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Sermon Archive

Reflections on Courage and Resistance

Reading                               from A Larger Hope, by Russell Miller                    Pat   Our first reading is excerpted from an account of the early years of John Murray and the Universalists here in Gloucester.   “In February, 1777, 16 members of the...

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The Flow of Abundance

The Flow of Abundance © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 16, 2022   These days, when I meditate, I most often find myself envisioning water; sunlight filtering down through water, the gentle waves rocking underwater plants and sand to and fro, the...

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Truth Alone is Strong

Truth Alone is Strong  © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 9, 2022     If you are like me, perhaps you felt your eyebrows raise at the mention of Abraham Lincoln in our reading, ordering the execution of 38 Dakota warriors on the day after Christmas...

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The Courage to Search the Heart

The Courage to Search the Heart© Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 2, 2022     It was 25 years ago now:  one of the earliest school shootings that I remember hearing of, at Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky. This was even before the...

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To Transcend Ourselves

To Transcend Ourselves Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church September 18, 2022     She was an unsuccessful author, and was drinking more and more, and struggling to stay afloat. On weekends she would sometimes visit a flea market near her...

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All of Life Depends on Water

All of Life Depends on Water © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church September 11, 2022   All of life depends on water.   This summer has been a challenging one for those of us who garden, and my heart goes out to all those who farm, who rely...

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The Sound of Water on Stone

The Sound of Water on Stone © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church August 21, 2022   Last winter, in preparing to set forth on my recent sabbatical, I set a number of goals for myself. This can be risky: I wasn’t confident that I would succeed in achieving most...

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Returning to the Well

Returning to the Well Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church August 14, 2022   It’s a steep climb, up the hill known as Dun I on the Isle of Iona in Scotland. To get to the base of the hill, you open a farmer’s gate, cross a pasture dotted...

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Blessings from a Small Island

Blessings from a Small Island Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church August 7, 2022     It’s a tiny island, the Isle of Iona. To reach it, off the coast of Scotland, a pilgrim has to take a train, a bus, and two ferries. But pilgrimages are supposed to be...

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Being at Home in the World

Being at home in the world.  A homily for the Gloucester UU Church. -Karl Frank, July 31, 2022     This title came to me when I read a book, “The disappearance of ritual”. The author is Byung-Chul Han, born in South Korea, now the head of a University in Berlin,...

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Looking Up: Reflections on the James Webb Space Telescope

For the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Service of July 24, 2022 Service Leader and Author: Roger Garberg With Associate: Mern Sibley Our Purpose Today Our service today reminds us that we are not isolated beings, but connected, in mystery and miracle, to the...

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Sermon 7/3/2022

by Holly Tanguay Instead of speaking about America today I am going to tell you about a great American, Paul Farmer, a physician, writer and teacher who died this last February at the age of 56. In his short life he established first class health care systems serving...

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Upcoming Services

Nov 10, 2024

Trust That You Are Held, led by Reverend Janet Parsons, with Steve Lacey, musician. In the aftermath of the presidential election, how do we find hope and healing? Please invite friends and family who are in search of caring community this week.

Join us at 10am in-person or at the livestream link below.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIeJfO72kLh-gAtZZT-QOng/live

Children's programming will be provided by Kiana during the worship service for elementary-age and older.

Recent News

It is Love That Sets Us Free

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...

Sunday, September 22

This Sunday's worship is led by Reverend Janet Parsons, with music provided by Susan Taormina. Please join us at 10am! Everyone is welcome in-person, or at the livestream link below. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIeJfO72kLh-gAtZZT-QOng/live Kiana will be providing...

The Blessing and Grace of Water

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...