light – UniteBoston

Jun 26 2026

A 250th Anniversary Prayer Gathering and March for Democracy and Justice

***Updated Schedule due to the Heat **DUE TO THE HEAT WE HAVE MERGED THE TWO PROGRAMS AND CANCELLED THE WALK.

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, we invite people of all faiths and of goodwill to gather in prayer, song, and community, and to walk together in support of democracy, justice, and liberty. We will also read from the Declaration of Independence.

At this milestone in our nation’s history, we are called not only to celebrate, but also to act. We are deeply grateful for the blessings of our democracy, and we recognize that some of our nation’s core commitments need our renewed attention and care: justice and kindness, due process and the rule of law, voting rights, immigrant rights, and the dignity of every person.

Join Prayers for Liberty as we gather on the Lexington Battle Green and then walk together to Arlington, lifting up these beloved American principles in a spirit of hope, faith, and nonpartisan civic responsibility.

This gathering follows the spirit of our Prayers for Liberty gatherings and walks from last year.

Schedule for Friday, July 3, 2026 – UPDATED

8:45am — Clergy and faith leaders gather at Hancock Church across from Lexington Battle Green
9am Prayer Gathering on the Lexington Battle Green, near the Minuteman Statue. We will sing, pray and reflect together.
10:00Am — Program concludes.
DUE TO THE HEAT WE HAVE MERGED THE TWO PROGRAMS AND CANCELLED THE WALK.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I invite my friends?

Yes. This gathering is open to everyone: people from churches, temples, mosques, synagogues, other houses of worship, and those not connected to any faith community.

This is a nonpartisan event. We welcome people from across the political spectrum who want to stand together for democracy, justice, kindness, due process and the rule of law, voting rights, and immigrant rights.

Please spread the word.

What should I wear?

Please dress comfortably for the weather. We recommend comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, water, and clothing appropriate for a summer morning.

To help keep the focus on our shared values, please do not wear clothing with political slogans, partisan messages, or words or images that may alienate others.

Can I bring a sign?

Yes, but signs should focus only on the values we are lifting up together: democracy, justice, kindness, due process and the rule of law, voting rights, and immigrant rights.

Please do not bring signs that mention political parties, political candidates, elected officials, or signs that mock or attack others.

Lexington Alarm signs are welcome. We will also bring Prayers for Liberty signs.

What is the spirit of the event?

The spirit is joyful, prayerful, hopeful, and positive.

Bring friends, family, or just yourself. Meet new people. Schmooze. Sing. Pray. Walk. Lift your voice for democracy and justice.

Please stay on the sidewalk, obey all laws, and do not engage with anyone who tries to provoke or distract us. We are gathering with positive energy and a shared commitment to our country’s highest ideals.

What should I bring?

If you are walking, please bring comfortable shoes, sunscreen, a water bottle, and a hat. Bring an umbrella or rain gear if needed.

The event is rain or shine.

Where should I park?

Please park legally near the Lexington Battle Green or in the Hancock Church parking lot.

How long is the walk?

The walk is approximately six miles, from Lexington Center to Arlington Center along Massachusetts Avenue.

Can I share this with others?

Yes, please share this invitation widely with your communities, clergy, local leaders, elected officials, and news media.

I am a clergy member. When should I arrive?

Clergy and faith leaders should gather at 8:45 AM at Hancock Church.

Questions?

Please contact Elissa Oppenheim in Rabbi David Lerner’s office at Temple Emunah in Lexington.

Phone: 781-861-0300
Email: EOppenheim@TempleEmunah.org

Please REGISTER HERE

Apr 01 2026

Cherish: From Individualism to Intimacy

Over time, many marriages drift into something more like a shared life than a shared heart – two people managing schedules, responsibilities, and routines, but slowly becoming more independent than connected. The spark fades, conversations get practical, and intimacy – both emotional and physical – can feel distant or out of reach.

You’re invited to a morning with bestselling author and marriage teacher Gary Thomas as he invites couples into a different vision of marriage – one marked by deeper connection, renewed intimacy, and a shared pursuit of God. Drawing from his books Cherish, Sacred Marriage, and Sacred Pathways, Gary will offer practical, faith-rooted insights to help you move from simply coexisting to truly knowing and delighting in one another.

