All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church196 Elm Street, Braintree, MA(781) 843-1388Open Hearts ~ Open Minds ~ Open Doors The Reverend Dr. Clyde Grubbs, MinisterThe ChimesAPRIL 2019 Monthly Newsletter April Sunday Worship Services
April 7 - Staying at the Table Difficult conversations? They may want to avoid them, but sometimes they are the most important.
April 14 - Gathering the Dirt
Palm Sunday symbolizes both triumph and tragedy. Today we examine how that theme plays out in a contemporary ritual of restoration.
April 21 - Easter, Resurrection and Renewal
Easter was the name of the Anglo Saxon Goddess of Spring. It has come to be celebrated by Christians as the victory of life over death, and hope over despair. Does Easter have a message for us in a time of catastrophic climate change? It is fitting that this year Easter falls the day before Earth Day.
April 28th - Beloved Community The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream, and a vision of human community. We appreciate that vision.
From the Board of Trustees We have had a busy late winter and now that Spring has sprung, we are gearing up for even more busy times. The Mardi Gras Potluck was a huge success and so much fun. Thank you to all who participated in planning, decorating, cooking etc. The English Tea on Saturday April 13 is an event not to be missed.Our Annual Stewardship Campaign will begin shortly and run through April 28. Please look for materials from the Board of Trustees and our Treasurer, Mary Mitchell.We have a few dates for you to put onto your calendars. On Sunday May 19, we will have a budget hearing to review a proposed budget for the 2019-20 church year. This is your opportunity to give input and feedback on spending priorities and income sources.The annual meeting has been set for Sunday June 9, 2019 at noon so save the date. While proxies will be available for those who absolutely cannot make it, it is important for as many members as possible to attend as this is the time that we discuss and vote on important church issues. Please make every effort to attend. The Catalyst Group (Kathy and Andy Pearce, Daniela Osborne, and Jessica Ellstrom) have been working hard to advance the process of considering and producing a c6ovenant for All Souls. They want your input and will be hosting a meeting in the near future for your input. Please try to attend.As part of the ongoing grant process, we have executed a Preservation Restriction with the Massachusetts Historical Society, and have had it recorded with the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. This document sets forth limits on making substantial changes to the church building and outlines our responsibility in maintaining the structure. Of note, this is in addition to the Preservation Restriction with the Town of Braintree done in 2011. This is a standard procedure in historical preservation and is actually what we are already doing.On Sunday April 28, members of the Weymouth UU Church and their minister will join us for our worship service and coffee hour. They have expressed some interest in the potential for future cooperation between our congregations. Please make them feel welcome. In addition wearing name tags will help identify us. With warm regards, Linda Steiner and Joseph Maloney
From the Writing Group
April is International Poetry month and we will join the celebration. The members of the writing group may try their skill at writing a poem, like a haiku, or a free verse. We may also bring a poem we know and wish to share. Another approach is to discover a “found poem,” which is a passage from a work of writing that can stand alone and be considered a poem. It may describe, make a statement, or be a part of conversation, or carry special meaning. All Souls Writing Group will meet Wednesday, April 24, at 4 pm, in the Elliott Room
Diane Doucette – for the All Souls Writing Group
From the Book Club
All Souls Book Club will meet Tuesday, April 2nd at 7 pm. in the Elliott Room. We will discuss Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. “Set in New York City in 1938, The novel tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year- old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future. “The story opens on New Year's Eve in a Greenwich Village jazz bar, where Katey and her boardinghouse roommate Eve happen to meet Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a ready smile. This chance encounter and its startling consequences cast Katey off her current course, but end up providing her unexpected access to the rarified offices of Conde Nast and a glittering new social circle. Befriended in turn by a shy, principled multimillionaire, an Upper East Side ne'er-do-well, and a single-minded widow who is ahead of her times, Katey has the chance to experience first-hand the poise secured by wealth and station, but also the aspirations, envy, disloyalty, and desires that reside just below the surface. “Elegant and captivating, Rules of Civility turns a Jamesian eye on how spur of the moment decisions define life for decades to come. A love letter to a great American city at the end of the Depression, readers will quickly fall under its spell of crisp writing, sparkling atmosphere and breathtaking revelations, as Towles evokes the ghosts of Fitzgerald, Capote, and McCarthy.”- Description from Amazon
The May book selection will be Trevor Noah's #1 New York TImes Bestseller, Born A Crime: Stories from a South African childhood. It's a "compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed." All are welcome. Please join us for some good conversation and light refreshments.
