Who are the βteammatesβ in your life? And what does it mean to be optimistic in 2022? We close out the Ted Lasso series by looking closer at some of the wisdom shared in the Ted Lasso show to see what we might find helpful ... read more.
In this special all-online service, Live Oak members share their experiences of the pandemic and their hope for what lies ahead.
"History is not History"
Sunday, January 16, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
On this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend when we could focus on the history of the Civil Rights Movement, let's focus on the present realities. From the old deed to an old house to a new staff member's request for a simple lanyard, to modern civil rights leaders asking we celebrate MLK Day only one way this year, what does our bending of the moral arc of our nation today say about where history is not history, but right in front of us.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Nancy Munn, soprano; Brielle Marina Neilson, alto; Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor; Richard Fey, bass; Mark Sumner, Music Director
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Judy Payne, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
In this second sermon in the βTed Lassoβ series, we examine our attitudes β which ones help us build strong relationships and move forward with our goals, and which are barriers?
"'God' is not God's name"
Sunday, January 9, 10:50 am, Worship Service Livestream
As a theist, a liberal theist, in a pluralistic religious movement, and a congregation with a significant humanist/atheist/non-theist members, I don't talk much about God. Today, I will, and what that word, that-which-it-points-toward, means for me, and has for other progressive theists too. And whether it is useful to us, even those of us, who don't think we are theists.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Jill Rachuy Brindel, Cellist; Brielle Marina Neilson, Songleader
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Reiko Oda Lane, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
We begin our January βTed Lassoβ sermon series with an interactive, ritual-based service called the βFire Communion.β Come in person Sunday at 10 am for an outdoor service at Live Oak (also Livestreamed) where we honor the past, and let it go. Please bring your ... read more.
"Right Belief or Right Living" Sunday, January 2, 2022, Worship Service Livestream
On Sunday, January 2nd, the Rev. David Usher will be preaching β right belief or right livingβ. David was the hula hoop champion Manchester before going on to write one of the greatest books of knock knock jokes and itβs probably most famous for his art exhibition at the Guggenheim of cotton candy sculptures. We hope youβll join us for this wonderful Sunday with the Reverend David Usher.
Rev. Dr. David Usher, Guest Minister; Rev. Dr. John A. Buehrens; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Elliott Etzkorn, Classical Pianist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, tenor
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Epiphany is the moment we knew our lives would be the same. In a thousand huge and miniscule ways, we experienced epiphanyΒ all throughout 2021. Now we are in 2022, knowing differently. What did we realize and when? What might we know next?
"Kwanzaa" Sunday, December 26, 10:50 am, Worship Service
This Sunday we will celebrate and deepen our understanding of Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan-African cultural holiday observed by millions of people worldwide. Please join us in honoring the symbols and significance of another important December rite that lends texture and meaning to this Holiday Season. We will be helped by Brotha Clinton Sockwell II from The Village Project SF and UUSF members Sam and Christina McCauley Hamner, who celebrate Kwanzaa with their family.
Rochelle Fortier Nwadibia, Board Moderator; Brotha Clinton Sockwell II from The Village Project; Sam and Christina McCauley Hamner; Larry Chinn, Jazz Pianist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Remigio Flood, Sexton; Judy Payne, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Join us Christmas Eve for a night of classic Christmas readings, carols, and candlelight.Β
Whose holiday is it, anyway? Historians point out the pagan roots of Yule amidst voices calling for a more religious and less inclusive Christmas. In truth, the holiday has always been a melding of traditions, a pluralistic celebration of humanity and the world in which ... read more.
Note: There will be only one service on December 12th. βA Very Unitarian Christmasβ will be held at 9:30 AM, in person and online, and it will be followed by a Congregational Meeting at 10:30 AM.
Join all ages as we explore the Christmas holidays through ... read more.
Thousands of years of evolution have wired us for a winter holiday season β¦ and this past year has amplified the need. Itβs a time for celebrating transformation, hope, and joy.Β
"Being Alive" (December 12, 2021) Worship Service
We are welcoming the President of Starr King School For The Ministry, the Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt preaching. And we are celebrating two rites of passage -- blessing the newest member of our congregation, Baby Eliot, and celebrating Thomas Brown who has served this congregation for over two decades and is formally retiring. Come join service and the party.
