“Across the Veil”
Sunday, November 6, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
This is the time of year of the Pagan celebration of Samhain, and the Christian (no doubt borrowed and adapted!) witness to All Souls and All Saints, and to the celebrations of Día De Los Muertos in Mexico and across Latin America. All of these community and religious ceremonies and sacred times begin with the Samhain idea that at this time of year the veil between the living and the dying is thinned. It is a season, therefore, for reaching across that veil and pulling those we have loved and lost, their spirit and their legacy, more intentionally into our world for a while.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Laurel Sprigg, Soprano; Brielle Marina Nielsen, Mezzo Soprano; Wm. García Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Jackson Munn, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
I especially want to hear from latecomers to UU: what was the moment you realized UU wasn't just something you do on Sunday, but had become an integral part of your life, your relationship/marriage, your family?
I think it hit me when I quoted a hymn to comfort my partner. She was feeling guilty about a struggle we'd had the night before. I had already forgiven her, but she was having trouble letting go. So I quoted #637, A Litany of Atonement: "We forgive ourselves and each other; we begin again in love."
It clicked for her, and I realized I was using words of comfort in much the same way I saw other religious traditions doing.
Backstory: I was born to a Baha’i family in 2009, I’ve been curious about religion since I was maybe 4. When I was in 7th grade I became a Muslim, but I left Islam recently. I do love Jesus, but I don’t believe he was God, just probably a prophet who sent down the Holy Bible. I am also bi and I know you guys accept LGBTQ. I also really love how the belief of this sect is that everyone will eventually be saved. This sounds like the religion for me. How do I convert?
I get the impression Unitarians are more liberal, but do you tend to affiliate with a political party, or is it more about just accepting people?
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“Living with the Trouble”
Sunday, October 30, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
The saga of our relationship with the nightly raccoons, as a metaphor for learning to live with the troubles in life.
Rev. Margot Campbell Gross, Minister Emerita; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Soloist; Laurel Sprigg, Soloist
Jackson Munn, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager; Judy Payne, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
I’ve been attending UU lately, and I’ve enjoyed it, so I feel it’s important to start contributing financially because I’m getting something out of it, but I want to find some financial transparency before I do.
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September 15, 2022
The Article II Study Commission is excited to share a full draft of Article II (PDF, 3 Pages) for feedback. The Study Commission's outreach team will be hosting Zoom feedback sessions in the first half of November, along with gathering feedback through a forthcoming online form for individual comments.
The Study Commission will present its final draft to the Board in January for inclusion on the agenda for General Assembly 2023. It will then be the subject of mini-Assemblies before the initial vote at GA 2023. If it passes that delegate vote by a majority, it will require a 2/3 majority vote at GA 2024 to become the new Article II of the Bylaws.
This draft makes significant changes to Article II. We invite you to read it using one of the practices we have started following in our work:
It will be ideal if you can hold suggestions until the online form is available so that they can be more easily gathered and read. But do feel free to direct questions to [changemanager@uua.org](mailto:changemanager@uua.org)
“What Fuels These Fools?”
Sunday, October 23, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
What makes Fools “faithful”? More than anything it is a willingness to hang in there, even when it seems like not much is changing. Futility, rather than fuel, seems to be what’s on people’s minds these days, but the Fools are committed to the faithfulness of fidelity and steadiness, keeping on even when it seems rather ridiculous to do so. Carmen Barsody and Sam Dennison, two long-time Faithful Fools, bring us their reflections on what it takes to keep on keepin’ on. As Faithful Fools ready to celebrate 25 years of reflection and engagement, and Carmen and Sam will share their 25th year questions and insights with us.
Carmen Barsody; Sam Dennison; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Mark Sumner, Pianist; Richard Fey, Songleader; Rosalie Alfonso, Percussionist; Jon Silk, Drummer; Bill Klingelhoffer, Percussionist; Michael Yamashita, Hula; Ka'ala Carmack, Pianist, Vocals and Ukulele
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher
I practice Buddhism after surviving a Catholic childhood. I want an open spiritual community with diversity and no particular flavor of god.
I went to the local UU church a couple weeks ago and loved it. I was very excited by all the diff kinds of people there, and they do anti-racism work which is something I'm looking for.
But yesterday the service started out with singing a song that had God in the refrain. OK, I understand, some people use the G word but it can mean a lot of different things. Fine. Then, horror: the last peppy verses addressed "the Lord". I lost it. Left crying. I went to a lot of trouble excising supernatural sexist abusers out of my life. WTF? I'm so disappointed.
You wouldn't think it possible to have a crisis of faith in Unitarian Universalism and yet here I am.
I am having a real problem reconciling my UU principles with trusting my gut when it comes to people who give me bad vibes. I've been burned too many times in giving people the benefit of the doubt and I'm unwilling to continue to raise children to be kind to creeps who may, in fact, be predators.
I know this makes me prejudiced, but I'm starting to think I've been gaslighted into accepting unacceptable behavior. I'm speaking in particular about excusing people on account of them be neurodivergent. This has been a reoccuring issue and I'm at my breaking point.