Jan 06 2026

Locked in Solidarity 2026

Highrock Beyond Bars invites you to gather with and on behalf of those affected by incarceration to encourage practitioners, engage with stories of change, and be equipped in the pursuit of justice, redemption, and restoration.

This year’s conference highlights the “work behind the walls” at MCI Shirley and the challenges of reentry. The conference will feature leaders with both personal lived experience and long-time experience working directly with returning citizens and people who are currently incarcerated. We’ll be hearing from:

TJ Weaver (Chaplain at Massachusetts Correctional Institute – Shirley)
Leslie Credle (Justice 4 Housing)
Berk Fharra (Boston Recovery Foundation)
Adam Liccardi (Founder of Bedlink)
Citizens overcoming the challenges of reentry
Men from behind the wall at MCI-Shirley

There is no charge for this event. Snacks and complimentary lunch provided.

Dec 06 2025

A Christmas Carol — Live One-Man Performance

Warm up your December with a timeless holiday classic! Join us on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM at Newton Presbyterian Church for a special performance of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol featuring award-winning actor Neil McGarry.

Now in his 12th season, McGarry brings this beloved story to life in a stunning one-man performance—full of humor, heartbreak, transformation, and the enduring hope at the heart of the Christmas story.

Whether this tale is a yearly tradition or a first-time experience, this performance invites us into the themes of redemption, generosity, and wonder that continue to resonate across generations.

🕯️ Event Includes:

Light refreshments and beverages
An unforgettable award-winning theatrical experience
Space for connection and community

🎟️ Reserve your tickets today!
Seats are limited.

We hope you’ll join us for this beautiful Advent experience!

Dec 03 2025

Christmas Eve at ICE Burlington

All are welcome to this event, coordinated by the Massachusetts Council of Churches and supported by Bearing Witness at Burlington and UniteBoston.

We gather to worship with those Christians held inside the ICE facility, to pray for the families and loved ones from whom they are separated, and to proclaim the Good News of Christ’s birth, in the very face of these injustices and terrors of current policies. We will pray, read of the birth of Jesus, and sing hymns and carols. We will witness to the light of Christ that comes into the darkness, in our time and always.

10 am – 11 am Christmas Eve 2025
1000 District Ave. Burlington, MA

This Christmas Eve, we will unite the Body of Christ in worship.

Walls of detention facilities cannot divide the Body of Christ.

Documentation status cannot divide the Body of Christ.

We are united by Jesus Christ, whose love is greater than anything that divides us.

Important Details:

Here are the final details for Christmas Eve Day Worship, to ensure that you can plan and have a clear picture of our gathering for worship. Also, this gathering was featured in the Religion News Service – read the article here!

TRANSPORT and PARKING

This is by far the trickiest part of our plans. Please take public transit, if at all possible.

For those coming from metro Boston: take the Red Line to Alewife and take the 350 Bus to Burlington Mall. Get off at this stop: Burlington Mall Rd @ NE Executive Pk. Head down District Ave., which should be right in front of you.

If you drive, please carpool. You may plan to drop people off at 1000 District Ave., but please know that you cannot park at 1000 District Ave.

PLEASE ALLOT AT LEAST 30 MINUTES EXTRA FOR OFF-SITE PARKING.

Your best option is to park at Simonds Park, or the surrounding roads as marked.

The 350 bus stops at the corner of Cambridge St. and Bedford St., toward Burlington Mall/Alewife. It is only a 5-10 minute ride. Please arrive very early, as the buses reduce in frequency after rush hour.

Thus, another option: after parking near Simonds Park, head to the Burlington Church UCC, across the street. Rev. Andrew Harris and the amazing leaders of the UCC Burlington church are offering shuttles to the ICE facility.

OTHER PARKING OPTIONS:

There is very limited street parking along District Ave, toward Burlington Mall Rd. You may luck out, but don’t rely on it!

