December 28 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Hope Is the Thing: Poems and Songs of Hope and Resilience

In a season that asks much of us, this service invites us to lean into hope as a living, breathing practice. Through poetry and music—including Emily Dickinson’s beloved “Hope is the thing with feathers” and the Chapin Sisters’ stirring “We Will Not Stop Singing”—we’ll reflect on resilience, courage, and the ways hope carries us forward. The service will also include a gentle, reflective opportunity to write a letter to yourself as we step into the new year.

December 24 Service at 5:00 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

“Each night a child is born is a holy night,” begins a poem by Unitarian Universalist religious educator Sophia Lyon Fahs. Through Scripture, carols, and contemporary readings, we will reflect on the message Christmas offers for our world today about compassion, determination and the sacredness of all life. Come share in candlelight, music, and community as we honor the beauty and meaning of this night.

December 21 Service at 6:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Dark and Still

To mark the longest night of the year, join us for a contemplative Winter Solstice service honoring the deep gifts of darkness and quiet. Through honoring the directions & elements, chanting & song, and carrying a Yule log to the outdoor fire, we will celebrate the turning of the year and the humble, hopeful work of igniting the flame of renewal. Come sing together, pause together, and welcome the returning light with intention and reverence. (Join via Zoom & In-Person)

December 14 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

“Music Sunday: Transformations” (Christian and Jewish stories of resilience)

Join us for a joyful and reflective Music Sunday as we explore stories of resilience and transformation told to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah. This special service will feature musical offerings from the NSUU Singing Group and our Bell Ringers that will illuminate hope, renewal, and the courage to begin again.

December 7 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Religious Services Committee

We will contemplate this season of anticipation, of expecting, of hoping, of wanting. After an abbreviated service, we will gather to make holiday swags with fresh winter greens and some other holiday crafts. There will also be a table for wrapping our donations to the annual Giving Tree. Cider and snacks will be served.

November 30 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

In this service, we will honor both personal and collective losses that shape our lives and our world. Through poetry, reflection, and shared silence, we will explore the many ways grief moves through us—sometimes heavy, sometimes illuminating—and how resilience grows in the presence of compassion and community.

November 23 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

How do we practice compassion for those we struggle to understand—or even those who oppose us? This Sunday’s service, we draw inspiration from Sikh author and activist Valerie Kaur and her vision of Revolutionary Love. Together, we’ll explore how Kaur’s “compass” guides us to wonder, grieve, and fight for one another as part of a shared, diverse, and beloved world. Join us as we learn to see no stranger, but rather, to see ourselves reflected in each other.

November 16 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

This Sunday, we’ll explore how our relationship with nature reflects our theological imagination and our capacity for connection and compassion towards our living Earth. Drawing inspiration from the wisdom of Potawatomi scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer, we’ll reflect on practices of reciprocity—how we might move from seeing nature as a resource to honoring it as kin. Join us for a service of reverence, curiosity, and renewal in our shared web of life.

Safety Song

Share The Plate

For: DANVERS PEOPLE TO PEOPLE FOOD PANTRY

Given the government’s shocking response to blocking funds for the SNAP (i.e. food stamps) program) the need is great to provide sustenance to our neighbors and friends. This month’s Share the Plate is devoted to providing help to our local food pantry. Checks or cash donations to: Danvers People to People Food Pantry will be collected during our weekly offering on November 16. Please be as generous as you are able to be.  In addition, we are still collecting items for the food basket in fellowship hall. A list of needed items will be available next to the basket.

November 9 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Religious Services Committee

Almost exactly 16 years ago, on November 12, 2009, the Charter for Compassion was unveiled to the world. It is a collaborative declaration of the universal principle of compassion, and a call to action for justice, equity, and respect that has continued to inspire compassionate action in individuals, communities, and institutions around the world. This service will deepen our understanding of compassion as a gift to ourselves and to the world. This service is offered to our community by the Religious Services Committee and members of the NSUU congregation.

