PAST SERMONS
Starting in the Fall of 2023 we began posting the Weekly Announcements on the website, which included summaries of the sermons. If you are looking for sermons from before what we have here, you might check the Weekly Announcements Archives.
-
“Tending Our Selves” 5/12/2024
Jill will welcome guest speaker Jen Shattuck. Jen is a UU religious educator and author who serves on the staff at both the Unitarian Church of Barnstable MA and Sanctuary Boston. She is the author of The Tending Years, a book for those caring for preschool-age children, and is also the creator of Ellery Churchmouse, a video series for UU kids and their families.
In her sermon she’ll consider “who” we bring when we come together – our many identities, experiences, hopes, needs and more. The service will include a dedication of children, and special music from Johanna Beekman. Afterward Jen will host a post-sermon discussion, which might include questions about the sermon, about her book “The Tending Years” (copies available), about neurodivergence and more.
Author
-
-
“Which Way To Turn?” 5/5/2024
The turning of the earth, of the year, of the seasons, of the heart. Turning inward, turning outward, turning away, turning toward. “To turn” is a fruitful way to describe and understand the religious life. As the old Shaker song says, it’s by ‘turning, turning that we come round right.’ In these days turning often feels frantic, as in which way to turn? Is there anywhere safe to turn? Turning can become spinning, and dizziness, and falling. What can we learn that will help us in all this turning?
Rev. Jill McAllister
Author
-
-
“Wheel of the Year: Beltane”, 4/28/24
Beltane is a season of creative energy on the earth. Come share in a creative process of committing your energies to a new dream, and in the spirit of May Day, carry a flame of community home to warm and support your ongoing efforts.
With Priscilla Galasso, Patricia Parcells, Diana Titus, Gaylee Goodrich, Wolfgang Dengler, Brandi Tucker, and the UUFC Sunday Band.
Author
-
-
“To Live With Integrity” 4/21/2024
In this year of building new ways, our Earth Day Sunday will focus on needed and possible changes in habits and assumptions about our relationships with ourselves, others and the Earth. Members of our Climate Action Team will share insights and facilitate conversations among us beginning with this perspective: that our actions affect our own health, the health of those we love, and the health of Earth.
Following the service, all are encouraged to attend the preparation Town Hall for our May 19 Annual Meeting.
Author
-
-
“Who Needs Equity?” – April 14, 2024
We started with Love, and we’ve considered Justice, Generosity, Transformation, Interdependence and Pluralism – the stated shared values in the proposed changes to the UUA bylaws, Article II. This week we finish with Equity – “We declare that every person has the right to flourish with inherent dignity and worthiness. We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.” Sounds great, right? But who needs it? With Jill McAllister
Author
-
-
“What Difference Does It Make?” April 7th, 2024
This Sunday we’ll consider stewardship, pledging and what difference each of us makes when we make a commitment. Oh, and while we’re at it we’ll join in a game of Jeopardy – UU-style – plus some good singing and sharing of sorrows and joys – a regular Sunday at the Fellowship (is there such a thing?) which really means the joy of being together.
with Jill McAllister
Author
-
-
“SO Much More to the Stories,” 3/31/24
Unitarian Universalists have wrestled with the Easter story for centuries. Should we focus on its pagan roots, its ample metaphors, its timeless insight into both human frailties and human strengths? Luckily there is not just one answer, because like all good stories, it opens so many possibilities. And, there is so much more to the story, especially in the history and evolution of its telling. What might we learn this year?
Rev. Jill McAllister
Author
-
-
“Storm Warning,” 3/24/2024
We welcome the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt as our preacher today. She is a long-time UU minister who serves as the President of one of our two main theological schools – Starr King School for the Ministry. Before she entered the UU ministry, Rev. McNatt was a writer /editor for the New York Times Book Review. Before going to Starr King she served as Senior Minister of the Fourth Universalist Society of the City of New York. Rev. McNatt has been voice of reason, challenge, wisdom and leadership within UUism for decades. Plan now to join us! You are invited to a reception for Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, after the Sunday Service, at 2 PM Come for refreshments and conversation, to learn about what’s happening in theological education for UU minister, and to help us welcome and thank her for joining us this Sunday. Let Rev. Jill McAllister know if you plan to attend.
Author
-
-
Ostara, 3/17/2024
As we look toward Ostara, a fleeting moment of balance in the Wheel of the Year, we pause to reflect on what it means to embrace the seasonality and impermanence of all things on the Earth and within ourselves. This Sunday we’ll share a moment of transition between the Wheel of the Year services we’ve come to know and love and the inevitable “what’s next” with an experimental worship service for all ages offered by Director of Religious Exploration, Skyla King-Christison.
Author
-
-
Sunday March 10, 2024 “Who Killed Caesar?” Jacob King
Our world is increasingly becoming despotic. War, violence, and oppression is rampant; and the human condition continues to justify denying others agency. It is fitting then during the ‘Ides of March’ to analyze how people of faith can respond during times of such ‘Caesarism.’ As Shakespearean wisdom states: “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
Jacob King (He/Him) is a UU Candidate for Ministry and longtime friend of the UUFC. He started his ministry journey five years ago after witnessing UU’s engaging in Social Justice activities. Jacob identifies as neurodivergent and bisexual. Jacob is married to his partner Karmen and lives in Albany NY with her, three cats, and a dog.
*A note on readings from last Sunday: folks have asked for information about the article mentioned in the sermon last week, a conversation between Rabbi Nathan DeGroot and Philospher/Theologian Bayo Akomlafe. Here is a link to the article: An Invitation to Shapeshift: A Talmudo-Poetic Conversation on Post-Activism with Báyò Akómoláfé
Author
-
-
Love and Chaos: Invitations of the Spiritual Life, 3/3/24
What might it take for us to understand that the way things are, what the World includes, is not simply a problem or problems to be solved? That Life calls us to be present (and humble, honest, courageous, grateful, amazed) in all the ways we can, no matter what is happening? A new generation of philosopher-theologians have much to teach us.
Rev. Jill McAllister
Author
-
-
“Where Justice Begins,” 2/25/2024
“Justice” has been named as a central value in Unitarian Universalism for generations. We are for it. We work for it. We work to understand it. And still, there is much to learn. Most often we think that justice is public work, community work, political work. But what if it is first and foremost soul work? Without getting waylaid by wanting to define “soul,” let’s consider what justice requires, what it asks of us, what it needs from us.
Rev. Jill McAllisterAuthor
-
SUNDAY SERVICE VIDEOS
We have saved videos from most of the services from the past several years. Occasionally a service video doesn’t get recorded, or saved. If you can’t find a on the YouTube playlists, it might be in the Facebook live stream videos.
YouTube Playlist – Services from 2024
YouTube Playlist – Services from 2023
Service Videos (January 2020 – March 2023): The link opens a pdf of an older method of storing links to service videos, before we started uploading them to YouTube.