Bird’s Eye View

Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association

6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002

Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.

Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!

A UUA Welcoming Congregation

The Foxborough Universalist Church is a vibrant and caring congregation that welcomes all. Our mission is to nurture each other along our spiritual paths while working together for the betterment of our community and the world.

Chairman’s Ramblings

Hi, The Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) is not an organization that I always agree with, but in reading their reports of the work being done by them in partnering with other groups and local Haitians they have a much more humanitarian way of distributing aid and providing resources than a lot of the volunteer groups there. First, the UUSC through appeals to local congregations has raised more than $1,000,000 in funds – significant for us, but not nearly enough to do the work that needs to be done. Second, by using their partnerships with local community action groups, they have passed out this aid in a dignified way to those who might not otherwise get it. Many aid groups have simply driven to a site, thrown out large sacks of rice – allowing the strongest to elbow their way to the front of the line – the young and the old have been short changed in this un-humane way of distribution. Third, being a charity and using local groups, more of the donated money has gone to aid, not administration.

I urge you to continue contributing to the UUSC fund for Haiti – it will be needed for a long while: unemployment is above 60%, wages are unconsionably low, and those who work in the garment industry work for 12 hour days-6 days per week and still have no place to live cannot afford decent food for themselves let alone the rest of their families. I also want us to all appreciate the gifts that we take for granted and how quickly they can disappear. Talk to you again next month.

Dick

Wayside Pulpit

The single largest pool of untapped resource in this world is human good intentions that never translate into action. ~Cindy Gallop

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund

We are still participating in this social action. As of February 19, the Fund has received 8,585 donations totalling approximately $1,130,000! If you would like to donate, please place your donation (in an envelope marked with “UUSC/UUA Haiti Fund”) in the collection plate and/or contact our church Treasurer.

Our Newest Members

During our worship service on February 14, we received new members into the congregation and held an ingathering service for all who have joined the church since Summer 2008. If you see some new faces at church, please introduce yourself to them!

The CUUPS Podcast Is Out!

The Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans (CUUPS) recently released the first issue of their new CUUPS Podcast. The first issue features an interview with British academic Michael York recorded at the December 2009 Parliament of World Religions. Basic information about CUUPS is also included in the podcast. The second issue features Margot Adler and Brian Schorr and music from Carole Eagleheart and Faith and the Muse. You can download a free copy of the podcasts either by going to cuups.libsyn.com or to the religious podcast section of the iTunes store.

Womensphere Spring Gathering

Please join Unitarian Universalist women at a Day for Women with Dharma Teacher Joanne Friday, Buddhist teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. The day’s theme will be “Listening as a Spiritual Practice, Hearing with the Heart”. The program will be Saturday, March 27, 2010, from 9:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Falmouth, 840 Sandwich Road, Falmouth Mass. The deadline to register is Friday, March 19. The fee of $20 includes registration and lunch. Scholarships are available. Contact dschmader@cox.net for more information and to register.

Trivia Tidbits

Did you know that many plants in the driveway garden came from the homes and yards of Sarah and Marion, the Joe and Susan provided the big flower containers, Charlie built the retaining wall, the yews on either side of the wayside pulpit came from Marion’s parents, Carolyn donated the sprinkler system to make sure the plants thrive, and the big evergreen tree was planted in memory of Gertrude Fitz? There are many more plantings, paintings, fixtures, objects, and upkeep around the church that have been done, placed, and maintained by numerous others (such as the children) through the years; this is just a small sampling. Our “Memorial Garden” is not restricted to a garden bed!!

Universalist Convocation 2010

The Universalist Convocation will hold its annual convocation May 14-16, 2010, at the First Universalist Society of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The keynote presenter will be the Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, whose talk is titled “Dragged Kicking and Screaming to Heaven”. For more information go to www.nmuc.org/Convo.

March’s Global Chalice Lighting

English

Let all nations live together in unison

And praise GOD together.

Speak with one voice

To LOVE and accept the Word.

Let LOVE create great songs of praise

For all living souls to sing together.

Yoruba

Gbogbo Eda Dapo,
E Jo Yin Oluwa.
E Pa Ohun nyin po,
Lati Fe Oro Na;
K’ ife da orin ope nla,
Ki gbogbo eda k’o si gbe.

~ Olufemi Matimoju

First Unitarian Church of Nigeria

BCD Spring Conference

The Ballou Channing District (BCD) Spring Conference will be held from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on April 24, 2010, at First Unitarian Church of Providence in Providence. We will explore the developing trends in demographic and religious practice and possible congregation responses. This year we will focus the theme through three sermons embedded in an extended, dynamic, morning worship followed by five conversation workshops. Our presenters will be: Rev. James Ford, First Unitarian Church minister, Rev. Eric Wikstrom, UUA Director of Worship and Music Resources, and Rev. Sue Sinnamon, Thomas Jefferson District Director of Faith Development. Plans are also under development for a community social service project. Please chek the BCD Web site (www.bcduua.org) and our church vestibule for more information and registration instructions.

March 2010 Holidays

1 Holi – Hindu

16 Vaisaki – Hindu

17 St Patrick’s Day – Christian

20 Equinox

20 Ostara – Wicca – Northern Hemisphere

20 Mabon – Wicca – Southern Hemisphere

21 Norouz (New Year) – Persian/Zoroastrian

21 Naw Ruz (New Year) – Baha’i

21 Passion Sunday – Christian

24 Ramanavami – Hindu

25 Annunciation of the Virgin Mary – Catholic Christian

27 Lazarus Saturday – Orthodox Christian

28 Palm Sunday – Christian/Orthodox Christian

28 Khordad Sal (Birth of Prophet Zaranhushtra) – Zoroastrian

29 Mahavir Jayanti – Jain

30 Lord’s Evening Meal – Jehovah’s Witness Christian

30 Hanuman Jayanti – Hindu

30 Magha Puja Day – Buddhist

30-31 Pesach (Passover) First two days – Jewish

Milestones

Alexander Graham Bell, George Mortimer Pullman, Luther Burbank , William Fogg Osgood, Vard R. Johnson, Joseph Priestley, William L. Langer, Neville Chamberlain, Sarah Billings Doolittle, Dorothy Tilden Spoerl, Thomas Hiram Andrews , Fannie Merritt Farmer, & Bela Bartok.

Summer At Ferry Beach

Registration for summer conferences at Ferry Beach is now open to everyone! The summer conference season begins with “Work and Play Week”/family week and Quilting Retreat:”You Can Quilt!” from June 20-26, 2010. Some new conferences this year are “The Ferry Beach Group: A Ministerial Study Retreat”, “Filling the Well: younger women’s mini-week”, “Exploring the Maine Coast: A Family Nature Camp”, “Grand Buddies Camp”, and “Celebrating Our Living Tradition: UU History Course and Conference”. For more information on all of Ferry Beach’s programs, visit www.ferrybeach.org or check the vestibule for the current brochure. You can register on the Web site or over the phone at 207-282-4489. There is also a registration form on their Web site to download and mail in.

UU Lobby Day

UU Lobby Day is Wednesday April 28. Join folks at the UUA headquaters, 25 Beacon Street, in Boston at 10:00 a.m. Learn how you can help make a difference on climate change in Massachusetts and fund critically needed homeless prevention programs. You’ll also meet UUMassAction partners and connect with other UUs. For more information, please visit www.uumassaction.org.

Standing On The Side Of Love News

March 19-22: Ecumenical Advocacy Days: “A Place to Call Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Peoples”. This year’s focus will be on Immigration. Details available at www.advocacydays.org. Please contact Kat Liu at kliu@uua.org, if you are participating.

March 21: Join UUs & others for a March for Change for Comprehensive Immigration Reform to rally together and Stand on the Side of Love with Immigrant Families. Details and registration available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org/take-a-stand.

June 26: UUA General Assembly 2010 attendees are invited to join in an Interfaith Community Public Witness Event at the Twin Cities’ Pride Weekend at the Stonewall Stage in Loring Park.

Volunteer To Help Haitians In U.S.A. Apply For TPS

The estimated 100,000-200,000 Haitians in the United States prior to January 12, 2010, are eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This status will allow them to legally live and work in the United States for the next eighteen months without fear of deportation. The UUA and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) are setting up and supporting legal clinics for Haitian TPS applicants. At these clinics, volunteers will provide free advice and assistance in filling out the necessary forms, as well as help in completing TPS fee-waiver applications. Volunteers need NOT be attorneys in order to participate, but do need to take part in a TPS training supervised by immigration attorneys prior to volunteering.

UUSC is hosting two TPS webinars – open to all – facilitated by immigration attorneys, to train volunteers to serve at these clinics. TPS Training Webinars will be held: Wednesday, March 3, (7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST) & Wednesday, March 10 (7:00p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST).

Clinics where trained volunteers will help people fill out applications for TPS and fee waivers will be held: Saturday, March 6 , (11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) in West Somerville & Sunday, March 7, (2:00 p.m .- 4:00 p.m. location to be determined). Please visit www.uusc.org/resource/tps_training to register for the Webinar Trainings, then please RSVP to Nichole Cirillo at 617-301-4336 or ncirillo@uusc.org to let her know which training and/or clinic you will be attending.