November 2 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Despite our best intentions we sometimes have a hard time saying what we need to say to others. We’ll meditate on a saying from 12 step recovery programs – “Clear is kind, unclear is unkind” – as we explore the vulnerability it requires from us to communicate with clarity. Research from social scientist Brené Brown will offer insight on speaking up and creating boundaries in different areas of our lives, rooted in kindness.

October 26 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – A River Remembers

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Like a river that carries our reflections and stories, memory flows through us—softly, persistently, shaping who we are. In this service of remembrance, we honor the lives of loved ones who have died and the ways their love still moves within us. You are invited to bring a photo, memento, or small object representing someone you wish to remember, to place on our shared altar of memory and love. Together, we’ll let the current of remembrance carry us toward gratitude, connection, and peace, with music from the NSUU Singing Group.

October 19 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Cultivating Compassion

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

This service begins a six-week exploration of meeting the moment by cultivating compassion. We will begin within, exploring Dr. Kristin Neff’s research on mindful self-compassion. We’ll practice through guided meditation. We’ll make connections between the inner cultivation of compassion and the expression of compassion in our actions in the world towards justice, peace and beloved community. This 3rd Sunday of the month is Social Action Sunday with a Share-the-Plate collection.

October 12 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – The Stone Sat Still

Religious Services Committee

Do you  have a favorite place to walk or see the sunset or the starry sky? Is there a group or community where you feel a sense of belonging? Those same places and groups can be seen in countless ways depending on one’s perspective, over many years and in different situations. They become memories for those who knew them, a lasting legacy of the interconnectedness of nature and the different ways we see the world.

October 5 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Covenant

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

We will explore the meaning of covenant as a living, evolving promise that grounds us in relationship and shared intention. Unlike creed, covenant is not about uniformity or fixed truth, but about harmony, trust, and co-creation. In Unitarian Universalism, covenant is both the mosaic of our shared stories and the grout that holds us together— calling us into courage to be ourselves and to be responsible to one another.

September 28 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Loneliness

Members of the Religious Services Committee

Here we gather not because we think the same, but because we choose to journey together.  Belonging is not something given, it is something we build with open hands and open hearts.”   These words of David Breeden are just a few of the many that inspired this week’s service on one aspect of “Belonging” and that is “Loneliness.”  Come and hear Terri Hansen and Judy Putnam share some of their thoughts, insights and understanding on this very personal topic that can be a tender one for many. 

September 21 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Homeland

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Together we will reflect on the notion of a homeland—the places that shape us and the people who claim us and the belonging we seek along the way. We will honor the ache of displacement and the complexity of carrying more than one home in the heart. Featuring music from the NSUU Singing Group.

September 14 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Building Belonging

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

This Sunday we explore the deep human need to belong—how true belonging is rooted not in “fitting in,” but in living authentically from our values. As Unitarian Universalists, belonging calls us into love, equity, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity, reminding us that our communities thrive when each voice is heard and each person is embraced. In a time of division, we practice belonging to ourselves and one another so that we can stay grounded in compassion, resist fear, and build connections across our differences.

September 7 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom – Ingathering Water Ceremony

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

The Tao Te Ching teaches, “Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water, yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.” In this first Sunday of the new church year, we will reflect on the strength of water. You are welcome to bring water from your tap or from your travels for a water ceremony honoring the power of this element and our sacred interconnections. This service will feature music from the NSUU Singing Group and Music Director Sona Minasian.

August 17 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Rev. Caro will share her learnings about the Meet the Moment framework from the UUA General Assembly in June, and engage the group in a discussion. Meet the Moment is a new framework helping Unitarian Universalists analyze, discern, and take values-based action in response to today’s religious, cultural, generational, and political realities.

