Recent Sermons
Leslie Bryant — Leadership and Community
Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty is on a winter study and solitude retreat. This is an annual time for all of First Parish to take the time to reflect and begin again. Join our guest speaker, Leslie Bryant as she shares her thoughts about leadership and community.
read morePowerful Beyond Measure…
What is leadership? Is the acquisition of leadership all about power and control? By our mere existence as sentient beings do, we have unfettered access to power and wield power unconsciously? What is the model of servant leader and how can we reimagine a future based on an awareness of the needs of others? Join Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the congregation of First Parish as they delve into these questions and more.
read moreWander Where We Will…
There is a saying that, “not all those who wander are lost” and yet why do we feel so lost at times? What does it take to find your bearing and to feel anchored in a stormy world? Join Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the congregation of First Parish as they endeavor to wander with purpose.
read moreEndings and Beginnings…
Each year on the first Sunday in January, we honor the Endings and Beginnings of those who touch our lives. During our Sunday service, the names of people who were born and who died in the previous year are read aloud. All are welcome to participate. It is time once again to collect the names of loved ones who died and who were born in 2019. Please send the following information to Rev. Marjorie at
read moreIs Christmas only for Christians?
The answer to this question is an emphatic, No! How can we find deeper meaning in the truth of the season? Join, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the Congregation of First Parish in imagining what Christmas should/could be like in a twenty-first century secular society.
read moreGive Presence for the Holidaze…
Sharing ourselves with others over the holidays may just be the best gift we can give. Instead of shopping, buying, wrapping and giving presents for the holidaze what if we offer our presence to the ones we love. Join, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the Congregation of First Parish in wondering how to make the shift from the consumer based holidaze to a kindler gentler less frenetic way of being.
read moreDecember 8 – Revelry Sunday
First Parish of Sudbury invites the community to its Revelry Sunday Service on December 8, 2019, at 10 am. The service, which honors earth-centered traditions, will be filled with dancing, reveling, and the reenactment of ancient rituals originally designed to bring back the sun and ensure the rebirth of the natural world, at this time of year when we experience the longest night. The service will be filled with music and dance by both the youth and senior youth Morris dance groups and First Parish Choir, and the congregation is welcome to...
read moreBeing Grateful…
As the bounty of Thanksgiving is upon us, a time to give thanks, let’s look at this time as an annual tradition in terms of being present with those whom we love. Imagine what our lives might be like if we were able to be grateful for all that we have, be mindful of all that we take for granted, and be open to what may be yet to arrive. What would life be like if we lived into a daily practice of being grateful monthly, daily, or even in every moment… How might our lives be different? Join, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the Congregation of...
read moreCompassion: A Spiritual Practice…
Kuan Yin (Guanyin) was a Buddhist bodhisattva associated with compassion. (S)he was known as the Goddess of Mercy by Jesuit missionaries in China. (S)he has the supernatural power of assuming any form required to relieve suffering. In many of the world’s religions there are those whom personify compassion such as Jesus in Christianity. The Dalai Lama explained that, “My religion is kindness.” Confucius was the first person to formulate what has become known as the Golden Rule. Join, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty and the Congregation of First Parish...
read moreWhy, How, What…
“Very few people can clearly articulate WHY they do WHAT they do. WHY is all about your purpose, cause of belief. WHY do you get out of the bed in the morning? And WHY should anyone care?” These words written by Golden Circle guru Simon Sinek a man who in one Ted Talk helped people to realize that understanding the WHY of what we do is the most important insight that we might have to help us find our inspiration and aspiration. How do we apply the WHY of our lives search for truth and meaning, happiness and love? Join, Rev. Dr. Marjorie Matty...
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