Yes! We're Open: Living Faith with Needham UCC: Recent Episodes
The Congregational Church of Needham
Rev. John MacIver Gage and Rev. Madde Foster use insight, humor, hard truth and amazing grace to help us make sense of our Christian faith in our daily life and vice-versa. The Congregational Church of Needham is a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community, a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship LIVE! via Zoom Sundays @ 10am. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Somewhere along the way, Christianity become professionalized. All too often these days we look to clergy to tell us all about God--most particularly, about where and how God is allowed to show up in our lives. And those "allowed appearances" have become more strictly filtered through the church: "A 'God moment" must look like this but never that, here but never there." But, really, God is everywhere-- even outside the church! even in you! even in the people you like the least!-- and you don't need special training or special glasses to see Them. You just have to be willing to notice the way the trees move when God passes by. (John 3:1-8). Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
We're pivoting this Sunday to address what's shaped up to be a pretty stressful and painful week (in the midst of a stressful and painful season) for a lot of folks, what with the occupation of Washington, DC by federal law enforcement, a formal request to the Supreme Court to overturn marriage equality, the ongoing starvation of Gaza, etc. etc. etc. and God only knows what's going on in your life. This isn't a preaching service but a praying one, with a lot of help from author Cole Arthur Riley's Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human. It's a reminder that, like Jesus himself and his disciples, we need to take time together, with God, to "learn to rest, not to quit." (Mark 6:30-32).
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am ET, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity," sings the Psalmist (Psalm 133:1). Sure, it can be, but it's also really hard. In fact, sometimes the closer we are with our family, the harder it can be to "live together." But finding ways to live together in unity--not uniformity-- with our wider church family is an important part of following Jesus and a sign of the way and reign of God he preached and embodied. This Sunday we'll reflect on that work in light of decisions made at General Synod this summer to move into closer relationship with churches around the world and right next door. (Psalm 133)
In Worship 7/27-8/24" "Big Picture: Themes from General Synod
We'll spend these five Sundays exploring themes and issues informing the work of General Synod, the triennial national meeting of our United Church of Christ denominational family, held in Kansas City, MO in July.
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The political conflict between the state of Israel and Hamas is complicated by history, religion, anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hatred, the entangling alliances with both parties, and, not least, the special place the state of Israel holds in the theological fantasies of American Evangelical Christians. But the moral calculus is much simpler. Israel isn't just conducting a war against Hamas but carrying out a campaign of genocide against the entire Palestinian people--men, women, and children--and we in the the U.S. are helping to fund it. Just stop it. (Jeremiah 31:15-17)
In Worship 7/27-8/24, "Big Picture: Themes from General Synod
We'll spend these five Sundays exploring themes and issues informing the work of General Synod, the triennial national meeting of our United Church of Christ denominational family, held in Kansas City, MO in July.
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The ancient city of Sodom has been synonymous with sin and the consequences of sin for thousands of years. These days it’s sexual sin they’re most associated with and infamous for, specifically homosexuality. But that’s a modern development and not what the Hebrew prophets or even Jesus meant when they considered the city. For most of history, Sodom’s sin was understood to be the hoarding of resources and inhospitality to immigrants. So watch out, United States of America. Given how we’re treating the foreigners among us, fire and brimstone might be in the forecast for us, too, consequentially speaking. (Luke 10:1-12, 16)
In Worship 7/27-8/24, "Big Picture: Themes from General Synod
We'll spend these five Sundays exploring themes and issues informing the work of General Synod, the triennial national meeting of our United Church of Christ denominational family, held in Kansas City, MO in July.
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Since at least the time of the ancient psalmists, God has been described as a king... and kings described as gods... and the rest of humanity (and, let's be real: men) as "a little lower than God," and called by God to exercise dominion--power over--creation by "divine right." But with the Spirit's help and Jesus' example, we can imagine a "more excellent way." The key is there in the root of the word "dominion" itself: God and human beings not as tyrants but domestic partners, sharing power with creation and building a commonwealth for all and not a kingdom for some. (Psalm 8)
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
This Earth Sunday, we celebrate not God’s gift of the earth to us, but God’s gift to us of our interconnected relationship with the earth, God’s wider, deeper, higher, and altogether “very good” creation of which we are a part. Our guest preacher will be The Rev. Dr. Chris Davies, one of the executive ministers of our Southern New England Conference of our United Church of Christ denominational family… and an avid beekeeper! She will share with us spiritual lessons for our current moment she’s gleaned from caring for bees and the way bees care for each other.
About our guest preacher: The Rev. Dr. Chris Davies is a Celtic spiritualist, Christ-follower, organizer, queer femme, visionary, beekeeper, and liturgist. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, she loves faith deeply, and is committed to finding ways to continue to bring the gospel into the world, past this generation and into those to follow. Chris attended Smith College for her undergrad work and Andover Newton for both a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry, focusing on queering proclamation. She is passionate about justice and Jesus, works as the Executive Minister of Programs and Initiatives in the Southern New England Conference of the UCC. Chris serves on the foundation board of Preterm, an independent abortion Clinic in Cleveland, OH.
