Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

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

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, piano

Asher Davison, song leader

Rev. John Young, Welcome

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound, Podcasting

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