Complete Service-first Unitarian Universalist Society Of San Francisco

"Sinking In To Ordinary Time" (August 8, 2021) Worship Service In both the Christian and Jewish traditions, there is the idea of “ordinary time” - the time between holy days - an extended period of time that invites contemplation, a chance to sink in to the deeper rhythms that surround us like the flow of a river or the turning of the tides. Living in ordinary time means sinking in and slowing down. This is how we save ourselves and hopefully save our planet. Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister; Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; Grandview Driveby Aloha Band: Bill Klingelhoffer, Horns; Ka’ala Carmack, singer, ukulele, piano; Rosalie Alfonso, drum; Asher Davison, songleader Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Athena Papadakos, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Order of Service: https://bit.ly/20210808OSWeb1 LIVESTREAM: https://youtu.be/wnfvbLJ9Cng

"Dare to Love Again" (August 1, 2021) Worship Service Do I dare to love again? Many of us have asked that question at one time or another. I know I have. Whether after death, disappointment or betrayal, life is always asking us to give love another chance. But do we dare? And how? Rev. Dr. Robert M. Hardies, Guest Minister; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Sam King, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; Leandra Ramm, alto; Richard Fey, tenor; Bill Ganz, pianist Joe Chapot, OOS Design & live chat moderator; Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Lyle Barrere, sound; Amy Kelly, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Order of Service: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k0CZ4hhx5PZDW-tsijtfaq_-WZFAWKMB/view?usp=sharing LIVESTREAM: https://youtu.be/wnfvbLJ9Cng

"Summer Musings" (July 25, 2021) Worship Service If we are lucky summer affords us some of the spaciousness it did as children. Time to wander in body and spirit and let things bubble up, fall away, clarify. Let's make space for such musing this Sunday. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; The Harmony People: Anjalisa Aitken, Gary Garrett; Asher Davison, song leader; Bill Ganz, pianist Eric Shackelford, camera; Lyle Barrere, sound; Amy Kelly, flowers, Joe Chapot, OOS Design & live chat moderator; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Order of Service: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x5Qg48-bVgg5SEt9K0FgHiC46pSz3FV2/view?usp=sharing LIVESTREAM: https://youtu.be/hDUscggUaaU

Sunday, July 18, 10:50 AM, Worship Service Livestream "Crisscrossing Humanity" Meg McGuire and Carmen Barsody, preaching From Cathedral Hill to the Tenderloin, from one side of the city to the other, the many moments where our paths cross are invitations to discover and re-discover our common humanity. Bringing in lessons from the vision and work of the Faithful Fools Meg McGuire and Carmen Barsody reflect on the practice of encountering one another, and the healing, celebration and community that comes from it. Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, organist & handbell choir director; Rita Fabrizio, flute; John Thomas, tubaist; Asher Davison, song leader Eric Shackelford, camera; Steven Kroeger, sound; Carrie Steere-Salazar, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"Relinquishment" (July 11, 2021) Worship Service As many of you know, John was Senior Minister at UUSF from 2014 until his retirement in 2017. He had earlier been President of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations, 1993-2001, among other posts in religious leadership. He first began pondering relinquishment as he gave up thousands of books before moving the West Coast. He was helped by his witty wife Gwen observing, “I’ve never yet seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul!” Yet some of our most difficult relinquishments are not about things – but about less material attachments. This continues to the very end. Still, we are spiritually wiser if we start the practice earlier. Rev. John Buehrens, Guest Minister Dennis Adams, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Giacomo Fiore, guitarist Maria Roodnitsky, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Shulee Ong, camera Jonathan Silk, audio, oos design Stephen Kroeger, sound Joe Chapot, social media chat Thomas Brown, Sexton Judy Payne, flowers Alex Dar

