What Brought You Here
Jonathan Hudgins, 8/16/2026
Readings
Much of what brought me here is the history of this place. So, buckle up, I’ll be weaving plenty of history into today’s service.
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In July 1846, A D Mayo became the pastor of our Gloucester church, then known as the Independent Christian Society. During his time here he was also the correspondence secretary of the Gloucester Lyceum where he frequently invited Ralph Waldo Emerson to speak. Mayo wrote in 1849, describing the harbor, coves, islands, open sea, rocky hills, and curving beaches of Gloucester, Rockport and Annisquam.
Upon this cape is every kind of natural scenery. There are quiet coves, where the waves lose their force, and break gently upon the sand; bold promontories, stretching into the ocean, where the foam and spray are always flying; islands, out at sea, crowned with light-houses; piles of rocks, full of caverns, through which the water gurgles and roars, like a great living creature struggling to escape confinement; fleets of small vessels, always flitting about the horizon, and sometimes crowding the harbor in hundreds; and beyond, in fine days, the blue southern shore, lifted up against the sky, like a faint picture; the road “round the cape,” perhaps the most delightful drive in New England, running over hills, by the side of little meadows, through avenues of willow trees and forests, always in view of the sea; quiet ponds of fresh water, hidden among the woods; groves of pine-trees, where the wind overhead, and the sound of the waves upon the distant beach, unite in perfect harmony; pastures full of flowers, and damp thickets, where the Magnolia grows; and towards the country, the beautiful hilly district of “West Parish,” gradually ascending to “Mount Ann,” from whose summit you look away over the tops of a hundred forests, to the blue sea-line glittering upon the horizon, the monument of Bunker Hill, the highest spire of the village church, and the bay of Ipswich and its adjacent shores. Here, within the space of ten miles, is collected almost everything to charm the eye of the poet, or attract the investigation of the lover of science. Add to this the generous and proverbial hospitality of the people.
…
The religious society is …. composed of intelligent, and, what is yet more grateful to a minister, kind and sincere people. The church is a large building, in the architectural style of the last century, situated at the extremity of a long avenue of trees ; so that in summer, the sound of the wind and the birds among the branches comes in at the windows, and mingles with our worship.
(https://archive.org/details/selectionsfromwr00mayo/page/104)
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Instead of our usual affirmation, we will be reading together this one that was written by Walter Royal Jones, Jr., a minister who served in Gloucester from 1957 until 1963.
Mindful of truth ever exceeding our knowledge
And community ever exceeding our practice,
Reverently we covenant together,
Beginning with ourselves as we are,
To share the strength of integrity
And the heritage of the spirit
In the unending quest for wisdom and love.
(#458 in grey hymnal)
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As we light the peace candle, I want to share words from a UU minister with deep connections to Gloucester, Paul Sawyer. He was a leader in scores of nonviolent civil actions against war, nuclear power and the death penalty. In the process, he frequently was arrested. “I stopped counting at 60,” his wife, Susan said. His last arrest was at age 70 for protesting against capital punishment at San Quentin. And as minister in LA, he once hosted the Grateful Dead, when they were known as the Warlocks. His wife Susan said of him, “He hated the term counter-culture. [He would say], ‘We are the true patriots. We are not the counter.’”
Peace is patriotic.
(https://obituaries.gloucestertimes.com/obituary/paul-sawyer-772438741, see also this video: https://youtu.be/jmsWXa5D-As?is=jIX4zoWe_2ZaX5Dj)
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Sarah Edgarton and A D Mayo, the minister who wrote the welcome, married in July 1846, the same month he started ministering in Gloucester. She was a writer having already written three books, and an editor for several periodicals. She died suddenly only 2 years after their marriage and 10 months after giving birth to their daughter, Caroline. After her death, her husband published her poetry. This is one of those poems, written shortly before her death
CONTEMPLATION.
HER thoughts are of the Beautiful. Her soul
Dwells with the shapes and colors of the Fair.
Flowers that spring up in rocky clefts and droop
Mirrored above the waters, stars hung high
In the blue dome of night, like urns of gold
O’erflowing all the earth, foam-crested waves
That dance to inborn melodies, light, air,
Sunshine and rainbows, hills and dells of green,
Far off sweet glens among the mountain streams,
And woods o’ercrowded with abundant growth
Of moss, and vines, and lichen — dreams like these
Fill up the happy soul within whose depths
Hard care has never entered, and from these,
How easy, step by step, to rise from earth
Into the region of the Power whose will
Created all this Beauty, and bestowed
On us the higher grace of Thought and Taste
To understand and feel it. Surely there
Her soul hath entered now, and is entranced.
(https://archive.org/details/selectionsfromwr00mayo/page/228)
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Offering
There are many ways to give. To financially support our church, you can physically mail a check, or send funds through your bank’s bill pay. You can use your ATM on the website, or give cash or check in the contribution plate. And, of course, there are so many ways to give that are not financial. Some people find more meaning in giving a particular way. This is what I love about our church, we embrace pluralism. Variety. Diversity. Whichever way you give, this is a moment to appreciate and feel good about your own giving.
One of my favorite German songs is by Julia Engelmann and translates to:
Why do I feel like an outsider? And what does it mean?
Because we are all different, we are therefore all the same.
It’s not about who, instead that you love.
It’s not about how much, instead that you give.
It’s not about winning, instead that you fight.
It’s not about the song, instead that you dance.
(https://en.muztext.com/lyrics/julia-engelmann-das-lied, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTaqfFrWF4I)
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Message
How can Unitarian Universalism be a religion, if we don’t have a unifying belief?
Consider this, as I tell you my story. The details of which could fill hours, but my children tell me that I tend to go on and on, so I will try to be brief.
