Past Worship Services
dates, titles, leaders/speakers, video of Ministers’ sermons/Guest Speaker messages, extras (as available)
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2023
September 17, 2023: Genome: the Autobiography of a Species - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles shares an exhilarating study of our 23 human chromosomes that lets us see how nature and nurture combine to make us human.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Encounter mystical tales and peacebuilding encounters from the world of Islam. Enjoy moving meditation, dance and stories of unity and joy. Rabbi Lynn has spent a life time working with Muslim communities around the world and in the United States and is co-founder of the Muslim Jewish Peacewalk. She will also share some beautiful passages from the Qur’an.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
The Rev. Ben Meyers will bring us fresh meanings to the word ‘belonging,’ which holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: Being and Longing.
Rev. Ben is a resident of Oakland, where he enjoys long strolls around Lake Merritt. His ministry spans over 28 years: half of that time as a parish minister, including as minister here at BFUU from 2009 to 2013. He has also served as a social justice/community minister for several communities and organizations throughout Northern California. His passion is working with individuals and faith-based communities throughout the country as a Solar and Clean Energy consultant, and his mission is to accelerate the adoption of clean energy as a moral imperative. As a proud parent of a transgender child, he is also a vocal ally and avid advocate for LGTBQ+ rights.
August 27, 2023: Celebrating Women’s Equality Day - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles will report on the issues women have faced in the past, and the story of today.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
August 20, 2023: Preparation for New Beginnings in Stories of Creation from Around the World - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
Some creation stories cannot be spoken. Others reflect the way society sees itself in relationship to the natural world. R. Lynn will share some stories to reflect upon about the Creation of the World.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
August 13, 2023: Compassion-based Health and Healing - youtube video
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
What is really “normal” in health? How can trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living affect our bodies and minds? Let us learn to untangle common myths on what makes us sick from renowned physician and author of the Myth of Normal Gabor Maté, who offers a compassionate pathway to health and healing — Body, Mind, and Spirit.
Reverend Jojo V. Gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary/transgender interfaith minister, Blessed Tomorrow Ambassador, and a diversity and inclusion leader. They are practicing the Dao philosophy and Veganism to create a healthier, safer, and more stable world for ALL.
August 6, 2023: Where Do We Come From?: Unitarian Universalist History and Heritage in 2000 Words...Or Less!
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
People often wonder, “Where has Unitarian Universalism been all my life?”...or they ponder what to tell their family and friends when they talk about ‘this religious community’ they have been attending —not really certain how to ‘explain’ the what/where/who/why/how of UU. Well, this sermon approaches ‘where we came from’ and where we are headed...IN ABOUT 2000 WORDS! Hold onto your hats, friends, this will be fun! Bring a friend!
Rev. Ben Meyers is a resident of Oakland, and serves as a Hospice Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider for Bridge Home Hospice patients and their families in Alameda County. His ministry spans 28 years: half of that time as a parish minister and half as a social justice/community minister. He is the proud father of two sons and loves spending as much time as possible with his two-year old grandson. His passion is working with faith-based communities throughout the country to accelerate the adoption of clean energy–especially solar–as a moral imperative.
July 30, 2023: Does Nature Suffice, or, Isn’t the Universe Miracle Enough? - youtube video
Guest Speaker: Darlene Pagano (she/her)
Guest Musicans: Susan T. Mashiyama (harp) and Live Oak UU Fellowship singers
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
Our UUA Source #1. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life; If you can’t accept a metaphysical “source of the forces which create….” from where then do you reliably experience transcending mystery and wonder?
Darlene Pagano is a member of the Live Oak UU Fellowship in Alameda and has been on the Worship Team for over 14 years. Folks there are amused at having an atheist so enthusiastic about the state of our spiritual lives. Together, they are making a marvelous harmony of their varied paths within their non creedal faith tradition.
July 23, 2023: Sally Ride - First Woman in Space - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
*on Zoom only*
The splendid life of Sally Ride ended on July 23, 2012. Rev. Dr. Carrie reflects on the entry of women to the challenges of space.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
July 16, 2023: Prophetic Transformations: Miriam the Prophet - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
Join Rabbi Lynn for her transformative approach to traditional stories about the ancient prophet whose liberation song is the earliest expression of the prophetic stream in biblical traditions, and still speaks to the struggle for justice in our own time.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
*on Zoom only*
What is happiness? Why is happiness important? How can we cultivate happiness as a skill? What are the fundamental elements of genuine happiness? How can we practice altruism and compassion, and bring happiness to ourselves and others? Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya will help us answer these questions, by sharing their learnings from their Chief Well-Being Officer Training.
Reverend Jojo V. Gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary/transgender interfaith minister, Blessed Tomorrow Ambassador, and a diversity and inclusion leader. They are practicing the Dao philosophy and Veganism to create a healthier, safer, and more stable world for ALL.
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
*IN PERSON, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street and on Zoom*
Liberty, like nature, demands a relationship with us in order for it to continue to sustain us. What kind of relationship do we want our children to have with liberty? What kind of relationship do we intend to have with it ourselves so that justice, equity and liberty belongs to everyone?
Rev. Ben Meyers is a resident of Oakland, and serves as a Hospice Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider for Bridge Home Hospice patients and their families in Alameda County. His ministry spans 28 years: half of that time as a parish minister and half as a social justice/community minister. He is the proud father of two sons and loves spending as much time as possible with his two-year old grandson. His passion is working with faith-based communities throughout the country to accelerate the adoption of clean energy–especially solar–as a moral imperative.
June 25, 2023: Life As Light: A Service for LGBTQ+ Pride Sunday - youtube video
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
*Masks required, windows will be open*
As a celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride Sunday, the sermon views being human through the Science of Complementarity Theory and presents Universalism as a prism for acceptance, advocacy and love. Recognition of BFUU leadership and Worship Lay-Leaders.
Rev. Ben Meyers is a resident of Oakland, and serves as a Hospice Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider for Bridge Home Hospice patients and their families in Alameda County. His ministry spans 28 years: half of that time as a parish minister and half as a social justice/community minister. He is the proud father of two sons and loves spending as much time as possible with his two-year old grandson. His passion is working with faith-based communities throughout the country to accelerate the adoption of clean energy–especially solar–as a moral imperative.
June 18, 2023: Juneteenth, When Slavery Ended - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reviews the history of our celebration of Juneteenth, the end of slavery in America. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, slavery did not come to its official and practical end until June 18, 1965.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
June 11, 2023: Loving and Welcoming the Enemy/Stranger - youtube video
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Valerie Kaur’s book, “See No Stranger,” stretches one’s imagination on how we could possibly love and welcome the enemy/stranger, thereby fostering solidarity and promote unity with one another. Also, the extraordinary story of how the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin decided to confront evil with love, openness and interfaith engagement is another example.
Reverend Jojo V. Gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary/transgender interfaith minister, Blessed Tomorrow Ambassador, and a diversity and inclusion leader. They are practicing the Dao philosophy and Veganism to create a healthier, safer, and more stable world for ALL.
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
*Masks required, windows will be open*
Theodicy is a fancy way of trying to talk about the problem of evil in the world and why it exists. It is a topic many philosophers call the most difficult problem in theology, and every major religion has at least one position on theodicy (and most of them have several, including Unitarian Universalism.) The 'problem with evil' is a question that begs for our attention as religious progressives. This morning, Rev. Ben will offer a Unitarian Universalist response relevant to the events of our time.
Rev. Ben Meyers is a resident of Oakland, and serves as a Hospice Chaplain and Spiritual Care Provider for Bridge Home Hospice patients and their families in Alameda County. His ministry spans 28 years: half of that time as a parish minister and half as a social justice/community minister. He is the proud father of two sons and loves spending as much time as possible with his two-year old grandson. His passion is working with faith-based communities throughout the country to accelerate the adoption of clean energy–especially solar–as a moral imperative.
Maw Shein Win (she/her) and Frances Hillyard (she/her)
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
Please join us for a service filled with poetry and music! Local poet Maw Shein Win was honored as the inaugural Poet Laureate of El Cerrito and her most recent poetry collection is Storage Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn) which was nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Poetry. Ms. Shein Win and our own Frances Hillyard will share their poems and their journey to becoming a poet with us.
May 21, 2023: Sustaining Social Justice Activism through Mindfulness
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Mindfulness as sustainability is a game changer. The far-reaching benefits of mindfulness, particularly in sustaining our social justice activism is undeniable. Let us learn the lessons from the world’s religions and practice mindfulness in caring for ourselves, others, and the world.
May 14, 2023: Mothers and Monuments - youtube video
Joanna Winston Foley (she/they)
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
*Masks required, windows will be open*
Mother, foster mom, godmother, mama to a fur baby. What maternal roles have impacted your life? Which moms do you remember fondly or celebrate with on Mother's Day? Are the writing and organizing traditions begun by Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis, the 19th Century women who birthed Mother's Day, continuing today? Joanna Winston Foley will share stories of her own labor as a Monument Mama to create racial representation in public art.
May 7, 2023: Genesis 50:00: How the World Began, and a Search for the Meaning of “God” - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles proposes a new version of Genesis and the presence of meaning in the universe.
April 30, 2023: The Anthropocene Age: Saving Us from Us - youtube video
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
April 23, 2023: Healing In Community: The Power of Music
Kaitie Ty Warren (she/they)
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
*Masks required, please dress warmly as windows will be open*
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Climate Change is one of this era’s greatest moral challenges. It is inseparable from the core values of many faith traditions. Severe storms, changing seasonal conditions, and other climate changes impact social justice and peace advocacy. How can we as a people of faith help in mitigating climate change and create a healthier, safer, and more stable world for All?
April 9, 2023: Easter: Love, Death, Grief and Hope - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
*IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street*
*Masks required, please dress warmly as windows will be open*
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Join Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb as she shares liberation stories in honor of Passover, Easter, and Ramadan.
*Masks required, please dress warmly as windows will be open*
March 20, 2023 will mark the 95th anniversary of the birth of Fred McFeely Rogers, who died 20 years ago (2/27/2003) and whose life and pioneering ministry shaped and guided the lives of millions of people, young and old. His words, songs and story continue to touch and inspire. Come be lifted and affirmed as we revisit the lessons of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'
The Rev. Ben Meyers has been a UU minister since 1995 and served as minister of BFUU from 2009 to 2013. He is currently a Hospice Chaplain for Bridge Home Hospice and lives in Oakland, near Lake Merritt and his adorable grandchild, with whom he shares the wisdom, wit and whimsy of Mr. Rogers.
March 19, 2023: Fairytales and Fables: Imagination Is Our Heritage - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles observes the week of World Folktales and Fables and how these tales deepen our understanding of human needs and accomplishments.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
March 12, 2023: Celebrating Women: Embracing Gender Equity - youtube video
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
March 8 has been designated as the International Women’s Day since 1977 when the United Nations called on all the world’s countries to adopt and choose any day of the year to celebrate women’s achievements and increase visibility, and create a gender equal, diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. Yet, bias, discrimination, and sexism still exist in workplaces, including churches.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary jackleg preacher, climate reality leader, and interfaith minister. They are building bridges across differences, as a member of the Interfaith America Bridging the Gap Cohort.
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Join Rabbi Lynn for stories about sacred trees and our spiritual connection to the earth.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
The language of flowers (Floriography) gained popularity as a clandestine method of communication, especially in Victorian England and the U.S. At present, we usually send roses to convey love, chrysanthemums to express condolences, rue for regret, and rosemary for remembrance. Let’s bring and share colorful blooms to express our love, solidarity, and unity with one another.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary jackleg preacher, climate reality leader, and interfaith minister. They are building bridges across differences, as a member of the Interfaith America Bridging the Gap Cohort.
February 19, 2023: What’s Up With Women in 2023?
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Betty Friedan’s famous treatise, “The Feminine Mystique,” was published sixty years ago today. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reviews the history expressed in Friedan’s work and the world that women face now, in 2023.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
February 12, 2023: Building Better Brains
Jeff Palmer (he/him)
We look at recent recent neurological discoveries (Default Mode Network) and ancient sacred scriptures to help us build better brains today.
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him)
The most common notion of wonder implies that the things that surprise us usually bring delight, connection, and especially joy and reverence for life. Wonder is also the quality of attention that is needed to bear witness to pain and suffering; 'Joy and Woe are woven fine' says the old hymn, and for good reason. Our service will focus on what those qualities are and explore how to bring those qualities into our daily lives–through story, sermon and song.
Dr. Jennifer Lisa Vest (she/her)
Dr. Jennifer L. Vest will speak about her experiences as a Medical Intuitive healer and what it means to be an ethical healer. Please join us for this exciting Service! Jennifer Lisa Vest holds a PhD in Indigenous Philosophy from UC Berkeley, an MA in history from Howard, and BA in Physics from Hampshire College. Her first career was as a philosophy professor at Seattle University and the University of Central Florida. She has also been trained in the traditions of African American Hoodoo, Native American Sweatlodge, Jamaican Revivalism, Trinidadian Shango, and Spiritualism from community elders, and now works as an author, ceremonialist, and medical intuitive. Her most recent book is The Ethical Psychic.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles checks up on the rise of AI in science, poetry, art and other creative fields. Does AI present the route to an enhanced future in science and the arts—or a threat to morality as non-human choices and decisions may take over?
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Join Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb for reflection, stories, and folktales about grassroots heroes in the struggle against racism in US history.
January 8, 2023: Creativity as a Spiritual Practice - youtube video
NOTE: This video resolution is very low due to necessary cropping - you may wish to listen rather than view.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Simone Chiodini (she/her)
December 25, 2022: Merry Christmas to All! - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles will celebrate this holiday with stories and songs that are our heritage and brighten our Days of Christmas. May we reach out to families, neighbors, friends and strangers to strengthen our connections in the community in the coming new year.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
December 18, 2022: The Holy Work of Sacred Social Change
Rev. jojo v. gabuya (they/them)
**IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street**
The midterm elections are over. But the Holy Work of Sacred Social Change in this country is still a work in progress. How can we All bring our acts together, to accomplish this Holy Work...?
Rev. jojo v. gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary jackleg preacher, climate reality leader, and interfaith minister. They are part of the Bridging the Gap Cohort of Interfaith America, which has been building bridges/crossing lines of difference on campuses around this country.
