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May 2010
Where do we find grace in our lives? How does the concept of grace fit into Unitarian Universalism? Rachel Baker, a born-and-raised Unitarian Universalist, is in her second year of seminary at Starr King School for the Ministry.Rachel felt a pull towards parish ministry upon her return from three years of service in the Peace Corps, Guinea, West Africa. We relish the messages from our younger voices at SKSM - come and meet one of the rising Stars at Starr King.
April 4, 2010 (Easter Sunday) “What Springs Forth: A Sermon On Renewing Our Community,” by the Rev. Ben Meyers, Tom McAninley, co-ordinator.
Easter and Passover can be a tricky holidays for Unitarian Universalists: our faith is deeply rooted in Christian and Jewish teachings and traditions, but many of our members do not feel a close affinity with the particulars of the resurrection and liberation stories as they are told in the Bible. Many carry wounds from encounters within traditional forms of orthodoxy and the emphasis that is placed on the violence, or the mythology, or the irrelevance of the stories to our times.
However, we are called as Unitarian Universalists to “look beneath” all religious teachings and stories for “the kernel of gold, the core truth, still there underneath the layers of dogma.” That kernel, our faith maintains, can be found within our own hearts.
We invite you to come prepared to examine where we have come and where we are going in the next phase of this radical leap of faith called the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists. Special music for the occasion. Kickoff for our Annual Stewardship renewal and drive.
April 11, 2010 “The Fate of Prophets” by the Rev. Robert Ballint, Hungarian Unitarian minister and Balazs Scholar at the Starr King School for the Ministry. Coordinator: the Rev. Ben Meyers
‘Prophethood’ is not something that you choose. It is something that arouses with elemental power and compels you to walk a path, an adventurous path that is sometimes joyful, sometimes painful, and often both. But it is YOUR WAY, and you can't do otherwise. It gives you strength, for it is coming from the SOURCE OF LIFE.
The sermon invites you to get closer to the memory of Balázs Ferenc (1901-1937), Unitarian minister of Mészkő, Transylvania (Alabaster Village). He was a man with vision, a writer, a poet, a community builder, a parent and husband, and the misunderstood prophet of the Valley of God (Aranyos Valley).
April 18, 2010 “We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For” Guest Preacher: Bill Scarvie. Worship Coordinator: the Rev. Ben Meyers
“The organizing principles of Earth Community are so closely aligned with the principles of my faith that I cannot affirm and promote one without affirming and promoting the other.” In this service we will explore the moral imperative of the Earth Community described in David Korten’s book, “The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community.”
Bill Scarvie was called to bring the good news of Earth Community to Unitarian Universalists after reading David Korten’s book. Bill serves as Coordinator of Outreach for the Earth Community Initiative of David Korten's People Centered Development Forum. Bill lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington, with his wife, Karen. They are members of the Cedars UU Church of Bainbridge Island.
April 25, 2010 Intergenerational Earth Day Celebration
March 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010: "The Heart of the Matter" Sermon by Jeff Melcher and Service coordinated by Rev. Ben MeyersWhy we do what we do: A heart journey of social justice advocacy, self discovery, and my place in the world. What drives a social justice passion? What does the work teach us about ourselves? How can a spiritual practice empower our social justice? Jeffrey Melcher speaks to his journey as UULM organizer and lessons he has learned. Jeff Melcher is an Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry Organizer and past-president of the BFUU.
The pioneering religious educator, Sophia Lyons Fahs, tells us "it matters what we believe." Some beliefs foster growth, self-worth, respect and gratitude, and other beliefs foster just the opposite. But, what happens when we stop fostering ANY beliefs? This service is about renewing our commitment to ‘teach our children well.' Please plan to stay for the workshop which follows...
March 21, 2010: "Belonging" by Rev. Ben Meyers. NEW MEMBER INGATHERING SERVICE
What does it mean to ‘belong?' Webster's third definition gives a clue, "to be properly or appropriately placed." Where do you belong? Where do you need to be in the world to "properly placed?" Tom McAninley, coordinator.