I’ve had three major chapters to my religious journey. I have strived for sincerity in each of them. First: my parents’ religion was a standard protestant faith where the plan of salvation focused on grace and praying Jesus into your heart. Second: In my senior year of high school I rebelled (as teenagers often do) into a more fundamental commitment where the Bible, God, and Church were first in everything I did. Third: Right before my daughter, Ava, was born, I reexamined the existence of God from a fresh perspective and, based on the evidence, I reasoned and believed, as I do today, that there is no God. I’m not here to convince you of any of these perspectives, or sway you from whatever view of God you might have. That topic does make for meaningful discussion, just not the focus of today.
When my wife and I moved to Gloucester in 2021, I became interested in the history of the house we bought which was built in the early 1700’s. I found history miserably boring in high school. But began to become more interested in biographies when reading Malcolm X in college. For the past 5 years I have been engaged in understanding the eras of Gloucester and the people who lived in our house. I now find history meaningful, mostly because I yearn for connection. How were their lives different from mine and how were they similar. The mundane, like preparing for winter, to the personal, like struggling to be patient with your children. And it’s meaningful to me when I find something I can relate to. Something universal. Some core of who we are as people.
The Cressy family moved to our house in Gloucester in 1834. They left farmland in Bradford, New Hampshire to farm Fisherman’s Field, known as Stage Fort today. You can see a painting, of that very spot, on the front of your program, by Mary Blood Mellen. Those are probably the Cressy cows overlooking what is now Cressy Beach. Mary has her own connection to our church. Her husband, Charles, was a Universalist minister, and his brother, William, was our minister in this very building from 1857 until 1861, when he became a Civil War chaplain in the Union Army.
Mary Blood Mellen (1819-1886), Field Beach, Stage Fort Park, c. 1850s
(https://www.capeannmuseum.org/exhibition/the-art-of-mary-blood-mellen/)
But why would the Cressys come to the rocky soil of Cape Ann? From my research, Almira Cressy, the oldest daughter, married shortly after their move and the minister was Reverend Thomas Jones. Nancy Cressy, who inherited our house, married later and the minister was Reverend Fredrick Thayer. Her daughter, Seddie’s marriage was performed by Reverend Richard Eddy. The connection of all these ministers is indeed this church. Perhaps the Cressy’s moved here to be part of the more hopeful, loving Universalist religion, instead of the fire and brimstone so common in the early 1800s. And, sure enough, after more research I discovered, right before the Cressy’s moved, when she was 17 years old, Nancy was expelled from their church for her “unchristian-like activities” with a boy.
I do not believe in fate, but I do believe in connections.
And so a couple years ago, I decided to come and see what became of the Independent Christian Church.
When I first learned about Unitarian Universalism, decades ago, I was in the second (and most fervent) chapter of my religious journey. It made no sense to me: a church that believes anything, or maybe everything!? I had heard the parable of the blind men and elephant, where each describes only the part of the elephant they touch, but it’s the same elephant. However, not all doctrines can be true at the same time. Many religions are fundamentally different in their goals and core beliefs. Truth loses all meaning if we simply accept everything.
This came into focus at one of the earlier services I attended. My children were curious, so they came along to an “ask-me-anything” service. My son, Miles, asked something like: what does UU represent and believe? Janet and several other people answered, converging on this answer.
We are connected, not by our doctrine, but by our values.
Not dogma, but principles.
My initial impression of an ambiguous religion was very wrong. Indeed, we do not stand for a doctrine, which is the way almost all religions distinguish themselves. But the values we strive for are a genuine commitment to improving this world we live in.
It’s not that belief in God is inconsequential. Quite the contrary! Your and my belief, in who or what, God is or isn’t, informs every area of our lives. It is, in my opinion, the most important question in life to explore, discuss and grapple with. Often, because it’s so monumental we put off this exploration. Or politeness prevents us from meaningful discussion. But I love that the search for truth is always welcome here.
I am so glad to belong to a place with like minded people committed to growth, justice and equality. This is a place where my words and thoughts are listened to, and I appreciate the many encouraging words and thoughts of others. The values from our bylaws are evident in the services and lives of our church.
When friends ask, what is this church I’ve joined, “values not doctrine” is an easy answer. But what values? Listen as I read. Which ones resonate most with you?
Interdependence: We honor the interdependent web of all existence on our Earth.
Pluralism: We embrace our differences in our free and responsible search for truth.
Justice: We oppose all forms of systemic oppression.
Transformation: We commit to growth and openness to change.
Generosity: We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.
Equity: We value every person.
And Love which binds them all together.
These are all values I can support. Interdependence, Pluralism, Justice, Transformation, Generosity, Equity, and, of course, Love. I am proud to be a part of this community, where we are connected by our values.
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Benediction
Hosea Ballou preached at the Gloucester Independent Christian Church 14 times in 1798 and probably some in the following years. This benediction of his resonates strongly with me.
Do not suppose you know enough. Do not suppose you have learned all that there is to learn. Do you not know, that the most ignorant people are always the most knowing in their own estimation? Yes. Then be careful not to step on that ground. The way to know things, is, by investigating them. Look to the bottom of every thing, and do not be afraid of investigating every thing, and inquiring into the cause and effect of every thing. By these means, you will learn, and you will be surprised to see, that so many religious people have so long continued to believe what some old popes and cardinals have taught them. You may be mortified that you have not learned the truth before, but that is no matter. Humble yourselves before God, and listen to that testimony, which will enable you to grow in grace. Do not grow in contention or animosity among each other, do not grow in a spirit of revenge or retaliation towards your enemies, but walk honestly, uprightly, and peaceably, and may God almighty bless you, and cause your goings forth to be like the morning, like a morning without clouds, which shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
(https://archive.org/details/elevensermonswhi00ball/page/76)
