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The September Spire
the electronic newsletter of
First Parish of Norwell,
Unitarian Universalist
In - Spire - ing News UUs Can Use
August 28, 2025
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September Worship
Soulful Centering
"Meet a UU"
Inclusion Corner
"Sing out Love" Hymnal
All-Church Cookout
RE Registration
Asking Everyone to Volunteer!
Overpass Gathering
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Blessing of Bags and Backpacks
Joyful Songs Choir
Update on the James Library
Community Dinner
Basketball & Playground Hangout
Women's Circle
Blood Drive
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Youth Leadership Roles
Caring Corner
Health & Wellness Action Team
Alliance Talk
Book Club
Recurring Events
September Happenings
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SEPTEMBER WORSHIP
Our overall theme for the 2025-2026 Church Year is Grounded in Love: Living our Values. We look forward to gathering together soon.
During the month of September we will be exploring the UU value of "Justice." In pursuing justice together, we strive to be a diverse multicultural Beloved Community where all feel welcome and can thrive.
Sunday, September 7
Worship Associate: Wendy Brown
Sermon: Better Together: Towards a Theology of Communal Justice
As human beings we have a deep need for community. Countless studies show we do better when we are together. Using scripture and wisdom from mystics and activists, we will co-create a theology of justice that deepens our relationship with the planet, with one another and with all living beings.
Sunday, September 14
Worship Associate: John Hughes
Sermon: Justice = DEI&B
The current attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion is a threat to justice for all of us, to our sense of belonging and our understanding of the inherent goodness of humans and the essence of our beloved nature. How do we as individuals and as a community of faith celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion and broaden our radical welcome?
Sunday, September 21
Worship Associate: JP Bourque
Sermon: Joy-filled Justice
So often our desire for a better world and safer community for our beloveds feels so very serious, so very heavy, so very overwhelming.
~How do we infuse more joy into all our efforts, all of our yearning?
~What brings you joy?
~When you feel JOY - where do you feel it in your body?
Join us this Sunday as we explore and imagine embodied joy as a means of seeking justice for all.
Sunday, September 28th- Rev. Judith Campbell, guest minister
Worship Associate: Peg Carpenter
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Soulful Centering
Join Rev. Susan on Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Sundays, 8:30-9pm for a 30 minute centering time with music, a reading and a time of guided meditation.
This year the 2nd Sunday will be live and the 4th Sunday will be pre-recorded and sent via email.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81481727376?pwd=JWPJAP8oFJl7KNse0r84DsCRx8hsqb.1
Meeting ID: 814 8172 7376
Passcode: soulful
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Inclusion Corner
As we start a new church year and a new school year, I’m excited for us all to meet new people (in classrooms or in the Parish Hall) and widen our practices of welcome and inclusion.
Last year we had an essential training from Lisa Drennan, an inclusion specialist with Merge Consulting, and we’ll be drawing from her teachings as we continue to place inclusion at the forefront of our programming.
Here’s a guide she shared with us for using the most respectful language when discussing disabilities. Remember, “disability” is not a “bad word,” and you can choose words thoughtfully to confer dignity to everyone.
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New UU Virtual Hymnal - "Sing out Love"
The UUA released a new virtual hymnal this summer & thanks to a generous gift from the family of Deanna Riley, we have a 5-year subscription to it. It is entitled "Sing Out Love" and it includes some older, familiar hymns, as well as new songs by UU composers.
You can learn more about this new resource here. Several of us who attended General Assembly went to a special preview session of the hymnal and enjoyed it very much!
We look forward to exploring this new resource together this year along with hymns in our current handheld hymnals.
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All-Church Cookout
Saturday, August 30 at 3pm!
Come celebrate the end of the summer and the start of the church year with your First Parish friends! We'll grill hamburgers, hotdogs, and veggie burgers.
Please bring a side dish to share and whatever you like to drink. We'll have water balloons and slip and slide activities for the kids, so bring a change of clothes and a towel for them. You may also want to bring bug spray and a comfortable chair, or be prepared to grab a metal chair from the Parish Hall.
RSVP to Amanda Adams and mention whether you’ll want burgers, hotdogs or veggie burgers.