Join NCTE For Lobby Days: March 14-16

On March 16, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) will be holding a Lobby Day in Washington D.C. specifically for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In brief, this bill stops companies from firing or refusing to hire transgender workers simply on the basis of gender identity. This has drastic consequences which have included becoming homeless, being preyed upon by those who are in the sex worker industry, and worse. LGBT people and allies from around the country who support ENDA will be at the Lobby Day. For more information about the proposed legislation, the NCTE, and how you can participate, please visit www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/bgltequality/employment/index.shtml and/or www.transequality.org

Magha Puja

Commemorating an important event in the life of Lord Buddha, Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month. On this day, the Buddha went to Rajagaha city where 1250 Arahats,(Enlightened saints) who were the Buddha’s disciples, without prior appointment, returned from their wanderings to pay respect to the Buddha. They assembled in the Veruvana Monastery with the two chief disciples of the Buddha, Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Moggalana. Here, Lord Buddha recited the “Ovadha Patimokkha” (the Fundamental Teaching) to his disciples.

Clean Water For A Healthy World

International World Water Day is celebrated each year on March 22. “It is still a reality that an estimated 1.1 billion people rely on unsafe drinking-water sources. Therefore the theme of World Water Day 2010 is focusing on raising awareness of water quality under the theme ‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’“. The overall goal of the World Water Day 2010 campaign is to raise the profile of water quality at the political level so that water quality considerations are made alongside those of water quantity. Visit www.unwater.org/worldwaterday, www.uusc.org, and www.worldwaterday.org for more information.

American Red Cross Month

President Obama has proclaimed March is American Red Cross Month in the United States.

Tidbits: The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clarissa “Clara” Barton, a Universalist born in N. Oxford, Mass., & President Franklin D. Roosevelt began the tradition of proclaiming March as American Red Cross Month in 1943.

A 45th Anniversary

This month marks the 45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Two UUs, the Rev. James Joseph Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, were murdered by white supremacists during this time. Rev. Reeb was attacked and beaten on March 9, 1965, and died two days later.

Viola Liuzzo, a mother of five children, had brought her car to help drive civil rights workers around the county and was shot and killed while doing so.

The police attack on the marchers and these two murders outraged many Americans and prompted President Johnson to institute the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Other March Osbervances

1 First National Park establised, 1872

2 Read Across America Day

3 National Anthem Day

8 International Women’s Day

10 First paper money issued in US 1862

12 Girl Scouts founded, 1912

14 Mothering Sunday (England)

14 Save A Spider Day

14 Potato Chip Day

14 Daylight Saving Time begins, 2010

15 American Legion founded, 1919

18 Camp Fire Boys and Girls established, 1910

19 Swallows return to Capistrano

19 Iraq War began, 2003

22 National Sing Out Day

25 International Waffle Day

27 Fly A Kite Day

27 Earth Hour

31 First US Copmbat troops ordered to Vietnam, 1965.

Weeklong Observances

Pet Sitters Week

Girl Scout Week

Poison Prevention Week

Crochet Week

Birthstone: Aquamarine, Bloodstone

Flower: Jonquil

Fundraising Ideas

Have a fundraising idea or want to help out at some of the upcoming fundraisers? Please submit your ideas to the Finance Chairman or Board Of Trustees and let the event organizer know you have time to help. You can do this in a variety of ways: in person; leave a note in the mailboxes in the church office; via e-mail; and/or on-line through committees.uufoxborough.org/Finance/.

* Don’t forget to purchase products through our Amazon.com and Powell’s Book partner programs: click through the links on the church Web site home page (www.uufoxborough.org) and shop!

A Very Brief Look At Ostara

The Spring or Vernal Equinox is also known as Ostara and will occur here at 1:32 p.m. EDT, on March 20, 2010. Ostara is the Goddess of Fertility and Rebirth and she presides over this celebration. She is often depicted standing among spring flowers and vines, holding an egg in her hand, surrounded by bunnies at her feet, and birds flying above her. Ostara and the egg are symbols of newborn life.

Eggs and seeds are an important part of this festival because of the promise they each hold of new life springing forth. Seeds are Blessed and are either planted or saved for future planting. Eggs are colored in pastels and placed in baskets around the house and altar.

Ostara is also a time to remember our balance in the greater scheme of things, we are an important part of all that happens around us, our actions and deeds have effect on the Earth, Her people, and the Universe.

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. ~Luther Burbank

Other Notices And Events

• Mar. 3 and Apr. 7: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
• Mar. 4 and Apr. 1: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to participate!
• Mar. 6: (9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) “Thinking Outside the Pulpit: Beyond the Hymn-Sermon Sandwich Service” workshop at All Souls Church in Braintree, Mass.
• Mar. 6-10: End Mountaintop Removal Week. Please visit www.ilovemountains.org/wiw for details.
• Mar. 7: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Mar. 20: (10:00 a.m.) Annual Meeting of The Universalist Church School Union Trust at First Parish Church in Waltham, Mass.
• Mar. 22: Sex Education Advocacy Call-In Day. Details via www.uua.org/socialjustice/issues/reproductive.
• Mar. 27: (7:30 p.m.) Kim and Reggie Harris at Javawocky Coffeehouse in Brockton. Tickets and more informatio available via www.javawockyuu.com.
• Apr. 8-10: UU-UNO 2010 Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar “A Climate of Change: Head, Heart, and Hands Around the Planet”. Details and registration forms available via www.uu-uno.org.
• Please visit www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, www.uufoxborough.org, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings and details.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.

In The Community

Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Saturdays – Yoga classes at the church (9:30 a.m.); Mar. 5-7 – “Rent” at Orpheum Theatre; Mar. 5-7 & 12-14 – Events at the stadium; Mar. 6, 9, 23, & 30 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Mar. 1 – Choral-palooza by Grades 5-12 at FHS (6:30 p.m.); Mar. 9 – McGinty Family Fun Day On The Common Planning Meeting at Public Safety Building (7:00 p.m.); Mar. 11 – Winter Skate at Patriot Place; Mar. 19 – The Un-Common Theatre Company Improv Soup at Burrell (7:30 p.m.); Mar. 23 – Bandorama by Grades 5–12 at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Mar. 29 – Apr. 9 – Foxborough Reads (tickets to related events available beginning Mar. 15); Mar. 31 – “Harriet Tubman’s Freedom Train” at Orpheum Theatre; The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

With canvass season (a.k.a. the pledge drive) upon us, it would be so tempting to list for you the many ambitions we have for the church and the standing financial commitments we need to honor as a community. However, I trust you are aware of these–that you have looked around the place and seen the many places where money could be well spent.

Instead, I’d like to focus our attention on the things we are ALREADY doing or have done in the past year thanks to your continuing generosity with your time, energy, creativity, and money. Here are just a few things you were able to do this year:

✔ Increase the number of members and people attending the church to roughly 70 people including a robust group of children. The Membership and Public Relations Committees have been hard at work making sure word of the church is getting out and that people are properly welcomed to the community. This has energized worship and efforts to reach beyond the walls of the church to help the community.
✔ Tune and re-key the piano.
✔ Offer our children a solid religious education program featuring not just thoughtful curriculum and instruction on Sunday mornings, but also other outings to build a sense of community amongst the younger cohort of our congregation.
✔ Increase salaries. Not only are we grateful for this, but it also brings the church closer to offering salaries that would help attract quality people in the future.
✔ Paint the front entry of the church and make other improvements to the interior decor of the church.
✔ Create the “Property Improvement Committee”, which has created a comprehensive aesthetic vision for our building – inside and out.
✔ Host the International Day Of Climate Action gathering in Foxborough.
✔ Re-write the church’s mission statement and begin the development of a three year strategic plan.
✔ Create and participate in a variety of high-quality lay-led worship services.
✔ Complete the process to become a Welcoming Congregation.
✔ Regularly feature guest musicians as a part of the worship service.
✔ Carry the monthly peace vigil into its third year!
✔ Via the Sunshine Committee, care for each other during times of stress or need.
✔ Change lightbulbs, vacuum, dust, bake, mow, sweep, teach, read, greet, etc.

The list could go on and on. In the midst of our aspirations for our church to serve as a center for spiritual growth and our urgency to provide needed and relevant care to our community, I hope that we can stop every now and then and recognize what we have accomplished together. As we move into the spring, I’m so excited about what’s on our immediate horizon: welcoming more new people and their ideas and talents, having our middle schoolers participate in the OWL program, getting a couple of good social outreach ideas off the ground, and completing the strategic plan that will take us forward as we try to “grow in our ability to fulfill the mission of the church.” You continue to foster a community that reminds us all of what love looks like. Thank you so much for all you do!

Faithfully,

Katie

The 1st Annual “Put-Your-Spirit-Into-Hymn” Hymnal Fundraiser And Contest

Choose your favorite hymn tune and write words for it that express something your spirit longs to have in song. Candidates will be played after worship on April 8 and voted upon by those who volunteer to judge that day. The winning hymns will be sung during worship on “Music Sunday” on April 11. The winners will also have a hymnal each donated to the church in their names. An under-sixteen and over-sixteen winner will be chosen. Original hymn tunes are also welcome!