December 11, 2022: Cindy Sheehan Returns to BFUU Where She Found Her Power
Cindy Sheehan (she/her)
We are honored that Cindy Sheehan will speak at BFUU. The first time that she spoke publicly after her son was killed in Iraq, she had not planned to speak because she was grieving. Invited by the Social Justice Committee, she attended our service to support another Gold Star Mother whose words moved Cindy to speak impromptu. There was not a dry eye in the house! Retired attorney and long-term BFUU leader, Gene Sharee, was pictured on the news with a tear rolling down his deeply wrinkled cheek. Cindy learned the power of her voice and ran with it. What happened next? We are excited to hear her extraordinary, passionate story. Don’t miss it!
December 4, 2022: The Season of Illumination and Rededication - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Lynn will share stories about the return of the light.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
November 27, 2022: The Science Behind Creativity - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Where does creativity come from? Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes how psychologists and neuroscientists are exploring the sources of creativity and how we can increase our own.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
November 20, 2022: Doing the Work of Christmas
Rev. jojo v. gabuya (they/them)
**IN PERSON Service, BFUU Fellowship Hall, 1924 Cedar Street**
*Masks required - please dress warmly as windows will be open*
What does Dr. Howard Thurman say about the work of Christmas? How can we do the work of Christmas every day in our lives, as Unitarian Universalists? Let’s have a conversation.
Rev. jojo v. gabuya is a Filipinx non-binary jackleg preacher, climate reality leader, and interfaith minister. They are part of the Bridging the Gap Cohort of Interfaith America, which has been building bridges/crossing lines of difference on campuses around this country.
November 13, 2022: Tapestry of Faith Spirit in Practice: Justice Practices
Virginia Hollins-Davidson (she/her), Coordinator
Rev. Erik Walker Wikstrom, who developed the Tapestry of Faith series, quotes several well-known leaders to introduce and to help us understand the importance of the Justice segment. We will share these perspectives and further explore justice practices in our own BFUU community.
November 6, 2022: Spirituality of Accompaniment - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Join Rabbi Lynn for an exploration of the practice of accompaniment. Have there been times when you received an unexpected act of accompaniment or giving, and a time that you practiced accompaniment? We will explore the history of accompaniment in the past century in both personal and political contexts.
Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
October 30, 2022: Ghost Tales from Around the World
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Storytelling can help us explore grief, love, and unfinished dreams. Lynn Gottlieb is Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM. Now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
It’s time to bless the animals. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes how Earth teems with sights, sounds, textures, vibrations—and smells, tastes, electric and magnetic fields. Yet we each live within a small unique sensory bubble—just a sliver of this world. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles graduated from the Starr King seminary in 2011 and retired from UU ministry in 2016. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
Pastor Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
**IN PERSON Service**
What gives us a sense of awe and wonder and interconnects us with All Beings? What do we want to let go of, to recover who we truly are? What would help us create strength and wisdom for ourselves and others in this Fellowship? Let's share our stories and our dreams. Pastor Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, and an ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples founded by Howard Thurman.
Kathy Riehle (she/her), Coordinator
Religious traditions from around the world agree that we eventually need to take what we do in private and in our congregations and bring it out into the rest of our lives—in our relationships with our family members, in our workplaces, in our interactions with strangers. Our UUA Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice series continues with the seventh of eight Spheres of spiritual practice: “Life Practices.” Coordinated by Kathy Riehle, BFUU Board President.
Jennifer Lisa Vest (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes our planet’s crises as the world’s temperatures continue to rise and permafrost starts to melt.
Steve Ogden (he/him), Coordinator
Concern about failure keeps us from taking a risk and trying something new. Again and again we find ourselves hampered by our attachment to the outcome of a given situation. Let us encourage engagement in artistic expression for the purpose of the engagement itself. Our UUA Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice series continues with the seventh of the eight Spheres: “Soul Practices - Creative Arts.”
September 11, 2022: Building Bridges and Engaging Difference
Pastor Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Pastor Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, and a newly ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. They will speak today about bridging the gap across differences and finding a common ground, fostering solidarity and unity among all peoples of this land.
September 4, 2022: Creative Arts as Spiritual Practice - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM, and now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
August 28, 2022: Women’s Bodies, Women’s Choices, Women’s Lives: What the Supreme Court Decided on Roe v. Wade - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles looks at the Supreme Court’s undoing of Roe v. Wade. That decision in 1973 had changed the lives of all Americans, but most critically, had given the freedom to women to control their bodies, their health, and their choice of how to spend their lives. The overturning of Roe v. Wade suggests future attacks on other human rights our nation has taken for granted.
August 21: Unity of Mind, Body, Heart, and Spirit - youtube video
Pastor Jojo Gabuya (they/them)
How can we unite/unify our mind, body, heart, and spirit experiences? How can we integrate the different parts of ourselves and attain wholeness? Let’s look at our experience in new Ways.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, and a newly ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.
August 14, 2022: Indigenous Land Back as a Spiritual Practice - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM, and now a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
August 7, 2022: Embodied Spirituality
Worship Team
We understand our spiritual journeys to be, not separate from our own physical experiences, but deeply rooted in them. Our UUA Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice series continues with the fourth of the eight Spheres: “Body Practices.”
July 31, 2022: Choosing to Love - youtube video
Pastor Jojo Gabuya (they/them)
Bell Hooks says, “When we choose to love, we choose to move against fear, against alienation and separation. The choice to love is a choice to connect, to find ourselves in the other.” For her, love is a combination of care, compassion, commitment and respect; and, trust is the foundation of love. Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, and a newly ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.
July 24, 2022: When Aging Brings on Alzheimer's Disease, How We Live - youtube video
Rev. Dr. Caroline Knowles (she/her)
The onset of Alzheimer’s Disease destroys memory, disconnects the sufferer from loved ones, and degrades so much that is human. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes the effect of Alzheimer’s Disease on the lives of the sufferer and the impact of the disease on all who are connected to that person. Rev. Dr. Carrie reviews the strategies that may ease the issues that arise, and the hopes for prevention and stabilizing the symptoms.
July 17, 2022: I Call That Mind Free
Frances Hillyard (she/her)
Throughout time and across cultures, it has long been recognized that reason and rationality are among many paths to the discovery of deep truth. Our UUA Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice series continues with the fourth of the eight Spheres: “Mind Practices.”
July 10, 2022: Reimagining Radical Faith Community - youtube video
“Reimagining Radical Faith Community” was the theme of our UUA General Assembly this year. Come hear some of the ways the Unitarian Universalist Association is reimagining radical faith community – and ponder how it applies to us in our time of transition. Video sermon by Ben Ogilvie of Starr King Unitarian Universalist Church of Hayward, CA.
July 3, 2022: Interdependence and Atonement Day - youtube video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Emerita of the Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM, and now
a resident of Berkeley, CA, Rabbi Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and
multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles as she teaches joyful spirituality, storytelling, ceremony, and ritual arts.
June 26: GA 2022: Meet the Moment – Reimagining Radical Faith Community
The annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations will take place this year June 22-26 in Portland, OR. Parts of the GA gathering will be streamed live to the public, including Sunday morning worship! Rev. Gretchen Haley of the Foothills UU Church in Fort Collins, CO will lead the service, joined by Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan, the GA Choir, and more! BFUUers are invited to view the worship stream live, from Portland OR, starting at 9:30am. Note the earlier start time!
Join at 9:30am via your usual BFUU Worship Zoom link, or via: <link removed>
June 19, 2022: UU Spiritual Direction and Companionship
Paikea Hwang Colligan M (she/her/any)
“Listening is a creative force. Something quite wonderful occurs when we are listened to fully. We expand, ideas come to life and grow, we remember who we are.” — Kay Lindahl. This month we will explore the third Sphere in the UUA Tapestry of Faith “Spirit in Practice” series we are following this year.
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Lynn has been a congregational rabbi since 1973, and founded the inclusive Congregation Nahalat Shalom in Albuquerque, NM, in 1980. Now Rabbi Emerita and a resident of Berkeley, CA, Lynn engages in multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles.
Doug Chambers will perform his original song lyrics, “Hey BFUU.”
June 5, 2022: Unknown Blessings video
Lea Morris (she/her)
“I give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way.” Lea Morris, a vibrant East Coast singer, songwriter, spiritual leader, and friend of UUs, will share her gifts with us today.
May 29, 2022: Being Free and Safe to Live as Who We are video
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
In 1778, Lady Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby eloped from Ireland to Wales to liberate themselves from the pressures of conventional marriage. Today we will reflect on LGBTQIA+ human rights as we prepare to celebrate Pride Month in June. Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, and a newly ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.
May 22, 2022: When Women Are Drawn to God video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Will the Vatican ever let women join the priesthood? Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles surveys the opening of faiths to women as ministers and priests, looking backward over the past and observing present practices of religions.
May 15, 2022: Why Gather? Ceremony and the Practice of Community video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Lynn is a storyteller, teacher, ceremonialist, lifelong activist, and one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history. She sits on the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, is co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence, and member of the Grassroots Reparations Campaign. She is also the author of several books, including She Who Dwells Within: A Feminist Vision of Renewed Judaism. She will teach today from a lifetime of building Jewish and interfaith spiritual communities of love and justice.
May 8, 2022: Gathered Here in the Mystery of the Hour
Douglas Chambers(he/him), Coordinator
Our UUA Tapestry of Faith: Spirit in Practice series continues with the second of the eight Spheres: “Communal Worship Practices.” What are we practicing together, as we gather each week for UU worship? We will share reflections on our community experiences, and on BFUU liturgical practices.
May 1, 2022: UU Talking Circle on Pandemic Reopening
Sharon Hwang Colligan (she/her/any), Facilitator
April 24, 2022: Transcendentalists and that Rascal, Ralph Waldo Emerson video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Carrie recounts the story of Emerson’s gift of transcendentalism to the world of Unitarians and the literary giants of the mid-1800’s.
April 17, 2022: Stories of Passover - video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Lynn is a storyteller, teacher, ceremonialist, lifelong activist, and one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history. She sits on the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, is board chair of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence, and member of the Grassroots Reparations Campaign. She is also the author of several books, including She Who Dwells Within: A Feminist Vision of Renewed Judaism. Rabbi Lynn will share stories, songs, and reflections about our current moment, as well as Jewish teachings on Passover and the journey of freedom.
April 10, 2022: The Many Paths to the Golden Lotus Flower Within
Andy Jamieson (he/him) and Melissa Rockliff (she/her)
*first service from our series on spiritual practices*
Each and every soul has their own personal unique path on the spiritual journey. In this service we will explore the rich tradition of spiritual practices through music and spiritual words of wisdom. And a few brave souls from our congregation will share how they have grown through their own personal spiritual practice. “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” -Rumi.
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Founded by UU Beacon Press author and influential Black theologian the Rev. Howard Thurman, the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples was the first racially integrated, intercultural church in the United States. What can we learn from that dream? Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor; a human rights activist; and a newly ordained minister in the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples.
March 27, 2022: Artificial Intelligence Learns to Make Us Laugh - video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reviews the development of improv comedy as a useful talent of robots. After all, robots should do the jobs that are too dirty, dangerous or dull for humans.
March 20, 2022: Rebirth and Renewal of Spirit
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them), Speaker
Kele Nitoto (he/him), Musician
Spring Equinox is a state of natural equilibrium. It is a time for you to find your equilibrium, too, and explore the energies of renewal and restoration. What new life are you birthing this year? What resources will you need to make it happen? Rev. Jojo is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor and human rights activist; Kele Nitoto is a transformative spiritual percussionist and ritualist.
March 13, 2022: Spirit in Practice: Eight Spheres in 2022
Sharon Hwang Colligan (she/her), Worship Coordinator
In the coming months, continuing our journey with the UUA Tapestry of Faith, BFUU will explore the theme of “Spiritual Practices.” We will approach this theme from a different angle every month, exploring eight “spheres” of practice, beginning today with an introduction of what we intend, and an invitation to explore and deepen your own spiritual practices.
March 6, 2022: Receive the Gifts - video
Opening: Just As You Are - video
1st Hymn: I Love You - video
2nd Hymn: Lady Season - video
Closing: Heart Wide Open - video
Lea Morris (she/her)
“Honor the dark, as you do the light, receive the gifts that come to us by day and by night. Choose to honor the dark, uncertainty and change. Deliver us from fear until only love remains.” Lea Morris, an East Coast singer, songwriter, spiritual leader, and friend of UUs, will be blessing us today with her gifts.
February 27, 2022: Playful Resilience in the Time of the Pandemic - video
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya (they/them)
Rev. Jojo V. Gabuya is a proud non-binary transgender, Filipinx, interfaith pastor, a human rights activist, and a graduate of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. They will share with us from their international spiritual experience, joyful voice, and justice journey.
February 20, 2022: Reparations as a Spiritual Practice - video
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb (she/her)
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, ordained in 1981, is one of the first women to become a rabbi in Jewish history. She is a storyteller, teacher, ceremonialist, and lifelong activist engaging multifaith, intergenerational and multicultural organizing in solidarity with racial, indigenous, gender justice and Palestinian liberation struggles. She sits today on the Rabbinic Council of Jewish Voice for Peace, is board chair of Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity, and co-founder of Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence. She is also the author of several books, including She Who Dwells Within: A Feminist Vision of Renewed Judaism, World Beyond Borders Passover Haggadah, and Trail Guide to the Torah of Nonviolence. Rabbi Lynn will share stories and reflections about our current moment, Black History Month, as well as Jewish teachings on sacred cycles of rest and justice-seeking. There will be singing.
My Feline Teacher video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
For two decades my family lived with a truly remarkable being. She straddled two worlds and taught me how non-dual Consciousness is not only possible but can even manifest as lifesaving.
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who began his ministry with the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the late 70s and early 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families, and actively psychotic inpatients. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extensive experience in several spiritual practices, including martial arts and yogas such as Mindfulness, Anusara, and Tai-Chi/Qi Gong, being among the most recent during the past ten years.