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
At last we arrive at Easter Sunday. But oddly enough, Matthew's version of the story of the resurrection begins on Good Friday, with what sounds at first like a ghost story about tombs being opened and the dead walking. But it's a reminder that Easter doesn't belong just to the church and resurrection doesn't belong only to Jesus. Resurrection is for everyone, for the whole wide world, all the dry bones, all the walking dead, all the helpless and hopeless, even for us. (Matthew 27:45, 50-54)
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Our purpose in this Lenten series has been to slow down and spend significant time reflecting on each step of the story of Jesus’ last days during what we call Holy Week. But he dies on Good Friday. So what happens, if anything, on Holy Saturday? What even can happen? Or should we just jump ahead to the Easter we know, 2000 years later, is coming on Sunday? Our special guest preacher, The Rev. Dr. Mary Luti, will help us sit with those questions and those feelings.
This service is part of our "Step by Step: A Slow Walk Through Holy Week" series for Lent where we're spending an entire Sunday with each of the days of Holy Week, listening not just for the "what" happens to Jesus by the "whys" that take him there. This Sunday represents "Holy Saturday."
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
A guided meditation: Did you know that before there was a Last Supper, there was a First Supper, when Jesus was prepared to endure the terrible events of the rest of Holy Week by the love of his friends. In particular, one woman anointed him with costly perfume, tears and laughter, intimacy and grief mingling together as it ran down, and the house was filled with the odor of holiness, of love. It's good to remember as we face our own hard choices, our struggle for justice is fueled best not just by righteousness but by love. Who do you love so much? (Mark 14:3-9)
This service is part of our "Step by Step: A Slow Walk Through Holy Week" series for Lent where we're spending an entire Sunday with each of the days of Holy Week, listening not just for the "what" happens to Jesus by the "whys" that take him there. This Sunday represents "Holy Wednesday."
Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am EDT, on-site & online via Zoom. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org
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The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, LGBTQ+ affirming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. www.NeedhamUCC.org
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Jesus continues to wear out his welcome in Jerusalem. The various power blocs within the religious leadership of the day pepper him with questions, often trick questions, hoping to discredit him and his disciples in the eyes of the faithful without drawing the attention of the occupying Romans. But Jesus is never one to shy away from controversy for the sake of a larger and more loving Gospel, which angers those powers enough they begin to look for a way to shuffle him off the public stage, permanently. (Mark 11:27-12:40)
This sermon for "Holy Tuesday" is part of our "Step by Step: A Slow Walk Through Holy Week" worship series for Lent, where each Sunday in Lent we focus on one of the days of Holy Week, Jesus' last week on earth... before Easter.
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
In the wake of this election's seismic shift, we’re spending time grounding ourselves once more in the core message of 1 Corinthians 13:13—“Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three”—in ways that speak to our current situation, beginning with faith. This week it's hope.
We talk about having hope, which sounds lovely... until you lose it. Then what are we supposed to do? But as peoples who've lived through the end of their own worlds--and still are--remind us, hope is something we do, something we make. What's revealed in apocalyptic moments (apocalypse means "revealing") is that the hope we forge, the vision we cast, together, into the future is what gives the present meaning and purpose beyond our present troubles. In a very real way, hope has us, not the other way around. (Mark 2:1-12).
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
*With apologies for the poorer than usual audio quality. A subtitled video is available at https://youtu.be/QOpgyCGCVf8In Mark 10:17-31, an insider--the rich young ruler--and an outsider--Simon Peter--both ask Jesus essentially the same question: "What must we do to be saved?" Jesus' answer disappoints them both. He's not interested in what will set either man apart in God's eyes but what will bring them together here on earth. While the would wants to divide and subtract, the Gospel is all about addition and multiplication. God's will is to take all our pieces and stitches us up together in one "seamless garment of destiny" (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Originally preached October 13, 2024
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The gospels are full of miraculous stories of Jesus healing people, but they’re never told from the point of view of the people he heals. The (temporarily) able-bodied Church today is only beginning to understand how problematic that really is, whether we take these stories literally or metaphorically. Because nobody’s body is just a metaphor, and, as disability justice advocates like author Amy Kenny remind us, nobody’s body is just a prayer request. Our disabled God loves all our bodies just as they are. (Mark 10:46-52)
Originally preached 10-27-2024
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
“God’s love and kindness will shine upon us like the sun that rises in the sky” (Luke 1:78-9, CEV). A celebration more than a decade in the making! Come join us for a special worship service dedicating the new solar panel array on our sanctuary roof. This giant leap forward was made that much more possible through donations given in loving memory of Deb Baldwin, a founding member of our Environmental Ministries Team and a prophetic voice for climate action, following her death in the spring of 2023. Rev. Maddie Foster, preacher. (Matthew 5:13-16)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
In the wake of this election week’s seismic shift, we’re going to spend the next three Sundays looking to ground ourselves once more in 1 Corinthians 13:13—“Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three”—in ways that speak to our current situation.
Faith isn’t a laundry list of six impossible things we have to believe before breakfast. Faith is trust (literally, in the New Testament Greek), and the basis of trust is truth. The Church has to be willing to embrace the truth of our and our neighbors’ pain, fear, anger, and grief in this moment, our why should anyone trust us or the God we preach? Saccharine may be sweet, but it’s artificial. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Shalom Auslander’s book, Beware of God, is full of cautionary tales about faith, including the short story “Waiting for Joe,” in which two hamsters from very different theological viewpoints try to cope with the absence of their owner. It may seem farcical on the surface, it’s a powerful call to interrogate our own faith (or lack thereof) and our image of God and remember that the God somebody hands you is never the only option.
