First Parish, Hingham Old Ship Church Unitarian Universalist 107 Main Street Hingham, MA 02043 (781) 749-1679 |
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Summer 2022 Newsletter Deadline for September newsletter: Friday, August 19, 2022 |
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Summer services in July and August Beginning with the July 3 summer service, all the summer services will be held on Zoom and hosted by Worship and Music Committee chair, Karen Churchill. The Zoom link will be our usual Sunday worship link: https://zoom.us/j/94971146149?pwd=WUZWbVpyWUNjcDNPc3dUdXQwalNuUT09
If you have a joy, sorrow, or concern you you’d like to have shared at any of the summer services, please email our Worship and Music Committee chair, Karen Churchill: xplasticfishx@yahoo.com or text Karen at 781-812-5518 And here’s the schedule of Sunday services: July 3 - Mike Dwyer - “Renewal – of Spirit and Purpose”. July 10 - Abby Diamond-Kissiday July 17 - Catherine Mayes and Bernadette O'Brien July 24 - Louise Smith July 31 - Garrison Wilkes
August speakers will be Diane Elliott, Elizabeth Torrey, David Nelson and more to be announced! We look forward to sharing with you all summer long. |
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from the minister’s desk Musing
As I look towards just a few weeks more as Old Ship’s twentieth settled minister, I am deeply unsettled by the state of our nation and the world – as I expect many if not most of you are: Putin’s criminal war continuing. The national and world economy reeling largely as a result of the war. Supreme Court decisions dangerously turning back the clock on reproductive rights and rational gun safety. LGBTQ rights threatened. Heat waves and floods fueled by the climate crisis accelerating. “And,” as Judy Woodruff intones near the outset of each evening’s PBS News Hour, “much more.” I am not, however, unsettled by the state of our congregation. Do I have concerns? Of course, the same concerns you have regarding the Parish House, re-growing the religious education program, and achieving long-term financial stability. But the Old Ship community is strong! You are blessed with amazing leadership and with plenty of folks willing and able to do the work that needs to be done to ensure the health and well-being of our venerable parish. And let me remind you of this: Never were congregations and faiths such as our Unitarian Universalist faith more necessary than they are now. You’ve heard me preach this message before, and it is as simple as a UU motto that was in use just a few years ago, reminding us that congregations such as ours are here to nourish the spirit and help heal the world. In that spirit, never doubt the critical importance of what we do together at Old Ship to learn to love better and to be among those seeking justice, peace, and the flourishing of life on our dear Earth home. It has been the professional privilege of my life to serve as your minister for these past thirty-five years. I am grateful in so many ways: For our wonderful staff over these years, these days including Mark and Crissi Curran, Christopher Nickelson-Mann, Lisa Beck, and Jennie McGirr; our lay leadership over the years (I don’t have nearly enough room to begin to name you all); and the presence and commitment of each and every one of you. And even though I know it is the right time for me to retire from this work, words are inadequate to how much I will miss this ministry and how much I will miss you – for the guidelines of the Unitarian Universalist Minister’s Association appropriately stipulate that my relationship with you as minister comes to an end as of July 31. This is in order to provide the space for your fine interim minister, Rev. Erin Splaine, to do her work without interference from me. I invite you to give her the same support that you have given me for all these years. I am confident that together during these years of interim ministry you will begin to shape a splendid new chapter in the life of First Parish in Hingham, Old Ship Church, Unitarian Universalist. Now and always, aware of the blessings in our lives and the blessing of our Unitarian Universalist faith, may each and all of us turn and make of our lives a blessing to all life. Peace and blessings, Ken cell: 781-635-2060 p.s. Though I will not have regular office hours in July, I will be around until the end of the month, continuing to be available for conversation – let me know if you’d like to talk. |
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Message from President, Board of Trustees
Occasionally I used to stumble upon posts from the UU Hysterical Society and they always made me smile. This past year I started to specifically follow them in order to balance all of the other media in my life. Deciding to smile or laugh daily has helped me process all of the other things in the world that have not made me smile or laugh this year. I’ve shared a few of these below.
