September 22, 2024
- Lori Locascio
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Theodore Parker Sermons
- change
- Theodore Parker
- Time for All Ages
- Transcendentalism
All Sermons
Special Service – 21st Annual Joint UU Summer Service, hosted by FCU: “For Whom the Alarm Bell Tolls”
August 4, 2024
- Cindy Malley
- Elinor Gentilman
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Rev. Megan Lynes
- Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion
- compassion
- Unitarian Universalism
- UU Joint Summer Service
FCU had the privilege of hosting the 21st Annual Joint UU Summer Service, a gathering of (I believe) 14 different local UU congregations! I had the privilege of leading worship and preaching.
Flower Communion and Keeper of the Flame 2024
June 16, 2024
- Lynn Courtney
- Monica Pilman
- Peter Ersland
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Flower Communion
- keeper of the flame
- Time for All Ages
101st Annual Flower Communion, plus our Keeper of the Flame award goes to… Lynn Courtney!
“Ghana and Grace”
June 9, 2024
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Sara Cope
- Thea Shapiro
- Ghana
- grace
- Macdellar Sons of Grace Preparatory School
- poverty
- sabbatical
- Time for All Ages
I spoke about my experience in Ghana during my sabbatical, volunteering at the Macdellar Sons of Grace Preparatory School.
“What Will the Church Be in 20 or 30 Years?”
June 2, 2024
This was the annual auction sermon topic this year!
“Memorial Day in the Light of the War in Gaza”
May 26, 2024
We consider the history of US war casualties, and think about the current war between Hamas and Israel.
“Torna a Surriento: You CAN Come Home Again”
May 19, 2024
Rev. Lara’s return-from-sabbatical Sunday!
“Roots and Wings”
May 12, 2024
- Anna Fadden
- Cindy Malley
- Jim Nehring
- Monica Pilman
- Rev. Kathy Schmitz
- Thea Shapiro
- Time for All Ages
The congregation and sabbatical minister Rev. Kathy Schmitz say a fond farewell.
“Healing Images: Chiron and the Hanged Man”
May 5, 2024
- Anna Fadden
- Kristine Tomlinson
- Peter Ersland
- Rochelle Chambless
- Thea Shapiro
- healing
- Time for All Ages
FCU’s own Kristine Tomlinson delivers the sermon!
“Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Poor People’s Campaign”
January 14, 2024
- Araya Fast
- Cindy Heiland
- Cindy Malley
- Lori Grant
- Lynn Cina
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Sara Cope
- Thea Shapiro
- anti-racism
- Learning Up
- Macdellar Sons of Grace Preparatory School
- Martin Luther King
- poverty
- Time for All Ages
- white supremacy culture
Our Annual MLK Sunday. Share-the-Plate was for the Macdellar Sons of Grace Preparatory School (via Learning Up).
“Remembrance Service”
January 7, 2024
- Anna Fadden
- Cindy Malley
- Monica Pilman
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- "I Live My Life in Widening Circles" (poem) by Rainer Maria Rilke
- death
- remembrance
- Time for All Ages
Our annual Remembrance Service, remembering those loved ones we lost in the last year, as well as babies born in the past year.
“Behold, the First Pancake!”
December 17, 2023
- Larry Kaylor
- Lynn Courtney
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- imperfection
- second time around
- Time for All Ages
The Parable of the First Pancake and the Parable of the Crowded Antique Shop. What more do you need to know?
“Holiday Festival of Lights”
December 10, 2023
- Bev Cyr
- Jim Barisano
- Jim Nehring
- Joel Ross
- Larry Kaylor
- Martha Childs
- Molly Lozeau
- Peggy Britton
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Sarah Buchholz
- Thea Shapiro
- Advent
- Hanukkah
- Kwanzaa
- solstice
- St. Lucia Day
- Yule
DRE Thea Shapiro and I co-led a joyful multigenerational service celebrating the light of Solstice, Yule, Advent, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and St. Lucia Day.
“The Spaces Between”
December 3, 2023
For the First Sunday of Advent, I preached about space leading to growth. There was some amazing guest music, too!
“The Living Tradition of Change”
November 26, 2023
- Cindy Heiland
- Kris Ersland
- Lori Locascio
- Peter Ersland
- 8th Principle
- Time for All Ages
- Unitarian Universalism
- UU history
FCU lay leaders (and last year’s General Assembly delegates) Kris Ersland, Cindy Heiland, and Lori Locascio lead a service discussing UU values, change, and the proposed amendment to Article II of the UUA bylaws.
“Thank You, Lydia Maria Child” with Cornbread Communion
November 19, 2023
- Anna Fadden
- Bob Williams
- Cindy Malley
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Sara Cope
- Thea Shapiro
- Cornbread Communion
- gratitude
- Lydia Maria Child
- thanksgiving
- UU history
Our annual Cornbread & Cider Communion Service, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, co-led by DRE Thea Shapiro, the Deacons, and me. I talked about one of our great UU forebears, Lydia Maria Child.
“Positively Bright-Sided”
November 12, 2023
- Amy Lavigne
- Peter Ersland
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Bright-Sided
- positive thinking
- Time for All Ages
I explore “the power of positive thinking” and “the secret” in light of Barbara Ehrenreich’s book, “Bright-Sided”. The Share-the-Plate recipient was the Greater Boston Food Bank.
“The Idol of Reason”
November 5, 2023
My sermon explored the relative (un?)importance of reason…
“Fear Lite”
October 29, 2023
Director of Religious Education Thea Shapiro led this multigenerational service in honor of Halloween.