February 6, 2022: UUA Pacific Western Regional Assembly - Sunday Worship link to video
“Reflect, Rejoice, Renew: a Weaving Waters Ritual”
BFUU will video-stream the Unitarian Universalist Association Pacific Western Region (PWR) 2022 Regional Assembly Sunday morning worship service from San Diego. We will meditate on rivers, and support the ongoing process in which four UU District Offices and communities gradually merge into one larger Regional Office and community. Please have ready, by your Zoom computer or in your imagination, four different vessels of water; a fifth bowl to merge them in; and four ritual items: a seed, a stone, some salt, and some sand. Be prepared for dancing.
An offering will be taken for UURISE Refugee and Immigrant Services and Education.
Worship leaders will include:
RejUUvenation Youth Leadership Collective with Penelope Venturini
Pacific Western Region Emerging Adult Task Force with Amelie Heise and Charlie Mara
Rev. Summer Albayati, UUA-PWR Staff
Rev. Justin Almeida, chaplain, affiliated with University Unitarian Church in Seattle
Marena McGregor, Assistant Director of Lifespan Religious Education, Mt. Diablo UU in Walnut Creek
Jamili Omar, Director of Lifespan Faith Formation, UU Church of Tucson
Music by Crispy Watkins
Matthew Clayton Davis, Sunday Service Coordinator
January 30, 2022: A Celebration of Membership
Doug Chambers (he/him) and Kathy Riehle (she/her), Worship Coordinators
We will explore and celebrate the joys and challenges of membership in a UU community. What does it mean to join a UU congregation? Why do we renew our membership every year? Is congregational membership a spiritual practice? What roads led each of us to BFUU? Honoring all members, new and old, past and future.
Why I am (Still) a UU - After 20 Years - link to podcast
Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr.
This sermon was originally delivered at the UU Church of Annapolis on May 23 of last year. Rev. John T. Crestwell, Jr, is one of the two senior ministers at UUCA-MD.You can hear “Part II” of his sermon here: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/126588757
Rev. John is a senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Annapolis. He is a mentor, singer, spiritual teacher, social justice advocate, coach, and father of five; he has been a nationally recognized UU minister for over 20 years.
NOTE: Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles previously scheduled service, “The Dawn of Everything—a New History of Humanity,” was cancelled due to unexpected circumstances. Rev. Carrie is fine, and we hope to reschedule this service in the future.
January 16, 2022: Where Grace was Blooming video
Dr. Melissa James (she/her), UUA PWR
In tumultuous times there is often a tendency for individuals and communities to turn inward. This can leave us feeling isolated, alone, and closed off to the experiences, gifts, and needs of others. What if it didn’t have to be that way? Deep within our UU theology is a commitment to covenant that connects us with each other, with our neighbors, and with all beings. When we turn our gaze from the “I” to the “we” spaces where grace has been blooming start to come into focus. Exploring the connection between covenant and grace we start to discover what is uniquely ours, individually and collectively to bring to the healing and flourishing of all in beloved community.
Dr. Melissa James is our new staff member for Congregational Life at the Pacific Western Regional office of the Unitarian Universalist Association, the specialist for stewardship, LGTBQIA+ inclusion and gender justice, and non-congregational covenanting communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Ethics and Social Theory from the Graduate Theological Union, of which Starr King is a member school.
January 9, 2022: Spirit of Life, Come to Me
Doug Chambers (he/him) and Kathy Riehle (she/her), Worship Coordinators
Today we conclude our 9-session Tapestry of Faith: Spirit of Life participatory worship series. We are invited to look back, look forward, reflect on our journey together, share our home chalices and our spiritual stories.
January 2, 2022: The Pareto Distribution Made Easy
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles looks at the tasks that follow Christmas Day, as we approach a New Year.
Friday December 24, 2021 at 5:00 PM: Christmas Eve Service
We will be having our Christmas Eve Service on Zoom this year, which will be a “Christmas Carol Celebration.” Come join us and sing along, or play an instrument! Collection plate donations will be shared with Berkeley Food and Housing Project - https://bfhp.org/
December 19, 2021: Wings Set Me Free: Hopes, Dreams, and Expanding Vision
Eva Doucette (she/her), Worship Coordinator
As we approach the end of our Tapestry of Faith: Spirit of Life worship series, we are invited to envision the next chapter of our journey, to explore our spirituality-related doubts, hopes and dreams, and to affirm one another's growth and potential.
December 12, 2021: Roots Hold Me Close: Tradition, Teachers, and Spiritual Formation
Paikea Melcher (she/her), Worship Coordinator
As we continue our journey through the Tapestry of Faith: Spirit of Life worship series, we are invited to get in touch with our roots, heritage, and traditions. We will honor role models, teachers, and mentors who have influenced us and offer a litany of thanks.
December 5, 2021: UUA General Assembly 2021 reflection, “Until Love Wins” by Rev. Karen Hutt link to UUA site with video
Rev. Karen Hutt’s Reflection begins at 47:46 in the UUA video.
Note: We shared Rev. Karen Hutt’s reflection because Rev. Marsh Agobert was unavailable to participate on the service previously scheduled: “Nyctophobia. We continue the conversation regarding the influence of the more obscure and language-challenged member of our human faculties, the one that many of us love least: The Unconscious Mind. We’ve learned ways of working with a tutelary spirit that’s lived in us through the ages. Einstein granted a great deal of credit for his insights into physics beyond Newton to this invisible friend, as did Newton himself. Today we will look into one of the ways that our denial of this close family member manifests when we repeatedly reject its gifts. As we forget to honor this all-knowing internal seer with our contemplative attention, we will see it manifest in ways often mysterious or even frightening.”
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
On the eve of the holiday, Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes the history of Hanukkah and this celebration in the time of the pandemic.
November 21, 2021: Giving Life the Shape Of Justice: The Spirituality Of Working For Change
Stephanie Doucette (she/her), Worship Coordinator
November 14, 2021: Move In the Hand: Living Our Spirituality in Our Day-To-Day Lives
Doug Chambers (he/him) and Kathy Riehle (she/her), Worship Coordinators
November 7, 2021: Residual Religion video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
October 31, 2021: Blow In the Wind, Rise In The Sea: Nature And Spirit
Douglas Chambers (he/him) & Kathy Riehle (she/her), Worship Coordinators
October 24, 2021: The Big Bang—and Seeing When the Universe Was Young video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reminds us of the origin of time, space, and matter as our scientists dispatch a new telescope to go into orbit 1.5 million kilometers from planet earth. The telescope will send us images that capture light that has been traveling for about 13.8 billion years.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
October 17, 2021: All the Stirrings of Compassion: Caring For One Another
Five Blessings video
Paikea Melcher (she/her), Worship Coordinator
How can we grow to experience hope and healing in the midst of life's challenges? We’ll create a blessing of our hands, our minds, our hearts, our spirits, and a blessing of our community. May our time together renew our spirits, deepen our community, and inspire us to lead lives of compassion and care to build the common good.
October 10, 2021: Our Spiritual Ground - A BFUU Poetry Service
Frances Hillyard (she/her), Worship Coordinator
October 3, 2021: Who Do We Want to Be When We Come Through This?
(sorry, video is unavailable for this service)
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
Let’s open a strictly positive conversation about who we want to be as a community. Today let us look at the smaller picture and, for a moment, release the planet’s broad concerns and “Straighten our room.” Who do We want to be coming out the other side of the Pandemic?
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who began his ministry with the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the late 70s and early 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families, and actively psychotic inpatients. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extensive experience in several spiritual practices, including martial arts and yogas such as Mindfulness, Anusara, and Tai-Chi/Qi Gong, being among the most recent during the past ten years.
September 26, 2021: Chocolate! Sacred, Sinful or Salubrious?
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles shares the history of cocoa as the gift of the gods, as the temptation to sinful addiction, and what we know today of its contribution to mental health.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
September 19, 2021: Sing In My Heart: Celebrations and Rituals
Eva Doucette (she/her), Worship Coordinator
One way Unitarian Universalist spirituality can be expressed is in the liturgies, ceremonies, and worship services we create. Rituals and celebrations are ways to appreciate life, face grief and sorrow, share joy and gratitude, and deepen relationships and core commitments. They add meaning and purpose to major life events, help us embrace change, help us express important emotions, including love and grief. They can help build community. And they can enhance personal connections with the sacred, with the Spirit of Life. Join us as we explore creating our ritual life together.
September 12, 2021: Side With Love
Douglas Chambers (he/him) & Kathy Riehle (she/her), Worship Coordinators
Ours is a theology of engagement. We draw inspiration and truth from experiencing each other and the world around us. In doing so, we witness both the beauty and the brokenness of our larger community and environment. Today, we will explore the creation of the UU Side With Love public witness campaign (with its famous golden yellow t-shirts), the twists and turns and controversies of history, and our own personal relationships to activism.
September 5, 2021: Kith and Kin: How we Become We and they Become They video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
In Chicago, I live in a vast neighborhood that is largely populated, with some increasing diversity, by conservative African-Americans. In Oakland, I live in a community that is mildly racially diverse and AND made up of both conservative and liberal people. What do we mean by diversity? Is it something we really want or is it the idea that we find attractive?
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who began his ministry with the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the late 70s and early 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families, and actively psychotic inpatients. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extensive experience in several spiritual practices, including martial arts and yogas such as Mindfulness, Anusara, and Tai-Chi/Qi Gong, being among the most recent during the past ten years.
Toni R. Battle (she/her)
Our guest speaker, Toni Renee Battle, an Equal Employment Opportunity Programs Senior Specialist with the City and County of San Francisco, spoke to us in May about reparations. This week Toni will tell us about the power of spirituals and hymns as healing components for Black people descended from the historical harm and trauma of slavery and jim crow. Spirituals were essential to the Civil Rights movement. Toni will lead us into a deeper understanding of this powerful, healing musical tradition.
Toni Renee Battle is a native of San Francisco, CA and was partially raised in the Southern state of Louisiana. Toni owns a small business called “Embrace Diversity…Embrace Success,” specializing in consulting services in the fields of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), communications and diversity. Currently, she is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Programs Senior Specialist with the City and County of San Francisco. She is also Founder of a cultural enrichment program called The Legacy Project which teaches culture, tradition and histories of Blacks and Native Americans to youth 7th through 12th grades. Her goal is to transition it into a Saturday school and eventually a Freedom School. She has more than 15 years of experience in these fields in both private and public sectors. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications; and attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH, obtaining a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Saint Mary’s College of CA in Moraga, CA majoring in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Social Justice. Her dissertation research focuses on historical harm trauma, generational grief and healing. Specifically, her research focuses on the impact of being descended from The Trail of Tears, slavery, banishment and lynching histories – on both the victim and perpetrator sides. She has received fellowships from Teach With Africa-South Africa and Columbia University’s Summer Teachers and Scholars Institute (STSI).
Toni specializes in diversity, communication, cultural dynamics, race relations, trauma and healing, and intra-racial prejudice. She has worked and trained in governmental, private, and educational organizations. She has certification in diversity dynamics from National Multicultural Institute (NMCI), in Washington, DC, specializing in cross-cultural dynamics/communication, sustained mediation dialogue, developing diversity initiatives, and diversity design& implementation, creating diversity councils, and recruiting and retaining a diverse workgroup. She holds additional certification in social justice mediation from Association for Dispute Resolution (ADR), Kingian Nonviolence training, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Practice. Her professional background includes: Television News Producer, Public Information Officer, Equal Employment Opportunity Manager, and Consultant; where she conducted media campaigns, produced television news, investigated discrimination complaints, customized mediations, and diversity consultations.
Toni has been a featured speaker and facilitator for clients which have included: Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, Bradley University, National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME), and Rosiland Franklin Medical School. Her specialty areas also include intra-racial prejudice and customized mediation techniques. She is a member of Lambda Iota Tau Honor Society (English/Literature), serves on the board of the Association of Dispute Resolution for Northern California (ADRNC), member of the California Association of Equal Rights Professionals, member of Equal Justice Society, member of National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME), and is Co-Founder of Welcome To the Table (WTTT), the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Coming to The Table (CTTT).
August 22, 2021: Living Longer: the Joys and Sorrows of Adding Years to Our Lives video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reviews the vital practices of increasing our lifespan and the emotional significance of living through new eras of our lives, as we embrace the sacred circle of life.
August 15, 2021: The Meaning of Membership
Doug Chambers (he/him) and Kathy Riehle (she/her)
We will hear stories of how some people come to join a UU congregation. What factors influenced her decision? What has it meant to him since? How has their spiritual journey been shaped by their congregational membership? How have our lives been changed? Has membership met your expectations? How has it fallen short? How has it risen above?
BFUU Worship Team
In 1637, a community of neighbors in Dedham, MA began to figure out how to form a church together. An exploration of congregational polity and decision-making in the free church tradition.
The Rev. Theodore Parker, famous Unitarian, Transcendentalist, and abolitionist who kept a pistol in his sermon writing desk. His two congregants, William and Ellen Craft, courageous husband and wife activists living in Boston, chosen as targets under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. The Unitarian president, Millard Fillmore, who signed that deadly Act into law. What can we learn today from their experiences and their choices? What might each of us have done, in their place?
July 25, 2021: The Heart of National Parents Day video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reflects on our “renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces that create and uphold life,” as we consider parenting.
July 18, 2021: Until the Wind Sings in Both Ears
Paikea Melcher (she/her)
July 11, 2021: Dragged Kicking and Screaming into Heaven
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vTqF3xLnrg
Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed (recorded)
Rev. Mark Morrison-Reed, preeminent scholar of the African-American Unitarian Universalist experience, reflects on the implications on our theological heritage of Universal Salvation.
July 4, 2021: Spirit of Life: a Vocabulary of Reverence
Doug Chambers (he/him) and Kathy Riehle (she/her)
The word “spirit” derives from the Latin word for breath and for inspiration. The “spirit of life” can be understood as inspiration for life, or the very breath of life. It can be felt as a loving force, a life force, or as (in the words of Rev. Howard Thurman) a growing edge, “the upward reach of life when weariness closes in upon all endeavor.” The spirit of life can be experienced as god or goddess, as deity unfolding, as divine comforter. It can be felt as the collective human spirit, the power of nature, or innate wisdom. We will explore a vocabulary of reverence drawn from the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook Singing the Living Tradition and its supplement, Singing the Journey.