Pick up a registration form from the front entry of the church. Your registration should be submitted to the box on the piano in the front of the sanctuary by April 1. A separate registration is required for each entry. A three dollar registration donation is suggested.

Upcoming Worship Services

All Worship Services and Religious Education classes begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

March 7: You Are Here

by guest minister Rev. Margie Allen

A look at how we know where we are on our spiritual map and where we want to go.

March 14: It Takes All Kinds

by Lay-leader Neda

March 21: James Reeb–Minister And Martyr

by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate LeeAnn

The Rev. James Reeb was a white Unitarian Universalist minister who worked with poor people in Boston. In 1965 he journeyed with other UU clergy to Selma, Alabama, to protest violence by state troopers against civil rights marchers. Reeb and two other ministers were walking back after dinner to a meeting led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when they were attacked by a group of white men. One hit Rev. Reeb in the head with a club. The blow was fatal and Rev. Reeb died. Rev. Reeb’s murder drew national attention, and is credited with helping to hasten passage of the federal Voting Rights Act.

March 28: Passover Seder

by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate Steve

We join together for a Passover Seder meal, remembering the Israelite’s escape out of slavery and rededicating ourselves to freedom.

Bird’s Eye View
Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association
6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002
Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.
Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!

February 2010

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,
As I write, I am sitting in a large log hall waiting for a group of seventh graders to return from a cross-country ski. We are at an outdoor education center and summer camp about a quarter of a mile from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. I first came here when I was twelve to go on a five-day canoe trip and then came back every summer until I was 24 years old in some capacity or another. Each of the cabins is labeled with a sign that I carved when I was twenty. I am as familiar with these old buildings and these acres as with any place on earth. When I come back, I feel like I return to a piece of myself that resides here.

It is interesting to be here with people who have never been here before, and to go out on snowshoes with young staff people who don’t know who I am and who don’t know I consider this home. This is my home, and it is being inhabited by strangers. I am watching them do things exactly as I did them 20 years ago—playing the same games, walking the same trails, sitting on the same benches—and my heart is so soft. I can almost feel time passing and time standing still simultaneously. I sometimes have to resist a proprietary feeling—like this is MY place and these new people don’t belong here the way I do. But then I remember that this is the beauty of this place: it exists beyond me. Its job is to carry ways of being forward. It is still my home, I still belong here, AND so do these whipper-snappers.

They’ve also made some changes at camp. The hall I am sitting in is twice as big and is winterized after a capital campaign four years ago. I believe I can remember when it didn’t have electricity. It looks and feels strange to my nostalgic eyes, but I have to admit, the program works much better this way.

All of this has made me reflect on the life of the church. I hope we can be true to what our predecessors built and successfully passed on, while also allowing for needed changes to be made. As the church continues to move forward and incorporate new people and new ideas, I hope we will do the work of institutions: remembering both that we are merely passing through *and* that it cannot survive and grow without us. I hope we will all imagine our predecessors watching us and believe that they could return and, in the most important ways, feel at home.

Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings
It’s hard to believe – we are into February already. Daylight lasts longer, seeds and seed starter kits are appearing in the stores, and soon the Red Sox equipment van will leave for the start of spring training in Florida. Surely Spring will soon follow! I left out Groundhog Day; I’m not sure that seeing a shadow has anything to do with the seasons – but the Red Sox van leaving – that is the really hopeful sign of Spring. And, with the change in seasons, maybe there can be a change in optimism – for the economy, and for those who are looking for work so that they can get on with their lives.

One thing that will happen – as time moves along, images of the devastation in Haiti will lessen, the suffering of the earthquake victims will be shown less and less, we will think we have made a contribution, and move on – leaving aid workers to continue to try to pick up the pieces in the poorest country in the Americas. While we have made one collection for the UUSC/UUA Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, continued contributions are welcome. Just mark your contribution with “Haiti” on it in the collection plate, and we will forward them as received. By the way – I think the congregations’ choice of charity – the UUSC vs. the Red Cross – was the right one. Again, the Red Cross, in their collections in the stores, mentions that contributions go to all of their efforts, not just one particular one.

Thanks,
Dick

Newcomer’s Orientation
If you have recently started attending services at Foxborough Universalist Church or are contemplating doing so, this short introduction provides information about the church, how to become more involved (including how to become a member), and a brief history of Unitarian Universalism. From 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. on February 7, the minister and a board member will be in the church office to answer your questions. You do not have to be ready for membership nor a newcomer to our church to attend this orientation.

Women’s Group Meeting
The next Women’s Group Meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10, in Mansfield. Please contact LeeAnn or Nancy for additional details.

February 2010 Holidays
2 Candlemas – Christian
2 Presentation of Christ in the Temple – Anglican Christian
2 Saint Brighid of Kildare – Celtic Christian
2 Imbolc – Wicca (northern hemisphere)
2 Lughnassad – Wicca (southern hemisphere)
3 Setsubun Sai – Shinto
7 Meatfare Sunday – Orthodox Christian
7 Four Chaplains Sunday – Interfaith
12 Maha Shivaratri – Hindu
14 Chinese New Year – Confucian/Daoist/Buddhist
14 Cheesefare Sunday – Orthodox Christian
14 Saint Valentine’s Day – Christian
14 Transfiguration Sunday – Christian
15 Nirvana Day – Buddhist
15 Great Lent – Clean Monday – Orthodox Christian
16 Shrove Tuesday – Christian
17 Ash Wednesday – Lent begins – Christian
21 Orthodox Sunday – Orthodox Christian
26 Mawlid an Nabi – Islam
26 Intercalary Days through March 1 – Baha’i
28 Purim – Jewish

Milestones
Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Adlai Ewing Stevenson, II, Pauline Agassiz Shaw, Charles Darwin, Lydia Estes Pinkham, Peter Cooper, Sallie Holley, Carroll Leander Coburn, Laura E. Howe Richards, & Linus Carl Pauling.

Sunshine Committee
January was a very busy month for the Sunshine Committee. Members attended services for Mrs. Stanley, made dinners for other members, and visited Ted. Hopefully, Ted will recuperate and be home soon! If you know of anyone in the church family that could use some sunshine, please let Lisette or Katie Lawson know.

Reception Of New Members
During our worship service on February 14, we will receive new members into the congregation with a reception of new members and an ingathering ceremony. If you are interested in joining the church, please see Membership Chairman, Chairman, or Minister Katie Lawson.

Ordination Ceremony
Due to schedule conflicts, Katie Lawson’s Ordination Ceremony has been moved to the fall. If you have any fundraising or other ideas for the event, please contact Dick.

Wayside Pulpit
Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.
~ Linus Pauling

Standing On The Side Of Love News

• National Standing On The Side Of Love Day: The SSL campaign is asking congregations to participate in a National Standing on the Side of Love Day on Feb 14, and to help them reimagine Valentine’s Day. Resources to help with worship, organizing, and getting the word out are available at www.standingonthesideoflove.org/reimagining-valentines-day/.
• Standing On The Side Of Love With Immigrant Families: During February’s SSL Web-Cast Calls, participants will learn about how their congregation can create partnerships with immigrant communities. Best practices and resources will be shared. Join the calls: Wednesday, February 10 at 1:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m.
• The BCD office has a Standing On The Side Of Love banner available for congregations to display when engaging in social action projects and events such as attending a rally or march. Please contact the district office to reserve the banner.

UUWorld
UUWorld is available in several audio formats, including a magazine-on-tape service and mp3 files. If you’re a member of the church and would prefer to receive UUWorld on tape (or not at all), please let Ginger or Dick know.

Equual Access
Equual Access is a new affinity organization that promotes equality and access for Unitarian Universalists (UUs) with disabilities. The group is dedicated to ensuring that our faith community warmly welcomes all people including those with disabilities. Equual Access provides advocacy and support for their constituency through coalition building, education, creation of policies, and empowerment. To find out more about Equual Access, its caucuses (Hearing Loss, Mental Health, and Mobility), committees, officers, and structure, and the work they are doing to promote equality and access within our faith community, please visit www.equualaccess.org.

Pocketalker
The Rev. Dr. Devorah Greenstein, a member of the UUA’s Accessibilities Committee, wants all congregations to have assistive listening systems including a Pocketalker. A Pockettalker is “…a personal device that can be used with or without hearing aids that helps an individual to hear better in one-to-one and group conversations. It allows ministers to have comfortable pastoral conversations with people who are hard of hearing. Individuals can borrow a Pocketalker from Equual Access…”

February’s Global Chalice Lighting

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
~ Matthew 5:14-16
Transylvanian Unitarian Church
www.unitarius.ro

UUA Social Witness & Action Opportunities

Congregational Poll
Thank you to all who participated during the past two months in our congregational poll. The five most voted-for proposed CSAIs and the majority vote regarding the draft SOC was recorded with the UUA.

Don’t forget that we can still submit comments about the Draft CSAI “Ethical Eating” before March 1, 2010. Comment forms for the draft CSAI are on-line at www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/.

