In the Christian world, today is Palm Sunday, in some ways the most revealing holy day of the tradition. It provides the context for us to consider how Jesus, an itinerant Jewish teacher and “healer,” was most of all a prophetic activist who opposed the oppression of his people by a powerful empire. IN-PERSON WORSHIP … Continue reading “Especially This Year”
The song, Anthem, by Leonard Cohen, provides the text for today’s sermon. “There is a crack in everything. . .”. How can our struggles, disappointments, even failures and wounds, make us stronger? Is it possible to awaken to new selves within us? From Japanese pottery to human healing, the universe offers us clues. Today’s service … Continue reading How the Light Gets In
Gratitude is good for our mental and physical health. This Sunday I will be talking about seven wonderful benefits of a grateful heart and how healing it has been for me and can be for you also. In-Person Services begin at 10:30 am Zoom Option available
The words of today’s sermon title are straight out of First Parish Church’s history, and they are fitting for our annual stewardship campaign Generosity kickoff with the theme of “Body and Soul.” . What kind of dreams and vision can take FPC into the future as a vital congregation? Can the past inform us even … Continue reading “For the Soul’s Enlargement and Elevation”
This month, in which our theme is “Renewing Faith,” is a good time to think about our faith as Unitarian Universalists. We often speak of ours as a “free religion,” but being confident about what that means is a different matter. Does it really mean that “we are free to believe whatever we want to,” … Continue reading “Free for What?”
It’s a moment of grace that the FPC building project and the decline in Covid numbers have coincided to allow us to gather in person at our meetinghouse. We will reflect on what home and gathering mean, the light two years of pandemic has thrown on these, and what we inherit from the ages to … Continue reading “Welcome Home: A Service of Regathering”
Arthur Thompson, (he/him/his); Jude Sclarsky, (they/them); Lyralen Kaye, (fae/faire & they/them); and Scott Gorman, (he/him/his) We welcome the voices of all LGBTQIA+ people and/or their allies for this special service and welcome your thoughts, questions and interest. Exploring the meaning of Safe Home. The LGBTQIA+ community is diverse and made up of different experiences, identities, … Continue reading “Finding our Allies – As we prepare to return to our Spiritual Home we look inward – Is FPC a safe home for all of us?”
UU Worship Leaders and Musicians This service provided by the UUA lifts up themes relevant to Siding with Love. What if to “side with love” meant making bold, faith-full choices? What if it were even a little bit scary? This worship service brings together worship leaders and musicians from across the country to offer hopeful, moving, challenging … Continue reading “SIDE WITH LOVE”
Rev. Susan Milnor and Transition Team (Brenda Briana, Lyralen Kaye, Nancy Petino, Nelda Quigley, David Shawn) “Who Are We?” is one of the important questions in a transition. Knowing what defines you as a congregation now, as well as the direction in which you want to move (which we’ll reflect on in a later session), … Continue reading TRANSITION SUNDAY
Our theme during February, which is also Black History month, is Widening the Circle. Today we’ll widen the circle of our collective UU historical history, which is often told in predominantly white terms, to include the stories of four black Unitarians and Universalists. These figures made contributions to the freedom and participation of their … Continue reading “Making Our History Whole: Black Universalist Stories”
