Complete Service-first Unitarian Universalist Society Of San Francisco

Fine Tuning Your Moral Compass What is the source of your authority to act--in word or deed--in the world? What external influences and what innate origins are there to one's personal sense of right and wrong and for mustering the courage to live by (or close as one can to) one's moral compass? What are the micro-corrections we might make? Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Dennis Adams, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, Organ Wm. GarcÌa Ganz, pianist Tim Salaver, solo Kate Offer, solo Peter Gross, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

The (Limited) Authority of Tradition What can we learn from traditions of the Jewish High Holidays? Especially from those associated with Yom Kippur, the solemn Day of Atonement? Martin Buber, who took traditional religion to have only limited authority, said that the purpose of tradition is to teach us “to hallow this life” – to make of its moments days of awe and holy. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Richard Davis, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organ Bill Klingelhoffer, horn and shofar Maria Solis, soprano Tim Salaver, solo Asher Davison, solo Jim Valent, Moderator Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Power, Authority, and Spirituality When I was UUA President, I co-led a couple of retreats for Unitarian Universalist CEOs under this title.  To use what power we have (which is often greater than we care to acknowledge) for the common good; to exercise authority with moral responsibility; these are signs of authentic spirituality – at work, at home, and in our common life. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Susan Anthony, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organ and Bell Choir Director Kathleen Quenneville, Moderator Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Faith: The Verb We welcome to our pulpit the newly-called Co-Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley. Christian shares the ministry there with his wife, the Rev. Kirstin Schmidt. They are the parents of two boys, ages 4 and 18 months. John Buehren s supervised Christian as an Intern Minister at First Parish in Needham, MA. He was a journalist and UU lay leader in Texas before entering ministry studies. Rev. Christian Schmidt, Guest Minister Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, song leader Bill Klingelhoffer, french horn Jennifer Peringer, piano Tammy Hall, piano Kathleen Quenneville, Moderator Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Are There Two Types Of Faith? The great Jewish sage Martin Buber once wrote an influential book called Two Types of Faith, suggesting as much. One type emphasizes relationship. In Hebrew, the key word for faith is enumah – meaning trust, or loyalty. The other type he saw typified in the Christian emphasis on what is called in Greek pistis, as in the word epistle, or letter, which leads to literal, faithful belief in a formulaic creed. While we Unitarian Universalists are clearly closer to an enumah form of faith than to a required creed, is it also possible that there are other forms of faith?  Our Story for All Ages will come from Buddhist tradition. Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Phil Marshall, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organ Gayle Reynolds, Vice Moderator Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Faith of the Free We gather for a new church year of learning, caring, and serving at UUSF on the 15th anniversary of September 11, 2001. The following months and years were the best of times and the worst of times. Free people gathered to help one another. Free people also became manipulated by fear-mongering. Developments over the past summer have mirrored that tension. We are all clearly afraid and anxious. What shall we do with all our fears? Where do we dare to invest our finite faith, our hope, our love? Could we ever trust one another enough, in the here and now, to sort out what is worthy of our faith? Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, music director Reiko Oda Lane, organ Christopher Rodriguez, trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

What Does It Mean To Have Faith In The Collective Power Of Working People? At a time when the U.S. labor movement is struggling to survive and so many people lack secure employment and living wages, can the fight for justice on the job be source of spiritual strength, as it was for many of our ancestors? Our preacher will be our own Millie Phillips, a long-time labor activist, member of UUSF, recent graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry, and now Intern Minister for the UU Congregation of Santa Rosa. Millie Phillips , M.Div. Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister The Labor Heritage/Rockin’ Solidarity Chorus Pat Wynne, Choir Director Dr. Mark Sumner, piano Kate Offer, song leader Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Friendship, Why Bother? A collaborative service of voices from Small Group Ministry, reflecting ways in which we can deepen our relationships; and learn from our differences. Rev. Margot Campbell Gross, Minister Emerita Alessandro Gagliardi, Small Group Ministry Co-ordinator Judith Stoddard, Small Group Ministry   Megan Lehmer, Small Group Ministry Tristan Hembree, Small Group Ministry Stanley Hartzell, Small Group Ministry Julia Wald, Small Group Ministry Jiun-Chyi Yew, soprano Dr. Mark Sumner, piano & song leading Larry Chinn, jazz pianist Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Be Friend Friendship is difficult to describe, but that hasn’t stopped us from trying. Take Aristotle. He believed that friendship – philia – is a great good, one of the greatest goods. And to be a good friend, you must be a good person; only good people can be friends. Like Aristotle, I believe friendship is a great good, both for the individual and society as a whole. The world could do with fewer frenemies, for sure. But there’s more to the story. Concepts of friendship have changed since the days of Aristotle. The poet and philosopher John O’Donahue believed friendship is an act of recognition and belonging, cutting across convention, morality, and category. Friendship may be hard to describe, but the story of friendship is a deep one. In his essay on Friendship, Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “Friendship demands a religious treatment.  Reverence is a great part of it.  Treat your friend as a spectacle.” Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Richard Davis, Worship Associate Nane

The Future of Evil Unitarian Universalism is transitioning into its next theological phase of embracing spirituality and appreciating a higher power. While comforting, can we reach only for the positive and deny the negative? What will be our UU position on evil in our next phase? Rev. Russ Menk, Guest Minister Kat Liu, Worship Associate Nancy Munn, soprano David Jones, piano Gayle Reynolds, Welcome Leslie Ottaviano, Sound Jonathan Silk, OOS, Worship Archives/Podcast

