Category: Sunday Services

We are entering the season of stories: the birth of a child in a manger whose parents are fleeing oppression, sacred oil burning for eight nights, an old miser who is visited by three ghosts, a man who gets to see what life would be like if he’d never been born; classics that have lasted for generations. We live in a time where anything we can imagine can be displayed on screen; but where are the stories that have the meaning and impact to carry us through the issues of our time?

Lay reader Dan Tinen will lead the 10 am service on Sunday, December 19, at First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian. The service will take place both in person and over Zoom. Those in person should wear masks and observe social distancing. The sanctuary has air filters and ventilation.

Contact fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com for the online link. All are welcome!

[Photo Credit: Jill Battaglia]

“What can an otter and other assorted woodland creatures teach us about vulnerability and resilience?” Come join us at First Parish, Northfield this Sunday for a service led by Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer for people of all ages to find out. Participants will gather in person or online at 10 am. For the online link, send a request to fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

On Sunday, December 5, at First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian, the topic of the Chalice Circle service will be “Resilience.” The service will begin at 10am with Ann Linge leading meditation and discussion on rebounding after difficulty.

The service will take place both in person and over Zoom. Those in person should wear masks and observe social distancing. The sanctuary has air filters and ventilation.

Contact fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com for the online link. All are welcome!

Illustration by Monika Aichele

At First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian, the Rev. Alison Cornish will continue the November theme of “Bearing Witness” with a reflection on “Mutual Regard: The Practices of Witnessing” this Sunday, November 28, at 10am.

The service will explore how bearing witness means exposing ourselves to the suffering of the world in order to make wise decisions, activate our natural compassion, and awaken a sense of urgency.

In addition to a Story for All Ages as part of the service, religious education will continue with Jenny Wooster leading young people in a holiday craft activity.

The service will take place both in person and over Zoom. Those in person should wear masks and observe social distancing. The sanctuary has air filters and ventilation.

Contact fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com for the online link. All are welcome!

“Bearing Witness” will be the theme for a Chalice Circle service at First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian, this Sunday at 10 am. Jennifer Smith will lead the program of reflection and sharing. 

Unitarian Universalist religious educator CB Beal says that, “Bearing witness involves being present with someone else’s feelings, expressing empathy, without taking those feelings in or having to make them go away.” 

The service will take place both in person and over Zoom.  Those in person should wear masks and observe social distancing. The sanctuary has air filters and ventilation.

Contact fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com for the online link. All are welcome!

Illustration by alicemoi/Getty Images

After the Welcome, a service led by Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer

Hospitality begins with welcoming. We open the door and welcome someone to come in. This Sunday, November 14 at 10AM, we will reflect on the part of hospitality that comes after the welcome – the part that calls us to really attend to the others in our lives so we can meet and make space for them as their whole selves.

People of all ages are invited to join us for this multigenerational service which will be held both in person (indoors) at First Parish and streamed on Zoom for those attending from home. Those in person should wear masks and observe social distancing. The sanctuary has air filters and ventilation.

Contact fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com for the online link. All are welcome!

“Educating Our Society” will be the topic at First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian, this Sunday at 10 am. Lay reader Dan Tinen will lead the service. Tinen says of his sermon, “A good education forges new, unfamiliar paths in your brain and prunes away the false connections you might’ve already made. We are in a world that demands life-long learning from childhood through old age, but what lessons should we teach in our schools, churches, and in the media, and why?”

Religious education will be led by Jennifer Smith. The older youth will work together to bake a “take home” coffee hour treat and then enjoy some game time together in the RE room. Masks are required for indoor activities. Parishioners will gather in the church sanctuary wearing masks and with socially distanced seating, ventilation, and air filtration. In addition, the service will be cast via Zoom to home participants. To obtain the Zoom link for the Zoom call, send an email to fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com.

First Parish of Northfield’s Chalice Circle service this Sunday, October 31, at 10 am will address the topic of “Joy.” Rev. Melissa Carvill-Ziemer and Ann Linge will lead participants in reflecting on what brings us joy, and barriers to letting more joy into our lives. All are welcome to participate in this service.

The service will be held at the church (indoors) and over Zoom. Send an email message to fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com to obtain the Zoom link.

Meanwhile, Jenny Wooster will lead an all-ages religious education session, including the making of paper lanterns for the Saturday, November 6 Lantern Walk at Picadilly Farm.

(The Lantern Walk is hosted by the First Parish community, open to all. As the darkness of the winter season falls, our lanterns on this night are a symbol of the light we each shine into the world. We light our lanterns and walk in the darkness around the fields and woods. More details on this event to follow.)

Continuing the October theme at First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian, The Rev. Alison Cornish will conduct this week’s service on “Joy: The Uncommon Religious Value” at 10 am Sunday, October 24. Describing the service, she says, “It’s fair to ask, given the steady stream of bad news that is delivered every day, what’s there to be joyful about? But what if the source of joy is embedded in our religious practices? And what if embracing joy is actually key to addressing the most stubborn of the ills we face in the world today? Come, let us rejoice, and strive to heal the world, too!”

Jenny Wooster will be leading RE this Sunday, as an all-ages group. After the Story for All Ages, children and youth will plant bulbs, and do other movement-based activities, so they can stay warm on a chilly Sunday morning!

The service will take place at the church, outdoors as weather permits, and by online videoconference. Send an email message fo fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com to obtain the Zoom link. [Photo Credit: Fiona Bird]

Joy is not a privilege. Joy is our birthright. What would shift in our lives if we claimed this blessing more often and more fully? How might we amplify and multiply opportunities for joy as a way of living more open hearted and connected lives? Come explore these questions in multigenerational community.

Children and youth will have an opportunity to plant bulbs around the church if they like as an embodiment of the theme of our service.

We will gather outside in the courtyard behind First Parish and concurrently online at 10am on Sunday. First Parish of Northfield, Unitarian’s Affiliated Minister Rev. Melissa Carvill Ziemer will lead this service.

For a link to the Zoom stream for “Claiming and Cultivating Joy,” send an email request to fpnorthfieldma@gmail.com.