First Parish Blog

Between Us – What is a Congregation?

By , February 1, 2024
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A congregation is a voluntary organization; that is the employed staff function to facilitate the work of the organization, yet most of the activity and functions are performed by member volunteers. Ideally the members and staff are guided by a common mission and vision. In the middle of the last century there were more members

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OWL (Our Whole Lives) Program

By , January 25, 2024
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I am very excited to report that our OWL program has officially taken flight! Our Whole Lives, as you’ve probably heard me say many times throughout my internship, is, as the UUA puts it, “sexuality education that fosters informed, responsible, and values-based decisions about sexual health and behavior.” Unitarian Universalists have been at the forefront

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Pastoral Prophetic Care Corner

By , January 18, 2024
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A great many more than just one person has shared recently with me how disturbed they are by larger world events and how hard it is even to watch the news. Some of you tell me that the state of our larger shared world is making it difficult even to function at times, let alone

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Between Us – Love

By , January 4, 2024
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If we were to get our ideas from Hallmark Greeting Cards, we might think Love was a sentiment, something we could have and to hold. But Unitarian Universalists have taught us that “Love” is something we do. And we get better at it by doing it. We love by remembering we must be peacemakers as

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Between Us – Celebrating Christmas

By , November 28, 2023
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Unitarian Universalists often ask me, “How can we celebrate Christmas when we’re not Christians?” Or for those who went to catechism, “How can we commemorate the birth of God’s Son when we doubt the Holy Trinity?” Last year I preached a sermon called Have a Merry UU Christmas in which we explored the contemporary meaning

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Between Us – UU Common Read

By , October 29, 2023
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Every year we Unitarian Universalists designate a book as our Common Read. In a Common Read, individuals and book reading groups read that book over the course of the year. This allows for conversation and the hearing of different points of view, which is the best way to learn new ideas. Here is some information

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