First Parish Church of Groton : Summer Worship Services 2010

Summer Worship Services 2010

During the summer months, informal Sunday services are offered on the first floor of the main Church building — the coolest place in town, most summers. These are lay-led services, and they start at 10:00 am. (For the record, here are 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006.)

If you want more information or want to volunteer to lead a worship service in 2011, please .

Child care is available for each Sunday.

Scroll down for the summer 2010 schedule.

Schedule for 2010

Date	Leader(s)	Topic, title, theme
June 27	John Jackson	Ice Breaker A popular service for several years, we get to know something about each other by answering some evocative questions.
July 4	No service
July 11	Judy Anderson	Hymn Singing Judy will help us remember and sing some traditional hymns that you might not find in the First Parish hymnals
July 18	Alice Van Ormer	Coming Home: Veterans’ stories Many of us know someone who is serving or has recently served in the military. For these veterans, often young men and women who have not yet established their adult identities, returning home can involve feelings of relief, fear, anger, and/or disconnection. The transition for their families, friends, colleagues, and townspeople can be challenging as we wonder how we can help. We'll talk about what this experience is like for our veterans and the role a spiritual community can play.
July 25	Peg Lorenz	Sacred Transitions What makes a transition sacred? How can we bring meaning to our life transitions? We will explore these questions and more. Peg will share her own life-changing experience as she assisted a family with a home funeral. You are invited to share your own story of a life transition or just come and listen. We will open and close with a guided meditation.
August 1	Marcia Synott	Shaping Our Identity: by Faith, Family, Images, Languages, Music, and Work (whether paid or volunteer). Though we shape our identity by multiple means, which two or three of the above best describe yourself? You might also consider which ones have changed over the years.
August 8	Donna Nowak	Sharing Ramadan Mary Lahaj, the Chaplain to the Muslim Community at the Simmons College Office of Spiritual Life, will be our guest speaker. Her topic will be Ramadan, the month starting this year on August 11, when the 1 billion Muslims fast during daylight hours as a time to purify the soul and refocus on God.
August 15	Lise Fracalossi	Bring Your Favorite Poem(s) This service is a well loved tradition at First Parish. We enjoy learning about each other by the poems we choose to bring or select to read. If you forget to bring a poem, feel free to select a poem from the many books provided.
August 22	George Downey	The Phenomenon of Religion: Where did it come from?
August 29	Carol Bousquet	Meditation On Gulf of Mexico Ecology The BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast is the worst environmental disaster of its kind in our nation’s history. Many of us find ourselves at a loss as to how to respond. As the disaster grows, so do our frustration and despair. We will gather in meditation to share our grief — and hope. Participants are invited to bring a meditation to share — a poem, a brief writing of one’s own, a quote, an uplifting account of how our neighbors are meeting the challenges they face as a result of this catastrophe. Musicians are invited to play a piece (please call Carol Bousquet in advance to schedule a performance).
September 5	No service: Labor Day weekend
September 12	Big church resumes: Don’t forget your water.