The Power of Stories © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church January 12, 2025 There’s an old story that is found in Stephen Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, supposedly about Captain Horatio Hornblower. The story goes that some navy...

Christmas Begins at Midnight © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church December 24, 2024 This year, I had the great good fortune of witnessing the aurora borealis, the northern lights, right from my front yard. It was a magical moment; truly a bucket list...

Turning Toward the Light © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church December 22, 2024 It was a clear day yesterday in Newgrange, in Ireland. And so, when people gathered before dawn, as they always do on the Winter Solstice, they were able to witness an age-old...

Proclaim120824 Guest minister Rev. Art McDonald Ministry of Presence in Turbulent Times – Gloucester UU Over 50 years ago I entered divinity school at Catholic U. in Washington, DC, to prepare for ministry in the Catholic Church and not long after beginning my studies...

All is Not Lost© Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 17, 2024 “Everything is still on fire,”, wrote my colleague, Julian Soto. “I am sorry that everything is still on fire…” they continued. “Once hate catches, the winds of “not my problem” blow and...

Trust that You Are Held © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 10, 2024 Like many of you, I have spent large amounts of time this week feeling struck speechless. I’ve experienced almost a sense of suspended animation, a certain stuckness: that I’m not...

Thinking Too Much and Listening Too Little © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 13, 2024 How many of you got to see the Northern Lights the other night? I found it as thrilling as it was back in May when I got to see them for the very first time in my...

Pilgrims in a Pilgrim Church Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church Reverend Janet Parsons September 29, 2024 Part One: Lonely Voyages Into the Unknown I love to picture the scene in my mind’s eye: a traveler from England whose ship had gone aground, walking along a...

A Time for Balance, A Time for Gratitude © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 22, 2024 I’ve been noticing an interesting trend all along the shoreline here on Cape Ann in the past couple of years: perhaps you have as well. On many of our rocky...

It is Love That Sets Us Free © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 15, 2024 Back in 2014, some cities in Ohio, including Columbus, Dayton, and Springfield, decided to join a network of communities, a task force, that formed under the name Welcoming...

The Blessing and Grace of Water © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 8, 2024 There are so many ways to talk about water, to think about water. We often consider water as a wellspring, as a source; a still pool that grounds us. But water can also be...

Choose Joy © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church August 25, 2024 I spent the early part of the summer feeling badly stuck, pinned on the horns of a serious dilemma. You see, I admire our president, President Joe Biden, and hold deep respect for the work that...