Sermon Archive
Tales of Liberation
Tales of Liberation Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church March 28, 2021 Passover The story of Passover is an ancient one. A famine in Israel forced the patriarch Jacob to lead his large extended family to Egypt, to reunite with his...
A Year in the Life
A Year in the Life© Two Reflections Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church March 14, 2021 1) A Year in the Life Like many of my colleagues, and perhaps many of you, I have had a song stuck in my head this week: Seasons of Love, from the musical Rent. ...
The Silent Vow – Mar 7
The Silent Vow Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church March 7, 2021 Perhaps the most compelling task we face as humans is that of sorting out what truly belongs to ourselves, and what the world imposes upon us. Over our lifetimes, we are constantly moving:...
To Walk Together – Feb 28
To Walk Together Reverend Janet Parsons, Gloucester UU Church February 28, 2021 There comes a time, when a person has started attending seminary, that attending parties starts to become a little bit weird. Old friends aren’t quite sure what to say to you, so they...
An Orientation of the Heart – Feb 14
An Orientation of the Heart Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church February 14, 2021 “We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover. And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful, will emerge battered and...
Where We See Everyone’s Face – Feb 7
Where We See Everyone’s Face Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church February 7, 2021 It’s hard to talk about Beloved Community these days. It’s hard to imagine it, to summon its ideals, its grace, and its promise of unconditional love. It’s hard to consider...
Imaginings – Jan 31
Imaginings – Rev Janet Parsons and Karl Frank Jan 31, 2021 We have such an unusual and interesting service for you this morning! Thank goodness we have five Sundays this month. There has been a theme all month, but we’ve barely been able to scratch the surface of it...
What’s Stopping Us? – Jan 17
What’s Stopping Us? Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church January 17, 2021 (Martin Luther King Sunday) It’s still a scene that I love to watch, and that still can bring tears to my eyes: the scene in Grant Park in Chicago, on November 5, 2008, when Barack...
Reimagining a Country – Jan 10
Reimagining a Country © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church January 10, 2021 “They left for their own country by another road.” So ends the tale of the Magi, the Wise Men, the astronomers from the East who saw a new star and followed it to find...
Hope Arising – Jan 3
Hope Arising Reverend Janet Parsons January 3, 2021 This has likely been the most anticipated, the most consequential New Year since the turn of the century 20 years ago now. This New Year, I found myself feeling as though it wasn’t enough to just watch the ball...
Reflection, The Old Year Has Now Passed Away – Dec 27
Reflection: The Old Year Has Now Passed Away In past years, the Sunday after Christmas was often a quiet one with fewer people in church than usual after the buildup of Advent, the concerts, pageants, parties and finally the arrival of Christmas Day with large,...
Opening to Joy – Dec 13
Opening to Joy © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church December 13, 2020 I sat quietly, allowing this homily to emerge from my head and heart, through my fingers and onto the page, and as I sat, I was accompanied by the sound of rain pounding on the roof...
Upcoming Services
A New Song for America, led by Reverend Janet Parsons with music by Steve Lacey. Our theme for September is Beginnings. What might a new beginning look like for the United States?
Worship is in-person or at the livestream link below. Please join us at 10am. Everyone is welcome!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIeJfO72kLh-gAtZZT-QOng/live
WEATHER CONCERNS
We are watching the predicted storm closely but it's too soon to decide whether Sunday's service will need to be cancelled or moved onto Zoom. We will send out a Constant Contact update either Saturday evening or first thing Sunday morning: watch your inboxes! If the service moves onto Zoom, the link will be included in that email.
Above all, please decide always to do what is safest for yourself!
Recent News
Sunday Apr 19
Building a House Called Tomorrow, led by Reverend Janet Parsons with music by Steve Lacey. As we do each year, we'll reflect on why we create a church community, and how we support it. In a world that shifts daily, a church is meant to hold the center for us. How...
Returning from the Brink
Returning from the Brink © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church April 12, 2026 First Reflection: At the Brink It has been, perhaps, the most frightening week of recent memory. To find the equivalent, I found myself going back to September...
Sunday April 12
Returning from the Brink, led by Reverend Janet Parsons. This week began with a threat by the President to destroy a country. We stepped frighteningly close to the edge of disaster. How do we emerge from this crisis and restore our trust and faith in the future? Join...