"Time to Slow Down" (July 4, 2021) Worship Service These are urgent times. They long have been. And yet, there are powerful voices, many at the center of justice work, urging us to slow down. We’ll engage this paradox and the spiritual and practical lessons it might offer to us. Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate Larry Chinn, jazz piano Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Mark Sumner, bass Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Jonathan Silk, audio, oos design, drums Joe Chapot, social media chat Thomas Brown, Sexton Judy Payne, flowers Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"Raising Hope" (June 20, 2021) Worship Service For Father’s Day, we’ll take a deeper dive into what it means to be hopeful. Tom Wyman, author of Infinitely Full of Hope: Fatherhood and the Future in an Age of Crisis and Disaster, and soon to be a first time father, believes that – despite the despair – now is not the time to give up on hope. Rather, we need to cultivate it and keep it alive. Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate Gregg Biggs, Small Group Ministry Bobbi Kovac, Small Group Ministry Rev. Millie Phillips, Small Group Ministry Andrés Vera, double bass My-Hoa Steger, pianist Brielle Marina Nielson, mezzo soprano Jon Silk, drummer Mark Sumner, pianist Ben Rudiak-Gould, lead Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Lyle Barrere, sound Jonathan Silk, audio, oos design, drums Joe Chapot, social media chat Thomas Brown, Sexton Athena Papadakos, flowers Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"Saying Yes" (June 13, 2021) Worship Service “Teach us all you can by saying yes,” Nancy Shaffer writes in a poem titled “Calling.” Rather than coming from some booming voice on high, the sort of calling that Shaffer describes is marked by the subtle work of learning to listen- and being willing to respond. Preaching for the last time as our ministerial intern (but not her last time in our pulpit) Meg McGuire reframes this notion of calling and reflects on what it might look like for this community going forward. Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Richard Davis, Worship Associate Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate Cal Ball, chalice lighter Luanne Schulte, Internship Committee Reiko Oda Lane, organist Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director UUSF Choir Bill Ganz, pianist Sarah Rose Cohen, lead Bill Klinglehoffer, lead Asher Davison, lead Ben Rudiak-Gould, lead Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Jonathan Silk, audio, oos des

"Dismantling Perfectionism: Bring it on!" (June 6, 2021) Worship Service There is a whole set of things that Tema Okun argues are part of White Supremacy Culture in her classic article, "White Supremacy Culture". One of them is perfectionism. Ever since I read that article I've thought most of where and how perfectionism shows up. It was one of the ones that didn't make obvious and immediate sense. And it is the one I am more and more excited to dismantle, take apart, keep some bits of and toss the rest. In our lives of spirit and connection, love and liberated life, I think it is the one that will leverage the most transformation! This Sunday we'll formally welcome new members with a special New Member Recognition Ceremony. And there will be a special video presentation of this year's Rheiner Award. The Rheiner Award was established by the UUSF Board of Trustees in 1989 to recognize and celebrate a member of this Society for social justice activism and community service. RHEINER https://youtu.be/IsgNW7z

"We Shall Not Sleep, Though Poppies Grow" (May 30, 2021) Worship Service From an 1865 gathering at the Charleston race track through two World Wars to modern day, collectively remembering our dead remains an important ritual for the living. On the 50th national observance of Memorial Day, what have we learned about communal grief in times of war and peace? Rev. Mr. Barb Greve, Guest Minister Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Sam King, Worship Associate Eric Hamilton, guitarist Maria Roodnitsky, song leader Ben Rudiak-Gould, song leader My-Hoa Steger, pianist Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Jonathan Silk, audio, oos design Joe Chapot, social media chat Thomas Brown, Sexton Amy Kelly, flowers Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"Marge and Barb Have Class" (May 23, 2021) Worship Service The title of the sermon is a set of words my cousin and I saw spray painted on the side of a falling down old shed on a country road one day in Upstate New York. A good place to leap into a conversation on our obsession, perhaps, with the whole wild notion of "class". Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Linda Enger, 8th Principle Testimony Reiko Oda Lane, organist Brielle Marina Neilson, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Wm. García Ganz, pianist Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Jonathan Silk, audio, oos design, drums Joe Chapot, social media chat Thomas Brown, Sexton Amy Kelly, flowers Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

