Category Archives: Sermons

Here are sermons I have preached.

On Not Waiting to Be the Hummingbird (redux)

Posted on July 15, 2019 by KGJ

The Life and Death of Lee Hawkins First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque July 14, 2019 A quarter century ago, I asked the coordinator of my grandmother’s hospice care, how my grandmother was doing – not medically, but spiritually.  She said … Continue reading →

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All Good Intentions: A Sermon on White Fragility

Posted on May 6, 2019 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society East Brunswick, NJ May 5, 2019 Dr. Glen Thomas Rideout is the Director of Music and Worship at the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor.  A Black, gay man, he wrote, not all that long ago, … Continue reading →

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I Want You to Panic: An Earth Day Sermon

Posted on April 22, 2019 by KGJ

When it comes to climate change, climate changeD, climate chaos, climate constriction, climate collapse…whatever you call it — preaching hope is not a straight-forward thing. Continue reading →

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Little People Living Love Out Loud (sermon)

Posted on November 4, 2018 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society, East Brunswick Reverend Karen G. Johnston   Our reading:   The sermon: Little people living love out loud. That’s what Kid President told us is ours to do. That’s what the Lost Souls Public Memorial Project is … Continue reading →

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Seeking Safety in an Unsafe World (sermon)

Posted on October 29, 2018 by KGJ

October 28, 2018 The Unitarian Society   East Brunswick, NJ   Here is what I have been learning as we face the new normal of increased violence in our midst. First: Of the emergencies that happen at houses of worship – … Continue reading →

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Failure is Our Only Option (sermon)

Posted on March 11, 2018 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society East Brunswick, NJ March 11, 2018 In the 1960s, the Unilever corporation, in their quest to make and sell laundry detergent, encountered a problem. Now, remember, this is more than fifty years ago, so the ubiquitous form … Continue reading →

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Torda 450: Our Roots in Unexpected Ground (sermon)

Posted on February 5, 2018 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society East Brunswick, NJ February 4, 2018 It is essential to read between the lines. I had already learned this, but when I was in seminary, I had the chance to learn it again.  For instance, in Christian … Continue reading →

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Four Essential Things

Posted on January 20, 2018 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society East Brunswick, NJ January 7, 2018 READING: God Gave Me a Word by Amy Petrie Shaw A grandmother — who was not only the end of all arguments in his large extended family, but often the start … Continue reading →

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Safety, Wholeness, Yearning (sermon)

Posted on November 20, 2017 by KGJ

November 19, 2017 The Unitarian Society, East Brunswick, NJ   A refrain that has been in my mind, over and over. Safety.  And wholeness.  And a deep yearning for it. I have finally noticed it this past week, but really … Continue reading →

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The Mindset List: Congregational Life, Faith Formation, and the Future (sermon)

Posted on November 14, 2017 by KGJ

The Unitarian Society East Brunswick, NJ November 12, 2017   Let me begin with gratitude to my colleague, the Reverend Peter Boulatta, as I borrow from his sermonic playbook. How many of you remember phone booths? How many of you … Continue reading →

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