Holiday Greens Sale
Nov. 30, 8 - 12 p.m. Greens are $10/bag and may be pre-ordered at the Fair. Pancake Breakfast 8 to 10:30.
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The First Church. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus.
29 Howard St., West Bridgewater, MA Established 1651.
Sunday worship, 10:00 a.m. (508) 587-3118
Different Bible studies on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Pastor
Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2019:
Quote of the Week:
“The measure of the mystic’s real progress is and must always be his progress in love. . . His advance in contemplation will be accompanied step by step by those exalted feeling-states which Richard of St. Victor called the Degrees of Ardent Love.” Evel. Underhill, Mysticism, 311–12
Pastor Steve Finlan (MTS, Boston University, 2013; Ph.D. University of Durham, 2004) began serving at First Church in August 2018. Some of his sermons are posted below.
Thank you!
Our Fall Fair was a great success. Thank you Jane Hatch, Mike Rappolo, Tim and Jill, June and Ron, Peter and Cathy, Barb Perkins, Janet, Anna Mae, and everybody else who helped. We raised over $8,770, and we got to see a lot of people we don't always see.
Sunday Worship
We worship at 10 a.m. We have a hymn sing (requests) at about 9:50.
United by love and guided by the teachings of Jesus,we maintain a
welcoming house for the worship of God.
We study the Bible, and teach in Spirit and in truth. We seek to build
a sustaining and caring community of faith. Reflecting our
history, we have affiliation with both the UCC and the UUA.
Bible Studies:
Our Thursday morning study (10:30 am) is reading Acts of the Apostles. Our 6:30 pm Thursday group is studying Romans.
There is so much to learn!
All are welcome. You do not need to be a Bible wizard.
READ A SERMON: Click on a title. A tab will open at far lower left of screen. Click on that to open the Word file.
2017:
1-29: The Pure in Heart
3-19: In Spirit and in Truth
10-22: Forgive, Hand It On
2018:
1-21: Pour Out Your Heart
1-28: No Deceit
2-11: Healing the Broken Hearted
SERMONS AT THE FIRST CHURCH:
7-8: Who Does He Think He Is?
7-15: Righteousness and Peace Will Kiss
8-5: Bread from Heaven
8-12: Be Imitators of God
8-19: That I Should Lose Nothing
8-26: What Gives Life
9-2: Be Doers
9-9: Children or Dogs?
9-16: Divine Things
9-23: First Pure
9-30: Whoever Is Not against Us
10-7: Created the Worlds
10-21: Lord It Over
10-28: May the Lord Deal Kindly w/ you (Ruth)
11-4: Love 'm Both?
11-18: Shine Like the Stars
9-8: You Will Do Even More
9-15: A Broken Spirit
9-22: Faithful in a Little
9-29: The Good Fight
10-6: The Kingdom Within
10-13: Cleansing or Saving?
10-20: Build Houses
10-27: Other Rogues
11-3: A Son of Abraham
11-10: My Redeemer Liveth!
11-17: Rivers of Living Water
12-1: (not yet)
Partial Index
Micah
3:3 > 6-16-19
6:6-8 > 1-29-17, 2-11 & 12-23-18, 10-6-19
6:7 > 10-27-19
Zechariah
4:6 > 7-15-18 9:9-10 > 8-19-18, 4-14-19
12:10 > 1-27-19
Luke
2:42-52 > 12-30-18 3:1-6 > 12-9-18
3:15-17 > 12-16-18 21-23 > 1-13-19
4:16-21 > 8-19 & 12-30-18, 2-3-19
4:24-30 > 9-9-18, 2-3-19 5:31-32 > 9-15-19
6:17-21 > 2-17-19
6:27-36 > 9-9-18, 2-17-19 7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18
8:15 > 10-7-18 8:17 > 2-17-19
9:52-55 > 1-28-18 10:5-11 > 7-7-19
10:18-20 > 8-26-18, 7-7-19 10:25-37 > 9-9-18, 7-14-19
10:42 > 4-7-19 11:50-51 > 3-17-19
12:13-21 > 8-4-19 12:32-36 > 8-4 & 8-11-19
13:1-5 > 3-17-19 13:20-21 > 9-8-19
13:31-35 > 3-17-19 14:7-11 > 9-22-19
15:8-10 > 9-15-19 15:11-32 > 3-31-19
16:10-13 > 9-22-19 17:11-19 > 10-13-19
17:21 > 8-12-18, 7-14 & 10-6-19
18:1-8 > 10-20-19 18:9-14 > 10-27-19
18:42 > 10-7-18 19:1-10 > 11-3-19
19:29-40 > 4-14-19 20:27-38 > 11-10-19
22:61 > 1-28-18 24:49-52 > 6-16-19
James
1:17-22 > 9-2 & 9-30-18, 7-14-19
2:12-18 > 9-9 & 9-30-18
2:9-11 > 10-7-18 3:1-6 > 9-16-18
3:16-17 > 9-23-18 4:1-8 > 9-23-18
5:13-20 > 9-30-18
Links to Pastor Steve's books
browse The Family Metaphor in Jesus' Teaching
browse Bullying in the Churches
a chapter from Problems with Atonement
chapter The Apostle Paul & the Pauline Tradition
excerpt from Sacrifice and Atonement: Psychological Motives and Biblical Patterns
Link to writings at ResearchGate.
Link to writings at Academia.edu
Steve's email: sfinlan@bu.edu
Link to Steve's own website, with more sermons, book links, and research links.
More Sermons at The First Church
11-25-18: The Letter and the Spirit
12-2: With the Clouds
12-9: All Flesh: The Theme of Peace
12-16: With All Joy
12-23: To Love Kindness
12-24: What Child Is This?
12-30: Debating with Scholars
1-6-19: The Word Dwells in You Richly
1-13: I Will Be with You
1-27: Drink of One Spirit
2-3: To Proclaim Release
2-17: Be . . . As Your Father
2-24: A Spiritual Body
3-3: From One Degree of Glory to Another
3-6 (Ash Wednes.): Too Great a Burden
3-10: Hearts and Mouths
3-17: Under His Wing
3-24: Spiritual Drink
3-31: We Had to Celebrate
4-7: Con-Formed
4-14: A New Thing
4-19 (Good Friday): Who He Is
4-21 (Easter): My Father and Your Father
4-28: Swallow Up Death
5-5: Feed My Sheep
5-12: I Will Comfort You: Hear My Voice
5-19: Alpha and Omega
6-2: The Secret of Unity
6-9 (Pentecost): The Spirit of Truth
6-16: Was Carried Up
6-23: Jew or Greek
6-30: For Freedom
7-14: The Word Is Very Near
7-21: Hospitality
7-28: Jenny Williams's sermon:
8-11: The Real Treasure
8-18: A Better Country