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At the Mission Retreat on November 11
Go to http://www.qlf.org/temp/FRS_Retreat/FRS_Retreat.html
for more pictures from this event.
a member of the Unitarian Universalist Association,
26 Pleasant Street, Newburyport, MA 01950
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday
Church Phone: (978) 465-0602 - Minister's Line: (978) 465-6504 - Fax: (978) 462-0384
Web Page: www.frsuu.org - e-mail: frsuu@netway.com
The Rev. Harold E. Babcock, Minister The Rev. Bertrand H. Steeves, Minister Emeritus
Thanksgiving Sunday
Rev. Harold Babcock
"Missing History"
In his recent book Mayflower, author Nathaniel Philbrick writes that "In the American popular imagination, the nation's history began with the Pilgrims and then leapfrogged more than 150 years to Lexington and Concord and the Revolution." One might well ask what happened in the interlude between the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving and the American Revolution. During that time, the relationship of the colonists to the Native American population changed drastically. One change had to do with the colonists' worship of what Rhode Island colony founder Roger Williams called "God Land." America's bloodiest war also took place during the interlude. The sermon will investigate this "missing history."
Guest at Your Table boxes will be handed out this morning. This fundraiser for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee is a long time Thanksgiving tradition at the First Religious Society. We will also dedicate Benjamin Adam Cook during the service. I look forward to seeing you in church!
Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given by Susan Nickerson in memory of her parents, Robert M. and Josephine P. Driver, and sister, Henrietta Larson.
Steeple Lighting: The steeple lighting for this week has been donated by Pat Skibbee and Michael Fosburg in fond and thankful memory of Ralph Lang and Bob and Euvenza Fosburg.
Ushers: Pat Skibbee and Michael Fosburg.
Coffee Hour Hosts: Jim and Ann Chase, David and Gillian Chatfield, and Richard George and Laurie Christiansen.
Current Events Forum: 9:30 in the Conference Room -- Topic: Election Results
Julie Parker Amery
FRS Director of Religious Education
“Torn Between Desires”
E.B. White wrote: “ . . . I arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” Let’s consider this idea together.
Flowers: The flowers this Sunday are given by Carolyn Dawson in loving memory of her mother, Nan Kemp.
Steeple Lighting: The steeple lighting for this week has been donated by Marj, Sabrina and Harold Babcock in loving memory of Marj's mother, Gertrude, on her birthday November 30, and of Philip Babcock.
Ushers: Becky Dill and Ken Okaya.
Coffee Hour Hosts: Erika Cohen, Nancy Colby and Ned McClung and Anne Comeau.
The Annual Greater Newburyport Interfaith Thanksgiving Service: The annual Greater Newburyport Interfaith Thanksgiving Service will be held this year on Sunday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m. (note the earlier time) at the First Parish in Newbury on High Road. The Rev. Ross Varney, minister of the Belleville Congregational Church, will preach. There will be a combined choir. The service is sponsored by the Clergy Association of Greater Newburyport, of which Harold Babcock is a member and past-President.
Sabrina and I will be out of town from November 24-26 for a little r and r. From November 27 to November 29 I will be attending a meeting of my minister's study group in Rhode Island. The church office will know how to contact me during my absences.
Sunday October 29th was an emotional day for Maxine and me as Harold and I shared the pulpit in recognition of a special 50th anniversary. In the fall of 1956 I began an almost unprecedented active ministry of 38 years, followed by 12 years as minister emeritus at FRS.
Maxine and I wish to thank Harold for his generous remarks and John Mercer for his poem “Naming the Names” which brought a flood of memories. We appreciate the work of the Worship Committee in arranging the service as well as planning for the surprise appearance of our children, their spouses and our grandchildren. We are indebted to the Hospitality Committee which hosted a special coffee hour featuring a celebratory cake.
The many kind words offered by the members of the church as well as others, many of whom traveled long distances to attend will be long remembered. For your continued encouragement we will be forever grateful.