Award Nominations
Nominations for the Bennett Award, Holmes-Weatherly Award, Skinner Sermon Award, Donna DiSciullo Young Adult and Campus Ministry Award, Angus H. MacLean Award, and Social Witness Sermon Award are due by March 1, 2010. Please visit www.uua.org/giving/awardsscholarships for details.

Ethical Eating: Food & Environmental Justice
For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, the UU Ministry for Earth is inviting UUA congregations to lift up the role our faith can play in the production and consumption of food.  We make daily decisions of what to eat, and every bite is an opportunity to vote for justice. Information and suggested actions on issues ranging from the field to the table are available on the UUMFE Web site (www.uuministryforearth.org), and include links to congregational stories, worship materials, and ideas for actions in our own community.

What’s Your Connection To Mountain Top Removal?
470 mountains have been blown up in Appalachia through an extreme form of coal mining called Mountain Top Removal. The process devastates the eco-systems, pollutes the water, and destroys the communities living there. Is the electricity that you use connected to Mountain Top Removal? Find out with the iLoveMountains.org tool (www.ilovemountains.org/myconnection/) and share this with your friends! If you want more information about the 2006 Action of Immediate Witness (“End Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining”), please visit green.uufoxborough.org.

UUSC Justice Sunday
Every spring, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) encourages UUA congregations to participate in “Justice Sunday”. On Justice Sunday, Unitarian Universalists of all ages come together to take action on one pressing human rights issue. Justice Sunday participants gain in-depth knowledge about an urgent human-rights issue and take steps to create needed social change. This year’s theme is “Advancing Economic Justice” and the suggested date to hold the service is Sunday, March 28. To learn more about Justice Sunday and efforts to advance economic justice against the backdrop of the global economic downturn and access additional resources for educational and advocacy activities, please visit www.uusc.org/justicesunday.

Other Action Ideas

• Get Together! Attend a UUSC Economic Justice House Party and participate in a nationwide discussion with New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse, author of “The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker”, on Justice Sunday, March 28, 2010. If you’re interested in hosting or attending a house party, please contact Nichole Cirillo, UUSC Campaign Manager, via
  www.uusc.org/get_together for more information.
• UUSC Coffee Project: Join more than 500 other congregations in this project which links UUs with small farmers and their families through fair trade. Visit www.uusc.org/coffeeproject for details.
• Look for fair trade labels on products, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and sugar. If your grocer doesn’t stock fairly traded products, ask them to do so.
• Demand that your school district, city, or state government or other institutional purchaser adopt a “sweatfree” purchasing policy to stop tax dollars from subsidizing sweatshops and abusive child labor. Find a local chapter of SweatFree Communities at www.sweatfree.org.

UUSC/UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund
We are participating in this social action. If you would like to donate, please contact our church Treasurer. To date, our church community has donated $422 to the fund. As of 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 29, there had been 4,701 donations to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Unitarian Universalist Association joint relief effort for Haiti, and $471,766 has been raised. Thank you for your generosity!

Doolittle Home Support Auction
The annual Doolittle Home Support Auction will be held this fall. If you would like to get involved with and/or contribute the auction, please call the Doolittle Home at 508-543-2694.

Sacred Texts

“It is better to be alone; there is no companionship with a fool: travel alone and sin not, forgetting care as the elephant in the jungle. Good are companions in time of need; contentment with thy lot is good; at the hour of death, merit is a good friend, and good is the leaving of all sorrow. Good is reverence for mother and father: good, too, reverence for recluses and sages. Good is lifelong righteousness; and rooted faith is good: good is the getting of wisdom, and good the avoiding of sin.”

General Assembly 2010
GA 2010 will be held Wednesday, June 23, through Sunday, June 27, in Minneapolis, MN. Registration begins on March 1. During the annual meeting of congregations, there will be Worship Services, plenaries, workshops, voting on UUA policies and statements by congregational delegates, and more. Visit www.uua.org/ga for details, programs and schedules, and event updates.

February Worship Services
All services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

Feb. 7: What Do You Do When And Why?
Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us have hourly, daily, yearly practices – habits of being that affect the focal points of our lives. What are the things that you do routinely and how do they shape your perspective and spirit? Choosing the routines that shape your days based on spiritual priorities will change the shape of our lives.

Feb. 14: The Purpose Of Marriage
We are hearing a lot lately about preserving the institution of marriage and respecting what it has always been. What has marriage always been? How does the spiritual center of marriage interface with the societal, cultural, and economic centers?

Feb. 21: Mean World, My World
The Mean World Theory describes the phenomena in which people who watch more television perceive the world they live in as more violent and threatening. How much is the world that we are living in one of our design and choosing and how much of it is the “real world”?

Feb. 28: TBA

Other Notices And Events

• Feb. 3 and Mar. 3: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining Company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!
• Feb. 3-7: Interweave Convocation in Dallas, Texas. Details via www.interweavecontinental.org.
• Feb. 4 and Mar. 4: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area
  residents are invited to participate!
• Feb. 6: (7:30 p.m.) Tripping Lily peforms at the Blue Moon Coffeehouse in Rockland.
• Feb. 7: (8:00 a.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• Feb. 23: (7:30 p.m.) “Mobilizing Church Volunteers” Webinar with Peter Bowden.
• Feb. 27: (9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) “Walking The Talk” Workshop with Rev. Richard Gilbert at Channing Memorial Church in Newport. Visit www.channingchurch.org for details.
• Apr. 8-10: UU-UNO 2010 Annual Intergenerational Spring Seminar “A Climate of Change: Head, Heart, and Hands Around the Planet”. Details and registration forms available via www.uu-uno.org.
• Apr. 24: (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) BCD Spring Conference at First Unitarian Church of Providence in Providence.
• Please visit www.bcduua.org, BCD In-Brief, the BCD and UUA e-mail lists, www.uufoxborough.org, and the bulletin boards in the vestibule for more event listings and details.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.

In The Community
Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Until Feb. 12 – FHS Hockey team is collecting gently used and new hats, mittens, and gloves for Cradles to Crayons; Feb. 9 & 23 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Feb. 4 – Winterfest Concert at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Feb. 5 & 6 – 7th & 8th Drama Club presents “Macbeth Goes Hollywood” at Ahern; Feb. 11 – Combined 8th Grade Concert Band & FHS Wind Ensemble at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Feb. 12 – The Un-Common Theatre Company Improv Soup at Burrell (7:30 p.m.); Feb. 13 – Foxborough Lions Club Bottle & Can Drive to benefit FHS Swim Team; Feb. 15-19 – No School at FPS; Feb. 21 – Public Skate at Foxboro Sports Center (12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.); Feb. 27 – Girl Scout event at the church; Feb. 27 – Burrell Fun Day; Mar. 1 – Choral-palooza by Grades 5-12 at FHS (6:30 p.m.); The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

The Foxborough Universalist Church is a vibrant and caring congregation that welcomes all. Our mission is to nurture each other along our spiritual paths while working together for the betterment of our community and the world.

Feb. 3 – Men’s Group Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
Feb. 4 – First Thursdays Peace Vigils (6:00 p.m.)
Feb. 7 – BOT Meeting (8:00 a.m.)
Feb. 7 – What Do You Do When And Why?
Feb. 7 – Newcomer’s Orientation (11:15 a.m.)

The topic for our 10:00 a.m. worship service on Sunday, January 31, 2010, is “Ninety-nine Names Of God”.

Sunday’s worship topic has been changed to make space for a reflection on and response to the earthquake in Haiti. We will return to “Foot Washing and Facials” next week. We will also be accepting a special collection to put toward relief efforts in Haiti.

When people we care about are going through hard times, it can be difficult
to know what exactly will comfort them. How do we resist the urge to try to simply solve their problems and instead bear witness to their suffering?

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Tags: Foxborough Universalist Church, Katie Lawson, Religious Education, UUA, Worship

Annual Holiday Breakfast Fundraiser

Join us for food, fellowship, and fun at our annual Holiday Breakfast at 9:00 a.m. on January 3, 2010. If you have any special requests for breakfast or would like to help, please contact Dick or put a note in the Chairman’s mailbox in the church office. There is a voluntary contribution of $4.00/adult and $2.00/child – completely voluntary. Please put your donation for the breakfast in the basket downstairs, not the collection plate upstairs in the Sanctuary; this is essential for our bookkeeping efforts. All the food is donated to the church, and all the money collected goes to the church.

Women’s Group Meeting

A Women’s Group Meeting will be held from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. on January 8. This is a BYOL (bring your own lunch) meeting. Please contact Leah or Nancy for additional details.

January 2010 Holidays

1 Mary, Mother of God - Catholic Christian 1 Feast of St Basil – Orthodox Christian 1 Gantan-sai (New Years) – Shinto 5 Twelfth Night – Christian 5 Guru Gobindh Singh birthday – Sikh 6 Epiphany – Christian 6 Feast of the Theophany - Orthodox Christian 6 Nativity of Christ – Armenian Christian 7 Nativity of Christ – Orthodox Christian

10 Baptism of the Lord Jesus – Christian 14 Maghi – Sikh 17 World Religion Day – Baha’i 18-25 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity - Christian 19 Timkat – Ethiopian Orthodox Christian 20 Vasant Panchami – Hindu 24 Triodion begins – Orthodox Christian 25 Conversion of St. Paul – Christian 30-February 1 Mahayana New Year – Buddhist 30 Tu B’Shevat – Jewish

Many Thanks!