Happy Reading,Lin Steiner for the Book Group
From the Treasurer
The ability of All Souls Church to continue helping to make the world a better place relies upon the financial support of our members and friends. To make a pledge, please print this page, fill it out and return it to:
All Souls Church of Braintree P.O. Box 850219 Braintree, MA 02185-0219
If you are a member or if you have pledged to All Souls in the past, you will receive a pledge card to complete and return. The annual pledge drive will run through the month of April. Please return your cards by Sunday, April 28th so that we can generate our budget for FY 2019-2020 with realistic projections of our income. If you have any questions about the pledge drive, please contact the Treasurer, Mary Mitchell at 781-864-7743 (cell) or at maryalthea52-at-gmail-dot-com. Give until it feels good! Thank you, Mary Mitchell, TreasurerMaryalthea52-at-gmail.com
From The Development Committee
Members and friends of All Souls Church had so much fun at the March 9th Mardi Gras Potluck Party, that we are hoping to do it again next year. The food was incredibly delicious and the wonderful array of desserts made it difficult to choose which ones to sample. The costumes, trivia contest, dancing, laughing and friendly conversations made for a warm and enjoyable winter evening. We are busy planning the April 13th Spring Tea Party. After such a wonderful time last year we are hoping for another successful, sold out event. Scones, breads, tea sandwiches, delicious desserts and of course several teas will be served. We welcome anyone who would like to help bake, make sandwiches, set up on April 12th or volunteer on April 13th. Please think about attending and/or helping with the Tea. Get your tickets early and wear a hat if you have one. We always welcome anyone who would like to help with an event or join us in a meeting to discuss ideas and planning.Development next meets Sunday, May 5, 2019 at 12pm. Thank you to the Committee members and everyone who helps and supports our events. First note:The Development Committee needs volunteers to support the Spring Tea Party . If you are available to help with any of the following: baking, making sandwiches, serving, clean up, etc. please contact any committee member: Kathy Pearce, Marcia Flaherty, Joe Maloney, Diana Althouse, Daniela Osborne or Sandra Lingley. Second note:The refrigerator will be cleaned out for the Spring Tea Party on April 7, 2019. If you have anything in it you want to keep please remove it by Sunday April 7, 2019. The refrigerator needs to be kept cleaned out until Sunday April 14, 2019.
Thank you,Sandra Lingley &Kathy Pearce Co-Chairs Development Committee
From the Covenant & Catalyst Committee
"Covenant is the silk that joins Unitarian Universalist (UU) congregations, communities, and individuals together in a web of interconnection. The practice of promising to walk together is the precious core of our creedless faith." Please join the Covenant Creation Committee after service on April 14 to share your thoughts on what you think All Soul's covenant should contain. We will have pizza to share and hope to gather suggestions from everyone!
Daniela Osborne, Covenant & Catalyst Committee
From the Minister
This year Easter falls late. The ancient Church decided that the celebration of the Resurrection should be celebrated on first Sunday after first full moon following the Spring Equinox. As you may have observed there was a full moon on the first day of Spring, it was in fact a super Moon. (The moon is closer to the earth and thus appearing very big.) Thus Easter falls a full month (moon) after the beginning of Spring. Since our word Easter comes from the name of the Anglo Saxon goddess for Spring, we might say she has a late unveiling this year. For over twenty years I have celebrated both Earth Day and Easter. But this year the Earth Day Sunday is the same day as Easter. Now that is something to think about!! The crowd that followed Jesus faced catastrophe after their leader was executed by the hanging on a cross. They dispersed and hid out. Their dreams had come to an end. We are faced with a changing climate. Many of us are scared and dispirited. Rising waters, severe storms, oceans that well above normal, impending water shortages, insects that are vital for our agriculture such as bees and butterflies are endangered. Somehow the followers of Jesus rallied, they decided that as long as they were alive Jesus lived in their examples. They tried to make real his message of love and justice. Are we witnessing something like that today. Bombarded by news of catastrophe endangering life on this planet, do we see people rallying? Let us celebrate an Easter of hope for a good planet for the generations to come. Let us celebrate an Earth Day of renewed commitment.
