Arlington Street Church

What a beautiful, historic church! Located right near the Boston Common and Public Gardens, Arlington Street Church sits in the heart of Downtown Boston. While parking was an absolute abomination, it is also T-accessible.

Because of the parking fiasco, I arrived late and snuck into a back pew without an order of service. People did smile and welcome me nevertheless. In the very back pew I had a great view of the entire church. The beautiful windows, balconies, columns, and pipe organs are truly something to behold. While I did feel pretty far from the pulpit, I could still see everything clearly.

After a brief but beautiful choir performance, the Rev. Yvonne Schumacher Strejcek, Acting Associate Minister welcomed us all and asked the first-time visitors to raise our hands. Then we took a moment to greet one another. At this time several people who had seen me coming in late made a special effort to come to the back just to say hello and welcome. A truly nice gesture. I shook hands with the people in front of me and when I turned to my right to shake hands with my other neighbor, I was shocked to see what I assume to be a homeless man asleep. He was unshaven with a distinct odor, had a hoodie pulled over his head, and was surrounded by various bags of trash, silverware, cans, and other assorted half-eaten goodies.

I understand that Unitarian Universalist churches have an almost unparalleled attitude for welcoming all people into their midst, and perhaps maybe this man was a devout UU simply down on his luck, but I think there needs to be some monitoring as to who attends services. This man in particular mumbled and gestured eratically half of the service and slept the other half sprawled across the pew. I don't think the UU church is able to provide the kind of service that he required—i.e. a shelter, a counselor, medical care, food, clothing. I would think a truly caring congregation would take note of this man and make some effort to assist him.

Next on the agenda came the congregational announcements. It started with a collection for the Haiti earthquake and ended with a committee called INDUULGE explaining what they do and how to volunteer. The announcements alone felt longer than the days' sermon. I can't help but think there has to be a better way of promoting church activities.

The announcements concluded and I thought finally it's sermon time. No. It was time for 2 more choir songs and then the reading of joys and concerns while the choir hummed in the background. Being a large congregation, I think this is a smart way to do things rather than having individual people all come up and share their joys and concerns. Instead they were written in a journal and then read by the music director. While the humming and piano accompanied the thoughts and prayers being read—ranging from "congratulations to Michael and Anthony on 1 month together as a couple" to "I took the day off from work to garden and enjoy the sunshine"—I was trying to figure out what this scene reminded me of. Then it hit me—a show. It felt just like I was watching a musical, with perhaps even more music. 45 minutes in and we had heard well over 5 songs, with more to come even before the morning's (now afternoon) sermon started.

Rev. Strejcek sermon, titled "Those Who Believe in Freedom, Cannot Rest Until it Comes" was mostly about social justice and modern day racism. She praised the work done by the congregation and surrounding communities in combating racism but that it is still prevolent in all our societies and must not be forgotten about just because things have improved. For the most part, I followed her words without much enthusiasm until she eloquently recalled a conversation she had with a congregant, who said "I'm so sick of all the fighting over race. Who cares? We're all just people, right?" To which Strejcek responded as kindly as she could "But, don't you see how that attitude is coming from a place of privilege?" It was a fantastic and poignant point. I wish it was made earlier in her sermon instead of at the end and not embellished much.

To close out the sermon, we were all invited to stand for another music number called "Stand" and was featured at the UU General Assembly 2009 in Salt Lake City. I then made my exit as the choir launched into another song.

I can see why Arlington Street Church is flourishing and why it came highly recommended to me. The people are enthusiastic and friendly, the space is gorgeous, and the sermons, from what I saw, are current, secular, and meaningful. I think the reason why I'm not drawn to this congregation is simply the feel of it. I was unable to shake the feeling that I was watching a musical production. Everything felt saccharin sweet to the extent that if we were all asked to join hands and sing Kumbaya around the flaming chalice I wouldn't have been the least bit surprised. I realize how jaded this sounds—that I don't like a congregation because it is too joyous or hopeful—but when sitting next to a homeless man and being asked to sing six uplifting ballads followed by a sermon on racism it all became a paradox I couldn't ignore. I think services need to have a cohesive message and feel to them, but upon leaving Arlington Street I felt like I had eaten too much cotton candy. However, they are obviously doing something right judging by their numbers and the enthusiasm of all of their congregants.

Keep up the good work Arlington Street Church! You offer a haven to all walks of people and you provide thoughtful services without the need for any gods.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford is adorable. It's got some new interior charm with some beautiful old exterior masonry. The light pouring in through the stained glass windows is truly stunning. When walking through the front door I was greeted warmly and given an order of service. My boyfriend was thrilled to find that the topic of today's sermon was titled "Which King?" and would be a comparison between Elvis Presley and the biblical Three Kings of old. I was immediately horrified as my distaste for Elvis Presley's music rivals that of the Bible. But, I decided, I would greet the service with an open mind.

The choir led us in a couple hymns before the service began and it sounded very nice. The accoustics of the sanctuary and the light shining in provided an ethereal effect. The Rev. Hank Peirce welcomed us all with a handsome smile and an especially warm welcome to all the first-timers. We were given a minute to shake hands and greet those people around us. Everyone was friendly and all smiles.

Peirce then introduced a special musical guest before the sermon. A man who was seated in front of us disappeared into a back room and returned with a guitar, Elvis wig, and a latex mask on while belting out a surprisingly good rendition of "Hound Dog" accompanied by everyone's clapping and foot-stomping. He then led the children away into their classroom.

