King of Kings
Sunday, January 14 at 11 am in the Sanctuary
service conducted by Rev. Gregory L. Stewart
It has been said that if you want to really know
about a minister, talk to her or his congregants.
On Martin Luther King Sunday we examine the ministry
of the man before he became the leader of a movement
that changed our world forever.
The spiritual formation that took place during this
pastor's first and only ministry in a church setting
was pivotal as he eventually collided with the
limelight of the movement and the media.
Come and hear what those in the pews thought about
their minister before those in the streets received
all the attention. I'm certain you will be
surprised and challenged by what you hear.
Following the service there will be a sandwich sale
in the gallery, and a reception for artist Mark
Eanes will be begin in the Kings Gallery at 1 pm.
Perspectives on Diversity
Forum Sunday 9:30 in the Martin Luther King Room
from Henry Kroll
Karen Eng, Diversity Activist and member First
Unitarian Church of Oakland, will bring her deep
insights and experiences working within our
Unitarian Universalist denomination for a greater
welcoming inclusiveness for members of all racial
and ethnic backgrounds.
While Unitarian Universalists are on the front line
of supporting social change to benefit all groups in
society, our own congregations remain largely white.
As we celebrate the King holiday weekend this Forum
will be an important opportunity to explore these
longstanding concerns.
Anna Sylvester and Karen
Melander-Magoon will be the Forum Committee
facilitators for this program.
The program will start at 9:45. Come at 9:30 for
conversation, coffee, and (for a slight charge) a
light breakfast.
Electrons
Rob Packenham will be stepping in as
volunteer editor of The Flame for the next
two weeks. Please make sure that information for
this newsletter is sent to Flame@uusf.org so
that it will reach him. And, please send in your
articles, links, and pictures as soon as possible --
don't wait until the noon Tuesday deadline if you're
ready early!
Society Hosts Blood Drive
Sunday from 9 - 1 in front of the Church
from Rachel Frothingham
You will be able to donate blood with Blood Centers
of the Pacific this Sunday. Their bloodmobile will
be parked on the east side of Franklin Street.
To sign up send Rachel Frothingham an email
entitled "Blood Drive" to frothinghamr@yahoo.com.
Include your full name and contact information
(address, email, and phone number) in the message .
You may also call Rachel at 577-8650.
January is National Volunteer Blood Donor Month.
Blood Centers of the Pacific supply over 30 Bay Area
hospital, so please give if you are able.
Good and Welfare
Family and friends will celebrate the life of
Mike Thomas at a memorial service Sunday at 3
pm in the Sanctuary.
Childcare will be provided for all ages but only
with advanced reservations. Please let Natalie
Freeburg know of your care needs by tomorrow
(Friday, January 12).
In lieu of flowers, friends may remember Mike by
making a gift in his memory to the James Michael
Thomas Memorial Fund of the First Unitarian
Universalist Society. Donations to that fund will be
designated for sound system upgrades and ongoing
maintenance of his beloved Noehren organ.
Mike's obituary
recently appeared in the Chronicle.
Broadway Sing-Along Tickets Go On Sale
January 27th Dinner and Program a Traditional Sell-Out
from Carrie Steere-Salazar
Tickets for the Fourth Annual Broadway Sing-Along
Dinner and Show (scheduled for the evening of
Saturday, January 27th) will be on sale Sunday after
the service — just look for the Sing Along table in
the gallery or Thomas Starr King Room.
Dinner seats have sold out the previous years, so
grab your tickets now!
If you are interested in more than just singing
along — i.e. standing alone in the spotlight — please
contact Dr. Mark Sumner at 920-9105 and he'll
arrange for an accompanist and reserve a spot for you!
Dinner/sing-along tickets are $20 each. The doors
will open at 5:30, and a dinner, catered by our own
Donald Johnson, will be served beginning at
6. The sing-along starts at 7:15 led by Dr.
Mark Sumner with Bill Ganz on piano.
Beginning Buddhist Meditation Classes Start
Five Tuesdays (January 16, 23, 30, February 6, 13) from 7 to 9 pm
from Natalie Freeburg, Acting Director of Religious
Education
This course will offer basic Buddhist meditation
instructions as well as Buddhist teachings: the Four
Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path; the Hindrances to
Meditation; and the cultivation of Compassion and
Loving-Kindness.
Taught by Eugene Cash and Kris Bailey, the sessions
will focus on developing the fundamentals of
meditation practice and learning practical ways to
apply these teachings to our daily lives. Each class
will include meditation instructions, a
talk on the teachings and time for questions, weekly
handouts, and discussion to explore the student’s
experience.
Pre-registration is requested. The cost is $50 for
the series.
Unitarian Universalists React to Iraq War Plans
from the Unitarian Universalist Association of
Congregations (UUA)
The Unitarian Universalist Association is
participating in a public witness event along with
other religious and secular groups to help send our
President the message that Americans do NOT want
more troops in Iraq.
UUA President William Sinkford will issue a
statement in response to President Bush which will
appear on the UUA's
website during the day today (January 11).
The UUA is working with our partners in the Win
Without War Coalition to create a strong, rapid
response to the President's request. Today (January
11) people will rally across the nation with this simple
message: "NO!"
To find a rally in your area - or sign-up to host
one - visit Win Without
War's action site.
The Lady Vanishes
Tomorrow (January 12) from 4 - 6 pm at the Church
Film Lovers Group is
screening The Lady Vanishes tomorrow (January 12)
from 4 to 6 pm. (Note the earlier time!)
This month's screening will be the 1938
British-produced thriller directed by Alfred
Hitchcock. You are invited to drop in for the movie.
A $5 donation is requested.
Members March Behind Society's Banner at Protest
Last Thursday (January 4) Members of the
Society participated in protest against the Iraq War
by marching outside of the Federal Building on
Golden Gate Avenue.
The Unitarian Universalist presence was noted in the
Associated Press news story and publicized by local
independent media.
T-Shirts and Sweatshirts
Photographer Sonnie Willis captured the t-shirts
Members and friends brought forward to the Chancel
during last week's service.