-Rev. Clyde Grubbs
APRIL AT ALL SOULS CHURCH
Click here for live calendar or visit allsoulsbraintreechurch.orgService and Music Committee Meeting, Sunday, April 7 12 pm Drumming, Sunday, April 7 7pm Chalice Circle, Monday, April 1 7:30pm Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, April 27pm South Shore LGBT Seniors and Friends Brunch, Saturday, April 27 10am Potluck Supper, Saturday, April 27 6pm South Shore Singing Meditation, Monday, April 8 at 7pm Covenanting Catalyst Discussion & Pizza Party, Sunday, April 14 12pm Board of Trustees, Tuesday, April 16 7pm-9pm Development Committee Meeting, Sunday, May 5 12 pm Writing Group, Wednesday, April 24, 4 pm Annual Tea Party, Saturday, April 13 3pm-5pm Annual Tea Party Set Up, Thursday, April 11 & 12 after 5pm Sand Play Spirituality Workshops with Rev. Michelle Walsh Sundays, 4/14/19 & 4/28/19 1:30pm - Rev. Clyde's Office Tuesday Conversations, Tuesdays, 11am - 12:30pm, Topics TBD Gay Men’s Group, Thursdays, at 7:30pm Quincy Bay AA, Mondays, 7pm AA Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8pm in Parish Hall
Thursday, April 25, 2019 - JUNE CHIMES Submission deadline
Spiritual Exploration/Centering/Visioning Via Sand-Tray Play
Unitarian Universalists from Braintree, Quincy, and Weymouth are invited to participate in a free series of three spirituality workshops to be held on Sundays, March 24th, April 14th, and April 28th from 1:30-3:30PM at the All Souls Church, 196 Elm Street, Braintree, MA. Workshops will be facilitated by Rev. Dr. Michelle Walsh, who currently is completing both individual and group spiritual direction training through Still Harbor. She is offering these workshops for free as part of the completion of her training practicum (she also offers 3 free sessions of individual spiritual direction while completing this program as well for those interested separate from group participation). The workshops will build off each other, but you are welcome o come if you missed the first session. Activities include contemplative practice and journaling time - including contemplative practice and journaling time and suggestions for individual sand tray play. Sand tray is a wonderful and specialized spiritual technique for exploration and visioning using miniature objects in a tray of sand to explore one's inner life and meaning making. Contact Rev. Dr. Walsh if you are interested in signing up or have further questions at michelle@revmichellewalsh.com, which also is her website.
A NOTE FROM MEMBERSHIP:
Recently a few people have mentioned that they would like to become Church members, but they could not afford it. I was very surprised by this! We certainly are very grateful for any donation/pledge, but there is no minimum requirement. Any amount is gratefully accepted. If you cannot afford a pledge, your labor is another way of giving to the Church. What is required is a willing spirit to volunteer and help! The benefits of becoming a member are your right to vote at the Annual Meeting and, if willing, to hold an office.I hope this clears up any misconceptions people might have that is stopping them from membership. If you have any questions, please see me.
Sincerely,Marcia FlahertyMembership Chairperson
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!! EQUAL EXCHANGE CHOCOLATE BARS!!Diane Doucette and Marjorie Kearns are selling Equal Exchange Fair Trade chocolate bars on selected Sunday mornings after the service at least once a month. You will want to have some on hand for your Easter celebrations! WHY BUY FAIR TRADE CHOCOLATE?
