Selected Sermons (Text and Audio)

• A Free Faith —  The history of our faith is interwoven with the history of our country and Unitarian Universalism, in its briefest definition, is the democratic method applied to religion.  Rev. Kowalski reviews highlights from First Parish's role in this democratic saga and reflects on challenges to our future.  Delivered Jan. 29, 2012.
  

• A Not So Little Faith —  Rev. Brock Leach, Vice President of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, discusses Martin Luther King's dream in connect to our Unitarian Universalist social justice work in Haiti and other nations.  Delivered January 15, 2012.  listen
  

• Meet Joseph Campbell — Rev. Gary Kowalski
  Not a sermon, but a dramatic impersonation of the mythologist whose words and remarkable insights come to life a one-man show starring our own interim minister.  Delivered Jan 8, 2012.  listen
  

• Moments of High Resolve — Just say no?  Willpower, scientific research suggests, comes in limited quantities and is directly fueled by the body's glucose level.  But physiology is not destiny. There are means to stay in the driver's seat.  A New Year's sermon by Kevin Tarsa, ministerial intern at First Parish of Wayland, delivered January 1, 2012.  listen
  

• Jesus: The Man and the Myth —  Scholars have begun to fill in a portrait of the historical Jesus that is both more human and much more compelling than the familiar Christ of myth and doctrine.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Dec. 18, 2011.  listen
  

• A Lover's Quarrel with the World — Robert Frost was perhaps America's most beloved poet, odd because popular tastes run toward the sentimental, while Frost was keen-eyed and flinty in his estimate of both nature and human nature.  This morning we explore the wintry spirituality of a man who disclaimed all formal religious affiliation, yet spoke to folks of every faith.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Dec. 11, 2011.  listen
  

• Occupy Your Faith — The Occupy movement that started in New York's Zucotti Park has grabbed the world's attention, taking its slogan from Nobel winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, who pointed out that 1% of the population now controls 40% of the nation's weath?.  But what does that bare statistic really mean?  This morning we unpack the grievances and goals of the demonstrators and determine whether we ourselves are part of the 99%.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Nov. 27, 2011.  listen
  

• The Zen of Unitarianism — Our faith, like Zen, is sometimes difficult to explain to the uninitiated. But Unitarian Universalism, like Buddhism, is an experiential, this worldly and life-affirming religion. There are more similarities between our traditions than you might expect.   Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Nov. 6, 2011.
  

• Blessing of the Animals Inspired partly by my daughter who was asked in her fourth grade Bible stories class, what she would do differently if she were God and re-creating the human race?  Give them some nice warm fur and a long tail for keeping balance, she replied.  That and the ability to scratch my left ear with my right leg would, I think, make my life just about complete.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Oct. 31, 2011.
  

• The Bible As Poetry —  Religion might be defined as the poetry of life.  And the purpose of a poem is not so much to discuss the purpose or meaning or life as to deliver the adrenalin rush of actually being conscious and alive.  How we reclaim the Bible as poetry, rather than mistaking it for a textbook of laws, history, or (out-of-date) science?  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Oct. 23, 2011  listen
  

• Are We The Gay Church? — Several years ago, First Parish voted to become a Welcoming Congregation.  But recently some have wondered, or expressed confusion.  Why do we extend a special welcome to gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender individuals if our aspiration is to include people all kinds and conditions?  Garrison Keillor and the Prodigal Son provide clues to answer.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Oct. 16, 2011  listen
  

• How To Lose Control Of Your Time And Life — As John Lennon famously remarked, "life is what happens to you while you're making other plans."  But how to we plan for those unexpected moments of beauty, intimacy, and wonder that are beyond our power to schedule or control?  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Oct. 9, 2011  listen
  

• At-One-Ment — The High Holy Days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are a moment for self appraisal, taking a long critical look into the mirror. Admitting our own limitations and shortcoming is the mark of maturity, for only people who can see their own rough edges have growing edges.  Leading to the question, do we dare to change the world, beginning with ourselves? Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, Oct. 2, 2011  listen
  

• The Power of the Rev — The professional pitfalls and occupational hazards of ministry (like being accosted by strangers on airplanes who want to challenge your knowledge of Bible verses) are balanced by the privilege of being given instant access to the most intimate details of other people's lives and, occasionally, the power to say words that make all the difference.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, 9/18/2011  listen
  

• Wisdom from the Wizard — Dorothy, Toto, the Tin Man and Scarecrow turn out to be characters from the story of our own lives, where everything dependable sometimes gets tossed sky-high, sending us searching for the way home.  Delivered by Rev. Kowalski, 9/11/2011  listen
  

• We Are Seekers — Contains highlights of Unitarian Universalist history and describes how we see ourselves as people on a life-long quest for meaning.
  

• Linus Shaw: Patriot or Prophet? — Features the eighth minister of First Parish whose 22 years of service to this congregation lasted through the Civil War.
  

• The Faith Quilts Project — Discusses a three-year long project where people of faith collaborated on quilts as a means of fostering interfaith dialogue.
  

• Have Faith in Democracy — Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote the use of the democratic process in all our affairs. How does it work?
  

• The Trinity — Rev. Crane explains how and why Unitarians came to take issue with the theological concept of the Trinity.
  

• The Social Question — mp3 Audio of the full service, with Order of Service