March 28, 2010: Lessons from the Jewish genocide by Annette Herskovits
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza live under military occupation, every aspect of their lives ruled by the Israeli army. Their land has been stolen to build homes for hostile and armed Jewish settlers. As a holocaust survivor and daughter of holocaust victims, Israel's destructive (and eventually self-destructive) path is a matter of constant interrogation and concern. I will share reflections about the need to understand how the past shapes the present, while, in the present, we make every effort to bring freedom and justice to Palestinians, and peace to both people. Service coordinated by Cynthia Johnson. guest musician is Max Ventura.
February 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010: “What (Else) Are You Missing?” by the Rev. Ben Meyers
The organizational guru, Jerold Panas writes: “Before you leave this life, you want to be able to say: ‘I was given a certain talent—and I used it all.’ What passion, talent, or desire are you longing to use this new year? What is holding you back? How would life be different if you pulled out all the stops?
Valentine’s Day is about more than romance, greeting cards, and chocolates. This Sunday, we will celebrate love’s power to transform people and communities. What do you love? How do you show love for the world? This intergenerational service will celebrate the many different ways we love. Margaret Hamilton is sharing a Story for all Ages. Tom McAninley tells about someone he has loved.
February 21, 2010: To Savor the World, or To Save It? by Rev. Ben Meyers
EB White once wrote: "It‘s hard to know when to respond to the seductiveness of the world and when to respond to its challenges. If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. ButI arise in the morning torn between the desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." The sermon addresses the dilemma that both the quality of our lives and the world depends on how we plan the day.‘ Is it possible to do both?
Sunday, February 28, 2010: “Making Time: A Sermon for the Hurried, the Harried, and the Hapless” by the Rev. Ben Meyers
Ghandi is attributed with saying: “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” As a world citizen in the 21st century, I often find that the “time saving solutions” presented me also exact a cost to my sense of balance. I’m perpetually accosted with a false sense of urgency. And yet, it’s so tempting to think that a “two-minute bedtime story” might actually work! Spending time in virtual reality may be productive, but real connections take patience, presence and practice. Let’s practice.
January 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010: To Know About the World by Rev. Ben Meyers
Come start the New Year off in a good way with us at BFUU. Special music and a ritual for the occasion will be offered. Our children will focus on the UU Fourth Principle by exploring the idea of searching for truth by asking questions.
January 10, 2010: True Religion? by Rev. Ben Meyers
January 17, 2010: Tribute to Martin Luther King by Rev. Ben Meyers
January 24, 2010: From Harvard, to Jerusalem, and Back Again by Cecilia Owen (please contact Cecilia to listen to this sermon)
What do Harvard Divinity School and Jerusalem have in common? They both have become an integral part of my divinity school experience. From riding Palestinian bus lines in Jerusalem to studying Arabic everyday at Harvard, I found myself stretching into whole new areas of knowledge and experience. How could I make sense of these new challenges within my spiritual life? How do we all embrace the multi-faceted dimensions of spiritual and multi-cultural life without becoming overwhelmed and perhaps even become the better for them?
December 2009December 20, 2009: A Reason for the Season? by Rev. Ben Meyers
As we stand poised before the mountain of expectation of this winter holiday season, I propose we pause to consider what is at the core of our celebrations and ask ourselves, “From whence comes our power to transcend darkness into light?” As this is the Sunday before Christmas and the day before the Winter Solstice, we will sing and share special hymns, carols, and stories. Bring your family and friends!
November 2009
Halloween—All Hallowed’s Eve—is the night preceding the feast of all the venerated dead. These are the “saints” of All Saints Day, and the Celtic Samhain, and the Mexican Dia de los Muertos: It is a time to recall and honor those who came before us. In the words of “Breaths,” a popular song, “the dead have a pact with the living.” In this service of remembrance we will explore and celebrate our connections to our dead and their impact upon us. All are invited to bring a photograph or other appropriate item to place upon an “Altar of Remembrance.” Please plan to arrive a few moments before the service for this.
