First Parish Calendar This Week/Next Week (January 15-28)

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CALENDAR AT A GLANCE

Monday January 15
   Martin Luther King Day
   7:30 p.m., Environmental Leadership Team
Tuesday January 16
   12:00 p.m., Meeting House News Deadline
   5:00 p.m., SAC Board Meeting
   6:30 p.m., T'ai Chi
   7:00 p.m., Amnesty International
Wednesday January 17
   9:30 a.m., Buddhist Group
   6:00 p.m., Listening Session
   7:45 p.m., Adult Choir Rehearsal
Thursday January 18
   7:30 p.m., By Your Side Singers
   7:30 p.m., Buddhist Group
Friday January 19
   12:30 p.m., T'ai Chi
   7:00 p.m., Jewish Awareness Affinity Group
Saturday January 20
   1:00 p.m., Resist and Persist Women's March
Sunday January 21
   9:00 a.m., Chalice Choir 
   9:00 a.m., Gospel Choir
   10:00 a.m., Sunday Service
   11:30 a.m., Junior Choir
   4:30 p.m., Listening Session
Tuesday January 23
   11:30 a.m., Listening Session
   6:30 p.m., T'ai Chi
Wednesday January 24
   9:30 a.m., Buddhist Group
   6:00 p.m., Interfaith Potluck Dinner
   7:45 p.m., Adult Choir Rehearsal
Thursday January 25
   7:30 p.m., Listening Session
   7:30 p.m., Buddhist Group
Friday January 26
   7:00 p.m., WPA "Light in Winter"
   7:30 p.m., Rise Up Singing
Sunday January 28
   9:00 a.m., Chalice Choir 
   9:00 a.m., Gospel Choir
   10:00 a.m., Sunday Service
   11:30 a.m., Sunday Forum in the Sanctuary
   11:30 a.m., Junior Choir
   12:15 p.m., Contemporary Vocal Ensemble

  

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THIS WEEK (January 15-21)

*Martin Luther King Day
Monday January 15

*Environmental Leadership Team
Monday January 15, 7:30 p.m.

*Meeting House News Deadline
Tuesday January 16, 12:00 p.m.
Submissions in final form for the February Meeting House News are due by noon, Tuesday, January 16. Please send your submission and images as attachments to the Editor, Wendy Wolfberg, at wolf...@post.harvard.edu. For dates and guidelines, please review the brochure “Publicizing Events at First Parish of Concord” available on the small table outside the church office, or you can request a PDF from the Editor. After you email your submission and image(s), you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email, be sure to contact the Editor. For ideas and examples, you can download and review last year’s kickoff newsletter and all newsletters at http://firstparish.org/wp/news/meeting-house-news/. Submission is limited to 100 words and sent as a Word or Text file. Images can be either JPEG or PNG. Please be sure to send all files as attachments. 

*SAC Board Meeting
Tuesday January 16, 5:00 p.m.

*T'ai Chi
Tuesday January 16, 6:30 p.m.

*Amnesty International
Tuesday January 16, 7:00 p.m.

It’s not too soon to put the evening of April 26 on your calendars. Sister Helen Prejean (“Dead Man Walking”) is coming to town at our invitation, and our planning for the event begins tonight. Also on the agenda are updates on criminal justice reform in Massachusetts and our continuing advocacy for two students in Azerbaijan imprisoned for nonviolent political actions. We welcome all to join us. For more information, contact Nancy Lyons, njly...@gmail.com, or 978-369-6109.

*Buddhist Group
Wednesday January 17, 9:30 a.m.
Come explore Buddhism with us Wednesdays from 9:30-11:00 a.m. (or Thursdays from 7:30-9:00 p.m.). Even if you have no previous experience with Buddhism, consider joining one of these groups. A typical session usually starts with some chanting and meditation to help us calm our minds and focus our thoughts. Then, after a brief reading or lecture, we discuss how to apply what we have learned to our daily lives. Questions are always welcome. We are a friendly, welcoming group. Check out a session or two. Contact Bill Seaver at Bill....@gmail.com.

*Listening Session
Wednesday January 17, 6:00 p.m.
Throughout the 2017-18 church year, First Parish will take time to reflect on the present and envision its future. This is the first in what will be a once-every-five-year reassessment of where our community is and where we want to go. In December, we conducted facilitator training for the congregational conversations occurring in January. Sign up for a conversation at coffee hour, or just come to one (or more) of the scheduled sessions. The schedule is available at coffee hour and is posted on the website. Remember, this initiative will culminate in a congregational visioning summit the weekend of March 10. Please watch FP Announce, the Sunday News, and the website for more opportunities to shape our future together. 

*Adult Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday January 17, 7:45 p.m.