"Holding Ourselves Accountable: The 8th Principle and the Future of Our Faith" (May 16, 2021) Worship Service Paula Cole Jones, a Lay Leader who has been a member of All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C. for decades, was also one of the two authors of the 8th Principle and leaders of the effort to broaden and deepen when we fundamentally hold ourselves accountable for in our Principles.  She and Vanessa "met" over Zoom to discuss and debate some aspects of what the 8th Principle and the work it calls us to as UU's might mean, where we imagine it might take us.  And so we continue our reflection as we prepare as a community to vote on this Principle on June 6th at our Annual Meeting.   Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Paula Cole Jones, Guest Speaker   Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organist Maria Roodnitsky, soprano Brielle Marina Neilson, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Mark Sumner, director/pianist Jen Ha

"Arms Wide Open: Parenting as a Spiritual Path" (May 9, 2021) Worship Service I am a year and a few months from an empty nest, and halfway into a process of pulling together an anthology of writings on the place of children in our wisdom-making living. The book is a project that started as an excuse to go looking for all the gorgeous stories we don't think to tell in the midst of the work and the chores. I want us to hold up some of them together to reflect on our relationship with children as a part of our spiritual paths. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Dennis Adams, Worship Associate Lori Lai, 8th principle testimonial Reiko Oda Lane, organist Kate Offer, soprano Brielle Marina Neilson, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Mark Sumner, director/pianist Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager Athena Papadakos, flowers Marek Piwnicki, cover image Jonathan Silk,

"Religious Imagination: What it Means to be a Teaching Congregation" (May 2, 2021) Worship Service This Sunday marks the final class for our Sunday School program.  Our classes have been virtual – like our worship services – for the whole year. We will take time to celebrate our achievements and honor our Lead Teachers. It’s also a good time to reflect upon the importance of religious education and spiritual growth for the entire congregation. We’ve certainly learned a lot this last year! Rev. Jacks will be joined by Ministerial Intern Meg McGuire sharing reflections on the role of a teaching congregation in shaping beloved community. Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Sam Hamner, 8th Principle Testimonial Reiko Oda Lane, organist Maria Roodnitsky, soprano Brielle Marina Neilson, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Mark Sumner, director/pianist Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Eric Shackelford, camera Leeland Jones, Sexton At

"Close Enough for Awe: An Earth Day Sermon" (April 25, 2021) Worship Service It's spring, it's Earth Day. It's a time when it is easy to fall in love with the world. So, let's do that. With a lover's eyes, let's see what beauty, what amazement is right in front of us. And tumble into its spell. And for good reason. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Sam King, Worship Associate Allen Biggs, Marimba Tommy Kesecker, vibraphone Brielle Marina Neilson, song leader Mark Sumner, pianist Eric Shackelford, camera Jonah Berquist, Social Media Chat Support Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager Judy Payne, flowers Navi Photography, cover image Pete Wong, cover image Daniel Olah, cover image Jonathan Silk, AV, OOS Design Order of Service: https://content.uusf.org/Order_Of_Service/2021/20210425OSWeb.pdf Music: https://content.uusf.org/Sound/20210425Music.mp3

"Becoming Together" (April 18, 2021) Worship Service Becoming ourselves is a lifelong process. And this practice of continual growth, of waking up to who we are, is one that cannot be done alone. Join Ministerial Intern Meg McGuire, Young Adult Coordinator Joe Chapot, members of the UU Theologies for Young Adults class, and friends, for a service exploring how we grow into ourselves, and how we grow together. Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Joe Chapot, Young Adult Coordinator Vanessa Vanderlaan, Worship Associate Alfie Jang, Worship Associate Aitana Sierra-Valdes, Worship Associate Sara Fread, Worship Associate Audrey McDougal, 8th Principle Testimonial Reiko Oda Lane, organist Mark Sumner, conductor/pianist Maddy Gerlach, soprano Jaime Docherty, guitar and vocals Asher Davison, song leader Eric Shackelford, camera Jonah Berquist, Social Media Chat Support Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager Amy Kelly, flowers Aitana Sierra-Valdes, cover image Jonathan Silk

