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?
On this Sunday we will join with ministers and musicians from our UU churches in Quincy, Belmont, Kingston, Bridgewater, Canton, and Medfield. During this time of pandemic, our lives are often filled with stress, fear, and uncertainty. As a result, our mental health suffers. It is during times like these when our congregations are needed … Continue reading Now More Than Ever
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke out against the war in Vietnam by saying that “wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows…. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful ways.” In this service in honor of Martin Luther King’s birthday, we will explore the quiet heroes who helped bring more peace and love into … Continue reading Quiet Heroes
“I’m so busy” seems to be a universal refrain. According to Wayne Muller, “we say this to one another as if our exhaustion were a trophy, our ability to withstand stress a mark of character.” Perhaps it is time to reconsider the biblical injunction to “Keep the Sabbath.” Isn’t this something we all need? A … Continue reading Keeping the Sabbath
