October 12, 2022

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Sunday Worship
• Interested in becoming a Worship Associate for 2023-24? 
• A Visualization of Peace from Jay McCarthy
• New Member Sunday - Contemplating Membership at FRS?
• Scenes captured from Newburyport's 2nd Annual Indigenous Peoples Day Observance
• Save the Date: Next Justice Sunday is November 13
• Sign up to bring a soup!
• Faith Formation and Spiritual Development
• Who, Why, Where… an interspiritual exploration of meaning and purpose
• Friday Night Fellowship
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Help Plan the FRS Fall Festival
• Seeking Submissions for Next Year’s “Daily Muse”
• Upcoming Events
• FRS Fall Festival
• Tuesday Short Story Group
• Friday Book Group
• Exploring Elderhood Together
• The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism-An Afternoon with Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Megan Marshall
• Community-wide News & Events
• The Michael Servetus/InterNational Conference Against Racism
• City of Newburyport Launches Newburyport Pride!
• Weekly Wellness Programming
• Monday Night Meditation
• Tuesday Spiritual Practice
• Wednesday Guided Relaxation

Annual Ministry Theme: Peace

October Ministry Theme: Inner Peace

Sunday, October 16, 2022

“Is it Helpful? The role of self-compassion in our search for inner peace.”

10:30am in person and livestream on YouTube

 Reverend Rebecca will reflect on our experience of self-compassion, using Kristin Neff and Charlie Mackesy’s beautifully illustrated book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. This service invites us to recognize and accept the beautiful inner mosaic of ourselves using one simple question.

 “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.” -Walt Whitman

Attend on YouTube: http://bit.ly/FRSyoutube

This Month's Shared Sunday Collection

This month’s Shared Collection will support the Greater Newbury Elder Pet Fund, serving Newburyport, West Newbury, Amesbury, Salisbury, and Rowley.

To attend worship in person, you must be vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated are welcome to attend services online. Masks are not required for in-person worship. Socially distant seating is available in designated areas of the sanctuary.

Interested in becoming a Worship Associate for 2023-24?

Here’s a special invitation just for you!

Serving as a Worship Associate in our Sunday services is a wonderful way to support the spiritual life of our congregation. Is this a role that might be calling out to you? As the first speakers on Sunday mornings, Worship Associates set the tone for our worship service, support Rev. Rebecca and other worship participants in the design and facilitation of the service, and hold space for the congregation for what will hopefully be a rich and meaningful experience. 

If serving as a Worship Associate in the 2023-24 season interests you, we invite you to join the current Worship Associates on a half-day retreat Saturday, October 22nd, from 9am until 1pm. This could be a great way to get a taste of being with this group. 

Our four hours together will include personal spiritual and life growth focus as well as exploring the components of our worship services for the best support of our congregation. If you have questions or would like to join us on October 22nd. 

 Please be in touch with Alan Seale, alanseale@alanseale.com, Worship Associates Chair.

"A Copse of Birch Trees - Maudslay State Park"

from Jay McCarthy

Opening remarks at the City of Newburyport's 2nd Annual Indigenous Peoples Day Observance, held on Waterfront park Saturday, began with Onega Waya White Wolf – (Tsalagi Cherokee) Drummer, dancer, storyteller, artist and educator (far left in blue), Rev. Rebecca (right), Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon, and Paul and Denise Pouliot – Head Speakers of the https://www.cowasuck.org

Onega Waya (White Wolf) leads in a dance.

FRS parishioners set up the Information & Advocacy table (left to right: Erin Hutchinson-Himmel, Julie Parker Amery, Linda Lu Burciaga, Betsy Hazen)

 On Justice Sundays we will gather in fellowship for soup, salad, and discussion! Throughout the 2022-23 church year, we are seeking volunteers to bring a soup. To sign up, click on the blue button below the photo:

Who, Why, Where… an interspiritual exploration of meaning and purpose

Facilitated by Rev. Jane Tuohy and Julie Parker Amery 

Who are we? Who do we understand ourselves to be as humans? Are we merely flesh and bone? What is this thing some religions call “soul”? Or are we embodied spirits?

