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We are very happy to welcome children and youth back to in-person classes, workshops, and social gatherings this fall! Register your children for this year’s programs. Parents and caregivers, make sure you are on the “First Church Families” email list.…
Ecclesiastes 2:18-23 18 I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to my successor, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will be master of…
After two pandemic cancellations (as well as the “year off” we took in 2019), First Church is returning to Craigville Retreat Center for our beloved All-Church Fall Retreat! All are welcome to join us for a weekend of community-building in…
To access our Church Directory online: Call the church office or email Kirsten Manville to receive the password. Click here to be directed to the login page, where you enter the password. If you wish to access your profile or giving…
“Old Camel Knees.” That’s what the church used to call him. He also was known as James the Just, and tradition has it that he was the earthly brother of Jesus. I’m speaking about the author of the letter from…
There are several ways to connect with First Church this summer. You may choose to read with us, walk with us, take in art with us, eat and drink with us, and – of course – worship with us! Summer…
Every summer, a dear friend and I take a kayak-camping trip to one of the many islands off the coast of Maine. A few years back, we set course for an island farther off-shore than usual, maybe 5 or 6…
As for me, because I see reparations as a moral imperative, I cannot in good conscience go about my life without working, on some baseline level, toward paying off this long-term debt incurred by my ancestors. That’s why I give recurring donations – a set portion of my income – to our Reparations Fund.
In early June, 35 members of our Executive Council, Board of Deacons, and Staff met for an after-church leadership retreat. We tried to take stock of where we’ve been since Covid and where we are now. We invited leaders to…
Beloved, It had already been a momentous week for our nation with the January 6 hearings, as well as several Supreme Court conservative-majority rulings striking down concealed-carry gun laws, limiting enforcement of Miranda rights, and impacting the separation of church…
Spoken Word The heavens and the earth praise our God of all creation, saluting to a creator as the one who holds all authority, all power, who knows and loves every single entity. There’s a bird who sits outside my…
The First Church Frobenius has 40 stops, 55 ranks and 2949 pipes — all arrayed in a great wooden case. Within this case are four “boxes” or divisions, which connect to the three keyboards and the foot pedals. Would you…
Reflection by Ariel Ackermann One of my favorite hymns is “I Wonder as I Wander.” The mystical hymn we often sing in epiphany. But when I first heard it as a kid, I thought the two ‘wonders’ were the same…
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be pleasing to you Oh God, our rock and our redeemer. Amen. A couple of years ago I received an illustrated book as a gift called…
Have you been thinking about exploring membership at First Church in Cambridge? Do you have a growing sense that First Church is where you belong? Have you recently joined or enjoy meeting new folks in our community and are looking…
Welcome to the Fifth Sunday of Lent! We have our Lenten theme this year of Jesus our Center, with today’s special theme focusing on Jesus and Trust. Friends, I am going to be completely transparent, and tell you that it…
Our 40-day journey with Jesus, Our Center, culminates as we turn toward Jerusalem and to the powerful, somber, mysterious, yet ultimately joy-filled events of Holy Week. This year, we pay special attention to blessing the ties that bind us together…
After a week of being bombarded by news articles about the unceasing horror of what is happening in Ukraine and the slew of laws limiting the rights of women and LGBTQ people, after two years of navigating this pandemic, in…
Thank you so much to all who attended Homeless Ministries’ 2022 livestream appeal with special guest Danielle Allen— and a special thanks to all who took the opportunity to make a donation to our work. We’re pleased to report that…
Registration is now open for our latest round of Faith & Life Groups! Please register by Wednesday, February 9. READ THE FULL GROUP DESCRIPTIONS AND REGISTER HERE Lenten Morning Prayer with Jaz Buchanan Want to explore centering prayer as a…
Notice is hereby given that the Annual Meeting of First Church in Cambridge, Congregational, United Church of Christ, will be held in its 386th year at 12:00 p.m., Sunday the 30th of January, 2022, by ZOOM conference: To approve the…
Years ago, I heard on the radio a light-hearted true story, as told by two brothers, Valion and Paris Lotze, ages 12 and 13. The title was The Greatest Dog Name Ever.[1] Valion, the 12-year-old, began it: I wanted to…
Given extremely high case counts and hospital overcrowding due to the Omicron surge, our Sunday services will be offered via livestream only through January 30, at least. With the exception of our homeless ministries, OWL class, and youth group, all…
As 2021 comes to its end this week, there are more than a few financial details to share with you: 1) As a part of the CARES Act, every taxpayer is allowed to deduct up to $300 of charitable contributions from…
Dear First Church Family, Given the surge of case counts, we are revising our plans for worship on Christmas Eve and in the coming days. Please see below for important updates, and share them widely with friends and neighbors alike!…
Dear First Church Family, Given the surge of case counts, we are revising our plans for worship on Christmas Eve and in the coming days. Please see below for important updates, and share them widely with friends and neighbors alike!…
Reading — Malachi 3: 1-4. Well, pay attention! I am sending my Messenger to prepare the way for me; the One you seek will suddenly come to the Temple, the Messenger of the Covenant whom you long for will come,…
The following statement was introduced during the Fall Congregational Meeting, Sunday, November 20, 2021. The congregation voted to affirm it at our Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 30, 2022. We, gathered here, acknowledge that we are meeting on land which…
Are there times in your life when you’ve turned and gone in an unexpected direction? Tried something a new way? When you abandoned what you’d been planning for a different idea? Was there a time when everything changed? Who was…
Together, we are learning how to venture into the deep water of God’s love, throwing our nets that we so lovingly knotted, having faith that God is doing a new thing in and through us in this transitional season. How might we lean further into that invitation to go deeper into relationship with one another?