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
To combat the current epidemic of isolation, loneliness, disaffiliation, and division destroying our physical, mental, and political health, experts prescribe a dose of social connection. Joining, sharing, learning to trust... and to be trustworthy... helps repair our social fabric, and our souls. Because, as the Apostle Paul reminds us, human beings are made for community. So, given how we've failed in the past, how can we make joining church good news for people again? (Romans 12:4-5)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
“Even the sparrow finds a home and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.” Every creature, all of creation, has a home in the heart of our Creator. Why is it often so hard for us to feel we do, too? (Psalm 84)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
In mathematics, a fractal is “a visual expression of a repeating pattern or formula that starts out simple and gets progressively more complex.” We see fractals in nature, in the patterns of pinecones and the spirals of sea shells, where, when we look closely, we see the signature of those basic building blocks repeating themselves throughout the whole. For us, God is that basic building block. If we look closely, in faith, at the “breadth and length and height and depth” of all creation, we can see the fingerprints of God on everything, from single-cell organisms to entire ecosystems to our neighbors to our enemies. Now if only we would. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Even since the time of King David, church buildings have been a mixed blessing–well, not exactly, but you get the idea. Religious communities, churches, need places to gather for worship, but all too often, we can end up worshiping the building, when really it’s just a tool, a gathering place and a base of operations for the broader ministries to our neighbors to which God calls us. So how do churches like ours who possess buildings keep them from possessing us? How do we use this tool well for the glory of God in the support of our community? (2 Samuel 7:1-11)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The Church of Jesus Christ started out as a counter-cultural movement, a vision of how things ought to be to challenge the way things were, particularly for the people the powers of this world consider “the least of these.” But thanks to its adoption by the Roman Emperor Constantine, the church became one of those powers, kicking off the “captivity of the church,” the subjugation of the Gospel of liberation to the very domination system it was created to critique. So under whose sign does the Church gather today? The cross of Christ? Or the flag of the United States? (Matthew 5:13-16; 13:33)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Part of our Lay Preaching Series, members of our Open and Affirming team share reflections on the "whys" of their ministry with our congregation. Offered by Stephanie, Cheryl, and Barbra.
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Marina was born in 5th Century Lebanon and assigned female at birth. When, after their mother died, their dad decided to enter a monastery, Marina went with him—as a man, Brother Marinos. But one day, he was unjustly accused of a crime he could not have committed and expelled from the community. It was only upon his death that the world learned the truth about Marinos: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual, queer, transgender and non-binary folk have always been here and always will, part of God’s marvelously diverse design for life. Now wouldn't it be amazing if we recognized their inherent worth before they die?
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
As part of our Lay Preaching Series members of our Prayer & Care team reflect on their "whys" of their ministry with and to our community. Dibby, John, and Sue preaching.
This sermon, "Why Are You Doing This?" is a reflection on Mark 11:1-11 and was offered by Rev. Maddie Foster on Palm Sunday (March 24, 2024) at Congregational Church of Needham, UCC.
This sermon was offered on Sunday, March 17 at Congregational Church of Needham, UCC. It is a reflection offered by members of our Environmental Ministries Team on a selection of readings including scripture and poetry.
As part of our Lay Preaching Series, the Christian Education Committee (along with some special guests!) offers reflections on "Why" this ministry matters. This sermon was offered on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
After the flood comes the rainbow, but who is that rainbow for exactly? In the first part of this Lenten sermon series we explore the covenant God makes with humanity -- is the rainbow a reminder for us or for God? (Genesis 9:8-17)
A list of rules or something more? In this second part of Rev. Maddie's Lenten sermon series on covenant we explore our relationship with God and with one another, and how the ten commandments can be a frame for and invitation into right relationship.