Thank you to everyone who: helped decorate the church for the Winter holiday season; participated in our beautiful Christmas Eve worship service; contributed to the Holiday Fund; purchased items through our partner programs!

Standing On The Side Of Love News

• SSL Grants For Congregations: Matching grants of $500-$1,500 are available to UUA congregations participating in the Standing on the Side of Love campaign. These grants will support congregations mobilizing at critical times to take action in a broad range of arenas where people are excluded, oppressed, or attacked based on real or perceived identities. Applications are available via www.standingonthesideoflove.org.

• National Standing On The Side Of Love Day: The SSL campaign is asking congregations to participate in a National Standing on the Side of Love Day on Feb 14, and to help them reimagine Valentine’s Day. National Standing on the Side of Love Day empowers each congregation to take action on issues that matter locally, and to pursue strategies that are effective and meaningful to them.

• SSL Web-Cast Calls in 2010: Join the SSL on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 1:00 p.m. EST and Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 8:00 p.m. EST for 45 minute web-cast conference calls. For more information, go to http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/ssl-webcast-calls/.

Reflecting On Who Are Our Neighbors?

The Unitarian Universalist Justice Action network is working to reform of our immigration system. UUA congregations are encouraged to find out more about our immigrant neighbors: What are our relationships? Does our congregation offer “welcome to the stranger”? Please see “Welcoming Our Neighbors: A UU Guide to Immigrant Justice” and www.uua.org/socialjustice/.

A Few New Year’s Traditions And Superstitions

• “First Night” community celebrations began in 1976 in Boston.

• Some people believe loud noises or lighting off fireworks will frighten evil spirits away.

• Some food related customs observed for good luck in the New Year: many Dutch consume doughnuts on this day to ensure good fortune throughout the year; common among American Southerners, black-eyed peas are eaten, often with hog jowls or ham, for luck and to attract money; consuming cabbage is also thought by some to bring good luck.

• “Polar Bear” swims are undertaken perhaps to ensure open eyes to face the New Year.

Let us know how you celebrate the New Year (www.uufoxborough.org/How_We_Observe.htm).

About Tu B’Shevat

This year is 5770 according to the Jewish calendar. The word “Tu” is the number 15 in Hebrew and “Shevat” is the eleventh month in the Jewish calendar. Thus, we find Tu B’Shevat (according to Beit Hillel) always occurring on the 15^th day of the eleventh month. This year that date falls on January 30, 2010 C.E. Tu B’Shevat marks the beginning of Spring in Israel and is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. According to Leviticus 19:23-25, the fruit from trees which were grown in the land of Israel may not be eaten during the first three years, the fourth year’s fruit is for G-d, and, after that, the fruit can be eaten by you. Each tree is considered to have aged one year as of Tu B’Shevat, no matter when in the year it was planted. Therefore, if you planted a tree on Shevat 14, it begins its second year the next day, but if you plant a tree two days later, on Shevat 16, it does not reach its second year until the next Tu B’Shevat. There are not many customs or observances related to this holiday. One custom is to eat a new fruit on this day. Some people plant trees on this day. Many Jewish children collect money for trees for Israel at this time of year.

January Worship Services

All services begin at 10:00 a.m. and are followed by a Friendship Hour.

Jan. 3: Finding Innocence

How can adults regain the lost innocence of youth and rediscover a world full of possibility and immeasurable beauty?

Jan. 10: TBD

Jan. 17: TBD

Jan. 24: TBD

Jan. 31: TBD

Other Notices And Events

• Jan. 6 and Feb. 3: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at Pike’s Peak Mining company in Mansfield. Please contact Rick for details. Newcomers are welcome!

• Jan. 7 and Feb. 4: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church. Area residents are invited to participate!

• The Worship Committee will be meeting in early January to plan the upcoming Worship Schedule. If you’re interested in helping plan the church’s course of Worship, participating in a service as a Worship Associate or Lay-Leader, or have anything to contribute or that you’ld like to have included in worship services, please contact Neda or Minister Katie Lawson.

• Please contact LeeAnn or Nancy if you’re interested in the Interior Design Committee.

• Jan. 10: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.

• Jan. 12: (4:00 p.m.) Retirement party for Dot Embree, longtime Executive Director of the Attleboro Area Council of Churches. Please visit www.attleborocouncilofchurches.org for details.

• Jan. 14 & 21: (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) “Financial Literacy For Young People” will be held at First Parish Universalist Church in Stoughton. This is a two part, free workshop for ages 15 and over. Preregister via Pamela McCarthy at 781-344-7125 or PMcCarthy2007@gmail.com.

• Jan. 21: MassEquality Lobbying Day at the State Building. Details at www.massequality.org.

• Please contact the UU-United Nations Office if you’re interested in becoming an “UU-UNO Envoy”.

• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event. Payments are made through the Treasurer.

In The Community

Monday – Friday – Crossroads Children’s Center at the church (8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.); Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Jan, 12 & 26 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Jan. 7 – Grades 5-8 Orchestra Concert at Ahern (7:00 p.m.); Jan. 14 – 8th Grade Concert Band and Junior Jazz Band at Ahern (7:00 p.m.); Jan. 18 & 29 – No School at FPS; Jan. 19 – U.S. Senate Special Election Day in Massachusetts; Jan. 21 – 6th & 7th Grade Concert Bands at Ahern (6:30 p.m.); Jan. 30 – Divine Drums and Sassy Sword Stylings workshops at the church; Jan. 31 – “A Mid-Winter Medley: Beginner To Professional Belly Dance Showcase” at the church (2:00 p.m.); The Restocking The Shelves collection box is on the church’s second level – please contribute!

World Religion Day: World Religion Day is a Baha’i observance celebrated on the third Sunday of every January. Begun in 1950, the day “provides the opportunity to seek a unified approach to the spiritual challenges that confront humanity, and recognizes that the Earth is but one country and mankind its citizenry.”

Bird’s Eye View

Newsletter of Foxborough Universalist Church, Unitarian Universalist Association

6 Bird Street * On The Common * Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 * 508-543-4002

Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.

Katie Lawson, Minister * www.uufoxborough.org * All Are Welcome!

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

It was such a joy that so many of you were able to come to be together at the Potluck thisNovember. The conversation that occurred after dinner was productive, and it will beinteresting to see where it takes us next.

Amidst all of that productivity and hard work, what was most inspiring was simply seeing you talking and laughing and eating together. I was so glad to be reminded that in the midst of all each of you do on behalf the church and the community, it is so important to also just have funtogether. Laughter and relaxation, after all, are key components to any spiritual life. Thefact that Friendship Hour is such an integral part of life at the church is an indication of how critical opportunities for pure fellowship are to our ministry.

As we consider some of the wisdom offered to us by Bill Zelazny at the potluck and begin tocreate a strategic plan, I hope we all remember the ministry of good, clean fun. Let’s continue to look for new ways to enjoy being together.

Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings

December!!! – At one point it seemed that December would be four months late this year. I was still waiting for summer when I found out that it was Halloween already. Somehow, despite the calendar, I’m still looking for summer to show up, a season when you plant things like tomatoes that grow to be larger than a half dollar in diameter, where it doesn’t take three to make one sandwich. We’ve settled in to our church year with weekly services, routine RE for the kids,and our winter holiday program planned.

I would like to challenge you to bring in food and grooming items for the food pantry. All of the Boston area food pantries are running way ahead in applicants looking for minimal food fortheir families. As soon as we get a reasonable quantity we will bring it over, and please -remember that the need does not end at Christmas dinner, it is needed throughout the year.

Also, one of our members works at Lemmuel Shattuck hospital – she says that they can always use adult clothing; again, at any time of year. Clients arrive with little and have needs for coats,gloves, sweaters, shirts, pants, etc, etc. Don’t throw away those outdated items; bring them in, and we will see to it that they get to a good home. Thanks!

Dick

Fundraising Through Partner Programs

We’re Amazon.com and Powell’s Books Associates. If you click through their links on the homepage of the church Web site (www.uufoxborough.org) and then shop at either of these on-line stores, part of your purchase price comes back to us. Please keep this in mind as you shop during the year!

Inclement Weather Days

As soon as any change in the church schedule is known on snowy or other inclement weather days, an announcement will be posted on Channel 5 (WCVB). If there’s another media method you think would be advantageous to utilize, please let thePublic Relations Committee know – thanks!

Wayside Pulpit

We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors. That is how change takes place in living systems, not from above but from within, from many local actions occurring simultaneously.

~ Grace Lee Boggs

Religious Education

From The RE Director

On a shopping trip with my daughter before Halloween, she noted how the Christmas displays were in full force. On our way to my sister-in-laws on Thanksgiving morning, my husband noticed that several homes had their Christmas lights up and ready to go – something we haven’t even thought of yet, never mind dig out of the attic! Every year, it seems “Christmas” starts earlier. At least at the retail and grocery stores it does. Those of us who bemoan the commercialization of this holiday may cringe at the constant reminders to buy, buy, buy! Yet what have we as UU’s done to respond to this?