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On November 12, the First Religious Society welcomed thirteen into membership: Abigail Bottome, Brendan Flaherty, Heather Flaherty, Sally Foskett, Alan Jette, Sharon Jette, Ellen Kaminski, Robert Martin, Barb Riley, Celeste Royce, Ann Marie Salmon, Stephen Snyder, and P. J Tetreault. |  |
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To paraphrase Harold Babcock's welcoming remarks—as members we strive to live in loving relationship with one another, and we welcome you into that intimate circle. |  |
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from the FRS Vision Committee
About 60 FRS people took part in a congregational retreat last Friday evening and Saturday at Ferry Beach, the historic Universalist camp in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The purpose was to create mission sentences for our congregation, and a day-long five-step process succeeded by yielding more than a dozen that include much inspiring language.
The Vision Task Force is going to edit the sentences for evenness of expression — they were written by several groups that took different approaches — and they should be ready for presentation as mission statements to the congregation in a week or two. People who weren’t able to take part in the retreat will be invited to discuss the statements, but the Task Force is just starting to plan this process.
The mission statements are the second part of a three-stage process for creating vision and mission statements as well as mission objectives that will guide our congregation’s future. More than 150 FRS people have taken part in vision workshops, a membership meeting to approve our vision statement, and the mission retreat.
Here is the Vision Statement as approved by the membership meeting:
| We, the First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist, aspire to be a welcoming and inclusive community that encourages spiritual growth as we strive for truth and meaning and serve the social and spiritual needs of our larger community. |
For more information on the vision process, see the FRS website at http://www.frsuu.org/vision_archive.htm.
supporting the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
On November 19, 2006, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, celebrate Guest at Your Table along with hundreds of UU communities nationwide. Materials for the 2006 - 2007 program are now available. For 30 years, Unitarian Universalists of all ages nationwide have come together each fall to give thanks by giving back.
Through this special tradition, Unitarian Universalist communities celebrate the worth and dignity of all people and learn how to put these values into action. The Guest at Your Table experience of families learning together has built lasting connections to UU values for generations of UU youth.
Guest at Your Table has been an important part of UUSC, and of UU culture, since 1975. The program made its UUSC debut following then Institutional Advancement Director Warren Salinger's trip to the Netherlands. While there, he was inspired by a similar organization's program, entitled "Gast aan Tafel," to educate its supporters about its work and to raise vital funds. That program used colorful boxes that the whole family could enjoy. Warren immediately began work with UUSC's staff in Massachusetts to adapt the idea for use in Unitarian Universalist homes nationwide — and even worldwide! Each year since 1975, involvement in Guest at Your Table has grown tremendously, strengthening UUs' connections to our shared principles and helping to challenge injustice throughout the world.
You can keep this spirit and tradition alive. Put a Guest at Your Table box on your family's table and discuss together what it means to welcome a guest to your table.
Family Service Day Thanks
The first-ever FRS Family Service Day was a great success! We raked leaves for three local households. Many thanks to all participants: Kate, Marc, Emilie and Ann deKanter; Pat and Kane Skibbee; Marlyn and Elijah Miller, and Marlyn’s mother, Ruth; Laela Bisgrove; and Julie, Linnea, and Noah Menin.
Collecting New Items for Babies and Children
As part of their social service project, our Young Church first and second graders are collecting new items for babies and children. Donated items will be sent to the Care Bags Foundation, an organization founded by an 11-year old girl that distributes needed items to children in need all across the country. Items we are seeking include toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo) as well as things like small toys, books, and art supplies. Donation boxes are out in the parish hall and meetinghouse. We are collecting things until November 19.
OWL Parents Meeting
The Unitarian Universalist comprehensive sexuality education program, Our Whole Lives (OWL) will be offered to our 7th and 8th graders in the winter and spring of 2007. There will be a meeting for all interested parents after church on December 3. This meeting is mandatory for all who intend to enroll their children. It is an opportunity to learn more about the program and meet the class facilitators. A letter with more details will be going out to parents this week, but in the meantime, please save the date.
Ways You Can Help Young Church
- Holiday Term group leaders and assistants—commitment is three Sunday mornings (November 26 – December 10), to help children prepare for our holiday service.
- Piano player/song leader—commitment is part of three Sunday mornings (November 26 – December 10) to lead Young Church in carol singing.
- Leaders and assistants for our Young Church Sunday morning program on December 24.
- Teachers for our winter term—commitment is eight Sunday mornings, January 7 - March 4.
- Set-up assistant—commitment is four Sundays, before church. Come at 9:45 to help with any odds and ends that need to be done before church.