When Jesus shows up in the synagogue at Capernaum, the crowds notice something different about him, that he teaches "as one having authority, not like the scribes," the professional religious class. So what about Jesus' kind of authority--his connection to the Author, not just an institution--makes it so different and so powerful that it can cast out demons... and where can we get some? Because inhuman (if not supernatural) demonic forces are very much alive and unwell in our world today. (Mark 1:21-28)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The story of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law is brief but it occurs in three of the four Gospels. It’s also pretty problematic to our modern sensibilities, with overtones of sexism and ableism. Fair enough. So what if we read it not as a one-size-fits-all prescription but the description of one person’s life-giving interaction with Jesus. When have you received a helping hand from Jesus, God, the Spirit, the Universe in your life? And have you said thank you? (Mark 1:29-39)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Ever heard of the LDB (Little Drummer Boy) Challenge? Participants try to avoid the song for as long as possible during the holiday season. As soon as you hear it, you're out. But why? Why so much ill-will for a song about a character who's not actually in the Biblical Christmas story? Sure, he's loud, he's annoying, and he just doesn't fit, but maybe that's the point: He did what he could, even when others didn't think much of it, and that's enough. It's enough for us, too. Part III of our "Non-Canonical Christmas" series exploring Christmas characters who aren't in the official nativity script but maybe should be, and why. (Mark 10:13-16)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
There is no donkey in the official story of Jesus’ birth. But just try setting up a creche or nativity scene without one. We all know Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem, even when she didn’t. But how can this imagined donkey help us re-imagine our own role in the story of divine love? Because we do have one. You have one! Part of our "Non-Canonical Christmas" sermon series for Advent, examining Christmas characters who aren't in the Bible... but maybe should be. (Micah 6:6-8)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
This Advent season, we're taking a look at famous Christmas characters who aren't actually in the Bible ("non-canonical"), but maybe should be. Centuries of Christian imagination have created the character of the Innkeeper, often depicted as grouchy or greedy or just plain mean. Who else would turn away Mary and Joseph in their state? Who would make them sleep in a stable? But perhaps we've been unfair, or uninformed. The story of the Innkeeper may strike closer to home than we'd care to imagine. (Revelation 3:20)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
“Idolatry” seems such an old-fashioned word–Old Testament, even. But even though we don’t see many Golden Calves these days, idolatry—mistakenly believing God is created in our image and not the other way around—is sadly alive and well, and not the sole province of any one church or political party. And it’s just as dangerous as ever., because what we worship, we become. (Psalm 50:14-23)
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-...)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
On the surface, these verses from 1 Samuel tell the story of the political maneuvering between King Saul and soon-to-be King David. But between the lines, it's the story of the women relegated to the background, whose bodies, lives, are treated like commodities like cattle or crops to be exploited by the men in power. But that was long ago, and we've embraced the full equality of women, right? RIGHT? (1 Samuel 14:49-41, 18:17-21, 29)
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-...)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Spoiler: The Bible says “the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” What? A loving same-sex couple in scripture? “But no,” we’re told, “that can’t be true.” Why not? History and Biblical criticism can be complicated, but love is love, complicated in its own way, but also so, so easy and so, so real. (1 Samuel 17:55-18:9)
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-...)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connect at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
This Sunday, as we celebrate Earth Day, we welcome a special guest preacher, The Rev. Noah Brewer-Wallin (he/they), the Assistant Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for our Southern New England Conference of our United Church of Christ denominational family. Rev. Brewer-Wallin's portfolio at the Conference includes both environmental and economic justice, and he'll be helping us celebrate God's good gift of creation and address ourselves to caring for our our human and non-human neighbors in this climate crisis. (Psalm 144:3-4, 12-15) Many thanks to the members of our Environmental Ministries Team for all they've done to organize this Earth Day observance!
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-...)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
For the beginning of Lent, we're taking it all the way back to The Beginning, when God made the entire variety of human beings from one flesh. Yet ever since, it seems, we have been dividing and categorizing and ranking people because they are different. And from the beginning, women have borne the brunt of that division. But God loves our differences and God doesn't divide. So can we get a do-over? Can we begin again, better? (Genesis 2:7-9, 15-25) Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
In this country we’ve long been told by so-called experts that the best way to help Main Street and the folks struggling to live there is to support Wall Street and the fat cat corporations that do very well there, that they economic blessings bestowed on them will trickle down to those below. But those below are still waiting. Good thing God doesn’t wait and helps them first. (Luke 4:16-27; 1 Kings 17:8-16) Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in the Bible with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
God is still speaking, to be sure, but God speaks to each of us differently. As we prepare to embark on our Lenten journeys next Sunday, we are invited to listen to the ways that God might be stirring our spirits for the journey forward and to consider the different paths we are on, leading us all toward one end: the Love of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-13) Rev. Maddie Foster, preaching.
This sermon is part of our Year W project, spending a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in scripture with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically-inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Sadly, we don’t talk much about blessings these days, aside from the holidays, perhaps, when we are reminded to “count our blessings.” Which is fine as far as it goes, but if we stop there, we miss the point that we are called to multiply and share our blessings, even--espeically--with those we deem 'least likely." Because that's what God does. That's who God is. (Genesis 17:15-22; Luke 1:39-45) Preacher: The Rev. John MacIver Gage
This sermon is part of our yearlong Year W journey, a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in scripture with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
If you’ve been around the church at all, especially around Christmas time, you’re likely familiar with the story of the Annunciation, when God announces to Mary that has been chosen to bear a special blessing. But the Biblical witness is that God chooses lots of people, many even less well-off and far less well remembered than Mary, including Hagar. (Luke 1:26-38; Genesis 16:7-13) Preacher: The Rev. John MacIver Gage
This sermon is part of our yearlong Year W journey, a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in scripture with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Like kids waiting for Christmas, in Advent the church is waiting for… what, exactly? If we focus just on Jesus’ miraculous birth, what’s the good news for those struggling to conceive or waiting to adopt? How can this story be Gospel for us even when our waiting doesn’t bring us the gift we hoped for? (Judges 13:2-7; Psalm 115:9-15) Preacher: The Rev. Maddie Foster
This sermon is part of our yearlong Year W journey, a year listening for the voices of women, girls, and the divine feminine in scripture with the guidance (and translations) of Prof. Wil Gafney and her "A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year W" (https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-women-s-lectionary-for-the-whole-church-year-w-wilda-c-gafney/17214332?ean=9781640654747)
Join us Sundays for worship, LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom @ 10am ET. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming, LGBTQ-welcoming, radically inclusive congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
The Good Samaritan is probably the most well known of all Jesus’ parables. But that very familiarity can get in the way of our hearing the hard truth behind our Hallmark card interpretations: If we want to be neighborly like Jesus, we’re going to have to go out of our way, leave behind our usual haunts and habits, and cross over to unfamiliar territory. (Luke 10:25-37) Rev. John Gage, preaching
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am ET. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
\
There are a lot of powerful people in 2 Kings 5: Naaman, the Syrian general and his wife; the King of Syria and the King of Israel; and the Prophet Elisha, too. But this story of healing and grace hinges on a cast of nobodies who’ve been told to stand at the back. But like the waters of the river Jordan, the Spirit flows through them and lifts them up for us to see and celebrate. (2 Kings 5:1-14) *Rev. John Gage, preaching.
