20160619_0426_kite_catie_sermon Come to First Parish for Father’s Day and our annual, multigenerational Flower Communion service, a Unitarian tradition created by our Czech siblings in spirit. Remember to bring flowers to share with your First Parish friends! We’ll reflect on the transformation of Mr. Banks in the Mary Poppins stories. This is also our final sanctuary […] The post Let’s Go Fly A Kite — Flower Communion appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160605_0423_Catie_sermon First Parish is celebrating its 20th anniversary of becoming a Welcoming Congregation! We were transformed twenty years ago by a hardworking and compassionate team of members who guided First Parish into becoming openly inclusive and affirming of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Come to worship to hear the story of our journey — […] The post Joy as Defiance — Pride Sunday appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160529_0422_mourning_sermon_milliken Memorial Day is traditionally a day to remember those who have died while serving in the armed forces. This is a complex task for those who hate war and yet honor such service. And in fact nearly all of our mourning is complex: no human is perfect and honoring a life includes facing the […] The post The Both/And of Mourning Well appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160522_0421_protest_sermon_catie The non-violent resistance movement and philosophy has deep Unitarian/Universalist roots, which we’ll explore during this Sunday’s worship service. Remember, this Sunday is “Roll ‘n Stroll,” so you’re encouraged to bike, walk, or roll to First Parish for a photograph at 10:05 and worship at 10:30. This year, dogs are welcome to walk to church, […] The post UUs and Non-Violent Resistance appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160508_0418_conflict_catie_sermon Come to our multigenerational worship service to celebrate Mother’s Day and consider how to “fight fair” and maintain right relationship as we strive toward peace within our families. As the sixth century Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu wrote, “If there is to be peace in the world… There must be peace in the home.” Children attend […] The post Conflict Required appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

160403_0411.mp3 We will celebrate the earth with Jim’s original songs and readings along with his personal reflections on the idea of Mother Earth or “Gaia” being one living organism.  Our “spiritual response” in word and action is so timely now, as “the spirit of life on earth is in crisis.”  Jim’s uplifting songs provide the […] The post Gaia, Mother Earth, and the Oneness of Everything appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160417_0415_speck_of_beauty_sermon For our multigenerational Earth Day Sunday, we’ll remember the work of Unitarian Universalist scientist Clyde Tombaugh and other astronomers who looked to the stars to understand more deeply humanity’s place in the wider universe. The post A Speck of Beauty appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160424_0416_hard_hearts_Catie_sermon During the holiday of Passover, we will consider what happened to the “bad guy” of the Passover story—Pharaoh, whose heart was too hardened to let the enslaved Hebrew people go free. How can we know if our hearts are becoming hardened, and how do we let love back in? This Sunday, we will also […] The post Hardened Hearts appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160306_0405_catie_queen_sermon “You’re the Queen” PDF Every year in the twelfth month of the Jewish liturgical calendar, the holiday of Purim is celebrating with fanfare and theater. Though it is a joyful occasion, Purim is also a holiday honoring the great courage of the Hebrew queen, Esther, who saved an exiled Jewish community from genocide. During […] The post You’re the Queen appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.

20160313_0406_ward_being_sermon Paul Tillich writes in his book The Courage to Be that “joy is the emotional expression of the courageous Yes to one’s own true being.” Unitarian Universalism challenges us to find that Yes, to know that joy, to live authentically. Openness to being is an art, one that can be fostered and made known […] The post The Art of Being appeared first on First Parish in Needham Unitarian Universalist.