Each week in our covenant we make the statement, "service is our law." It is a powerful statement that as a church we try to live up to. This Sunday we focus upon the call to serve and the import role service plays in our faith tradition. We will explore the opportunities to serve here at First Parish and in our community with others from First Parish.

Many religious traditions are held together by a creed, but in our liberal faith tradition it is our covenant that holds us together. Our covenant is essentially a set of promises we make to each other. This morning will explore that concept of covenant and what it means in our lives and in our faith. The Rev. Rosiello will be preaching and will be assisted by Intern Minister, Ilene Gillespie in leading the service. At the 11 AM service the choir will premiere a new musical setting of the words of our covenant.

We officially begin the church year with a return to two services and the commencement of this year's religious education program for children and youth. We will "pull out all the stops" to welcome you back and begin what promises to be a great church year. All the staff will be taking part in worship and there will be lots of participation from volunteers of all ages. Our music, under the Direction of Mike Pfitzer, will include contributions from the adult choir, youth singers, drummers and members of the Jazz band, as well as Organist/Pianist, Sanghee Kim. Our new Intern Minister, Ilene Gillispie, will be assisting Rev. Tom Rosiello in leading worship. The sermon by Rev. Rosiello will focus on the question of why going to a church is important in our lives. This service will not only be a great opportunity for members to reconnect with each other and our tradition, but also an excellent introduction to our church and Unitarian Universalism for new-comes. Please join us for this uplifting service and please bring friends or neighbors who might be interested in finding a spiritual home.

As our very first principle, we Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This summer, amidst police violence towards African Americans being revealed across our country and in response to the "Black Lives Matter" campaign challenging officials and candidates to speak out for justice and equality; and in the aftermath of a monumental Supreme Court decision recognizing marriage as a fundamental right of all couples including gays and lesbians, and in response those city and town clerks who refuse to issue any marriage licenses rather than do so for a gay couple; we have watched the struggle play out. We have seen great strides for human dignity and worth butting up against often unspoken, but very real attitudes that do not accept the inherent worth and dignity of many in our society. This morning The Rev. Tom Rosiello will explore the news of this summer within the context of our first principle. Music will be provided by pianist, Sanghee Kim.