THE WAYLAND UNITARIAN SEPTEMBER 2014 Welcome Back to Our Future INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Announcements 2 On September 7, First Parish will gather for a new church year with joy and expectation Reflections from Stephanie 3 in our hearts. We are delighted to welcome The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May, who began Parish Committee Report work as our new settled minister on August 1. She was called to Opening Picnic Fellowship Dinners 4 serve after a unanimous vote at a special congregational Work Together Day meeting on Sunday, May 4, 2014. Summer Preservation Work 5 Sunday School In her sermon earlier that morning, Stephanie talked about the Youth Programs 6 Our Whole Lives (OWL) rich history of First Parish. She noted that beginning in 1640, Men’s Book Group generation after generation of First Parishioners have come to- Jazz Coffee House 7 gether in community to search for truth in freedom and in the Interfaith Open House Installation of Rev. May spirit of love. Since then, our congregations have called many 8 Finance Discussions new ministers to walk along with them in their journeys of faith. Each generation has Musings from Lisa Maria 9 Parents Discussion Group set the stage for the next to explore, to connect, and to serve. UU Common Read 10 Green Sanctuary And so we begin. This issue of the Unitarian presents some of the news, happenings, Music Notes 11 programs, and opportunities in store for us this fall. There is Warm Welcomes more information on our website, and weekly eblasts will Group for Parents of Chil- 12 keep us all up to date on events as they happen. dren with Special Needs Social Action, UUSC 13 Habitat for Humanity, UUSC Welcome back, and if you are new to First Parish, welcome Turning Point, Rummage 14 to what will perhaps become your spiritual home. Hello from Haley Kulow 5 Wishes, Singing Meditation, 15 Ministerial Relations, Ushers September Highlights Sept. 7: Water Sunday and Opening Picnic Sunday School Sept. 21: Work Together Day Regular Sunday morning Religious Education begins for Grades K-7 Sept. 23: Budget Discussion meetings begin Sept. 27: Fellowship Dinners Begins Sept. 21 Sept. 28: Social Action Council meeting UUUM Interfaith Open House in Roxbury For more events, see the calendar on the First Parish website. The Wayland Unitarian is the monthly news- letter of The First Parish in Wayland, a Unitarian A Month of Sundays Universalist congregation. Weekly calendar announcements are listed in the Order of September 7 — Water Sunday Service available at the Sunday service, and a full (bring a little water from the summer if you wish) calendar of events is posted on our website. September 14 — The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May preaching Worship Services and Sunday School September 21—The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May preaching Sundays at 10 am September 28 — The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May preaching Location and Address First Parish is located at 50 Cochituate Road in Way- land, Massachusetts, at the corner of Routes 20, 126 News of the Parish and 27. Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 397, Wayland, MA 01778. A memorial service was held on July 27 for the life of Gilan Hashemi, the mother of Sepi Hashemi and grandmother of Web Address: www.uuwayland.org Dori. The service was held in the Vestry and was led by Lisa Mobayed, the First Parish intern. Church Office Hours Jonathan Trimby, who grew up in First Parish, was married Monday through Friday, 9 am to 1 pm to Fiona Maurissette on August 16 in the chapel at Wellesley Office Phone Numbers College. The Rev. Erin Splaine officiated. Jonathan is the son Phone: 508-358-6133 of Ross and Lynn Trimby. Fax: 508-358-9179 Please share your news of the parish with our minister, Our Ministers Stephanie May, who will continue to update the community The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May, Minister monthly in the Unitarian. 508-358-6133 x25, [email protected] The Rev. Deborah Pope-Lance, Affiliate Minister The Lay Ministers Are Here for You [email protected] The Rev. Maddie Sifantus, Affiliate Minister The Lay Minister for September is Pat Sims (508-358-1611). [email protected] Please feel free to contact her if you need a ride some- The Rev. Ken Sawyer, Minister Emeritus where, or meals delivered, or just a friendly, confidential visit or chat. Our Staff Lisa Maria Steinberg, Director of Lifespan Religious Education and Spiritual Development 508-358-6133 x23, [email protected] Kate Holland, Membership Coordinator 508-358-6133, [email protected] Polly Oliver, Music Director and Organist 978-369-0886, [email protected] Haley Kulow, Youth Coordinator 508-358-6133, [email protected] Gretchen Pathak, Parish Administrator 508-358-6133, [email protected] Oscar Vasquez, Sexton 