Recent Services

This service will provide space for stories of love and loss, strength and resiliency in the face of adversity. There are lessons in these stories about the value of remembering well in a world where change, loss and love are the nature of life. 

As the days lengthen, the light and warmth of the sun beckon, calling us out into the natural world.  As we take to the waterways and trails, many of us feel a sense of both of the power of nature and of our place in it – feeling just our right size. 

And after the service……..

NORTHSHORE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2023 AT 11:45 AM

Mothering is an art that transcends gender and genetics. This morning we’ll celebrate mothers and mothering; all the ways we nurture and are nurtured by others throughout our lives.

Who’s your favorite superhero? April 28 is “National Superhero Day”; created by employees at Marvel to honor those who serve and protect and resist evil in the pages of comic books and on the big screen. We all have heroes in our lives – some of them are more famous then others. The idea behind superhero day is to honor those who serve, protect and resist evil. No matter who your favorite hero is, honoring the real and fictional people that inspire us is something to celebrate. Capes are optional!

Special Musical Guest; Morgan Beckford, vocalist

Join us for a celebration of spring through poetry and song. We don’t always know where our strength comes from but this time of year the light and warmth of the sun certainly provide an energy for renewal. Breath deep and take in the sights and sounds of life abundant. 

Morgan Beckford, originally hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, has been singing as long as she can remember. Beginning with children’s choir at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church at age 6, her passion for singing has taken her through a variety of genres, including a capella, musical theater, jazz and American songbook repertoire, and mostly, classical voice and opera.

Now that she has relocated to the New England area, she’s been thrilled to perform with both the Theater Offensive and Petrichor in cabaret performances; she is also a staff singer at Trinity Church Boston in Copley Square. 

When not onstage, Morgan has worked in arts administration as an Education and Outreach Coordinator and Summer Conservatory Director for Opera Memphis, a Fellowship Coach and Partnerships Coordinator for the Memphis Music Initiative, and the Chief Programming Officer at the Community Music Center of Boston. Currently, she serves as the Silkroad Connect Director of the Silkroad Ensemble.

Why are you here at NSUU now? Each of us has gifts to share that can have a huge impact, gifts that only we can give. Hebrew scripture tells the story of Esther, an unlikely queen who uses her gifts to free her people. What will you do with your gifts? Perhaps, as Esther’s uncle famously says to Esther, “Who knows but that you have come to this place for such a time as this.” As we “Spring into Action” let’s contemplate the gifts each of us brings to a time such as this, a time bright with promise for a new chapter in the life of this congregation.

As Black History month draws to a close, we’ll look at love as a motivating force for seeking justice. Dr. King defined love as, “The greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God.” How do we harness that force for justice? 

Gina Tzizik is an artist and educator whose work is informed by her study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. Gina’s talk will focus on her experience and research of the power of the work Chesed – Loving-kindness (pronounced Hess-ed) from the Tree of Life or sefroit (the sefirot are described as channels of divine creative life force or consciousness through which the unknowable divine essence is revealed to humankind).

Guest musicians Judith Ahrens, Cello and Douglas Kramer, Clarinet will be providing the music for the service.

Chesed offers us the opportunity to contribute a part of ourselves to the world. We offer our unique spark of individuality in action when we give selflessly. Each act of kindness (no matter how small) has the potential to impact humanity with the energy of goodness, positively and in light.

Pieces of Light, Gina Tzizik, 2022

An artist reception will follow the service with refreshments and sale of her prints, giclee limited edition, and original prints. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the church.

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. 

What is essential is invisible to the eye.”

from The Little Prince

by Antoine de Saint Exupèry

As Valentine’s Day approaches, a day devoted to love, it seems fitting to explore what it means to love. There are many kinds of love; self-love, parental love, friendship, romantic love – the love that extends to all beings. What’s the common denominator? Perhaps it has something to do with seeing with the heart. 

The Religious Society of Friends (known commonly as Quakers) stress simplicity in living and believe there must be a vital and sustained connection between worship and daily life. Quakers and Unitarian Universalists share many religious principles. This service will explore some of the Quaker philosophy and will offer an opportunity to participate in one of the essential practices, silent worship.

Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition. As such we’re called to review our principles to ensure they and we remain relevant. Our principles were last revised in 1987 when the 7th principle affirming and promoting the interconnected web of all existence was added. More recently there has been discussion about adding an 8th principle addressing racism. Other changes have been proposed in different forums. The UUA has appointed a commission to do a wholesale review of our 7 Principles. This service will include a review of their progress to date, the process by which changes will be made and how we can be more involved.  

Small Group Ministry is a vital part of many Unitarian Universalist congregations, including ours. When intentional committed groups of people meet regularly to reflect on and discuss significant life topics, they create their own container for caring, honesty, and creativity. Participants build deep connections with one another and with the things they hold sacred.

Come learn some of the history of Small Group Ministries at Northshore Church, hear from several of us who have participated, and see if Small Group Ministry might be for you.

This year marks fifty-five years since the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. As we honor his life and legacy it’s important to understand the context, what Larry Ward, PhD calls the “Racial Karma” of the United States and how it continues to manifest today as a path towards transformation and healing. 

Bonnie Anderson will be the guest pianist this Sunday. 

Vietnamese Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hanh says that we can create true peace that can be a powerful force in our lives and in our world.  On the leading edge of a new year – with the strains of Christmas’ refrain of “Peace on Earth – Good Will to All People” still ringing in our ears, how can we cultivate peace – in our lives, in our world?  

The only thing that we can really count on is change. It’s just the way life is.  We have no idea what’s coming, nor can we bend the future to our will.  In truth, we live our lives in the interim, betwixt and between life and death. 

 What we can do is learn to navigate transitions; the inner process that accompanies change.  Moving from endings through a liminal time when things that were no longer are and things that will be are not yet — and embracing the possibilities for new beginnings.  Becoming more conscious of this process can help us let go of what was without grasping prematurely for something new.

Nov. 6th at Noon