On this Sunday, Canada celebrates All Saints Day. Unitarian Universalists offer no official sainthood to those who have given up their lives to stand for the profound principles of our faith. Yet Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles finds it well to offer our gratitude and admiration to Francis David, Servetus, and James Reeb for their wisdom and courage that has formed our faith through the ages.
Eva Doucette (she/her)
As our 2020-2021 program year draws to a close, we honor members of our volunteer lay leadership and reflect on our shared ministry together.
Doug Chambers (he/him) & Kathy Riehle (she/her)
June 6, 2021: Dedicated to the Proposition… video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
When we listen to the inspiring values in the remainder of this phrase, we are so moved that we never question their meaning. The meaning seems obvious, and in this age of lengthy and convoluted EULAs (end-user legal/license agreements) that we sign without regard for the promises we subsequently make, while being lulled into believing that whatever details follow don’t matter?
May 30, 2021: Reparations: An Act of Ancestral Atonement - video
Toni R. Battle (she/her)
In this day and age of the 21st century, America is painfully experiencing a reckoning on its past and present issues of race. The act of Reparations is the national conversation of how do you atone for the legacies that have been birthed from the histories of enslavement, Jim Crow, segregation, police brutality and systemic racism. Hear from a lynching descendant on the path to truth, healing and reparations.
Toni Renee Battle is a native of San Francisco, CA and was partially raised in the Southern state of Louisiana. Toni owns a small business called “Embrace Diversity…Embrace Success,” specializing in consulting services in the fields of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), communications and diversity. Currently, she is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Programs Senior Specialist with the City and County of San Francisco. She is also Founder of a cultural enrichment program called The Legacy Project which teaches culture, tradition and histories of Blacks and Native Americans to youth 7th through 12th grades. Her goal is to transition it into a Saturday school and eventually a Freedom School. She has more than 15 years of experience in these fields in both private and public sectors. She attended Fisk University in Nashville, TN, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communications; and attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH, obtaining a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Saint Mary’s College of CA in Moraga, CA majoring in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Social Justice. Her dissertation research focuses on historical harm trauma, generational grief and healing. Specifically, her research focuses on the impact of being descended from The Trail of Tears, slavery, banishment and lynching histories – on both the victim and perpetrator sides. She has received fellowships from Teach With Africa-South Africa and Columbia University’s Summer Teachers and Scholars Institute (STSI).
Toni specializes in diversity, communication, cultural dynamics, race relations, trauma and healing, and intra-racial prejudice. She has worked and trained in governmental, private, and educational organizations. She has certification in diversity dynamics from National Multicultural Institute (NMCI), in Washington, DC, specializing in cross-cultural dynamics/communication, sustained mediation dialogue, developing diversity initiatives, and diversity design& implementation, creating diversity councils, and recruiting and retaining a diverse workgroup. She holds additional certification in social justice mediation from Association for Dispute Resolution (ADR), Kingian Nonviolence training, and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Practice. Her professional background includes: Television News Producer, Public Information Officer, Equal Employment Opportunity Manager, and Consultant; where she conducted media campaigns, produced television news, investigated discrimination complaints, customized mediations, and diversity consultations.
Toni has been a featured speaker and facilitator for clients which have included: Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, Bradley University, National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME), and Rosiland Franklin Medical School. Her specialty areas also include intra-racial prejudice and customized mediation techniques. She is a member of Lambda Iota Tau Honor Society (English/Literature), serves on the board of the Association of Dispute Resolution for Northern California (ADRNC), member of the California Association of Equal Rights Professionals, member of Equal Justice Society, member of National Association of Multicultural Education (NAME), and is Co-Founder of Welcome To the Table (WTTT), the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of Coming to The Table (CTTT).
May 23, 2021: New Beginnings: The Way to a Greener World - video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles reviews the chances for success in limiting climate change, as the pandemic’s end offers hope for the survival of the interdependent web of all existence.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
May 16, 2021: Magic is Afoot
5/16/2021: Doug Chambers Opening Words & Magic! video
Nathaniel’s magic video not available for this service - see https://www.segalmagic.com/
Nathaniel Segal (he/him)
Have you ever been sure that you know something; secure in the veracity of a piece of data, only to find that your triple-checked knowledge is incorrect? Has your most deeply held belief about something ever been shaken by a new piece
of information? Join us as Nathaniel Segal asks the question: Can you believe your own eyes?
Nathaniel Segal is an award winning magician based out of the Los Angeles area. He has a degree from UC Berkeley in applied math and theater. He was a past president of the Oakland Magic Circle, teacher of the magic class at Cal, and has been invited to speak at the prestigious Gathering 4 Gardner celebration. He has most recently appeared on the hit television show Penn & Teller: Fool Us on the CW network. Nathaniel continues to perform and teach magic for companies and private events in the LA area and all over the world through online virtual entertainment.
May 9, 2021: From Slavery to Mass Incarceration, a Mother’s Day Reflection and Call to Action - video
Virginia Hollins-Davidson (she/her)
Let us take to heart the goals of BFUU’s Eighth Principle: To dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions. What can we, collectively and individually, do, immediately and over time, that would make a difference?
Virginia Hollins-Davidson, former Peace Corps volunteer, teacher, and attorney, has been at BFUU since 2010, serving on and chairing numerous committees. She currently chairs the nominating committee and serves on the Bay Area Poor People's Campaign Steering Committee. She loves to welcome others and help them feel at home at BFUU. Special joys are being with family, singing, traveling, and walking in nature.
May 2, 2021: How Big is Your Head? Continued - video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles weighs in, on this National Pet Parent Day, on the power of pets on our life and our lifespan, and how they help in this time of the pandemic.
April 18, 2021: Create Your Own Religion video
Paikea Melcher, lifelong BFUUer, will reflect on the value of our liturgical traditions, and ask each of us to consider three steps in spiritual creativity.
April 11, 2021: Trees Are Us: A BFUU Poetry Service
- Opening Words: “Amongst the Redwoods” written and read by Gene Herman
- Time for All Ages: “Fireflies fill the lowlands” written by Gene Herman, read by Eva; and “Dance of the Golden Poppies” written by Gene Herman, read by Paikea
- Meditation and Prayer: “Hope” written and read by Frances Hillyard
- Poetry Service: “The Ocean” written and read by Eva; “Gualala Winter” and “For the Man at Cape Arago with a Small Lacquer Box” written and read by Kathleen McClung; “Fountain” written, played, and sung by Deborah Hamouris; “At Twilight” written by Leigh Harwood and read by Sarah Bergdahl; “Hollow” written by Marianne Robinson and read by Virginia Hollins-Davidson; “Solstice Song Letting Go” and “The Messengers” by Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles
- Bendiction: “Survivors” written and read by Frances Hillyard
Frances Hillyard (she/her)
Today let’s take some time to savor creative expressions of wonder, awe and joy from people you care about but might not know as well as you think you do. Join in exploration through poetry and music, our place in the interdependent web of all existence.
April 4, 2021: Can We Agree – To Disagree?
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
We are about to engage in controversial while non-combative, and yet constructive, Conversation. While I have been gently and subtly gesticulating toward the message of communicating with those with whom we disagree, a grand opportunity for such has arisen; right here at home in BFUU. How, you may ask, does this address speaking to “The Other?” Well, we Fellows are perfectly capable of being our own Other. We know how to disagree– now let's take the next step and learn how to do so in a highly productive fashion.
March 28, 2021: Women in the Life of Jesus
3/28/21 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
3/28/21 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
On this Palm Sunday, we also celebrate Women’s History Month. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles will consider the significance of women in the life of Jesus and the legacy for today.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
March 21, 2021: Welcome All of You – A Holy Journey to Good Trouble
3/21/20 Pastor Jacqueline Duhart’s Sermon audio
3/21/20 Pastor Jacqueline Duhart's Sermon video
Pastor Jacqueline K. Duhart (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
Equity, diversity, and inclusion, in this present moment our national conversations are buzzing with discussions about equity, diversity and inclusion. Everywhere you look there is panel that unveils the injustices toward transgender and nonbinary folk. Wise leaders are being appointed to commissions to investigate the obstacles to inclusion. What is being offered to help the individual examine what keeps them from truly, sincerely, genuinely embracing “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” On a personal soul level do you 100% believe that YOU ARE worthy? Do you WELCOME ALL of who you are called to be?
Please join Pastor Jacqueline as we pause and journey inside to our souls to sit a spell. While there, take a spiritual look-see at what obstacles may block us from 100% welcoming all of who we are. A journey to good trouble.
Pastor Jacqueline K. Duhart: Black American- African descent, eldest sibling in a military family, lesbian, mother, committed partner & deeply spiritual/religious. Earned a Master’s of Science in Social Work (University of Texas) & a Masters of Divinity (Starr King School for the Ministry-2008). August 2019 received Certificate for Spiritual Direction (Interfaith Chaplaincy Institute, Berkeley CA). Retired from United States Air Force after 21 years of service (2000) and served in the first Gulf War, retired June 2019 from urban church ministry after ten years of service. Also served for 8 years as an intern and volunteer Chaplain at Federal Corrections Institute (facility for women) Dublin, CA. Avid gardener, hiker, lover of humanity, gospel music, walking meditations, authentic movement, creating beauty & being an instrument of grace, mercy & justice. Amin, Ashay, Blessed Be and Shalom.
March 14, 2021: Good Trouble: UU Women, Past, Present and Future
3/14/21 The Lucile Longview Story read by Christine, Judith, Paikea, and Joanna, with closing by Sarah audio
3/14/21 The Lucile Longview Story read by Christine, Judith, Paikea, and Joanna, with closing by Sarah video
UU women have been getting into “Good Trouble” for over 100 years. Why don’t we know their names or powerful accomplishments? You probably learned that Julia Ward Howe created “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” but have you heard of the Iowa Sisterhood? Do you know that Lucile Longview, a funny, feisty woman and her like-minded organizers led the way to creating our Seventh Principle? Women’s History Month is the time to celebrate stories of UU women leaders — told by our own female members. Share a story about your UU female ancestor or role model in the breakout room if you wish.
The civil rights movement in the 1960s brought Joanna in the UU world in Nashville, TN.
Joanna has chaired BFUU’s Worship Services Committee and the Aesthetics Subcommittee of Buildings and Grounds, and served on the Caring Committee. When she can find free time away from BFUU, Joanna is a practical mystic, a good cook, a folk dancer and the grandmother of two.
March 7, 2021: Why it’s So Hard to be an American
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
It seems as though The Insurrection is over and that our ‘Enemy’ has suffered a massive defeat. However, their orders were to Stand Back AND Standby. Why do we say that the South won the last Civil War, even after it seemed to be over? How Did the South win that war and how can we avoid repeating our mistake? Moreover – What’s fundamentally wrong with the idea of winning a civil war?
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who began his ministry with the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the late 70s and early 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families, and actively psychotic inpatients. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extensive experience in several spiritual practices, including martial arts and yogas such as Mindfulness, Anusara, and Tai-Chi/Qi Gong, being among the most recent during the past ten years.
February 28, 2021: Love and Marriage in the Time of the Pandemic
February 21, 2021: Celebrating Black History with a deeper understanding of our Next Door neighbor: Haiti
2/21/21 Dr. Yanick Louis-Lindquist message video
Nicky will present a brief overview of Haiti's rich and yet tumultuous history. She will reflect on her cross cultural experiences and the joy of reconnecting to her homeland after decades of living abroad.
Oasis Service Flyer
Dr. Yanick Louis-Lindquist, also known as Nicky was born and raised in Haiti under the brutal dictatorship of Dr. Jean Francois Duvalier known as Papa Doc. She immigrated to Boston in her early teens where she joined her family. Education played a huge role in her life even as she struggled in school to learn a new language and adapted to a new culture. Her mom always instilled in her that she must strive to do her best in school because no one will ever be able to take her knowledge away from her. Her mom also taught her that she had the responsibility to help those she left behind in her homeland.
Nicky earned her Bachelors in French and Spanish at Notre Dame College in Manchester, N.H. She pursued a career in Education and made her mother proud when she earned a PH.D in Bilingual Education. She also wrote a Children's book entitled: A Visit To My Homeland: Haiti. She wanted to make it easier for newly arrived Haitian children to feel a sense of belonging in the classroom environment and feel both valued and validated when they see their own experiences reflected in a book.
One of Nicky's most significant achievements of which she is very proud is her establishment of a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Oasis For Haiti's Children was established on her family land in Haiti after the 2010 devastating earthquake. This Facility is now a Sport and Education Center where children in distant villages are now exposed to a variety of sports and able to have a nutritious meal a day. This has been a true Oasis in that community where children can come and learn, play sport, socialize and be children for at least part of the day and forget their every day hardship. This has been a
family operation where her three sons have become passionate about volunteering and mentoring children who grew up less fortunate.
Nicky loves to travel. Her passion for service traveling has taken her to faraway lands with Global Volunteers. She held Summer workshops for new teachers and shared her best teaching practices in Ghana, Tanzania, Thailand and India. However, the trip that impacted her the most was visiting the Elmina Slave Castle on the Western Coast of Ghana where she walked through the dark dungeons used to confine her ancestors. She tried to visualize how they must have felt in such unimaginable inhumane conditions before they exited the "Door of No Return" for their fateful journey to the New World. Her cross-cultural experiences have widened her horizons, becoming more accepting of others and living a life filled with gratitude.
February 14, 2021: We Are All Together: Love
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
Kele Nitoto reminds us on Valentine's Day that love is more than just the romantic feelings shared between couples. Love is broader and deeper than that, encompassing the actions we take together to build love for our communities. Love is an action verb, a command – go forth and create love.
February 7, 2021: How We Got Here and How We Move Forward as a Nation
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
January 31, 2021: Tapestry of Faith—Themes in UU History
January 24, 2021: Deadly Justice: Capital Punishment in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave
1/24/21 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
1/24/21 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
In its final weeks in office, the Trump administration has resumed federal executions after a 17-year hiatus. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles looks back over the history of capital punishment, the structure of our laws, and the arguments for and against the death penalty.
