Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 15:3-6; Matthew 11:28-30 They took us to the alley–and the doorways and the park bench and the late-night restrooms. Garrett and Leigh–one homeless, one recently housed, both on the staff of common cathedral’s City Reach youth weekend. I have attended the overnight twice, each time with a confirmation class. Garrett took Jacob […]
Tender Hearts for Tough Times
Ephesians 4:25-5:2 I was drawn in by the headline, “The Gift of Anger and Broken-heartedness.” I was intrigued by the author, Greg Epstein, humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT. What really captured my attention was a single paragraph in this Boston Globe op-ed I read last week, in which Epstein referred to his friend Rod […]
A Parade Reimagined
Genesis 18:1-15 “Rolling Pride Parade.” The email caught my eye. The 50th Anniversary Boston Pride Parade had been cancelled due to COVID-19. A group of parents of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender youth in our area felt strongly that their kids needed and deserved a celebration. They connected with Out Metrowest, an organization our church […]
Summer Worship Plans
May 21, 2020 Dear friends, On Tuesday night, 22 members of our congregation gathered for a Church Council meeting. At that meeting, we voted unanimously to hold our Sunday morning worship services remotely throughout the summer. We will not worship in person in the sanctuary this summer. Over the several weeks, we will assess what […]
A Letter from your Pastors
Dear friends, Ahmaud Arberry. Breanna Taylor. George Floyd. Three beloved children of God. Ahmaud loved to jog. Breanna was an EMT. George was a father. Each of them loved and was loved. Each brought gifts to offer our world. The world is poorer because of their deaths. We grieve the loss of these our sister […]
Drive-by Events
Rolling Graduation Drive-By Sunday, June 7 at 2:00pm, meet at the church parking lot You are invited to a rolling graduation drive-by for Noah Cichowlas, who is graduating from the Bancroft School! Decorate your car with balloons or posters, then meet at the church parking lot. We will stay “socially distanced” in our cars, and […]
Pentecost Sunday
Dear friends, This coming Sunday, May 31, is Pentecost, the birthday of the church. The church finds itself in a similar position to those of us who have had birthdays during this “stay-at-home” time. We are challenged to rethink our usual ways of celebrating, to dive deeper into the intention behind our traditions, to […]
“Stethoscopes, Journals, and a Sensory Path”
John 13:12-15 It was only back in February, but it feels like a lifetime ago. After enjoying our Shrove Tuesday pancakes, Danny Garrigan-Byerly and I chatted in Edwards Hall. He told me about his work as a Science and Engineering Instructional Coach for elementary schools in Sudbury. That day, for a lesson, he had partnered […]
“Abiding”
John 14:15-21 “Now we are doing Mindfulness Mondays and Fearless Fridays,” Shelly explained. She laughed. “Although Watercolor Wednesdays turned out to be a huge flop.” “Trauma is something that happens,” Danielle told me, “but it doesn’t define us. The trauma response is innate and biologically protective. It can get out of balance, though.” Ronda’s words: […]
A Spiritual House
I Peter 2:4-10 One morning, in the midst of this COVID-19 shut-down, Daniel Stewart-Morales woke up with an earache. It happens fairly often, but this time around, for his dads, it was frightening. “What if we have to take him to the Emergency Department?” they worried. The potential for COVID infection changed a typical childhood […]