This will be Rev. John’s last Sunday with us as one of our two consulting ministers. It falls just before Juneteenth, the national holiday marking the end of slavery in America, and on Father’s Day. John will share with all ages the story of Juneteenth, read e e cumming’s poem about his Unitarian minister father, … Continue reading Freedom From and To
Equal opportunity in education is again a matter of controversy, just as it was during the Civil Rights Era. The Heritage Foundation, planning a new “conservative” agenda, wants the US Supreme Court to overturn the ruling that the children of undocumented migrants have a right to attend public schools. Many Americans know the name Horace … Continue reading Renewing Equality in Education: In Praise of Teachers
April 22 is both Earth Day and the beginning of Passover. Every liberation movement in Western culture has taken inspiration from the story of the Israelites escaping slavery in Egypt – even if they did then spend forty years wandering in the wilderness. Rev. John offers his sermon as a prayer for two refugee camps … Continue reading Interdependence Without Oppression
If religious naturalism is a growing orientation of the spirit for many, we can trace some of its origins to our Transcendentalist forebears: Emerson, whose book Nature (1836), launched the movement; his friend Henry David Thoreau; and Thomas Starr King, who brought Transcendentalism to the West Coast.
While it’s hard to believe in bodily resurrection, resurrections of the spirit are not only credible, but demonstrable. This service will be dedicated to the late Revs. Rob and Janne Eller-Isaacs, who revived the First Unitarian Church of Oakland. They both died of cancer in the last two years. Yet their spirit lives on, not … Continue reading Easter Service: Resurrections of the Spirit
What does it mean to be a community of transformation, especially in a time of trouble? Rev. John will draw on stories of his travels to troubled places from Northern Ireland to Israel and Palestine. Nate Makdad will serve as Worship Associate, with testimonial by Roger Jungerman, Gary Rossi will be at the keyboard, and … Continue reading Transformation in a Time of Trouble
The famous statement, “the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends towards justice” – borrowed by Dr. King from Unitarian minister Theodore Parker — implies that justice and equity and understanding evolve, usually more slowly than we would like. Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin not only knew this, but were born on … Continue reading The Evolution of Equity: Lessons from Lincoln and Darwin
Many people don’t realize how important religious liberals have been in overcoming structures of oppression. Rev. Dr. John Buehrens will tell a story for all ages about UUs supporting Dr. King in the Selma campaign for voting rights. Prof. Johnson will deal with lessons from the almost forgotten story of Bayard Rustin and Rev. John … Continue reading Organizing Against Oppression
with Worship Associate Nancy Blake, Cantor Rachel Walters Steiner, and Pianist Gary Rossi Our forebears faced the darkening days of winter with some trepidation. Would warmth and light return? Perhaps it was best to light fires and sing and pray that it would. We may now take the turning of the seasons for granted, but … Continue reading Facing the Unknown
With Worship Associate Nathan Makdad, Cantor Rachel Walters Stein, and musicians David Dodd on piano and the Larking About Choir. Generosity of Spirit is to act with kindness, to be open and willing to share with others without any expectation of receiving something back in return. It means to celebrate the success and efforts of … Continue reading Generosity of Spirit