January 17, 2021: Martin and Malcolm Were Both Right
1/17/21 Clovice Lewis’s Sermon audio
1/17/21 Clovice Lewis’s Sermon video
Clovice Lewis (he/him)
People often tend to compare Martin Luther King, Jr.’s approach towards the Civil Rights movement in the United States with Malcolm X’s approach. Some feel our country “dodged a bullet” by taking King's non-violent path. Many of us are aware that both men expressed very nuanced opinions that contradicted the public perceptions of their positions. This sermon examines how those nuances speak powerfully to the historical confluences that shape our racial challenges to this day.
January 10, 2021: Begin The Year in Forgiveness. Here’s Why.
1/10/21 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
1/10/21 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
To begin this year (with the blessing of the approaching Metal Ox) I will share one of the lessons I learned from a small snake, with whom I lived for some years. Forgiveness is a tremendously powerful gesture for ending one year and starting another. He showed me why we’d do well to forgive our loved ones, then ourselves and eventually our enemies. After all, “We’re only human.”
January 3, 2021: Now the Work Begins
1/3/21 Melanie DeMore’s Sermon audio
1/3/21 Melanie DeMore’s Sermon video
Melanie DeMore (she/he/they/them)
Many see the outcome of this election as a battle that’s been won, but the war has just begun. A door has opened onto a path that we can choose to walk, every day, on our way to a better world. Right here, right now, we are tasked to keep doing the work of Justice. What does it mean to be a true ally to our fellow people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ persons, unhoused, youth, and so many more? Join us as we look at THAT!
Melanie DeMore has traveled the world, was a founding member of the Grammy nominated vocal ensemble Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and is constantly amazed by her life. But nothing is closer to her heart than bringing people together wherever she is to experience the healing power of music. Whether she’s performing solo, leading stick pounding workshops , doing residencies with choirs all over the country or teaching Sound Awareness to sixth graders, baby boomers, or senior citizens, one thing is certain: her mission is to make sure you unlock the key to experiencing yourself in all your Glory and return home with the very same excitement and passion for living that she herself has. When she comes your way, her energy will charge the very air you breathe like a meteor shower, so get ready to rise up!
2020
12/27/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
12/27/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie will again focus on the extraordinary crises our government faces as we approach the coming 25 days to the Inauguration of President-elect Biden—and reflect on how we can live with the unexpected in this time of a surging pandemic.
December 24, 2020: Christmas Eve Service: A Musical Christmas Around the World
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
*Please join us at 5:00 PM for this special service!*
Santa brings gifts to people around the world while sharing favorite songs he learns on his travels. He ends up in the USA, singing with us the Christmas Carols that we have come to love.
Worship Service December 20, 2020: Winter Solstice
12/20/20 Max Venture Message audio
12/20/20 Max Venture Message video
BFUU Pagans and Friends
We will gather to celebrate the Longest Night, the rich and sacred Darkness that allows us to rest and nurtures the seeds of possibility. Maxina Ventura, longtime musician, activist, and priestess in the Reclaiming tradition, will lead us.
December 13, 2020: Reparations
12/13/20 Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at’s Message audio
12/13/20 Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at’s Message video
Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at (he/him)
In many ways, Reparations are already being won. Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at makes the point that reparations are about much more than a check. So discussing Reparations at this moment, considering the options, respectfully debating our differences, planning our strategies, studying our story of humanity, and more is a victory! While we are making great strides, overcoming some of the deepest effects of white terrorist supremacy and black self-hatred might take generations. What is key is that WE get and stay on the Reparations, and Ma’at, paths.
Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at (fka European enslavement name, J. “Harry” Armstrong) seeks the sacred Way of our beloved Ancients and Ancestors, manifested in Ma’at. He is an ascendant of the Yoruba and Ewondo nations in Alkebulan-Afrika, who were captured as prisoners of war and tortured and enslaved in the 13 European colonies and what has become the United States of America. He is a Baba (Father) of one Sun, Chioke Bakari and mentor of many youth over the years. As well, Baba Jahahara is a Pan Africanist, socialist, (inter)nationalist and supporter of full equality and reparations for women and girls. In 2014, he “FREE-tired” after serving for more than four decades as a successful community-labor-environmental justice and human rights organizer (in Chicago, Kansas City, New York, the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Area and around the African Diaspora). In addition, he is a long-time yogi, martial artist, organic plantarian (vegan), writer, composer/musician and author of several books, including “Many Paths to Kujichagulia (Self-Determination).” Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at is a Life Member, former National Male Co-Chair, recently-assigned Acting West Regional Representative and past editor/publisher of REPARATIONS NOW! for the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA); and also served for a number of years as African Initiative Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee, a Nobel Peace Prize-awarded international humanitarian organization. While planning for repatriation to the African continent, Baba Jahahara Amen-RA Alkebulan-Ma’at currently resides in the sacred Indigenous lands of the OHLONE people, now known as Oakland, California. Reach him c/o This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or FONAMI, P.O. Box 10963, Oakland, CA 94610.
December 6, 2020: Being Present is EVERYTHING
12/6/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
12/6/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
“May you live in interesting times.” This is an old Chinese saying… Well, actually a curse. Whether a saying or a curse is a matter of perspective. Yet, we Can say: We live in interesting times. So that double edge has never been more clear, as our culture comes of age. To the extent that we feel at the mercy of the tremendous tidal pulls of this moment, is the extent to which we are paying attention. If you’re not sure if you’re getting it (everything) right at this time…you ARE paying attention. Being present is even a challenge for the enlightened. One definition of enlightenment might simply mean that one releases resistance and accepts the challenge.
November 29, 2020: Cathedral of the World
11/29/20 BFUU Cathedral of the World Excerpts Audio - coming soon!
11/29/20 BFUU Cathedral of the World Excerpts Video
BFUU Worship Team
It behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming. — Ralph Waldo Emerson. Reflections and conversation about the UU tradition and our BFUU spiritual practices, with words by Rev. Dr. Forrest Church.
November 22, 2020: Our Democracy Going Forward
11/22/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
11/22/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles will summarize the state of our nation, twenty days after the 2020 election, and consider the future we face in the halls of power: the presidency, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Supreme Court. What tasks may we face, as citizens of a country in transition?
November 15, 2020: Adapting to Adapting
11/15/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
11/15/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him)
What the heck! Let’s get good at this.
November 8, 2020: Sacred Waiting
Pastor Jacqueline K. Duhart (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
11/8/20 Pastor Jacqueline Duhart’s Sermon audio
11/8/20 Pastor Jacqueline Duhart’s Sermon video
As one of my seminary professors stated, “There are some times in history that are THICK times. So much is happening and in flux.” Now is such a time. Our personal and communal lives are very pregnant. For some, waiting for the labor and birth process to begin in earnest is painfully overdue. Our national and global connections are strained at best. What’s a human to do? How shall we BE during this time of watching and waiting? Please join us as we explore what it means to brave the waiting and to stay connected in kindness and bright hope.
November 1, 2020: Honoring Our Ancestors, Beloved Dead, and the Cycle of Life
11/1/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message audio
11/1/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message video
Evelie Delfino Såles Posch (she/her/siya) Worship Facilitator
The two Readings will consist of the Litany of the Names of the Beloved Dead. We ask you to submit names now for the Readings, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. At home, please prepare their Ofrenda/Altar with their favorites: spirits, food, colors; have extra tea lights to light (safely) when the names you have submitted are read.
We will deepen our connection with meditation, music, praying, singing, and visualizing our future for a better world, and ways to take steps to attain what we envision. Evelie will have Special Guests join us.
October 25, 2020: Blessing Our Sisters and Brothers of the Sea: the Life of Whales
10/25/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
10/25/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her) Worship Leader
October 18, 2020: Blessing of the Animals: Hypoallergenic and Conflict-free on Zoom!
10/18/20 Leigh Harwood and Joanna Foley’s Message audio
10/18/20 Leigh Harwood and Joanna Foley’s Message video
It’s time once again for BFUU’s annual Blessing of the Animals service. This ceremony acknowledges that our lives are made richer by all the creatures that inhabit the Earth with us, not just those that share our homes. As we affirm our UU seventh principle on the interconnected web of all existence, we come together in the pure joy and playfulness that characterizes our lives with animals. Congregants are encouraged to bring their pets to the service on Zoom, and share stories about animals in their lives.
Joanna Foley is a former journalist, retired social worker, and the Chair of the BFUU Worship Services Committee.
October 11, 2020: Voting During COVID-19
10/11/20 Adena Ishii’s Message audio
October 4, 2020: Where to from Here?
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
10/4/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
This is a big moment and we shall not drop the ball now. Let’s clarify what’s left for us to do.
September 27, 2020: Yom Kippur: The Day to Cast Away Our Sins
(sorry, audio and video are unavailable for this service)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her) Worship Leader
September 20, 2020: The Great Transition Part Two
9/20/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
9/20/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
We, at BFUU, have an open conversation regarding the current “great revealing.”* There are areas of interest for most everyone. How the two most recent entries (the surge in Black Lives Matter and the viral pandemic) will come to impact our movement forward in time has yet to be determined. Yet we have been graced with a momentary pause to consider such questions. Where do we want to come out on the other side of this moment, and how can we make the most of it? What role can our small community play in this event? Part two: Given we don’t need to know how to do something before setting out to create or do it, what can we do to get where we want to be?
*Apocalypse: Greek apokálypsis revelation, equivalent to apokalýp(tein) to uncover, reveal.
September 13, 2020: Celebrating the 13th Anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
9/13/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message audio
9/13/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message video
Evelie Delfino Såles Posch (she/her/siya), Worship Facilitator
Look to our ancestors and we can discover our indigenous roots around the globe. Our world is rich with art, culture, music and spirituality to commemorate our ancient creation stories. Here in America is a link to find out what land we are on: native-land.ca. Please research and bring that information to share. If you feel called, set up an altar with items representing the Directions and Elements. Evelie will have surprise special guests joining our ceremonial-service.
Service September 6, 2020: Update on Migrant Community
9/6/20 Patricia Contreras-Flores’s Message audio
*9/6/20 Patricia Contreras-Flores’s Message video
Patricia Contreras-Flores (she/her), Guest Speaker
Mutual aid for immigrants in this moment: front line stories shared about what is happening and how to support communities.
Patricia Contreras-Flores is a Bay Area raised Community Bruja and Organizer who works at Street Level Health Project.
*Note: the audio is complete, but the video begins after Patricia Contreras-Flores's first sentence. Please listen to the audio to hear that sentence, in which she expresses being honored as a conscious settler in these occupied precious Chochenyo Ohlone lands.
August 30, 2020: Rising to the Climate Emergency: What Can We Count On?
8/30/20 (from 9/8/19) Joanna Macy Message audio
8/30/20 (from 9/8/19) Joanna Macy Message video*
Joanna Macy (she/her), Guest Speaker
My dear ones, we are old.
You may think I look old. I’m a spring chicken compared to you when you see how deep is the age in you. But just count, it’s okay if you just count your age as that of Gaia. 4-some billion years.
So when you decide to stand up in the meeting, when you decide to move out and do what you need to do for the sake of the planet and for the climate and to still the fires, you will know your true age and your true authority.
Glad to be part of you.
Thank you.”
8/23/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
On this 100th Anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote, Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles traces the history of voting rights for African American women and other women of color, and the fight for equality in all walks of life.
8/16/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
8/16/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
Rev. Marsh was unable to attend Worship Service, so the Worship Team shared his July sermon (reposted above), inviting further reflection on that theme.
*Apocalypse: Greek apokálypsis revelation, equivalent to apokalýp(tein) to uncover, reveal.
August 9, 2020: The Color-Blind Society and Other Myths: Dismantling Racism in America
8/9/20 Clovice Lewis’s Message audio
8/9/20 Clovice Lewis’s Message video
Clovice Lewis (he/him), Guest Worship Leader
Through his many careers as music composer and performer, entrepreneur/software designer, and professor of computer music, the unifying life theme for Clovice Lewis has been his personal mission to break down racial, gender, class and ethnic barriers. Through his spoken and musical messages, Clovice urgently reminds the world of the madness of human self-extinction.
August 2, 2020: Youth Leaders Stepping Forward
8/2/20 Mame Diarra AbdurRahman and Reginald Gentry audio
8/2/20 Mame Diarra AbdurRahman and Reginald Gentry video
NOTE: references are made in audio and video to the YSA website: https://youthspiritartworks.org/
Mame Diarra AbdurRahman (she/her), and Reginald Gentry (he/him), Guest Speakers
Recent headlines bring news about young people stepping up to organize large protests about anti-Black police violence. Young voices speaking truth to power! Meanwhile, although not as visible to the world at large, Youth Spirit Artworks is empowering its own group of youth leaders. Several of its talented artists will report on their work to serve unhoused and housing-insecure young people. Building tiny homes together, their vision is to create Tiny Home villages where young people can thrive through mutual support.
July 26, 2020: The Puzzle of Sudoku: If It’s Mind, Does It Matter?
7/26/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
7/26/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
In this time of stress and isolation, when the future remains uncertain in so many spheres of our lives, we do well to seek refuge in solo activities that can give us pleasure and a sense of accomplishment. Rev. Dr. Carrie considers the evidence that mastering puzzles like Sudoku has promise not only of escape from stress but also of strengthening our cognitive skills that support us beyond the challenges of today.
July 19, 2020: The Great Transition Part One
7/19/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
7/19/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
We, at BFUU, have an open conversation regarding the current “great revealing.”* There are areas of interest for most everyone. How the two most recent entries (the surge in Black Lives Matter and the viral pandemic) will come to impact our movement forward in time has yet to be determined. Yet we have been graced with a momentary pause to consider such questions. Where do we want to come out on the other side of this moment, and how can we make the most of it? What role can our small community play in this event? Part one: Identifying the (potential) changes on the table.
*Apocalypse: Greek apokálypsis revelation, equivalent to apokalýp(tein) to uncover, reveal.
July 12, 2020: There’s Something Wrong With the Village; reflections on being the parent of a trans-gender teen
7/12/20 Rev. Ben Meyers’s Sermon audio
7/12/20 Rev. Ben Meyers’s Sermon video
Rev. Ben Meyers (he/him), Guest Worship Leader
There’s a famous African proverb often quoted by white liberals: “It takes a village to raise a child.” And yet...if we’re unable to raise ALL of our children, including our trans-, gender non-binary children, then there must be something wrong with the village. The sermon looks at what that might be, based on direct experience.