"Living Purposefooly" (April 11, 2021) Worship Service Drawing the Fool in the Tarot cards represents new beginnings. We step out into the world with faith in the future, though we don’t know what to expect. The journey requires improvisation and trust, and a willingness to be shaped along the way. It is an invitation to walk purposefooly toward an as-yet unknown destination, also known as coddiwompling. Carmen Barsody, Faithful Fools Alex Darr, Faithful Fools Silena Layne, Faithful Fools Reiko Oda Lane, organist Brielle Marina Nielson, alto Ben Rudiak Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Mark Sumner conductor/pianist Ben Rudiak-Gould, song leader Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Joe Chapot, Social Media Chat Support, OOS Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour Lee Jones, Sexton Amy Kelly, flowers Alicia Lee Farnsworth, cover image Jonathan Silk, Sound, video edits, drums

"Easter Sunday: Hope is a......." (April 4, 2021) Worship Service Easter, of course, is about resurrection -- life from places of loss, hope from despair, second chances for the makers of even the gravest of mistakes. And it is about Hope. Hope as a four-letter word, textured, gritty, gorgeous and feather-light. Time to unpack hope. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Reiko Oda Lane, organist Tom Dambly, trumpet Michele Kennedy, soprano Brielle Marina Nielson, alto Ben Rudiak Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass Mark Sumner conductor/pianist Ben Rudiak-Gould, song leader Eric Shackelford, camera Shulee Ong, camera Joe Chapot, Social Media Chat Support Alex Darr, Coffee Hour Zoom Lee and Robert, Sexton Amy Kelly and , flowers Zdenek Machácek, cover image Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, video edits

"The First Steps" (March 28, 2021) Worship Service Both Passover and Palm Sunday coincide this week. Different and also with one thread that pulls through them both, about the power of the monumental first steps. And the human drive for commitment and consistency on which so much good (and evil) often rests. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Meg McGuire, Ministerial Intern Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate Gayle Reynolds and Keith Hollon, Annual Operating Fund Drive Andrés Vera, cellist My-Hoa Steger, accompanist Wm. García Ganz, pianist Ben Rudiak-Gould, song leader Eric Shackelford, camera Joe Chapot, Social Media Chat Support Alex Darr, Coffee Hour Zoom Thomas Brown, Sexton Carrie Steere-Salazar, flowers Casey Horner, cover image (https://unsplash.com/@mischievous_penguins) Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, video edits Order of Service: https://content.uusf.org/Order_Of_Service/2021/20210328OSWeb.pdf Music: https://content.uusf.org/Sound/20210328Music.mp3 Reflection: https://content.uusf.o

"Sabbath Redux" (March 21, 2021) Worship Service One of the first sermons I preached here at UUSF was a sermon on the ancient idea of Sabbath. I think, strangely, it is time to preach it again as work and life merge even more than before and we need a way to reground and refresh spirit and body. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister Don Wiepert, Worship Associate Dolores Perez Heilbron and David Heilbron, Annual Operating Fund Campaign Reiko Oda Lane, organist Leandra Ramm, soprano Brielle Marina Neilson, alto Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor Asher Davison, bass and conductor Wm. García Ganz, accompanist Eric Shackelford, camera Joe Chapot, Social Media Chat Support Alex Darr, Coffee Hour Zoom Thomas Brown, Sexton Carrie Steere-Salazar, flowers Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, video edits Order of Service: https://content.uusf.org/Order_Of_Service/2021/20210321OSWeb.pdf Music: https://content.uusf.org/Sound/20210321Music.mp3   Reflection: https://content.uusf.org/Sound/Reflections/20210321DDReflection