For more about artist Titus Kaphar, check out https://www.kapharstudio.com/*---
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am ET. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
Idolatry is such an old-fashioned word. But what else can we call it when we value some thing, some possession, profit, or principle more than the lives of actual people? In our United States, guns are one of our peculiar idols, and the sacrifices just keep piling up. (Luke 3:1-6) Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.---
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am ET. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
In our faith tradition, God calls us to be stewards of creation, to “take care of it and look after it” (Genesis 2:15). But as Buddhist teacher, activist, and poet Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us in his book Love Letters to the Earth, that “it” is us. We are the earth and the earth is us. And we care for the earth not out of external obligation but from an intimate place of love. Now, when creation is suffering so, it’s a good time to remember that… and to say it, out loud, maybe even write it down to remember. Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.---
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am ET. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
1am. 2am 3am. Technically, these are early morning hours, but as anyone who’s woken up then knows, it is still quite dark. Sometimes only the clock tells you it’s the morning and not midnight. The Gospel According to John is clear that, just as a new day is born in the dark, whatever resurrection is, it’s something that begins while it is still dark. And doubt is one of the Easter dark's greatest gifts. (John 20:1-18) The Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am ET. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Church is the practice.
Love is the point.
As his coming conflict with the authorities looms large, a woman spends the time and the money to anoint Jesus with precious oil in an act of pure devotion. Yet one of the disciples—let’s call him J.I.—objects on the grounds that her money should have been spent on something more productive. But sometimes the very best we can do is stop and smell the holiness. (John 12:1-8) Rev. John MacIver Gage, preacher.The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son: Even if you’ve never read it, you likely know it, this story about a father and his two sons, one dutiful, one wild, one grateful, one resentful. But which is which? The all-too familiar dynamics of this dysfunctional family drama mean we may have to listen extra hard to hear what it has to say to us today. (Luke 15:1-3 11b-32) The Rev. Maddie Foster, preacher.The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
It’s said that charity is pulling drowning people out of the river, while justice is walking upstream to stop whoever’s throwing them in. The trick, of course, is to do both, to help individuals and change systems; to do just one or the other leaves too many people open to harm. But how, Jesus, how? (Luke 13:31=5) The Rev. John MacIver Gage, preacher.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Our Lenten journey begins when we follow Jesus into the wilderness. And as long as his days alone there were, it’s sure the nights were longer. The wild, and especially the wild dark, is a place where all bets are off. It’s where the rubber meets the road, and we meet the demonic, the divine, and ultimately ourselves. So let's head into the wild dark, into Lent, and into life with curiosity. (Luke 4:1-13)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
On Transfiguration Sunday, we usually read the story of how Jesus’ glory was revealed in a flash of insight and a dazzling light on a mountaintop. But we learn what that glory really means, what it’s actually for, only when Jesus comes down off the mountain and walks into the shadowy valley below. The question then isn't "Why aren't we up on the mountain?" but "What are we doing in the valley?" (Luke 9:28-43a)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
With the deepest gratitude to the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber, who said it all best back in 2014. Telling people they are dust and to dust they shall return isn't a threat or a put-down, it's a promise: You don't have to do it all. You can't. Do your best, sure, but at the end of the day, just let God be God, and God will.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship on-site and online LIVE! via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
In his “Sermon on the Plain,” his theological manifesto in Luke’s gospel, Jesus continues to level the playing field, offering us a new perspective on the value of our lives. He literally flips the script on who’s blessed and why and offers a new definition of just what “blessing” is, anyway. (Luke 6:17-26)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The soon-to-be disciples’ fishing trip isn’t going so well, until Jesus gives them a new direction. If they follow him, their nets will burst with the abundance they’ll encounter, and the whole of humanity will become their concern, not just their own little boat and backyard. But only if they let themselves get caught up first. (Luke 5:1-11)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! on-site and online via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Push. Push and pull. This is how we all come into the world. And this is the way loving change come into the world through us still, as we push and pull, with and against each other. It's awkward, often unpleasant, and success isn't guaranteed. Revolutionary love is always risky, but we labor in hope for hope. Now, Push! (Matthew 15:21-8)
This is Part 8 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love" in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
“Breathing creates space in our lives to think and see differently, enliven our imagination, awaken to pleasure, move toward freedom, and let joy in. For those... who live in bodies that are denigrated by society, breathing like this is a political act.” This Sunday, we join Jesus on the mountaintop, where taking time to catch our breath can reconnect us with our Source, Guide, and Goal. (Mark 9:2-9)
This is Part 7 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love" in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
It's bad enough Jesus asks us to love our enemies. Do we have to listen to them, too? But as Valarie Kaur puts it in "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love," listening isn't just nice, it's strategic. Listening to our opponents helps us understand them better and teaches us how to love them without compromising our commitment to justice, peace, and compassion. Let's keep that in mind as we listen to Jesus listening to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:3-29.
