Sometimes it feels like the amount of change we need to make is so huge and overwhelming. It can feel like our small efforts mean very little in the face of everything. And we know that when we pull on the threads that are ours to pull, we unravel so much. Join us for a … Continue reading Pulling On a Thread
This service invites us to reflect on our relationship with the stories of our lives: the old stories, the well-worn stories that we’ve told–and been told–for so long. What might be at stake if we’re willing to re-examine them? How might such a process help us to reintroduce elements of uncertainty and nuance, inviting broader … Continue reading The Stories of Our Lives
The Universalist faith is an unfathomable faith that preaches a promise of an unfathomable love. In the first Sunday of Lent in the Christian liturgical calendar, and in this time of violence, oppression, and genocide, how can we grieve love’s absence while holding it at the center of our faith? Let us come together with joy as we welcome back our … Continue reading Unfathomable Universalism
In the aftermath of the 2024 Grammy Awards, there is a lot of conversation about how music can heal the divides of this country. We know that singing together connects and heals us. Join us for a celebration of the ways in which we would like to be unified through the healing power of song. … Continue reading We Would Be One
The pagan observance of Imbolc, which coincides with the the Catholic observance of the Feast of St. Brigid, is said to be a time of honoring the seeds that are blooming but that we cannot yet see. Imbolc literally means “in the belly” and marks the midpoint of winter. Join us for an exploration of … Continue reading In The Belly
No matter how much we disagree, we are all interconnected. No matter how hard it is for us to find it, we are all interconnected. No matter what walls we have built around our tender hearts, we are all interconnected. Join us as we explore the connective tissue between us and how to strengthen it. … Continue reading What Connects Us?
Last week we heard a powerful reminder from Rev. Lisa regarding our own extravagant tenderness and preciousness. This week we will explore what it takes to stay tender, to nurture our tenderness, in the midst of conflict and strife. We cannot completely avoid all of the conflict and strife that surrounds us. Nor should we. … Continue reading Staying Tender In the Midst of It All
In this service we’ll explore the field of love, which is not limited to romantic love, and includes agape, described by C.S. Lewis as “a selfless love that is passionately committed to the well-being of others.” Agape is healing and transforming love, the “extravagant tenderness,” that Father Greg Boyle talks about in his book, The … Continue reading Extravagant Tenderness
Forgive is a loaded term: it conjures pain, betrayal, and even anger. Those wounds are a true part of our story—but they’re not the only story. The opposite of woundedness is the freedom found in healing those wounds. In this service, we’ll approach the new year by exploring how we can tell new stories about … Continue reading The Story of Forgiveness
Kwanzaa was established as a ritual space to form and bond community. Come celebrate this African-American & Pan-African holiday with us! I reside on the unceded land of the Massachusetts and Pawtucket peoples. Here’s the video of this Service: If joining by Zoom, please use the regular First Parish Zoom account: https://zoom.us/my/firstparishdot For our in-person … Continue reading Kwanzaa!
