TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
ReflectionsfromRev.Lilia Cuervo, Associate Minister
In past articles that I wrote for the MHN, I spoke about: Cultural competencies, defined as interacting, accepting, honoring, enjoying other people’s cultures, without fear, or judgment, irrespective of their social class and socio-economic backgrounds; microaggressions, actions usually based on negative stereotypes, easily disguised as compliments, or as innocent comments, and even as jokes, and therefore difficult to detect and understand; cultural competency regarding the genre of the songs sung by other cultures, gospelfor example, which allows us toenter into the sacred space of suffering, of joy, and of aspiration of another culture.
Today I want to mention other powerful issues which affect multiculturalism; they feed on each other and, if left unnoticed and unrestrained, can wrack havoc in our minds and spirits. I learned of this first one in a workshop on Diversity and Change when the facilitator sort of casually said: and don’t forget to avoid beingpre-offended. As explained, a pre-offended person is prompt to take issue, and to get hurt, when somebody speaks either in an area they consider theirs, or related to experiences considered unique to a particular class, race, or culture to which they belong. Another issue that brings much pain is taking personally words and actions intended for an entire group such as a congregation; a good antidote to this is to listen with open mind and heart and to assume good intentions in others as the covenant of good relations reminds us.
To be successful in a multicultural journey, one needs to commit to courageous change which in turn demands us to “recalibrate the brain” to accept new experiences and new found truths about ourselves and others. Much has been accomplished here at First Parish and much remains to be achieved. This is because true radical, permanent change and transformation are labors of love and courage involving not just a handful of leaders but the whole congregation and not just one generation, but one after another and yet another until a new culture is firmly planted.
The task calls us to continue enlarging the vision and reaffirming the purpose until each voice comes from the shadows and is heard and affirmed; until each one receives encouragement and opportunity to show what they are capable to be and to contribute, when persons holding dissenting theologies and philosophies are not shunned but included in the ever open circle of Beloved Community, where all are “invited to the celebration of life.”
In closing I want to express the infinite gratitude I feel for the precious years I have lived among you: starting with the candidating week, my installation as the first woman Parish minister and a Latina at that! All the great moments in worship, all the private listening in my office and elsewhere, all the painful and the joyous moments, all will be part of my treasured memories. To all of you, who have been part of this amazing journey, without exception, I dedicate the following words by Cherokee poet Lloyd Carl Owle:
You are part of me now.
You touched me,
with your kindness and love
so enchanted.
Your soft lips are kind,
your eyes glow with life.
I’m glad you touched me,
you’re part of me now. Blessings, Lilia
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
UPCOMINGWORSHIPSERVICES
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
December 7 Creating Peace
Do you know that the UUA General Assembly of 2010 produced one of the most comprehensive and inspirational Statements of Conscience titled “Creating Peace?” It says: “Our commitment to creating peace calls us to the work of peace building, peacemaking, and peacekeeping.” This Sunday, let us explore how, by making this our living document, we could individually enjoy the peace that passeth understanding and could collectively truly change the world.
Rev. Lilia Cuervo preaches.
December 14 A Christmas Truce
One hundred years ago this Christmas Eve, 1914, the shooting fell silent on both sides of the front lines in Flanders. Despite the strict orders of superior officers, divisions of language and culture, and the hostility of war, soldiers gave up fighting and instead sang Christmas carols, exchanged gifts, and played games. This spontaneous outbreak of peace in the midst of horrific violence reminds us of the universal longing for friendship and understanding.
Rev. Fred Small preaches.
Contemplative Service
Wednesday, December 17
In this our last Contemplative Service of the year we will have the opportunity to reflect on our past ups and downs, our accomplishments as well as our failings, and, if so moved, to make the proverbial New Year’s resolutions. All are warmly invited to a place of centering, reflection and renewal. We will meet in the Barn Room at 7 pm. See you there.
Yule Ritual - Saturday, December 20
7:00 pm in the Barn Room
With a Yule log as the center of our Circle we will meditate together, sing Yule songs and share in the joy of the Winter season. We will honor the sacred wisdom and strength in all of us to survive and renew our Spirit through each turn of the Seasons.
December 21 Holiday Pageant
Join us for our First Parish tradition, the no-rehearsal multigenerational multi-faith holiday pageant! All are invited to claim a part in the story of a baby born in deep midwinter as a hope for all people. Come ready to participate in this gentle retelling of the sacred birth story found in traditions throughout the world. We'll share the stories of Buddha, Amaterasu, and Jesus in a classic narrated pageant that comes to life on the spot.
