Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts

Jeanne Feeley, Lay Worship Leader

Worship service given June 22, 2025 Prayer by Lillian Povey, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

I believe a Spiritual Baptism is an inner transformation where one's heart fully opens to the divine presence a Gracious Love. Not so much about a ritual, but an alignment with a higher truth. Allowing us to deepen our compassion and connection to others and to Spirit.

During the summer our Zoom-only worship is led each week by a member of our congregation. Jeanne Feeley was born in Northern New Jersey and raised Roman Catholic. She lives in West Medford and has 2 daughters, 23 and 24 years old. She has been a registered nurse at Brigham and Women's Hospital for 35 years. Previously a member of the Medford Unitarian Universalist Church for about 20 years, Jeanne has been at First Parish for 3 years.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For June, July, and August 2025, The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) will share half of the plate. For nearly 50 years, BAGLY has been a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community in Massachusetts. After serving over 200,000+ youth since 1980, BAGLY is recognized nationally for its pioneering role in creating, sustaining, and advocating for social support, leadership development, and health promotion programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

Lida Junghans, Lay Worship Leader

Worship service given June 15, 2025 Prayer by Lida Junghans, Lay Worship Leader https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

In my post-marriage I've been living my unmarried identity and pondering what I've gained and lost along the way. In this sermon I reflect on my experience in and out of coupledom and the dynamic relationship between Self and Other, Self and Social Structures.

During the summer our Zoom-only worship is led each week by a member of our congregation. Lida Junghans began coming to Sunday services at First Parish in 2001, seeking a framework for her then four year old daughter to explore life's BIG questions. At First Parish she discovered a beloved community where she felt an intimacy and sense of belonging that has sustained her through passages when she was missing such nourishing connections in her personal life.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For June 2025, The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) will share half of the plate. For nearly 50 years, BAGLY has been a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community in Massachusetts. After serving over 200,000+ youth since 1980, BAGLY is recognized nationally for its pioneering role in creating, sustaining, and advocating for social support, leadership development, and health promotion programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

Worship service given June 8, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister Offertory Music: "Benediction: When the Recall Sounds," music by Jennifer Kobayashi, words adapted from Rev. Dr. Vivien Pomeroy (1883-1961) Anthem: "Bidden or Unbidden: God is Present," music by Kenneth Seitz, words by Marta Morris Flanagan and Charles R. Duffy, spoken at their wedding on August 13, 2023 https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

Join us for this special service! Join us for song, reflection, music, and ritual as we say goodbye to Lead Minister, Rev. Marta Flanagan, and celebrate our annual Flower Communion. Parish Minister, Rev. Erica Richmond, will be preaching. Community-wide BBQ after worship!

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For June 2025, The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) will share half of the plate. For nearly 50 years, BAGLY has been a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community in Massachusetts. After serving over 200,000+ youth since 1980, BAGLY is recognized nationally for its pioneering role in creating, sustaining, and advocating for social support, leadership development, and health promotion programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Featuring COA Youth & Mentors, with Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education

Worship service given June 1, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Erica Federspiel Richmond, Parish Minister https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

At First Parish, we honor the passage from childhood towards adulthood through our Coming of Age program. Our service will include Credo ("I Believe") statements from the Coming of Age class as well as a blessing of the senior youth and a farewell to our Youth Program Coordinator Rose Sawyer-Marsh. And as another cohort passes through the "Arch of Love," we celebrate all the people who have contributed to our multigenerational community.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For June 2025, The Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY) will share half of the plate. For nearly 50 years, BAGLY has been a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community in Massachusetts. After serving over 200,000+ youth since 1980, BAGLY is recognized nationally for its pioneering role in creating, sustaining, and advocating for social support, leadership development, and health promotion programs for LGBTQ+ youth.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Rev. Fred Small, Guest Minister, preaching

Worship service given May 25, 2025 Prayer by Bill Licea-Kane, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence," wrote Trappist monk and peace activist Thomas Merton. "The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. . . . It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful." As we work together for social and environmental justice, how do we remain grounded in a peaceful spirit? Rev. Fred Small asks, what can we learn from trees?

