Saying “Yes” to Mystery © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church December 3, 2023   The other day the Washington Post reported that a lobsterman in Maine had pulled up a two-colored lobster. The lobsterman, named Jacob Knowles, was fascinated by his discovery and took to social media to display his catch. Not only is … Continued

Completing the Gift © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 19, 2023   The poet Mary Oliver gave us this poem, called The Gift:   Be still, my soul, and steadfast.Earth and heaven both are still watchingthough time is draining from the clockand your walk, that was confident and quick,has become slow. So, be … Continued

The Generosity of Attention © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 12, 2023     One of my fondest memories of relief trips to the Gulf Coast was the day in Pearlington, Mississippi, when we had two lunches. Both of which involved fried catfish.   We were given an assignment to help an elderly … Continued

Relinquishing Privilege © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 5, 2023   I wasn’t sure that Darren Walker still had a job. After I finished reading his opinion piece in the New York Times, portions of which Pat just read, I looked him up on line to see if he was still the president … Continued

The Thinning of the Veil © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 29, 2023   In the fifth Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry and his friends find themselves dueling with wizards from the dark side, called the Death Eaters. In the mysterious room where the fight is … Continued

Midnight Rumblings on Mahogany © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 15, 2023     Unitarian and Universalist historians have always been a little bit squeamish about discussing the phenomenon of Spiritualism that swept the country in the 19th century. Spiritualism: the belief that it was possible to communicate with the dead. We UU … Continued

A Little Beyond: Transcendentalism © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 1, 2023   The movement called Transcendentalism, began to emerge in the 1830’s, during a time of intellectual ferment, in a new nation full of new ideas, founded in revolution. It was a heady, exciting time. The intellectuals of New England, primarily Unitarian … Continued