We receive the daily newspaper at our house, and, normally, I rifle through the paper and quickly remove the ever constant store sale flyer and dispose of them in the recycling bin before my kids arrive at the kitchen table. For some reason, the past few weeks, I have been remiss in this task – and, as a result, my kids have dutifully studied the numerous store flyers that have flooded the newspapers. My son suddenly has endless ideas for his “list” when he is perusing the pages of Toys”R”Us. Funny how he couldn’t come up with much just a few weeks before.

Over the years, I have tried to talk to my children about how we have so much more than most people on this earth. How we should be and are grateful for all we have. How so many others are living hand to mouth or in need of the most basic things especially in today’s economic climate. We talk about this throughout the year (or should I say, I mention it to them when it seems appropriate without trying to belabor the point). Each holiday season, we have typically made a donation to some organization or other – The Heifer Project is a popular one the kids like, or anything to do with animals. We give to the food pantry, donate some toys at the “Toys for Tots” collection box at their Karate Dojo. Dig up old coats for a coat drive, and so on. All of this and my kids still think of this season as one where they expect to receive “things”. Of course they do receive things – from family and from us and even a few token items from “Santa”. So, thus the tug of war I have with trying to find some balance.

Over the last several years in church and RE, we have focused on the Solstice – learning about how the different cultures from around the world and throughout history have celebrated this season. We touch on the traditional Christmas/Nativity story. If you are like me, these are traditions from somewhere else – they are not “our” traditions, not UU traditions. Yet, I cannot articulate UU traditions for my kids – they are a rehash of the others.

Just recently, I came across some interesting information about efforts to start a new (unofficial) UU holiday tradition called Chalica. This is what I found:

CHALICA is an unofficial holiday in the Unitarian Universalist tradition that celebrates each of the faith’s Seven Principles – one a night, for seven nights. The celebration begins on the first Monday of December, and is marked by the lighting of a chalice each day (or evening). Gifts that reflect the particular day’s principle may be given, but the focus tends to be more on mindfulness and action.

• Monday: We light our chalice for the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
• Tuesday: We light our chalice for justice, equity, and compassion in human relations.
• Wednesday: We light our chalice for acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.
• Thursday: We light our chalice for a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.
• Friday: We light our chalice for the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large.
• Saturday: We light our chalice for the goal of world peace, liberty, and justice for all.
• Sunday: We light our chalice for respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

I have found this proposal of a tradition intriguing and have been considering how we can incorporate this tradition into our holiday season at home. While I have yet to put it into practice, it is one that appeals to me and one my kids can consider as part of “our” faith while still respecting and acknowledging other traditions. I’m considering lighting a candle at the beginning of each day to meditate on that principle and discuss how we can focus on it throughout the day. We may not start on the first Monday – but to do it during a week that works for us – the beauty of a non-creedal, non-dogmatic faith – no?

What are your traditions? How do you make this holiday meaningful for your family? Does the concept of a UU tradition interest you? I would love to know!

Peace and Blessings for a holiday full of love,
Lisa

The Hogwarts

On November 13 the Hogwarts Group went to see “Joseph And His Technicolor Dreamcoat” put on by the Norton Singers. The Norton Singers is a group of actors/singers ages 7 to 70 from towns all around our area. Every year they choose a different musical to perform. This musical was playful as it provided a medley of musical styles. One of the kids’ favorite numbers was the “Pharaoh’s” Elvis imitation. As a special surprise, they provided each of our group members with a picture book of the story and a Joseph bead doll.
Leah

December 2009 Holidays
6, 13, & 20 – Sundays of Advent – Christian
6 Saint Nicholas Day – Christian
8 Bodhi Day (Rohatsu) – Buddhism
8 Immaculate Conception – Catholic Christian
12 Feast day – Our Lady of Guadalupe – Catholic Christian
12-19 Hanukkah – Jewish
16-25 Posadas Navidenas – Christian
18 Hijra – New Year – Islam
21 Solstice
21 Yule – Christian
21 Yule – Wicca northern hemisphere
25 Christmas – Christian
26 Zarathosht Diso (Death of Prophet Zarathushtra) – Zoroastrian
27 Feast of the Holy Family – Catholic Christian
27 Ashura – Islam
28 Holy Innocents – Christian
31 Watch Night – Christian

You and Me by the Christmas Tree

Jazz vocalist and musician Krisanthi Pappas and her band of piano, bass, drums, guitar, saxophone, and flute perform holiday favorites on Krisanthi’s CD “You and Me by the Christmas Tree”. This CD has been receiving great reviews from national magazines and radio station personalities. Normally $15, Kris is selling them for just $10 for the month of December. Please ask her for more details and log onto her web site to hear sound clips of the CD at www.krisanthi.com.

Ballou Channing District Young Adults

Jennifer Shattuck is our district’s new Young Adult Ministry Consultant. During the next few months, she will be providing information for Unitarian Universalists under forty and promoting avenues for UU Young Adults to connect with each other through programs, gatherings, social justice activities, and workshops. If you have any questions about the future of young adult ministry in the District, please don’t hesitate to contact her at 617-763-2799 or jennytuck81@gmail.com.

Also, beginning in mid-January, program notices, ministry resources, and short essays written by young adults and allies from around the District will be available on the BCD’s new Young Adult Ministry Blog at bcd-ya.blogspot.com.

UUA Social Witness Opportunities

Unitarian Universalists can participate in the UUA’s Social Witness process in a variety of ways including: voting in the Congregational Poll before February 1, 2010, submitting comments on the Draft SOC “Peacemaking” before February 1, 2010, and submitting comments on the Draft CSAI “Ethical Eating” before March 1, 2010. Comment forms for the latter two options are on-line at www.uua.org/socialjustice/issuesprocess/.

As a congregation, we are also encouraged to vote for five of the six proposed SAI s for the 2010-2014 Social Witness Cycle. The proposed SAIs are:

• Ending Slavery
• Energy, Peace, and Justice
• Immigration as a Moral Issue
• National Economic Reform: A Moral Imperative
• Nuclear Disarmament
• Revitalizing American Democracy

The five proposals that recieve the most votes will be presented at the 2010 General Assembly; there they will be debated and then, once again, voted on in order to choose the next SAI.

December’s Global Chalice Lighting

Knowing we must die, we question what life means.

Final answers may elude us, but by living the questions,
we create and discover meaning where we can.

~ Rev. Forrest Church
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

First Thursdays Peace Vigils

Get involved in the ongoing Social Action project hosted from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm. at the church the first Thursday of every month. The First Thursdays Peace Vigils community would like you to join them; candles and signs are provided. Stay for as long or as short as your schedule allows. Upcoming dates: Dec. 3, Jan. 7, and Feb. 4. December will mark the 3rd Anniversary of First Thursdays Peace Vigils.

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee News

• December 10 – Annual Rights Night: Mel King will be honored with UUSC’s Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award for his commitment to social justice and human rights. Attendees are invited to stay after the 7:00 p.m. ceremony to join activists from across Boston’s many communities in conversation about carrying the legacy of King’s work forward. All are welcome! The event is free, but please RSVP by e-mailing rsvp@uusc.org or calling 617-301-4381.

• PECAN, DO IT! UUSC’s Holiday Fair Trade Promotion: Purchase delicious pecan candies and fairly traded pecans from UUSC’s partner, the Southern Alternatives Agricultural Co-operative (SAAC), by visiting www.uusc.org/content/holiday_pecans.

• Don’t let your investment dollars fund genocide!: UUSC and their colleagues at Investors Against Genocide (IAG) need your help to end the practice of investing in genocide. Previous actions have successfully pressured TIAA-CREF and others to divest, so we know the efforts are making a difference! Please visit www.uusc.org and www.investorsagainstgenocide.net to find out about several ways you can help support this important work.

• Learn about and support immigrant rights!: See “Made in L.A.”, an Emmy award-winning feature documentary that follows three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles garment sweatshops as they embark on a three-year odyssey to win basic labor protections from a trendy clothing retailer. Please visit the film’s web site (www.madeinla.com) to learn more.

Vigil For Survival

After the successful International Day Of Climate Action in October, 350.org and Bill McKibben are asking folks to also hold a candlelight vigil on December 11 or 12 to send a clear message to world leaders deciding the fate of the planet’s future. Mid-way through the climate talks in Copenhagen, people around the world will gather in solemn solidarity with the nations and peoples who will be first to face the challenge to their very survival posed by climate change and for whom delay on climate action could mean extinction. To help plan a vigil or find out where one is happening in our area, visit www.350.org/vigil.

December Worship Services

(Worship Service & Religious Education Classes begin at 10:00 a.m. on Sundays, except as noted. Sunday morning events are followed by a Friendship Hour.)

Dec. 6: When To Say When
Our natures have a tendency to hold behavioral and attitudinal ruts (like saying ‘yes” to every invitation). Sometimes the ways we have come to respond to the world don’t necessarily work to bring us closer to the holy. How do we catch ourselves in the act of reacting automatically and free ourselves to a different way of being?

