At last! We are entering a slower time of the year, a time of moving inside, inside our homes, inside ourselves. Winter in New England has some real advantages. With more time available, I have a chance to look at some new “stuff”—not for performance, just for the quiet growth that comes from a fresh focus. Who knows, it may become something to share later! On January 6, we can enjoy a “Winter Festival of Song and Soup” with a show featuring music and drama in the spirit of the Renaissance, performed by the Falmouth-based Solstice Singers and members of Ensemble Passacaglia. This family-friendly show is followed by hearty soups and desserts. Check out the church website (www.uumiddleboro.org) for tickets. Don’t miss this!
Build a Bear of Wholeness For our children in RE on Sunday mornings, we will continue to explore our relationship with our faith home. We will consider the joys, the responsibilities and the protections that come from our family home and how they relate and can grow with our faith home. We meet every Sunday morning during the service, and children are welcome to drop in any time to be with our group. Nursery During Church We have Niko Pucillo-Dunphy and Jesse Hoyle offering child care during church. Please feel free to bring your infants and toddlers to have fun with Niko and Jesse while you are in the sanctuary participating in the service.
Rev. Connolly will be offering a class on Unitarian Universalist perspectives on religious humanism. The text we will be using is entitled, Humanist Voices in Unitarian Universalism.
John Mullen has graciously offered to make new name tags for us. If you either do not currently have a name tag on the rack in the Parish Hall or would like a new one, simply email John at JohnNMullen@gmail.com.
December, 2023 Ah, the holiday season! The Christmas cards and holiday displays that were already crowding the aisles of department stores and Dollar Stores before Halloween have finally (already!) appeared in stores and homes and public spaces at a time that feels more appropriate. Already the “Merry Christmas” vs. “Happy Holidays!” battles have begun online– and at certain political rallies. And, so, we get ready for the mixed blessings that the holidays bring.
UU Middleboro church musicians are still basking in the warm glo of a superb Autumn Concert (in Memory of Avis Clay), performed on November 19. It was a huge push and a huge success. Kudos to all the performers and support people who came together to make it happen! December promises to be its usual lively month, starting with two new offerings. Thursday, December 7, at 7:00 p.m., there will be a special gathering called “Finding Peace at the Holidays.” The music will be instrumental, gentle and meditative, a great way to ease into the busiest month of the year.
Volunteers: We need people, please! I’m looking for a few loving and caring people willing to sit with our children on Sunday mornings for RE to teach the curriculum with me. We rely on CORI’d people/volunteers to provide safety and learning for the children downstairs each week. You can let the DRE know you are interested during the service, coffee hour or by email/phone call! Our Annual Holiday Party for RE: We will be celebrating the holidays on Sunday, December 10. The children will be together from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. for gingerbread making, holiday crafting, food and fun.
The Cash in the Plate for the month of December will be donated to Doctors Without Borders in light of the casualties and suffering being experienced by Israelis and Palestinians.
…thanks to Alan Melchior, Sarah Person and Jim Bonnar, who got the new banner up on November 25, 2023, within days of the wind storm that brought down the old, worn-out one. You may not even have noticed the banner was missing!
It was a joy to dedicate the Avis Clay Parlor on Sunday afternoon with her children and family in attendance. And of course, even a greater joy to be present for the extraordinary Autumn Concert! Unfortunately, in the busyness surrounding preparations, an important element was left out.
