Sunday Soul Circle: A Wilder Light
2025-12-21 08:30 - 09:30 (America/New_York) | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
A Wilder Light: When a Candle Isn’t Enough
“Night will be no more. They won’t need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will shine on them.” – Revelation 22:5
The winter solstice brings the longest night—and an ancient promise. Despite the shadows that linger all around us, the Light that darkness cannot overcome is coming.
So, despite the real darkness in the world (and perhaps in our lives) we gather—not around a tree but around a fire—a fire of justice, healing, and fierce hope.
Join us for a special Christmas Soul Circle where we lean into the darkness not with fear, but with faith. Through poetry, music, candlelight, and shared reflection, we’ll kindle a flame that even the longest night can’t put out.
Bring a friend. Bring your shadows and your longing. Come blaze with us.
With love, Rev. Wendy
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
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• +1 305 224 1968 US
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Christmas Sunday - Sanctuary @ Shiloh Baptist
2025-12-21 11:30 - 13:30 | Shiloh Baptist Church, 1 Holton St, Medford, MA, United States
An Ordinary Man
When we picture the Christmas story, Joseph of Nazareth often fades into the background—silent, supportive, steady. But what if that quiet faithfulness is the very heart of the story? Joseph may not speak a word in Scripture, but his actions reveal a deep and courageous obedience that can inspire us all.
This Sunday, we’ll reflect on the man who stayed. The man who laid down pride for love, who trusted God in a dream, and who stepped into the background so that God’s light could shine forward. Joseph shows us that faith doesn’t always shout—it sometimes whispers in acts of mercy, gentleness, and quiet strength.
Join us as we honor this “average Joe” who turned out to be anything but average. In a world that celebrates noise and power, come hear the good news of a quiet saint whose faith still echoes through the ages.
~~~
Shiloh Baptist and Sanctuary UCC will share Worship and Fellowship for the Christmas Season.
Bring a special treat to share if you are able, and join in this special joint service of praise and prayer!
Onsite or online – more details here.

Weekly Vigil: Peace & Justice for Immigrants
2025-12-23 16:45 - 17:45, 2025-12-30 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-01-06 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-01-13 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-01-20 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-01-27 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-02-03 16:45 - 17:45, 2026-02-10 16:45 - 17:45 and 3 more dates | Unitarian Universalist Church, 147 High St, Medford, MA, United States
As we witness our neighbors in the United States accosted by masked government agents, incarcerated, and in many cases deported without due process, we believe that we must as people of conscience stand up
against this violation of human rights and United States law and the cruel upending of countless people’s lives.
Please join this standout in front of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Medford, 147 High St., each Tuesday, 4:45-5:45.
This is a silent, peaceful demonstration.
Please bring a sign if you wish.
For more information, contact Steve Schmidt lesapeuruu@gmail.com or Liz
Ammons elizabeth.ammons@tufts.edu

Sunday Soul Circle: Wintering Well
2026-01-04 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Wintering Well: Rest, Roots, and the Holy Slowdown
January keeps trying to sell us a “fresh start.” But the earth is not in a hurry. Seeds are underground. Sap is low. The north is sleeping. And maybe—just maybe—your soul is too.
This Sunday’s Sanctuary Art & Soul Circle is an annual permission slip to reject linear time and return to nature’s pace: Rest. Renew. Remember. We’ll sit with a bold winter reflection, share a grounding scripture about seeds growing in the dark, listen for what is ready to be composted, and tend the inner fire that keeps you alive.
Come for gentle music, a simple art-based practice, honest conversation, and a pastoral prayer for those feeling heavy, slow, or resistant. Nothing is wrong with you. You might just be listening to the earth.
All are welcome—come as you are. Bring a pen & paper. Bring a tired heart. Bring your winter self.
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
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Rev. Wendy Preaching @ Shiloh Baptist
2026-01-04 11:00 - 12:30, 2026-02-01 11:00 - 12:30, 2026-03-01 11:00 - 12:30 | Shiloh Baptist Church, 1 Holton St, Medford, MA, United States

All Hands Meeting - Committee of the Whole/Leadership Circle
2026-01-06 19:00 - 20:00 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82581670394?pwd=[REDACTED]
Committee of the Whole/Leadership Circle Meeting
All are welcome! Gather online!
