Commemorating Community: Reflecting Our Values Through Memorials, by Dr. Alexandria Russell, Founder, Black Women Legacies, worship service, Alliance Sunday, April 12, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Release Date: 04/17/2026
How to Worship, by Elizabeth Hunter, Lay Worship Leader, worship service given Sunday, July 19, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Elizabeth Hunter, Lay Worship Leader, preaching Worship service given July 19, 2026 Prayer by Elizabeth Hunter, Lay Worship Leader https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Lay Worship Leader Elizabeth Hunter asks: what does it mean to worship? Our world is a vibrant tapestry of different traditions and faiths, many of which have influenced our UU practice. Witnessing other places and forms of worship can illuminate our values, what we hold worthy, and what we mean when we use that word. Elizabeth Hunter and her husband, Jason...
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Counting Acorns, by Rev. Erica Federspiel Richmond, Parish Minister, worship service given Sunday, July 12, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Erica Federspiel Richmond, Parish Minister, preaching Worship service given July 12, 2026 Prayer by Loren Gomez, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Rev. Erica returns from part one of her Sabbatical! Join us this Sunday as she preaches about something she rediscovered (but hadn’t felt in ages) during her time away …. boredom! What can boredom teach us? When does spiritual itchiness require action? When does it invite us to sink deeper? Offering and Giving First The Giving First program...
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Faithing, by Loren Gomez, Lay Worship Leader, worship service given Sunday, July 5, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Loren Gomez, Lay Worship Leader, preaching Worship service given July 5, 2026 Prayer by Mary Babic, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 The idea of being there for children, listening to them and accepting their gifts, is crucial to parenting, in classrooms and in schools. But it does not need to end there. Join this week's Lay Worship Leader Loren Gomez to explore how listening and acknowledging others with skillfulness is a transformative two-way street that can pave the way for a life of Faithing. Loren...
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Journey Toward Collective Liberation, by Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister, worship service given Sunday, June 28, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister, preaching Worship service given June 28, 2026 Prayer by Mary Breen, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 In an individualistic society, it may be tempting to focus on one's own identity and one's own issues. Dominant forces are more than happy to oblige by pitting one group against another. Join Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister, in person and online this Sunday to explore how we might we use our collective forces to advocate for each other during...
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Good Trouble, by Diane Taraz, Lay Worship Leader, worship service given Sunday, June 21, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Diane Taraz, Lay Worship Leader, preaching Worship service given June 21, 2026 Prayer by David Klingsberg, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Inspired by John Lewis’ urging to make waves, First Parish member Diane Taraz explores times in our history when resistance to injustice was aided by uplifting songs, including “Wade in the Water,” “Bread and Roses,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” As we face our own time of crisis, we hear how others have troubled the waters and hoped for the rise...
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Faith in Loving Fiercely, by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister, worship service Sunday, June 14, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister, preaching Worship service given June 7, 2026 Prayer by Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Join us for our final in-person worship service of the program year as Rev. Carolyn Patierno asks: How does faith carry us to higher ground especially in times when we feel we are desperately treading water? What does that mean as UUs? The First Parish Intergenerational Orchestra and the First Parish Choir, with accompanist Ken Seitz, will offer...
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Celebrating Gender Euphoria, by Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister, worship service given Sunday, June 7, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister, preaching Worship service given June 7, 2026 Prayer by Bill Licea-Kane, Worship Associate https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 How do we claim and own our gender as it is? During Pride month, let's take time to celebrate all the ways we are seen and known in the fullest expression of our gender! Offering and Giving First The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian...
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Coming of Age Credo Service, by COA Youth & Mentors, with Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education, worship service, Sunday, May 31, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
COA Youth & Mentors, with Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education Worship service given May 31, 2026 Prayer by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 At First Parish, we honor the passage from childhood towards adulthood through our Coming of Age program for 8th graders. Join us to hear them share their Credo ("I believe") statements. As another cohort passes through the “Arch of Love,” we celebrate all the people who have contributed to our multigenerational...
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A Memorial Day Reflection, by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister, worship service, Sunday, May 24, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister, preaching Worship service given May 24, 2026 Prayer by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister https://firstparish.info/ First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 As the nation honors the war-dead, it is as important to honor the way of peace, especially in this war-torn time. Join us this Memorial Day weekend as Adjunct Minister Rev. Carolyn Patierno reflects on peace in this moment. Offering and Giving First The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable...
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The Ones Who Choose To Go Together, by Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education, worship service, Sunday, May 17, 2026
Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts
Rev. Stevie Carmody, Minister of Religious Education, preaching Worship service given May 17, 2026 Prayer by Rev. Carolyn Patierno, Adjunct Minister First Parish A liberal religious community, welcoming to all First gathered 1739 Join Rev. Stevie K Carmody--our Minister of Religious Education--to explore a core aspect of how Unitarian Universalists navigate the big stuff of community: covenant. As you reflect this week, consider: what do you attune to when the going gets tough? Our worship also includes a blessing for our graduating high schoolers, and music from the First Parish...
info_outlineGuest Speaker Dr. Alexandria Russell, Founder, Black Women Legacies
Worship service given April 12, 2026
Prayer by Rev. Dr. Jonipher Kwong, Interim Lead Minister
https://firstparish.info/
First Parish
A liberal religious community, welcoming to all
First gathered 1739
When you look around our First Parish buildings, who and what do you see memorialized in some tangible way? What do these commemorative objects or spaces tell us about our congregation’s history, values, and the evolution of those values? Dr. Alexandria Russell, guest preacher for Alliance Sunday, will help us reflect on how we commemorate community. The First Parish Choir will perform two works by visiting guest composer and conductor B.E. Boykin alongside music director Dr. Daniel Parsley and accompanist and music director emeritus Ken Seitz.
Dr. Alexandria Russell is a historian, public history practitioner, and digital humanities scholar who is passionate about making African American history accessible to people of all backgrounds. Her recent book, Black Women Legacies: Public History Sites Seen & Unseen, examines the evolution of African American women’s memorialization in the United States from the late nineteenth century to the present.
Offering and Giving First
The Giving First program donates 50% of the non-pledge offering each month to a charitable organization that we feel is consistent with Unitarian Universalist principles. The program began in November 2009, and First Parish has donated over $200,000 to more than 70 organizations. For April 2026, The Cambridge Women's Center will share half the offering collected during Sunday worship at First Parish. The Cambridge Women's Center is a physical and digital community space open to anyone for whom woman is a meaningful identifier or lived experience. They offer a safe space for learning, emotional support, empathy, and empowerment through self-determination. Learn more at their website: https://www.cambridgewomenscenter.org/.