In this time of a scarcity of grace on the part of our government and society, one of our responses might include cross-class friendships. Through them, we can learn a lot to fuel and inform our efforts for social justice.
We'll be meeting in person AND streaming live on Zoom.
December 7 Living between hope and despair Rev. Allen Harden
What connects despair and hope is that they are each a state of being that can and do attach to each of us. They opposing poles of a continuum we travel on throughout our life. Sometimes objective truth and pragmatism help guide our position, but, more often than not, it is decided by how we choose to hold and interpret these same truths. In all cases, we are projecting into an unknown future – we just don’t always agree (even with ourself) whether this tension is a good or bad thing. Let us think about this.
We'll be meeting in person AND streaming live on Zoom.
Faith guides us through fear and uncertainty, especially when our families and communities are affected by immigration enforcement. In many neighborhoods, ICE creates an atmosphere of fear that breaks apart families, discourages people from seeking help, and weakens community trust. I will speak about how this fear impacts everyday life and how our faith calls us to support, uplift, and protect one another. My message encourages the congregation to respond with compassion, courage, and unity.
Guest Speaker Bio – Ivette Mujica is an active member of The Apostolic Church, serving regularly in the food pantry and supporting community outreach. In March she joined the Beverly Unitarian church as their IT coordinator. She uses her technical skills to help others and grow in her career. Ivette is passionate about strengthening her community through service, faith, and advocacy.
We'll be meeting in person AND streaming live on Zoom.
December 21 Tipping away from the sun…the Winter Solstice Rev. Allen Harden
We mark many cycles in life, and the annual journey of the seasons follows our position in relation to the sun. Humans didn’t really understand this when they began observing the solstice, but those in higher latitudes saw the annual recurrence of darkness and winter, and feared greatly that warmth and light might not return.
We'll be meeting in person AND streaming live on Zoom.
This is a small gathering, where some of us gather to share and process the reasons why we find melancholy and sadness in this season. We will listen to some music and words by others, and engage in listening to the hearts of our fellow congregants and friends who have difficulty with the Holiday season.
5:00 pm: CHRISTMAS EVE: A VESPERS SERVICE OF LIGHT AND JOY
– December 24, 2025
Wednesday, December 24 Please join with us for a celebration of Christmas, through words, ritual, and music; traditionally followed by a festive gathering with seasonal foods, treats, and much conviviality.
Prepare to welcome in the new year reflectively with meditative singing - using the style developed by a monastic community in the town of Taizé, France. This service does not lend itself to remote participation, so will be in-person only, with no Zoom link. Children should be taken directly to RE or child care before the service begins.