No Services on August 24 and August 31.  Weekly Services resume on Sunday, September 7th at 10:30 AM

August 10 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Music and Reflections Leaders: Jill Updegraph and Hal Morse

Music moves us, motivates us, and brings a community together. During the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, songs were a source of inspiration and powerful agents of change. Unfortunately, we are facing the same government-sanctioned acts of oppression and discrimination that were in play 60 years ago! It is hard not to feel helpless in the face of these attacks on our communities and on our democracy itself. It is my hope that coming together to revisit some of the protest songs that filled hearts and inspired action then, as well as some songs of freedom and change, will lift our spirits and fill our hearts with passion and power to continue to spread love in the face of hate.

Here is a link to the song sheet showing the lyricls of the songs hightlighted in the Service:

Song Sheet

No Services on August 24 and August 31.  Weekly Services resume on Sunday, September 7th at 10:30 AM

July 27 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Leader: Hal Morse

What are we missing when it comes to healing our world full of social disharmony? Could it be that most people don’t concentrate on their inner being, mind and brain? I will discuss some ways I have found to create a balanced inner life that can then be passed on and shared with others.

July 13 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Leaders: Iain Goddard and Rachel Williams

The state of Sarawak, in Malaysia, is home to many different indigenous and immigrated peoples with different customs, religions, and languages. But they cooperate and collaborate, and have resisted the absorption of their state into the Islamic system of Malaysian government. Rachel and Iain, just back from Malaysia, will try to make sense of how this can be. And, there will be Orangutans!

June 22 Service at 11:00 AM  – Livestream from General Assembly – Revolution Begins with a Dream 

Rev. Nicole Kirk

About the Speaker

June 15 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Join us for a joyful service celebrating Flower Communion and the enduring power of hope. Bring a flower to share as we honor beauty, diversity, and resilience. Through story, song, and reflection, we’ll explore how hope blooms in community and how love connects us all.

June 8 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Guest Speaker: Rumni Saha

The sermon explores the language of trees through personal experiences. What is the pull of these hallowed beings? What do they have to teach us about ourselves and each other?

Rumni is an active member of the Unitarian Church of Sharon where she has lived with her family since 2001. She is currently a Candidate for Ministry with the UUA. She considers herself to be a proud Hindu and a fierce Unitarian Universalist. Rumni has been a long-time public school educator, a newspaper columnist, and a regular contributor to the Huffington Post. She has a Master’s Degree in Education from Boston University. More recently, she received a Master of Divinity Degree from Boston University’s School of Theology. She currently serves as the Hindu as well as the Unitarian Universalist Chaplain at Wellesley College. Rumni also cherishes her time as the Interfaith Chaplain for a non-profit organization, doing community ministry, hospital chaplaincy and interfaith work.

June 1 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Last year, delegates to the Unitarian Universalist Association’s General Assembly voted to reframe our shared principles into a set of shared values. These values place love at the center. What are some through lines in Unitarian Universalism about what love means theologically and collectively? This service will reflect on how love is an anchor to our new shared values, featuring the NSUU Singing Group.

May 18 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Religious Services Committee

Exploring the Books That Have Guided Our Spiritual Journeys

The beloved monk and activist Thomas Merton said, “The purpose of spiritual reading is not to be informed but to be transformed.” Let’s take some time to reflect on the books that have shaped us— spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually – and to offer the titles of our “must-reads” with others. If you have any special books that you would like to pass on to others, please bring them with you that day to add to our “little free library table.” This service is offered by the Religious Services Committee.

May 18 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Guest Musician: Evan Terzakis (guitarist)

What unites us as Unitarian Universalists are common values. What guides us are shared intentions that we set, though our covenants (agreements) and our mission (purpose). This year, we had a congregation-wide dialogue and action planning process around living out our mission What lessons has this process offered to us as a congregation?

May 18th is SHARE THE PLATE SUNDAY in support NORTH SHORE JUNETEENTH ASSOCIATION *Please make checks out to North Shore Juneteenth Association*

May 11 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Guest Speaker: John Newhall

We are a covenantal tradition that draws on centuries and millennia of religious and spiritual thought. What can we learn from the Christian heritage about centering multiplicity within our tradition?  How can we draw inspiration from our heritage as we carve our new path forward?

