Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

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

Nanette McGuinness, soprano

Reiko Oda Lane, organ

Dr. Mark Sumner, piano & song leading

Marc Theobald, 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

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

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

Work and Care

Much of the world’s work, especially caring work, is unpaid or under-valued. Many crises in the social world result from a scarcity of adequately paid work in our rapidly integrating global economy. The service offers a preview of the conference we will host on June 4 on economic justice issues, under the sponsorship of the  UU Justice Ministry of California . It will also include recognition of those who have taught in our religious education programs this year.  

Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister

Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister

Sue Anthony, Worship Associate\

Hanna Clements-Hart, Family Life Ministry Chair

Reiko Oda Lane, organist

Jennifer Peringer, pianist

Bill Klingelhoffer, Trustee

Bill Frank, audio support and tape op

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Awareness of Glory

"Big Music" Sunday at UUSF! The Poulenc Gloria is one of the great choral works of the 20th century. It was commissioned for and first performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in 1961.

Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister

Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister

Kat Liu, Worship Associate

Margaret Pearce, The Interfaith Power and Light

Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director

Mark Bruce, organist

Wm. García Ganz, pianist

Kate Offer, soprano

Kathleen Quenneville, Moderator

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Awareness of Evil

If most religion begins in a sense of metaphysical unity, it also includes the moral duality

of good and evil. We often focus on good people, doing good things. But how are good

Universalists called to respond when we see and encounter real evil in the world?

Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister

Richard Davis, Worship Associate

Rev. Alyson Jacks, Message for All Ages

Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director

Eric Hamilton, guitar

Marc Theobald, Trustee

Bill Frank, Tape Op Support

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

The Awareness of Oneness

It is possible to be both rational and something of a mystic. Perhaps all unifying

religion begins in what we claim as one of the sources of our living tradition:

Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures,

which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create

and uphold life. The Message for All Ages will be given by our Neighboring Faiths

class, who have been visiting other houses of worship.

Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister

Phil Marshall, Worship Associate

Neighboring Faiths class, Message for All Ages

Dr. Mark Sumner, choir director

Reiko Oda Lane, organ

Reece Hart, Trustee

Bill Frank, Tape Op Support

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast

Cracking The Monolith

Bill Rankin is the author of a 1994 book on social change with the same title as his sermon

with the subtitle, “The Struggle for the Soul of America: A Peace and Justice Manifesto.”

Bill is a 20-year friend of John and Gwen Buehrens, an Episcopal priest holding a doctorate

in social ethics, the former Dean of Episcopal Divinity School, and, with his wife, Sally,

was recently honored by Duke University for community service in global health. He is

President Emeritus of thegaia.org, The Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance. We will mark both the

spring equinox and Palm Sunday.

Rev. Dr. William Rankin, guest preacher

Rev. John Buehrens,Senior Minister

Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister

Kat Liu, Environmental Justice Working Group Chair

Jonah Berquist, Reflection

Mark Johnson, piano

Andrés Vera, cello

Randy Adams, piano

Galen Workman, Board Secretary

Jonathan Silk, OOS, Sound & Worship Archives/Podcast