Nov 27, 2023
Sunday sermon given November 26, 2023
Prayer by Bill Licea-Kane, Worship Associate
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First Parish
A liberal religious community, welcoming to all
First gathered 1739
About the service: An exploration of family land ownership, changing perspective, and reckoning.
About Rev. Wendy Page: The Reverend Wendy Page is an Affiliate Minister of First Parish Arlington. She has been a member of First Parish since 1999 and First Parish supported her on her journey into ministry. She is a graduate of Andover Newton Theological School and was ordained in the First Parish Sanctuary in 2017. She is now serving as a Hospice Chaplain for All Care Hospice. She also serves as a per diem chaplain at Mass General Hospital.
Previous to her ministry, Wendy was a Software Engineer and Manager. She is an avid cyclist and has participated for 23 years in the annual Pan Mass Challenge fundraiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. She also is a quilter and gardener and sings in the FP choir.
Offering and Giving First
For the month of November, half of the offering supports the work
of Centro de Esperanza (Shelter for Hope) is a migrant family
shelter in Sonyata, Mexico, on the Arizona border. The shelter
provides a safe refuge for families fleeing gang violence,
religious persecution, and dire economic circumstances. In most
cases, families have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles
to keep their families alive and safe. El Centro provides safe
shelter, food, medical care, education, and legal and technical
assistance and protects families from drug cartels, human
traffickers, and others who would take advantage of them. Centro de
Esperanza is unique in that all these families are attempting to
seek asylum in the United States through legal channels. The
average wait time for a hearing with a U.S. administrator at the
border is 4-6 weeks. Currently the shelter can support 30 families
with an expansion plan in the next few months for an additional 30
families. The annual operating cost is approximately $100k and the
cost of the expansion is approximately $25k. The shelter was
started by U.S. citizens in Ajo, Arizona but is managed by
co-directors who are Mexican citizens.
The remaining half supports the life and work of this
Parish.
To donate using your smartphone, you may text
“fpuu offering” to 73256. Then follow the directions in
the texts you receive.