A list of key sermons
“Slavery Is Not an Indefinable Mass of Flesh: Nanne’s Life Matters” A Sermon by the Rev. John Gibbons Delivered on February 2, 2020 At The First Parish in Bedford, Unitarian Universalist A Thought to Ponder at the Beginning: “We shall never get any better, until we see ourselves in an honest glass; until we get … Read more
Two Thoughts (that say pretty much the same thing” to Ponder in the Beginning: “I used to think that if we threw enough good science at the environmental problems, we could solve them. I was wrong. The main threats to the environment are not biodiversity loss, pollution, and climate change, as I once thought. They … Read more
“People Get Ready” A Sermon by Rev. Annie Gonzalez Milliken January 19, 2020 At First Parish Bedford, MA A Thought to Ponder at the Beginning: Ghana reminds us that freedom never comes on a silver platter… You better get ready for some homes to be bombed. You better get ready for some churches to … Read more
“Janus, God of Thresholds: Looking Back, Looking Forward” A Sermon by Rev. John Gibbons Delivered on Sunday, January 12, 2020 At The First Parish in Bedford Thoughts to Ponder at the Beginning: “The threshold is the place of expectation.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe “We stand in life at midnight; we are always at … Read more
“Spiritual Friendship” A Sermon by The Rev. John Buehrens, Guest Minister Delivered on Sunday, January 5, 2020 at First Parish in Bedford A Thought to Ponder at the Beginning: We got this far to a lucky star, but tomorrow is another day. We can make it another way, safe home as they used to say. … Read more
“What Moral Debt, If Any, Do We Owe Our Ancestors?” A Sermon by The Rev. Dr. William F. Schulz Delivered on Sunday, November 3, 2019 At the First Parish in Bedford Thoughts to Ponder at the Beginning: “Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of … Read more
“(Not) Famous (Not) Last Words” A Sermon by Rev. John Gibbons Delivered on Sunday, September 29, 2019 At The First Parish in Bedford A Thought to Ponder at the Beginning: We don’t make promises, but we are good at trying very hard. These are our values in this work: We honor people’s dignity and … Read more
Slippery Words and Sticky Words: Teflon and Velcro in the Month of Elul A Sermon by Cantor Barbara Ostfeld Delivered on Sunday, September 15, 2019 At the First Parish in Bedford From Rev. John Gibbons, about today’s speaker: Barbara Ostfeld is the first female cantor in the history of Judaism. Her story is, uh, … Read more
“Be Water, My Friend” Ingathering on the Common September 8, 2019 Ingathering Welcome & Comments Rev. John Gibbons: Good morning! Welcome whether you are here for the first time today or you have been here forever. Welcome if you’re here for the last time! Welcome whatever your identity, whatever your theology, whatever your age, … Read more