Accepting Our Demons From where come Temptation, Evil, and Demons?  Recent bestsellers prominently feature devilish beings, pointing us toward the ancient religious study of Demonology. What do Unitarian Universalists have to say about these creatures? How might liberal religion understand them? What do stories about demons have to say about the roles of good, evil, and temptation in our own world and in our lives? Rev. Lucas Hergert, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Livermore since 2009, will explore these questions. Rev. Lucas Hergert, Guest Minister Dennis Adams, Worship Associate Christine Tulis, harp & song leader Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano Kathleen Quenneville, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Renewing Gratitude A mother and her son were at a local farmers market. They stopped at a stall piled high with beautiful fruit. The vendor smiled at the little boy and handed him an orange. When her son remained silent, she looked at him and asked, ìWhat do you say to the nice man?î The child mulled it over, handed the orange back to the man and said, ìPeel it.î OUCH. He sure missed the gratitude train. Are you missing opportunities to express appreciation and kindness on a daily basis? Join us for an interactive sermon on the spiritual practice of GRATITUDE. Rev. Carol Thomas Cissel, Guest Minister Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Kat Liu, Worship Associate Kerry Parker, song leader Larry Chinn, piano Galen Workman, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Art of Creative Reframing: Seeing The World With Fresh Eyes Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother Theo, “The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” When we encounter difficulties in our relationships it can be easy to entrench into a position of disappointment or frustration. How do we reframe our worldview, as van Gogh does in this writing, to encourage ourselves into the creative place of deepening connection? Rev. Melissa Thomson, Guest Minister Sue Anthony, Worship Associate Kerry Parker, song leader Eric Hamilton, guitarist Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano Judy Payne, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Creative Generativity “Any damned fool can be a genitor,” some wise man once said. “It takes creative wisdom and maturity to actually be a good father.” Recognizing how few of us may have been blessed to experience really good parenting, this service will seek to lead us all toward more creative forms of generativity – not so much biological as social. This will be Rev. John’s last Sunday in the pulpit until September, as he spends the summer in creative work on UUA leadership, writing a new book, and then celebrating the wedding of his eldest nephew and namesake. Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Phil Marshall, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Andrés Vera, cello Randy, Adams, piano Jim Valent, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Creativity, Hubris, and Babel “Democracy,” said Winston Churchill, “is the worst of all possible systems of government – except for all the others that have been tried.” At the moment, all around the world, democracy seems to be in trouble. Creative demagogues threaten to dominate. What kind of leadership is needed to cut through the babel and to clarify the common good? Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Kat Liu, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Radim Zenkl, Flute, Mandolin, Fujara Jim Valent, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

On Being Part of The Creative (and Destructive) Process Western free market economist Friedrich Hayek spoke of “creative destruction.” Hindus have a trinity of deities: Brahma, the Oneness; Krishna, the Creator; and Siva, the Destroyer. Buddhists note the transience of all structures. Our Choir will end their year of singing for us before leaving for their fourth triennial trip to Eastern Europe. And we will celebrate FLOWER COMMUNION – according to the practice of the Rev. Norbert Capek, who in Prague between the World Wars brought humanists, Jews, Christians, and others together in opposition to Nazi racism. Please note the anti-racism and economic justice events on the two previous days. Flower Communion Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Rev. Margot Campbell Gross, Minister Emerita Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director Reiko Oda Lane, organ Peter Gross, Trustee Bill Frank, Tape Op Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Practice of Care A reflection on what it means to practice a caring orientation to life. How we can cultivate this basic attitude of attentiveness, openness, love even. Margot will particularly focus on why this is difficult, and why it is foundational to caring for others, and for oneself. Rev. Margot Campbell Gross, Minister Emerita Richard Davis, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Ryan Floyd, piano Emily Wilson, welcome Bill Frank, Sound Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Limits of Care We can’t possibly care about everything. “Teach us to care and not to care,” prayed poet T.S. Eliot. The trick is to know when to do each. This is never easy, but essential to real maturity and even to learning the difference between caring and co-dependence. Bike and Walk to Worship Sunday! Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Alex Darr, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, piano Reiko Oda Lane, organ Katrina Walter, flute Marc Theobald, Trustee Bill Frank, Tape Op Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Spiritual Care Ministers are often said to have people in their “spiritual care” or to be involved in “the care of souls.” What is that in practical terms? The Rev. László Major, minister of the 350 member Unitarian Church of Dakt in Transylvania has been studying pastoral care this year as the Balázs  Scholar at Starr King School for the Ministry. He will serve as Worship Associate and offer a brief reflection during the service and a longer dialogue after the service. The offering will go to our Partner Church in Transylvania, which our Choir will visit on their pilgrimage this summer. Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Rev. László Major,  Balázs Scholar Dr. Mark Sumner, piano Christine Tulis, harp and vocals Jim Valent, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Reciprocal Care Meg  is the daughter of a UU Religious Education Director. She is both a licensed psychotherapist and has served as minister to four UU congregations. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at Starr King School for Ministry and Clinical Supervisor of the Native American Counseling Center. She works with troubled families and with historic and present day trauma, and is a graduate of  Rev. Jeremy Taylor’s Marin Institute of Dream Workers. Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister Rev. Meg Whitaker-Greene, Guest Preacher Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Michael Yokas, violin Laurel Sprigg, soprano Mark Johnson, piano Jim Valent, Trustee Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast