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Sailing in To the Storm

[NOTE: Our gospel reading this morning comes from the fifth chapter of Mark, but the story it tells began back in chapter 4, in Galilee on the shore of the Galilean lake. At the end of a long day of…

Greater Boston Interfaith Organization Launches Listening Campaign 2021

Join the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) as we begin our journey towards a new platform by listening deeply to what’s on all of our hearts. First Church will host a series of Listening Sessions for small groups throughout the…

The Groaning of Creation

Throughout the Lenten season, in the First Church Community, we have had many conversations about suffering. In religious circles, we often speak of individual suffering. This may be brought upon by hard times. Or an unfortunate event, that is beyond…

On Weeping and Rejoicing and Looking for the Ring of Light

If there are passages to bookmark in your bible for this time, this would surely be one of them. There’s been no dearth of online how-to commentary in recent days ‘How to prepare and protect yourself,’ and ‘how to wash…

Save Our Souls

When I graduated from divinity school, one of my older professors began his baccalaureate speech to our class by describing to us a maritime practice, and according to him, a precision art called semaphore. He spoke of how when he…

New Communications at First Church

As we continue to live into the increased capacity of our website, First Church is developing new strategies for communications, both within the congregation and with the wider world. Join Sarah, Lexi, and Dan at Zoom Coffee Hour on March…

Homeless Ministries Raises $36,000 at Gala

First Church Homeless Ministries held its first-ever virtual fundraising gala on February 20, raising $36,000 to support the First Church Shelter and Friday Café. It was the largest amount the ministries have raised to date, and exceeded their goal of…

Prayers for the Church and World

If you are looking for a prayer to pray this week, pray with us: Holy and eternal God, turn our faces to you… Give us space to come into your presence, Life beyond life… Wellspring of being… Draw near to…

Annual Meeting this Sunday, January 31

Each year on the final Sunday of January, we gather as a church community for our Annual Meeting. The meeting consists of the standard components of any corporation, like approving the annual reports of officers, committee chairs, and staff, as…

First Church Shelter News

Dear First Church, We have sad news to share. We recently learned of our first two cases of COVID-19 at the First Church Shelter, this after 10 months of being COVID-free. Cambridge Pubic Health and the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA)…

OUR VISION FOR BEING AN ANTIRACIST CHURCH

What follows is our Vision for Being an Antiracist Church. It was endorsed by the First Church Executive Council in January 2021. The language of this vision and the action that it prompts are an ongoing ‘work-in-progress,’ and we will…

A Cold Coming

Throughout Advent, we’ve been asking the question who will show us the way to Christmas. By introducing the new banners behind me, one by one, we’ve shared the stories of Mary, Elizabeth, Gabriel and more. Tonight, the rest of the…

Our Response to the Violence in Washington, D.C.

This pastoral note was sent via email on January 6, 2021. If you would like to receive all-church emails from First Church please sign up here. Dear Friends, On this Epiphany day, as we celebrate the revealing of the Light…

A Creative Offering from the Men’s Breakfast Group

I sent the poems and images to the Men’s Breakfast group for our November meeting. We talked about the sijo verse form—three lines with a ‘twist’—and the movement out and about that a poem invites us as readers or writers to follow. Then those attending made their own poems, which follow. And they do also lead us, away, to other places of vision, contemplation, experiment.

Gifts Discernment and Service

What does “Discerning our gifts” mean? Discernment—the spiritual practice of deciding on the best way forward in our call to serve God—is something that we do in community as a church. Our Gifts Discernment committee is the group of First…

Investing Our Lives

I have to say, there is a danger when a preacher only preaches a few times a year. For fourteen years of my ministry, before I came to First Church, I preached most every Sunday. There’s a rhythm to that:…

Intimacy and Immensity

Psalm 139 is full of beautiful imagery for our relationship with God—such vastness in God’s reach and such closeness in God’s bond with each of us. On Mothers’ Day, it’s not a stretch to make comparisons between the Psalmist’s imagery…

Seeds of Change

Do you ever get the sense of layers of history in a place? You see a field, and wonder what it might have been like, hundreds of years ago. Or the texture on an old building and wonder what it…

