Canvass Sunday Talks

February 14, 2010

Cristina Carandang

Church had been a constant in my life.  Growing up Catholic in the Philippines meant church on Sundays, novenas on Wednesdays, choir practice on Saturdays – the works.  As the youngest of six children in a culture when you’re not allowed to say ‘no’ to your elders (meaning, everyone!) meant following along without question.  Sooner or later, the routine is ingrained then you simply ‘do.’   Even when I left the country and attended college, chapel simply replaced church and the routine continued.  After graduating, however, where finding and keeping a job became a priority and new found friends took up the rest of my time, religion, predictably, took a back seat and has been absent in my life for close to two decades.  During this time, though I became increasingly disillusioned by the teachings of my old church and the word “religion” almost becoming a negative word to me what with 9/11 and religious fanatics you hear about in the news all the time, I did miss being a part of a church community.  However, since it seemed to me that there were no viable options for me to choose from, I simply let the matter be and went on my merry way.  Even after having a child, where my old church would’ve celebrated his arrival with all the pomp and circumstance that it can muster, I simply had no desire to partake in it and simply let it lie.

About a couple of years ago, my husband who is an acknowledged atheist, and as far as I know, has never stepped in a church willingly outside of weddings and baptisms, and maybe not even then, felt that he, too, needed to be part of a church community.  He then researched various churches in the area and then one day he asked that we attend one of our services here and we were hooked!

What was it that made us stay, you might ask?  Well, I won’t speak for Tim or Cesar as they, too, enjoy coming to our church (though definitely not the entire reason, I suspect donuts may be a contributing factor).  For me, Rev. Jeff is a primary reason.  His sermons speak to me in a way that no other sermon I’ve ever heard in my entire church-going experience.   His love of history, his liberal bent and his impassioned plea for us all to simply live as decent human beings, just make so much sense to me, I wonder why I’ve never heard them said that way before.   I like them so much that I send them to my sisters, nieces and nephew in the Philippines so that they, too, get their weekly dose of Rev. Jeff.  They so enjoy reading them that they question our validity as a church for taking the summer off as they don’t want a break from Rev. Jeff.

Of course our members is another reason.  We have such a passionate and giving group of members whose only goal is to see to the betterment of our community through our church.  Our members provide varied programs that appeal to as diverse a group as it could target. Our children are well cared for through church school.  How many 8 year olds out there actually complain when he can’t go to church?  I’m sure I did not do that when I was his age.  (I’ll be quite remiss here if I don’t mention donuts as another valid, very important reason.)

We love coming to church and I am so very glad that Tim found it for us.  My only regret is that I wish we started attending when we moved here in 2000 – that’s seven years we need to make up for.

Thanks.

Brenda Martin

First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church has been a part of my life since before I was born. There have been at least four generations of my father's family that have been members. Being a member here is like having 2 families. I have my immediate family consisting of my parents and three sisters. My parents, Brad and Carol Russell are the glue that hold our family together. They have been so active in this church that they were recognized as it's Unsung Hero recipients in 2004.  All four of there children have been married here. 25 years ago this month for Linda and David, Paula and Mark 22 years this December, Sandra in 2000 and Jared and myself 4 years this April. Linda has been a church school teacher, holiday fair chairperson and currently holds positions of both Board of Trustees Clerk and President of the 20/40 club. She is also a mentor in this years Roots and Wings program. Paula was an active member in the Youth Group before getting married and moving out of state. My twin Sandra, has been church supper cook and organizer, holiday fair chairperson and a member of the choir and finance committee. I have been lucky enough to also see my niece Jillian and nephew Robert grow up in this church. They had active roles in Sunday school and both flew up in the Roots and Wings program. I feel that this church and it programs have helped to mold them into the young adults they are today.

    My second family is all of you here at FPUUC. Your friendship and caring through these many years have been a blessing. Having a birthday in the summer when church is not in session doesn't seem to make a difference to us here at FPUUC. I have always looked forward to seeing my name in the Packet and getting a card for some special people. Your continued thoughtfulness holds a special place in my heart. Supporting this church is so very important to keep it thriving and making it a place to come and worship and speak freely about many things that matter to all of us.