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RE Registration
It’s time for Religious Exploration classes to begin again! This year, we’ll be looking at the Unitarian Universalist values of justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence and generosity, all with love at the center.
Each of our three age groupings will use different texts, media and activities to explore what those values mean and how we can live them every day.
Please register your young people if they will be participating in the nursery (infant-preschool), kids (K-3rd), tweens (4th-6th), or teens (7th-12th) classes on Sunday mornings.
Also register your teens if they will be participating in Youth Group (7th-12th Sunday evenings twice per month).
Click here to register!
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Asking Everyone to Volunteer
It takes contributions from ALL of the members of our community to keep things running smoothly!
We ask everyone to consider sharing the following small tasks:
-Sign up to bring Food for Social Hour!
WE NEED EACH HOUSEHOLD IN OUR CONGREGATION to sign up here to bring food once. You can also sign up in person at the welcome table. No set-up or clean-up required, just bring some food one time. Questions? Ask Heather Comeau.
-Assist the Teacher in an RE Classroom!
We need everyone who has a child in the program to volunteer on at least one Sunday, where you will assist the main teacher. All members of the congregation are welcome to volunteer! Please sign up for a Sunday in RE here. If you have questions, please ask Amanda A.
-Be a Worship Associate!
Ask Reverend Susan if you have any questions. Sign up to be a Worship Associate here.
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Side With Love Overpass Gathering
Meet us on the River Street overpass of Rt 3 on Saturday, September 6th from 8-10am to celebrate acceptance and positivity on the South Shore.
We wave to cars, dance to music and come together in solidarity and support for a loving, safe place.
Colorful clothing and signs of positivity are welcome!
*Parking is available at the North River Theater.
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Blessing of Bags and Backpacks on
Sunday, September 7
We’ll begin our year of worship together by blessing the bags and satchels we use to carry our day-to-day tools through the world.
Bring your purses, totes, briefcases and backpacks for the first Sunday of church to receive a blessing and a special keyring. This is a lovely way to start the year with good vibes that we carry into our lives!
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Choir practice & Joyful Songs Choir
Our first choir rehearsal will be held on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7-8 PM in the Skylight Room. New members are warmly welcome! Our choir is great for singing & for the fun, caring community.
Don’t want to commit to Thursday night choir? Join us on Sunday, 9/14 arriving by 9:15 if you'd like to sing a new UU hymn with the Joyful Songs Choir. This opportunity is available the second Sunday of every month throughout the church year.
All are welcome!
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Update on The James Library and Center for the Arts
On Sunday, September 14th at 11:30am (in the Fogg Parlor) join Jack Wallace and other members of the James Board for an update on The James Library and Center for the Arts.
This was obviously a "hot topic" at the end of last church year and so we want to begin the Fall with an in-person opportunity to learn more about how things are going and how you can be supportive.
Opening Reception at the James
We’re thrilled to kick off our 2025–26 season with Synchronicity, a vibrant group exhibition featuring South and North Shore artists whose diverse mediums—assemblage, woodcut, gouache, acrylic, watercolor, and oil—come together in perfect harmony.
Opening Reception
Friday, September 5, 2025 | 6:00–8:00 pm
On View
September 5–October 3, 2025
Featured Artists
• Michael Weymouth After a successful career as a graphic designer and photographer in Boston and San Francisco, Michael has returned to his first love: painting. His richly textured works explore life in Maine and beyond. michaelweymouthart.com
• Sally Dean A Barnstable County native and BFA graduate of Tufts/SMFA Boston, Sally creates mixed-media paintings, prints, murals, and mosaics. She’s also Education Coordinator at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury. @sallydeanart
• Mary Langner Inspired by Duxbury’s landscapes and seascapes, Mary captures nature’s light, color, and texture in oil paint. She balances technical mastery with deep emotional connection. marylangnerfineart.com
• Ann Marie O’Dowd From bright acrylic portraits to vibrant still lives, Ann Marie’s “it’s only paint!” ethos fuels her playful, pattern-driven work. A MassArt photography alum, she’s exhibited locally and internationally. @amopainting
Join us for an evening of art, conversation, and community in our historic gallery. Whether you’re a longtime visitor or new to The James, this show offers a fresh perspective on our shared region and creative spirit. We look forward to celebrating with you!