This is Part 5 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
NOTE: Our apologies for the poor audio quality of this week's episode. We're still getting the hang of all this new hybrid worship technology.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Proverbs and clichés admonish anger but a quick temper is not the same as divine rage. Valarie Kaur shares how our anger can be the first authentic step in loving our opponent and in building the beloved community. We'll continue our exploration of Kaur's "See No Stranger" with Chapter 4, "Rage," in conversation with Mark 3:1-5, where we meet Jesus healing on the Sabbath. How does anger inspire love in Jesus? How can rage inspire love and action in us?
This is Part 4 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Fear, flight, and fight. We've been taught good Christians don't do any of these things. But of course we do. They're all part of our inheritance as human beings and they all help keep us alive. It's how we do them that makes the real difference, especially fighting--fighting for the people we love, for justice and peace. It's up to us to "fight the good fight" in a way that leads to abundant life for all, not just victory for a few. (Luke 19:28-40)
This is Part 3 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
It's said that "into each life a little rain must fall." And it's so true. There is no life that doesn't involve loss, and there's no love that doesn't involve grief; in fact, as Valerie Kaur says in "See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love," grief is the price of love. And grieving together--compassion--is a choice that creates a larger, transformational "we." So we have to ask: Are we willing to sit in the rain with one another, for love? (Matthew 23:37-39)
This is Part 2 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
In her book, See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love,author and activist Valarie Kaur says "wonder is where love begins." Are we willing to wonder about other people, who they are, what their lives are like, why they do what they do? Remember Zacchaeus, that "wee little man" (and notorious sinner) who climbed a sycamore tree just to see Jesus? Wonder what would have happened had Jesus not stopped to wonder about him? Because wonder draws the circle wider. (Luke 19:1-10)
This is Part 1 of a 9-part series this fall putting Valarie Kaur's See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love in conversation with Gospel stories of Jesus.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info and more at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Church tells so many stories of Jesus healing people that illness, disability, and healing all have become enduring metaphors for the life of faith. But for people living with disabilities, they’re not just metaphors, and they themselves aren’t objects for pity, aide, or inspiration. So let’s reconsider Jesus’ interaction with this “deaf man who had an impediment in his speech” from Mark 7:31-37, and the Church’s. *The way we tell stories matters. The way we listen matters even more.
We are indebted to author and disability activist Rebekah Anderson for her reflection on the body of God. This episode also includes a version of the classic hymn, "Just As I Am Without One Plea," with new words written by Rev. John Gage, "Just As I Am With This My Plea."*The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT.
Ephesians 6 famously describes the gifts believers are given for the life of faith and the struggle against injustice: “the armor of God, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness.” But that way of thinking about spiritual gifts isn’t one-size-fits-all. What are your particular gifts, your “gospel accessories,” tailored just to you and to the needs of our historical moment? And are you working them as God intends? (Ephesians 6:10-20)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and join us for hybrid worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT.
“Holy Wisdom cries out, ‘You that are simple, come and share my table! Walk in the way of wisdom and live!” Why are the simplest things the hardest?! There is only one commandment: LOVE. But working out that commandment is a life-long—lives-long!—journey. Is it really that complicated, or are we just... simple? (Proverbs 9:1-6)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and join us for worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT.
Anger traditionally has been rated one of the 7 Deadly Sins in Western European Christianity, and it certainly can be destructive. But is it always? Is there ever a proper, righteous anger that burns but does not consume us or others? And what do we lose when we try to keep our anger in the closet? Audre Lorde, Valarie Kaur, and Frederick Buechner help us reflect on these questions and more. (Ephesians 4:25-5:2)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and join us for worship LIVE! in-person and via Zoom, Sundays @ 10am EDT.
Last week, we were reminded that when we feel small and insignificant in the face of the challenges of our world, we are never alone. Even "drops in the bucket" can turn the wheel, together. This week, we reflect on the challenges such a "group project" approach presents (Have you read the news lately?) and the opportunities, as we share our diverse gifts toward a common purpose: abundant life for all. (Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-16)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
Sometimes, when we consider the challenges before us as a nation, a species, it's easy to get overwhelmed. We may ask ourselves what we can do as individuals, mere drops in the bucket, about problems as big as racism or climate change, especially when we've got all the challenges of our personal lives to deal with, as well. But remember: drops in the bucket are what turn the turbines and shape continents. And, taken together, maybe those personal and system challenges aren't that different after all. (Ephesians 3:14-21)
To view Rev. John's "We" t-shirt and even order your own, go to https://www.uccresources.com/products/we-shirts?variant=39370254188607
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
For many of us, summer is a time to take a vacation or at least take things a bit slower. Which is good for us. Even Jesus tried to get away for a while. But many more people--especially people working multiple, maybe part-time jobs just to make ends meet--don't have that luxury. But rest isn't a luxury, it's a requirement, and in our Judeo-Christian tradition, sabbath rest is a commandment. So how do we rest, but not quit working for sabbath justice for those who need it most? (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
For this LGBTQ+ Pride Sunday: "A Prayer of Queer Thanksgiving." A chance encounter on Pride parade day calls forth a rainbow revelation, a great cloud of witnesses--and martyrs, and a vision of chosen family in the kin-dom of God. Rev. John MacIver Gage shares a poem-slash-prayer originally offered by Rev. Micah Bucey.
