Past Sermons
Did you miss a recent sermon? Or want to share one with a friend? Would you like to get a flavor of the kind of messages you might hear at First Parish? Click one of the sermons below, or browse our video archive on YouTube.
Coming of Age Service
In Unitarian Universalism, we celebrate the capacity in all of us to form our own beliefs in the lifelong journey of the spirit. Because of this, one of our most closely held traditions is that of our Coming of Age service, an opportunity where we invite teens in our congregations to share their own Credos with the community. Please join us for this special service where celebrate the young people in our congregation, learn from their wisdom, and reaffirm their welcome place in the First Parish Cambridge community.
To Mourn Is To Resist
What does it mean to be free as democracy crumbles? How might our mourning instruct our resistance? Join us this Memorial Day Sunday to remember the liberation at the center of our faith, with powerful music from the First Parish Gospel Choir. Rev. Sophia Doescher preaching.
We spend much of our lives grasping at the world, reaching for things we believe will fulfill us and make us happy. A few years back, I broke both arms in a bike accident, leaving me unable to grasp. My frustration eventually gave way to a question: What if the greatest fulfillment in life comes not from grasping the world, but from allowing ourselves to be held by it? Rev. Rob Hardies preaching.
Unitarian Universalists believe that any religion worth its salt ought to make a difference in the world. But in these times of upheaval, when so much that we value in our country seems to be unraveling, it can be a struggle just to pay attention, let alone take some kind of action. Maybe our faith has something to say about how to face the challenges of this moment without burning out. Join us this Sunday! Rev. Kathleen McTigue preaches.
We often speak about speaking truth to power, but what about singing truth to power? Protest music has been a richly explored tradition, both in our own Unitarian Universalist faith and in justice-seeking communities across the globe. For centuries, humans have felt this power of singing as good and true, and that torch has now been passed to us. Join us this Sunday for a celebration of music and meaning, of song and of truth. Ministerial Intern Valentin Frank preaches.
"The Great Turning" is a paradigm shift coined by Buddhist activist Joanna Macy. She describes it as shift from an industrial growth society, focused on consumption and destruction, to a life-sustaining civilization. This is made possible by doing the "work of re-connecting", work that we as Unitarian Universalists are called to do. Join us for our Earth Day celebration, as we reimagine and claim our place in this Great Turning. Rev. Sophia Doescher preaching.
Our Religious Exploration program will have special Earth Day celebrations in the classrooms. Our teachers are preparing special lessons to give gifts back to the earth for all she has done for us, telling stories, singing songs, and offering gratitude.
Sometimes life brings us to tears. But can those same tears also point us back to life’s blessings? What can we learn from our tears? What do they teach us? What do they mean? Rev. Rob Hardies preaching
Join us for a sermon by Rev. Mary Margaret Earl, Executive Director of UU Urban Ministry. She will lead us in reflecting on navigating the overwhelming noise and news without losing sight of our work for justice.
Biography
The Rev. Mary Margaret Earl has served as Executive Director and Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry for 11 years. In this ministry, she works for racial justice and to strengthen connections between UUs and the Roxbury neighborhood where the UUUM operates. She has served on the leadership team of Moral Movement Massachusetts, the Roxbury Cultural Network, and the search committee for the Roxbury Community College president. Prior to her arrival at the UU Urban Ministry, she spent 10 years at a faith-based nonprofit in RI serving the homeless community, She is past president of the Board of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, recipient of the Heroes of Faith Award from the Rhode Island State Council of Churches for her interfaith work, and received a Courage of Conscience award from the Peace Abbey in Sherborn, MA. She is a longtime vegan committed to standing up for nonhumans.
