Greetings Church Family, I pray that each of you are well these days. This month, as we reflect on the theme of Generosity, I hope you’ll spend some time thinking and wondering about your spiritual journey of giving and receiving–the generous spirit. Would you say that it’s easier to give and harder to receive? Or the other way around? How does your belief system align with Generosity? What has church given you, and what gifts have you brought to church? One of the things I love about our...
Minister’s Blog
The Great Conversation – 10/8/2023
The Great Conversation Readings from Indigenous Peoples Sunday October 8, 2023 Land Acknowledgement We worship on the ancestral homeland of the Massachusett Tribe at a place named for the meadows at the widening of the river. The original peoples who lived here stewarded the land and fished in the river which they called Quinobequin. We acknowledge that this land is unceded and remains sacred to the Massachusett, the Nipmuc, and Wampanoag Nations. We recognize the violence perpetrated upon...
The View from Here – October 2023
Greetings Church Family, How are you these days? August and September were full months, and this congregation did a stellar job of jumping into the bustle of church life with ever-faithful spirits. We’ve had difficult conversations around the changes to the building, welcomed in a new staff member and ministry, and continue to consider who we are and long to be as a faith community post-pandemic. These are, as many of you have wisely noted, uncharted paths and waters. There is so much change...
The View From Here – September 2023
Where you go I will go Beloved/Where you go I will go/Your people are my people/Your people are mine/Your people are my people/Your Divine, my Divine. I was taught this sweet song at this year’s General Assembly, by the remarkable Music Director Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout. I was so moved by this piece of music that we will be teaching it to you at our Water Communion worship service on September 10th. It will be beautiful way to end this special service and I can’t wait to sing it with you! The...
The View from Here – June 2nd, 2023
Greetings church family! I pray that you and yours are well these days. I love this month’s theme. Delight. One of my favorite activists is the fierce Dorothy Day who devoted her life to working on behalf of the poor and homeless in the early 20th century. Her faith was a hefty one and it not only fueled her convictions, but also anchored her to an unshakeable joy. She is famously known for saying: “It is my duty to pay attention to the suffering. And it is my duty to pay attention to...
The View From Here – May 5th, 2023
Greetings church family! I pray that you and yours are well these days. Over the next month we are going to have some fun. For one thing, your Variety Show is on May 13th. This will be the first time in three years that this will be back in the sanctuary. I am grateful to Fellowship Committee for herding all the talent and bringing us together for a meal beforehand. And that’s not all! Keep a close eye on all the events and meaningful gatherings coming up this month–the weather is warming, and...
The View From Here – April 7th, 2023
Happy spring church family! I pray you are well and that your spirits are intact. You are always on my mind and in my heart. I like thinking about the spirit of seasons too. Personally, I need spring’s spirit, with its promise of regeneration, new life and light, after a season of quiet, fallow time. It teaches me to hold out hope and look closely–for nothing is ever really lost. Buds are everywhere right now. Have you seen them? I am really looking forward to Easter service this Sunday. It...
The View From Here – March 3rd, 2023
Greetings Church Family! I pray that you and yours are well these days. Some of you may not realize that the season of Lent is upon us–a span of 40 days in the Christian tradition that commemorates the weeks Jesus spent in the desert before his: arrival in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; subsequent death on Good Friday; and resurrection on Easter. This year, Palm Sunday falls on April 2nd, and Easter on April 9th. This is known as ‘Holy Week.’ I have, for years, worked to find personal meaning amid...
The View From Here – February 3, 2023
Greetings Church Family, This comes to you as I hurl through the air! Maybe somewhere between Boston and Los Angeles? I am making my way to California for a short visit with my mom and will be home Wednesday evening. I am grateful to you and to our wonderful staff for making this possible. Our Worship Committee also has a beautiful service planned for Sunday, which I will look forward to watching when I return. There is a good chance that this will be my last trip to Los Angeles for a long...
The View from Here – January 6th, 2023
Greetings Church Family, It was wonderful to be in the sanctuary with many of you on Christmas Eve. I loved seeing your faces; singing with you; and seeing the light from our candles spread across the sanctuary. Deep thanks to everyone who helped, including our readers, all the musicians, the greeters, worship associates, our youth who ran tech, and those who made the joyous reception in the social hall possible. I really hope your holidays have been good ones, and that this new year will...