September: Hospitality
We’ll start off our church year with the theme of hospitality as we welcome Rev. Carolyn Patierno to our pulpit, filling in during Rev. Claire’s sabbatical. To be hospitable means to welcome the stranger, trusting that just beneath the unfamiliar may actually be a friend. To set a table that invites vulnerability, beauty, and reassurance. We will begin the church year with a robust “Welcome Home” while imagining how we may turn that same quality of welcome toward the world beyond the church walls.
October: Grief
As the leaves change and fall, we’ll contemplate loss and change with the worship theme grief. Autumn is a season that seems to naturally summon melancholy. Grief is melancholy’s unpredictable neighbor—sometimes stopping by without calling ahead. How might we hold hands with grief without panic or dread? The poet Jane Kenyon wrote of grief: Let it come, as it will, and don’t/be afraid. God does not leave us/comfortless, so let evening come. How does our faith prepare us to move through seasons of grief? We’ll welcome back Phoebe Eckart-Lee, Follen’s former ministerial intern, to our pulpit, and open our hearts to new members joining our congregation.
November: Courage
The times we live in call us to be courageous! It doesn’t come naturally but neither is it impossible to learn. Although not every act of courage rises to the level worthy of a profile in courage, small acts just may build up our capacity and strength to do the right thing at the critical moments of our lives and times. That capacity is strengthened when we plant ourselves among the “tall trees” that is congregational life. We’ll welcome guest preachers Rev. Mary Margaret Earl of the UU Urban Ministry and Rev. Frank Clarkson, newly retired from the UU Church of Haverhill.
December: Cardinal
Rev. Claire returns from sabbatical with reflections on the multi-faceted theme of cardinal. The word has meaning in the study of religion, math, and birds! The original meaning of the word cardinal meant “hinge,” describing things that are so important, so foundational, that outcomes turn or depend on them. We follow the cardinal directions, avoid cardinal sins, and are overjoyed by the sight of a red cardinal on a snowy branch in winter. What flash of red will catch your eye this month?
January: Childhood
Our childhoods are full of highs and lows, sweet memories, and monsters under the bed. 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. We’ll explore the enduring power of childlike curiosity and wonder. This month, we’ll all be children at heart.
February: Eternity
On the other side of childhood is agelessness as we approach the mysterious and alluring concept of eternity. What might it be like to have eternal life? Is there an afterlife, and if so, what does it look like? As the winter days grow longer, we’ll wonder what it would be like to have an abundance of time. We’ll practice stewardship, which is one way we carry on our congregation’s enduring legacy.
March: Myth
“Give me that Old Time Religion!” sings the old gospel song. What can we learn from long-ago myths, cultures, and history? We’ll dive into Greek mythology and more as we explore what messages the ancient past has for us today.
April: Reality
Reality tv has shown us that what we call “reality” is mostly a combination of assumptions, perceptions, half-understandings, and nuggets of truth. What is obvious to some may be oblique to others; what feels real to some may be unbelievable to others. We’ll explore the limits of our understanding and seek out some absolutes as we try to pin down reality together. We’ll celebrate Easter and welcome new members.
May: Neighbor
“Love thy neighbor” is the age-old golden rule. Who are our neighbors? And how do we be good neighbors to one another? We’ll celebrate Flower Communion and our young people in the Coming of Age class.
June: In Between
Between the end of the church year and the beginning of summer, we’ll reflect on sacred spaces of transition, uncertainty, and possibility. From dusk to dawn, childhood to adulthood, grief to healing, we live much of our lives in the in-between. Join us as we explore what it means to dwell in liminal spaces, to find meaning in the pause, and to trust the unfolding journey. Together, we’ll honor the thresholds that shape who we are becoming.