June 21 – First Parish in Wayland
A Unitarian Walks into a Bar…Sacred Humor – Led by Joel Angiolillo
What do they say about the deceased at a Unitarian funeral? “All dressed up and no place to go.” Unitarians are the butt of many jokes. This is not particularly surprising because religion has always been fertile ground for joking, even if religious texts (like the Bible) are not exactly heavy on the humor. What do Unitarian jokes tell us about our beliefs and how others see us? Why do people of every culture and religion tell jokes (and what makes something funny anyway)? In short, can a light bulb joke be a path to enlightenment? Feel free to bring your favorite funnies!

June 28- First Parish in Wayland (Consortium invited)
Belief, Science, and Near-Death Experiences – Led by Evan Hadingham
According to a recent poll, 82% of Amercans believe in an afterlife, and many look to the near-death experience, or NDE, as evidence for personal survival after death. Around 10-20% of patients who recover from a severe medical crisis report NDEs that can feature traveling through a tunnel and emerging into a brilliant light, a rapid life review, encounters with dead relatives, and ineffable feelings of happiness and well-being. Rather than evidence for survival, skeptics argue that NDEs represent misfirings of the dying brain and can be triggered in non-life-threatening situations including depression, isolation, and psychedelic drugs. We’ll explore recent studies on the enigma of the NDE, touching on larger questions about the nature of consciousness, spirituality, and the self.

July 5- First Parish in Framingham 
The Myth of Independence  – Led by Rev. Madelyn Campbell
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this is a good time to consider the ways in which we are independent, the ways in which we are interdependent, and the stories we tell ourselves that might not really be true.

July 12 – First Parish in Wayland (Consortium invited)
We Shall Overcome: A History of American Protest Songs – Led by Emily Miller Mlcak and M. Jane Williamson
Americans have always sung their way toward justice. We’ll trace the living tradition of the protest song — music born not in concert halls, but on picket lines, in jail cells, and at the edges of the possible. We’ll journey through the spirituals that carried coded hope for the enslaved, the labor anthems of the early 20th century, the civil rights hymns that gave marchers courage under fire, the Vietnam-era folk voices that challenged a nation, and the hip-hop and indie anthems of our own time. And we’ll ask: What makes a song a protest? What happens when a movement claims a melody? And how do these songs continue to call us — personally and collectively — toward a more just world? The service will include congregational singing, brief reflections on each era, and an invitation to consider what songs we are called to sing today. In every age, the people have found their voice. Come add yours.

July 19 – First Parish in Framingham
A Theology of Baseball  – Led by Rev. Madelyn Campbell
Wear your favorite baseball jersey or hat! We’ll look at the lessons we can learn from baseball to apply to our own lives.

July 26 – First Parish in Framingham
Jesus and the Twelve Stooges  – Led by Rev. Madelyn Campbell
In the Gospel of Mark, the Disciples are, well, a bit dense. We’ll consider how Mark’s version of the disciples can help us relate and learn and move us to our better selves.

Aug 2 – UU Area Church of Sherborn

Aug 9 – UU Area Church of Sherborn

Aug 16 – First Parish Weston 
Led by Rev. John O’Connor

Aug 23 – First Parish Weston
Led by Rev. Sarah Napoline

Aug 30 – First Parish in Wayland
Led by Rev. Lauren Smith