“Big Bang Theology”
October 22, 2023
My sermon considered what the Big Bang Theory might suggest, theologically-speaking. The Share-the-Plate recipient was Veterans, Inc.
“A Sense of Place”
October 15, 2023
- Larry Kaylor
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- From Where We Stand: Recovering a Sense of Place
- sense of place
- Time for All Ages
I examine what it is to have a sense of place with some help from Deborah Tall’s “From Where We Stand: Recovering a Sense of Place”.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Day Sunday”
October 8, 2023
- Brian Tarbox
- Jim Nehring
- Lorinda Morimoto
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- American Indian
- Indigenous Peoples' Day
- Leonard Peltier
- Time for All Ages
FCU member Lorinda Morimoto and I share our thoughts this Indigenous People’s Day with a focus on justice for Leonard Peltier. Special music by Brian Tarbox!
“Radical Curiosity”
October 1, 2023
- Alessandra Ranelli
- Cindy Malley
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Radical Curiosity: Questioning Commonly Held Beliefs to Imagine Flourishing Futures
- Buckminster Fuller
- curiosity
- imagination
- Time for All Ages
- Unitarian Universalism
I talk about “Radical Curiosity” based on the book by Seth Goldenberg. Also, Alessandra visits from Austria! Lots of cool music, too, with a solo from Natalie and more.
“Tikkun Olam: A UU Appreciation of Yom Kippur in Light of the Climate Crisis”
September 24, 2023
- Debbie Eston
- Peter Ersland
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Facing the Climate Emergency: How to Transform Yourself with Climate Truth
- civil disobedience
- climate crisis
- environment
- Extinction Rebellion
- forgiveness
- Judaism
- shofar
- Time for All Ages
- Yom Kippur
We take a look at the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur from a UU lens, and also from the lens of climate crisis.
“Glimmer Warnings”
September 17, 2023
- Anna Fadden
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- glimmers
- Hawai'i Community Foundation (HCF) - Maui Strong Fund
- hope
- Time for All Ages
You’ve heard about “trigger warnings”… but what are “glimmer warnings”?
“Ingathering and Water Communion”
September 10, 2023
Our traditional ingathering service with Water Communion!
“100th Anniversary of the Flower Communion” with Keeper of the Flame Award
June 18, 2023
- Bill Duston
- Hugh Vartanian
- Karen Tucker-Barisano
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Flower Communion
- keeper of the flame
- Time for All Ages
On our final “regular” worship service of the “church year”, we recognized the 100th Anniversary of the Flower Communion, a UU tradition. We also awarded the “Keeper of the Flame” to Hugh Vartanian!
“Coming of Age” service
June 11, 2023
- Bllu Catalano
- Cindy Malley
- Dana Malley
- Karen Tucker-Barisano
- Máiréad Foley-Catalano
- Niall Foley
- Oliver Malley
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Coming of Age
- Time for All Ages
- Unitarian Universalism
- youth
A Coming-of-Age Service co-led by youth Máiréad Foley-Catalano and Oliver Malley!
“LGBTQ+ Pride and Possibility”
June 4, 2023
We take a look at LGBTQ+ Pride and Possibility as of 2023… and have a New Member Welcoming Ceremony!
“Widening the Circle: What Is Neurodiversity?”
May 28, 2023
- Karen Tucker-Barisano
- Oliver Malley
- Rev. Jackie Clement
- Thea Shapiro
- disability
- inclusivity
- neurodiversity
- Time for All Ages
FCU’s own (retired UU minister) Rev. Jackie Clement and fabulous youth Oliver Malley co-lead a service on neurodiversity!
“Magical Mystical Tour with The Beatles”
May 21, 2023
- Larry Kaylor
- Molly Lozeau
- Patti Sardella
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- 1960s
- George Harrison
- John Lennon
- music
- NAMI
- Paul McCartney
- Ringo Starr
- The Beatles
Music Director Molly Lozeau and I discuss (in answer to a “Question Box”/”Ask the Minister” query) what makes The Beatles so special. Lots of fun! Our own Patti Sardella also talked about NAMI for our Share-the-Plate.
“Necessity Is the Mother of Invention”
May 14, 2023
We acknowledge Mother’s Day, and my sermon continues the discussion of what we can learn from the “Spirituality of the Decades” services we had this year.
“Spirituality of the 2010s and Beyond” with Maypole
May 7, 2023
- Martha Childs
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Spirituality of the Decades
- 2010s
- maypole
- Time for All Ages
I preached the final in my “spirituality of the decades” sermons which started back in October with the 50s!
“There’s Work to Do”
April 30, 2023
- Cindy Malley
- Karen Tucker-Barisano
- Kris Ersland
- Lori Grant
- Thea Shapiro
- anti-racism
- racism
- Time for All Ages
- white supremacy culture
Deacon Cindy Malley leads a fabulous service with others from FCU’s Racial Justice Action Committee (RJAC)!
Earth Day: “Props to the Planet”
April 23, 2023
DRE Thea Shapiro and I co-led a multigenerational Earth Day service!
“Hiding in Plain Sight”
April 16, 2023
- Araya Fast
- David Gaynor
- Kathi Geisler
- Rev. Lara Hoke
- Thea Shapiro
- Compassion and Choices
- imperfection
- imposter syndrome
- Time for All Ages
I preached about hiding in plain sight, of course! And about imperfection, and “Imposter Syndrome”. Our share-the-plate was Compassion and Choices.
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