Rev. Megan
Berkowitz
Pastor Megan
February 6, 2026
Dear church,
It is time to begin turning our hearts and minds to Lent — and what a year to return to the themes of repentance and repair, of wandering the wilderness, of death and new life. Our theme for worship and community life in Lent this year will be “Tools for Survival in the Wilderness,” and we’ll reflect on how the ways we learn to survive in the literal wildernesses (and I know there are some hiking, camping, backcountry skiing, and other outdoor enthusiasts in this congregation!) teach us about how to survive the metaphorical wildernesses of our time. More to come in worship, of course.
For now, I want to invite you to join one of two small group options for the season of Lent: Tuesdays on Zoom from 12-1, or Thursday evenings in person at church from 7-8. We’ll expand on the scripture and themes from Sundays, read excerpts from books, but most of all connect with one another. You don’t need to join every meeting to be welcome, but I’d ask that you commit to coming to most meetings of a given group, as we do with Bible Study, so we can have a sense of building community and continuity.
The Tuesday group will meet 2/24, 3/3, 3/10, 3/24, and 3/31. The Thursday group will meet 2/19, 2/26, 3/5, 3/19, and 3/26. (Note that each group skips a week at some point due to double-scheduling with other meetings.) Any who are interested are welcome to join, but please email me if you know you plan to attend so I can get a sense of the groups.
Finally, mark your calendar for our second annual ecumenical Ash Wednesday service, to be held 2/18 at 7:00 p.m. at Second Church in Newton. There will be a joint choir opportunity for all who wish to sing together.
Peace,
Megan
Past Posts
- From Your Stewardship ChairTools for Audacious Living: Church Service The UCW Nominating team asks everyone in our church Learn More
- From Pastor Megan
Rev. Megan Berkowitz
April 24, 2026 I hope you’ve had a chance to read the results of the first phase of our vision process, which were sent out just before and after Easter. If you haven’t, please do; there are links to all four documents below. After worship this Sunday, 4/26, the Vision Team will lead a conversation about your responses to the vision process and we will begin to form a sense of our strategic priorities moving forward. Learn More - From Pastor MeganRev. Megan Berkowitz
April 10, 2026 I hope you’ve had a chance to read the results of the first phase of our vision process, which have been sent out over the last week and a half or so. If you haven’t, please do; there are links to all four documents below. After worship this Sunday, 4/12, and Sunday 4/26, the Vision Team will lead a conversation about your responses to the vision process and we will begin to form a sense of our strategic priorities moving forward. Please join us at 11:30 a.m. in Littlehale! Learn More - From Pastor Megan: April 3, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
April 3, 2026 Holy Week blessings to you all! We have a very special service planned for Sunday morning, with guest musicians, an abundance communion table, and, of course, Easter Egg Hunt to follow (including rain plans!). It is such a joy to gather together for Easter each year: to remember the gifts of our faith, the triumph of new life in God over violence and death, the accompaniment of Christ through our greatest sorrows and greatest joys. I hope you will join us, and bring family or friends who could use a little Good News this week. Learn More - From Pastor Megan: Marce 27. 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
March 27, 2026 It’s fitting that the next round of No Kings protests is happening tomorrow, with Palm Sunday following just after; Palm Sunday, after all, was a protest against the ways of Roman kings and a triumphal presentation of another way of leading the community, in the path of God’s promise. Learn More - From Pastor Megan: March 6, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
March 6, 2026 Alongside its themes of wilderness journeys, Lent is traditionally a season of repentance – of turning from harms and returning to God and to God’s call on our lives. As winter (finally, hopefully) turns into spring, so too are we given a chance for renewal, for new growth, for new life. Learn More - Living with LossNew Supportive Group for Adults beginning at UCW this Spring All of us live with loss in our lives in so many ways: the death of spouses, children, parents, and other loved ones; the loss of our own or loved ones’ capacity due to illness and aging; the loss of work or other roles that give us a sense of meaning and purpose; and so many more losses. If you are in a season of living with loss and would like to be in supportive spiritual community with others, please join us. Learn More
- From Pastor Megan: February 13, 2026Rev. Megan Berkowitz
February 13, 2025 Have you been following the Olympics? This year, a dear friend of mine is in Milan covering the Games as a journalist for the Associated Press, so I’ve been following the news and also her reports from being present there. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to go see the Olympics in person and having a close friend there is almost (almost…) as good. Learn More