Lunch with the Minister: The next Tuesday Lunch with the Minister will be held on November 21 at noon in the lower meeting house. The short story for discussion will be "The Expert on God" by John L'Heureux. All are welcome! Bring a lunch and join us.
from the FRS History Committee
Last Issue's Question: Before becoming a controversial abolitionist minister in our church, what young university graduate wrote to his brother, “What I want now most urgently is more of a controversial spirit, the will and the power to pitch right into people and show ‘em how foolishly they are thinking and acting, instead of my present spirit of being willing people should think what they please if they’ll only leave me alone.”
Answer: Thomas Wentworth Higginson, FRS History Volume I — p.68-69
New Question: In September 1942 the FRS donated 600 pounds of iron to the drive for scrap metal for the WWII effort. From what primary source did this metal come?
The answer to this, and many other questions, can be found in the two-volume history of the First Religious Society. Boxed sets of the history are available at the FRS office, open from 8:30 a.m. to noon weekdays.
The Historical Committee of the FRS is offering a Holiday Season special: Buy a two-volume set of the "First Religious Society History" not for the $40.00 previously charged, but instead for the close-out price of $25.00 for the set. The funds derived directly benefit the general coffers of the church. Members of the committee will take your orders in the vestibule after church or sell you the volumes themselves at coffee hour in the Parish Hall. This special price will continue through the holiday season.
It’s wreath time again. Handmade Maine balsam wreaths, all profits to benefit the First Religious Society. They are $35 and will be available the weekend following Thanksgiving. Contact Catherine at cgarnache@ajh.org.
Transylvania Travel: There will be a meeting after church on November 19 at 11:45 am in the Conference Room to continue the discussion about travel to Transylvania.
sponsored by the FRS Social Action Committee
Torture, Secret Detention, Extraordinary Renditions; Cruel and Unusual Punishment in the United States?
Amnesty International's Merrimac Valley Local Group invites you for an evening discussion & photo presentation with Attorney Sabin Willet, who will describe his firsthand experience defending and gaining the freedom of two Chinese Ugihur detainees from Guantanamo's Camp Delta. In addition Josh Rubenstein, Amnesty International's Northeast Regional Director, will provide background information on AI's Campaign Denouncing Torture and the many international justice issues that have surfaced since the War on Terror began.
When: Tuesday Evening, December 5
Where: FRS Sanctuary
Time: 7:00 p.m.
For more information please contact cgabriel@aiusa.org or call 617-623-0202
from the FRS Community Human Services Committee
Our annual Newburyport Community Services Food Drive takes place during November. There is a table in the vestibule to receive your donations in the coming weeks. The items most in need are spaghetti sauce, boxed potatoes, jelly, coffee, cookies, crackers, cereal, canned meats (spam, chicken, deviled ham), and peanut butter. Please be sure that expiration dates are current. The need has increased, so whatever you can drop off will be appreciated.
From Patrice O'Brien & Peter Litwin: "We'd like to express our gratitude for the wonderful community we have found at FRSUU. We are thankful to have found this congregation and with great joy, are happy to dedicate our daughter Ilise Joy on November 5. We look forward to raising Lucy and Ilise in this liberal religious church.
Congratulations to Steph Steeves on her recent article in the autumn 2006 UU Partner Church News.
We offer our condolences to Andrea and Dylan Stark on the death of the Dylan’s stepfather, David Lowry, on Monday, October 30.
Our sympathy to Mary Doyle on the recent death of her sister, Constance Martin.
Just received and hot off the presses, The Faith Club -- A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew -- Three Women Search for Understanding is a "groundbreaking book about Americans searching for faith and mutual respect. The Faith Club interweaves the stores of three women, their three religions, and their urgent quest to understand one another." If the idea of interfaith conversation intrigues you, this is a good place to start, providing hope for people of all backgrounds that it is possible to have dialogue in a post 9/11 world. In the words of Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General, World Conference of Religions for Peace, the honesty of these three women "becomes a path to connection; their courage leads into the ranges of the heart opened by their own religions. Working together, they each arrive where alone they could not go. Read this important book." The book is shelved under World Religions in the FRS library.
"We are still looking for someone who can help with our kids (ages 4 and 1) during the hours of 3:00 – 6:00 (2:00 – 5:00 or 4:00 – 7:00 would also work - we can be flexible, but it should be in the afternoon) on Mondays and Fridays and from 1:00 – 4:00 on Wednesdays. Even working one of the days or less than three full hours would be helpful. We are looking for a parent's helper that can help play with the kids while one of us is in the house working on other things." If you are interested, please call the FRS office at (978) 465-0602, x401.
