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Welcome to October, the first full month of shorter days and longer nights, as the leaves on the trees begin to turn and fall in earnest! This month will be a busy one at First Parish, as you are invited to participate in cottage meetings and focus groups and a very important workshop, all sponsored by your amazing Ministerial Search Committee! Your participation at this point in the search process is vital, so please do try to attend at least one cottage meeting as well as the Beyond Categorical Thinking workshop on October 24th.
Continue Reading
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The Social Action Committee will meet on Monday, October 5th, at 6:30pm via zoom. If you are interested in joining the committee, contact Norah Mulvaney Day to receive the zoom link.
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Don't want to miss a service or fun community photos?
"LIKE" the First Parish of Watertown Facebook page, accessible from the FPW website or from this link.
Questions about the FPW FB page? Reach out to Beth Tappan-deFrees or Carole Katz.
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Adult Enrichment and Learning Forums in October
Wednesday, October 14, 7:00-8:30
“American Police”
“Black Americans being victimized and killed by the police is an epidemic. A truth many Americans are acknowledging since the murder of George Floyd, as protests have occurred in all fifty states calling for justice on his behalf. But this tension between African American communities and the police has existed for centuries. This week, the origins of American policing and how those origins put violent control of Black Americans at the heart of the system.”
Thematically, this topic is related to both renewing our commitments to justice and to October’s theme of “deep listening” to the experiences of others which may be different from our own. The 1-hour, 4-minute podcast and transcript can be found here:
https://www.npr.org/2020/06/03/869046127/american-police
Wednesday, October 28, 7:00-8:30
“Listening Deeply to Poetry”
In the Christian tradition, there is a practice of listening deeply to scripture, which is called Lectio Divina. The basic idea is to deeply listen to a text by reading it multiple times with different questions in mind each time. Some questions might be:
- What FEELINGS arise?
- What MEMORIES does it stir?
- What MESSAGE does it have for you? (“words of comfort or challenge”)
Christians believe this is a powerful way to allow God to speak through the text. They often describe it as a “prayerful” way (versus “analytical”) way of reading.
This same technique can also be used with other types of writing. In this forum, participants will apply this lectio divina approach to two or three poems, reading each one through carefully three times and discussing what we hear as we listen deeply to the text. There is no need to prepare anything ahead of time. Just bring yourself, perhaps a love of poetry or a longing for deeper spiritual engagement, and an openness to listening in community.
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How can we better help one another in times of struggle?
Do you or someone at FPW need temporary assistance to get through a challenging time? The Fellowship Committee has established an FPW Caring Circle that can offer help. We can set up a Meal Train site where you can list needs for meals, rides or other services during short term difficulties and distribute the information to the congregation via email. For more information, simply email care@fpwatertown.org and let us know how we can help.
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ATTENTION
WALKERS, RUNNERS, BIKERS!
Help us by registering for the Helen Robinson Wright fall fun(d)raiser (or online through Breeze.) You can proudly wear your bib with your own number printed on it! Get sponsors (see below) and hit the streets!
ATTENTION
NON-WALKERS, NON-RUNNERS, NON BIKERS!
Help us by sponsoring someone for our fall fun(d)raiser! You can send a donation through Breeze or you can reach out to someone on the HRW committee (Bobbie Brown, Church Dickinson, Charlyn Bethell, David Warren, Missy Shay, and Will Twombly). Any of us would gladly accept your sponsorship! Remember: 100% of your donation goes to help people in need.
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Sunday Services are currently being held on Zoom. Please contact office@fpwatertown.org by Saturday for this week's link or to be added to the weekly mailing.
The theme for October is Deep Listening
Sunday, October 4
“Deep Listening Across the Aisle”
This morning we reflect on how we might listen more deeply to – and engage with – those with whom we may deeply disagree.
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Want to put a church or community announcement in the Arbella? Email the information (text, please, and images if you have them) to office@fpwatertown.org
Deadline for each Friday's Arbella is Thursday at noon.
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from the Search Committee
Thank you to everyone for your participation in the Congregational Survey! We received 96 responses, with a 68% response rate of members. Our next series of listening events are cottage meetings and focus groups, scheduled through October. Silke has made a 3.5-minute video on what to expect in a cottage meeting or focus group. (Note that you are welcome, but not expected, to attend both a cottage meeting and a focus group.)
Cottage meetings are scheduled on October 4, 11, or 18 at 2 p.m. A sign-up sheet was sent out on Monday, 9/28 - RSVPS are strongly urged so we can plan to have enough breakout group moderators. Zoom links for these sessions will be included with the links to Sunday services.
Focus groups are being scheduled by the individual hosts. If you would like to receive scheduling information for a focus group on BIPOC parishioners, LGBTQIA+ parishioners, or newcomers and new members, please fill out this form by October 5.
To make sure you're staying informed about the search process, check the Ministerial Transition page on our website for updates and reach out to searchcommittee@fpwatertown.org with questions and concerns. We're also sending a lot of information, invitations, and links directly through Breeze - please keep an eye on your spam or promotions filters in case it's getting caught there
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Church School Registration
is open at this link
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Community Impact Survey
Released by Mass. Dept. of Public Health with Focus on Diverse Residents, Older Adults.
Click here to complete the survey. Survey closes in two weeks.
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CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
5:30 – 6:30 pm
Sponsored by Watertown Citizens for Black Lives
and the Kingian Response Team
As the date of this vigil immediately follows Indigenous Peoples Day on October 12, we are including a focus on the history of Indigenous people in the place we now call Watertown, and the attempted erasure of their stories by European colonial settlers.
The land where we stand belongs to the Pequossette Band of the Massachusett Tribe. It has been called Columbus Delta since 1940. We collectively need to consider a more inclusive way of naming this public place where we gather.
We will also continue to end our vigil with a silent reflection in memory of George Floyd and others who were killed by racial bigotry and police brutality. Some paper lanterns will be provided.
Please wear a mask and practice social distancing in public spaces.
If you would like to be a part of this work, visit this link.
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The Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, of which FPW is a member community, will host its annual fundraiser, the Peace MVP awards, on October 8. This year it will be a virtual event honoring Tina Chery of the Louis D Brown Peace Institute, featuring Boston Globe columnist Renee Graham and hosted by Rev. Irene Monroe from GBH. We are seeking sponsors for the event and trying to raise funds to hire a community organizer to help ensure that the communities hardest hit by gun violence have a voice in creating the solutions. The event will be on October 8 from 7:00-8:00pm and it should be an inspiring evening. The link to register is: bitly/peaceMVP (suggested donation is $50 but no one will be turned away).
FPW is also planning a special collection to benefit the Coalition later in the church year.
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