One of the ancient questions that continues to be asked is why bad things happen to good people. Could it be that there’s a malevolent force at work in the universe? Or is that just the way life is? This will be an indoor, in-person worship service, that will be streamed over Zoom as well. To … Continue reading “A Devil Who Meddles?”
Three of the ancient spring stories begin with laments, with cries of despair: Persephone is captured by Hades and taken to the Underworld; the first-born sons of Egypt all die before the Hebrew people can escape from bondage; Jesus is crucified. And yet all three of these stories have happy endings, for the main characters … Continue reading Happy Endings
The former UUA Moderator, Denny Davidoff, says, “In the end what really counts is not how much we have but what we have done with it, how many we have helped, how much we have shared. In the end our only permanent possession is that which we have given away.” The people of this congregation … Continue reading Commitment Sunday
Cornel West says that it’s easy to be optimistic when we have a pretty good idea of how things will turn out and when things are going well. Hope is when you see that things are not going well and have the courage to change them. This sermon will focus on the way in which … Continue reading Restoring Hope
Today there is still the conversation about the impact that gender stereotyping is having in considering women for top leadership positions. This conversation about women in leadership is not new, of course, and so on this Sunday we will look back to the Post-Civil war era and reflect on those women who dared to enter … Continue reading The Prophetic Sisterhood
During this intergenerational worship service, we will talk about what it means to give back to this community that we love. Following the worship service we will have an outdoor pizza lunch, then the Building and Grounds Committee will lead all interested volunteers on repairing, fixing and sprucing up our historic meetinghouse and U House. … Continue reading Work Day
As our annual pledge drive formally kicks off, we will hear about why supporting First Parish is important. Every year we renew our covenant with one another to take care of this community; to give our time, our talents, and our resources, so that we can continue to have a church to call home. On … Continue reading AFD Kickoff
Sogyal Rinpoche says, “When I first came to the West, I was shocked by the contrast between the attitudes to death I had been brought up with and those I now found.” He discovered that those of us in the West deny death, live in terror of it, or “for some unknown reason believe that … Continue reading Get in the Whale
We are currently in the midst of a national conversation regarding our law enforcement and justice system. Why are certain crimes, like drug possession, enforced more severely in certain neighborhoods? Why are white collar crimes, that defraud the masses and cause severe economic harm, often treated less severely than petty crime? Drawing on the UUA’s … Continue reading Punishment vs. Protection
In one of the richest nations on earth, how do we justify rampant homelessness and neglect? How do we live our UU values of love and compassion in a country that allows the poor to languish and suffer? Where and how and why do we feel the need to make a difference? With so many … Continue reading Is It Enough?
