Sunday, January 22nd, 2017
This service will be led by Rev. Hank Peirce.
So many things are happening all at once, a new leader, new ideas, new things to get used to, and I'm only talking about me filling in as your Sabbatical Minister! On this 4th Sunday of 2017 it is only now that the New Year feels real. Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about how we find stability at times of dramatic changes.
Over the past 15 years Rev. Peirce has served churches in Auburn ME, Medford, MA and Westford MA. Hank is an interesting guy having been a roadie for a number of rock bands and he has been featured in a number of documentaries on 80’s rock, in print and even on MTV.
Sunday, January 15th, 2017
On this Sunday before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, we will listen again to Dr. King’s message of racial equality. We will take a hard look at the ever-present racist attitude which still defines our culture and how difficult it continues to be to make "the dream" a reality. Worship will be led by The Rev. Tom Rosiello with uplifting music from the African American tradition.
Sunday, January 8th, 2017
BOTH SERVICES WILL OCCUR TODAY DESPITE YESTERDAY'S SNOW
This week we marked the Epiphany, the day Christians celebrated the arrival at the manger of the three wise men who were guided on their long journey by a star. We will explore what it means to set our sights on a star and then be guided by its light. We will consider what might be your guiding star. As we begin the New Year, what is it that you will set your sights on? The sermon will be based on the Robert Frost poem, “Choose Something Like a Star,” which will be sung by the choir in a beautiful setting by Randall Thompson at the 11 AM service. Worship will be led by our minister, The Rev. Tom Rosiello.
Sunday, December 18th, 2016
We will dispel the darkness of the season with lively music and the presentation of our Annual Mummer’s Play under the leadership of Pat Sorn and Janet Beatrice. This is a great family service with lots of children participating. Worship will be led by Minister, Tom Rosiello, Director of Religious Education, Michelle Coté, Music Director, Mike Pfitzer, and Organist/Pianist, Sanghee Kim.
Sunday, December 11th, 2016
The Christmas story is a sweet narrative about the long awaited birth of a child and his promise for the future. However, embedded in that story are some very powerful messages about exclusion, inequality, power, and peace. This morning we will look at the Christmas story through a social justice lens and apply it to the political climate and struggles of our time.
Sunday, December 4th, 2016
As the days get shorter many religions celebrate holidays with a message of hope for the future. The Christian season of Advent, the 8 days of Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the Solstice all emphasize how the light of hope shines even in the darkest of time. Over the past few weeks many have found hope hard to find. Together we will explore the season’s message of hope. In this morning's worship we will also mark the start of this year’s "Coming of Age"program for our high school youth. The services will be led by our minister, Tom Rosiello, and feature beautiful music for the Advent season.
Sunday, November 27th, 2016
Rev. Laura Randall will be our guest minister this morning at 11 AM. We are living through tumultuous times. The desire to disengage and hide from hard truths is a strong one. Yet, we are part of a long tradition of people who stand up for what is right, giving voice to the voiceless, even when it is not always the easy thing to do. What are we, as people of faith, being called toward today? Join us as we explore what it means to walk toward trouble instead of fleeing from it in order to transform our hurting world. Rev. Laura Randall is the Legacy Campaign Director at our Unitarian Universalist Association, helping individuals and congregations nurture the faith we love through planned giving. She is the Affiliate Community Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn, Massachusetts, serving the broader community through ministries of stewardship and chaplaincy. Laura is a chaplain with AseraCare Hospice and serves on the board of Healing Moments Alzheimer's Ministry. Laura lives in Medford, Massachusetts with her husband, Luke, and their dogs.
Sunday, November 20th, 2016
THANKSGIVING SUNDAY
Together, as an inter-generational community, we will give thanks. We will sing traditional Thanksgiving hymns and be treated to a bounty of beautiful music from our FPC choirs and musicians of all ages. Our minister, Tom Rosiello, assisted by our director of religious education, Michelle Cote, and many of our children and youth, will lead the service. It will include the traditional ritual of breaking and sharing of bread which will be baked for us by the junior youth group. Please bring non-perishable food and toiletries to the service to be collected and donated to the Stow Food Pantry.
Sunday, November 13th, 2016
FPC's former intern minister, Ilene Gillispie, will return to share some wisdom from her experiences working with veterans. She is currently serving as a Chaplain Resident at the Veterans' Affairs Medical Center in Durham, NC and will focus on lessons she has learned working in intensive care, hospice, and mental health units. She and Rev. Tom Rosiello will lead worship together and music will be provided by Mike Pfitzer, Sanghee Kim with the FPC Adult Choir at the 11 AM service.
Sunday, November 6th, 2016
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS~TURN CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR SATURDAY EVENING
As we turn the calendar to November, we enter into what for most of us is, "A Season of Generosity." From Thanksgiving food baskets to holiday gift drives, we are asked to respond to the needs of others from a place of generosity. This year we will begin the season with our annual church “Generosity Sunday" ~ a time to reflect upon your giving to this institution and consider how you will support it over the next year. This is a very exciting year at FPC and so many things will be going on in the spring relating to the transition to a new minister that it seemed best to get our financial house in place earlier in the year. In our Worship we will focus on the GREAT EXPECTATION for the future of FPC and how the participation of every one of us is critical to make those expectations a reality. The Rev. Tom Rosiello will be preaching and music will include the gospel favorites, “Great Day" and “Every Time I Feel The Spirit."