December 24
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
This is a beautiful multicultural service of candlelight, singing, and celebration for all ages. Rev. Fred Smallwill preach a brief homily on how we are all bearers of light.
Please bring children, friends, visiting family members, and neighbors for a memorable, spirit-filled observance of the Christmas tradition. Interpreted in American Sign Language.
One half of the offering will be dedicated to the UU Urban Ministry in Roxbury
December 28 Time
As we mark the passage of another year, it's worth asking: What does it mean for time to pass? Is time something we can "have"? Or is it something that controls us? Shames us? Empowers us? Whatever our relationship with time should be, it's important to find out.
Seanan Fong preaches.
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
RELIGIOUSEDUCATIONCORNER by Mandy Neff
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
Hallelujah, I’m busy!
As we enter the holiday season, there are many things to manage. One is the preparations for all of our celebrations. Another is keeping our expectations realistic. And yet another is, how will we manage our time and the way we experience it? This was the topic of our recent parenting conversation, "The Glorification of Busy."
We imagined what it would be like to remove the term busy from our daily answers to the question, "How are you?" What if we rated our to-do lists not just by the urgent and important, but also byhow helpful they were to others, and how much they appealed to us? We tried this exercise to see how it felt to let go of some urgent things that might not have as much personal impact. We reminded each other of how important it is to nurture ourselves, especially as parents.
One of the things on my own to-do list is painting.Not furniture, mind you, but painting pages in an art journal I keep. Now, if my day is packed, I might be tempted to let this one go so that I can check off something else on my to-do list. But as I shared with the group, I can't do that - because painting is necessary for my soul. Staining my fingers in turquoise and gold, spraying and spattering things until they are changed... it's restorative for me. And if I have made that necessary time for my soul, I have done two good things as a parent. I have shown my children that it's important to give time and attention to their own internal lives. And I have been in a flow state. For some people this comes through running, or writing, or cooking. For me it comes through painting. The flow state refreshes our brains and lets us face challenges like the constant demands of parenting (or extra grocery shopping, hosting and gift-wrapping) without losing our cool.
So go ahead and be madly productive this month if you like - but I encourage you to include nurturing your own soul on your checklist. See if it doesn't help you shift the way you see all the other things you need to get done, until you can answer "How are you?"with "Enjoying the season."
Further resources on this topic suggested by the group included:
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly:
Awakening in Time: Practical Time Management for Those on a Spiritual Path by Pam Kristan:
The “Thinking Child” series by Dr. Myrna B. Shure:
The Complete Buddhism for Mothers by Sarah Napthali:
Omid Safi’s article at
The NorthWest Earth Institute’s Discussion Course on Voluntary Simplicity:
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
December Shared Offering
Each fall, the children choose a Justice Partner for their year in Religious Education. They learn about our fifth principle,each person should have a voice and a vote,through the selection process. This year, they have chosen the Chelsea Collaborative to learn about and do service with. December is also the month that RE chooses the Shared Offering recipient, so, as our Justice Partner for the year, The Chelsea Collaborative will receive one half of the December undesignated plate offering.
The Chelsea Collaborative believes in empowering people, and building community. The Collaborative sees organizing as a way to build community power and achieve lasting change. In 1986 the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services, through the leadership of Mayra Rodriguez Howard, convened the Chelsea Human Services Task Force, now the Chelsea Collaborative, with more than forty members from the community and social services agencies. The Task Force’s original purpose was to serve as a forum for discussing community needs and exploring potential coordination of effort. Soon the mission became more comprehensive and ambitious:“To plan to meet the human service needs of the community; to foster collaborative service delivery; to build community support for human services; to attract resources for the provision of needed services."
Middle East Education Group News
The group will provide Middle East and Mediterranean type refreshments for social hour on Sunday December 7. They will also provide the altar flowers for worship on the same Sunday in recognition of all refugees from conflicts in the Middle East.
There are two local events of interest on Sunday afternoon December 7.
All UU’s are welcome to attend the inaugural Theodore Parker Lecture at 2 PM at Theodore Parker Church in West Roxbury, 1859 Centre Street. The lecture features Rabbi Brian Walt whose speech is entitled “The Prophetic Challenge: Breaking Silence, Speaking Truth”. Music and a reception will follow. More details are on the bulletin board.
Also, The annual Alternative Crafts Fair will be held on Sunday December 7 at First Church in Cambridge – Congregational at 12:30 PM. The church is at 11 Garden Street, corner of Mason. Among the fair-traded goods for sale will be Palestinian crafts and olive oil. See the flier on the bulletin board for more information.