Dec. 13: Yes, And…
Often life calls upon us to hold two seemingly disparate ideas, realities, or possibilities at the same time. Our nature, however, is better able to manage either/or scenarios. How can we exercise our ability to accept paradox and ambiguity in our lives?

Dec. 20: Christmas Pageant – Intergenerational
The congregation is pulled into living theater to tell the Christmas story and sing carols.

Dec. 24: In The Deep Midwinter – Intergenerational Candlelit Christmas Eve Service (4:30 p.m.)

Dec. 27: Poetry Sunday
It has been said that the poets come closest to speaking in God’s native tongue. Come ready with the poem that has most moved or inspired you lately and discover new poets and poems to help illuminate your spiritual path.

Bird’s Eye View

Foxborough Universalist Church,Unitarian Universalist Association

6 Bird Street | On The Common | Foxborough, MA 02035-2301 | 508-543-4002

Worship Service & Religious Education Classes, Sundays at 10:00 A.M.

Katie Lawson, Minister | www.uufoxborough.org | All Are Welcome!

December 2009

The location for December's meeting has been moved from StoneForge Pub to Pike's Peak Mining Company (31 Hampshire Street, Mansfield, Mass.)

The Men's Group meets at 7:30 p.m the first Wednesday of every month at a local venue. Join us there to socialize and plan community service and church events. The group welcomes new members. Please contact RickB. for more information.

Minister’s Message

Dear Friends,

What does it mean to be Unitarian Universalist? How do I explain it? I am hearing these question more and more from you. You want a way to explain yourself to your friends, to your family, to your children, and to people you think might be enriched by participating in our congregation. You have rightly ascertained that Unitarian Universalism has evolved into something that is hard to explain to people who have only experienced more conventional Christianity. However, the difficulty of explaining it mostly comes from the fact that the conventional terms in which we talk about individual religions do not apply to Unitarian Universalism. Inevitably, when someone is looking for you to explain Unitarian Universalism, what she seems to be asking is, “So, what exactly do you believe?” which actually is not what Unitarian Universalism is about. My colleague, Thom Belote, said it well I think when he was explaining Unitarian Universalism to reporters from a fundamentalist Christian magazine:

….we are a covenantal faith, not a creedal faith. We share a covenant of how we try to be together, not a creed of what we all must believe together.

Then the questions really began: “Well, does your church believe in the Bible?”

My response: That is a creedal question. We are a covenantal church. We share a covenant of how we try to be together, not what we are expected to believe together.

This answer is not a flakey cop-out. This answer emerges out of a history throughout which people struggled with what it means to be Christian, what it means to be religious, and what it means to be “saved.” These people often risked their livelihoods, if not their lives, to say, “I am a thinking person, close to God by virtue of being born, and I should not need to be told what to believe by other mere human beings.”

Thom’s answer emerges out of the first action of the pilgrims when they landed in Massachusetts which was to form a covenant on how to live together as religious people. This answer emerges from the thoughts of devout early Congregational ministers who read the Bible and thought, “This is less about worshipping one man and about walking a path encompassing love.” This answer emerges out of religious philosophers like Ralph Waldo Emerson who could not believe that God was the possession of only those sitting under one kind of roof, who read the newly translated works from the East and thought, “We are trying to say the same thing: Life is full of blessings and injustice and God is everywhere.” This answer emerges from the fervent hopes of the humanists, who thought, “With or without God, our duty is to be good to each other and work for justice in THIS life.”

In the weeks to come, let us help each other find ways to articulate this beautiful, flawed, challenging, and brave tradition. It is worthy of our faith.

Faithfully,
Katie

Chairman’s Ramblings

It’s the start of the holiday season already, and each year the time seems to get compressed: too many activities going on, too much commercialism. This would be a good time to bring in non-perishable food or other items for the Foxborough Discretionary Fund. Their need is year-round but a little extra heavy this time of year. There are many families that need help with food and other items at this time of year, and your help is always appreciated.

If you have extra adult clothing, winter coats, shoes, etc., please bring them in to church. The patients at Shattuck Hospital always need clothing and Ginger Bailey will bring items in to the hospital. They should be clean and gently used. Ginger kindly took the leftover clothes from the yardsale, and they were appreciated. It would be nice to have members remember to bring in both food and clothes each Sunday.

Last, we will be doing the Guest At Your Table program again this year, but in a little different fashion. Instead of taking home the boxes to place at your table, we will set out a collection for the program at coffee hour. We hope you will be equally generous and appreciate the convenience.
Dick

Newcomer’s Orientation
If you have recently started attending services at Foxborough Universalist Church or are contemplating doing so, this short introduction provides information about the church, how to become more involved (including how to become a member), and a brief history of Unitarian Universalism. From 11:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. on November 8, the minister and a board member will be in the church office to answer your questions. You do not have to be ready for membership to attend this orientation.

Wayside Pulpit
“The world is like a mirror, you see? Smile, and your friends smile back.”
~ Japanese Zen saying

RE Happenings
After several rained-out attempts at a fall outdoor excursion, the RE classes finally switched to an indoor field trip. On October 18, despite rain, all the classes visited the Haunted Theater at the Orpheum. Amongst other activities, they danced in a 3-D room, visited a basement dungeon, and walked through a sparkly, spinning cylinder. A good time, and many treats, were had by all.

The Hogwarts

The Hogwarts group started learning the bible story of Joseph. The first lesson talks about his coat of many colors, his brothers’ jealousy, and leaves us hanging with Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers. My favorite comment of the day came from Russell, who predicted that the brothers would kill Joseph because that’s how all the biblical people handle jealousy. While listening to the story, the kids made their own coat of many colors.

On November 13, the Hogwarts group will be going on their own field trip. After having learned about Joseph and his Coat of Many Colors, they will travel to Norton to see the Norton Singers’ version of “Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”.
Leah

Milestones
Vashti Cromwell McCollum, Kate Olivia Sessions, Edna May Oliver, James Luther Adams, Sir Charles Lyell, Charles Hudson, Mary Tyler Peabody Mann, Orello Cone, Lotta Hitschmanova, and John Haynes Holmes.

The First Thanksgiving
Interested in the facts and myths about the “First Thanksgiving” at Plimoth Colony? Log-on to www.plimoth.org/education/olc/ to use “You Are The Historian”, an interactive presentation created by the folks at Plimoth Plantation.

The Living Tradition
The Wheel Turns – Samhain

I would guess that most of you call October 31 Halloween, but for some of us it is the holiday of Samhain, the Witch’s New Year. It is a very magical night, when the veils between the worlds are thin. While we can and do celebrate Halloween with costumes, candy, and parties, there is always a private ritual or celebration where we honor our loved ones who have passed on and to invite them to join us once again on this sacred night.

Samhain actually means “Summer’s End” and was when the last of the harvesting was done. Some current Halloween traditions derive from the ancient Celtic traditions. The carving of pumpkins was actually the carving of turnips and they were used for light when many households let their fires go out so that they could be re-lit with the night’s bonfires. The Druids lit huge bonfires and the people gathered, sometimes wearing the skins of animals, which could be considered the source of dressing up for Halloween. The Romans had their own feast to honor the dead and also a day to honor Pomona, the Goddess of fruit and trees. When they conquered Celtic lands, these traditions blended. Pomona’s symbol, the apple, was incorporated into these celebrations, hence possibly this is where “bobbing for apples” comes from. The influence of Christianity also adds to the tradition of Halloween. As they were taking over the old Pagan rituals to influence people to convert, they called the day after Samhain, All Hallows or All Saints Day, a day to honor the dead saints, followed by All Soul’s Day, a day to honor all of the dead. The night before became known as All Hallows Eve, shortened to Halloween.

For those who follow a Wiccan spirituality, this is a very important night. Gathered together, or as solitaries, we honor our loved ones, we set out what is called “The Dumb Supper”, leaving a plate for those from beyond the veil who may be walking the night. We use the signs of autumn on our altars – leaves, acorns, pumpkins, apples. This is a night for divination, as Samhain night is known to be “the night that exists outside of time”.

No matter how you celebrate, may your Samhain be blessed and know that every ending is but a beginning in the Wheel of the Year.

Goddess Blessings,
Susan Morgaine

November 2009 Holidays
1 All Saints’ Day – Christian
1 Samhain – Wicca Northern hemisphere
1 Beltane – Wicca Southern hemisphere
2 All Souls’ Day – Catholic Christian
2 Guru Nanak Dev Sahib birthday – Sikh
12 Birth of Baha’u'llah – Baha’i
15 Nativity Fast begins (through Dec 24) – Orthodox Christian
22 Christ the King – Christian
24 Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom – Sikh
25-28 Hajj – Islam
26 Thanksgiving – Interfaith – USA
26 Day of Covenant – Baha’i
26 Waqf al Arafa – Hajj Day – Islam
27 Eid al Adha – Islam
28 Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Baha – Baha’i
29 First Sunday of Advent – Christian
30 Saint Andrew’s Day – Christian

International Day Of Climate Action
Our church hosted and participated in a successful “International Day Of Climate Action” event on October 24, 2009. Minister Katie Lawson, Pastor Paul Sangree of Bethany Congregational Church, Rev. Rebecca S. Brown of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, members of FACT (Franklin Area Climate Team), and Foxborough Selectman Paul Mortenson each spoke briefly of the need to take actions to reduce global warming. About 40 people attended the event, including church members and the public. There was a display of 390 ping pong balls (350 white and 40 black) to simulate the current atmospheric level of carbon dioxide of 390 ppm. The goal of the day’s activities focused on the number 350 and each participant was encouraged to take one of the black ping pong balls to represent both their intention to reduce their carbon usage and the need to bring the CO2 levels back down to the currently desired level of 350 ppm.

