Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? A homily in conversation with a new book of that nameForty million Americans who previously were members of a congregation stopped attending in the last 25 years. Why? It isn’t all attributable to loss of faith or broken relationships due … Continue reading “The Great Dechurching”
Courtney shares her recent essay in the Boston Globe about cities as nature; she reflects on the mental divisions we create between people and nature and asks what would happen if we included ourselves in the natural world. She invites us to reflect on the nature we create through our buildings, infrastructure, and other activities, … Continue reading “The Nature We Make”
How many of you remember your school’s or your child’s school mascot? Mine were Knights, a Husky, Tigers and a Shark. Some schools and sports teams have mascots that are Native American in nature and are very offensive. The subject of this homily is racist Indigenous mascots, what do they mean to actual Indigenous people … Continue reading “Not Your Mascot”
Laura has just returned from a fulfilling week in El Salvador, where she dedicated her time to constructing houses. As she reflects on this impactful experience, she invites you to join her in contemplating the profound effects it has had on her perspective and outlook. Here’s the video of this Service: If joining by Zoom, … Continue reading “What is the Sense of our Small Effort”
Socrates may have said an unexamined life is not worth living… but living through a home renovation may be too much self examination! How much stuff we have at home might explain some of the stuff we carry around in our lives…. Let’s examine the evidence… Here’s the video of this Service: If joining by … Continue reading “Of Renovations and Revelations”
Have you ever tried to tune into a radio station (or a co-worker, friend, child, or even yourself) only to hear a static fuzz? Well, I have! I think we all have. Sometimes tuning the dial is all that’s needed to hear a song or message more clearly. Come and let’s work on tuning in … Continue reading “Tuning the Dial”
Jill earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in violin performance, with a special concentration in string quartet and chamber playing. She’s enjoyed a 40 year career throughout New England as an active professional violinist, violin teacher and chamber music coach. She’s delighted to be joining the service on Sunday. When the nearer things in … Continue reading “What is Mindfulness? How I find balance when things feel out of balance”
We find ourselves from time to time in moments where our faith is tested. The signs to keep going are all around us, if we know where to look. Maybe the key is to stay positive. This week I’ll take the opportunity to share some of my stories of inspiration that I’ve experienced and collected … Continue reading “Keeping the faith”
During July and August, our services are facilitated by members of the First Parish Community. This presents a valuable opportunity to listen to one another’s spiritual journeys and insights. Participants share a diverse range of topics that personally resonate with them. Join us to provide support, foster deeper connections, and get to know each other … Continue reading “Summer Service”
Join us for a watch party of the largest annual gathering of UUs in worship. We will livestream the General Assembly Sunday worship to watch together. The pandemic has wrought change and created uncertainty for institutions, like our Unitarian Universalist congregations, and our wider world. Who and what are we becoming, individually and collectively? Our … Continue reading “Ever Willing: Becoming the People Our World Needs”