A Unitarian Universalist pastor, singer-songwriter, and former environmental lawyer, Rev. Fred Small serves as Minister for Climate Justice at Arlington Street Church, Boston.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For May 2025, Massachusetts Bail Fund will share half of the plate. Massachusetts Bail Fund (MBF) pays bail to secure freedom from pre-trial incarceration so that those who cannot afford their bail can be in their community to fight their case. Pre-trial freedom allows individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Sitting in jail on bail leads to longer incarceration times, lost jobs, lost housing, and devastating disruption to families.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister, preaching

Worship service given May 18, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Erica Federspiel Richmond, Parish Minister, preaching Reading: "Mrs. George Reece" by Edgar Lee Masters from Spoon River Anthology https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

This Sunday Marta Flanagan offers her last sermon as Lead Minister at First Parish.

Marta has served First Parish since 2009. On June 8 she is retiring from full-time parish ministry after 39 years of serving Unitarian Universalist congregations. On Saturday, May 31 First Parish is honoring her in a celebration. All are invited.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For May 2025, Massachusetts Bail Fund will share half of the plate. Massachusetts Bail Fund (MBF) pays bail to secure freedom from pre-trial incarceration so that those who cannot afford their bail can be in their community to fight their case. Pre-trial freedom allows individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Sitting in jail on bail leads to longer incarceration times, lost jobs, lost housing, and devastating disruption to families.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Rev. Jory Agate, Guest Minister, preaching

Worship service given May 11, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister Included in the recording: Hymn 131 from "Singing the Living Tradition" - "Love Will Guide Us" https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

As ministers, we are called to love our congregants with the fierce, unconditional love of a mother for her child. This is a sacred and holy gift. On this Mother's Day, as Lead Minister Rev. Marta Flanagan's sixteen years of ministry among us draws to a close, Rev. Jory Agate invites us to imagine: what if each of us answered the call to love? Could we learn to love not just one another, but also the world beyond these walls — even those with whom we disagree? What might happen if we chose to face the world with the power of revolutionary love?

Jory Agate has been a Unitarian Universalist minister for over 35 years having served both in congregations and in denominational leadership. She served as the Minister of Religious Education at the First Parish in Cambridge, MA for 10 years and 10 years at the Unitarian Universalist Association, first as the Youth Programs Director and later has the Ministerial Development Director. Rev. Agate helped develop the Our Whole Lives (OWL) program and served on the Ministerial Fellowship Committee for 9 years, which is where she met Marta. Rev. Agate also holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and currently lives and works in Cambridge as a psychotherapist in private practice and a trainer for the Internal Family Systems Institute.

Rev. Agate and her wife were members of this congregation when her now grown children were young.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For May 2025, Massachusetts Bail Fund will share half of the plate. Massachusetts Bail Fund (MBF) pays bail to secure freedom from pre-trial incarceration so that those who cannot afford their bail can be in their community to fight their case. Pre-trial freedom allows individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Sitting in jail on bail leads to longer incarceration times, lost jobs, lost housing, and devastating disruption to families.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Rev. Tricia Brennan, Adjunct Minister, preaching

Worship service given May 4, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

Like a cool water for the thirsty, hope fills us, sustains us and grounds us. Like water, hope is difficult to live without, and yet it can't be ordered up or assured. Sometimes we have to wait for its return, sometimes we have to carry hope for each other.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For May 2025, Massachusetts Bail Fund will share half of the plate. Massachusetts Bail Fund (MBF) pays bail to secure freedom from pre-trial incarceration so that those who cannot afford their bail can be in their community to fight their case. Pre-trial freedom allows individuals, families, and communities to stay productive, together, and stable. Massachusetts jails are filled with people awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail. Sitting in jail on bail leads to longer incarceration times, lost jobs, lost housing, and devastating disruption to families.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Amy Smith, 2025 Shinn Speaker, preaching

Worship service given April 27, 2025 Prayer by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

In this sermon, Dr. Amy Smith reflects on her experiences in international development and how those experiences have been influenced by the UU principles she grew up with.

The Shinn Service honors Barbara Shinn (1912-1976) and her commitment to justice. Barbara served as chair of what was then known as the Social Responsibility Committee. An educator and leader, she had a passion for teaching children with disabilities. She displayed personal courage in the face of a debilitating illness, arthritis of the spine.