Rev. Rosemary Bray McNatt, Guest Minister; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister; Rochelle Fortier-Nwadibia, Board Moderator; Scott Miller; Thomas Brown; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Giacomo Fiore and Bruno Bartalos, guitarists; Nancy Munn, Songleader; Asher Davison, bass-baritone; Wm. Garcia Ganz, accompanist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Kelvin Jones, Sexton; Roberto Delalo, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"Big Music Sunday" (December 5, 2021) Worship Service
Walt Whitman was a man who lived a very rich life, finding beauty and divinity in all corners of the earth. We enjoy his words as set to some of the most beautiful music imaginable, but we also speak his words, we hear his words, we hear about the man. As a special element we also shall frame the service with that which gave him inspiration to conceive of those words. The aim on the morning of December 5 is to know Walter Junior better and to perhaps reincarnate a bit of him in this time and place.
Dr. Mark Sumner, Music Director; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Lucy Smith, Worship Associate; Asher Davison, Reading; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF and University of California Alumni Choirs; Richard Fey, Baritone; Nancy Munn, Soprano; Leandra Ramm, Contralto; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist; Elliott Etzkorn, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Sound; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"A String of Gratefuls" (November 28, 2021) Worship Service
A service of readings and songs on what gives us joy and for what we are grateful.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Mari-Ester Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; Rev. Millie Phillips, Small Group Ministry Co-Chair; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Leandra Ramm, Mezzo Soprano; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader; Mark Sumner, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Don Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
There is so much anxiety, fear, and worry living inside and around us in these chaotic times. Creating intentional joy through resistance is a way to help increase our resiliency and secure sustainability β so we can ... read more.
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
We gather again as we have in years past for our annual Bread and Cider ceremony. Please bring a bread from your heritage, or that is significant to you in some way, to share.
βWhat the Pecans have to Teach?β (November 21, 2021) Worship Service
I know -- What does Vanessa mean by this?! Drawing on a chapter in Robin Wall Kimmerer's "Braiding Sweetgrass" a little more about the pecans in your pie, and their life story and wisdom, to lead us soulfully into the week ahead.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Linda Harris, UUSC Chair; Bell Choir led by Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Maddy Gerlach, Soprano; Sylvie Jensen, Alto; Nancy Munn, Soprano; Morgen Warner, Soprano; Jon Silk, Drummer; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
βThe Pursuit of Radianceβ (November 14, 2021) Worship Service
As the darkest days of the year arrive, lights appear everywhere: ropes of lights outline tall buildings, colorful Christmas lights brighten windows and trees, candles are lit reverently in Hanukkah menorahs, Kwansa kinaras and winter solstice rituals. We humans instinctively crave and seek out light when days are dark. This is true, metaphorically, in our personal lives as well. When our days are dark and despair fills our lives, we crave the light of hope, insight and love. The sermon will explore light as a symbol of the human spirit, and how we can bring more light into our lives.
Rev. Joy Atkinson, Guest Minister; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Choir led by Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Donald Shearer, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
Across the United States, people are showing up at school board meetings to protest various recent controversies. But there is an underlying battle that has been waged since 1848 when Unitarian Horace Mann said βEducation ... read more.
"We are the Thousand Winds that Blow" (November 7, 2021) Worship Service
This service is one that may be becoming a tradition for us -- a chance on this Sunday that coincides with Samhain, All Souls Day, and Dia de Los Muertos to call into our space the memory, an a snapshot of the lives we have lost this last year -- call them into the space to bless and mourn and offer gratitude.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Carmen Barsody; Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Nancy Munn, Soprano; Brielle Marina Nielson, Mezzo Soprano; Leandra Ramm, Mezzo Soprano; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Tenor; Richard Fey, Baritone; Boris Lieberman, Guitarist; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Amy Kelly, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
There is one thing you can change in your theological thinking that will allow you to live a happier and more fulfilled life and will also make you more effective at designing a world that you want ... read more.