*By Your Side Singers
Thursday January 18, 7:30 p.m.
By Your Side Singers First Parish’s pastoral choir. Through  singing, we offer a musical presence to people seeking comfort and support during times of illness or transition. In our twice monthly meetings we sing gentle songs and chants from our hymnals and other sources. In singing meditation we provide gentle support and comfort to one another. When invited, we visit parishioners’ homes in groups of 3 or 4 singers.

*Buddhist Group
Thursday January 18, 7:30 p.m.

*T'ai Chi
Friday January 19, 12:30 p.m.

*Jewish Awareness Affinity Group
Friday January 19, 7:00 p.m.

*Resist and Persist Women's March
Saturday January 20, 1:00 p.m.
On January 20, the people of New England will take to the streets again to reaffirm our commitment to the values of liberty, dignity, and equal protection. Come join a diverse coalition of social justice and human rights groups on the Cambridge Common (bordered by Waterhouse Street, Garden Street and Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge) to send a message to an administration that is systematically eroding the rights of women and other marginalized people, dismantling and destroying our democracy, and putting the entire world at risk. January 20 is the first anniversary of Donald Trump's inauguration and the 44th anniversary of Roe V. Wade. The Advocates for Women's Empowerment (AWE) and Reclaiming Our Democracy groups invite parishioners and friends to gather at the Cambridge Common and tell the world how we feel. Note that the AWE meeting scheduled for January 20 is cancelled so we can attend the march. Event information can be found here:https://www.facebook.com/events/862995990536253.

*Chalice Choir 
Sunday January 21, 9:00 a.m.

*Gospel Choir
Sunday January 21, 9:00 a.m.

*Sunday Service
Sunday January 21, 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana: "Seeing Whiteness"
Music: First Parish Choir

*Junior Choir
Sunday January 21, 11:30 a.m.

*Listening Session
Sunday January 21, 4:30 p.m.

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NEXT WEEK (January 22-28)

*Listening Session
Tuesday January 23, 11:30 a.m.

*T'ai Chi
Tuesday January 23, 6:30 p.m.

*Buddhist Group
Wednesday January 24, 9:30 a.m.

*Interfaith Potluck Dinner
Wednesday January 24, 6:00 p.m.

*Adult Choir Rehearsal
Wednesday January 24, 7:45 p.m.

*Listening Session
Thursday January 25, 7:30 p.m.

*Buddhist Group
Thursday January 25, 7:30 p.m.

*WPA "Light in Winter"
Friday January 26, 7:00 p.m.
The Women's Parish Association invites you to add light, beauty, and fun to your winter months! Join old and new friends for a delicious soup meal (prepared by our very own "Rev. Chef Howard N. Dana"), socializing, and decorating candles. Enjoy Howard's brief demo of his soup creation; Richard Fortier playing his guitar throughout the evening; Barbara Forman giving an introductory talk about the history of lighting; and a candle decorating workshop with Merrill Comeau giving artistic advice. No prior experience necessary. Hands-on advice and all necessary supplies will be available and you can bring your creations home. Cost: $7.00 which includes food, beverages, and supplies. For reservations, contact the office at 978-369-9602, or Dian Pekin at Pek...@comcast.net.

*Rise Up Singing
Friday January 26, 7:30 p.m.
First Parish’s monthly song circle. Singers and instrumentalists of all ages are welcome at this fun and informal evening of shared music making. Bring copies of Rise Up Singing and Rise Again if you have them. Copies will be available for those who don’t. We will pass the hat for a free-will donation to cover the cost of the room and a sexton.

*Chalice Choir 
Sunday January 28, 9:00 a.m.

*Gospel Choir
Sunday January 28, 9:00 a.m.

*Sunday Service
Sunday January 28, 10:00 a.m.
Rev. Howard N. Dana: "Do When the Spirit Says Do"

*Sunday Forum in the Sanctuary
Sunday January 28, 11:30 a.m.
"Is Walden Okay?" A 2001 U.S. Geological Survey collected and organized a huge amount of data about the chemistry of Walden Pond between the years 1995- 1999 (inclusive). Among the data were details on the annual variation in two elements, phosphorous and dissolved oxygen. The interaction of these two elements is the root cause of modern toxic algae blooms, such as those that have occurred on White Pond. This talk will demonstrate a simple dynamic model that ties together the data on these elements and illustrates the level of the current threats to the well-being of Walden Pond. The talk will also demonstrate that when the modern high levels of phosphorous are removed, the model reveals the probable pattern of the pond's function in earlier times. The surprising finding is that even in the late autumn of 1846, when Thoreau lived beside it, Walden Pond at its deepest points probably ran out of oxygen. John M. (Jack) Nevison is president of New Leaf Project Management and lives within a half-mile of Walden Pond. He is the author of six books and numerous articles on computing and management. His first simulation model, about a watershed ecosystem, was published in 1974.

*Junior Choir
Sunday January 28, 11:30 a.m.

*Contemporary Vocal Ensemble
Sunday January 28, 12:15 p.m.