July 5, 2020: InterBeing | Interdependence | Interrelatedness
7/05/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message audio
7/05/20 Evelie Delfino Såles Posch’s Message video
Come to a Ritual to celebrate InterBeing | Interdependence | Interrelatedness. We’ll create a sacred space to hold our Intention to re-discover, re-member how we Inter- are, are interdependent, are interrelated and thus how change and transformation may happen for ourSelves and how we affect each other; for a shifting of our brain waves; for inspiration to take action supporting humanity’s needs for environmental and social justice. Let’s weave a journey of singing, healing, guided meditation/ vision quest, indigenous shamanic blessing & wisdom, poetry, readings, and more. If you wish, you may prepare your altar at home with correlating symbols of the Directions & Elemental Spirits: North/Mother Earth (Ancestors, Nature spirits); East/Air (Breath, Spiritual Vision); South/Fire (Energy/Passion, Inner Will); West/ Water (Dreaming; Feeling); Center/Spirit (Alchemy/Change; Ultimate Mystery).
Pinagpala na/ Blessed Be.
June 28, 2020: Pride Service: 50th Anniversary of Stonewall
Ira X Armstrong (they/them) and Aïsha-Linnáea Joy Holden (she/her), Lay Worship Leaders
6/28/20 Melanie DeMore’s Message audio
6/28/20 Melanie DeMore’s Message video
June 21, 2020: The Power of Curiosity
6/21/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
6/21/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
June 14, 2020: Riding the Storm—Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
6/14/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
6/14/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her) Worship Leader
As we approach the halfway mark of the year 2020, Rev. Dr. Carrie looks back over the pandemic crisis and what we hope for on the path forward.
June 7, 2020: From Marching to Zooming: Activism in the Age of Shelter in Place
6/7/20 Rev. Tom and Rev. Rowan’s Sermon audio
6/7/20 Rev. Tom and Rev. Rowan’s video
Rev. Tom McAninley (he/him) and Rev. Rowan Fairgrove (she/her), Guest Worship Leaders
From canceling fundraising films and a live mass assembly and march on the Mall in Washington, DC, to zoom and webinar organizing and car caravans, we in the Poor People’s Campaign have had to adjust and be very creative about social justice work while “Staying Home, Staying Alive and Organizing.” Rev. Rowan and Rev. Tom will share their strategies for activism TODAY!
Rev. Tom McAninley is a long time member of BFUU, serving on the board for the maximum of eight years, being president or co-president for many of those years. He also served many years on the Worship Committee. He was ordained by BFUU in 2017.He has been on the Bay Area Steering Committee of the Poor People's Campaign since October of 2019.
May 31, 2020: The Journey of 1,000 Miles Begins with One Step
5/31/20 Andrea Henson’s Message audio
5/31/20 Andrea Henson’s Message video
Andrea Henson (she/her), Guest Speaker
The COVID-19 virus has upended many of our lives, and especially those of our unhoused friends. Andrea Henson from Where Do We Go, Berkeley? brings us up to date on what is going on in the homeless community and what steps we can take now to help all of us on our journey together.
5/24/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon audio
5/24/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles considers the fate of the messenger of bad news when sailors face the pandemic that came on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt. Their story brings to the fore the concerns with the widening spread of the coronavirus through the military and the lagging response.
5/17/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon audio
5/17/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
If you look at it carefully, you will find that more people can tell you what they don’t want much more clearly than they know what they do want. Well, isn't that OK, non-attachment, and all? Wanting things might be the seat of greed. Some of the best advice I can proffer would be to become curious about this.
The original Mother’s Day was created as a war protest. This Mother’s Day, please join Ira X Armstrong and Johanna Holden as they explore gender, motherhood, and the power of mamas and their allies and accomplices to unite in solidarity towards a world that values the life of all beings and of the earth.
5/3/20 Ira X Armstrong’s Homily Audio 5/3/20
5/3/20 Ira X Armstrong’s Homily Video
5/3/20 Order of Service
Ira X Armstrong, Lay Worship Leader
4/26/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon Audio
4/26/20 Rev. Dr. Carrie’s Sermon video
4/26/20 Order of Service
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
In the month of Ramadan, our sisters and brothers of the Islamic faith fast every day till evening. This summer on July 30th and again on September 28th, Jews will fast for a day. Christians, Buddhists, Taoists, Jains and Hindus practice fasting. Rev. Dr. Carrie explores the question of how fasting became part of the spiritual life of human beings.
4/19/20 Rev. Marsh’s Sermon video
4/19/20 Order of Service
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
We’ve spoken of gratitude before. This is intended to be a return to that subject; among the greatest of all subjects and states of being. It seems particularly important at this point in time when it might be too easy to overlook its magic.
4/12/20 Jeff Palmer’s Message audio
4/12/20 Jeff Palmer's Message video
Jeff Palmer (he/him), Lay Worship Leader
At times of distress and disaster we need a resurrection, an infusion of new life and new possibilities. Two thousand years ago the disciples of Jesus needed a resurrection to turn their disaster into hope. Today we look for our own sense resurrection in unsettled times.
April 5, 2020: Finding Hope Among Sacred Loss
4/5/20: Joe Gabaeff’s Sermon audio
4/5/20 Joe Gabaeff's Message video
4/5/20 Order of Service
Joe Gabaeff (he/him), Guest Worship Leader
With a pandemic upon us, we are inundated with messages of loss, fear and uncertainty. And, from the cracks that have appeared on our lives, there is light flowing through in the form of love, connection and hope. Join us as we honor sacred loss and elevate the importance of our elders finding and spreading hope in these difficult times.
March 29, 2020: How to Hold Onto Each Other at Arm’s Length
3/29/20: Melanie DeMore’s Message audio
3/29/20 Melanie DeMore’s Message video
3/29/20 Full Service video (edited for privacy) on YouTube
3/29/20 Order of Service
Melanie DeMore (she/he/they/them), Guest Worship Leader
we can always count on a message of hope from Melanie DeMore, the powerful musician and Oakland-based vocal activist whose anthem “One Foot in Front of the Other” inspired millions after the 2016 election.
March 22, 2020: Love in a Time of Novel Coronavirus
3/22/20: Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles’s Sermon audio
3/22/20 Full Service video (edited for privacy) on YouTube
3/22/20 Order of Service
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles considers the level of community upheaval in the face of the pandemic affecting our nation, our people, and how to keep our mental balance.
March 15, 2020: Building the Star Trek Future
3/15/20 Laila Ibrahim’s Sermon video
3/15/20 Order of Service
Laila Ibrahim (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
The stories we tell about our past can help us more honestly understand our present – or keep reinforcing the myths that maintain they system of oppression and privilege we were born into. It takes humility and accountability to reveal the painful truth hidden in plain sight.
Author Laila Ibrahim, a devout UU and active member of First Unitarian Church of Oakland, will speak about her challenge to write meaningful stories about the historical legacies that shape our world today. She had sold more than 1.3 million novels in 10 languages.
March 8, 2021: Good Cop, Bad Cop? When Women Call for Help (sermon audio)
Reflection on Women’s Activism and the Consequences by Joanna Foley
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
Nell Myhand (she/her), Guest Speaker
In these perilous political times we are admonished to wake up, if we are asleep and to stay woke if we are awake. But is woke enough? We will think together about what is required to bring about the changes that we need to have the society we want. One that values all of us and the planet.
Clovice Lewis (he/him), Worship Leader
This service will focus on the power of music to encourage social justice. Music will take the lead, so be prepared to bring your voice. In addition to music of liberation and justice, Clovice will also offer selections from his new musical about social justice, “Harlem Voices.”
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
Any conversation regarding race indicates controversy, a myriad of historical references, current factoids and a cyclone of emotion. Today we will simplify our quest with a look at three simple points that may help raise our Racial IQ by, well, three points; if we can relax and pay close attention. Fear not.
Minister Cherri Murphy (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
Although displacement happens to everyone, it mostly affects African Americans. Ten years ago, African Americans comprised 40% of the City of Oakland. Today that number hovers around 28%. Of those living on the streets, 70% are African American.
This abomination provides a much-needed spiritual response to the Empire’s legal and unjust methods to justify acts of violence and invites us to imagine new practices of belonging for EVERYBODY. Without an intentional practice of “getting free,” our souls are in grave jeopardy of becoming inaccessible.
Minister Cherri Murphy is a social justice minister in the East Bay area, and a Doctoral Student at GTU-American Baptist Seminary of the West. She is also a member and licensed spiritual practitioner at Heart and Soul Center located in Oakland, Ca.
January 26, 2020: The Magical Gift of Light sermon audio
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
As the new year begins, our planet is changing the angle of its path around the sun. Long nights of darkness are yielding to the light of our star. Rev. Dr. Carrie considers forgiveness and peace of spirit in the comfort of the growing light.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with providing pastoral care at BFUU and preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a memoir.
January 19, 2020: The Tribal Mind sermon audio
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
The tribal mind is one of the most profound characters in our intimate theater and one of the oldest. It’s the tribal mind that is responsible for nearly, if not every inhibition, internal warning, shame, paranoiac fear, and every should, ought or have to. At the same time, it is a primary player in how we’ve survived thus far. Like the notorious Ego, its sole job has been to browbeat us into both our collective and personal survival. That is until it isn’t.
How do we know that growth and change are necessary? Because it is these very mechanisms that brought about our survival in the past, which bring us to our current brink.
On this morning, we will seek the truths of the Tribal Mind, and perhaps gain some practical insight into why we “Seek the Truths (plural) in Life.”
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who ministered to the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the 70s and 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families and the actively psychotic. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extended experience in several spiritual practices including martial arts, and other yogas.
January 12, 2020: Humanity, Nature and the 5G Apocalypse sermon audio
Gar Smith (he/him), Guest Speaker
An overview of the invisible health and environmental impacts of the “5G wireless revolution” that lies behind The Internet of Things.
January 5, 2020: The Secret Life of Trees message audio
Joe Gabaeff (he/him), Guest Worship Leader
Father Richard Rohr teaches that on an individual and societal basis, “The way we do one thing is the way we do everything.” Today we will explore this statement through the lens of our society’s treatment of trees. We all know they are alive, vital to our existence and beautiful, yet as a people, we have no issue treating them as mere objects, ornaments and nuisances - things to be cut, killed and grown as we see fit. In many ways, we treat their livelihood like they are invisibly hiding in plain sight. Drawing from recent research on the social nature of trees, how they grow and interconnect, we see there is much more going on in their existence than we thought. With these understandings in hand, as a community that values and recognizes life in all forms, how will we respond, and what does this say about our society's treatment of human lives?
Joe Gabaeff (he/him) is a first-year Mdiv student at Starr King School for the Ministry, looking toward ordination into the Unitarian Universalist movement. A former video game attorney, Joe decided to leave the corporate world to pursue a calling in creating safe spaces for others to further self-discover their own authenticity. As a lover of the other-than-human world, his ministry seeks to emphasize the interdependent nature of our existence with the web of All, and welcome in all sides of life as necessary for living from our true, authentic selves. The most important thing for you to know about Joe, is that, You, all of You, are welcome here.
2019
December 29, 2019: Breaking Chains, Black Voices Rising
This message is in two parts:
Doug Chambers (he/him), Lay Worship Leader (audio)
Ira X Armstrong (they/them), Lay Worship Leader (audio)
Worship Leaders Ira X and Doug, Worship Associate Virginia Hollins-Davidson, and other members of African descent celebrate the contributions of Black individuals and communities to the beautiful mosaic of Unitarian Universalism. From Whitney Young, Jr. to the current leaders of BFUU, African American Unitarians are leading us all to a better future.
December 24, 2019: Christmas Eve sermon audio
Lauren Way (they/them), Guest Worship Leader
Lauren Way returns for another service of lighting candles, singing carols and sharing hopes for joy, love and peace in the coming year. This service welcomes all who are seeking warm fellowship and refuge from the commercialism of the Yule holiday. Families with children are especially welcome.
Lauren Way’s journey has involved seminary work at Starr King, scientific research, bartending, direct services, peer advocacy and education. They always come back to heart connections.
December 22, 2019: Overshadowed by Love
Rev. Emily Hartlief (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
In the midst of the holiday season, we pause and reflect on what is most important to us, and how we can be more fully present to the miracle of life.
Rev. Emily Hartlief is a pastor, storyteller, parent, doula and poet. Not always in that order. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she has served congregations of every size and flavor in Southern California, Western New York and British Columbia. She lives in Berkeley with her partner, Marcus, also a UU minister, and her son, Henry
December 15, 2019: Relationship, Compatibility and World Order – Our story to date
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
If you are comfortable and secure in humanity’s continuity and truly have no concern, feeling we have it handled – this conversation will be a waste of your time. Do something fun instead. I believe we are still, at this late date, searching for some key to empowering everything we could do.
In addition to several good ideas as to how we can move through the current crisis, we need to find personal motivations to do whatever is necessary, whatever it takes to survive this moment. When we find the right (our real) motivation to move forward we will know our personal paths and those will irresistibly attract each of us.
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who ministered to the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the 70s and 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families and the actively psychotic. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extended experience in several spiritual practices including martial arts, and other yogas.
December 8, 2019: The Radical Teachings of Jesus
Jeff Palmer (he/him), Lay Worship Leader
What were the radical teachings of Jesus, how did he come by them, and how did the Early Church follow them? Are any of them useful in today’s modern society?
Jeff grew up in the East Bay and attended Christian churches until adulthood. He has been a plumber, public school teacher, and a volunteer at a variety places including Haiti and more recently at BFUU as chair of Sunday Service Committee, and a board member. He joined BFUU a few years ago and he and his wife Margaret want to continue to be involved in the exciting things that BFUU does for social and environmental justice.
December 1, 2019: Journey into the Heart: Bhakti and Kirtan
Sita Devi (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
Journey into the heart through Bhakti yoga and the practice of Kirtan, ecstatic group chanting, with Sita Devi, in the ancient language of Sanskrit. Transcend the material monkey mind and connect deeply with spirit and the divine through sound and song. No experience necessary, come with an open heart and mind.
