Why is there virtually nothing religious about so many congregation-based social justice programs in the United States today?

That this is the case not only makes them a diversion from the real work of the Church, it also makes them highly ineffective.

Guilt-based approaches ("You are not doing enough!") never work to increase the number of congregants involved in social justice. So what does?

This Sunday I'll explore some good reasons to put hands and feet on our Unitarian Universalist Principles and Purposes, ones that spread opportunities for justice making beyond the usual suspects.

Coming out of the most expensive election in California history and one of the most bitterly fought national campaigns for the control of Congress, Jeff Perlstein will share his analysis of how our media system must be restructured to meet our needs as citizens rather than eyeballs for television commercials.

Jeff heads Media Alliance, one the nation's leading media watch groups.

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

A voting meeting of the Membership of the Society will consider a long-term renewal of the lease of space to the Montessori school and an endorsement of the effort to restore Starr King’s place in the Hall of Statuary in Washington, DC.

The Society's Bylaws require that the Membership vote on rentals of space that are for more than one year. The Board of Trustees is recommending that the Montessori school be allowed to continue to lease space for five years.

The Board will also share an update on the progress of the Society's five-year plan as well as the work of the Elevator Committee.

This meeting is open to all, although only Members are asked to vote on the proposals. A sandwich sale by the Children's Religious Education Committee before the meeting will sustain us!

from Claire Weber

Amy Moses (left) and Constance Taylor joined the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco in a Membership Book signing ceremony last Sunday.

Amy was the Worship Associate for last Sunday's service, and is active in the Young Adults group. She is a paralegal who is interested in divinity school.

Constance, a Unitarian Universalist by birth, is a songwriter, singer, and dancer who has been performing Isadora Duncan dance for years. She would like to meet other Members who are interested in songwriting, art, poetry, and writing plays.

We are delighted that Amy and Constance have decided to join this spiritual community. We bid them each a hearty "Welcome!"

Congratulations to Henry Kroll and the Forum Committee for their pre-election voter education sessions which attracted notice from KQED reporter Rori Gallagher.

Rori attended last week's Forum and Worship Service. (Pictured above are Forum participants making decisions on propositions.)

An excerpt from her interview with Rev. Greg Stewart aired on KQED radio at the top of the news hour this past Monday. The story on what liberal religious institutions were telling their congregations about Tuesday's election also mentioned our church by name twice and referred to the Forum programs.

What a thrill to have our Society's minister interviewed and its program publicly acknowledged on a major radio station! Thank you to the Forum for their quality programs that attracted the attention of KQED.

The coming of the C Minor Mass gives us a chance for some genuinely Wolfganian fun. So I've created a little game called "C Minor Mastery," in which you get the chance to lord your superior knowledge and intellect over everyone else. Leopold, I fear, would never have approved - not openly, anyway.

Apply your deductive powers to come up with your solution to the C Minor Mystery. Today, Chapter 3 begins...

His disastrous job hunting tour behind him, a heart-broken Wolfgang returned to Salzburg in January 1779. His father Leopold remained angry and bitter over his wife's untimely death in Paris — a loss for which he forever blamed Wolfgang.

Still, Leopold begged the Prince Archbishop Hieronymus Colloredo to hire his son as Court Organist. It was a lowly position for a musician of Wolfgang's caliber, made all the more so by the Archbishop's low opinion of musicians to begin with. But the Mozarts needed the money.

Children and adults in the Religious Education program will be a making and selling sandwiches for sale prior to Sunday's Congregational meeting. They welcome your help and will show you the finer points of sandwich management!

To help make the sandwiches before church, serve them, or clean up, please contact Lucy Smith as soon as possible at (510) 528-8540 or via email.

On Sunday, grab a sandwich and then join the meeting!

Today's edition of The Flame is being delivered to 807 email addresses. We appreciate the news, articles, and pictures sent in by Members and friends that have allowed this weekly newsletter to serve the Society. Last year at this time, 621 subscribers received The Flame.

We apologize for running out of Order of Service's last Sunday! The standard run of 285 copies was not enough for the congregation in the pews -- we will print more this week!