Did you miss last month’s meeting? Here’s where you can find minutes from previous meetings. (https://medfordchurch.org/minutes/)
Here’s the Agenda:

Recruit Note Taker
Review MInistry Completion and Legacy Process (the things that need to happen)
Elect/Commission the Legacy Working Group (the Job Description, Composition, Characteristics of the team and the work).
Set Schedule for All Hands Meetings through June, 2026

For Reference: Complete Living Legacy Resource Guide
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Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 825 8167 0394
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location: +1 309 205 3325 US
Meeting ID: 825 8167 0394
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keFgMU7lKv
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Living Soulfully: A Circle for Conversation and Connection
2026-01-09 14:00 - 15:15, 2026-02-06 14:00 - 15:15 | Riverside Towers, 99 Riverside Ave, Medford, MA, United States
Riverside Towers Community RoomRev. Wendy hosts a monthly Circle for Conversation and Connection with the residents of Riverside Towers. Using a wide range of inspiration (poetry, art, music, oracle cards, and more) the participants reflect on prompts designed to make soul connections and each other’s stories.
This month’s theme is: Watch this space for more information about the theme.

Sunday Soul Circle
2026-01-11 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
This week, it can feel like the world is being turned into a fear factory, and the conveyor belt never stops. Some of us are numb. Some are furious. Some are simply tired in places sleep cannot reach.
So tomorrow, we’re gathering online for Sanctuary Soul Circle to listen for wisdom that has helped people survive hard seasons for a long, long time.
Six African proverbs will be our lanterns:

Bend, don’t break.

Wait for morning.

Ask the questions that keep you from losing your way.

Weave your strength together.

Honor small steps.

Remember Ubuntu: I am because we are.

Come as you are, tender or tough, skeptical or praying. Bring a candle, a cup of something warm, and the part of you that still wants to be human.
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
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Sunday Soul Circle: Brick by Brick, Choice by Choice
2026-01-18 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
This King Holiday weekend, Sanctuary Soul Circle is leaning into Dr. King’s central vision: Building the Beloved Community, not as a distant dream, but as a daily practice. Not passive hope, but active construction. 🧱🕊️
Many of us are tired. Tender. On edge. And still… here we are. This circle will be a place to tell the truth without becoming brittle, to remember that we’re not meant to carry the world alone, and to practice a love that has muscle, boundaries, and forward motion.
Scripture Lesson: 1 Corinthians 12:12–27“When one member suffers, all suffer together with it; when one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”
In the circle, we’ll share a brief reflection, grounding breath prayer, and an embodied practice: each person will name one “brick” they’re laying this week toward Beloved Community, one concrete choice that turns faith into hands-and-feet. You’ll leave with something you can actually do, not just something nice to feel.
MLK Quote to hold us steady:

“The aftermath of nonviolence is the creation of the beloved community.”

Come as you are. Come weary, come willing, come curious. We’re not trying to be heroes. We’re practicing extraordinary love the ordinary way: day after day after day
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
──────────

Rev. Wendy Preaching @ Shiloh Baptist
2026-01-18 11:00 - 12:30 | Shiloh Baptist Church, 1 Holton St, Medford, MA, United States
Details for this service and the Themes/Speakers – see the Shiloh Webpage

Sunday Soul Circle: Come Get Your Name Back
2026-01-25 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
“And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Child, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” –Luke 1:22b
This Sunday, Sanctuary Soul Circle heads to the Jordan River, where Jesus steps into the water and the sky breaks open. Before Jesus preaches a sermon or performs a miracle, God speaks three names over him: Beloved. Belonging. Delight. Not as a reward, but as a beginning.
If you’re tired of carrying untrue names, if you’re longing to feel grounded again, or if you simply need a place where your nervous system can unclench for an hour, come. We’ll listen to a vivid retelling of Jesus’ baptism, connect to our own belovedness, and practice returning to God’s good name for us!.
No perfection required. Just bring your whole self. The water is waiting.
with love, Rev. Wendy
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
──────────

Sunday Soul Circle: 💔 + ❤️ Looking for a Lifeline?