One of the first sermons I heard Ken preach when I was new to Old Ship was about being intentional in our lives. Don’t just pay attention to what you are doing, but do it intentionally. It is easy to go through our lives checking off to-do lists, but there can be a beauty in being thoughtful about the task and remembering why we are doing it. I reflect on this many times throughout my week when faced with a tedious task or something I just don’t want to do. Typically the answer I find is that I am doing this out of love; love for my family, my friends, my church. To quote many, many ballads, I can do anything for love.
With summer, we tend to slow down a bit and I am grateful for that. The weather is nicer and the days are longer to enjoy. Everything seems a bit easier to handle on a beautiful summer day. There is a lot happening at Old Ship this summer. We are closing on the parish house, looking for space to be together come September and welcoming a new interim minister, to name a few. The Board of Trustees will continue to keep you informed of all of these events over the summer. We may not see each other weekly, but please be sure to reach out if you have any questions or thoughts.
I hope you find something to make you smile and laugh..
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Among Us
A service of remembrance and interment for Angela and Nigel Harvey will be held in our Memorial Garden on Sunday, July 10, at 2:00 PM. Though Angela and Nigel died over a year ago, we still hold them dearly in our hearts and memories. All are invited.
A memorial service in celebration of the life of long-time member and former Old Ship deacon, Dick Norton, will be held at Kendal at Hanover (New Hampshire) on Monday, July 18, at 2:00 PM. It will also be available on Zoom: As we shared early this month, Dick died on June 9. We send continuing prayers and love to Joanne, his wife of 66 years. |
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Pastoral Care Leadership Team
We are all on the pastoral care team, but our “Pastoral Care Leadership Team” meets each month to share any concerns about parishioners who are ill, in the hospital, or facing other significant challenges, and to coordinate responses. If you have a pastoral concern to share with our Team, please feel free to contact any member of the group: |
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WISDOM OF THE POETS Elizabeth Torrey
Who are you, reader, reading my poems an hundred years hence? I cannot send you one single flower from this wealth of the spring, one single streak of gold from yonder clouds. Open your doors and look abroad. From your blossoming garden gather fragrant memories of the vanished flowers of an hundred years before. In the joy of your heart may you feel the living joy that sang one spring morning, sending its glad voice across a hundred years.
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Farewell to the Labyrinth and the Parish House: A Celebration
We are all invited to gather at 6:30 on the evening of July 21 to celebrate the legacies of our Parish House and the Labyrinth. We will begin at the labyrinth with music and walking meditation, and then conclude outdoors (weather permitting) with a ceremony of gratitude for and farewell to our Parish House – the home of our classes, groups, social events and more for over sixty years. |
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Children's Religious Education
RE is on hiatus for the summer. There will be Youth Group events in July and August. Watch your email for updates!. See you at Old Ship in the fall! |
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On a beautiful June afternoon, the Meeting House was filled with love from all the people who had filled the pews. Everyone was there to celebrate the 35 year ministry of the Reverend Kenneth Read-Brown. Accolades from many community leaders, parishioners and most importantly, Ken and Susan's children, Sandra, Adam and Eliza. The celebration continued outside of Fellowship Hall with refreshments and good conversations that matter. |
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Life Learning Offerings
Ongoing groups and gatherings Our Life Learning Committee is preparing a schedule of classes and groups for 2022-2023. Watch future newsletters for updates.
