Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts


Nov 20, 2023

Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education
Rev. Erica Richmond, Parish Minister

Sunday sermon given November 19, 2023
Prayer by Rev. Marta Flanagan, Lead Minister
https://firstparish.info/

First Parish
A liberal religious community, welcoming to all
First gathered 1739

About the service: In this intergenerational Thanksgiving service, let's explore the flipside of Gratitude: asking for help. Scary! Humbling! We know. But the good news is that asking for help opens us up to an interdependence that can change the world. Children grades kindergarten and older are welcome to stay through the whole service---the service is designed to include them. And look forward to our annual cornbread communion!

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.