What Did Starr King Really Believe?
Sunday at 11 in the Church Sanctuary
service conducted by Rev. Gregory Stewart
Now that his statue will reside in the
California state capitol building after being
displaced from the nation's Statuary Hall in
Washington DC by a bust of Ronald Reagan, it
seems wise to know more about the theology of
Thomas Starr King and how it informed
his way of being in the world.
Born a Universalist, he served Unitarian
congregations (save one, a Universalist
church in Charlestown, MA) on the East Coast
before making his way to the far reaches of
the West. When Starr King served this
congregation as minister (1860-1864) he
quickly turned around a church in decline and
helped them pay off $20,000 debt, a huge sum
in those times. A decidedly Christian
minister, there is much in Starr King's life
and thought that can impact our daily
decision making as Unitarian Universalists in
the twenty-first century.
Three relatives of Starr King will join us
for worship this Sunday: Ginny King Supple
(great-great granddaughter of Starr King) and
Eryn King Supple and Shannon Kay Supple
(great-great-great granddaughters).
Joining me on the Chancel will be Community
Minister Rev. Kay Jorgensen, Acting
Director of Religious Education Betty
Skwarek, Worship Associate Otto
O'Connor, and Trustee Jane Park.
The choir will minister in music.
Share our Society's heritage with others this
Sunday; invite them to church.
— Greg
Salute Thomas Starr King in the Park
Free Concert at the Golden Gate Park Band Shell Sunday at 1 - 2:30 pm
from Anna Sylvester for the
Denominational Affairs Committee
The Golden Gate Park Band will perform a
musical work by Steve Dukes dedicated to the
memory of
Rev. Thomas Starr King at Sunday's
band concert in the park. You're invited to
come to the concert and enjoy the celebration.
The Band Shell is located between the De
Young Museum and the Academy of Sciences, and
is outfitted with benches and shade.
The free concert begins at 1 pm and will
feature an introduction of Ginny Supple King
and her two daughters, Eryn Supple King, and
Shannon Supple King.
Bring a picnic or enjoy carry out food from
the De Young.
To go to the concert after the Sunday
service either:- By bus:
Walk down to McAllister Street and Van Ness
and take the #5 bus. The trip will take about
35 minutes from church.
- Car pool:Park at the De
Young underground parking lot, entered from
Fulton and 10th Streets.
Join the Rite of Passage Program
Sunday at 10:30 in the Kincaid Room
from Betty Skwarek
Acting Director of Religious Education
The Rite of Passage program for third graders
begins Sunday. The class offers a time of
reflection and celebration as children learn
more about themselves, their faith community,
and their relationship to others in their world.
Parents and children will meet in Kincaid at
10:30 to go over the program. Teachers this
year are Nancy Buffum and Amy
Moses with support from Morgen
Warner.
For more information contact Betty Skwarek in
the Religious Education office at 776-4580 x
162 or by
email.
Come to a Pivotal Planning Commission Meeting
Thursday (October 15) at 1:30 pm at City Hall
from George Mayer
Please join members of the Unitarian
Universalist California Pacific Medical
Center (CPMC) Task Force at an important
Planning Commission hearing on October 15
(Thursday) at 1:30 pm in City Hall, Room 400,
for the formal presentation of CPMC's
Institutional Master Plan.
This will be your opportunity to speak
directly to Planning Commissioners about the
concerns we raised at the Environmental
Impact Report scoping meeting in June.
We have identified major concerns, including:
- Our Sunday service and quiet activities
will be
disrupted
- Our historic sanctuary may be damaged due
to construction vibrations
- Parking will be overwhelmed
- Increased traffic will pose safety
hazards
- A Cathedral Hill hospital should be
smaller, and St. Luke Hospital needs to be
larger to be sustainable
Thursday's meeting is a key place for public
impact for responsible planning. Members and
friends are invited to show up at the hearing
and to sign up to talk.
The City has a history of changing hearing
times at the last minute. Please check this
story on the copy of The Flame published at
the bottom of
the Society's home page where we'll post
any updates to the time or location.
The Etiquette of Illness
Forum Sunday at 9:30 in the Martin Luther King Room
from Karen Melander-Magoon
Susan Halpern, author of The
Etiquette of Illness will talk to the
Forum about how to talk with, and to listen
to, people who are ill.
Halpern, a psychotherapist, social worker and
founder of the New York Cancer Help Program,
will share her expertise on how best to
comfort a close friend, colleague, or
relation who is living with a serious illness.
Bill Moyers praises Halpern's book by saying
"This is the most helpful book for hard times
that I have read in years."
Come Sunday to her Halpern's wisdom and to
meet her at the Forum.
The free program will start at 9:45. Come at
9:30 for conversation, coffee, and (for a
slight charge) a light breakfast.
Leadership 2.0 and You!
Class Starts Sunday at 1 pm
from Betty Skwarek
Acting Director of Religious Education
Leadership 2.0, a new course starting this
Sunday, will focus on those aspects of
leadership that facilitate learning,
transformation, and action. You're invited
to attend this class series which will be an
experiential course, particularly useful to
anyone in a leadership role or considering
leadership in the future.
Chris Garrett, the facilitator, will
present a new generation of leadership skills
and attributes.
There will be five sessions: 1) What is
Leadership Today? 2) Leadership and
Communication, 3) Leadership and
Relationship, 4) Leadership and Social
Networking, and 5) Leadership and Learning.
The course is scheduled from 1:00 to 2:30 and
the fee is $20 or $5 per class.
Pre-registration is advised but participants
may also register at the door.
For more information about this course or the
many others available to you, check out the
Adult Religious Education website,
visit the Adult Religious Education table in
the coffee area after church, or contact the
Religious Education office by phone
415-776-4580 x 162, or by email.
Good and Welfare
The First
Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa
requests the honor of your presence at the
installation of the Reverend John Newcomb
Marsh as the fifteenth settled minister
of the congregation on Monday, November 16, 2009.
Rev. Marsh was co-Senior Minister of this
Society from 1995 through 2004. We are
excited and pleased for both him and his new
congregation.
Crisis and Hope in the Age of Obama
from Dolores Priem
photos by Meg Whitaker-Greene and Sonnie Willis
Activists packed the Sanctuary last Sunday to
hear Professor Noam Chomsky participate in a
discussion on "Crisis and Hope in the Age of
Obama". The overflow crowd listened to Chomsky
offer his views in dialog with local activists.
Videographers and local media captured the
discussion that unfolded on stage.
Antonia Juhasz's call to contact members of
Congress about the U.S's involvement in
Afghanistan was the most time-critical
message, coming as the President considers
increasing military involvement in that
country.
Want more details on the Afghan story? Will
Seaman has posted highlights
of Juhasz's reasoning on YouTube.
The Harlot and the Mad Men
Christine Patch-Lindsay told the
Congregation of her Mad Men-like dream
in the credo she delivered during last week's
service.
The sermon was about the Harlot Rahab.
And, Christine talked about the social and
sexual mores of Mad Men throughout time.