Why are we here? Is there a purpose to each human life? To my life? If so, is my purpose the same thing as my destiny? 

Where are we going? Is there life after death? In the words of Peggy Lee’s song, "Is there all there is?" What do I believe and how does this belief affect how I live my life on a day to day basis?

These three questions have been pondered by philosophers and spiritual and religious leaders for millennia. As Unitarian Universalists, many of us believe that how we live our lives is as important as what we believe. But what we believe influences every aspect of how we live our lives. 

This fall and winter, Rev. Jane Tuohy and Julie Parker Amery are facilitating a four-part pilot program which will explore four of the world’s religions from an interspiritual perspective. Interspirituality is a movement in which practitioners of different faith traditions open their treasures of beliefs, worship practices, and rituals and share with others in a spirit of respect and reverence.  

Each of the presenters for this program will offer instruction based on how their religion responds to the “Who, Why, Where?” questions and lead participants in a worship practice or ritual. Worship practices and rituals are pathways for deepening our connection to the sacred, to the deepest part of ourselves, and to the deepest part of each other. 

The four sessions planned will focus on Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism. Each religion will be introduced in a first session which will be half instructional and half participating in a worship practice or ritual. Participants will leave with reflection questions and come back two weeks later for a follow up session of dialogue. Affiliate Minister Rev. Stan Barrett will launch the program on Wednesday, October 19 with a session on Islam.

Sessions will be held in person at FRS and will also be offered on Zoom on Wednesday evenings, with the presentation session offered the second Wednesday evening of the month from 7-8:30pm, and the follow-up dialogue session offered at the same time two weeks later.

To register for the program, click here: https://bit.ly/WhoWhyWhere. 

Please register by Wednesday, October 12.

Questions? Contact Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration Julie Parker Amery at julie.amery@frsuu.org.

Friday Night Fellowship

When: Friday, October 21, from 6-8pm in the Lower Meetinghouse

Friday Night Fellowship (formerly Wednesday Night Fellowship) makes its return with a potluck dinner—all who attend are invited to bring a dish of some sort to share… anything: salad, bread, a main dish, dessert… whatever inspires. Part of the fun of a potluck is seeing what turns up! Dinner is followed by a brief, interactive worship service led by Rev. Rebecca (often involving a ritual), then a program.

The program for October will be community storytelling. The theme is: “Chilling, Thrilling, or A Little Bit Spooky.” What personal story do you have to share that will give us a little chill? All are invited to come prepared to share a story, or to just listen if that’s your preference. We’ll also have some fun icebreaker activities. Please contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, if you plan to share a story (we’ll also take impromptu stories that night, time permitting). 

Don’t feel comfortable with a community meal? Feel free to come for worship and the program only, starting at about 6:45pm. 

Please consider bringing your own plate, cup, and silverware to reduce waste.

Contact Julie Parker Amery at julie.amery@frsuu.org with questions.

FRS Fall Festival - It's Not Too Late to Sign Up to Help (Day of)!

The festival will be held on Sunday, October 16th from 11:30am-12:30pm following Worship Service and it is not too late to sign up to volunteer to help with the festivities. Click on the orange button below to sign up! (See more information about the festival below.)

Short Story Group

When:1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month

The short story group focuses on reading and discussing anthologies. Contact Tom Himmel at thimmel43@mac.com for more information. All welcome to join!

The FRS Friday Book Group

When: Fridays from 10-11:30am in the Lower Meetinghouse and on Zoom

We meet weekly and read both fiction and non-fiction books chosen by the participants. Each book is read and discussed over a period of several meetings, with the reading for each determined by the group. 

We are currently reading The Peabody Sisters by Megan Marshall (who will be speaking at FRS on November 5). 

For the next meeting on Oct 14, we are reading Part II, which is through page 100.

Currently we are doing hybrid meetings for those who need/want to join by Zoom (subject to technical wherewithal). 

For more information, contact Tom Himmel, thimmel43@mac.com.

