Welcome to the First Parish Sermon Archive.
Our most recent sermons are listed below.
If you would like to read a past sermon, click on the sermon title (or “Read Sermon”). Some sermons are also available as videos (“Watch Sermon”) and a few include annotated orders of service with additional resource links. The “Listen to Sermon” links in archived services no longer work as we have moved all of our audios to an external location. Enjoy!
This House of Mercy – Water Ingathering
September 13, 2026
Rev. Lauren Smith
The Angel of the Waters fountain in New York City features a beautiful representation of the Angel of Bethesda. Her name comes from the Hebrew, beit hesda, meaning “house of mercy.” As we come together this fall, as we mingle our waters, we celebrate our own house of mercy and its power to heal and restore.
Water Ingathering is a beloved tradition in many Unitarian Universalist congregations. All are invited to bring water from a special place as we begin the new church year.
No Service on Labor Day Weekend
September 6, 2026
Transmissions From a Midnight Radio
August 30, 2026
First Parish in Wayland
Rev. Lauren Smith
“Know in your soulLike your blood knows the way from your heart to your brainKnow that you’re wholeAnd you’re shining like the brightest starA transmission from a midnight radio”Songwriter Stephen Trask penned that beautiful lyric in 2001. What might it teach us today about how to access our inherent wholeness and offer light to a troubled world? What might it teach us about how to be a religious community?
TBD
August 23, 2026
First Parish Weston
Rev. Sarah Napoline
TBD
TBD
August 16, 2026
First Parish Weston
Rev. John O’Connor
TBD
TBD
August 9, 2026
UUAC at First Parish in Sherborn
TBD
TBD
TBD
August 2, 2026
UUAC at First Parish in Sherborn
TBD
TBD
Jesus and the Twelve Stooges
July 26, 2026
First Parish in Framingham
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.
A Theology of Baseball
July 19, 2026
First Parish in Framingham
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.
We Shall Overcome: A History of American Protest Songs
July 12, 2026
First Parish in Wayland, Vestry
Emily Miller Mlcak, 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.
Looking for a sermon from an earlier year? Check HERE (or contact the office)