Here are sermons I have preached.
In 1887, these were some of the things most commonly believed in Unitarianism, adopted by a vote of 59 to 13. I won’t be reading aloud all of the bullet points, but you can see them on the screen: We believe that to love the Good and to live the Good is the supreme thing …
January 29, 2023 The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Somerset Hills Somerville, NJ part of our annual NJ UU pulpit swap Reverend Karen G. Johnston The Ware Lecture is an annual lecture, sponsored by the UUA, that has been happening since 1922 – last year’s lecture marked 100 years and nearly as many actual lectures. Lectures …
The Unitarian Society, East Brunswick, NJ October 2, 2022 Reverend Karen G. Johnston “Remember: we are the promises we make.” In a letter sent to all congregations with a book, this book, in the summer of 2021, the UUA Commissions on Appraisal wrote those words: We are the promises we make. Unlocking the power of …
(I didn’t actually give this sermon this morning. I had planned to do so, but time did not allow. Turns out it wasn’t necessary. The rest of the worship service connected with Spirit and fed the spirits of all in attendance – no need for a sermon! Here it is, anyway.) Back in 8th grade, …
I cannot in good conscience ignore the bitter for the beautiful. It stunned me. That sentence. The voice saying it. The interview that held it. I cannot in good conscience ignore the bitter for the beautiful. It was early March and I was preparing for my upcoming pilgrimage in the Deep South, a journey of …
Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham April 10, 2022 Reverend Karen G. Johnston, Guest Minister If I can’t save us then let me feel you happy and safe under my chin. If this will drown or burn then let us drink starlight nap under trees sing on beaches— the morning rush to sit indoors what, again? …
The Unitarian Society, East Brunswick, NJ Reverend Karen G. Johnston March 20, 2022 Apocryphal. It was only when I was in seminary that I learned the word, “apocryphal.” It means something that is made up – a legend that might be true, but perhaps not fact-based. Here is the apocryphal story I tell myself nearly …
a stewardship sermon The Unitarian Society, East Brunswick, NJ Reverend Karen G. Johnston March 6, 2022 If we want a garden, we’re going to have to sow the seeds That’s what today’s anthem sang If we want a garden, we’re going to have to sow the seeds So, if we think about our congregation as …
When I look at this painting by Jonathan Harris, a painter based in Detroit, and when I spend with it the time it deserves, I feel sad in my body. When I just breeze past it, observe it quickly, judge it one way or another, I can get away with an intellectual engagement, one that …