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
We complete our monthβs theme of βDesign Your Lifeβ by lifting up an important part of living: FUN. Wear your costume and come ready to celebrate!
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on YouTube, 9:30 am
The pandemic has brought new revelations to us β¦Β about us.Β Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do you want the same things you wanted before spring of 2020? Who are you, and more importantly β¦ who do ... read more.
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am
The labor movement worked for a vision of a life designed to hold meaningful work, adequate rest, and joy-filled living. As we design our own lives, are we honoring what they fought for?
βThe Costumes We Wearβ (October 31, 2021) Worship Service
A worship service about disguises.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Sam King, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Nancy Munn, Soprano; Bill Ganz, Accompanist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, Songleader
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
βThe Land of Memoryβ (October 24, 2021) Worship Service
The artist Etel Adnan, wrote that her memories were like a forest with unstable boundaries. Adnan was born in Lebanon, lived in France, then moved to California, living at the base of Mount Tamalpais, where she wrote and painted for many years. Her paintings were a way to explore memories and make meaning of them. Navigating the land of memory can be complex and challenging. But it can lead us into a deeper understanding of who we are, and how to live more fully into our lives as we make our way forward.
Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister; Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist
Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"Right Thinking, Right Feeling and Right Relations" (October 17, 2021) Worship Service
Twins and co-authors of a recent book "Burnout", Emily and Amelia Nagoski talk about patterns of thinking and dealing with stress that lead to burnout. However, they also go deeper, to patterns of thinking, feeling and being in relationships that undermine our own and one another's health, joy and, I'd say, derail us on the journey to Beloved Community. In our work to hold ourselves accountable for the proposed 8th Principle of Unitarian Universalism, they offer some very tangible ways we can untangle from problematic habits of heart and mind!Β
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Mari Ramos Magaloni, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; UUSF Choir; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Laurel Sprigg, soprano; Wm. GarcΓa Ganz, Pianist; Jon Silk, Drummer
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Athena Papadakos, Flowers
"Who is Earth to Me?" (October 10, 2021) Worship Service
Robin Wall Kimmerer in her book "Braiding Sweetgrass" opens with a simple description of this act of weaving, braiding the supple green stalks of a plant, but what unfolds is layers of relationship and story and a paradigm that has saving grace.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Daniel Jackoway, Worship Associate; Sam King, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, Organist; Mark Sumner, Music Director; Jon Silk, Drummer; Asher Davison, Soloist
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Director of Communications; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager; Judy Payne, flowers
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am
This month, weβre talking about how to design a life worth living. Unitarian Universalism is a faith that knows we do not live for ourselves alone. Our theology is one of collective liberation and collective salvation. What ... read more.
"Higher Love: Installation Service" (October 3, 2021) Worship Service
"The Installation Service of Senior Minister Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern"
This is a sermon (Higher Love) about where this ministry together takes us and some of what we learn along the way. Our preacher, the Rev. Elizabeth Lerner Maclay, is the Senior Minister of the First Unitarian Church of Providence, RI. Rev. Maclay has been in Providence since 2017 in a congregation that first gathered in 1720! Rev. Maclay played a central role while serving in Maryland for the successful passage of that state's Marriage Equality legislation, as well as their DREAM Act and their repeal of the death penalty. In Providence she has led the organizing of faith communities for gun control and worked during this pandemic with other faith leaders, particularly Black religious leaders, to found and co-lead Faith in Science, promoting equity of vaccine access and uptake for people of color in Rhode Island.