We were one of twenty-six Massachusetts UUA congregations to participate in the day’s activities, and one of more than 5,200 actions around the globe in 181 countries! Many thanks are extended to: the day’s emcee and guest speaker, Minister Lawson; Lisa Benoit for coordinating the event, making signs, setting up the sound system, and more; Madison for doing face painting. If you want more information about the ongoing work of 350.org or UUMFE, our Green Sanctuary efforts and related literature, and/ or the upcoming COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen, please visit green.uufoxborough.org.

Stand Up For Climate Justice
Discussions about climate change usually focus on mitigation (reducing the production of carbon). But these efforts leave unaddressed the impact on people already experiencing the effects of climate disruption — communities around the world that had very little to do with creating the problem in the first place. Supporting these communities is a matter of justice. As part of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee’s (UUSC) engagement with the global 350.org campaign, they have launched “Climate Justice Offset Program”.

UUSC’s partners around the globe can help advance social justice and develop methods to deal with the effects of climate change. For example, in Darfur, dwindling rainfall over the last several decades has caused more frequent droughts which has meant less water for people to grow their crops. The resulting increase in competition for land and water has exacerbated existing conflicts in the region, playing a major role in the genocidal war that has raged in Darfur for over six years. From your donations, equipment and materials can be provided to help a woman secure alternatives to leaving the safety of displaced persons camps in order to make a living. Please visit www.uusc.org/climatejustice to find out other locations UUSC is focusing on and how UUSC and its partners can help protect the environment by planting native trees, bringing together voices from the Global South concerned about climate change, and more.

First Thursdays Peace Vigils
Get involved in the ongoing Social Action project hosted from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm. at the church the first Thursday of every month. The First Thursdays Peace Vigils community would like you to join them; candles and signs are provided. Stay for as long or as short as your schedule allows. Upcoming dates: Nov. 5, Dec. 3, and Jan. 7. December will mark the 3rd Anniversary of our First Thursdays Peace Vigils.

Notices

• Nov. 1: (2:00 a.m.) Daylight Savings Time ends! Turn your clocks back one hour.
• Nov. 1: Work party after church. Bring your favorite tool to help clean the church grounds.
• Nov. 4: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at StoneForge Pub in Foxborough.
• Nov. 5: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigils outside at the church.
• Nov. 7: “Supporting LGBT and Questioning Youth: Creating Safety and Building Resiliency” free workshop at First Parish in Bedford. Visit www.uubedford.org to register.
• Nov. 16: Deadline for submitting UUA General Assembly 2010 Program Proposal forms to the Program Development Group.
• Dec. 2: (7:30 p.m.) Men’s Group Meeting at StoneForge Pub in Foxborough.
• Dec. 3: (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) First Thursdays Peace Vigil at the church.
• Dec. 6: (7:00 p.m.) Board Of Trustees Meeting at the church. All are welcome to attend.
• April 8-10, 2010: UU-UNO Intergenerational Spring Seminar, “A Climate Of Change: Head, Heart, And Hands Around The Planet” in New York City, New York.
• Contact rentals@uufoxborough.org to reserve the church for your ceremony, meeting, or other event.

Holdeen India Program
A new DVD resource, which gives an introductory overview of UUHIP, is available for free! Please visit www.tinyurl.com/UUHIP-DVD for more information.

Charter For Compassion
The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is one among a diverse group of interfaith religious organizations that have partnered with the “Charter for Compassion” community. This collaborative effort seeks to be a witness to the centrality of compassion in all of the world’s religions – and to help build a more “peaceful and harmonious global community” through that witness. The finalzed version of the Charter for Compassion will be “launched” in a major event on November 12, 2009. Religious people from around the world are invited to join in this launch by sponsoring special events and activities. Unitarian Universalist congregations are welcome to participate in any way that they choose. Learn more about how our congregation can participate by visiting www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/151228.shtml Additional details about the Charter For Compassion can be found on-line at www.charterforcompassion.org.

Minister Emerita
On October 18, 2009, we presented our former Minister, Reverend Fayre Stephenson, with the title of Minister Emerita of the Foxborough Universalist Church.

Reaching Out
While we’ve held drives to help send items to military personnel serving overseas, there are other ways to reach out any time to those far from home. Operation Dear Abby (https://wwwcfi.cnet.navy.mil/dearabby/), USO’s Operation Mail Call (www.uso.org/mailcall), and Operation USO Care Package (www.uso.org/oucp) are three on-line methods of bringing some Holiday cheer to the women and men serving our country around the globe.

UUSC Holiday Cards
This year, send more than holiday greetings in the mail to loved ones; send support to courageous human-rights defenders around the world with UUSC holiday cards! These cards are a colorful way to promote social justice during the season of goodwill. Order your UUSC holiday cards today via www.uusc.org.

Standing On The Side Of Love Friday Calls
Join in on the 45 minute Web-cast conference calls every Friday at 1:00 p.m. Each call features a presentation by Campaign Staff and Advisors, a Q & A, and discussion. Topics include: how to get your congregation involved; how to develop a local campaign; how to use new media; how to bring SSL to interfaith colleagues and allies; and more! For more details and connection requirements, go to www.standingonthesideoflove.org/fridaycalls/.

Families: Weave A Tapestry Of Faith
In the Fall, 2009 issue, UU World magazine launched a unique lifespan faith development resource to use at home. The new four-page insert in UU World’s centerfold space is geared for the whole family and draws from the stories, activities, and faith development guidance in “Tapestry Of Faith” curricula published by the Lifespan Faith Development staff group. The next issue will feature a story about Mahatma Gandhi’s quest for his own truth and a West African/Caribbean story about the spider, Anansi, to remind us, as we follow our own faith paths, to seek out our six Unitarian Universalist Sources and harvest their wisdom.

Worship Services

Nov. 1: Day Of The Dead by Lay-leader Neda Joury-Penders
On this day we come together to remember those who have died. We will explore what it means to live in the presence of death and how knowing that the people we love will die affects how we relate to them while we live.

Nov. 8: Bring A Friend Sunday by Minister Katie Lawson and Worship Associate Ginger Bailey
This service will be especially geared for those who may want to visit the church for the first time and will explore what it means to be a good a friend and what it means t to be a good neighbor.

Nov. 15: Health And Happiness by Katie Lawson and Virginia Sanders
In the presence of the debate over health care legislation and so much information about what it means to be healthy, we will explore the ways in which physical health is entangled with our spiritual health and religious lives.

Nov. 22: The Attitude Of Gratitude
As Thanksgiving approaches, we devote our worship to reasons for and ways of cultivating gratitude in our lives. We will also celebrate with a Cornbread Communion.

Nov. 29: Decking Your Halls
As we move into the winter holiday season, how do we retain the spirit of reverence that is their inspiration. How do we enter the holiday season with intention and hold
that intention throughout?

In The Community
Month – Free mulch and compost for residents from DPW; Mondays & Wednesdays – Belly Dance classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Tuesdays – Yoga classes at the church (6:30 p.m.); Nov. 1. 8, & 22 – Events at the stadium; Nov. 10 & 24 – Board Of Selectmen’s Meetings; Nov. 6 – “Three Mill Girls” at Chapel Meetinghouse (7:00 p.m.); Nov. 11, 26, & 27 – No School (FPS); Nov. 12 – “Dinosaurs” at Orpheum Theatre (9:30 a.m.); Nov. 12 – Fall Jazz Concert at FHS (7:00 p.m.); Nov. 14 – “Belly Cat” Fundraiser for Felines Of Foxborough (6:30 p.m. at SFCC); Nov. 21 – Jaycees Craft Fair at American Legion (10:00 a.m.); Nov. 21 – Mother Goose On The Loose at Boyden; Nov. 21 – Handbell Festival at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church (3:00 p.m.); Nov. 24 – FMA Young Artist Recital at FHS (7:00 p.m.).

Other November Holidays And Observances
2 Deviled Egg Day
4 King Tut Day
11 Veteran’s Day/Remembrance Day
15 America Recycles Day
20 Transgender Day of Remembrance
27 Buy Nothing Day

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month; Adoption Awareness Month; Alzheimer’s Disease Month; Diabetes Month; and Native-American Heritage Month. Nov. 1-7 Animal Shelter Appreciation Week; Nov. 9-15 World Kindness Week; Nov. 15-21 Hunger & Homeless Awareness Week; Nov. 22-28 National Game & Puzzle Week.