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Sermons from First Parish Unitarian Universalist of Arlington Massachusetts


Oct 27, 2020

"In Dark Times the Eye Begins to See"* For many of us darkness has fallen into our soul and we feel exiled in a strange land waiting for the elections to save us. We lament with Langston Hughes: O, let America be America again. The land that never has been yet. And yet must be. What do we do in this darkness? Do we begin to see more clearly the wisdom in our living tradition of faith, hope and love? Or, do we let the darkness enfold us in fear and anger? Together, through stories, poetry and conversation we will explore what spiritual practices can help us thrive in dark times like these. *The title is from a poem by Theodore Roethke

The Shinn Service honors Barbara Shinn (1912-1976) and her commitment to justice. Barbara served as chair of what was then known as the Social Responsibility Committee. An educator and leader, she had a passion for teaching children with disabilities. She displayed personal courage in the face of a debilitating illness, arthritis of the spine.

Each year the Social Justice Committee selects a speaker to address a matter of public concern. Shinn speakers have focused on a variety of social justice issues including racism, capital punishment, urban poverty and violence, the war in Iraq, marriage equality, economic justice and climate justice.

Podcast introduction music composed and played by First Parish Music DIrector Emeritus, Kenneth Seitz: “Amen, Blessed Be;"
number 14 in the First Parish songbook, Singing Toward Justice. 

Introduction language is the Mission Statement adopted in 2010 spoken here by First Parish lay leaders and Rev. Marta Morris Flanagan.