First Parish Blog
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From Special Creation to Kin: How Scientific and Indigenous Understandings Call Us to a New Relationship with Nature
Sunday, February 5, 2023
10:30am, live streamed online and from the sanctuary
Guest Minister Rev. Jamie Hinson-Rieger preaching
For much of Western history the dominant creation story has placed humans at the apex of the natural order. This Sunday we will look at how the scientific creation story calls us to a different relationship with life, one which is consonant with many indigenous understandings and with Unitarian Universalism as well. And we will say “Happy birthday!” to Charles Darwin, one week early.
Previous Posts
You can leave a last legacy at First Parish
The Legacy Giving Committee is delighted with the interest in the Challenge Campaign. Over the coming weeks we will be sharing stories and ideas for including First Parish in your estate plan. Many of you may not know of the generous bequest that Roberta Crocker...
Legacy Giving – A Simple Codicil to Your Will
The Legacy Giving Committee would like to thank all of you who stopped by our table at the Volunteer fair. Many people asked how they could include First Parish in Needham (FPN) in their estate plan with a codicil to their will. You are not required to have an...
Where Have You Found Transcendence?
Tuesday, May 23rd, at 7:30 in the Parlor We wrap up this year’s Big Question Forum series with a big question about personal geography. As many anticipate summer travels, we thought it would a fine send-off to reflect on those special places in our lives, where there...
Commit2Eat Less Meat
Green Congregation Action of the Week Join the Meatlehttps://uuneedham.org/wp-admin/edit.phpss Monday movement! Eating more plant-based and less animal-based food is gentler on our small planet, healthier for you, and better for the farm animals and fish you don’t...
Can You Trust Your Judgment?
Tuesday, February 28th at 7:30 in the Parlor These are tough times for The Truth. In a saner and more reflective epoch, the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan commented that “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.”...
What Are We Called To Do?
In these dark days for environmental protection, can we make progress on our Commit2Respond pledge to reduce carbon emissions and work for eco justice? Yes, we can -- and at this time it is more crucial than ever to do so. During the month of January, watch for...
Who Are You? An Inquiry into the Illusion of Self
In this month’s Big Questions Forum, we’ll be tackling what may seem like the most obvious question, but which is one of the most confounding: Who are we?The Buddha referred to the sense of self as an illusion. But to most of us it is more real than anything else!In...
Parish Committee Update on Strategic Plan
Last year, the Parish Committee began the process of creating a new Strategic Plan (The previous Strategic Plan covered a five-year period which ended in 2014. Its objectives were largely accomplished. ) First, we reviewed and revised.the existing Vision and Mission...
The Racial Justice Task Force: Who we are, what YOU can do
Over the past year, the Racial Justice Task Force has been exploring ways that we as a predominantly white community can respond to issues of racial injustice in our country. Last January, Rev. Catie and Mark LaPointe formed the group in light of the crisis sparked by...
Figments of Divinity
20150628_0361_tad_sermonFigments of DivinityA quizzical and quixotic inquiry into the quintessential question of quiddity. Does God exist? And does it matter? What political and relational games ensue?Tad Staley has been a member of First Parish for seven years — long...
Video tutorials- Using the Realm- Log In, Profile, and Groups
Have you been hearing about the Realm but not known how to use it?Are you frustrated because you have tried to log in to the Realm for the first time and did not know how to make it work?If you want to know more about using the Realm at First Parish, these videos are...
Introducing the First Parish Podcast!
What is a Podcast and Why do I want to subscribe? For many years, the weekly Sermon has been audio recorded and available to listen to through a link on our website. This year, we have made the weekly Sermons available, not only on the website, but in the form of a...