Sermon Archive
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...
The Living Earth – My Journey Through Deep Time
Sermon presented at Gloucester UU Church July 13, 2025 by Mern Sibley “The Living Earth - My Journey through Deep Time” In the days following the election last November, I found myself feeling discouraged. I imagine many of you felt the same way. So many hourly and...
The Right of Conscience
The Right of Conscience © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church June 15, 2025 On January 21st, 2025, the day following the presidential inauguration, there was a national prayer service held at Washington’s National Cathedral. I read through the service and it...
We Need You to Be Who You Are
We Need You to Be Who You Are © Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church June 8, 2025 This week, during the parade of daily adventures that range from the absurd to the corrupt to the cruel to the merely incompetent, a memorandum from the Secretary of the Navy...
Finding Our Voices Beyond the Boundaries
Finding Our Voices Beyond the Boundaries Reverend Janet Parsons Gloucester UU Church May 18, 2025 “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation.” I was reminded recently of these lyrics from the song La Vie Boheme in the musical Rent, and they struck me as relevant...
Upcoming Services
The Road Ahead, led by Reverend Janet Parsons, with Andrew Glennon, pianist. Our theme for November is Healing. Join us as we consider our work in the days and years ahead with the election behind us. The mood will be upbeat and coffee hour will be extra celebratory!
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
Recent News
Sunday Oct 18
Becoming the Ocean, led by Reverend Janet Parsons. Courage, they say, is contagious. On this weekend when many people take to the streets to protect democratic norms, we'll talk about why collective action is so important. Music provided by Steve Lacey. Worship is...
GUUC Newsletter SJT Oct 9, 2026
The New Social Justice Team News The annual Socktober Drive is October 1st through October 31st. Donations of socks and underwear, winter hats and mittens will be collected here in the bin at the Church Street door. Collection bins are also at Nelson’s clothing store...
Sunday October 11
Tales of Courage, led by Reverend Janet Parsons and members of the congregation. Courage wears many faces. What does courage feel like to you? Pianist Andrew Glennon joins us for a lively and heartfelt service. Worship is in-person or at the livestream link below....