As we enter the season when the days grow shorter and the nights longer, we will explore what it means to have more darkness in our world than light. Is the coming darkness something to be fearful of, or might it be something to embrace? As T.S. Eliot writes, “in our rhythm of earthly life … Continue reading Dappled with Shadow
Please join us for this intergenerational worship service followed by a potluck lunch. We will welcome our former interim minister Rev. David Chandler back to the meetinghouse for a service of gratitude for the fall harvest. If you ever thought about inviting a friend or family member to First Parish, this day of fun and … Continue reading Friendsgiving
In some native cultures of Asia, there is a special technique to catch monkeys. It involves a container filled with food, with an opening just big enough for the monkey to reach in. Once the monkey grabs the food, its clenched fist is too large to pull back out of the opening. Rather than release … Continue reading The Hand Trap
As we prepare ourselves to engage in the democratic process, as stated in our 5th UU Principle, we do so with a desire to make our communities and country more in alignment with our values. But with all of the conflict, anger, and judgment between red and blue, how do we learn to listen to … Continue reading Purple Dignity
This is the time of the year when pagans celebrate Samhain and Christians observe All Souls Day. It’s a time when some believe that the veil separating us from our loved ones who have died becomes thin. This will be an intergenerational Sunday for remembering, so you are invited to bring a photo of your … Continue reading Circle of Memory
D.M. Dooling writes: “We come into this world alone, and alone we leave it; and between the entrance and the exit we spend our time searching for companionship.” So many coming to church express a desire for real community—not the superficial or virtual communities so prevalent today—but the kind where deep connections can grow. To join … Continue reading Solitude and Community
Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of our Unitarian sages influenced by Hinduism, including the Hindu understanding that Divinity permeates everything including us. What else do we have to learn from this ancient religion? To join the service on Zoom, click here.
This is a Service in honor of the Jewish High Holy Days. The authors of Amish Grace say that “forgiveness is less a matter of forgive and forget than of forgive and remember—remembering in ways that bring healing. When we remember we take the broken pieces of our lives—lives that have been dismembered by tragedy … Continue reading Re-membering
What is it about Unitarian Universalism that speaks to us, that guides us, that helps us to become better people? Why do we hold fast to this faith that at times can seem ambiguous and wide open? How do we see our faith guiding us in our lives? Today we will take a look at … Continue reading It’s the Principle of the Thing
I recently walked along the shores of Ferry Beach in search of a sand dollar, something that has been almost impossible to find lately. I finally came to the conclusion that the ecology of this beach has changed, and perhaps I should accept this change. At the same time I was reading Octavia Butler’s novel, … Continue reading Where Have All the Sand Dollars Gone?