High Street house for rent: large, sunny, three bedrooms, one and a half bath, total seven rooms, fully furnished with flexibility, available now, short or long term, $2250/month. If you are interested, please call the FRS office at (978) 465-0602, x401.
sponsored by the FRS Social Action Committee
We ask that individuals and congregations across Massachusetts join together in action for Durfur with their conscience as their guide. Here are some suggestions . . . do one, do some, do all. Whatever you choose to do, no matter how big or small it seems, you can make a difference!
Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and ask President Bush to use all diplomatic means necessary to admit UN peacekeepers immediately to protect civilians in Darfur. You will speak to a communications coordinator who will take down your comments. If you get a busy signal, please try again. Repeated calls are effective. For scripts, visit www.savedarfur.org.
Write a lettter to Kofi Annan at The United Nations, 799 United Nations Plaza, NY, NY 10017 or fax to 212-963-7055. Emails can be sent to inquiries@un.org. The message should stress that he do all he can to protect civilians by ensuring that the transition from AU to UN peacekeepers in Darfur begin as soon as possible.
Support divestment from Sudan. Visit www.savedarfurma.org to learn more about the bill pending in the Massachusetts legislature and what you can do to help.
Wear a green wristband and display a lawn sign. Hand wristbands out to friends, family, co-workers, or anybody interested. Explain why it's important to draw attention to the situation in Darfur. Help raise awareness with a lawn sign in your neighborhood. Both items are available at www.savedarfur.org.
Organize a Teach-In with experts on the situation and survivors of genocide, to educate yourself and your community. Contact the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur for resources and information at www.savedarfurma.org.
Write an email to family and friends explaining why this issue moves you and why it is so important to take action. Talking points are available at www.savedarfur.org.
Write letters, make calls, or meet with Members of Congress urging them to support Darfur-related legislation that can make a difference. For contact information for your elected officials, visit http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php. Write Letters to the Editor of your community newspaper to increase awareness and spur others to act.
Raise and donate money relief efforts. Make a contribution to an organization that is providing humanitarian aid to the people of Darfur, such as Oxfam, American Jewish World Service and Church World Service.
Support the Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur. Your donations will help to fund the coalition's events and activities. Visit www.savedarfurma.org,
Remember, no matter what you do, however big or small the action may seem, you are making a difference; you will not be one of the many who have stood idly by!
Additional Resources
- Faith-Based Humanitarian Relief Groups:
- Catholic Relief Services - www.crs.org
- American Jewish World Services - www.ajws.org
- Islamic Relief - www.irw.org
- Bread for the World - www.bread.org
- Lutheran World Relief - www.lwr.org
- Presbyterian World Service & Development - www.presbycan.ca/pwsd
- United Methodist Committee on Relief - http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor
- Senators - www.senate.gov or 202-224-3121
- Representatives - www.house.gov or 202-224-3121
- President Bush - www.whitehouse.gov or 202-456-1111
- Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur - www.savedarfurma.org
- Save Darfur Coalition - www.SaveDarfur.org
- International Crisis Group - www.CrisisGroup.org
- Darfur Information Center- www.DarfurInfo.org
- Darfur: A Genocide We can Stop - www.DarfurGenocide.org
- Human Rights Watch - www.hrw.org
- Africa Action - www.AfricaAction.org
- Passion of the Present - www.PassionofthePresent.org
- Students Taking Action Now: Darfur - www.STANDarfur.org
- Sudan Church Materials - www.sudanchurchmaterials.com
- An extensive state-by-state list is available; please e-mail speakers@savedarfur.org
Got problems with e-mail, glitches, internet access? Are you generally flummoxed by your computer and want some high-tech help? This young man can help with set-ups, repairs, new programs, most computer-related jobs. Reasonable rates, experienced and available! If you are interested, please call the FRS office at (978) 465-0602, x401.
Nothing beats 1-on-1 attention! Math & Science Tutoring In the Newburyport area. Algebra - Trigonometry - Calculus - Physics - Computer Science – Physiology. High School - College - SATs. Testimonial: "Phil tutored me for the math GRE and I, a real non-math person, actually enjoyed the test and surprised myself with a top score!"