Sunday, November 15, 2009: New Member Ingathering Ceremony. Sermon: “A Question of Religion: Have You Ever Thought You Might Be Wrong?” by Rev. Ben Meyers
More often than not, societal conventions convey religion as a set of beliefs which either confine, berate or even condemn human experience. Religion is usually relegated to strict doctrines that must be followed to the letter lest eternal damnation ensue. Religion could lead us to questions that aid in discerning life’s meaning but, too often, religious education is just a code word for indoctrination, unthinking and unquestioned. Unitarian Universalism offers a different approach to religion. It is an approach that sees religion as a "cradle-to-grave" experience, deepened by our doubts. This service will present some questions that religion must ask if it is to be an aid in living a full life.
Sunday, November 22, 2009: Thanksgiving Sunday and Bring a Friend Sunday. “A Grateful Heart” by Rev. Ben Meyers
There is so much to be grateful for; and this is the time of year when the abundance of our lives is noted and celebrated and shared. For we know that gratitude alone is not enough. We know that true appreciation requires giving back in some way. In order to keep our gifts pure we must develop a sense of generosity, which comes from participation in serving a cause that is greater than ourselves. This is a significant part of my understanding of why it is we gather in religious community... to make real and to live out our interconnections with life. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, we pause to take stock.
Sunday, November 29, 2009: Human Rights, Human Power, and Abortion: A UU Legacy by Darcy Baxter
UU congregations are some of, if not the, most pro-choice religious communities in the USA. Roe v. Wade was born in the basement of a UU congregation. What spiritual wisdom does our tradition provide in the face of the current shortage of abortion providers and the increasing restrictions and obstacles to reproductive healthcare? What does abortion teach us about the limitations of human power?
Darcy Baxter is a 3rd generation UU and 4th year seminarian at Starr King School for the Ministry. Darcy could not have done her work as an abortion counselor, a sexuality educator, or as a chaplain on a neo-natal intensive care unit without the solid moral and spiritual grounding of Unitarian Universalism.
October 2009
October 11, 2009: Association Sunday: We Are Better Together! by Rev. Ben Meyers
On this Sunday, we join with UU congregations throughout the continent for the Third Annual “Association Sunday.” This years’ campaign is to build enthusiasm for the goals of growing our faith in numbers, spirit, diversity, leadership and social witness. A special collection will be taken to support the UUA’s Growth in Diversity initiatives. Rev. Ben Meyers will deliver the sermon and there will be special music for the occasion. Children’s Religious Exploration program offered for all ages.
Tom McAninley, Coordinator
September 2009
September 6: Labors of Love: The Work That Makes Us Come Aliveby Rev. Ben Meyers
This will be Rev. Ben Meyers first ‘official’ sermon with BFUU as our new, full-time minister. Rev. Ben says, "I’ll share a little history based on the many one-on-one conversations I’ve had with many of you during the month of August…and a little prophesy, sharing my hopes and dreams for the future of this religious community."
September 13, 2009: Gathering of the Waters Ceremony with Rev. Ben Meyers and congregation
From one of my favorite Robert Frost poems comes this line: “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” On this Sunday which traditionally marks the beginning of a new program year for the Fellowship, the service will be a recognition of the role the religious community plays as ‘home’ in our lives and the part we play in making a spiritual home for all those who, when they need it, may find it here. We send a special invitation to all those who may have been absent for the Summer (or longer!) All are welcome.
September 20, 2009: Answering the Call by Rev. Earl W. Koteen
Who or what is calling you? What role, what ministry do you perform at the Berkeley Fellowship? in the community outside the Fellowship? How do you see the future and your future in this beloved community? Rev. Earl reflects upon these questions and and invites you to do the same as the Fellowship moves forward in its plans for the revitalization of its ministry to the greater Berkeley community. Rev. Earl, the first minister we have ordained in many years, was our intern minister during the 06-07 congregational year and has been our organizational development consultant since Aug. 2007.
