The economy tends to loom large in every U.S. election. What do religious liberals say about the economy? Should the economy even be a major issue in political elections?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with national and global problems like food insecurity, the environment, violence, homelessness, etc. René Dubos said: “think globally, act locally.” I’ll argue that local action can keep us from getting overwhelmed by global problems.

People used to complain that they could never hear Count Basie’s guitarist, Freddie Green. But Freddie Green had a unique leadership style. I’ll talk about what many of today’s politicians could learn from Green.

The annual water ritual is our chance to reconnect after summer. Please bring a small amount of water that represents your summer. (It doesn’t have to be actual water from an actual place; you can use tap water.) This ritual symbolizes how we come together, each bringing our separate lives to our First Parish community.