Dear friends,

It’s been a joy to see some of you as Kit and I have returned to work. For us, it was a summer of a few short trips and lots of quality family and friend time. I guest-taught in Lasell University’s MFA poetry program, and you can find a new poem of mine (about watching baptisms in Walden Pond) on the Poetry Phone Booth in West Concord.

Despite staff vacations and study leave, life goes on in the summer, and we’re grateful that this summer First Parish was not fully “closed.” We participated in a new summer service consortium, hosting Sunday worship twice alongside four other local congregations. Many thanks to Barbara O’Neil and her team of Deacons for pulling this off!

While I hope the last few months held some moments of quiet for you, it was not exactly a restful time for our nation, or for our world. As we return to the life of First Parish in Lincoln, we are greeted by September’s worship theme of “Seeking…” We are a congregation full of different spiritualities, but we are united by a spirit of seeking. Seeking encounters with the holy. Seeking a more just world.

There is much to look forward to this fall, both inside our community and out. Our Religious Exploration program begins in mid-September, with a new age-based curriculum to accommodate our growing numbers of children. For adults, we’re rolling out a new series of Small Groups (some based around a theme, some free-format), with the goal of adding 30 people to new or pre-existing small groups this year. Come to the First Parish in Action Fair after church on September 22 to learn more.

We’ve missed you! We can’t wait to be back together soon, as we explore what it means to be a seeker in our beautiful and broken world.

With love,
Nate & Kit

PS – A reminder that September 8 is our Ingathering Service with Stone Communion (bring a stone or pebble from a place that is meaningful to you!). September 15 is Rally Sunday, with special treats and lawn games outside after the service. 

 

Did You Know? Summer Edition

Over the Summer…

-14 of FPL’s Caring Cooks delivered 23 meals for 4 different households.

-A beautiful new set of speakers was installed in the choir loft, to replace the ones on loan from R.L. Smith (thanks, Mike Killick and AV Committee!).

-20 teenagers from rural Maine stayed in our Parish House one night this summer, en route to Logan Airport and a summer adventure. Thanks to Lora Venesy for the hospitality.

-A group of gardeners, led by Rev. Rosemary Lloyd, have been weeding and beautifying different spaces around our campus.

-Several FPL friends and members are awaiting new babies this fall. Please keep Sue and Corey and Liz and Jon in your prayers!