Worship

Sunday Services 2024-2025

Our Sunday worship services begin on September 8, 2024 with our Ingathering and Water Ceremony. Please join us either in person or on Zoom.

 

This Month’s Services

Split the Plate for January’s recipient is JFS of Metrowest. Learn more…

January 5: Transformation
Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner

Transformation is one of the newly adopted shared values of the UUA, also known as Article 2. As we enter this new year, join Rev. Debra in exploring what transformation means in our own lives and in the lives of our institutions and society.

January 12: For Such A Time As This
Rev. Dr. Debra Haffner

The inauguration is January 20th.  How can we prepare ourselves for the changes to come?  Rev. Debra will offer lessons from two books – On Tyranny and Strongmen – to consider how Unitarian Universalists might need to respond.  She will share why she believes that our social justice efforts must be directed to protecting democracy and our neighbors.

January 19: Pluralism and Equity
Rev. Joel Miller

Pluralism and Equity are two of the newly adopted shared values of the UUA.  Rev. Joel will explore them in the context of honoring the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 26: Broken Open
Sanctuary Boston

We long to heal from trauma, to practice restorative justice, to recover from addiction, to purify our hearts, to repair the world: to fix ourselves and each other. But how do we live in a world that can’t be put back together? What might we miss when our focus is on erasing damage and restoring usefulness? What can disabled, mad, and trans thought teach us about the difference between goodness and being good for something power and money understands? What might be holy about falling apart? Music will be led by Ashley Mulcaire & other members of the Sanctuary Boston band (Taiward Wider, Callie Jennings). Sanctuary Boston is a community of vibrant worship and real connection, grounded in Unitarian Universalism and open to seekers of all kinds. Sanctuary is an all-ages community that centers the leadership and experiences of young adults.

A Note on Gathering in Person

We are delighted to be gathering in person, and to have the option of Zoom for worship and event attendance. As Covid, RSV and other communicable illnesses rise and fall, we hope everyone will exercise caution to keep the community safe:

Stay home if you feel unwell and definitely if you have tested positive for a communicable illness.  Even if you think it’s a cold,  it could be a serious illness, especially for those with compromised immune systems. Follow CDC guidelines to prevent spread. Free Covid tests will soon be available here.

Wear a mask if you feel well but may have been exposed.

Remember that the last few rows of pews in the sanctuary are reserved for folks masking due to increased vulnerability to illness, and respect that space appropriately.

About Worship Service

Our worship services are an opportunity to connect with our deepest selves, with one another, and with our visions for a world of justice and peace.

We gather at 10:15am on Sunday all year round, and welcome people of all ages and identities to join us! If you join us virtually, you can contribute to our collection plate here.

There are programs for children and youth most Sundays, and nursery care for children 4 and under every week.

Our sanctuary is formal, but our vibe is not: we encourage people to dress comfortably, whether that means a dress or a fleece

The service includes:

  • hymns (from traditional Protestant to contemporary songs)
  • readings from many sources of wisdom
  • music of all kinds and a fabulous choir
  • a sermon or reflection
  • meditation
  • sharing the joys and sorrows of the community
  • a voluntary offering to support the work of the congregation or a cause beyond our walls

After the service, we gather for coffee, tea and conversation; a great opportunity to connect and learn more about what is happening that week and reflect on the conversation begun in the service.

Summer Services

Services from the second Sunday of September through the second Sunday of June are led by our professional staff and/or guests; summer services are organized by lay leaders and are often led by guest speakers from a variety of perspectives and disciplines.

View our 2024 Summer Services Schedule

Large wooden doors in an arched doorway open to the church front yard, with a sidewalk, hedge, lawn, lamppost, and maple tree in fall colors ranging from green to yellow to bright orange.In a church with a pipe organ in the background, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing a purple shirt and gray sweater assists a red-haired boy as he lights a candle inside a large silver chalice.

A man with white hair, mustache, and beard wearing glasses, a dark gray sweater over a blue button-down shirt and gray pants reads from a book to two children sitting on a red rug over a wood floor.

A congregation gathers in a church, in front of the altar and pipe organ and in several rows of pews.