton. This covenant has been endorsed by the First Parish Board. Thanks to all who have provided feedback!

The Joy Project Revisited

Part 2


Back in the spring of 2018, our beloved friend and First Parish member, Al Jacobson, inspired our community to take part in “The Joy Project,” where we thought about what brings us joy in our lives. Al had a most magical and heartfelt way to find joy in even the hardest of times. One piece of the project was to create the Joy Flags that hang in the entryway at the back doors of our church, above the stairs. Friends and Community Members of First Parish, please join us in the rejuvenation of “The Joy Project.” All are welcome to come and craft during coffee hour this Sunday, June 4th to cut, collage, and converse while making flags that represent your joys. Take home kits will also be available for those who cannot stay. New flags will be added to our already existing joyful banner. See or email Amy Kvaal or Teresa Jacobson with any questions you might have. 

Youth Service Trip


It’s your last chance to purchase a June Email Subscription to support our Youth Group Eco-Justice Service Trip happening Sunday, June 25th to Friday, June 30th. Please support their efforts by signing-up to receive or gift an inspiring daily email (with an image and quote created/chosen by our youth) to inspire you. You and your loved ones can feel a little U.U. spirit every day while lovingly supporting their eco-justice service! Please click here to fill out a Google form to subscribe to Insights by Youuth and then click the link at the bottom of that form to donate.

Thank you! 

Ways to Help Stop Global Warming – Quantified


Adjust Your Thermostat

Moving your thermostat down 1 degree in winter and up 1 degree in summer saves about 1,000 lbs. of CO2 a year.


Use Less Hot Water

Take shorter and cooler showers and wash your clothes in cold or warm water and save more than 500 lbs. of CO2 per year.


Plant a Tree

One tree absorbs about one ton (2,000 lbs.) of CO2 during its lifetime.

From choir rehearsals to Soul Matters, Building Bridges to Meditation Group, Urban Ministry to Democracy Team, Climate Action Team to Youth Groups and all of the other wonderful ways to get involved here at First Parish, please check the church calendar.

Submissions for The Weekly Update are due by the end of day, Mondays. To submit an article or information for consideration, please use this form.

Office: (781) 862-8200 | www.FPLex.org

Facebook  Instagram  Twitter  YouTube