Here are all the names mentioned in the poem. Give yourself a little Pride Week homework and look up all the ones you don't know: Marsha P. Johnson; Sylvia Rivera; Christine Jorgensen; Marlene Dietrich; Sylvester; David Bowie; Billy Tipton; Langston Hughes; Lorraine Hansberry; James Baldwin; Oscar Wilde; Octavia Butler; Larry Kramer; José Esteban Munoz; Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick; Michel Foucault; Divine; Candy Darling; Andy Warhol; Hibiscus; Alvin Ailey; Alan Turing; Bayard Rustin; Harvey Milk; Audre Lorde; Michael Callen; Harry Hay; Gilbert Baker; Edie Windsor; Jane Addams; Dick Leitsch; Troy Perry; Pauli Murray; Leonard Bernstein; Howard Ashman; Sister Rosetta Tharpe; Michael Bennet; Willi Ninja; Frida Kahlo; Keith Haring; Jean-Michel Basquiat; Rita Hester; Matthew Shepard; Brandon Teena; Roxana Hernandez; Upstairs Lounge (1973: New Orleans); Pulse Nightclub (2016: Orlando)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Find us on the web at www.NeedhamUCC.org and follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
At first glance, the doctrine of the Trinity may seem like some kind of mathematical joke at best, a dangerous irrationality at worst.. How can 1 really be 3 or 3 be 1? But maybe the point isn’t knowing God with our heads but with our hearts? Kind of like people. It’s not that logic and reason aren’t important; they’re just so limited and limiting. A reflection on John 3:1-10, Rev. John MacIver Gage, preaching.
Join us for LIVE! Zoom worship Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
Pentecost Sunday we celebrate the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the same Spirit who turned frightened disciples into bold messengers of good news “with the sound of a violent wind.” But something doesn’t have to be loud to be important or powerful. Sometimes a whisper changes the world, and you along with it. Romans 8:22-27(Rev. John MacIver Gage, preacher)
Join us for LIVE! Zoom worship Sundays @ 10am EDT. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
Everybody loves "charismatic megafauna"--you know, the "bright and beautiful," cute and cuddly animals, your pandas, elephants, and humpback whales. And it's not so hard to appreciate the useful animals, too, like cows and pigs. But what about the animals we don't understand and definitely don't like? What about mosquitos? Aye, there's the gospel rub. Because we're called to love everything God has made... and everyone. too. (Scripture: Job 39:13-18)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace-making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Just because bad things happen to you (or you feel bad), that doesn’t make you a bad seed... or a bad person. One particular sunflower seed shares this important life lesson in an intergenerational story time sermon from the book by Jory John with illustrations by Pete Oswald
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Christians sometimes give the impression we are backward-leaning people, that God and everything good are in the past, and we're just trying to turn back the clock. But the truth is God leans forward, toward us and toward a world not restored but resurrected. Through inspiration, imagination, and innovation, the Holy Spirit show us the best is yet to come. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, 12, 17-18)
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there. It's time to get "Grounded."
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
"They hung on the stranger's every word. As the day and their journey drew to a close, they couldn’t stand to let him go, so they asked him to stay for dinner. But still they didn’t recognize him. They felt the presence of the holy with them, reframing their questions, shifting their thinking, drawing them out of their old lives and opening the door to another, better way, but they didn’t have a name for it. 'Were not our hearts burning inside us?'" (Luke 24:13-35)
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there. It's time to get "Grounded."
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically Inclusive, justice-seeking, peace- making, love-affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ in Needham, MA. Follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
In his very first sermon Jesus declared "The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news," the same message he embodies as he enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. But what is the point of this preaching, really? Personal salvation? Political reform? Some say it's got to be one or other. But what if it's both? What if the Kingdom of God is justice and peace and salvation, personal and political? As we head into Holy Week, it's a good time to ask again: What governs your life?
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.The Congregational Church of Needham, UCC strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
People often think of monastics as people who've retreated away from life into the church. But that wasn't the case for Julian of Norwich a 14th Century English anchorite, whose confinement opened her heart to the whole world--and not in some abstract way, but in an experience as small and hard and concrete as a hazelnut. So we'll talk about hazelnuts, the world, and the infinite love of God, and how sharing the nitty-gritty of our lives in prayer connects us to them all, and one another.
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.The Congregational Church of Needham, UCC strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
At Christmas we ask "What Child is This?" and sing about God being "pleased as man [sic] with man to dwell"--in other words, we reflect on The Incarnation, the enflesh-ment of God in Jesus. But this isn't just another "Prince and the Pauper," king-in-disguise story. The mystery of the incarnation--that God is found in our humanity and our humanity in God--is an everyday mystery, but no less mind-blowing and life-changing for being so common; in fact, that's kinda the point.