May 4 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Speaker: Alexis from Ecco

In contemporary times, a move towards nationalism has criss-crossed borders across the globe. Migration and movement of people across the land and sea is an important aspect of human history and many spiritual texts. Today’s worship service will examine themes of home, heritage, displacement while addressing immigration justice in the United States.

Alexis Valeriano-Hernandez will join us as guest speaker. Alexis (he/him) is the Racial Justice Organizer in Latinx & Immigrant Communities at ECCO, the Essex County Community Organization. NSUU is a member of this interfaith social action organization, along with 58 other North Shore Congregations.

April 27 Service at 10:30 AM in the Church and on Zoom 

Guest Speaker and Musician: Marshunda Smith

Marshunda is a conductor, cellist and teacher whose roots are in Memphis but who now calls the North Shore home. She started cello in 6th grade and received her degree from University of Tennessee. She discovered her love of conducting while teaching high school and went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Conducting. She is the current conductor of the Lowell Symphony Orchestra and the Cherry Hill Chamber Orchestra.

April 20 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Whether the Easter story or budding blossoms represent possibility to you, this service will invite reflection on seeking joy in possibilities. This service will feature songs of celebration by the NSUU Singing Group.

April 13 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

This annual Earth Day Service

Coordinated by the Green Sanctuary Committee.

The guest speaker will be Dr. Claudia Fox Tree, who serves on the board of the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA) and as the Massachusetts liaison for the United Confederation of Taino People (UCTP). She will speak about Tribal Land Acknowledgements, and will offer guidance to both our church and its individual members on what we can do to support native peoples in the here and now. This annual Earth Day Service is being coordinated by the Green Sanctuary Committee.

More info on MCNAA can be found HERE

*Fellowship Hour with refreshments will follow Sunday service along with a Talk Back with our guest Dr. Claudia Fox Tree

April 6 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Human beings have always developed stories about how we came to be, how we find meaning in life, and where we are going. Some develop and rely upon relationships with God, Allah, or the Spirit of Life. Whatever you call that which ties us together, we may find meaning in the ineffable connections among life on earth and the planet itself.

*An artist reception will follow the church service on Sun 4/6 to meet & greet George Hudson & to hear about his photography

March 30 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

As National Women’s History month comes to a close, the Marj Lynn Memorial Fund Committee is pleased to welcome
two special guests to honor Marj’s legacy of inclusion and empowering women.

Nicole McClain is a wife, mother, activist and veteran, with two deployments to Iraq with the Army National Guard. A community advocate and educator, Nicole is the Founder and President of the North Shore Juneteenth Association. Nicole has a Master’s degree from Boston College and is currently working at LEAP (Learn, Explore, Aspire, Pursue) for Education as their Career and Education Pathways Coordinator. Nicole will share her thoughts on women who have inspired her throughout her life and how inspiration and collective work among women have shaped our present.

Our guest pianist, Jacqueline Schwab, has been delighting audiences in churches, coffee houses, concert halls and on the soundtracks of Ken Burns’ films including Civil War, Baseball, Mark Twain and The National Parks. She has performed at the White House for President Clinton, and she recently collaborated with the American Pops Orchestra for the 2022 American Roots PBS special. We are pleased to welcome Jacqueline back to NSUU to share the music of women composers.

March 23 Service at 10:30 PM in the Church and on Zoom 

Rev. Caro Barschow, Minister

Featuring CMCB Bassoon Orchestra, Guest Artists

The word “covenant” is an important one for Unitarian Universalists, describing the agreements made between members and congregations. In this service, learn about the origins of this concept with the early Unitarians. We will reflect on how covenants continue to serve us as multi-religious Unitarian Universalists in the 21st century. This service marks the beginning of NSUU’s pledge drive.

The Community Music Center of Boston’s Bassoon Orchestra will be our guest musicians