This years' Shinn Service preacher is Amy Smith. Amy Smith is the Founding Director of MIT D-Lab, an innovative university-based program in international development and a senior lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also the founder of the International Development Design Summit, co-founder of the MIT IDEAS Global Challenge, co-founder of Rethink Relief conference, and originator of the Creative Capacity Building Methodology. Amy's most recent work has been in Africa with displaced people, often in refugee camps. She works collaboratively with them as they identify problems and collectively create solutions. She grew up as a Unitarian Universalist in the Follen Church in Lexington, MA.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For April 2025, the Giving First recipient is Community InRoads. Community InRoads' mission is to partner with and support non-profits serving the Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts area by providing them with pro bono, professional expertise. Their goal is to empower and contribute to the capacity and gifts of the women, men, and youth living, working, and studying in those communities by fostering a sustainable network of effective non-profits dedicated to social justice and economic equality. Community InRoads is dedicated to fostering an effective network of nonprofits so that the men, women and youth in the Lawrence and Haverhill area have access to the resources they need to reach their fullest potential. They provide consulting, training, and board development opportunities at no cost to nonprofit leaders and boards of directors, so that they in turn can better serve community residents.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.

Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan, Lead Minister, preaching

Worship service given April 20, 2025 Reading from "Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front" by Wendell Berry, read by Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan and Rev. Tricia Brennan, Adjunct Minister Prayer by Rev. Tricia Brennan https://firstparish.info/

First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739

Come and celebrate in this complex time! On Easter Sunday Lead Minister Rev. Marta Flanagan will preach, the First Parish Choir will offer seasonal music, along with the Boston University Brass Quintet.

During worship children pre-K to grade 6 will enjoy easter egg hunts and then return to the sanctuary for a sharing of matzah and grape juice with the entire congregation.

As in the past, communion will be offered during our Easter service. First Parish has no creedal tests for involvement. Our communion is an open table. All are welcome. We each bring our own interpretations of the sharing of bread and wine. Our blessings will be translations of the Hebrew spoken every Friday Shabbat in Jewish homes. In keeping with Passover, the elements of our communion will be matzah and grape juice.

Offering and Giving First

The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For April 2025, the Giving First recipient is Community InRoads. Community InRoads' mission is to partner with and support non-profits serving the Lawrence and Haverhill, Massachusetts area by providing them with pro bono, professional expertise. Their goal is to empower and contribute to the capacity and gifts of the women, men, and youth living, working, and studying in those communities by fostering a sustainable network of effective non-profits dedicated to social justice and economic equality. Community InRoads is dedicated to fostering an effective network of nonprofits so that the men, women and youth in the Lawrence and Haverhill area have access to the resources they need to reach their fullest potential. They provide consulting, training, and board development opportunities at no cost to nonprofit leaders and boards of directors, so that they in turn can better serve community residents.

The remaining half of your offering supports the life and work of this Parish. To donate using your smartphone, you may text "fpuu" to 73256. Then follow the directions in the texts you receive.

About our Lead Minister: Rev. Marta Flanagan began her ministry as our twentieth called minister at First Parish in the fall of 2009. She is a genuine and forthright preacher. In conversation she is direct and engaging. She speaks of prayer with as much ease as she laughs at human foibles. We call her "Marta." Marta is a religious liberal, a theist, a feminist, and a lover of the woods. As a student of American history at Smith College she was captivated by the stories of social reformers who were motivated and sustained by their faith. That led her to consider the ministry and to study at Harvard Divinity School from where she was graduated in 1986. She was the first woman minister in the city of Salem, Massachusetts, serving at the First Universalist Church there (1987-1997). She served in a co-ministry at South Church (Unitarian Universalist) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, (1997-2005) from where she is minister emerita. Marta served as interim minister in Montpelier, Vermont (2008-2009). She is trained as a spiritual director. For three years she lived in the Vermont woods practicing voluntary simplicity and the spiritual life. Marta enjoys the vitality of First Parish and our strong sense of community. She celebrates the yearning for depth and the desire to make a difference in the world that she finds here.