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Community Dinner
Join us on Tuesday, September 16th at 5pm for a home-cooked meal and great company.
Donations of macaroni and cheese are needed!
Contact Heather Comeau. Children will be supervised on the playground. All are welcome.
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Basketball and Playground Hangout
Join us on Saturday, September 20th at 11am at the B. Everett Hall Field in Hanover for some healthy and active fun at the playground and on the basketball courts.
Bring a ball, bring a lunch, and have fun playing with your First Parish friends.
ALL are welcome to play!
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Women's Circle
Monday, September 29th; 7-8:30pm at the Parsonage (644 Main Street in Norwell)
This group is open to all women who are looking for a place to connect around working, parenting and the challenges of this particular time in life while deepening our spiritual connection with ourselves and with one another.
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Blood Drive on Friday, October 3
There is a national blood shortage, and donations are desperately needed. The blood drive is from 12-5pm, and we have many empty slots.
If you cannot donate blood, please help by spreading information about this blood drive over social media and/or inviting your friends to donate. We can make a huge impact if we get the word out and get donors in!
Sign up here!
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Youth Leadership Roles
With the vote that passed at our Annual Meeting, the Parish Committee can now include two members between the ages of 10 and 18. The RE Committee is also looking for young members to join and help plan.
Do you have a young person in your family who would like to join a working committee?
Let Amanda Adams know! There are many options, including Parish Committee, RE Committee, and all of the Action Teams. Please reach out to express your child’s interests, and together we can make a plan for how to get everyone involved.
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Caring Corner
Continued caring thoughts for David and Sally Turner, as David continues to receive specialized care following a hospitalization over the summer.
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Health and Wellness Action Team
The Health and Wellness Action Team, an arm of the Fogg Outreach Committee, would welcome your interest during the church year 2025-2026. We are the group that plans health and wellness programming for the church such as the Pilgrim Belle all-church paddleboat cruise, the dementia and caregiver support group series, and the “In our Own Voice” “Peaceful Parenting” and “Suicide Awareness” programs.
We also administer the Mental Health Financial Assistance program to help ensure that all church members have access to the mental health care that they need. We meet rarely and instead focus on taking action to support our health and wellness and that of others. For more information, please reach out to Rev. Susan or Cathy Harder-Bernier at cathyhb@comcast.net .
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Alliance Talk on Paul Revere
Wednesday, October 15, 10:00 am
Please join us in the Parish Hall for refreshments and this wonderful program by Rich Nichols, a local early American history buff.
Friends are very welcome!
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First Parish of Norwell Book Group
Please join us for any or all of our monthly book discussions. We meet on the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:30 pm on Zoom.
Sept. 15, 7:30 on Zoom-“Becoming Madam Secretary”, by Stephany Dray (about Frances Perkins who got us Social Security).
click here to join
Meeting ID: 847 0898 5879
Passcode: Bookworms
| | Ongoing and Recurring Events | | |
Knitters & Company
Tuesdays at 10 am
in the Fogg Parlor
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Men's Breakfast
Fridays at 8 am
Sam's Restaurant
146 Front Street
Scituate Harbor
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Mid-Week Check In
Wednesdays at 8:30 pm
click here to join
Meeting ID: 336 926 144
Passcode: Evensong
Dial by your location
+1 646 876 9923
Meeting ID: 336 926 144
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August is National Make-A-Will Month, a great reminder of the opportunity to secure your legacy of care and commitment by including First Parish UU in your will. Suggested language right on the welcome table to share with your family or lawyer makes it easy to consider.
Since 1642 First Parish of Norwell has been a spiritual home and caring community for our congregation. We all benefit from the legacy giving of those who came before us. Please join in supporting FPN by considering a bequest to the church when doing your estate planning.
Contact Reverend Susan Chorley if you would like to discuss a legacy gift or bequest minister@firstparishnorwell.org or 781-659-7122.
| First Parish of Norwell, Unitarian Universalist | 24 River Street, Norwell, MA 02061 | 781-659-7122 | | | | |
