Join Us for Service: Just One Day Out of Life
Rev. Claire weaves together June’s worship theme of sabbath with the secular celebration of Pride. Plus, baby dedications!
Speaker: Rev. Claire Feingold Thoryn
Reverend Claire Feingold Thoryn (she/her) has been serving Follen since September 2013.
Rev. Claire was raised Unitarian Universalist and grew up in the Washington, DC area. She studied religion at Swarthmore College and received a Masters of Divinity from Harvard in 2006. Before coming to Follen, she served First Parish in Lincoln, MA. She lives in Lexington with her husband and 2 daughters.
Membership Sunday
This Sunday we will welcome new members who have signed the membership book and recognize milestone membership years for many others! Our director of community engagement will offer a reflection, and Rev. Claire will continue exploring our worship theme of myth.
Stewardship Sunday
Rev. Theodore Parker, a colleague of Rev. Charles Follen and a fellow abolitionist living in the 1800s, wrote a defining essay about Unitarian Christianity in his day, titled: “The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity.” What is transient/ephemeral/of-the-moment in our congregation today? And what is eternal/lasting/foundational to who we are going forward?
Save Us
Rev. Charles Follen was an avowed, outspoken abolitionist. He shared his passionate views with other Unitarian ministers of his day, and many of them were considered outcasts…until the cultural tide turned, and national leaders came to agree that abolition of slavery was a moral necessity. If he could speak to us now, what would Rev. … Continue reading Save Us
Become as Little Children
The smell of Play-Doh, the beauty of blowing bubbles, the songs that we know by heart: we carry our childhood memories with us in all kinds of ways. As children, we learn a lot about who we are and how the world works–and sometimes spend a lifetime working to unlearn those same lessons. Rev. Claire … Continue reading Become as Little Children
Question Box!
Rev. Claire and Ministerial Intern Nate Clark will answer your questions in our annual Question Box service, amid some wonderful jazz music led by Follenite Bruno R. Do you have a question—animal, vegetable, mineral? Or perhaps your question is theological, philosophical, or pastoral? As Oscar Wilde said, “Questions are never indiscreet, but answers sometimes are!” … Continue reading Question Box!
Christmas Eve Service
Join us for one of Follen’s most cherished traditions—our evening candlelight service, led by Rev. Claire. Together we’ll share familiar readings and carols, with beautiful music from our Intergenerational & Alumni Pickup Choir and other talented musicians. Rev. Claire will offer a short homily, and we’ll end the service in shared candlelight and song—a moment … Continue reading Christmas Eve Service
Christmas Eve Service
Join us for one of Follen’s most cherished traditions—our evening candlelight service, led by Rev. Claire. Together we’ll share familiar readings and carols, with beautiful music from our Intergenerational & Alumni Pickup Choir and other talented musicians. Rev. Claire will offer a short homily, and we’ll end the service in shared candlelight and song—a moment … Continue reading Christmas Eve Service
A Light, a Whisper, a Flash of Red
Kacey Musgraves sings: “I saw the sign or an omen, on the branches in the morning; It was right after I lost a friend without warning. Words unsaid, Scarlet-red: Cardinal, are you bringing me a message from the other side?” We’ll hear that song as we contemplate our worship theme of cardinal. The beautiful scarlet … Continue reading A Light, a Whisper, a Flash of Red
Cardinal Directions
Rev. Claire returns from sabbatical with reflections on the multifaceted theme of cardinal. The original meaning of the word cardinal meant “hinge,” describing things that are so important, so foundational, that outcomes turn or depend on them. Rev. Claire will reflect on the hinge moments of her time away, and the combined Follen choirs will ask … Continue reading Cardinal Directions