Bodhisattva Study Group – Continues to gather each Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. During the summer members of the group lead the conversation on Zoom based a different reading each week. All are welcome. For questions and for the Zoom links, email Lisa Sawyer. Men’s Breakfast — Meets on the second Sunday morning, 8:30 a.m., of each month – but taking a break in July and August. W ill resume meeting in September on the second Sunday morning of each month. Contact Ralph Brown or Rich Elliott for information and, if we are still meeting on Zoom, for the link. Women’s Breakfast and Conversation —Ordinarily meets on the fourth Sunday morning of each month from 8:30 a.m. -10:15 a.m. There will not be a meeting in July and there is a Pot Luck Dinner on August 17th at 5:30 at Janice McPhillips' home. Please email or call Janice to RSVP so she knows how many are coming. Open to all the women of the church. If you would like to attend, send an email to Janice at jbbmcphillips@gmail.com and she will send you the Zoom invitation – all are also welcome to gather in the Parish House parlor. We gather to share our lives and enjoy one another's company. Conversations are confidential and, again, all are welcome! Sacred Texts Meditation Group — Usually meets on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 4:00 p.m. for meditation and conversation based on a shared text we are reading together. This month we'll be meeting this Thursday, June 30. We’ll be taking a summer break and hoping to resume in September. Email Ken Read-Brown for information and/or to be added to the email list. Ceilidh! — Gathers on the first Tuesday of each month. This means our next monthly song/poem circle will be on Tuesday evening, July 5, at 7:00 p.m. We are currently planning to gather in the Parlor as well as on Zoom. Email Ken with any questions about Ceilidh or for the Zoom link: oldshipkrb@gmail.com.
Fiber Funship Fiber Funship will no longer meet in the Parish House. We will meet Wednesdays at 1:30, outside at members’ homes during the summer. For info contact Diane Elliot or Carol Valentine. |
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Serving Others
News from the Social Justice Council
Our Next Meeting is Saturday, July 9th, at 4 p.m. in person. We will be gathering at a member's home to plan our work for the coming church year. Please contact Davalene Cooper, davalenecooper@verizon.net, if you would like to attend and be part of our planning process. All are welcome!
Anti-Racism/Social Justice Book Group Next Meeting Sunday, September 18, at 7 p.m. on Zoom. For this upcoming church year, we will again meet on Zoom the third Sunday of each month, except for December, when we will not meet. We will meet from 7 to 8:30 p.m. We are expanding our range of books to include environmental/climate justice, which aligns with the congregation's specific focus regarding social justice. Our book for the September 18 meeting is Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret by Catherine Coleman Flowers (2020). This book “tells the story of systemic class, racial, and geographical prejudice that fosters Third World conditions” in the United States. The author is an environmental justice advocate at the Equal Justice Initiative. Laura Harbottle will lead our discussion. This book is an example of where racism and environmental justice intersect. For more information or if you have questions about the group, contact Davalene Cooper. This group is open to all who are interested in learning more about these social justice issues. It is a drop-in group so members may attend whatever book discussions they are most interested in.
Special Plate Collections — We have completed our special plate collections for this church year. Special plates will begin again in October. Here are the amounts donated for our last three special plates. March: Old Ship Youth Group Service Trips $2,279.56. April: Mass. Climate Action Network $903.95 May: Outright Ukraine Emergency Fund $1,193.14 Overall, we donated over $17,000 through out special plate collections this past church year! Thanks to everyone for their generosity during this challenging time.
Hingham Food Pantry — During the summer, there are limited opportunities to make food donations for the Hingham Food Pantry through our summer services, which will be on Zoom, or through the office, which has limited hours. As a result, we encourage everyone to make donations at the Hingham Stop and Shop (large bin at the front of the store). The food pantry only accepts non-perishable, unopened, and unexpired food. Although all donations are appreciated, the following items are among the most needed at this time: Pasta Sauce (plastic jars preferred), Packaged Cookies, Flour, 2 lb. or 5 lb., Mayonnaise, small jars (plastic jars preferred), Dried Fruit, raisins, cranberries, etc., and Nuts. Checks to support the food pantry can be sent to Hingham Food Pantry, 685 Main St., Hingham, MA 02043. The need continues and we appreciate everyone who is able to help the Hingham Food Pantry.
