Complete Service-first Unitarian Universalist Society Of San Francisco

We celebrate the culmination of this year's Coming of Age program with a special worship service for our seven graduates: Maeve Dellert, Alicia Cover, Spencer Gowin, Fiona King, Olivia Ong, Mara Pulgram and Lana Whealey. The year-long class, which includes three district-wide retreats gives youth time and opportunity to explore their spirituality and to deepen their relationship to their home congregation and our wider UU movement. During the service, each graduate will share their personal credo statements.  In addition, there will be songs, special music from the church and bell choirs and much more. The Reverends Sammons and Jacks will be there to round out the worship team. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Family Life Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist & Bell Choir Director Kate Offer, Soprano Soloist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

For this Sunday after Earth Day we should reflect on what religious groups have to say about the issues threatening the earth today, from climate change, to resource depletion and the pollution of our rivers, oceans and lakes. If the Baptists can speak out about what's happening, what about us? The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Pianist Kate Offer, Song Leader Ted Rust, English Hornist and Oboist Viva Knight, Pianist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

The music, stories and thoughts woven together in this service are meant to honor the spirit of Easter: the rebirth of life that comes with Spring and the re-beginnings that can happen for people if they leave behind what's not working in their lives and move ahead with an uplifted spirit. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Family Life Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist & Bell Choir Director Tom Dambly, Trumpeter Laurel Sprigg, Soprano Soloist David Jones, Pianist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

This sermon is about that day, long ago when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey through a gate strewn with palms. What did this mean and does it have anything to say to us today - we folks who've outgrown donkeys and palms? The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister George Cavage, Membership Committee Chair Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

The Reverend Dr. Dorsey Blake, who succeeded Howard Thurman as the minister of The Fellowship of All People here in San Francisco. Dorsey also serves on the faculty of Starr King School for the Ministry, where he is one of the school's favorite teachers. In his sermon Dr. Blake will pick up on the hopeful themes to be found in the writings of Howard Thurman, a man who encouraged people of all backgrounds to live a better future into being by working to both envision a better future and to achieve it. The Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake, Guest Minister The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

In their film about the life of a make-believe prophet like Jesus, the crazy men who make up "Monty Python" have him hanging on the cross singing with his cross-mates "Always look on the bright side of life." We should. But there's also a not-so-bright side, too, as we could see with him hanging there. How do we negotiate a life when there's often an unpredictable balance between the bright and the not-so-bright? The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister John Young, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Pianist Jiun-Chyi Yew, Soprano Soloist Thomas Yee, Violinist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Giving to a church isn't a burden. It should be something we feel good about, as we do when we support something that, to us, has real meaning. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Stephanie Gowin, Board of Trustees Moderator Members of the Task Force on Future Ministry Members of the 2014 Canvass Committee Reiko Oda Lane, Organist & Bell Choir Director Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Continuing the conversation about what it means to be faithful people, we'll switch this week to the  notion of what it means to be religious, at least in our liberal religious sense. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Family Life Minister Derek Czajka, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Soon our church will be asking a new minister to come take the place of our Interim Senior Minister. In thinking about what it would mean if he were to be the person, Dave Sammons would like to reflect on Ministers and the communities of faith in which they work. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Emily Wilson, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

This past November the Masons celebrated the life of Thomas Starr King here at our church. Rev. King is the most famous of our past ministers. It's not exactly that they stole him. King was a Mason, and proud of it. And it is great the Masons are proud of him, too. But on this 150th Anniversary of his death it is time for our church to have a celebration of our own for a person not only important for his contribution to California and the Union, but to the church he loved here in San Francisco. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Christine Patch-Lindsay, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

We all get ideas from time to time that others (or perhaps we ourselves) think are foolish. What might happen, were we to act on them? In 1998 Rev. Kay Jorgensen and Sr. Carmen Barsody stepped out the doors of the church and into the Tenderloin, bringing together people from within and outside the neighborhood through arts, advocacy, education, and accompaniment - changing lives along the way.   The Faithful Fools, long supported by our church, is a ministry that grows out of concern for people living on the streets of San Francisco. This Sunday, members of this ministry, along with Dave Sammons, will bring their inspiring - and very colorful message to us as a reminder that the concerns of our congregation reach out far beyond our walls. We'll explore together the challenges and rewards of listening to our inner foolish voice. The Rev. Dr. Kay Jorgensen, Minister Emerita The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Sister Carmen Barsody, Faithful Fools Melissa Fafarman, Faithful Fools Ale

