The Rev. Dr. Judith Wright
His Holiness, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama says that his religion is “kindness.” What does it mean to have a religion of kindness? What is kindness? How can we learn to develop more kindness within ourselves? Rev. Judith Wright will lead worship this morning.
The Rev. Dr. Judith Wright will be preaching
In honor of the upcoming Earth Day, we will reflect on the current condition of our home, Mother Earth, and our evolving relationship with her. We will look, in particular, through the lens of the lovely trees which grace our environments. Rev. Dr. Judith Wright will lead worship this morning.
Rev. Judith retired last June from the Northborough UU Congregation after twelve years as their settled parish minister, and now is their minister Emerita. She has served as a UU minister in parish ministries in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, and as a chaplain in the Philadelphia area. As a UU Tibetan Buddhist, she regularly attends teachings at Namgyal monastery in Ithaca, New York, as well as the Sakya Institute for Buddhist Studies in Cambridge, MA. A widow of the late Rev. Dr. Rudy Nemser, Rev. Judith raised four children, and now has six grandchildren. She lives in Boylston, MA where she enjoys long walks, almost each day, with her three legged dog, Kelsang.
Life, like music, moves at different tempos. Speed can be thrilling, but also pressured. Efficiency is important of course, but we need to slow down. On the other hand, a slower pace can be lovely and contemplative, yet also lugubrious. And life is short, time's a-wasting, so hurry up! How do we strike a balance, and get the timing right? This Sunday Worship, entirely put together by the Parish Jazz Band and filled with their music, both fast and slow, will be a meditation on the various tempos of our lives—how we keep them, how we measure them, and how we set the pace.
Join us for an uplifting service that will focus on what the Easter message can mean in our lives today. After a special Easter Message for All Ages, our children will leave for the "Great Easter Egg Hunt." Both services will be filled with "Hallelujahs" and other great Easter music. We will conclude both services with an invitation to join the choir in singing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. It will be a wonderful morning. Treat yourself to the experience and bring a friend.
This candlelight service will be led by our MinIster, The Rev. Tom Rosiello, and our Lay Ministers, and musicians. We will tell the story of Jesus' final days focusing on the Passover meal that he shared with his disciples and what this ritual of "breaking bread together" means to us today. In this service we honor our history and celebrate our Christian roots while reaching beyond to the broader message of community and the ministry of humble service. We will be using the historic communion silver form both the First Parish of Stow and the Universalist Church of South Acton in the service. Whether your religious background is Christian or not, please join us for this beautiful service.
March ends and April begins with important times of religious observance on both the Jewish and Christian calendars. With the teachings of Passover and Palm Sunday on our minds, we will examine the themes of freedom, liberation, survival and oppression and ask ourselves the difficult question, "Does my freedom come at the price of some else's oppression?” Our music will include songs of freedom and Passover. The Rev. Tom Rosiello will be preaching and leading worship.
We are a teaching congregation. That can mean many things. It means that we place great value on teaching our children, not only about religion, but about the ways to live a good life. We are all their teachers and mentors. It also means that we serve as a congregation that helps to teach those preparing for the ministry in our faith tradition. This Sunday we will celebrate both. We will a be joined by Ilene Gillespie (our intern minister for next year) at both services and our minister, Tom Rosiello, will interview her about how she will mentor our youth, what she can teach us and what we can teach her. A great skit from The RE Committee also awaits you. And on top of all that, we will also welcome a "much needed spring!"
This Sunday there will be an opportunity at both services to join our church by signing the membership book. When you join the church you become part of a unique community. In this service we will explore the theological concept of the “beloved community” and the important role that community plays, particularly in our church and religious tradition. This will be the last opportunity to join the church in time to vote at the Annual Meeting.
Having just returned from Mexico, our minister, Tom Rosiello, will share some of the things he experienced and the lessons we might take from them. Our service will have a "south of the border flavor." At the 9 AM service we will also recognize all those children who have completed our First Chalice Program.
This Sunday we will focus on the Unitarian Universalists’ Urban Ministry and the role our church plays in it. From youth programs to running Boston's oldest domestic violence shelter, the Urban Ministry transforms lives, not only of the inner city program participants, but also of the volunteers who give generously of their time.
Our Minister Tom Rosiello will be back leading worship and some of FPC's great jazz players will be joining Mike, Sanghee and the choir for some great music making. Our guest preacher will be the new Executive Director and Senior Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Urban Ministry, Mary Margaret Earl. Before coming to the Urban Ministry she spent the previous 10 years at McAuley Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit in Providence, RI, that provides food, shelter and clothing to those who were homeless or at risk of becoming so. She also is immediate and past president of the Board of the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, and served on the Pro Bono Advisory Board, which brings together large Providence law firms and under-served communities in need of free legal assistance. After both services there will be a forum where you can learn more about our Urban Ministry. You won't want to miss this Sunday!