Exploring Elderhood Together

When: Thursday, October 20 from 1-3pm in the Lower Meetinghouse

Ageism Unmasked:

Dr. Tracey Gendron, PhD (recorded interview)

Join us for our first gathering of the church year, and our first-ever gathering in person! 

Dr. Gendron, a nationally recognized gerontologist and speaker on ageism, offers a fascinating exploration of the understudied and overlooked issues of age bias and discrimination — the often subtle and unconscious practices that reduce an elder’s whole personhood. She explores ageism’s roots and impact today, offers a broader and deeper understanding of aging, and suggests what we can do to create a new reality of elderhood.

Small group discussions that follow will allow us to consider and share how ageism shows up in our lives, and what we can do to change the narrative of aging.

This session will last 30 minutes longer than usual, as we want to spend time at the end in conversation about the year ahead for EET, and the need for ideas and leadership to develop the program going forward. 

Cider and cookies will be served. All are welcome. Please join us!

Questions? Contact Julie Parker Amery, Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration, at julie.amery@frsuu.org.

The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism

An Afternoon with Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Megan Marshall

When: Saturday, November 5 at 2pm in the Sanctuary

Join us for a very special afternoon with Pulitzer Prize winner Megan Marshall, who will speak about her writing and her first biography The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism. Earning praise from William Grimes of The New York Times as “the intellectual equivalent of a triple axel,” Marshall’s group biography explores the lives of Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody--our American Brontës--and their central role in shaping the thinking of their day. These remarkable women were Unitarians, Transcendentalists, and friends of Reverend Thomas Wentworth Higginson and other influential 19th century Unitarians. It’s a deep dive into our Unitarian history and an important read. There will be ample time for questions and conversation; you’re encouraged to read the book beforehand if you can, but there will be copies available for sale if you have not yet read it.

Please note that the FRS Friday Book Group has voted to make this their next book for discussion. The group meets every Friday morning at 10am and is always open to new members. Please contact Tom Himmel at thimmel43@mac.com for more information about the Book Group.

The Michael Servetus/InterNational Conference Against Racism

When: October 28 – October 30, 2022. This is a hybrid conference with Zoom options

This conference is in honor of one of our martyrs, Michael Servetus, whose idea of recreating a form of Christianity to include Jews and Muslims is an archetype of what we mean by multiracial Unitarian Universalism. It is being sponsored by the Religious Professional Task Force of the Unitarian Universalist Multiracial Unity Action Council—UUMUAC. Our theme is the vital role which Multiracial Unitarian Universalism, as an embodiment of the Seven Principles of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, especially the Fourth Principle, can play in the struggle against racism in all its forms from Afghanistan to Zambia. 

The Hilton Geneva Hotel and Conference Center, Geneva, Switzerland, will be the site for our key activities, and the times for the hybrid activities will be 9am–3pm, Central Time (10am–4pm Eastern; 7am–1pm Pacific) and 4–10 pm, Geneva, Switzerland time. 

For more details, visit www.uumuac.org/international.

Minister–The Reverend Rebecca Bryan; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Stan Barrett; Affiliate Minister–Rev. Helen Murgida; Affiliate Minister-Rev. Jane Tuohy; Minister Emeritus–The Reverend Harold Babcock. Staff: Director of Church Operations–Rob Authier; Office Administrator–Diane Carroll; Audio-Visual Engineer–Rob Close; Director of Children's Ministry–Mara Flynn; Director of Church Music–Justin Murphy-Mancini; Director of Faith Formation and Spiritual Exploration–Julie Parker Amery; Sexton–Donny Rogers; Director of Congregational and Community Engagement–Cynthia Walsh. Parish Board: Chair–Tina Benik; Vice Chair-Jim Supple; Finance Chair–Renée Wolf Foster; Governance Chair–Tom Himmel; Endowment Treasurer–Kim Kenly; Finance Treasurer–Laurie Evans-Daly; Stewardship Chair–Vern Ellis; Parish Clerk–Kathy Desilets; Holly Cashman, Marissa Dewey, Minnie Flanagan, Michelle Kimball, Annie Maurer, Tom Stites.

First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist | 26 Pleasant St., Newburyport MA 01950

978-465-0602 | frsuu.org