by
Rev. Ellen Rowse Spero and/or guests
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Chelmsford, MA
Selected First Parish sermons are recorded and made available in a number of formats.
Click here for more information on available formats and for getting started with one of the downloadable formats.
http://www.uuchelmsford.org/sermons/audio/sermons.xml
| Date | Title | Speaker(s) | Audio | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 6, 2010 | Why Pride? | Several Proud Parishioners | MP3 | 26m02s |
| May 30, 2010 | War and Memory | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m25s |
| May 23, 2010 (evening service) | Hokmah-Sophia: Woman Wisdom and the Image of God | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m43s |
| May 23, 2010 | Religious Education Sunday - Reflections | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 8m12s |
| May 16, 2010 (evening service) | The Sermon I Gave at Pastor Ella's Church | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m19s |
| May 16, 2010 | Admirable Friends | Reverend Barbara McKusick Liscord | MP3 | 17m42s |
| May 9, 2010 | Take Joy! | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m26s |
| May 2, 2010 | More than a Voice: Living Our Congregational Polity | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 24m50s |
| April 25, 2010 | Return Journey: Reflections from New Orleans | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 24m03s |
| April 18, 2010 | Earth Day: The Story of the Clearwater (adapted from Janeen K. Grohsmeyer), and What Can We Do? | Sadie Kahn-Greene and Sally Seekings | MP3 | 14m31s |
| April 11, 2010 | For the Sake of What are We Here? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m16s |
| April 4, 2010 | The Story of Easter | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 17m26s |
| March 28, 2010 | When We Were Strangers: Bearing Witness Through Memory | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m23s |
| March 21, 2010 | Do We Want to be Made Whole?: Thickening the Story | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m13s |
| March 14, 2010 | Beauty and Resistance | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m17s |
| March 7, 2010 | Why We Sing | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Cyndi Bliss | MP3 | 22m45s |
| February 28, 2010 | Why We Worship | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m53s |
| February 21, 2010 | On Mindfulness | Brenda Rogers | MP3 | 15m03s |
| February 21, 2010 | For All Ages: Sara's Meditation Rock | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 6m32s |
| February 14, 2010 | Symbols of our Spirits | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and the congregation | n/a | |
| February 7, 2010 | The Flaming Chalice: The Story of the Symbol of our Faith | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m33s |
| January 31, 2010 | Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m11s |
| January 24, 2010 | Leading in a Time of Fear | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m21s |
| January 17, 2010 | Voices Inconvenient to Their Season: The Vision of Sojourner Truth and Jarena Lee | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m48s |
| January 10, 2010 | Winter Pageant | RE classes | n/a | |
| January 3, 2010 | (service canceled due to storm) | |||
| December 27, 2009 | Turning the Wheel of the Year | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | n/a | |
| December 20, 2009 | (service canceled due to storm) | |||
| December 13, 2009 | Whose Hope is Being Born? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m15s |
| December 6, 2009 | Discernment: Waiting on the Sacred | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 14m52s |
| November 29, 2009 | More than Bricks and Mortar | Franklin Wolf | MP3 | 7m36s |
| November 22, 2009 | Thanksgiving Service: A Meditation on Gratitude | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 6m09s |
| November 15, 2009 | On Being a Welcoming Congregation | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 24m09s |
| November 8, 2009 | Why Be Grateful? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m44s |
| November 1, 2009 | Circles of Return | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 12m10s |
| October 25, 2009 | Blue Boat Home: Exploring Eco Theology | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m46s |
| October 18, 2009 | The SHIFT Coalition | Brent Rourke, and Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 11m14s |
| October 11, 2009 | Honoring and Celebrating the Spirit of Life | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m13s |
| October 4, 2009 | Chaos and Creativity | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 14m16s |
| September 27, 2009 | More Love, More Hope, More Peace, More Joy: Going to New Orleans | Erin, Fred, Rosie, Warren Flewellen, Johan Mackenzie, Ellen Spero, Pastor Ella, & Bishop McSwain | MP3 | 33m12s |
| September 20, 2009 | The Fruit of the Land: Returning From Sabbatical | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m58s |
http://www.uuchelmsford.org/sermons/audio/sermons_2009.xml
| Date | Title | Speaker(s) | Audio | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2009 | Reflections on Small Group Ministry | Linda Shubert, Jeanne Thompson, and Yoko Taylor | MP3 | 10m39s |
| May 17, 2009 | The Price of Assimilation - The Life and Times of Felix Mendelssohn | Cyndi Bliss | MP3 | 17m40s |
| May 10, 2009 | What Does Peace Require of Us? | Matt Meyer | MP3 | 7m22s |
| May 10, 2009 | For All Ages: The Story of Brazil | Matt Meyer | MP3 | 8m27s |
| May 3, 2009 | Honestly! Being! | Reverend Jonathan Rehmus | MP3 | 17m36s |
| April 26, 2009 | Taking Care | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Reverend Jonathan Rehmus | MP3 | 23m37s |
| April 19, 2009 | Harvey Milk, a Different Patriot | Dee Halzack | MP3 | 12m52s |