2026-02-01 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” -Romans 12:12
Micro Joys, Macro Grief: Small Wonders Help Us Survive
When the grief of the world feels too big to bear, sometimes the smallest joys are what carry us through: a deep breath you didn’t know you were holding, a warm shower on a cold morning, a song that meets you right where you are.
This week at Soul Circle, we’ll gather in the spirit of Glo Atanmo’s truth: “Micro joys are how we survive macro grief.” We’ll name what hurts. We’ll notice what helps. We’ll breathe, share, and remember that even here—especially here—beauty still finds a way.
Come as you are. Bring your weary, your wonder and leave with a lifeline.
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
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──────────

Canceled - Sunday Soul Circle
2026-02-08 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
This morning’s Soul Circle is cancelled due to illness. See you next week.
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~

Sunday Soul Circle: Late Winter, Tender Nerves
2026-02-15 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Winter is not a season, it’s an occupation.” –Sinclair Lewis
February has a way of stripping things down.
The extra energy disappears, the tolerance disappears, the ability to keep pretending everything is fine disappears. And often we assume something is wrong with us, when late winter may simply be revealing how little buffer the nervous system has left after months of low light and long pushing.
For many, this time of year comes with a strange whiplash: the light starts to lengthen, our bodies lean toward spring, and then winter snaps back.
Time feels delayed, heavy, stuck. If you’ve felt numb but restless, tired but unable to rest, unmotivated but anxious, emotionally flat or out of sync with time… you’re not alone. Maybe you are one who loves winter, maybe none of this makes any sense, but this week we will listen to the season and find it’s connection to our energy.
In this virtual Soul Circle we’ll name February – honestly – and reflect with Elijah under the broom tree, where God meets exhaustion with practical mercy: rest and bread, not shame. We’ll listen to our nervous systems, offer prayers for ourselves and one another, and leave with a few simple “preservation practices” for crossing the threshold alive, without forcing spring.
with love, Rev. Wendy

Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
──────────

Sunday Soul Circle: 40 Days of Good Sh*t
2026-02-22 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
“Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
—Mary Oliver
Lent, but make it honest.
This year we’re not giving up chocolate. We’re giving up the lie that the worst thing in the room is the only thing in the room.
Inspired by Nadia Bolz-Weber’s “40 Days of Good Sh*t,” we’re practicing disciplined attention.
One small good thing. Every day. Something real. Something embodied. Not sourced from the internet.
The light through the window. The elevator button someone pressed for you. The crocus breaking through frozen soil.
We are not ignoring the world. We are paying attention to it in real time.
Join us. 🌱
#40DaysofGoodShit #LentPractice #SoulCircle #HolyAttention
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
──────────

Sunday Soul Circle: Rend and Return
2026-03-01 08:30 - 09:30 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. ” —Joel 2.12-13
Lent begins with a word that sounds sharp: rend. But Joel is not suggesting it as a performance. Nor as punishment. This is about an opening. An honest cracking of the heart so we can see what we have kept hidden, what we have carried, what we have tried to keep in shadow.
This Sunday’s Sanctuary Soul Circle will guide us through Joel’s invitation and treat repentance as holy reorientation, not shame. Come as you are. We will breathe, listen, share gently, and practice a simple ritual of release and return. No fixing. No pretending. Just a path home.
with love, Rev. Wendy
Sanctuary UCC Sunday Spiritual Circle – for prayer, care, reflection, and connection.
~~~~
Wendy Miller Olapade – 617.592.5853 is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82882360638?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
• +1 305 224 1968 US
Meeting ID: 828 8236 0638
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc1XnzubHD
──────────

All Hands Meeting - Committee of the Whole/Leadership Circle
2026-03-03 19:00 - 20:00 | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82581670394?pwd=[REDACTED]
Committee of the Whole/Leadership Circle Meeting
All are welcome! Gather online!
Did you miss last month’s meeting? Here’s where you can find minutes from previous meetings. (https://medfordchurch.org/minutes/)
Here’s this month’s Agenda for the Sanctuary Legacy Process.
──────────
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 825 8167 0394
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Dial by your location: +1 309 205 3325 US
Meeting ID: 825 8167 0394
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keFgMU7lKv
──────────
