First Parish Dorchester

Join us as we open our doors to the community on election night 11/5/24. We’ll gather from 8:30 PM until midnight, providing a safe and supportive space for all as we await the results of the presidential election.

Whether you come with hope, anxiety, or uncertainty, we’ll be here to share in the peace and strength that community offers. All are welcome—no matter your beliefs or affiliations.

We will also be open Wednesday if you need us, we are here for you.

Colleen interned with us and we are proud to say her installation as a UU minister was held in our Sanctuary. She was inspiring, caring and impactful in her work with our community. Her passing leaves a hole in our hearts and beyond.

Colleen Squires Obituary (1963 - 2024) - Grand Raids, MI - Grand Rapids Press View Colleen Squires's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

It was such a joy to hear our member Michelle Oyie and her daughter preach on Sunday the 20th!

"A simple thank you cannot be overestimated. Perhaps gushing expressions of thanks can be overdone, but noticing the many ways the people around us contribute to our lives, and trying to acknowledge them sincerely and appropriately, is a key human relations skill that we all need to work on all the time."

Happy & Healthy New Year!
Year #5785

What a pleasure to hear Rev. Tracy Johnson today, speaking about Dignity and making history!! Here is a snippet, if you did not catch it in person.

…”This idea of dignity is not new to us as Unitarian Universalists! We have long affirmed its inherent quality in all persons, all being perhaps, and our values tie it to the concept of equity, declaring that every person has the right to flourish with this inherent quality and worthiness. To that end we covenant to use our resources purposefully toward inclusivity in our communities of faith and beyond. So, it is a permanent part of us as human beings,
part of our nature, our DNA - maybe? But still, we struggle to bring it to bear on our lives. …..
This dignity, this state or quality of being worthy is rooted in the idea of respect. And it has its effects on both the self and others. When we operate out of our own self-respect, we are coming from a place aligned with our deepest values. What matters to us - to each of us and to us as a community of faith - impacts the world around us, and our willingness to act from that place enhances our own dignity as well. We alter our own history as much as we alter all we come upon.
….

My invitation this morning is simple and not so much so all at once! To orient oneself toward dignity moment by moment in your day, your week, your work, your life. It is the task we are made for. To do so here with one another, a safe practice space. To do so as persons and as a people, who tether ourselves to dignity as a way of being that matters in the grand scheme of it all. "Act," as the American philosopher, William James
admonishes us, "as if what you do makes a difference. It does," he says.

May we be about the business of creating history as we dive deep into our values, offering up the dignity our world cries out for.“

She will be back with us on October 27 2024, 11 AM.

Important Service Update - IN PERSON ONLY TODAY

Good morning, everyone,

Due to some unforeseen technical issues, today’s service will be in-person only, and we won’t be able to livestream or host the service online. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we work to resolve these issues.

In the meantime, we invite you to explore our Service Archive to watch any of our pre-recorded services: https://tinyurl.com/FPDpast-services

Also, as a reminder, next Sunday, September 29th, at 12:30 PM, we’re hosting a warm and open Congregational Conversation on Worship and Healing. It’s an opportunity to share what makes our services meaningful, how everything flows, and how we can create smoother processes for our relationships.

We value everyone's input—every voice matters, and we want to hear yours! To help guide this discussion, please take a few moments to fill out this short survey - we value your input!: https://forms.office.com/r/fufRXKSfBf

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Ana or email her at [email protected].

forms.office.com

We were thrilled to have Rev. Jane Thickstun with us this morning. From her sermon on Faith:
“Faith needs to be constantly renewed. There are so many things that threaten it. It is really quite a fragile thing. That’s why we need to come to church. That’s why we need to read things that inspire us. That’s why we need to hear geese flying overhead and watch a sunset every now and then.”

We love these BU students!! They cleaned the sanctuary, painted the fence, raked leaves and acorns and planted bulbs in our garden! What a group of go getters!!

We’re honored to welcome members of the First-Year Urban Program today as they lend a hand in cleaning up our Churchyard and tackling other important tasks. As one of the five founding churches of Harvard College in 1636, we’re grateful for this enduring partnership and the opportunity to work together in service to our community.

Julie Simmons was our worship leader this week. Her homily was on the life of Pauli Murry (1910 - 1985) who was an American civil rights activist, advocate, legal scholar and theorist, author and – later in life – an Episcopal priest & Saint!! Murray's work was the bedrock of the civil rights movement and also expanded legal protection for gender equality.

It’s a blessing to share our space today with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.

We were pleased to host Meetinghouse Hill Civic Association’s BBQ on Saturday. Among attendees were Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston City Councilor Henry Santana.

Retired teacher Mary Elliff led our service today. In her homily, “1500 Children” she spoke of the many connections she shared with her students over the years, and how they learned from each other and made special bonds for life.

Our building is happiest when filled with young people doing good work!
Today we’re hosting an all day Youth Innovation Summit from Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project exploring leadership and environmental justice. Thank you for being with us today!

We’re thrilled to announce that 4 of the 5 Parish Hall Palladian windows have been refurbished and installed. A huge thank you to Ardis Vaughan for writing the grant and managing the contractors!

Jen Johnson’s homily "Reflections on White Supremacy” on Sunday was superb!

We just wrapped up hosting a 5 week program for these young adult leaders from The City School. A great experience was had by all!

Cathe and Tyler Carpenter led our service this week echoing the great Rev. Victor Carpenter’s sermon “We come here to minister to each other.”
It was a fantastic service!

We are so happy to announce the addition of our new custodian and fix-it guy Tony Barbosa. He is amazing and brings a wealth of knowledge and skills. We are so privileged to have him working with us.

In today’s sermon, Dorchester historian and consumate photographer Robert Severy mentioned several interesting pieces of our history. Did you know that the front steps come from the 1816 church which burned down in 1896?

He concluded by saying “ For the sake of your family, keep a diary!” He later elaborated by citing the example of the 1919 police strike which is known to historians only because of a journal entry in his grandmother’s diary, who witnessed the events and included it in her writing.

“ For the sake of your family, keep a diary!”