UU Urban Ministry (UUUM) — This summer, there will be a series of Jazz Concerts on the Greenspace at the UUUM. These concerts are free and will take place on July 16, August 13, and September 10, from 1-4 p.m. You may learn more about the programs of UUUM in the area of domestic violence, Roxbury Youth, and Arts and the Humanities at www.uuum.org. Thanks to Lisa Sawyer, Dianne Walcott, and Davalene Cooper, who were delegates from Old Ship to the UUUM Annual Meeting in May.
UUMassAction Action Hour on July 20 from 12 to 1 p.m. on Zoom —This gathering is an opportunity to hear updates about UUMass Action campaigns and take action together, such as calling your legislators, signing petitions, and more to support our frontline and coalition partners. The focus will be on climate justice, immigrant justice, criminal law reform, Indigenous Legislative Agenda, and economic justice. This will also be a chance to connect with other UUs from across the state! Sign up to attend at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcocOugrz0vG9eipUngWvYvsi1DZZSZusjm.
UU the Vote 2022 — UU the Vote is organizing on the state and local levels to fight for fair elections, advance voting rights, protect abortion access, and resist the targeting and criminalization of Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities. For more information and/or to sign up to receive emails from the project, go to UU the Vote - Faith, Love, and Action. Together.
UUA’s Side with Love Campaign — This is an advocacy campaign seeking to harness the power of love to work for justice and stop oppression in its many forms. You can learn more about the campaign and sign up to receive updates on how to participate at Side With Love. Old Ship Social Justice Action Alert Network — Sign up for the Old Ship Social Justice Action Alert Network to find out about specific advocacy opportunities such as letter writing, advocacy calls, and participating in educational and advocacy events with local legislators. Send your email address to Davalene Cooper, Keeper of the List. |
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NVNA & Hospice Volunteer Opportunity
NVNA & Hospice is looking for Volunteers to support the meal program at the Pat Roche Hospice House in Hingham. Volunteers work with the house chef in preparing meals and performing light kitchen duties. You don’t need any cooking experience, and this a meaningful and enjoyable way to engage the extended Hingham and Hull community. Please contact Jonathan Pierce (jpierce@nvna.org, 781-659-2342) if interested. |
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Join the Team of Tour Guides!
As you know, the Old Ship Meeting House is a National Historic Landmark, and a beloved symbol of the Town of Hingham. As such, before the pandemic hundreds of non-Old Shippers visited it each year - interested in family roots, architecture, early American history, or just for curiosity. We have developed a good tour for these visitors, and we used to keep the Meeting House open for drop-in visitors all summer, but now we need more Tour Guides!! If you are interested in becoming a guide, call or email Nina Wellford or Charlotte Champagne ASAP. We will be happy to train you, and you will be amazed at what you learn about our unique treasure! Schedules are entirely up to you. We have to decide how much to open the Meeting House this summer, so please, we would like to hear from you soon. Thanks! |
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| The Old Ship Church calendar is available on our website by clicking here.
If you have an upcoming event or meeting and you want to see it on the calendar, please email Lisa in the office.
Additionally, if you contact information has changed, please email Lisa so she can update the Old Ship database. |
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Upcoming Committee Meetings |
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- Board of Trustees - Thursday, July 7, 7:00 p.m. Zoom/Parlor; Email Diane Jordan for the Zoom Link
Contact Lisa for links or information about these meetings. |
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Shopping and Amazon Smile: Are you shopping on Amazon? Please shop at smile.amazon.com and Amazon will donate 0.5% of eligible purchases to your favorite charitable organization: The Old Ship Church! —no fees, no extra cost. Simply start your shopping at smile.amazon.com to support your favorite charity. |
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Printer Cartridge Collection Please bring your used printer cartridges to the Parish House and help raise funds for our office supplies. In 2019 we were able to convert used cartridges into almost $500 of office supplies! Drop off your cartridges in the outer vestibule of the Parish House office. Any brand or type of cartridge is fine. Thank you |
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Happy Summer from your friends at Old Ship Church! |
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