Service Leaders: Rev. Mary McKinnon Ganz, Sharon McCarty
Music by: Mary Chapot and UU Usual Suspects
Share the Basket: Redwood Credit Union Fire Fund

We enter Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas in the Christian tradition, carrying so much that needs to be healed. The Christmas story proclaims that hope may be found in the unlikeliest places. Today we consider stories from a Bible study gathering in the streets of San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood.
Rev. Mary McKinnon Ganz is a Unitarian Universalist minister, who serves both the Faithful Fools Street Ministry and as Assistant Minister for the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.

Service Leaders: Nancy Wang Gaeden, Deborah Maspn, Scott Miller, Sadie Sonntag
Music By: Sadie Sonntag and the Choir, Roger Corman
Share the Basket: Breakfast for Our Neighbors

Meditation: What is it like, truly, to love being in the moment? To be fully present to celebrate life in all its colors, flavors, and textures? We’ve all experienced such wondrous moments – when a few seconds, minutes, or even hours felt timeless in the company of something we adore. Not only are we inherently built to experience meditation, it is an instinct we all have to fully connect with life, and a way to deeply rest and rejuvenate. Intuitive meditation can be a universal practice to savor both the inner and outer life, using all of our senses, and depth of spirit – to stay curious, strong, and kind.

Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Susan Panttaja, Deb Mason
Music by: Robin Rogers & The UUsual Suspects, Roger Corman
Share the Basket: Fire Relief TBD

It can be hard to have faith in anxious times such as these, whether that is faith in your fellow humans, your country, your God or Goddess. It can be hard even to have faith in yourself. Today we’ll talk about how to stay sane in insane times, and what it will take to truly make our country great.

Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Andrew Hidas, Deb Mason
Music by: Sadie Sonntag & The Choir, Roger Corman
Share the Basket: Fire Relief TBD

What’s in a name? “The Great Big Thing that can be named is not the true Great Big Thing,” to paraphrase the Tao Te Ching. That hasn’t stopped us from naming it again and again. The UU way is to celebrate all of these names. To do so, we’ll look at both the tradition of the “99 Names of God” in Islam, and Arthur C. Clarke’s short story, “The 9 Billion Names of God.”

Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Joe Gabaeff, Deb Mason
Music by: Alan Bell & The UUsual Suspects, Roger Corman
Share the Basket: The Living Room

A poetic service using Judy Collins’ song Nightingale and the story of Jacob and his famous wrestling match will help us consider the struggle to have faith in things unseen and unheard. There is no shame in doubt and uncertainty, particularly after a disaster. Indeed, doubt is necessary for mature faith to flourish.

Service Leaders: Rev. Chris Bell, Aphrodite Bellochio, Deb Mason
Music by: Natalie Brundred & The UUsual Suspects, Roger Corman
Share the Basket: The Raizes Collective

We’ll have some fun today considering the least loved of the Hogwarts Houses in the Harry Potter novels, which beautifully illustrates the old adage, “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” A service about welcoming the shadow, in ourselves and others, and making room for everybody at the table. Where will the sorting hat place you?

Service Leaders: Rev. Dave Sammons, Izzy Fischer, Deb Mason
Music by: Sadie Sonntag and the Choir, Paul Gilger
Share the Basket: Breakfast for our Neighbors

Trump-era politics is prying apart of the American public into tribes with different values, different goals and a belief that “our tribe” is the only legitimate one. Can we bridge this gap? Our UU Principles call us to break out of our own tribalism and find a way to be with others in a way that will be of good for all of us.