Before the sermon, there was a poetry reading done by a church member. Unentitled, the poem was about Elvis, and listed all the things that Elvis was—Elvis was king, Elvis was a bad boy, Elvis was a good boy, Elvis was gospel, Elvis was rock and roll, Elvis was White music, Elvis was Black music, etc. It was long, but it was well-read and the speaker was captivating. It set a great tone for Peirce's sermon by making us all see the many faces of the man—that he was so many different things to so many different people and touched virtually all Americans in his time.

Rev. Peirce began his sermon by explaining that none of us could be sure that we knew the real Elvis. The media portrayed him as a "bad boy" early on, singing rock and roll music with wild and new dance moves including the famous hip gyration. In actuality, he explained, Elvis' first recorded album was composed solely of ballad and gospel music. Record labels opted to hold it and instead release his second album first—giving America our first stylistic impression of him and not as the recording artist he actually was. After his gospel music begin to be released, his reputation for playing by his own rules continued to grow—he was both criticized and hailed for singing "Black music." Constant media twisting—things like filming him from the waist up to avoid showing his pelvis—continued to shape America's thoughts of him, regardless of who he actually was. The truth is, Peirce sums up, that we don't actually know the real man.

The three biblical kings who traveled so far by the light of a star, carrying their gifts of gold, frankincense, and mir are also subject to interpretation. How do we know they made that journey, and what gifts they carried? Asks Rev. Peirce. What do we actually know about them aside from their trek to the manger? We know nothing of them as men.

Now, I confess, it was around this point in Rev. Peirce's sermon that the man seated behind us was snoring so loudly in his pew that I lost all concentration in the Reverend's words. It seems there was someone else who was more disinterested in Elvis than I was. We tried clearing our throats, coughing, and stomping our feet to wake him, but to no avail. Nobody else seemed to mind all that much, so maybe this is a common occurrence here? He eventually woke himself up with a glorious snore at the end of the sermon as we rose to sing a final hymn—Amazing Grace.

So my final impressions are this:
friendly, devoted people: yes
friendly, devoted minster: yes
comfortable, inviting sanctuary: yes
style of sermons and values aligned with my own: no

It has nothing to do with the sermon all about Elvis. It has to do with the Christian undertone throughout the service. From the music to the sermon to the bibles in every pew. I wish the G-word and traditional hymns didn't bother me so much, but they do. I am looking for that unique congregation who will enrich me with secular spirituality. One who will show me that my atheism, agnosticism, or whatever it is I am, is something to be celebrated and every bit as valid as an organized religion. One whose faith does not come from one book, one man, or one deity. I am called to continue my search, because I know the rewards that will come with finding it.

Thank you to the UU Church of Medford. You have a beautiful congregation. Stay awake!

First Parish in Malden, Universalist

Arriving for the first time at First Parish in Malden, I was reminded of the church I attended growing up. A beautiful old stone building with gorgeous stained glass windows, huge pipe organs and pulpit—it really exudes a sense of sanctuary and genuinely feels like a place of worship. The pews were only half-full at this service, which was rather surprising once I learned that this parish is actually Malden and Saugus combined.

Looking around from the back (I always sit in the back as a visitor) I notice the fantastic diversity of the congregation. Men and women of every color, young and old, and gay and straight parents with their children. It felt so comforting to share the beautiful space with the diverse crowd. My heart was eager for the services to begin.

We began with a hymn led by Music Director Mariko Matsuma, a rather petite Asian woman whom you would not expect to have such an amazingly rich and beautiful voice. She filled the sanctuary with angelic notes while the rest of us simply tried to mumble the words correctly and sounded like complete dung in comparison. The Reverend Horst (of the Malden parish) then welcomed us, read some announcements, and welcomed The Rev. Clement (of the Saugus parish) to conduct the remainder of the service.

The Rev. Clement welcomed us and told us about the Mexican tradition of the Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos) which I hadn't thought about since high school spanish class and was very refreshing. The kids in the congregation had all dressed up in costumes to celebrate, had a quick parade around the sanctuary, and then left for the children's classroom. The remainder of the service was about remembering those lost to us and placing objects of remembrance upon an ofrenda—an altar of offering similar to a cornucopia. Members of the congregation placed photos, journals, food, and other momentos on the ofrenda and told stories about their loved ones. As a first time visitor, it felt awkward to hear such intimate details of these nice strangers—like I was watching them undress through a peephole. We had several moments of silence for those departed. Clement then reminded us that the spirit of the Day of the Dead is not a sad one. People believe the spirits of the dead still live on with us, enjoying the life that comes with death—that death is simply a transition to a different realm than life and not merely the end of it. Cartoons were shown depicting dancing, drinking, partying skeletons playing jokes and having fun with one another.

After Clement finished her interesting, cultural, but somewhat brief sermon, there was a responsive reading and another hymn—both included references to God sheltering his creations in life and in death. While the sentiment was nice, the many iterations of the G-word still made me cringe.

The entire experience kept bringing me back to my Roman Catholic church upbringing. The hymnals, offerings, and prayers. I came here for a new, alternative experience and somehow it didn't seem very new at all. I ponder about the Day of the Dead and spirits living after death. Maybe there is new life after death... but can there be a new life after an old religion dies? My heart truly hopes there will be dancing skeletons in the future.

Thank you First Parish in Malden for inviting me into your service with open arms, hearts, and coffee in the basement.