Events 2
Contemporary Worship with Sanctuary Boston
Monthly on the third Wednesday, 6:30-8pm eastern
Sanctuary Boston is a community of vibrant worship, centering the experience and leadership of young adults. To learn more or to view our full worship schedule, please visit thesanctuaryboston.org
In person at First Church Boston and online at this link.
"Growing Up UU—and Returning as an Elder" Sermon by Barbara Martin, Guest Speaker – August 23, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Sermon: “Growing Up UU—and Returning as an Elder”
Barbara Martin, Guest Speaker
Unitarian Universalism is notoriously a denomination of converts—only about 10% of UUs grew up as such. It’s more common to hear a church member describe entering a UU church as an adult and immediately feeling at home than to encounter tales of UU childhood.
What was it like to grow up in a UU church founded only a few years before you were born? What values and expectations were carried away from that experience and community? Returning at retirement age to join the oldest UU congregation in the US, what seemed constant and what seemed different—in individual experience and in Unitarian Universalism?
Bio: Barbara Martin is a member of First Church, Chair of the Standing Committee 2023-2025. She grew up attending the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church of Knoxville, Tennessee in the 1950s and 60s.
For Families: Children of all ages are always welcome in every service. Quiet activities are available in the rear of the chapel. Childcare and religious education classes resume in September.
"The Wisdom Hidden in Pain" Sermon by Dr. Helen Riess, Guest Speaker – August 30, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Sermon: “The Wisdom Hidden in Pain”
Dr. Helen Riess, Guest SpeakerÂ
Most of us spend our lives trying to avoid pain, yet it can become one of life’s most profound teachers. Drawing from my own experience of living with relentless pain for nearly half a year and from close friends who have lived with physical and psychic pain for years, I will explore lessons about vulnerability, humility, self empathy, resilience, and our shared humanity. This sermon reflects on how suffering can deepen compassion, reshape perspective, and reveal unexpected wisdom.
Bio:Â Helen Riess is a psychiatrist at Mass. General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. She founded and directs the Empathy and Relational Science Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, pioneering the integration of empathy neuroscience into healthcare education to enhance communication, patient experience, and clinical care.
She is the founder of Empathetics, Inc., where she serves as Chief Scientific Officer. The company helps healthcare organizations worldwide build cultures of empathy and connection. She is the author of The Empathy Effect, and her TEDx talk, The Power of Empathy, has been viewed nearly one million times.
For Families: Children of all ages are always welcome in every service. Quiet activities are available in the rear of the chapel. Childcare and religious education classes resume in September.
Summer Porch Gathering – September 6, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
First Church continues gathering each week throughout the summer at 11am on Sundays. Most Sundays will be a service in the Hale Chapel with music, a time of sharing joys and concerns, as well as a sermon by a guest or a member of the congregation. These services will be live-streamed. Following the service, there will be a social gathering on the Porch.
On July 12, August 9, and September 6, folks are invited to join a Porch Gathering starting at 11am. Each gathering will have a host to welcome all and support good conversation. Please note there will not be livestream/online access on these three dates. If you are unable to attend the Porch Gathering in-person, please use the opportunity to visit another UU congregation online OR revisit one of the many recordings on our YouTube page.
Worship Service – September 13, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Sanctuary Boston – September 16, 2026 at 6:30pm
Contemporary Worship with Sanctuary Boston
Monthly on the third Wednesday, 6:30-8pm eastern
Sanctuary Boston is a community of vibrant worship, centering the experience and leadership of young adults. To learn more or to view our full worship schedule, please visit thesanctuaryboston.org
In person at First Church Boston and online at this link.
Worship Service – September 20, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Worship Service – September 27, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm
Fall Potluck Dinner – October 3, 2026 at 12:00am
Worship Service – October 4, 2026 at 11:00am - 12:00pm