Sita Devi is an International Kirtan singer and Yoga Instructor with a BFA in Dance from UCSB and registered as an ERYT 500 with the yoga alliance in 2007. In 2010 she took initiation into the Gaudia Vashnav lineage under the instruction of Swami B.V. Narayan Maharaj. Sita returns to Vrindavan, India yearly to deepen her knowledge and practice of Bhakti Yoga.
November 24, 2019: Why Can’t Religion and Evolution Just Get Along?
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
One hundred and sixty years ago today, Charles Darwin’s world-changing book, “On the Origin of Species,” was published in England. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles surveys the almost endless struggle over time between conservative religious doctrine and the careful, caring science that upended old assumptions with the power of truth.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she is active with the Rossmoor Interfaith Council and also writes poetry and short stories.
November 17, 2019: Joy in the Darkness
Claire Eustace, MDiv (she/her), Worship Leader
It is said that joy and sorrow are two sides of the same coin. In this service we will delve into the mystery of what brings us joy and how to access it in our lives. We will move, sing, and be still as we contemplate joy in the short days of this season.
Claire Eustace is a Unitarian Universalist ministerial candidate who serves as a hospice chaplain in the East Bay. Claire is a member of First Unitarian Church of Oakland and graduate of Pacific School of Religion. She lives in Oakland with her spouse, child, and two cats.
November 10, 2019: Patience & Kelly visit BFUU for a Zimbabwean themed service
Kelly Takunda Orphan (she/her), Guest Speaker
Kelly will tell us about her musical journey and how it moved her spirit to embrace Zimbabwean music and how it transformed her and the music community here in the Bay Area.
We have the honor of meeting Patience Munjeri who is visiting here from Zimbabwe. Patience will share her Zimbabwean culture and music.
Patience Munjeri, one of Zimbabwe’s rare women mbira players, has played in traditional ceremonies since she was very young. Because her mother is a traditional healer and medium and her brothers also played mbira for the spirits, Patience grew up immersed in mbira music and deep Shona culture. She has earned a university degree and communicates very well in English.
Kelly Takunda Orphan received a grant in 1994 to do a year-long Ethnomusicology course at the University of Zimbabwe as part of her California State University education. Kelly continues to have a strong relationship with the musicians who reside in Zimbabwe and has been fortunate to travel back to Zimbabwe this year to record a new album with her band The KTO Project. The Record release party will be held at the Freight & Salvage Jan 28, 2020.
November 3,2019: An Unsettling Force, the Revival of Class Organizing
Millie Phillips (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
The past several years have demonstrated an enthusiastic revival of organizing on the basis of class. From teachers unable to afford to live where they work to the new Poor Peoples Campaign reintroducing the spirit and tactics of the Civil Rights Movement, more and more of us are realizing that economic injustice is entwined at the roots of all our social problems. Frankly, many UUs have been a bit slow to engage in this “new” approach. Millie will discuss why UUs need to get on board practically, ethically, and spiritually.
October 27, 2019: The Legacy of Michael Servetus, a Father of our Faith
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
Humanist, theologian, medical pioneer, student of law, master of classical languages, and one of the fathers of Unitarianism—this sixteenth century genius offered his powerful critique of trinitarianism that led to his execution for heresy on October 17, 1553. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles considers his life in a time of ferment, his quest for truth, and his courage in confronting orthodoxy when it errs.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she is active with the Rossmoor Interfaith Council and also writes poetry and short stories.
October 20, 2019: The Call for Beloved Community - Ingathering (service was active-not suitable for listening)
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
For long time community members, and for the intrepid newly arrived; whether summer far ranging, or if you held the home front – Welcome!
In the midst of great tumult, we take this moment to Be together: meet, greet, welcome and huddle with those in this small raft. Ingathering is here! You are home.
Bring, a blessing or wish in writing for this coming year. We will place these in our basket this occasion and for years to come.
Welcome Home!
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who ministered to the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the 70s and 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families and the actively psychotic. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extended experience in several spiritual practices including martial arts, and other yogas.
October 13, 2019: Maybe I’ll Be Your Healing: Waking in Forgiveness
Tom Rudderow (he/him), Guest Speaker
Waking up in forgiveness from a near-death coma after a violent assault, Tom wrestles with understanding both, the assault and the forgiveness. In this message, he would like to talk about what this close call with death has taught him and what he wants to share with others.
Following a life-changing violent experience, besides dealing with a brain injury and PTSD, Tom has become deeply involved in restorative justice activities, including being on the leadership team of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, affecting policies regarding prison inmates as well as survivors of crime; serving as a “surrogate victim,” sharing with inmates in Insight Prison Project healing classes in San Quentin; as well as involvement with RJ classes and activities in SQ. Also, having never thought much of “channeling” until it happened to him, and having “received” many spiritual, political, and spiritually active songs, he seeks opportunities to share them. He is grateful to BFUU for many of these opportunities recently.
October 6, 2019: Babaylan Indigenous Autumn BlesSING, Gratitude & Healing Music Rite
Evelie Delfino Såles Posch (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
Join Evelie Delfino Såles Posch & Friends for a ritual bringing in the balance of the Autumn Equinox, releasing that which no longer serves us, expressing gratitude for our Harvest, and making pledges for how we can contribute to heal our Earth home & all Her Beings. Evelie blends her native tradition with her immersion in earth-honoring practices, Buddhism, Sanskrit mantras, Sufi circle dances. Bring an item for the main altar that you can take back. Bring another item for the Exchange altar to give away. Contact info: 510-684-0654, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Evelie Delfino Såles Posch is a sacred song singer/writer; recording artist; multi-instrumentalist; kirtan wallah; Pranic and Certified Sound Healer & Therapist; band, choral & ensemble director; storyteller; music educator; culture bearer; independent scholar; and magical activist whose talents have flourished for over forty years, spanning the traditions of her ancestors and the progressive edge of healing world music.
September 29, 2019: Hunt, Gather, Grow
Rev. Leela Sinha (ze/zir), Guest Worship Leader
What do you need? What are you good at getting? What are you good at creating? And where do you seek help? In these most tippy of pivotal times, the one thing we can’t do is do it alone.
Rev. Leela Sinha is a proud (and out) Unitarian Universalist minister with a theology of pleasure based in a pragmatic lifetime of loving and wrestling with our faith. Ze embraces big personalities and wild ideas in zir ministry, which centers on leadership development that emerges from identity, values, integrity...and pleasure. Rev. Sinha is the founder of The Intensives Institute and is the author of You're Not Too Much: Intensive Lives in an Expansive World. Ze lives in the East Bay with a housemate and her pitbull, and works throughout the Bay Area.
September 22, 2019: Waters of the World (sorry - audio unavailable)
Please enjoy sermon text here: 190922 Sermon The Great Warming Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
As we come together to celebrate our Water Communion, Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles considers the profound changes in all the waters of Planet Earth and the consequences for all life.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she is active with the Rossmoor Interfaith Council and also writes poetry and short stories.
September 15, 2019: “Be, Do, Have” In the Time of the Great Warming
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
Some processes must be undertaken in the correct order to work effectively. This is true for realizing our deepest convictions. What slows down our ability to make the necessary and timely adjustment in our rapidly changing environment? Could it be that we are doing it backward? Like the great Taoist and Buddhist warriors perhaps we should slow down and get this done faster.
A minor adjustment yields a better result.
Marsh Agobert is an ordained Unitarian-Universalist cleric who ministered to the First Unitarian Church of Oakland in the 70s and 80s. He has long practiced psychotherapeutic treatment and has successfully worked with individuals, couples, families and the actively psychotic. Marsh is an experienced management consultant (he prefers small and mid-sized businesses) and a life coach, which well utilizes his broad background. Marsh has extended experience in several spiritual practices including martial arts, and other yogas.
September 8, 2019: Rising to the Climate Emergency: What Can We Count On?
9/8/19 Joanna Macy Message video*
Joanna Macy (she/her), Guest Speaker
Joanna Macy encourages us to identify our strengths and tools for change as we face the challenge of the global climate crisis. The “Sunrise” group of activists will also send a representative to tell us a little about how they are building a mass movement of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs in the process.
Joanna Macy, Ph.D., is an environmental activist, author, scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory and deep ecology. A respected voice in movements for peace, justice and ecology, she interweaves her scholarship with learnings from six decades of activism.
*Note: the audio is complete, but the video cuts off just prior to the end of Joanna Macy's message due to technical difficulties at the time. Joanna Macy continues:
My dear ones, we are old.
You may think I look old. I’m a spring chicken compared to you when you see how deep is the age in you. But just count, it’s okay if you just count your age as that of Gaia. 4-some billion years.
So when you decide to stand up in the meeting, when you decide to move out and do what you need to do for the sake of the planet and for the climate and to still the fires, you will know your true age and your true authority.
Glad to be part of you.
Thank you.”
September 1, 2019: We Are the Ones
Rev. Emily Hartlief (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
“The pitcher cries for water to carry, and a person for work that is real” writes Marge Piercy. What is the work that is real for each of us? In this sermon, Rev. Emily will address the question of how can we take the long view on our work in the world— and hold on to hope— in these heated and complex times.
Rev. Emily Hartlief is a pastor, storyteller, parent, doula and poet. Not always in that order. An ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, she has served congregations of every size and flavor in Southern California, Western New York and British Columbia. She lives in Berkeley with her partner, Marcus, also a UU minister, and her son, Henry who will proudly tell you he turns FOUR in November.
August 25, 2019: All Men Are Created Equal – What’s Happened to Women?
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
We’ll look back at the history of the Equal Rights Amendment and how conservative women joined in blocking its passage. The inherent worth and dignity of every person remains a hope still to be realized in the third millennium.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she is active with the Rossmoor Interfaith Council and also writes poetry and short stories.
August 18, 2019: The Book of Ruth
Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin (she/her), Guest Worship Leader
Exploring the classic story of the triumph of righteousness in a harsh and unjust world.
Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Oakland, CA. After ordination from HUC-JIR in New York, Rabbi Mates-Muchin served as the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Zion in Buffalo and then as the Associate Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Oakland before becoming Senior Rabbi in 2015. Rabbi Mates-Muchin focuses her efforts in serving her community through worship, pastoral care, social justice work, and encouraging the recognition of the vast diversity within the Jewish community. As the first Chinese America Rabbi, she has lectured broadly on the changing nature of the American Jewish community and how established Jewish institutions can become more inclusive. She is actively engaged in the general East Bay community, as well, through interfaith and other organizational work, and nationally, Rabbi Mates-Muchin serves as a Central Conference of America Rabbis representative to the Board of the Union for Reform Judaism. She is married to Jonathan Mates-Muchin and together they have four children, ages 10, 13, 15, and 17.
August 11, 2019: The Golden Key
Derrick Mustelier, M.Div (they/them), Guest Worship Leader
In his seminal 19th-century children's story, “The Golden Key,” George MacDonald tells of a key that unlocks a door to the imagination. This is no mere indulgence. Imagination and stories are at the very core of who we are. What do the stories we tell say about who we are and who we want to be? What does it mean to think of imagination as a radical act and a spiritual practice?
Derrick Mustelier is a recent graduate of Starr King School for the Ministry pursuing their call to an entrepreneurial ministry of creative and ritual arts. They were born and raised in Miami, FL where they became a "Born Again UU" nine years ago and they love to write (music and words) and read and get lost in the worlds and fandoms of movies and television. Identities they claim include Queer, Genderqueer, and Ravenclaw.
August 4, 2019: Joyful Life
Clovice Lewis, Guest Worship Leader
Clovice Lewis will speak about how to experience a life that is more filled with joy. The following is an excerpt from his sermon: “So, Clovice, you might say. ‘How do you find joy?’ My answer is that joy can be planned for, and even expected, but have you noticed that the actual feeling just comes over you spontaneously? Planning for joy doesn’t take a lot of work. You can simply put yourself into situations that invite joy’s presence.”
Clovice A. Lewis, Jr., who has composed numerous musical works ranging from ensemble to electronic and orchestral pieces, graduated from the prestigious College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He began teaching as a freshman at the school, and upon completion of his studies, accepted a position as an Associate Professor there and taught until 1985. He was, at the time, one of the youngest professors in the UC system (at 22 years old) to hold such a position. In addition to his experience as a composer and cellist, Clovice has also enjoyed a dual, and extensive career as a technologist and serial entrepreneur. Based in the Silicon Valley, Technology Media Enterprises, has been at the forefront of desktop publishing, computer graphics, 3D modeling and animation, digital audio, computer based training, high level object oriented programming, and multimedia productions. Since 1984, Clovice has created multiple businesses. He is presently at the beginning a new career, studying at the Starr King School of Ministry to become a Unitarian Minister.
July 28, 2019: How to Become an Angel (sorry - audio unavailable)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
An ancient saying in the Bible reminds us, “Be not forgetful to welcome strangers for thereby some have welcomed angels unawares.” Each of us has entered BFUU’s doors as a stranger. Now the call to stewardship asks that in our thankfulness for the embrace of this community we become the good angels who welcome strangers seeking here the home of Spirit and compassion.
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles describes herself as a recovering psychologist and recovering attorney, who graduated from Starr King in 2011 and was ordained to UU ministry in 2013. Along with preaching at Bay Area churches as a guest speaker, she is active with the Rossmoor Interfaith Council and also writes poetry and short stories.
July 21, 2019: Check Your Wiring
Jeff Palmer (he/him), Lay Worship Leader
We will look at recent scientific discoveries and ancient religious teachings to study how our brains are wired. Can we change our brain's wiring? Can we really control how we feel by changing the wiring of our brains? Yes and yes.
Jeff grew up in the East Bay and attended Christian churches until adulthood. He has been a plumber, public school teacher, and a volunteer at a variety places including Haiti and more recently at BFUU as chair of Sunday Service Committee, and a board member. He joined BFUU a few years ago and he and his wife Margaret want to continue to be involved in the exciting things that BFUU does for social and environmental justice.
