First Parish Church
Unitarian Universalist
 of Duxbury, Massachusetts

Worship 

Regular services are at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays, September through June, and usually include congregational singing, music from the organ and the choir, spoken prayer and silent meditation, and a sermon from the minister or a message from lay leaders or a guest preacher. Some services are intergenerational, with participation by all ages; at other times there are regular Sunday chapel services for our young people. The first Sunday of the month is normally Family Sunday, in which children join adults in the sanctuary for the first half of the service and then go to their Sunday School classes.

 During July and August our Sunday "Fishermen's Services" are held at 8:00 a.m. on the patio, weather permitting, and are led by laypersons. A period of fellowship and refreshment follows each service. 

In addition, several other forms of worship meeting are held at various times. These include the periodic "Soulful Sundown" services sponsored by the YA DUUDES young adult group, services conducted by the Women's Ritual Group and Buddhist meditation sessions conducted by the minister.

Soulful Sundowns are alternative worship services incorporating contemporary artistic expression in the quest for spirituality and meaning. Organized by our young adult group, YA DUUDes (18-35 year olds), these services are held quarterly, usually on Sunday evenings, and are open to all.  Some services include contemporary music, meditation and inspiration. Our past themes have included “The Power of Music,” “Power of Laughter,” and “The Seasons of Life.” Childcare is offered for each service and a snack reception usually follows each service. See the Calendar page for the next scheduled Soulful Sundown.

Our Buddhist Meditation Group meets on the first & third Sundays of every month from 7:00 p.m. to approximately 8:30 p.m.  The group is a drop-in group (come when you can).  All levels of practitioners, including beginners, are welcome — bring a cushion or pillow if you like.  In addition, on the first Sunday of each month we have a discussion time from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact the minister at 781-934-6532 or TheRevCatherine@aol.com
At our first Sunday of the month meeting we are inviting "Baby Buddhas" to join us from 6-7 p.m. for a "kid-friendly" introduction to Buddhism and Buddhist meditation!  Children fourth grade and below must have a parent in tow!

Spring Equinox Ritual

On Friday, March 21, 2008, at 7:30 pm all First Parish women are invited to share in a Spring Equinox ritual.
Our Women’s Ritual group started meeting over 15 years ago and has evolved over the years. It is a lay led group that meets eight times a year to honor and celebrate through ritual, the cycles of the earth and the strength of each other.  The group is open to all women.

Worship Etiquette

One of the responsibilities of the Worship Committee is to see that the tone of our worship services remains spiritual.  Many of our parishioners look forward to some quiet, formal time when they enter the sanctuary on Sunday mornings for our weekly service. Recently several informal practices have appeared.  We ask that you not bring coffee into the sanctuary, that you maintain silence during the prelude and postlude, end Sunday morning meetings in the parlor by 10:15 and refrain from applauding at any time during the worship service. We ask this not to criticize anyone, but to maintain dignified and spiritual worship decorum.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USHERS
If you have signed up to be an usher during a Sunday worship service, click here: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USHERS

LIGHTING THE CHALICE
If you have signed up to light the chalice during a Sunday worship service, click here: INSTRUCTIONS FOR CHALICE LIGHTERS

 

Questions or comments about this Website? Contact Jon Lehman at jonlehman@verizon.net