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.The Congregational Church of Needham, UCC strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Sin is a strong word with a lot of baggage. Many of us have internalized the idea that a sin is a demerit, a ding on our permanent record that, if we earn enough of them, will keep us out of heaven when we die. But if we back up a bit, those individual dots may form a very different picture. If we recalibrate our thinking about sin--and forgiveness--focusing on our relationships rather than our spiritual report card, maybe we won't have to wait till we die to live abundantly. Which is the whole point. (1 John 1:2-5)
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
The Bible is full of dysfunctional family histories: Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, David and Bathsheba. But behind them all is the story of the conflict between humanity and the rest of creation. Because animal, mineral, vegetable, we are one family, children of the same God. What if we saw the rest of the creation as neighbors, friends, siblings, rather than competitors or property? If this pandemic season has taught us anything, it's that we're a part of creation and not apart from. (Acts 17:22-28)
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Lent is a season in the life of the church for reflection, when we intentionally sift our lives, all that we do and leave undone, looking to build upon all that is life-giving, for ourselves and our neighbors, and leave behind all that is not. It's a time to sink our roots deeper into God's good soil and grow from there.
This Lent, as part of our "Grounded" worship series, we'll re-examine some core concepts in our faith and ask how they may lead us to that abundant life which is God's intention for all creation--or not. First up, this week we'll talk about the call of the Church, especially in relation to our call as individual Christians, and ask What is Church for, anyway?
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Peter joins Jesus on the mountaintop and witnesses the moment of transfiguration, a moment that moves Peter first to fear and then inspires him to act. We'll remember our own mountaintop moments and reflect on how they make us feel, how they can keep us going, and how we can use that to build bridges. (Mark 9:2-9) - The Rev. Maddie Foster
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
All our systems and schedules aside, rest isn't a might or maybe once everything else gets done. Rest is a have-to, a necessity, literally baked into the way God makes us. Even Jesus needed to take time off and away from his mission to quite literally save the world, so we can, too. Which is fine to say in this pandemic moment, but how, exactly? How do we rest? And what kind of rest do we really need? Because per @thenapministry, rest is an act of resistance. (Mark 1:29-39).
Links to
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's TED talk, "The Real Reason Why We Are Tired and What to Do About It" https://youtu.be/ZGNN4EPJzGk
Tricia Hersey's interview with NPR about the Nap Ministry https://www.npr.org/2020/06/04/869952476/atlanta-based-organization-advocates-for-rest-as-a-form-of-social-justice
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Through much of Mark's Gospel the disciples wonder just who Jesus is and who they are in relation to him. But a stranger in need understands right away that Jesus comes from God intent on sharing the gift of liberation. So what about us modern day disciples? Who are we, and whose? And what do strangers see when they see us? (Mark 1:21-28)
This also includes a children's sermon from Rev. Maddie Foster.
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Jonah is maybe the most well-known least-understood book in the Bible. No, God didn't send the whale to swallow Jonah in order to punish him (you're thinking of Pinocchio) but to save him. But even Jonah misunderstood his own mission. When the people of Nineveh changed their wicked ways in response to his preaching, Jonah got upset that God hadn't punished them. Are we really ready for God's graceful ways? Whose will do we really want done? (Jonah 3-4)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
This week we are grateful to partner with Church Anew, an ecumenical ministry dedicated to "equipping church leaders to face the changes needed for ministry today and tomorrow" (www.ChurchAnew.org) to share this worship service reflecting on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We'll have a Call to Worship drawn from the words of MLK lead by our Open and Affirming Ministry Team, beautiful music from both Church Anew and our own singers, as well as a sermon by Rev. Paul Slack, social justice advocate with Lutheran Social Service.
The Congregational Church of Needham (MA) strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship LIVE! via Zoom Sundays @ 10am EST. (Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org)
This Sunday we'll share the sacrament of baptism the child of one of our church families. And even as we share that joy, given the terrible events in Washington, D.C. this week, we'll talk about what it means to live out our baptismal promises to them and all the children of God. After all, "resisting oppression and evil, manifesting justice, peace, and compassion, and witnessing to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit" as those baptismal vows say isn't a once in a lifetime photo op. It's a lifelong commitment. (Mark 1:1-11)
The Congregational Church of Needham strives to be a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community. We are a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org. Find us also at facebook.com/NeedhamUCC and follow us on Instagram @NeedhamUCC.
Our world still has a hard time believing women, particularly about their embodied experience. So tell help us hear Mary the Mother of God and her prophetic testimony of joy today, we listen to a reflection from pastor and professor The Rev. Dr. Mary Luti, first and only woman to serve as senior minister in the nearly 400 year history of the First Church in Cambridge, Congregational UCC. Let's sit together at Mary's feet and listen.
The Congregational Church of Needham is a radically inclusive, justice-seeking Christian community, a member congregation of the United Church of Christ denominational family. Join us for worship Sundays @ 10am LIVE! online via Zoom. Connection info at www.NeedhamUCC.org.
Some gifts require preparation to receive properly. After all, you've got to clear a space in the living room for that Christmas tree. You've got to turn the spare bedroom into a nursery for that new baby. And we've got to unclutter our hearts to receive the new life of justice, peace, and compassion that God offers us in Jesus. So, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord!" (Mark 1:1-8)