From Lexi We heard the story of the burning bush together this morning, a story of a mark of the holiness of God being witnessed in a sacred place, hidden away among the mountains. The horizon seemed as if…
This week’s post is written by Beth Spaulding, First Church Deacon Sunday, October 3rd, 2021, was the first time I uttered those words since March 1st, 2020. Like many of you, I had shared in the bread and cup in…
A few weeks ago, over Labor Day, I had the privilege of being invited to officiate a wedding for two friends just outside of Bozeman, Montana. Yes, I was worried about Covid, but they took every precaution and I’m so…
As we get oriented to a new church program year and regather together, we have some updates to our staff roster to share with you. We have the joy of welcoming a new Ministerial Intern into our midst. Ebony West…
READING 1 Psalm 19 The heavens herald your glory, O God, and the skies display your handiwork. Day after day they tell their story, and night after night they reveal the depth of their understanding. There without speech,…
So, I’ve been thinking about distance lately, and not merely about my keeping mine to at least 6 feet from those around me. It’s partly because I’ve had the pleasure of doing some long distance traveling to the West Coast…
Are you interested in leading a small group over Zoom or in-person this Fall? Contact Pastoral Associate Lexi Boudreaux to discuss your idea for a Fall Faith & Life Group. Led by First Church members, Faith & Life Groups are…
Will you please pray with me? May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all hearts be acceptable to you, O God, our rock and redeemer. Amen. “I have had enough, Lord” These are the first words that…
Herod seems a bit … unnerved … don’t you think? He was the one who had ordered that John the Baptist be killed … and now Jesus’ message and passion and following was so similar that people were wondering…
Will you please pray with me? May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all hearts be acceptable to you, O God, our rock and redeemer. Amen. We have come to the point in the summer when we…
How do you like to relax? When the hour hand gets to five after an intense day at work, or you reach the end of your last class of the day, or when you’re halfway through that hourlong commute (how…
This fall, our Beloved Community, Christian Formation and Missions and Social Justice groups are teaming up to offer a range of opportunities to learn more about the living legacy of settler colonialism. We look forward to learning on our own…
On Monday, May 24, 2021, the Executive Council voted unanimously to approve the creation of a First Church Reparations Fund. The measure was brought before church leaders by members of the Exploring Reparations Faith and Life group, our Beloved Community…
Dear Friends, As we look ahead to the summer and fall, we are invited to discern next steps as we journey further into post-pandemic life, our three-phase staffing plan, and our vision of being an antiracist church. We have two…
Please find the series of reflections for this service in video format. No manuscript available. The series of reflections were based on the following passage from the Bible. Gospel of Luke 1: 46 – 55 46 And Mary[a] said, “My…
Though my time zone will be different and though our pathways may be diverging for now, First Church, know that you will all be in my heart and in my prayers, until such time as we meet again.
Update: Thank you to everyone who completed our congregational survey! Over 90 people provided their input and feedback, and church staff and leaders are working through a time of processing and planning for our new ways of being together. Stay…
The Mothers’ Day Walk for Peace is a beloved Boston tradition and celebration of our potential to create more peaceful communities. It is the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute’s (LDBPI) largest fundraising event to grow and sustain their services, advocacy…
For this next reading, I invite us all to take a deep breath first. Maybe close your eyes if you like. I also ask you to try to take these words in not only with your minds, but in your…