July 14, 2019: Forgiveness (sorry - audio unavailable)
Moses Channels (he/him), Guest Speaker
We have all experienced some form of personal transgression, betrayal, assault, or what we may rightly perceive to be unforgivable harm inflicted on us by others. Yet we have also experienced inflicting harm on others, whether intentional or unintentional. I will share what I have learned about forgiveness. In words and music, we will explore together the pivotal and often healing role that forgiveness may impact on our lives.
Moses Canales is in his final academic, seminary year at the Claremont School Of Theology in Southern California, completing a master of divinity and theological studies, focusing on spirituality issues, but through the lens of science.
July 7, 2019: Finding the Way to Heaven
Simone Chiodini, Guest Worship Leader
When Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, he inspired a spiritual revolution. The Tao Te Ching is 81 little lessons of spiritual wisdom that instruct the reader on how to make it into Heaven. Taoists believe in reincarnation. We keep getting lives, until we become a sage, and then we ascend into Heaven. Simone Chiodini has been studying Taoism for 18 years. It is a religion that predates Buddhism by one hundred years.
Simone Chiodini is a soon-to-graduate student at Starr King School for the ministry. She hopes to find a small congregation that would enjoy her as their minister. Raised Catholic, she now considers herself a Taoist-UU. Writing is dear to her heart and she has published a science fiction/romance novel, and is working on the sequel. Among her previous professions, she was preschool teacher.
June 30, 2019: Love in the Time Of Hatred (sorry - audio unavailable)
Rev. Leela Sinha (ze/zir), Guest Worship Leader
Pride Sunday, 2019
We were lucky. There was a moment when things were looking up.
They weren’t perfect, but they were getting better.
Then the clouds blew in.
What does it mean to love out loud now?
Rev. Leela Sinha (pronouns ze/zir) is a proud (and out) Unitarian Universalist minister with a theology of pleasure based in a pragmatic lifetime of loving and wrestling with our faith. Ze embraces big personalities and wild ideas in zir ministry, which centers on leadership development that emerges from identity, values, integrity...and pleasure. Rev. Sinha is the founder of The Intensives Institute and is the author of You're Not Too Much: Intensive Lives in an Expansive World. Ze lives in the East Bay with a housemate and her pitbull, and works throughout the Bay Area.
June 23, 2019: Hope: The Blessed Four-Letter Word (sorry - audio unavailable)
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles (she/her), Worship Leader
Hope is that powerful urge we know and act on, long before we grasp the darkness we often must traverse. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles shares some of what life teaches us about this powerful force that rises in every language, as in every being.
June 16, 2019: Where Shall We Go From Here?
Rev. Marsh Agobert (he/him), Worship Leader
Following our recent examination of homogeneity (members are alike) and the heterogeneous (highly diverse) let us take a look at a specific homogeneous quality of our community to better understand how this affects us now and in the near future.
This month we will open the question of choosing our Fellowship’s future. Have we fulfilled our task, by being leaders into this most interesting of times, or shall we choose a bold new purpose and move forward yet again? There is no right or wrong answer to this question. It is a matter of the heart.
June 9, 2019: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations - Celebrating Diversity as a UU Sacrament
Lincoln Statler, M.A.S.C. (he/him), Lay Worship Leader
Once upon a time, the universe exploded with the potential to be anything. You, me, and those whom we do not know all come from that initial spark of potential infinite diversity in infinite combinations. Let’s reflect on this truth and celebrate one of Unitarian Universalism’s most cherished sacraments; the Flower Communion. This ritual recognizes the unique perspectives we all bring to Unitarian Universalism and how each of us are transformed when we learn from one another in a covenanted community. Please bring a flower of your choice to this worship service!
June 2, 2019: Spiritual Epiphanies from the Life of Mary, Mother of Jesus
Hashim Alauddeen, Guest Speaker
Mary, the mother of Jesus, plays an important role in the legacy of spirituality. Her life has been studied and examined by scholars worldwide. Hashim will reflect on some of the epiphanies which come from her example and look at how we can benefit and use them on our own spiritual journeys and quest for truth.
May 19, 2019: The Whole Journey of Rosa Parks
Rev. Tom McAninley, Guest Worship Leader
Most of us were taught the Rosa Parks story as: a black seamstress, who was tired after working all day in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, spontaneously decided to not get up from her bus seat for a white passenger. And as a result, she was arrested.
But there were very important factors that prepared her for that historical day. We’re going to talk about those influences because in this age of individualism we need to use the resources that will give us the courage to confront the challenges of our times and in the process develop and nurture deeper relationships.
Rev. Tom McAninley is a long time member of BFUU, serving on the board for the maximum of eight years, being president or co-president for many of those years. He also served many years on the Worship Committee. He was ordained by BFUU in 2017.
May 12, 2019: Our Mothers’ Legacy
Jeff Palmer, Lay Worship Leader
Our word for the person who gave us birth is mother and our name for the planet which nourishes us is Mother Earth. They both create a legacy of holding and sustaining us, helping us to grow and thrive. What can we do to express our gratitude on Mother’s Day? In our family, we call or send flowers and a card. Maybe take a mom out to lunch. How can we join with all our siblings worldwide to promote the health of Mother Earth on this special day?
May 5, 2019: Aligning Our Menus with Our Values (sorry - audio unavailable)
Jay Quigley, Guest Speaker
Jay Quigley will discuss the devastating impacts of animal agriculture on the planet and the ethical imperative to rebuild our broken food system. He will introduce the new Green Sunday initiative.
April 28, 2019: After Exodus: Our Call, Our Response
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles, Worship Leader
Yesterday was the last day of Passover, a time that commemorates the Israelites' exodus from their enslavement in Egypt and journey to the Promised Land. This Bible story is myth, not history–yet for centuries it has been a template for liberation and justice. Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles considers our challenge as Americans in these turbulent times as our values face attack. Exodus tells us, getting out of bad times is one thing–getting to a better place requires even greater effort and the efforts of new generations.
April 21, 2019: Revisiting the Rings of Inclusion
Rev. Marsh Agobert, Worship Leader
We are each entitled to our opinion, regarding absolutely anything and everything. Therefore, we will eventually come to disagree about some or several of these points. Yet, even with this understanding at the outset we still find it important to make these points of contention, so deeply held that we are willing to risk everything; life, limb and planet. How do we fall into such deep separation and how can we change this most ancient of processes; that we might find a way to include even those who are different?
This may well be, the tenth hour of our human presence on this planet. The outcome is NOT inevitable; it is a choice. Choose first – figure out how later… as we go.
April 14, 2019: Faith for the Journey
Sue Magidson, Guest Worship Leader
How do you keep on keeping on when things get rough? Does faith play a role? What the heck does faith mean for a UU, anyway?
Rev. Dr. Sue Magidson is the Chaplain and Spiritual Care Coordinator at San Leandro Hospital. She's also a Community Minister affiliated with the UU Church of Berkeley. In this sermon, she reflects on her hospital chaplaincy work, grounded in her daily prayer, “May I be what's needed. May I be of service. May I be a blessing.”
April 7, 2019: What Does It Mean to “Green the Church”?
Ryan Carroll, Guest Speaker
Climate change hits the hardest in communities of color. Now those communities are fighting back through Green the Church, a campaign to expand African American churches’ role as a force for environmental and economic resilience.
Green the Church empowers church leaders and lay people to develop practical solutions to economic and environmental issues in the Black community. Rev. Ambrose Carroll, the founder, is a Berkeley pastor at Church By the Side of the Road. His nephew Ryan Carroll will speak about how allies can support and enhance the power of Green the Church.
March 31, 2019: Fluid and Multitudes
Lauren Way, Guest Worship Leader
Sunday March 31 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Join is for an exploration of identity and expression as we consider what it means to be seen on this Transgender Day of Visibility.
March 24, 2019: Sex, Sins and Souls: Roe v. Wade Turns Forty Six
Rev. Dr. Carrie Knowles, Worship Leader
Sunday March 24 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
The Supreme Court decision that established women’s right to control their reproductive lives was a hard-won victory that grew out of years of women’s political activism. Now women’s bodily autonomy again is under threat from an increasingly conservative judiciary. In the words of Coretta Scott King, the lesson for our lives today is that freedom must be won anew by each generation’s struggle.
March 17, 2019: Faith in Science, Faith and Science
Rev. Marsh Agobert, Worship Leader
Sunday March 17 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
I find that some people take offense when I refer to Science as the most widespread religion of the 20th and 21st centuries. I think this is pretty solid proof that humans are still partially rational and partially irrational creatures. I see nothing wrong with this. I don’t hold this balancing act as a weakness…as long as we can maintain a dynamic balance. I AM concerned that we are battling a substantial slide toward the irrational in an untutored manner. Let’s look at how both the rational and the irrational are important to living as a whole human being and how we can reconcile this delicate dynamic.
March 10, 2019: Sound Healing Meditation
Special Feature: Sound Bath (Note: this is best enjoyed by using headphones)
Melissa Felsenstein, Sound Practitioner
Sunday March 10 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Rediscover the art of relaxation, rejuvenation, and reflection through a live meditative soundscape. Explore why sound has been celebrated globally as a healing agent for thousands of years. Listen, relax, and feel a sense of inner tranquility.
March 3, 2019: International Women’s Day
Melanie DeMore, Guest Speaker
Sunday March 3 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
On this, the first Sunday of Women’s History Month, Vocal Activist Melanie DeMore will return to BFUU as we sing songs of life and celebration. When women sing, when women rise together, when women of all sizes, shapes, religions, sexual orientations, ethnicities and classes raise our voices together, we are so powerful that we can interrupt injustice anywhere. Join us as we rise up singing a joyful song that will ring throughout Berkeley and, quite possibly, the whole world.
February 24, 2019: The Question Behind the Question
Minister Cherri Murphy, Guest Worship Leader
Sunday February 24 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
With the power and authority that will make a change what is the question that we must ask ourselves in discerning our boldness for justice and love. Because what we really love is only as good as the work we do to create a loving and just world.
Minister Cherri Murphy is a social justice minister in the East Bay area. She is also a member and licensed spiritual practitioner at Heart and Soul Center located in Oakland, Ca.
February 17, 2019: Selma For the Complete UU Part II
Rev. Marsh Agobert, Worship Leader
Sunday February 17 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Dr. Martin Luther King addressed UUs on many occasions and this personal connection has a great deal to do with who we are today.
In January we moved through the Universalist and Unitarian history revolving around race, from 1865 (involved, primarily, the ‘Negro matter’) right up to, but not into, the Events of 1964 (The Selma to Montgomery march.) This like so many UU justice issues was steeped in controversy. This month we’ll finish the march and maybe see what it started… in the UU world.
February 10, 2019: Making Murals, Creating Community
Edythe Boone, Guest Speaker
Sunday February 10 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Decades before her nephew’s final words, “I can’t breathe” ignited a national outcry for racial justice, Edythe Boone embodied the truth that black lives matter. This bold muralist, activist and educator works to tackle poverty, racism and inequality—with a paintbrush. She continues to make murals with all who share her yearning for community. After the service, an artist’s reception will include the screening of a documentary, “A New Color: the Art of Being Edythe Boone.”
February 3, 2019: Breaking the Silence With Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rev. Clovice Lewis, Guest Worship Leader
Sunday February 3 at 10:30 AM in Fellowship Hall
Lewis will offer a sermon about how MLK influenced him as an African American boy growing up in the 1960s. He examines the lessons MLK taught in light of issues of today concerning continual conflict in the name of the “war on terror.” Explaining how he was able to predict our current and spiritual crisis in a sermon from 2001, Lewis writes, “The accuracy of my predictions are quite easy to explain… they are drawn from an understanding that we have sacrificed our spiritual compass for the sake of political expediency.”
Clovice A. Lewis, Jr., who has composed numerous musical works ranging from ensemble to electronic and orchestral pieces, graduated from the prestigious College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He began teaching as a freshman at the school, and upon completion of his studies, accepted a position as an Associate Professor there and taught until 1985. He was, at the time, one of the youngest professors in the UC system (at 22 years old) to hold such a position. In addition to his experience as a composer and cellist, Clovice has also enjoyed a dual, and extensive career as a technologist and serial entrepreneur. Based in the Silicon Valley, Technology Media Enterprises, has been at the forefront of desktop publishing, computer graphics, 3D modeling and animation, digital audio, computer based training, high level object oriented programming, and multimedia productions. Since 1984, Clovice has created multiple businesses. He is presently at the beginning a new career, studying at the Starr King School of Ministry to become a Unitarian Minister.
January 27, 2019: Service as Ministry
Lauren Renée Hotchkiss, Guest Worship Leader
We are all familiar with the various careers in professional church work and chaplaincy being considered a ministry. But if we expand this concept to include any calling to a life of service, we find that ministry is much broader than we are often accustomed and can include medicine, the arts, social justice and so many more. And what if we widen the circle still wider and view all human endeavor as an opportunity to be of service, or in other words a ministry. MDiv, ministry candidate, and chaplain Lauren Renée Hotchkiss discusses how she integrates ministry and service in her church activities, chaplaincy, and music, and how we might do so as well.
Lauren Renée Hotchkiss is a former BFUU member, active in leadership, who wore many hats while she was here. She is a graduate of the Pacific School of Religion, and now is in her second year as a chaplain intern at UCSF Health. She is nearing the end of the ordination process with the UCC and is planning on a blended ministry involving pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, and music ministry. She currently also works as a pulpit-supply minister and Minister of Music.
January 20, 2019: Selma for the Complete UU
Rev. Marsh Agobert, Worship Leader
Of all the world’s denominations Unitarian-Universalism is neither among the oldest nor largest. Yet Dr. Martin Luther King addressed UUs on many occasions, including our General Assembly. What was our connection and from where did it come? Who were we before and during Selma and how can it inform who we are now?
Know thy self, oh UU. By coming to terms with history we may not be doomed to repeat it and yet we may be able to learn from it and move forward in new ways… if we can continue to grow and apply a little wisdom.
January 13, 2019: To Tell the Truth…
Rev. Emily Hartlief, Guest Worship Leader
Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker, past President of Starr King School for the Ministry, invites us to “choose to bless the world.” This sounds great in theory, but what might it look like in practice? How does your life bless others? Are there things you might consider doing differently in 2019? How would it feel to live your life with the intention of being a blessing?