| April 12, 2009 | Spirit of Life, Spirit of Love | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 8m33s |
| April 5, 2009 | Stewardship Sunday: Economy of Trust, and other Reflections | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Kathy Deschenes | MP3 | 18m53s |
| March 29, 2009 | Something So Precious | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m16s |
| March 22, 2009 | "My Body, My Faith" Part II | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 23m06s |
| March 15, 2009 | "My Body, My Faith" Part I | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m32s |
| March 8, 2009 | Liberation Theology and Unitarian Universalism, Part II | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m27s |
| March 1, 2009 | Liberation Theology and Unitarian Universalism, Part I | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m07s |
| February 22, 2009 | Woman Wisdom: The Divine Feminine in Judaism and Christianity | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m51s |
| February 15, 2009 | Love Makes a Family: "We Are..." | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero, Sadie Kahn-Greene, and First Parish Families | MP3 | 17m32s |
| February 8, 2009 | Courage: Standing in Our Core | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m20s |
| February 1, 2009 | Stony the Road We Trod | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 21m00s |
| January 25, 2009 | Of Sabbatical and Sacred Trust | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 12m25s |
| January 18, 2009 | (service canceled due to storm) | |||
| January 11, 2009 | Please Don't Save My Soul | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m56s |
| January 4, 2009 | Four Voices of Good News | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 23m36s |
| December 28, 2008 | Turnings Service | Worship Committee | n/a | |
| December 21, 2008 | Annual Pageant | 3rd & 4th grade classes | n/a | |
| December 14, 2008 | Special Music Service | First Parish Choirs | n/a | |
| December 7, 2008 | Fatherhood | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 9m36s |
| November 30, 2008 | New Orleans Service Reflections | Sadie Kahn-Greene, Carla Corey, Emma Buckley, and Aine Sweetnam | MP3 | 13m14s |
| November 23, 2008 | Ingathering Thanksgiving Service | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | n/a | |
| November 16, 2008 | Grace | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m11s |
| November 9, 2008 | A Poet of War | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m11s |
| November 2, 2008 | Of Earthly Dust and Divine Breath | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m02s |
| October 26, 2008 | "Nurture Your Spirit, Help Heal Our World": Unitarian Universalist Spirituality | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m55s |
| October 19, 2008 | Not Partisan but Prophetic: Towards a More Responsible View of Religion and Politics | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 21m13s |
| October 12, 2008 | Forgiveness: Pressure or Grace | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 15m21s |
| October 5, 2008 | Our First Principle and the Reality of Evil | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 18m24s |
| September 28, 2008 | What is so funny about Peace, Love and Understanding | The Firehouse Band | n/a | n/a |
| September 21, 2008 | Beyond Belief: Trust and Religious Community | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m46s |
| September 14, 2008 | Celebrating our Congregational Covenant | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero, Wendla Windt, Tim O'Hara, and John Fisher | MP3 | 21m57s |
http://www.kaffine.com/uuchelmsford/audio/sermons_2008.xml
| Date | Title | Speaker(s) | Audio | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2008 | Flower Communion | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 7m11s |
| June 8, 2008 | Membership Recognition Sunday | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 5m07s |
| June 1, 2008 | Religious Education Sunday: The Bremen Town Musicians Story | Bonnie Rankin, Nina, Sierra Rose, and the 1st-6th RE classes | MP3 | 14m01s |
| May 25, 2008 | Abide with Me: The Weaving of Memory | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m35s |
| May 18, 2008 | The Natures of Power | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m38s |
| May 11, 2008 | The Secret of Music | Matt Meyer | MP3 | 22m17s |
| May 4, 2008 | A Powerful Love Story: The Story of David and Jonathan | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 21m50s |
| April 27, 2008 | Reflections On Sacred Spaces | Martha Sherburne, Jennifer Almeida, and Amanda Miller | MP3 | 20m02s |
| April 20, 2008 | Moses or David: Liberation or Royal Power | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m54s |
| April 13, 2008 | Reflections on Small Group Ministry | Bryan Grad, Dave Kaffine, and Jonathan Crockett | MP3 | 16m42s |
| April 6, 2008 | Stewardship Sunday: "Our Needs and Hopes" and Reflections on Treasures | Carrie Little & Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m12s |
| March 30, 2008 | Five Years In: Reflections on the "War on Terror" in Iraq and Afghanistan | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m13s |
| March 23, 2008 | Celebrating Easter: Reflections on Rebirth and Resurrection | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 28m01s |
| March 16, 2008 | What is Healing? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 22m50s |
| March 9, 2008 | Reflections on the Worth and Meaning of Covenant | John Schneider, Sally Seekings, Ron Deschenes, Carla Corey | MP3 | 18m51s |
| March 9, 2008 | For All Ages: Grandpa Alan's Wonderful Loaves (a story by Beryl Aschenberg) | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 6m39s |
| March 2, 2008 | A Good Epidemic? | Reverend Amy DeBeck | MP3 | 21m10s |
| February 24, 2008 | Breathing the Sacred into the Ordinary: Our Unitarian Universalist Rites and Rituals | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m45s |