    When I volunteered to be a speaking today and represent the "older" member slot, I began to think about why I support this church. The first thing that came to mind was, WHY WOULDN'T I? These four walls have supported not only me and my family in good and bad times but all those families and individuals who have come before and will continue to come in the months and years ahead. The church reaches out to many in our community and without supporting it financially, I fear the this little church in Stoughton Center will not be able to flourish as it does today. I support this church and hope that you will join me in doing the same. We are a family of many people and together we can make these four walls financially sounds for many years to come.

Pamela McCarthy

Good morning.

As many of you know, I am fairly new here.  I started coming to First
Parish a year and a half ago and joined about three months later.  I
started coming here thanks to the Green Fair. Before this, I would
pass the church by as I walked to the train and think, "Eh, maybe I
should check it out sometime."  I never did.

Then, during a period when I had been stressing and feeling all sorts
of doom and gloom about the environment and our future, I decided to
go to the Green Fair.  It was a lovely spring day, if you like rain.
But I was struck by the positive, concrete things the fair gave as
examples and options.  I met Jane Mooney and Elisa Blanchard at the
fair, and Jane said to me, "You should come by one Sunday.  I think
you'd like it." I didn't go right away, though I became fast friends
with Jane and Elisa.  I *thought* about going, but didn't make it for
a few months.  Then one day, I just decided to come, and I was struck
by what a welcoming place it was, and how friendly and accepting
everyone here is.  People like Norma Sidebottom introduced themselves
to me during coffee hour, and I really felt a strong sense of
community.  Like several other people here, I do not consider myself a
spiritual person, and do not believe in God.  I told Jane once that I
believe in people, and she said that was a lot like believing in
God--believing in something bigger than yourself.

The community of First Parish is a truly special thing.  We have the
opportunity to explore or start things we are passionate about.  We
can go to a seminar on Kabbalah, give comfort through the shawl
ministry, or do local environmental work through the Green Fair.
Cristina Carandang and I talked about the need for young people to
learn about personal finance, and we were able to create a Financial
Literacy seminar for young people.

The First Parish community is also special in other ways.  I know that
when I lost my job, my friends here helped to keep me sane and upbeat.
 I put on a positive face during the whole time, and for the most
part, I was feeling okay with it all.  There were times, however,
where I felt very bleak and discouraged, and I cannot tell you how
much it meant to know that people here remembered me and what I was
going through.  People cared.  They shared my sorrow and frustration
during my job loss, and my joy in finding a new job.

This is a very special place.  It is very accepting and open,
compassionate and inquisitive.  This parish is a special place--and it
adds a lot to the broader community of Stoughton.  I am going to ask
each of you to give what you can to support this very special place.
I will be making a gift--a larger one than last year, because I'm
employed now--and I hope you will give, too.  We need this community,
and the larger community needs us.  Thank you.

Jane Mooney

These are interesting times we live in today, aren’t they?

Many of us here have been affected. I know my family has been. In the past year I’ve had to make many choices about where to spend my money. It’s been difficult and my family and I have had to make sacrifices and life style changes in order to keep the bills paid. And I’m very grateful that we have been able to do that.

And through this transition, I’ve been grateful for this church. It means a lot to me. The first time I came to this church was by chance in 1995 on a Scout Sunday. I felt almost instantly that I had found my spiritual home and community. I’ve grown as a person here and developed my spiritual philosophy. I’ve done many tasks for the church. I’ve worked as church secretary, volunteered on many different committees, and even been President in the past as well as presently. Both my children participated in the church school and the “Roots and Wings” program and I feel their spiritual beliefs have a good foundation because of being part of this community. My mother has also been in touch with her roots here and comes often to worship and be in community. I even get my husband, Kevin, to show up once in while. He and I participated in the “Contemplative Living” and now the “On the Path” group discussions, which has been a wonderful experience for us to do together.

Our church is living in this interesting time. We have had to make sacrifices and changes to get the bills paid here as well. It takes all of us, together, to pitch in and keep this church heart beating. The return we all hope to gain from our investment is a church that is vibrant and full of love, good works and compassion. The Canvass is a time for each one of us to consider what role the church plays in our lives and hearts. And then we must make a pledge that we can believe in and feel good about.

May you give from your heart, and may the return you receive resonate in your life and in the lives of many.

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