How are we called by our religious tradition to seed hope in our own lives and in the lives of our neighbors?  How do we reconcile all that we know about the world and its all-too-real ills with a heritage which says our goal is to seek redemption in this life?  Rev. Leslie Takahashi Morris will explore this topic. The Rev. Leslie Takahashi Morris, Guest Minister The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist and Bell Choir Director Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Those who love don't always respect the worth and dignity of every person, as our Unitarian Universalist (UU) Principles ask us to do. It might be easier if everyone did treat us as people of worth and dignity, but not everyone does. Sometimes people do things that are horrible. So what do we do with our principle then? Say we want to "affirm and promote" the first principle as we're asked to do, should we only do so when we think a person is deserving? It's a question well worth asking, especially as a Unitarian Universalist President once said: "It all depends." The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Derek Czajka, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

In the famous biblical story it's assumed that it's God who makes it possible for the little guy, David, to best the giant, Goliath. But a recent book suggests otherwise. David actually had the advantage in the fight, and it wasn't having God on his side. Thuis Sunday we'll explore the uses of power, from congtests like the biblical one, to the relationship of two people in marriage. Power is moe complext than most people think, so is the way it's used (and abused). The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Alison Rittger, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

We are living in interesting and uncertain times. Transitions, both intentional and unintentional, challenge us as people of faith and reason. Come hear about how a path to deepening joy, love, and integrity in your faith and your life. Rev. Earl W. Koteen, Environmental Justice Minister, UU Justice Ministry California, and a co-founder and leader of 350 Bay Area, has been on a long, strange trip and would like to share his experiences on the other side of the looking glass. The Rev. Earl Koteen, Guest Minister The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Margaret Pearce, Board Member and Chair of SF 350.org Dr. Mark Sumner, Pianist Kerry Parker, Song Leader Giacomo Fiore, Guitarist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

On this Sunday before the anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther King Jr. we'll look at the role of prophetic figures in our lives and wonder whether there are any such figures in our contemporary world - people of the stature of King or Nelson Mandela. And if there aren't any contemporary Moses's, like them, what do we do if our goal is to create a world in which reigns peace and justice? The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Minister of Family Life Regina Wells, Spirited Play Teacher John Young, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Dr. Mark Sumner, Choir Director Kerry Parker, Soprano Soloist Wm. García Ganz , Pianist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Theologian Lesslie Newbigin writes, "We live in an age that favors doubt over faith. Both faith and doubt are needed, yet it is faith that is more fundamental. Even if I doubt something, I must believe there are criteria by which it can be judged. I must believe something before I can doubt anything. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." I believe we come to church to be moved beyond a doubt. Our faith tradition encourages open inquiry. And our questions and doubts must be motivators to deepen and clarify our faith, giving us ground to stand on. The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Family Life Minister The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Charmaine Emery, Threshold Choir Director George Cavage, Membership Chair Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

This Sunday we will look at the role whatever this thing called "spirit" has in our lives. Is there even such a thing and if so, how do we connect to it. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said he was a "Binitarian," rather than a Trinitarian or Unitarian because he could shake the idea that there was a something in him and the world that connected him to the Divine. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Toby Branz, Soprano Soloist, Violinist Mark Johnson, Pianist Kate Offer, Song Leader Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

We can think of all kinds of ways to avoid what might be good for us, like visiting a spiritual community or becoming part of one. Contrary to common fears, you don’t need to have all your “stuff ” together before belonging to a congregation. This sermon is not about what you wear... or how you do your hair when coming to church. It’s about starting to show who we really are, our strengths and struggles alike, our doubts and our aspirations for living this life. The Rev. Roger Jones, Guest Minister The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister Reiko Oda Lane, Organist Chris Waltz, Guitarist, Flutist and Vocalist Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast

Christmas Eve will be a glorious time at the church. We've consolidated our worship into a single service that will include the traditional Christmas story, a children's pageant for our youngsters and those young at heart, the superb music of our choir and organ and readings meant to capture the spirit of Christmas for Unitarian Universalists. The Rev. Dr. David Sammons, Interim Senior Minister The Rev. Alyson Jacks, Family Life Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Reiko Oda Lane, organ, Bell Choir Director Tom Dambly, Trumpet Kate Offer, Soprano Jonathan Silk, Sound, Order of Service & Podcast, Audio Samples