Giving to God What is God’s

For my sermon today, I’d like to reflect with you on the theme of giving to God what is God’s! When I told Issa what I thought I’d be preaching about, he texted back immediately with the suggestion for hymn…

The Call to Give: Reflections on Stewardship at First Church

Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They are like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves…

Accessibility at First Church

Currently all of our services are being live streamed in our sanctuary or on our YouTube account and can be viewed from the comfort of your home. One of the blessings of this time is that our worship is now…

First Church’s Just Peace Historical Outline

1979-1981:A few FCC members were involved with Clamshell Alliance actions at Seabrook, New Hampshire, nuclear power plant. 1981: Ad-Hoc Just Peace Committee established by FCC Executive Council. 1982: 30 FCC members travel by chartered bus to New York for Nuclear…

First Church Covenant and Testimony

What is a covenant? In the Bible, a covenant is an agreement or alliance between God and the people of Israel, or between God and individuals like Noah, Abraham and Moses. It has overtones of a legal compact, with rights…

Mission & Social Justice Committee Update

The MSJ Committee has had an active summer and early fall, with a particular focus on efforts to respond to racial justice challenges and Covid-19-related crises, while maintaining ongoing efforts on other social justice causes. Our immediate response was to…

Staff & Lay Leaders

Clergy & Staff Lay Leaders At the heart of historic Congregationalism is the belief that the best, most faithful decisions are worked out in groups where each person has a voice. This belief shapes First Church’s approach to decision making.…

Our Social Justice Commitments

First Church acts together to make God’s love and justice real at the local level and beyond. We know one church alone can only do so much to address large systemic issues, and that we make far more of a…

Spiritual Guidance and Pastoral Care

Being a part of a church community means that we take care of each other—especially now, in this time of pandemic and uncertainty. The ministers of First Church are available to pray with you and for you, to talk with…

Faith Formation for Children & Youth

Children are a vital part of our community. Just as Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” we at First Church strive to welcome the youngest into our midst in worship, fellowship, formation, and service. In addition to…

What is Membership?

As a hybrid worship community, every Sunday we welcome long-time members and friends alongside visitors and newcomers from our local community, from around the country, and even from around the world! Our community is enriched by the connections we are…

Discernment, Doubt and Flowers in Bloom

As followers of Jesus, we are invited to let the good in us “grow together” with all that is not of God. As my daughter puts it: “you can be beautiful even when you’re wrapped in weeds.”

Tongues of Fire Crafting Project- Happy Pentecost!

This past Sunday our Christian Formation team members Ariel Ackermann and Hilary Hopkins co-lead a special 10 o’clock hour to make their very own flames to celebrate the birth of the church and bring to life the story we heard…

An Evening Prayer and Meditation in Paint

Anima Christi (St. Ignatius of Loyola) Soul of Christ, sanctify me Body of Christ, save me Water from the side of Christ, wash me Passion of Christ, strengthen me Good Jesus, hear me Within the wounds, shelter me from turning away,…

Tuesday Holy Week Prayer

We will be posting every day during Holy Week with a prayer or reflection. Today, let us pray: “MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot…

Jim Stewart

Rev. Karen McArthur

AA – Morning Glories

Event Date: September 27, 2024 @ 7:00am - 8:00am EDT

All-Church Fall Retreat at Craigville Retreat Center Begins

Event Date: September 27, 2024 @ 7:00pm - 8:00pm EDT

Join Emma Mitchell, Sarah Higginbotham, and other church leaders on the Cape for a weekend of community-building in fellowship, formation, and fun. Take advantage of scheduled large group gatherings, small group sessions, supervised play/crafting time for kids, worship, group games,…

12-step group

Event Date: September 28, 2024 @ 2:45pm - 3:45pm EDT

AA – Morning Glories

Event Date: September 30, 2024 @ 7:00am - 8:00am EDT

Contemplative Practices Gathering

Event Date: September 30, 2024 @ 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT

Calling all contemplatives! For those of you who are interested in learning more about contemplative practice(s), Duncan Hollomon will be hosting a weekly drop-in gathering on zoom. We’ll start with slowing down and centering, with some guidance about a specific…