First Parish Milton UU

10/13/2026

Have you signed up to host a trunk at Trunk or Treat? Sign up today: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAA82AAAF9C25-65410151-2026 #/

10/10/2026

Weekly Link: https://fpmilton.org/your-weekly-link-10-9-2026/

This Sunday is FP Milton’s Animal Blessing Service. Having never done one before, I am finding it a challenge to decide what to include, how simple or complex to make it, and what to do if someone brings a snake to be blessed. Well actually, I have that last concern covered as Susannah is sharing the blessing part of the service with me and she has happily agree to handle any reptiles.

Planning this service has also reminded me of a trip Donna and I made in

2016. The main destination was the Grand Canyon but after driving that far, we were obviously not limiting ourselves to one destination. So, in our research we discovered Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab Utah.

Three things to know about Best Friends Animal Sanctuary:

Motto – Together we can save then all
Mission - To bring about a time when there are No More Homeless Pets
Vision - A better world through kindness to animals

There is so much I could tell you about Best Friends but the story that had a huge impact on me was that it was Best Friends Animal Sanctuary that took in the 22 fighting dogs confiscated from Michael Vick and successfully rehabilitated them helping to transform public perception and proving that dogs from fighting backgrounds could be rehabilitated.

Read the rest of this story on our website...

10/08/2026

This Sunday is "Blessing of the Animals" Service! Animals of all kinds on leash or in carriers are welcome to come to this service. Use your judgement and if your pet would not enjoy this gathering in our sanctuary, feel free to bring a photo for us to bless. IMPORTANT: There is no RE Class Sunday, kids and youth will stay in Meetinghouse. If your child needs a break to play, please ACCOMPANY them to and stay with them in Parish Hall (where coloring sheets, crayons, and some toys will be available). Nursery is available for under 3 years old.

10/06/2026

Sign up to host a trunk at Trunk or Treat on October 25! SIGN UP: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548AAA82AAAF9C25-65410151-2026 #/

10/03/2026

Weekly Link - https://fpmilton.org/your-weekly-link-10-1-2026/

Briefly With Bev

Reflecting on Times Such as These

As I sit and ponder the fact that we are approaching another election season in a series of elections that feel like the outcomes get more and more impactful on our everyday lives as well as our future, my immediate thought is “what can I possibly say?” As rights continue to be taken from us, perhaps for generations, and as our very democracy, as well as our planet, is at risk, my next thought is “I have nothing.” Perhaps you have been there too, felt that way at times in your life.

Since it is the middle of the night and what I would normally do to clear my head (go geocaching) is not an option, instead I started wandering around the house, thinking about nothing, thinking about everything.

And on the kitchen table I saw two stickers. They must have come in the mail recently and we had not decided what to do with them, so on the table they remain. And here were my answers. Here is what matters most in these times, right now.

This is no time for apathy. We must allow ourselves to feel what we are feeling and then let those feelings lead us into actions. Whatever your emotions about the way things are right now - angry, scared, sad - let those emotions drive what you do next. And there are things that can be done:

1. Make or buy a sign and display it proudly – Love Is the Answer,
Climate Change is Real, Black Lives Matter, Believe the Science –
whatever says what is foremost on your mind.

2. Check out “UU the Vote” on Facebook or their website for some ideas. It may be too late to send postcards but it is not too late to text or phone folks in swing states.

3. Explore and follow through on ways to make your home, your
community, and First Parish Milton more environmentally friendly.

And in this time, right now, perhaps most importantly, confirm that you are registered to vote, check out the ballot now to give yourselves time to carefully read the questions you will be asked to vote on, and then VOTE. In Massachusetts you can quickly check your status and the ballot

Remember, my friends, we are in this together. We will get through these continuing difficult times, together. And, I believe that one day, one election cycle, we will look back on this time as a temporary test of our patience and resilience. A test that we will all pass with flying colors as long as we stick together.

With Love and Peace,
Rev. Bev

Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 10/1/2026 October 1, 2026 • Administrator Table of Contents Table of Contents This Week in Worship Briefly with Bev Religious Exploration Music News & Announcements Events Social & Environmental Justice Beyond First Parish Signup Genius Sunday Service October ...

09/26/2026

Weekly Link - https://fpmilton.org/your-weekly-link-9-24-2026/

Briefly With Bev

Koko the Gorilla

Do not ask me what I was researching when I went down the internet rabbit….well gorilla hole Tuesday afternoon. Whatever it was I came to a calendar of “holidays” and learned that today, September 24 is World Gorilla Day.

This is an international awareness day dedicated to celebrating gorillas and promoting their protection in the wild. September 24 marks the anniversary of the founding of the Karisoke Research Center in 1967 in Rwanda by primatologist Dian Fossey. This holiday was first established in 2017 and has since become a global event involving zoos, conservation organizations, schools, and the public.

I remember hearing about Dian Fossey and watching TV shows about her and her work. But the book I owned was about a different gorilla. Remember Koko? Koko was a gorilla that was taught sign language beginning at the age of one in the early 1970s. Animal psychologist Dr. Francine "Penny" Patterson’s work with Koko was centered around exploring the cognitive and language capabilities of great apes and bridging communication between species.

Why, you might wonder is this the topic of my column this week? Well, the other thing I remember about Koko is how she mourned her kitten, All Ball, showing publicly Koko’s emotional capacity. As a religious tradition that largely rejects traditional hierarchies that place humans completely apart from or above nature and that affirms a responsibility for the interdependent web of all existence, this feels theological; an example that love, grief, and soulfulness extend beyond humanity.

With Love and Peace,

Rev Bev

Your Weekly Link – News and Updates 9/17/2026 September 26, 2026 • Administrator Table of Contents Table of Contents This Week in Worship Briefly with Bev Religious Exploration Music News & Announcements Events Social & Environmental Justice Beyond First Parish Signup Genius Sunday Service Septe...

09/24/2026

Can you donate items for our warming center welcome kits? You can donate via this link: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SWUUO1CATDX0?ref_=wl_share OR if you are avoiding Amazon (yay!) then items can be found in lots of other places and if you want to hunt for a value-aligned bigbox store check out: https://shophowyouvote.com/

09/24/2026

Since Monday, ICE agents have descended on New Bedford and the surrounding area by the dozens, coming from out of town and staying in a local hotel, and kidnapping community members off the streets. They have been almost everywhere - including a church parking lot and an elementary school. This is the biggest ICE Surge we’ve seen in Massachusetts in months. The local community is responding but really needs our support!! “Humanity at Work” runs a mutual aid fund for the New Bedford Immigrant Justice Coalition, and if you can donate, this is the #1 place it’s needed right now: https://givebutter.com/xMkiZZ. If you are interested in other ways to help, reach out to Susannah at [email protected]. Thank you!