Sermon Archive
Grief..And Gratitude
Grief…And Gratitude Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church November 2, 2025 Often when I am leading a memorial service, I tell the people gathered that “it is hard and important work” that we are doing together as we prepare to say goodbye to someone we love. In...
Fiercely Compassionate
Fiercely Compassionate © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 26, 2025 Times are hard in the city of Chicago these days. Since September 9, when the Department of Homeland Security launched what it named Operation Midway Blitz, over 1000 people have...
Proclaiming Democracy
Proclaimdem/rel101925 Rev. Art McDonald Oct 19, 2025 I’m one of those dinosaurs who still gets the daily newspaper, the Boston Globe, delivered 7 days a week. As a Latin American historian once wrote, I eat the newspaper for breakfast. A few months back, an article in...
Giving, Receiving, as Love Shows Us How
Giving, Receiving, as Love Shows Us How © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 12, 2025 It was almost exactly 10 years ago now, in November of 2015, to be exact, that presidential candidate Donald Trump openly mocked a reporter with a physical...
To Do More That Feel
To Do More Than Feel © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church October 5, 2025 One thing that has taken me completely by surprise in recent months has been a growing awareness that many voices on the political right are adamantly opposed to the moral value of...
Longing to Belong
Longing to Belong Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 21, 2025 Many years ago, as newlyweds, my husband and I relocated to West Germany for almost a year. Walter’s company transferred him, originally for six months, and off we went on an adventure;...
Outside of Nothing
Outside of Nothing © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 14, 2025 This past Monday, I was invited to a friend’s home with a group of colleagues to participate in a retreat. It was a beautiful day, spent largely outdoors, with an ideal blend of social...
Always Connected
Always Connected © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church September 7 2025 I love living near the ocean. It fascinates me: beautiful and yet intimidating, grounding and yet constantly in motion. But each year I try to find my way to fresh water, to rivers and...
Watching for the Mischief-Makers
Watching for the Mischief Makers© Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church August 24, 2025 “Eat, coat. Eat.” Throughout human history, and across cultures, we have always enjoyed the imagination and the vitality of tall tales about the mischief-makers. These are...
Gaza: From Heartbreak Comes Courage and Inspiration
Presentation- Gaza: From Heartbreak Comes Courage and Inspiration Gloucester UU Church, August 10, 2025 Susan Nicholson, Ph.D., J.D. I. INTRODUCTION Those of you who know of my 20 year advocacy for Palestinian human rights will not be surprised I was deeply impacted...
What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?
What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? — Reflections For Our Time Honoring Frederick Douglass and Reimagining Freedom Today Introduction Thank you for gathering with me today. We meet not only to commemorate the birth of a nation, but to reflect on the complexities...
Caring for the Stranger
Caring for the Stranger Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church July 20, 2025 I’ve been watching, this spring and summer, as efforts to capture and detain undocumented immigrants have filled our news and our social media. There have been some dramatic scenes of...
Upcoming Services
Led by Reverend Janet Parsons with music by Steve Lacey.
Sunday, September 13 is our traditional Ingathering, where we look forward to being together again after summer activities. Our theme for September is Beginnings, and we'll be marking our new church year in two ways.
First, we'll be holding our traditional Water Ceremony. If you have gathered water from a trip or from a moment that meant something special to you, please bring a small amount to add to our common bowl. We mingle this water to symbolize our reconnection as a community. If you haven't saved some water, no worries - we will have pitchers of water that you can pour from while you describe what it means to you.
Second, we will be holding a Blessing of the Backpacks to mark the beginning of the school year. If you are a student or a teacher, or if you are beginning a new venture of another sort, please bring your backpack, briefcase, or tote bag to church with you, and we'll bless them and your new beginning.
Worship is in-person or at the livestream link below.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIeJfO72kLh-gAtZZT-QOng/live
Recent News
Sunday, Aug 16
"What brought you here". Sunday's worship service is led by church member Jonathan Hudgins and will be centered around new members expressing what they have found meaningful about our church. Music provided by Steve Lacey. Join us at 10a.m. Worship is in-person, or at...
Living the Ineffable
Living the Ineffable Service, August 2, 2026, Jim Seavey, Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church Responsive Reading: These Roses, # 556 in Singing the Living Tradition These roses under my window make no...
Sunday Aug 9
Brunch Church, Sunday, 10:00 a.m. Join us for readings, conversation, and delicious food at a special August service. A few times each year we gather informally in the Social Hall to hear from one another. Everyone is welcome, and if it's your first time visiting,...