Looking ahead to January 2015, Sahar Bazzaz, Associate Professor of History at Holy Cross University, will be presenting a program on "The Ottoman Empire’s legacy in Middle East current events". The talk will be on Sunday, January 18, at 12:30 in the Chapel. We encourage everyone to attend what promises to be a very interesting as well as informative presentation on a timely topic.
Next spring the group hopes to provide some opportunities to learn about Nowruz, the Persian New Year. Possibilities include an organized visit to events at the Museum of Fine Arts and the group is looking for a current film or a book from Iran to be the basis of an educational offering. Look for details in weekly announcements and future Meeting House News issues.
The next meeting of the group is Sunday, January 4 for one half hour immediately after worship in a room to be determined. All are welcome. For further information, email .
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
Actions You Can Take
To Combat Climate Change
The Environmental Justice Task Force is hosting a “switch to renewables” party on December 14th in the library during coffee hour. We are supporting the Mothers Out Front campaign to have Massachusetts be the first state to commit to meeting its new energy needs through conservation, efficiency, and renewables. You can help build the movement to encourage the state to make this commitment by taking action yourself to switch your own home to renewable energy sources.
This means directing your electricity provider to change your sources. Bring your electric bill with you on 12/14 and Mass Energy will be there to guide you through the process. NSTAR users will also need to bring a credit card. Those of us that have switched already have noticed the extra monthly cost of using renewables is less than the cost of a half a tank of gas a month. Add your name to this growing list of First Parish members that have made the switch on the Social Justice bulletin board. For more information about switching your electricity to clean energy follow this link.
Switching to clean energy is in line with one of the three goals of the Commit2Respond campaign launched at the Peoples’ Climate March in September by the UUA, UUSC, and UUMFE--growing the Climate Justice Movement; advancing the rights of affected communities; and shifting to clean renewable energy. To support this campaign you can also join the EJTF at the Interfaith Light for Lima vigil December 7th at 5p.m. at Faneuil Hall. World leaders will be meeting in Lima, Peru to reach a global agreement to combat the devastating effects of climate change. Learn more here.
All our welcome to join us at our next EJTF meeting on Wednesday, December 10th at
7:00 pm.
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
Welcoming a Guest at Your Table
Each year at this time, friends and families in our congregation participate in Guest at Your Table— a 40-year UU tradition. On November 23, we'll open our Guest at Your Table program with a multigenerational worship. By bringing home a beautifulStories of Hopebooklet and Guest at Your Table envelope, families and individuals learn about how the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee puts our shared values into action. Through a potent combination of advocacy, education, and partnerships with grassroots human rights leaders, UUSC promotes workers' rights, upholds the human right to water, and protects communities at risk.
Through theStories of Hopebooklet, we connect with leaders throughout the world who are working hard for human rights in partnership with UUSC. Households are invited to share Guest at Your Table materials when family and friends gather together, reflect on the contributions of these "guests" toward justice, and share generously. Each week, we can choose a different story to read, bringing our guests to life and helping celebrate our own rights.
Sharing our blessings through Guest at Your Table ensures that UUSC's human rights work continues. Please consider making contributions throughout the program, to collect enough to be eligible for the matching grant: any donation of $125 or more is eligible to be matched dollar for dollar, thanks to a generous grant by the UU Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, N.Y. This means you could double the impact of your gift!
Please be sure to pick up yourStories of Hopebooklet and envelope. If you prefer, you can make your contribution online atuusc.org/givetoguest. Our Guest at Your Table program will run from11/23/14 until our special luncheon on 1/11/15. Join us then to share a meal in the name of food sustainability. Bring your network — friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, and others — together for a great cause and help raise awareness about vital human rights work happening all over the world.
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
TheMeetinghouseNewsSeptember 20141
Women’s Book Group
The Women’s Book Group meets on the first Tuesday of every month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in the Chapel. The group is open to women of all ages who are friends or members of First Parish. We are a friendly low-stress group. You don’t have to read every book, just come when you can! Many participants bring a snack or dessert to share. Contact with specific questions or to join our e-mail listserv. Our schedule is:
November – The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
December – Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis by Kim Todd
January – The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman
February – Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs, and Declarations of Independence
by John Hockenberry
March – Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat
April – Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Marshall
May – Girl with the Pearl Earring by Taracy Chevalier
June – Black Walden: Slavery and its Aftermath in Concord, Massachusetts by Elsie Lemier