| February 17, 2008 | Love Makes a Family | Collins Family, Clifford Family, Mellen Family, Taylor Family | MP3 | 11m55s |
| February 10, 2008 | Sex, Society and Religion | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m20s |
| February 3, 2008 | The UU Mass Action Network | Nancy Banks, Coordinator | MP3 | 19m13s |
| February 3, 2008 | For All Ages: The Fox and the Crane | Bonnie Rankin | MP3 | 5m36s |
| January 27, 2008 | The Privilege of Leadership | Sally Seekings and Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m13s |
| January 20, 2008 | About the Reverend Joseph Jordan | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 21m45s |
| January 13, 2008 | Congregational Life | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m14s |
| January 13, 2008 | For All Ages: Covenants | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 6m14s |
| December 9, 2007 | Wonders and Miracles | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 14m39s |
| December 9, 2007 | For All Ages: The Story of Our Flaming Chalice | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 5m04s |
| December 2, 2007 | Bring A Friend Sunday: Why We Are Here | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 20m05s |
| November 25, 2007 | What Worship Means to Me | Marcia Allison, Walter Cole, and Deirdre Heck | MP3 | 16m40s |
| November 25, 2007 | For All Ages: The Map Maker | Bonnie Rankin | MP3 | 3m47s |
| November 18, 2007 | Reflections for the Ingathering Service | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 4m21s |
| November 18, 2007 | Guest at Your Table | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 4m48s |
| November 11, 2007 | With Reason and Reverence: Humanism for a New Age | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 21m17s |
| November 11, 2007 | For All Ages: Our Fifth Source | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 3m37s |
| November 4, 2007 | What's In a Name? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m15s |
| October 28, 2007 | What's in the Dark? | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 17m17s |
| October 21, 2007 | On Being Unitarian Universalist and Christian | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m43s |
| October 14, 2007 | A Larger Fellowship | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 16m10s |
| October 7, 2007 | What is Your Perception of God? | Sadie Kahn-Greene with Aleric, Zoe, and Peggy | MP3 | 15m10s |
| October 7, 2007 | For All Ages: Hide & Seek with God | Sadie Kahn-Greene | MP3 | 7m05s |
| September 30, 2007 | Reverence: Exploring the First Source | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 13m22s |
| September 23, 2007 | A Sacred Break: Taking Time to Open the Book of Life | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 12m42s |
| September 16, 2007 | The Spirit of this Place: Covenant and Coherence | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | MP3 | 19m52s |
http://www.kaffine.com/uuchelmsford/audio/sermons_2007.xml
| Date | Title | Audio | Speaker(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2007 | Sacrifice and Support | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 16m58s |
| May 20, 2007 | The Khasi Hills Church: Unitarianism in India | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 15m55s |
| May 13, 2007 | A Celebration of Mothering | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero and Sadie Kahn-Greene | 8m16s |
| May 6, 2007 | Reflections on Becoming a Welcoming Congregation | MP3 | Betty Keddy and Karen Johnson, from First Parish of Groton | 25m18s |
| April 29, 2007 | Imaging the Sacred and the Divine | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 11m03s |
| April 22, 2007 | Voluntary Simplicity: Why is it so difficult and complicated? | MP3 | Athena DeGangi | 14m11s |
| April 15, 2007 | The Three Margas: One Harmony and the Spiritual Practice of Hinduism | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 17m30s |
| April 8, 2007 | Elijah and the Still-Small Voice | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 9m19s |
| April 1, 2007 | Fighting for Justice: Darfur and the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 17m21s |
| March 18, 2007 | Religious Fundamentalism and the Lives of Women | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 20m01s |
| March 18, 2007 | For All Ages: A folk tale from Japan | MP3 | Sadie Kahn-Greene | 3m31s |
| March 11, 2007 | Foundations of Beloved Community: Balancing Justice and Joy | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 18m16s |
| March 4, 2007 | The Life and Work of Basho | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 19m54s |
| February 11, 2007 | Love Makes a Family | MP3 | Reyna Family, Fraser-Mines Family, Deschenes Family, Hillman Family | 26m48s |
| February 4, 2007 | In Search of the True | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 17m14s |
| January 28, 2007 | Friendship and Faith | MP3 | Aine and Heather | 21m39s |
| January 21, 2007 | Checking the Compass | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 16m36s |
| January 21, 2007 | For All Ages: Pillars of Islam and UU | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 9m25s |
| January 7, 2007 | The Journeys of Hagar in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam | MP3 | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero | 18m34s |
| November 12, 2006 | Journey Toward Welcoming Congregation | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero & C. Russell | ||
| October 29, 2006 | To Welcome and to Witness: Welcoming Congregation and Beyond | Reverend Ellen Rowse Spero |
For earlier sermons, see our Sermon Archive
Click here for some other questions and answers about the recorded sermons.
Contact Dave Kaffine at (978)667-3690 or dave@kaffine.com for comments or more information.
Last modified: Sun Jun 6 19:27:49 EDT 2010