This video captures my enactment of “Eve’s Side of the Story”. The script by Rev. Clarice Friedline re-tells the biblical story from Eve’s perspective. What really happened in the Garden of Eden? Part of a service offered at First Parish in Waltham, MA on January 27, 2013.
The following is my sermon “To Know and to Be Known” delivered at First Church in Boston on September 15th, 2013.
Listen to sermon on the First Church Boston website.
Rev. Amy Freedman
First Church in Boston
September 15, 2013
I am honored to stand before you today. I am particularly grateful to Joyce and the Standing Committee for hiring me as your Consulting Minister. For a long time, I’ve held the aspiration to be part of a ministry team. So, I am delighted to be working with your talented Senior Minister, the Rev. Stephen Kendrick. As you can imagine, although this is my first Sunday preaching here, this is not my first day on the job. I have been attending some meetings. It has been a pleasure getting to know your staff. I am impressed by the skills of Catherine Bradfield and Zach Dunn as well as their team who I am still meeting. Plus, what a gift to get to know not one but two Ministerial Interns this year– Schuyler and David. Together our ideas and energies are amplified—we are off to a good start.
Like the pilgrim in this morning’s story, my arrival here follows a long journey. I carry with me the same longings for Peace, Love, and Joy. Although unlike the pilgrim, my spirit is not weary. Perhaps it is because I stopped at some of those storehouses along the way.
Here is my reflection on “The promise of Christmas” from the December 16, 2012 candle light service at the UU Society of Martha’s Vineyard. Merry Christmas!
Labor Day weekend is not an ordinary time
as we do not rush headlong into our usual labors.
The sacred is found not only in houses of worship, but in time set apart.
Let us turn our attention to what is sacred in our daily living.
For the rewards of work and all those ancestors
who boldly advocated for safety, fair wages, and better working conditions,
we lift our hearts in gratitude.
May this time of recreation energize us to bring forth
an even more just and sustainable world.
O Creator, who creates life and to which all life returns,
you are as close as our beating heart and the cycle of breath.
Where there are unresolved troubles in our minds
may we find clarity of purpose.
Where there are heavy burdens in our hearts
may we discover a healing path.
Where ever there is pain,
whether in our lives, in our circle of loved ones, or in our world,
May we become divine messengers
through our prayers, our actions and our words,
Peace to all.
Life to all.
Love to all.
Amen.
If by “Church” you mean a place where people bend down to follow the word from a higher authority, then no, Unitarian Universalists do not belong to a church.
If by “Faith” you mean firm belief and adherence to traditional doctrines, then no, Unitarian Universalism is not a faith.
If by “Religion” you mean scrupulous conformity to a system of beliefs, then no, Unitarian Universalism is not a religion.
Then again…
If by “Church”, you mean a safe place where you can be yourself and bring your loved ones to find support and meaning in facing the joys and struggles of life, then welcome to our church.
If by “Faith” you mean belief in the inherent goodness of all people and the confidence that we can work together to make this world a better place, then welcome to our faith.
If by “Religion” you mean a way of life drawing inspiration and guidance from many sources, engaging your heart, mind, and spirit in a lifelong journey toward wholeness then welcome to our religion.
Amy Freedman 