As we end our month of telling ancient stories, member Paul Kuttner examines the question of why we are still telling some stories hundreds or thousands of years after they were first told. What do these stories do for us? How to they change over time? And what are the stories that we never got to hear?

A minor Jewish festival of lights has become a major commercial holiday in the United States. In December, Hanukkah comes second only to Christmas, with Hanukkah themed decorations and cards sitting to the side at department stores next to Christmas decorations all December long. But do you know what Hanukkah is actually celebrating? What’s the ancient story it is based on? We’ll learn about the story this holiday is based on.

In the advent season, we anticipate the coming of joy and possibility. In hard times, feeling joy and anticipating joy can feel like a major risk. Sometimes it feels safer to shrink our hopes and expectations. What can we learn from the Christmas and advent season about opening up to the vulnerability of joy?

In times like these, it can be difficult to sustain hope for the future. Yet sometimes the best way to imagine new possibilities is to remember the past. The history of Middlesex Fells offers some clues. Our guest this morning in Professor Dan McKanan, the Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Senior Lecturer at Harvard Divinity School.

Going to church is good for you. People who go to church live longer according to a Harvard study. But it’s more than that. Are you wondering if church is for you? Do you need convincing that coming back to church is a good idea? Do you want to attend more? Join us for a service about why you should come to church (without the guilt!).

Have you ever tried to explain Unitarian Universalism to other people? It can be challenging! Or perhaps you don’t even quite know what it is yourself. Let’s talk about what Unitarian Universalism is and why it’s named what it is. Not sure if you are a UU, this is a service for you!

At the end of October many traditions honor their beloved dead. At the end of our month of “Stories of the Dead” join Rev. Otto and CUUSP for Samhain, the Pagan holiday that recognizes that the veil is thin between the living and the dead at this time of year. You are invited to bring items and photos that remind of your loved ones who have passed to the great beyond as we continue to build our altar.

Part 1 of a 2-part series

At the end of October many traditions honor their beloved dead. At the end of our month of “Stories of the Dead” join Rev. Otto and CUUSP for Samhain, the Pagan holiday that recognizes that the veil is thin between the living and the dead at this time of year. You are invited to bring items and photos that remind of your loved ones who have passed to the great beyond as we continue to build our altar.

Part 1 of a 2-part series

We don’t know what happens to people when they die, but we do know something about what happens to the people left behind. In this transition full of mystery and the ultimate unknown, what can we know for sure about what happens after death?

Cole Arthur Riley writes, “the world can be terrible and still dare to be beautiful.” These times are heavy, and sometimes it can be easy to spend our time only with the terrible. Join Rev. Aisha to explore where we still find glimmers of beauty, and how they can fortify us in these times.