not today satan Worship Service Sunday, April 9, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching One of the great blessings of our lives in Boston MetroWest is that there are scores of ways to be involved in an array of activities: within a half an hour’s drive of our church in Needham, we […] The post Not Today, Satan appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170402_0545-mark-sermon-unbalanced Worship Service Sunday, April 2, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse DLRE Mark LaPointe, preaching We tend to think that our ultimate goal is to live a “balanced” life.  Yet, the image we have of balance is one of stasis. The scale never tips in either direction. Everything is safe, comfortable and predictable. This is […] The post Perfectly Imbalanced appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170326-3-homilys Worship Service Sunday, March 26, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching At our multigenerational worship service, we’ll reflect on our congregational covenant and the justice designations we’ve earned as a Welcoming and Green Congregation. We say each week that we gather as a “loving, diverse, service” community — how well are we […] The post Our Covenant’s Integrity appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170319_0542_fred_small_sermon Worship Service Sunday, March 19, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Fred Small, preaching Scientists predict that climate change will have dire consequences for humanity and the planet we inhabit.  Can global warming move us to change course and build a new society grounded in justice, equity, and compassion? Children attend the first 15 minutes followed by […] The post Praise Be the Flood appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170312_0541-5-gifts Worship Service Sunday, March 12, 2017 10:30am in Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching All of the major world religions carry both theological and ethical claims; for example, both the Jewish Ten Commandments and the Christian Great Commandment include statements about God and moral decrees. For “ethical living and integrity” month, we’ll take a Sunday […] The post Five Great Gifts appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170219_0538-sermon Worship Service Sunday, February 19, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Hope Heals Revs. Scott and Anya Sammler-Michael Hope is a force of healing – but should we rest in hope when hope itself seems like a dangerous or impossible dream? Guided by Harlem Renaissance Poet, Langston Hughes’ revelation: “Hold fast to dreams / For if dreams die / Life is a broken-winged bird […] The post Hope Heals appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170226_0539-stories Worship Service Sunday, February 26, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching For our multigenerational worship this month, Rev. Catie and DLRE Mark LaPointe bring to First Parish a special service developed by the Sophia Fahs Collaborative at Meadville-Lombard Theological School. The “Sophia Fahs Sunday” services are developed with “an eye toward […] The post Journeys of the Spirit appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170205_0513-lane-sermon-johnson Worship Service Sunday, February 5, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Ed Lane, preaching Born just six years after the Civil War, Johnson was a poet, author, educator, lawyer, diplomat, songwriter, musician, and civil rights activist. He and his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson created “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” in our hymnal. The brothers […] The post James Weldon Johnson appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170212_0536-Catie-risk-sermon Worship Service Sunday, February 12, 2017 10:30am in the Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching Prior to our special congregational meeting to vote on bylaw changes and hear a final report from the Making Room Task Force, we’ll worship together and consider what it would mean to adopt an ethic of risk and love with […] The post Risking the Impossible appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20170129_0501-catie-center-wont-hold-sermon “The Center Cannot Hold” PDF Worship Service Sunday, January 29, 2017 10:30pm in the Meetinghouse Rev. Catie Scudera, preaching As we look ahead into 2017, we consider how strong, values-centered leadership is essential for any well-functioning organization, country, and house of worship. We’ll consider how our spiritual practices can help us become more capable, […] The post The Center Cannot Hold appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.