The writings of the Beats -- works such as Jack Kerouac's On the Road and Allen Ginsberg's HOWL -- have influenced and changed millions of lives. Guest speaker Gerald Nicosia will examine the extremes of the Beat Movement and explore the spiritual message at its heart: “We are here to test the limits”.

Joining Rev. Rabidoux and Gerald Nicosia will be reader Neeli Cherkovski and Anna Sylvester, Worship Associate. The morning's music will be performed by Chris Waltz, Singer/Guitarist, and the Folk Orchestra.

Senior Minister Gregory Stewart's next sermon will be The gods Before God delivered on October 22nd.

California Assembly Member Mark Leno (D - San Francisco) will deliver the Welcome at the installation service which is open to the public. Democratic Candidate for California Secretary of State, Senator Debra Bowen (D - Redondo Beach), a Unitarian Universalist, will also publicly greet our minister.

Rev. Stewart will be given the charge of ministry from Sister Jo'Ann De Quattro, and he will receive greetings from interfaith clergy and community leaders.

A dramatic processional and special music will add to this memorable and joyful event. A free reception featuring a jazz band, hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, wine and beverages will follow.

Childcare will be provided beginning at 3:30 pm - but children are welcome to both the service and the reception.

from Henry Kroll

David Holwerk, Editorial Page Director for the Sacramento Bee, will be the speaker at Sunday's before-service Forum. Mr. Holwerk is charge of The Bee's editorial and commentary pages.

During the Forum Mr. Holwerk will share his outsider's perspective from inside one of the most important newsrooms in the state and help us understand the issues underlying the 2006 Governorship Campaign.

Since coming to California five years ago, Mr. Holwerk has been perfecting his country music writing, hot sauce recipe, and musing on the similarities between California and Alabama. Don't miss what promises to be one of the most informative and entertaining analysis of California politics we have had at the Unitarian Universalist Center in many years.

The program will begin in the Martin Luther King Room at 9:45. Come at 9:30 for conversation, coffee, and (for a slight charge) a light breakfast.

A life-long Unitarian Universalist, Rev. Dr. Barker was elected to the to the presidency of Meadville Lombard Theological School in 2003. The school, located at the University of Chicago, educates the largest number of Unitarian Universalist ministerial students. He holds degrees from the University of Minnesota, the University of Chicago, and Meadville Lombard.

Rev. Dr. Barker took his position at Meadville Lombard after serving twenty-five years in the parish ministry. Most recently, he served Neighborhood Church in Pasadena. During his ministry there, he co-founded the California Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry.

The Beat Generation Lives!”, an evening of Beat Poetry in honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Howl, will light up the Sanctuary Saturday at 7:30. Gerald Nicosia MC's and guest Beat Poets David Meltzer, Jerry Kamstra, and Lenore Kandel, will come together on stage for the first time in decades. Phil Deal will be a special guest on Alto Sax.

San Francisco Poets and Readers join the Beat Poets with readings from Jack Kerouac, Diane di Prima, Neal Cassady, Philip Lamartina and others.

Doors open at 7 and the program will start at 7:30. Tickets will be $10 at the door.

For further information contact Anna Sylvester at 359-0697 or see the Beat Flyer for full details.

Additional for-pay parking will be available at Sutter Place Garage (1355 Sutter between Van Ness and Franklin) and at the Cathedral Hill Hotel (1101 Van Ness between Geary and Post).

All Members and friends should plan on street parking, St. Mary's, or one of the pay alternatives. The church garage spaces will be used by program participants, caterers, and such.

During Sunday School last week the children of the Religious Education program created a banner and table decorations which will be displayed during Rev. Greg Stewart's installation.

After a discussion about what it means to be welcoming, and a discussion about "home", the children used stamps, hand prints, markers, and paints to visually express their views. Ages Kindergarten through 7th grade participated.

"Driving as a Spiritual Practice" was the sermon. And, there was spiritual play afterwards in Golden Gate Park.

Many of you who admired the bird of prey that was quietly sleeping on a branch above the noise of our church picnic have expressed wonder about what kind of bird it was and why it was there.

Nicolette, who sketched the bird, later compared her image to photos in the Audubon Society's Master Guide to Birding. She reports that bird was probably a juvenile merlin.

Technically a small falcon, the merlin is sometimes referred to as a pigeon hawk. The merlin spends its summers in Canada and migrates to the Western US in the winter. The bird's sleep and apparent lethargy was probably exhaustion; the merlin was likely recovering from the efforts.