What’s Happening this Sunday, February 5, at First Church

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Please note: During the month of February, Rev. Terry Burke will be on leave, using up a month of accrued sabbatical time. Rev. Marshall Hawkins will be on call for pastoral emergencies.

11 a.m. Sunday Service:  Our guest preacher on Sunday is Rev. Clyde Grubbs, who serves as the minister-at-large of the Tuckerman Creative Ministries for Justice and Healing. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Please join us following the service for coffee and light refreshments. Thank you to George Smith for hosting Coffee Hour.

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JP Gazette: “Officials rally against ‘three strikes’”

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The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports on the January 27 JP Forum event at First Church:

A panel discussion about controversial prison sentencing reforms—including the “three strikes” laws—turned into a political strategy rally by several prominent Boston elected officials on Jan. 27 at First Church in Jamaica Plain Unitarian Universalist.

Dramatic moments included a convicted felon tearfully describing the impacts of a throw-away-the-key approach to sentencing, and local state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz defending her vote in favor of the Senate’s version of the controversial proposal.

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Worship 101 – Adult RE at First Church beginning in March

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Interested in worship – what we do and how we do it at our church?  Rev. Terry Burke will be leading a four session class on Wednesdays in March,  called Worship 101.  We’ll learn about the elements of our worship tradition, as well as what’s involved in choosing hymns, creating prayers, organizing sermons.  Sessions will start on March 7th and run 7:30-9PM at the church.
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Newcomers’ Breakfast – Sunday, February 12th, 9:30 a.m.

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All are welcome to join us in the Dining Room on February 12th for a Newcomers’ Breakfast. Longtime church members, first-time visitors, and everyone in between are warmly invited to attend. Share a yummy morning meal with us as we build community and get to know each other a little better. Please RSVP to Paul Miller. Longtime members, let him know if you can bring a dish to the potluck breakfast.

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Weekly Newsletter: February 2

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All new items will be listed first in each section and preceded by three asterisks (***). Find us online at:http://www.firstchurchjp.org;

Choir: Tonight at 8 p.m.

Tomorrow: Friday, February 3rd, 7PM
Rev. Terry Burke, Nancy Nee Hanifin, and Jen Roy will be sharing their experiences walking the Camino pilgrimage at a J.P. Forum event at our church on Friday, February 3rd at 7PM.  Join us for “Buon Camino!  Pilgrimage in the Modern World.” 

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CHURCH HAPPENINGS
 
During the month of February, Rev. Terry Burke will be on leave, using up a month of accrued sabbatical time. Rev. Marshall Hawkins will be on call for pastoral emergencies.

*** Sunday, Feb. 5th***
Our guest preacher on Sunday is Rev. Clyde Grubbs, who serves as the minister-at-large of the Tuckerman Creative Ministries for Justice and Healing. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Please join us following the service for coffee and light refreshments. Thank you to George Smith for hosting Coffee Hour.

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“Neighboring Faiths” RE Update

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Mick Hirsch, Director of Religious Education, writes:

This past Sunday, our inaugural group of “Neighboring Faiths” kids shared with the congregation their experience over the month of January studying Judaism.  Our 10-13 year olds were most excited about their visit to a neighborhood Jewish temple, Nehar Shalom, just down the street from First Church in JP.  From that visit, where we were welcomed to a “good Shabbos!” our kids treated our own congregation to a special treat:  they taught us how to sing the signature spiritual of the Civil Rights Movement, “We Shall Overcome,” in Hebrew! Needless to say, both the kids and the congregation did a great job singing through the transliterated text.

Next Sunday, February 5, our Neighboring Faiths class will begin a month-long segment on Buddhism.

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Sermon, January 22, 2012: “Candlemas”

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Rev. Terry Burke:

Today we are celebrating Candlemas, a church holiday including the blessing of candles. This should be done closer to February 2nd, but it’s a little early as George Wardle will be preaching next Sunday. Later, for Candlemas, we will be sharing candles and flames as part of our service.

There are many related layers to the holiday of Candlemas. It’s associated with St. Brigid of Kildare, Ireland, whose distinctive cross is on the cover of our order of service. St. Brigid died in the 6th century, and legend has it that when the rite was being conducted to consecrate her as a nun, she was made a bishop instead. St. Brigid was noted for her concern for the poor. We used to celebrate Medieval Feasts at this church, and children of the parish once dramatized the story of the saint’s cloak. A stingy king promised as much land for the poor as St. Brigid’s cloak would cover – her nuns ran with its corners in the four directions as it magically covered his kingdom. There are still Brigidine nuns, and as part of their work they keep an eternal flame.

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Church retreat, March 16-18: “Seeking Your True Self: Embracing Your False Self”

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First Church’s annual retreat will be held at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, Massachusetts.  In a supportive and confidential environment, we will explore the question of how we can live authentically, and how that can bring us closer to each other and to God. Come be part of our Spiritual Facebook!

The retreat will run from Friday evening, March 16th through lunch on Sunday, March 18th. The cost is $200 per person, with some scholarships available.

Terry Burke, Ghanda DiFiglia, and Alice Kociemba will facilitate this retreat. Please contact Mary Brady if you are interested in attending, and with any questions you might have.

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Weekly Newsletter: January 26

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All new items will be listed first in each section and preceded by three asterisks (***). Find us online at:http://www.firstchurchjp.org ;

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CHURCH HAPPENINGS

*** Sunday, Jan. 29th***
We welcome our church historian, George Wardle, as guest preacher.
Please join us following the service for coffee and light refreshments. Thank you to Thalia McMillion for hosting Coffee Hour.

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