"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

Recorded live at Arlington Street Church, Sunday, September 12, 2021.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on September 5, 2021. How does what you do for a living help the world?

Watch the Service: To enable YouTube provided closed-captioning while viewing the service, click the “CC” icon on the bottom bar of your YouTube video player.    

"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 Rockin’ 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

Introductory reading: Ducklings by Holly Mueller, read by Lucy Humphrey. Recorded live at Arlington Street Church, Sunday, September 5, 2021.

Multiplatform – Outdoors and Livestreamed on Youtube, 9:30 am

We had expectations for what Fall 2021 was going to be like … and those plans have changed. As we move into another year where covid shapes much of what we do (and don’t do), perhaps we ... read more.

Multiplatform – 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.

How is your anger showing up? Are you more irritable, or carrying a slow-simmering rage? There are many justifiable reasons to be mad right now. How do we best channel that anger in a way that is productive and doesn’t harm us or the people ... read more.

The last 5 years, and especially the last 8 months have given us ample reason to question some things we took for granted. We may be feeling disillusioned with humanity and with life itself. What do we do with those feelings?

This service will be streamed ... read more.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 29, 2021. What does it mean to treat other people as if they have worth and dignity? Does everyone have it? Is there a way to lose it? Do they have worth because of the divine within, or do they have worth in their humanity alone? How do we behave differently when we remember that we have dignity and worth?

Watch the Service: To enable YouTube provided closed-captioning while viewing the service, click the “CC” icon on the bottom bar of your YouTube video player.    

"The Power of Focus" (August 29, 2021) Worship Service

Steve Jobs is famous for his message on focus, the power of focus. In a different way, the same message has power for our spiritual and moral lives. After all, have you noticed how what we look for in the world in part determines what we find? Or how consciously deciding what we want to make happen also requires us to surrender to not making other things happen if we are to have any chance at meeting our goal? Or how choosing the qualities we put forward in the world also necessitates spiritual practices and focused time for reflection to be able to cultivate those qualities in our character and habits of the heart. As we begin to step into a new year of school, of work after summer, of church and community life, this Sunday is one chance to reflect on where each of us might choose to focus our energies.

Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Dennis Adams, Worship Associate; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; Brielle Marina Nielson, mezzo soprano; Mark Sumner, pianist; Jon Silk, drummer; Asher Davison, song leader & clarinetist

Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Judy Payne, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

Recorded live at Arlington Street Church, Sunday, August 29, 2021.

Assistant Minister Rev. Chris Jimmerson's sermon delivered on August 22, 2021. Even in relatively good times, it can be hard to envision the possibilities that lie before us. We can get caught in routines and set ways of thinking. In difficult or tragic circumstances, it can feel like our possibilities have been taken away from us. Yet, even in such times, new possibilities often emerge. How do we learn to embrace them?

"I Know Nothing" (August 22, 2021) Worship Service

In the millions of acres of trees, in the dark and light, the shadows, the dappled light along canyon walls and rivers, there is real knowing. What is it, to surrender, to let go of having to know, to do, and to let it be enough that the elements sing?

Rev. J.D. Benson, Guest Minister; Mari Magaloni Ramos, Worship Associate; Asher Davison, bass-baritone; Wm. Garcia Ganz, accompanist; Nancy Cooke Munn, songleader; Mark Sumner, pianist

Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Judy Payne, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

Order of Service:
https://bit.ly/20210822OSWeb2

LIVESTREAM:
https://youtu.be/dl5AOdg58-g

Recorded live at Arlington Street Church, Sunday, August 22, 2021.

Rev. Meg Barnhouse's sermon delivered on August 15, 2021. When you meet a person who is LGBTQ plus, you immediately know that there was a time when they realized they were different. They were decisions that had to be made about whom to tell, how to be in the world, in a world that, until a few years ago, didn't have a place for them. This is my coming out story.

"Deep Time: Stories We Tell the Children, and the Work of Repair" (August 15, 2021) Worship Service

A personal story about the journey to be a good ancestor.

Rev. Mary McKinnon Ganz, Guest Minister; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Alex Taite, tenor; My-Hoa Steger, accompanist; Brielle Marina Nielson, songleader

Eric Shackelford, camera; Shulee Ong, camera; Jonathan Silk, OOS Design & sound; Joe Chapot, live chat moderator; Athena Papadakos, flowers; Alex Darr, Les James, Tom Brookshire, Zoom Coffee Hour

Order of Service:

https://bit.ly/20210815OS1

LIVESTREAM:

https://youtu.be/Gr_uecb1Kqw

Recorded live at Arlington Street Church, Sunday, August 15, 2021.