The price is only $4.00 per bar or 2 bars for $7.00It is sooo luscious. Benefits the environment, the farmers and there is no toxic residueIt is organic and shade grown – meaning it is grown under a rain forest canopy rather than destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland. Growers are paid a fair price for their product.No children are used as laborers in its production.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Assisted Listening DevicesAssisted Listening Devices will soon be available for Sunday services. We are in the process of organizing the distribution, training and use of the devices.If you are looking to try them out, watch for someone handing them out just before the beginning of the service. Also, if you are interested in helping to distribute the devices, contact Don Swanson or Mary Mitchell. The purchase of these devices was made possible by generous contributions in memory of Larry Fogg
. Belated March Birthdays Rev. Clyde Grubbs 3/15 Diane Doucette 3/28 Rick Anderson 3/28
Womensphere Spring MeetingAccessing Your Inner Wisdom: April 27, 2019 at Westminster UU in East Greenwich, RI
Searching for answers? Oracles are all around you! Discover what they are and how to read them. The 2019 Womensphere Spring workshop explores the fascinating art of divination, and is inspired by the book "The World Is Your Oracle" by Nancy Vedder-Shults. $27, including lunch. Enjoy a day with inspiring women in a beautiful setting! For details and the registration form, please email us at BCDWomensphere@gmail.com. Womensphere is a collective of individual UU women passionate about exploring our spirituality, meeting other open-hearted people, and serving humanity and the planet.
If you are looking for old issues of the Chimes Newsletter, they are on the Member Page of our website. Need the password? Don't know how to get there? Just send us an email. The Member Page is also where you will find the church directory and the most recent annual report. Inclement Weather Information If service or church events have to be cancelled due to snow or other weather conditions, we post notices on NBC TV Channel 7 and 56; WBZ TV Channel 4; cbsboston.com; WCVB Channel 5; on our website; on our Facebook page HERE; and by message on our church phone 781-843-1388.When possible, we will send out an email to all on our mailing list.
All Souls Church of BraintreeUnitarian Universalist P.O. Box 850219 Braintree, MA 02185-0219 allsoulsbraintree@gmail.com www.allsoulsbraintreechurch.org The Rev. Dr. Clyde Grubbs, Minister The Rev. Meredith Anderson,Minister Emerita The Rev. Dr. Michelle Walsh, Affiliate Community Minister Jacob Clapper, Musical Director Jessica McCormick, Church Administrator {781} 843-1388
To receive news of what's happening at All Souls, sign up for our emails HERE. We send out one weekly update or a monthly newsletter. If there is an urgent or important message, that will be emailed out as well. We never share your information and you can opt out at any time.
All church activities such as Drumming, Singing Meditation, Gay Men's Discussion Group, and Writing Group are free and open to the public ...
Events are free unless otherwise noted. For more information about each group, please see GROUPS page
APRIL HIGHLIGHTS AT ALL SOULS CHURCH
Click here for live calendar or visit allsoulsbraintreechurch.orgService and Music Committee Meeting, Sunday, April 7 12 pm Drumming, Sunday, April 7 7pm Chalice Circle, Monday, April 1 7:30pm Book Discussion Group, Tuesday, April 27pm South Shore LGBT Seniors and Friends Brunch, Saturday, April 27 10am Potluck Supper, Saturday, April 27 6pm South Shore Singing Meditation, Monday, April 8 at 7pm Covenanting Catalyst Discussion & Pizza Party, Sunday, April 14 12pm Board of Trustees, Tuesday, April 16 7pm-9pm Development Committee Meeting, Sunday, May 5 12 pm Writing Group, Wednesday, April 24, 4 pm Annual Tea Party, Saturday, April 13 3pm-5pm Sand Play Spirituality Workshops with Rev. Michelle Walsh Sundays, 4/14/19 & 4/28/19 1:30pm - Rev. Clyde's Office Tuesday Conversations, Tuesdays, 11am - 12:30pm, Topics TBD Gay Men’s Group, 1st & 3rd Thursdays, at 7:30pm Quincy Bay AA, Mondays, 7pm AA Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8pm in Parish Hall
Thursday, April 25, 2019 - JUNE CHIMES Submission deadline
Please don't forget our ONGOING TEXTILE RECYCLING FUNDRAISER - You can Leave textiles in any condition (in bags) in the bin in church parking lot. Thank you!
All Souls does not run the groups listed below, we only provide the space. For information about these self-help groups and other places they meet, please check their websites.
Sundays at 7 pm GA Mondays at 7 pm closed AA group; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 pm AA; Wednesdays at 6:45 pm Women’s AWOL