508-358-6133, [email protected] The deadline for the October issue of the Michelle Poch, Nursery care, 508-358-6133 Unitarian is Wednesday, September 24. Sandy Hoyt & Ann Moses, Wedding & Memorial Please send submissions to Nan Jahnke, Service Coordinators, 508-358-6133 the newsletter editor. September 2014 The Wayland Unitarian Page 2 Reflections from Stephanie During the relatively quiet month of August, I have As is the tradition in First Parish, as well as in many been joyfully settling into being here at First Parish. other Unitarian Universalist congregations, this first I am grateful for the many ways that I have been wel- service will include a special water ceremony. In this comed—from emails and cards, to visits and calls, to a simple act of sharing a bit of water, the mingling of the lovely, redecorated office. As I talk with many of you, waters signals the re-gathering of the full community I enjoy learning more and more about who you are as for a new church year. So please bring a little water individuals, families, and a community. I look forward that represents something that fed your spirit during to hearing many more stories, the summer. You will be invited to share a word about hopes, and, yes, even your con- what makes this water meaningful to you. When con- cerns. sidering what to say, I encourage you to think poetry— how to convey the essential meaning in a few apt Very soon, on Sunday, Septem- words. ber 7, we will begin gathering together for Sunday morning May this year be one of wonder and renewal as we services. As you reenter the fa- move together into this new chapter of the life of First miliarity of the Meetinghouse, Parish in Wayland. you will inevitably notice some changes right away—such as the Stephanie May windows in process. As we embark into this first year The Rev. Dr. Stephanie May together, I invite you to explore with me as we navigate Minister, First Parish in Wayland between the familiar and the new. Welcome Back from the Parish Committee The new church year is about to begin, and with it some Dinners in September and a Jazz Coffee House in Octo- big changes. We are all excited to welcome the Rev. Dr. ber. Dining for Dollars will also return this fall; details Stephanie May as our new settled minister. Stephanie will follow in a week or two. Please join us for all these began her ministry on August 1 and has been enthusi- fall events. We look forward to seeing you! astically preparing for the upcoming year. Her Service of Installation is scheduled for Sunday, October 26, at Come winter, we’ll have more excitement as we begin 5 p.m. Please mark your calendars for this joyous and celebrating the 200th anniversary of our Meetinghouse th historic event. in January, as well as the 375 anniversary of the con- gregation of First Parish. It will be quite a year. This summer has been busy with construction projects involving the Carriage Sheds and Meetinghouse. The This year Lynne Morrison and Brad Carver will share sheds look beautiful with their new roofs. The offsite duties as Parish Committee Chairs. Our returning com- work on the Meetinghouse windows is progressing mittee members are Roger Nuss, Clerk, Clare Lewis, well, and the windows are scheduled to be reinstalled Treasurer, Anne de los Reyes, Nancy Slocum, Jim Van in October. We all owe a huge thank you to Jean Mil- Sciver, and David Wells. We also welcome two new burn, who spearheaded both projects and worked tire- Parish Committee members, Beth Butler and Keith lessly over the summer. Sims, who were elected at our Annual Meeting in June. We look forward to everyone’s wise counsel. The first service of our new church year will be held on Sunday, September 7, followed by our annual welcome Lynne Morrison, Brad Carver picnic, hosted by the Community Life Community. The Parish Committee Chairs Community Life Committee is also hosting Fellowship September 2014 The Wayland Unitarian Page 3 What’s Happening at First Parish Opening Day Picnic at First Parish Fellowship Dinners Sunday, September 7 Saturday, September 27, 6 p.m. Welcome back one and all, and a special welcome to our The Community Life Committee is launching the new minister, the Rev. Dr. Stephanie May. The Communi- church year with an evening of potluck “Fellowship ty Life Committee will celebrate our “Opening Day” this Dinners” in parishioners’ homes on Saturday, Septem- year by providing a picnic lunch featuring Fenway Franks. ber 27. Guests will be assigned to a host who will coor- Join us in the Vestry immediately following the Water dinate who brings what to the dinner. You can sign up Sunday service, September 7. here or in the Vestry. If you’d like to host, we’d like to hear from you as soon as possible (hosts determine for Fun, friends, and food! What could be themselves the number of guests they can accommo- better? Well, what if we told you there date).