Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

About Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco Sunday worship service. Home of liberal spirituality for over 150 years, the Society welcomes people of all racial and religious backgrounds. Our Congregation includes gay, straight, transgendered, and questioning people. More information is available at www.uusf.org.

Publisher

1st Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Sept 2008

Latest episode

8 Feb 2026

Latest episodes

1 of 866 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   1 Mar 2026

   Igniting the Fire of Commitment

   Igniting the Fire of Commitment Sunday, March 1, 10:50 am, 2026 There is so much in the human heart that is both tender and fragile and ferociously enduring. Fire can be like that quality of what can live in the human heart. How do we know enough about these pieces of ourselves—the ones that matter—to nurture them, protect them, and build a world that does the same? Let’s talk about what it takes to do so as we kick off our Annual Giving drive for this next church year. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Mark Caswell, Ministerial Intern; Carl Cade, Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; UUSF Choir led by Mark Sumner; Wm. García Ganz, pianist Shulee Ong; Eric Shackelford; Eli Boshears, Camera Operators; Desired Effect, Sound; Jonathan Silk, OOS; Kelvin Jones, Jose Matias Pineda, and Dairina Maradiaga, Sextons; Athena Papadakos, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher LIVESTREAM https://youtube.com/live/hJLpXPASv1s OOS: https://t.ly/20260301OSWeb

2. 

   15 Feb 2026

   The Case for Hope

   The Case for Hope Sunday, February 15, 2026 Creeping cynicism, or what Forrest Church used to call “Sophisticated Resignation.” These are some of the dangers to a soul of our time (maybe all times). Let’s unpack what the seeds of these “soul sicknesses” are and how to inoculate ourselves. The case for hope! Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Mark Caswell, Ministerial Intern; Gregory Stevens, Worship Associate; Carmen Barsody, Worship Associate; Carl Cade, Trustee; UUSF Handbell Choir led by Reiko Oda Lane, organist; UUSF Choir, led by Mark Sumner, Director; Wm. García Ganz, pianist Eric Shackelford; Shulee Ong; Eli Boshears, Camera Operators; Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Kelvin Jones, Jose Matias Pineda, and Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher LIVESTREAM https://youtube.com/live/sssyjFjDrr4 OOS https://t.ly/20260215OSWeb

3. 

   8 Feb 2026

   The Virtue and Pitfalls of Moral Purity

   “The Virtue and Pitfalls of Moral Purity” Sunday, February 8, 2026 There has been such a wide swing in recent years between approaches to injustices in our world that ask for unwavering focus that at its extreme bleeds into Cancel Culture, with the I am hearing lately, in various places, to see the strategic need for nuance and changing alliances. Let’s talk about the gift and dangers of an attachment to moral purity in our moral lives. Rev. Vanessa Rush Southern, Senior Minister; Rev. Laura Shennum, Minister of Congregational Life; Mark Caswell, Ministerial Intern; Liz Strand. Trustee; Reiko Oda Lane, organist; UUSF Choir, led by Mark Sumner, Director; Wm. García Ganz, pianist Jonathan Silk, Communications Director; Kelvin Jones, Jose Matias Pineda, and Francisco Castellanos, Sextons; Carrie Steere-Salazar, Flowers; Linda Messner, Head Usher LIVESTREAM https://youtube.com/live/WEvVmklNI-o OOS: https://t.ly/20260208OSWeb

Inside a recent episode

Trust in the Wild

Published 30 Mar 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] It's bloom as a sign that the ground has thawed. In this folklore, this was the time that the mountain roads became possible for circuit preachers who arrived to lead church services. It's also a reliable indicator to fisher folks that the Shad are running upstream. Buried in the language of her people, Kimura shows us also a deeper understanding of this berry and how it would orient us and our place in the world. The word in Potawatomi, she says, for service berries, is Bozakmin. It's a superlative. It means the best of berries, tasting one, she agrees. But she reflects the word Bozakmin has in its root the word min, the phrase min, a root word for berry in her language. […]

Who has been a guest on Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dennis Adams
• Emma Wakeling
• Judith Stoddard
• Reiko Oda Lane
• UUSF Choir

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

24 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 47 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

56

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

92

Contact Sermons-First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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