Shirley Gibson and Kathleen Quenneville, Members of the Search Committee that called Rev. Southern; Rohit and Leila Menezes, Rev. Southernβs husband and daughter, respectively
Dennis Adams, Worship Associate, UUSF; Rev. Elizabeth Lerner Maclay, Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church of Providence, RI; Rev. Mr. Barb Greve, Hospice Chaplain with Vitas Healthcare and former Co-Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association; Rochelle Fortier Nwadibia, Board of Trustees Moderator of UUSF; Harry Arthur and Max Benbow, Representatives of the Family Ministry Program; Rev. Dr. John A. Buehrens, Former President of the Unitarian Universalist Association; Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister of UUSF; Jonah Berquist, Board of Trustees Vice Moderator of UUSF; Rev. Dr. Dorsey Blake, Presiding Minister, Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples; Charles Du Mond, Co-Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Association; Michael Pappas, M.Div., Executive Director, San Francisco Interfaith Council; Rev. Rosemary Bray-McNatt, President, The Starr King School for the Ministry; Rev. Margot Campbell Gross, Minister Emerita, UUSF; Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister, UUSF.
Eric Shackelford, Camera; Shulee Ong, Camera; Jonathan Silk, Director of Communications; Joe Chapot, Live Chat Moderator; Thomas Brown, Sexton; Dan Barnard, Facilities Manager; Judy Payne, flowers
Reiko Oda Lane, Organist & Bell Choir Director; Mark Sumner, Pianist & Music Director; Wm.; Garcia Ganz, Pianist; AndrΓ©s Vera, Cellist; Jon Silk, Drummer; UUSF Choir; UUSF Bell Choir
Carrie Krause, Dir. of Lifespan Faith Development
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am
Somewhere along lifeβs journey, most of us in the United States are taught that staying in the lines is valued, even when those lines are strangling us as individuals and a ... read more.
"Enough is Enough: The Inflation of Satisfied and the Risks" (September 26, 2021) Worship Service
In the stories of people I know, their children's stories, in what I see in the world, with dire consequences to the planet and to our mental health, I see the inflation of "enough" and I don't just mean in material terms. I mean in all kinds of ways. Let me give examples and let's look at what that might be doing to us and what can be done about it.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Wonder Dave, Worship Associate; Sam Hamner, Small Group Ministry; Allen Biggs, percussionist; Ben Rudiak-Gould, songleader; Mark Sumner, pianist
Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Amy Kelly, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"Ganesh Chaturthi and the Need to Remove Obstacles" (September 19, 2021) Worship Service
Each year in India there is a ten or eleven-day festival to celebrate Ganesh, the Elephant-headed god who is playful but who also is famous for a particular kind of power, one we all always seem in need of summoning into our lives. Join me for some stories, images, and reflections on the power of ritual.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Sam King, Worship Associate; Puran and K.G. Singh; Unitarian Church Jowai; UUSF Church Choir, conducted by Mark Sumner
Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Amy Kelly, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"New Eyes and Not Afraid" (September 12, 2021) Worship Service
This Sunday is this confluence of holidays and holidays and anniversaries raising the question not just of how we begin in the midst of ongoing challenges, but how people have always done so; even we ourselves did 20 years ago. We frame that exploration with music, special music, for the occasion. Come join us.
Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Alyson Jacks, Associate Minister; Richard Davis-Lowell, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; Sarah Brindell, Guest soloist/songwriter; Bill Klingelhoffer, shofar; UUSF Church Choir, conducted by Mark Sumner
Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Carrie Steere-Salazar, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
"In Our Hands Is Placed a Power" (September 5, 2021) Worship Service
Welcome to our annual Labor Day service, where we celebrate the contributions to social justice by the labor movement both currently and historically. As has been true for several years now, we will be joined by members of San Francisco's labor union choir Rockin' Solidarity. Hard times have always been here for the vast majority of the world's population, but now all of us are at critical crossroads, and which roads we take over the next decade or two may determine the very survival of humanity. As we make these life-or-death choices, what can we learn from both the victories and defeats of organized labor?
Rev. Millie Phillips, Guest Minister; Wonder Dave, Worship Associate; The Rockinβ Solidarity Labor Chorus, Pat Wynne, Director; Mark Sumner, songleader; Bill Ganz, pianist
Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Carrie Steere-Salazar, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am
We had expectations for what Fall 2021 was going to be like β¦ and those plans have changed. As we move into another year where covid shapes much of what we do (and donβt do), perhaps we ... read more.
Multiplatform β Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am
Join us either in person, outdoors at Live Oak, or on our Youtube channel for our annual Homecoming/Water Communion service.