Complete Service-first Unitarian Universalist Society Of San Francisco

Foremothers of Faith On Mother’s Day, John will offer a sermon about some of the foremothers of our liberal faith, known and unknown, remembered and forgotten. Lucy Smith will serve as Worship Associate and offer a reflection. The Choir will sing. Reiko will play. And after the service, in the Chapel, there will be an Invitation to Membership for those newcomers who have met with one of the ministers and are ready to sign the membership book of the Society. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Bill Ganz, guest conductor Kate Offer, soloist Asher Davison, soloist Tim Salaver, soloist David King, soloist Marc Theobald, Board Treasurer Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Two Types of Religion Despite the tremendous diversity in the U.S. religious landscape, there are really only two kinds of religion. Most people practice one or the other, and only one of them leads us to a fuller, deeper, richer experience of life. Our guest preacher is the Regional Lead for the Pacific Western Region of the UUA. The service will make the end of our church school year, with appreciation to all the teachers. Rev. James Kubal-Komoto, Guest Preacher Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rochelle Fortier-Nwadibia, Worship Associate Larry Chinn, piano Kerry Parker, song leader Harry Moren, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Living the Questions - A Celebration of Our Stepping Stones: Rites of Passage Class Join us this Sunday as we honor and celebrate our ten Rites of Passage students. Under the gifted leadership of the ROP Teaching Team:  Alex Darr, Jeff Cookston, Simmy Cover and Chandra Egan, our 3rd and 4th graders spent the year exploring who they are,  what they value, and what it means to be part of a religious community. They've been asking lots of questions too - Big Life Questions, which our Ministers will aim to answer during the service. Our church and bell choir will minister in music with songs of celebration and joy.  Revs. Buehrens, Benson,Jacks, and Worship Associate Alex Darr will co-lead the service. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Rights of Passage Class 2017 Alex Darr, ROP Lead Teacher Reiko Oda Lane, organ and bell choir director Max Benbow, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Last Things First (Earth Day Sunday) On the day following Earth Day, and at the end of a whole month of programming on climate change led by our Environmental Justice Working Group, our Message for All Ages will be a “Blessing of the Bins,” recommitting us all to recycling. Kat Liu, the chair of the working group, will serve as Worship Associate and offer a reflection. Soprano Shannon Warto and pianist and vocalist Lucy Faridany will bring us stunning songs.  And John’s sermon will focus on how we think about endings influences how we live in the meantime. This is true when it comes to our relationship with Earth, and for our own lives.   Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Kat Liu, Worship Associate Alex Darr, Worship Associate Rights of Passage Class Reiko Oda Lane, organ Shannon Warto, vocalist Lucy Faridany, vocalist and piano Rev. John Buehrens, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Spiritual Audacity (EASTER SERVICE) Rev. Alyson Jacks offered the Message for All Ages and Rev. JD Benson shared a reflection. The Bell Choir performed “Now the Green Blade Riseth,” and Reiko and the choir was accompanied by trumpeter Tom Dambly in a joyous, audacious celebration of Easter. The offering went to resurrect a UU ministry to the poor in Oklahoma that was destroyed in a recent fire. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, music director Reiko Oda Lane, organ Kate Offer, soloist Asher Davison, soloist Tim Salaver, soloist David King, soloist Kathleen Quenneville, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

The Road To The Promised Land Until recently the Dean of Religious Life at Stanford, Scotty McLennan continues to teach ethics there in the business school. He is a UU minister whose most recent book is "Christ for Unitarian Universalists: A New Dialogue with Christianity" --which is the Minister’s Book Club Selection for April, to be discussed on Monday evening, April 17. Rev. Scotty McLennan, Guest Minister Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, music director Reiko Oda Lane, organ Saira Malik, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Justice and Confrontation Conflict is a great way to uncover the truth. World leaders rely on conflicting and competing advisers to make wise decisions. Instead of focusing our efforts in ending conflict, how about if we learned to wage them well in conversations? Conversations are the best places to wage conflict. Conversations are the currency of organizations. Our faith says revelation is unsealed, but so much conversations continue to unravel our authenticity. Our guest is the first Balázs Scholar at Starr King for the Ministry to come from beyond the Hungarian Unitarian community. She is a minister of the UU Church of the Philippines, where she has served the Bicutan Congregation in Manila. For over 20 years she has worked on organizing women, youth, farmers, and labor for better public policies, and advised over 30 non-governmental organizations. Rev. Tet Gallardo, Guest Minister Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Dr. Mark Sumner, piano Jef Caers, flute Matt Yang

Heartwood Our beautiful sanctuary is, among other things, adorned with redwood beams and ceilings, oak plank floors, and carved chancel furniture that goes back to the ministry of Thomas Starr King. John has long felt that under the surface of every liberal church there lies a framework of covenantal heartwood, left to us as a gift and a present guide in challenging times. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Susan Anthony, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Howard Oringer, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

Presence In The World The late Harry Scholefield, beloved minister of this church for many years, began his days with a meditation practice (“Living by Heart”) that included preparing to be present and welcoming to each day, and to welcome every sign of sacred presence in people as well as in the natural world. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Richard Davis, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director Judy Payne, Welcome Task Force on Future Ministry, Announcement Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

The Unseen Guests Faith, Hope and Love are evidence of the inherent grace in the world, for humans do not invent or create these experiences, but uncover them as a quality of life itself. That said, we can train our hearts to prepare them room, and, in so doing, we also prepare ourselves for other unseen guests. These are the many people who would benefit from our tradition but have not yet discovered it, and the generations yet to come to whom we will bequeath our communities. The generosity and commitment we make today ensures that they, too, shall know grace. Rev. Christopher Thomas Bell, Guest Minister Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Bill Ganz, piano Asher Davison, song leader Radim Zenkl, Multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, ethnic flutes, didgeridoo) George Cavage, Welcome Jonathan Silk, Communications

