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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

Elements from Flower Communion on June 19, 2022 Lucille LePage   “Wisdom Moment” story   Almost 100 years ago, in Czechoslovakia, Dr. Norbert Capek and his wife Maja started the Unitarian Church of Czechoslovakia in Prague. There, in 1923, Norbert Capek created the...

Proclaim051522JustPeacemaking – Gloucester Rev. Art McDonald After graduating from college, I served in the US Army Reserve from 1969-1972, receiving an honorable discharge 3 years early, being released from what was a 6-year commitment, to enter seminary. The 3 years...

Reflection: Don’t Say Straight, for Gay Pride Sunday, 06-05-22, Charles Nazarian About a month ago a controversial statute was passed in Florida and signed by Governor Desantis that has been widely called the “Don’t Say Gay” law in the media.  It criminalizes and...

REFLECTION:  WHAT IS PEACE?   Charles Nazarian, GUUC Service on 05-15-22 In our Call to Worship you and Lucille recited the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  They are among the most profound messages to humanity from the great Teacher.  Each one expresses...

To Seek Out Belonging © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church May 1, 2022   (and Sabbath, below)   “The deepest nature of the soul is relationship.”  (John O’Donohue)   During these past two years we have been challenged to the very core of our beings by the...