“Bless Us, Every One!”

Sermon by Rev. Shawn Newton.

Christmas Snow, by Currier and Ives

Celebrating the Season

While the evolving nature of the pandemic has potentially upended the plans you’ve made for the coming days, may you still find creative ways to uphold the traditions that help bring meaning for you to this time of the year. That is what we will be doing at First Unitarian as we shift our Christmas Eve and Fire Communion services online. We hope you might join us.

Here are the details:

  • On Christmas Eve, the 24th, at 7:00 p.m., we will celebrate Christmas with a shared time of readings, reflection, and music. Our resident musicians will lead us through the beloved carols of Christmas. And with a nod towards Dickens, my sermon is titled “Bless Us, Every One!” To help make this an online gathering a “candlelight service,” we’ll invite your help by encouraging you to dim your lights and to have a candle or two at the ready to help you fully take part in the spirit of the season. And, if you would like to sing along with our Resident Musicians, you can access the lyrics to the carols.
  • Please note that there will be NO Sunday morning service on December 26th.
  • On January 2nd, we will celebrate the start of the new year with our annual Fire Communion Service. My sermon for that day is titled “The All-Important Spark”.

And, lastly, a note about planned leave that both Rev. Lynn and I will be taking in the coming months. Following the Christmas Eve service, Rev. Lynn will take a short sabbatical break through mid-January. And then I will be on a sabbatical break from mid-January through mid-April to make progress on my doctoral project. We are grateful for these breaks that help sustain us in our ministry and enrich what we are able to share with the congregation.

Across the coming days, may you and yours bask in the many gifts of this season. Happy Holidays!

With all best wishes,
Shawn

Stan