6 District Ave. parking is listed as a Free Parking. It may be used by mall shoppers. Not sure how security works there. Park at your own risk.

You can try to park at Burlington Mall, which is very close by. However, it will be quite full because of Christmas Eve shopping. Additionally, when we requested assistance with parking from mall management, they declined to help. If you do park there, please go to the mall, otherwise security may stop you. They have been ticketing people who do not go to the mall. Park at your own risk, sadly.

Additionally, there are other businesses and buildings in the office park on District Ave. We do not know whether they will have security or whether they will tow. It is Christmas Eve, so it could go either way. So, again, park at your own risk.

WORSHIP:

Please understand that this is true, sincere worship. Please do not bring signs or engage with this event as a protest. While those forms of witness are essential at other times, this gathering is a service of prayer, song, and telling the story of Christ’s birth, worshiping as closely as possible with those held inside. So think of this as “going to church,” and not “going to a protest.”

ROLES:

Clergy: you are welcome to vest and process. Please wear whatever vestment is appropriate for worship in your tradition and appropriate to an outdoor, ecumenical liturgy of prayer and worship, without Communion. Copes, preaching robes, Geneva robes, cassocks and surplices, or just street clothes. If you are wearing a stole, please wear white/gold or whatever color you wear for festive events. (We are going for “joy in the face of crisis,” as opposed to lament or uplifting the martyrs in the Spirit).

However your tradition does it, please show up like that. The idea is that we all represent our particular denominations and traditions and trust that it will be beautiful in God’s eyes and a powerful reminder of how strong we are when we stand together in Christ.

Choir: you are welcome to wear your robes (or not, if that’s not your tradition), and to join a pick up choir. Again, we are not aiming for visual uniformity, but diversity. We are aiming to have one purpose, not one “look.”

We will have a music director, the incredible Eric Anderson Jr., who will conduct. We may have a keyboard, but please prepare to sing a cappella.

Our hymn list:

Acolytes/Vergers/Subdeacons/Altar Servers: You are welcome to vest and process as well, if you wish. The more the merrier. But please do NOT bring your crosses/candles/thuribles, etc. To avoid confusion, we cannot have multiple people in those roles. We will indeed have a censor, worry not!

Greeters: We need greeters to help welcome people in, distribute bulletins (mostly electronically), distribute candles, and provide a warm welcome. Come as you are. But come early.

Weather: We plan to hold this event in any weather, if at all possible. Please dress and plan accordingly. Wear many layers, if you are not accustomed to being outdoors for long. Especially consider wearing extra socks and thick shoes. If you are vesting, please wear thick layers under your robes. We will be standing outside for over an hour in whatever weather there is.

About the site: There is NO seating provided. This is an outdoor lawn in an office park, and we do not have a way to bring in chairs. If you require a seat, you are welcome to bring one with you, and anyone with mobility concerns or concerns about standing for an hour may sit right up front. But we cannot provide chairs for everyone.

INFORMED DECISIONS:

We invite you to take time to make informed decisions about whether this is the place for you to be. We are gathering in a place that has been designated for First Amendment expressions. We are gathering to worship, which is our First Amendment right. It is protected by local law enforcement and longstanding agreements with DHS/ICE staff over many months. We do not anticipate any issues with ICE staff or local law enforcement.

But while the Good News of Christ’s birth is full of hope, we proclaim it at a place that launches much violence into our communities. This facility is an active enforcement and detention center. Please know ICE agents may be coming and going on their business. If being in such a place might be unsafe for you or your loved ones in any way, please consider those risks carefully. This may be due to your experiences at the facility or others like it, or your own documentation status, or your own previous experiences with law enforcement, or any other history or concerns. We want you to take the risks you can bear. Your presence does not need to be physical: if it is not the right decision for you to be physically present with us at the facility, please join us in prayer from home or your home congregation. God is everywhere and will unite us as the Body of Christ, no matter where we are. Video of the event will be made available shortly afterward.

Thanks also to our friends and colleagues at UniteBoston who are co-sponsoring this event, and the clergy leaders of Bearing Witness at Burlington.