Join Us on Sunday...
SUNDAY December 22nd – Songs of Dedication and Joy with Rev. Jennie Mulqueen
This is the time of year we attribute to singing carols, but did you know a carol can be sung at any time of year? Technically defined, a carol is a song of dedication and joy. As we light the fourth advent candle as a symbol of joy, we will reflect on how singing our songs of dedication and joy cultivates a bright inner light. We are delighted to welcome our former ministerial intern, Jennie Mulqueen, back to our Pulpit.
SUNDAY December 24th –Christmas Eve with Rev. Stephen Cook
"No Room at the Inn" We will celebrate the timeless Christmas story on Christmas Eve. The service begins at 7:00 PM. The Sanctuary will be Candlelit and we will end the service with the passing of the light and by singing "Silent Night".
SUNDAY December 29th – No Service
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ALONG THE WAY
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MINISTER
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At this time of year when we celebrate the wonderful gift of our building, I like to think about how such a monument to God was constructed in the centuries before modern machines and methods.
Cathedral Builders
by John Ormond
They climbed on sketchy ladders toward God,
With winch and pulley hoisted hewn rock into heaven,
Inhabited sky with hammers, defied gravity,
Deified stone, took up God’s house to meet Him,
And came down to their suppers and small beer,
Every night slept, lay with their smelly wives,
Quarreled and cuffed the children, lied,
Spat, sang, were happy or unhappy,
And every day took to the ladders again,
Impeded the rights of way of another summer’s
Swallows, grew greyer, shakier, became less inclined
To fix a neighbor’s roof of a fine evening,
Saw naves sprout arches, clerestories soar,
Cursed the loud fancy glaziers for their luck,
Somehow escaped the plague, got rheumatism,
Decided it was time to give it up,
To leave the spire to others; stood in the crowd
Well back from the vestments at the consecration,
Envied the fat bishop his warm boots,
Cocked up a squint eye and said, “I bloody did that.”
See you in church,
Rev. Steve
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GREETINGS FROM YOUR BOARD
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The Board wishes everyone a peaceful holiday season. We hope you have found some spiritual solace during our Sunday services. The second half of the church year will be busy at Hopedale Unitarian Parish. We will start the renewal process for Welcoming Congregation. Please contact Alice Jacobson ( alicejacobson@comcast.net ) if you would like to be part of the planning taskforce. There will be a CPR course here during the winter months on a date yet to be determined. In February we will hold a mid-church year meeting to discuss how we are doing and what needs to be done in the future. For the second half of the year, we will have a variety of guest ministers to fill in when Rev Steve is out of the pulpit. Our intern from two years ago, Jennie Mulqueen, will not only join us for two Sundays this Spring, but will also be the Guest Minister this Sunday (December 22 nd).
Lastly, we hope to see many of you for a special first Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Rev. Steve.
Best wishes for peaceful and restful holiday season,
Fred, Rita, Paulie, Tracy and Alice |
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Church Events and Info...
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Share the Plate Partner-Pathway to a Better Life
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Our Share the Plate Partner for the month of December is the newly formed organization for local emergency shelters in the greater Milford area called Pathways to a Better Life. Seven local churches are providing space for the shelters that will be running until March. The shelters will be open when the temperature "feels" like 18 degrees or below and depending on VOLUNTEERS to staff the locations.
Volunteers are NEEDED!!! If you are interested in volunteering please reach out! Call or text 508-488-9107 or email pathwaytoabetterlife2019@gmail.com to volunteer.
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CHOSEN CHILD - GIFT GIVING
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ALL CHILDREN WERE CHOSEN AGAIN THIS YEAR. Thank you to all who stepped up to support the program with their gifts and to Bob and Tracy Anderson for coordinating.
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KRIS KRINGLE FARE-WINTER STROLL
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Thank you to everyone who donated their Time, Talent, & Treasure to make Hopedale Unitarian Parish’s portion of Hopedale’s Winter Stroll a great success. It was a day and evening enjoyed by many in the church and town. Our raffle table was big hit! We had a fabulous selection of cookies donated for our cookie walk and the selection of homemade soups were delicious. Fred Oldfield gave many Bell Tower tours and Rev. Steve joined our choir to entertain the community with Holiday songs and Dickens era costumes. The Anderson's gifted a lovely pair of Sicilian donkeys to the event. This was wonderful way for us to be a part of the larger community.
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Earth Circles -- Water at Work
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On Sunday, December 8, we had our third class of the Earth Circle curriculum, which focuses on environmental justice and the 7th UU Principle (living in harmony with nature). In this class (Unit 5, Acquiring Energy), we learned and discussed the history of where energy comes from and how we use it today. The activity focused on how much gas we use to drive places, and where we would go on vacation if we only had 10 gallons of gas.
Our next lesson will be on January 5 (Unit 1, Water at Work), when we will learn more about how we source and use water in our world.
Children will start in the sanctuary and continue in the classroom after Rev. Cook’s Story for All Ages. We will begin the class by reviewing the 7 UU Principles, sharing Joys and Concerns, and lighting the chalice. All children are welcome, so please share this with other families who may be interested in joining us.
Here is a link to the curriculum:
https://www.uubedford.org/religious-education/earth-circles-curriculum-for-public-use/
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HOLIDAY MUSIC SERVICE-DECEMBER 22
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Sunday, Dec 22 there will be more music and performance opportunities than usual during the service - so if you play an instrument - want to read a poem - sing with the choir - sing a solo -do a dance - just let me know! Carol Devendorf, Music Director, mpac1991@aol.com, 774-573-0568.
Great news!!! Jennie Mulqueen will be in the Pulpit as our Guest Minister on Sunday 12/22 and she has been known to sing a bit too.
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 HAPPENINGS IN THE UUA
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The stakes couldn’t be higher in the 2020 elections. All our values, our work for justice, the communities we love and the beloved community we seek to create are under attack. Our religious community must speak with moral courage and act with prophetic clarity and determination in the 2020 electoral cycle. Our UU values of interdependence, democracy, and the inherent worth and dignity of all people are direct antidotes to the fear, bigotry, and inequity that define our world. In this political moment, UUs are called to join forces with all people who want to organize our communities and our nation to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate. Let’s UU the Vote in 2020!
https://www.uua.org/snippet/uu-vote-2020-sign-info-form
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- ACOA Meeting, Mondays at 7:30 PM
- Choir Rehearsal, Sundays at 9:00 AM, Thursday (12/19) at 7:00 PM
- Board Meeting, Rescheduled to Thursday, 12/19 at 6:30 pm
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Contact Information
Parish Minister: Rev. Stephen Cook: 508-473-0745
revsteve@hopedaleunitarian.org
Parish Board Co-Chairs: Tracy Anderson: 508-962-0235
tracylanderson@verizon.net,
Alice Jacobson: 508-380-6911
alicejacobson@comcast.net
Music Director/Organist: Carol Devendorf: 774-573-0568 mpac1991@aol.com
Church Office: Jody Buck 508-473-0745 hopedaleunitarian@verizon.net
Community Meal Coordinator: Alice Jacobson alicejacobson@comcast.net
Caring Connection Contact: Becky Chan rwchan19@gmail.com
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Publication Policy
If you have some news or information you would like to get out to people via our twice monthly email or in our order of service insert, or mentioned from the podium on Sunday morning, please get the announcement of 50 words or less to the church in writing via hard copy or email no later than 10 a.m. on Thursdays. We publish as much as we can weekly and two or three timely announcements will be read aloud during the service on Sunday morning. We ask that announcements be about congregational life, the greater world of Unitarian Universalism, or local community events of importance to congregational life and mission.
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