Alyssa Halliday presents
“The World Our Hearts Know is Possible”
a sermon written by Rev. Heather Concannon
Minister of Theodore Parker Church (UU), West Roxbury (MA)
Elizabeth DeCoux, Worship Leader
Gary Smart, Accompanist
Gina Romeo, Guest Musician, Flute
There is such a strong tradition in our Unitarian Universalist faith of working for a better world, a world of more justice and equity, where all are able to thrive. And in order to do that, one of the sacred tools we must draw on is the tool of imagination. The tool not just of denouncing the world as it is, but of announcing: here’s what I imagine a better world to look like… Faith is the work of living with a foot in two worlds: The world as it is and the world that our hearts know is possible…
About Our Speaker
Alyssa Halliday has been attending BBUUC since 2017. After joining in 2018, she has served on various committees, including her favorite Worship Committee. She enjoys leading worship and appreciates the opportunity to share a sermon written by a UU minister.
About the Sermon Author
Rev. Heather Concannon became the settled minister of Theodore Parker Church (UU) in West Roxbury, MA in 2023. Prior to arriving at TPC, she served as the Minister of Faith Formation at the Unitarian Universalist Area Church in Sherborn, Mass. from 2014-2023. She graduated from Andover Newton Theological School with a Masters in Divinity in 2013, and a Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. Before that, she attended Simmons College, where she earned a degree in Women and Gender Studies. In her ministry, Rev. Heather is passionate about ritual and worship, social justice, relationships and pastoral care, and faith formation for all ages. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist, she is grateful for the ways that she has been nurtured and shaped by UU communities throughout her life. She is called to help shape that transformative experience of community, meaning-making, and spirituality for others. She loves facilitating groups, crafting rituals for communities to go deeper together in worship, and the rich connections of congregational life.
About our Guest Musician
BBUUC newcomer Gina Romeo has a Bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance from the University of Florida and a Master’s degree in Music Therapy from Florida State University. She currently works as a music therapist for a local private practice and uses a variety of instruments including voice, guitar, piano, and ukulele to help her clients meet social, motor, and cognitive goals. Gina and her husband Adam Ray have a little daughter, Rosemary, and are expecting again soon.