Spiritual Friendship In Challenging Times Our congregation is experiencing notable growth. We will kick off our annual fundraising and a much-needed capital campaign to strengthen our church and its work for these challenging times. The theme for the month is “Presence.” The Message for All Ages will come from our 5th and 6th grade church school class. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ and bell choir director Kate Offer, soprano Asher Davison, baritone Stanley Hartzell, Welcome The 5th and 6th Class, message for all ages Jonathan Silk, Communications

Love, Remembered Congregations often accumulate layers of love and stories over decades, like layers of sediment below the surface. They may not be visible, but they are the ground on which we stand. The Rev. Diane Miller, who was ordained by this congregation 40 years ago, was Assistant Minister, Interim Senior Minister, and Associate Minister during her five years with the congregation. She was called to other congregations and served as Director of Ministry from 1993–2001, when John Buehrens was UUA President. Diane will be staying with John and Gwen and then going with them to the annual retreat of the UU Retired Ministers and Partners Association, held this year in Santa Barbara. Rev. Diane M.W. Miller, Guest Preacher Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Alex Darr, Worship Associate Dr. Mark Sumner, piano Andre´s Vera, cello Randy Adams, piano Asher Davison, song leader Betsy Darr, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Wanted: Love Makers Wedged between tirades of mean tweets, disparaging demagoguery and the rollercoaster of topsy-turvy politics, love holds on tight for the ride of its life. To effectively counter the barrage of hate mongers, we need creative and committed love makers engaged in efforts that bring hope, vision and transformation. Let’s explore ways to be faithful and imaginative love practitioners and channel love’s enormous power to bring about healing and wholeness in the world.

Loving The Future Native Americans, as in the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy, stressed keeping in mind the well-being of those who will follow us in seven generations. If we loved, rather than feared, the future, perhaps we might be better at doing this. John Buehrens will preach. The service will include the dedication of Iris Floyd, child of Emily Hurstak and Ryan Floyd. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Dennis Adams, Worship Associate K2  Class with Summer Andreasen and Christine Patch-Lindsay, Message for All Ages Reiko Oda Lane, organist Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director Ryan Floyd, piano Elliott Etzkorn, piano Linda Robertshaw, drums Jim Barnett, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Dr King said, “What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, & justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Lucy Smith, Worship Associate Phil Marshall, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, bell chor director and organist Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director Wm. García Ganz, piano Asher Davison, baritone Jim Valent, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

It Ain't Necessarily So Our nation lives in a perpetual wrestling match with might opponents. Individually and collectively we are called to engage our personal, social, political and religious communities to bring about transformation for the common good of humanity. Really is this what we are called to?  If so, how might the arts support us in the divine project of becoming fully human. Trust me, there is hope. Before becoming Minister for Faith in Action and then Parish Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, and before graduating from Starr King School for the Ministry, Rev. Duhart served as a social worker and military chaplain. She is exchanging pulpits with Rev. Buehrens. Rev. Jacqueline Duhart, Guest Minister Kat Liu, Worship Associate Larry Chinn, piano Asher, song leader Howard Oringer, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Dread, Hope, And Expectation On the Sunday after the presidential inauguration, and our annual UUSF Spaghetti Supper for Social Justice, the Choir will sing, “Take Care of This House,” from the Lerner/ Bernstein musical, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It includes the line, “but hope isn’t easy to see.” John’s sermon will be based on his own experience, as President of the UUA (1993-2001) of false news, propaganda, and right-wing divisiveness being used against our democratic faith – and how we prevailed then and can again. Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Richard Davis, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Mark Sumner, choir director Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano Max Benbow, Welcome Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Hope Is Not Idle This Sunday begins our Human Rights Awareness Month. Serving as Worship Associate will be Rochelle Fortier-Nwadibia, member, immigration attorney, and chair of our Human Rights Working Group. The Choir plans an anthem by contemporary composer Debra Scoggins based on the Emily Dickinson poem, Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. Rev. JD Benson, Assistant Minister Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister Rochelle Fortier-Nwadibia, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Mark Sumner, choir director Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Intransitive Hope Hope is dangerous. We can become attached to particular outcomes. The best sort of hope is not a bet on outcomes, but an intransitive “orientation of the spirit,” as humanist Vaclav Havel put it. To operate in the realm between faith and love is also to learn to practice non-attachment to the fruits of right action. We’ll sing, with the help of the choir, a hymn that speaks of “hope, all other hopes above.” We’ll also hear the haunting song, “An Only Hope,” from the film, "A Walk to Remember", and an anthem by poet Elizabeth Alexander that speaks of sustaining hope “while pulling every weed.” Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Alex Darr, Message for All Ages Susan Anthony, Worship Associate Reiko Oda Lane, organ Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano & conductor Elliott Etzkorn, piano Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast

Lost Hopes, New Hope The year 2016 was one of many dashed hopes. But then so are most years. On New Year’s Day we will write some of our lost hopes on cards, then let them go – to be burned in the courtyard following the service. We will also write new hopes on cards – to be taken home, reflected upon, revised, and held. Alex Darr will serve as Worship Associate. Music will be provided by singer Elena McIntyre Cowan and her partner & accompanist. If you make it to church on New Year’s morning – well, there’s hope for you yet! Rev. John Buehrens, Senior Minister Alex Darr, Worship Associate Carrie Steere-Salazar, Vice Moderator Elena McEntire Cowan, mezzo soprano Wm. Garcia Ganz, piano Elliott Etzkorn, piano Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Worship Archives/Podcast