Sunday, September 27, 2009: Teshuvah: A Service of Forgiveness and Atonement by Rev. Ben Meyers
The Jewish High Holy Days are traditionally a time of reflection of the year past and an opportunity to “set things right” for the coming year. The term teshuvah, or ‘turning’, provides us a context in which to do the difficult, but necessary, work of changing our patterns of behavior and letting go in order to move ahead. A ritual recitation of the Al Chet will be a part of the service.
August 2009
August 30: Radical Hospitality: Creating Welcome by Christy Baker
As Unitarian Universalists, particularly in the diverse Bay Area, we like to think of ourselves as welcoming towards all people. Being truly hospitable is often much harder than it sounds. What does our faith and spirituality demand of us if we are to be true to our desire to be welcoming? How might we, individually and collectively, create an atmosphere of not just tolerance towards others, but of radical hospitality?
Previous sermons:
February 22, 2009: "Hope on a Tightrope" by Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald
Dr. Cornell West, inspirational, prophetic, Socratic visionary, has called us all to explore the way of hope in his recent book, Hope on a Tightrope. He asks, "What must happen for us to stay awake permanently and commit to critically engaging the public interest or expanding the common good?" Join us as we explore these and other questions of this good and dangerous man.
February 15, 2009: "Everyday Spiritual Practice" by Aline Prentice
Aline will explore how we can bring spiritual practice into our everyday lives. How can we connect with the Source of Love as fuel for our way of being and our actions in the world? What is the quality of deep listening that brings us closer to this Source? What is the Presence that carries us through the difficulties, and the paradoxical grace or kindness we can find even in the darkest of moments? How can we bring sacredness into the everyday, particularly in our close relationships, communities, organizations, and social justice work. View text
February 8: "Where Is the Stranger?" by Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald
The practice of hospitality is a grace to which all cultures devote abundant energy. What deep spiritual and ethical truths within the human lead us to such a practice? Is anyone a stranger? What are the key elements of authentic hospitality?
January 4, 2009: "Entering the Century: Paying Our Hopes Forward" by Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald
Almost a full decade into the 21st Century, it has already taken more than one wild turn. What are its true claims upon us and how can we lay down a course that celebrates spirited renewal? The shape of Unitarian Universalism in the East Bay is deeply affected by and interwoven into this new time. Rev. Kuhwald will share some of the work of the dialogue that is now taking place between leaders from the Fellowship, Starr King School for the Ministry (in Berkeley) and the UU Church of Berkeley (in Kensington).
December 21: "Winter Solstice, Sweet Solstice" Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald
Join us as we return to the source of winter celebration in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter Solstice, Sweet Solstice . . . the time of turning, turning from the nurturing and protective times of dark to the reemergence of light-lit days and the rekindling of steady summer warmth. Let us lift up the ancient and the present as we celebrate Earth's journey.
August 24, 2008: “Qualities of the Contented Heart” by Eve Decker
The Buddha taught ten qualities that when engaged in as practices can lead to profound peace and transformation in individuals and communities. Buddhist practitioner and musician Eve Decker will invite us through word, poetry, and song to consider how we can deepen these qualities in our own lives. Eve has practiced Buddhism in the Vipassana style since 1992. She is a member of the Berkeley radical folk trio Rebecca Riots, performs original “Dharma Music” for spiritual communities around the bay. She taught elementary school music and theater in the East Bay for more than 20 years.
June 22, 2008: "Navigating Towards Global Beloved Community—Reflections on True Development from Africa to America" by Sara Wolcott How might we best navigate towards Global Beloved Community? How do we realize wholeness and justice as the dominant global paradigms? What is true human development? Quaker writer and speaker Sara Wolcott connects the dots from her journey of following these questions from East Africa to Memphis, Tennessee to Oakland, California, and offers her experience, strength, and hope in this growing global movement.
May 11, 2008: "In Such a Time as This" by Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald
How are you being called to be present at this time on the Earth? How may we, in the words of the great minister/theologian/activist Howard Thurman, keep fresh before us the moments of our high resolve? In honor of his mother, and mothers everywhere, Rev. Kuhwald will deliver this sermon he offered to the students and faculty at the Starr King Chapel this year.
