For the past two years I have shared annually the misadventures of a colorful family — my own — living in a land of black and white.

This Sunday I'll tell you about a humorous incident that may give you pause as to what Thanksgiving is really all about.

How do you reconcile being thankful for what you already have versus what you will need in order to live a fully human life?

When these are in balance I find that I am better equipped to maintain a perspective that keeps me from taking myself too seriously, and I am able to laugh out loud at life. Indeed, gratitude and guffaws are partners on life's journey.

Come laugh, love, and live this Sunday and bring a friend to do the same!

Joining me on the pulpit will be Pastoral Care Minister Rev. Fred Rabidoux, Ministerial Intern Peter Olandt, worship associates Denis Pauland Dionte Stewart, and local Unitarian Universalist Service Committee representative Linda Harris. Our choir will sing the music of this season of gratitude.

Barbara Sizelove will share her expertise in print making in the Art Room Sunday at 10. Participants will learn a variety of techniques to create beautiful works of art that will decorate the King rooms during the winter shelter in February. Please wear clothes that will not be ruined if ink gets on them and come early to get all the instructions and to have plenty of time to work on your creations.

(The photos for this article are from last week's art class with Kristen Stephens. They were taken by Joe Dellert.)

The 11 am Religious Education classes will begin in the Sanctuary with children and youth participating in the first minutes of the Worship Service. The learners will then go to their age-level classrooms for the remainder of the morning.

The Guest at Your Table program begins this Sunday. Each family will receive a box to take home and fill with coins as they acknowledge their blessings - good food, clean water, a home. The family's donations will be brought to the church on the first Sunday in January and sent to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee to bring a better life to less fortunate people around the world.

December is a time of special programs and special activities, particularly art activities. If you would like to be a part of our children's programs, give Betty a call at 776-4580 or send her email.

The brochure for winter adult classes was promised last week but was unavoidably delayed until today. It is now available at the Greeters table, in the church office, and posted in various areas around the church. Please pick up a class list and begin planning which programs you want to take beginning in January. Registration forms are available in the church office.

If you would like to help with the religious education classes, please contact the Religious Education office or one of the members of the Adult Religious Education committee - Jim Barnett, Leon Luey, and Adin Eichler. (And, don't forget - Meditation with Adin Eichler, 10 am in Dutton Study on Sunday mornings, is a great way to start your week.)

The United Nations calculated recently "that the recent spike in food prices has pushed an additional 100,000,000 people to the edge of starvation in just the last few months. Food protests from Egypt to Haiti show the depths of desperation."

What is causing the crisis? What can we do?

Marcia Ishii-Eiteman (pictured at right) will discuss human rights aspects of the global food crisis and its solutions, drawing on her experiences over the past 6 years with the U.N.-sponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). The Assessment's goal was to identify ways to "reduce hunger and poverty, improve rural livelihoods, and facilitate equitable, environmentally, socially and economically sustainable development;" it urges immediate reform of the world's food and farming systems.

The free program will start at 9:45. Come at 9:30 for conversation, coffee, and (for a slight charge) a light breakfast.

We expect a full house to hear music from our choir, percussionist Allen Biggs, and Moroccan musician Sheik Chadley. Celebrants will also hear inspiring words from religious leaders of the City's diverse faith traditions, including Senior Minister Rev. Gregory Stewart.

The tradition of this interfaith service was begun by First Church and Temple Emanu-El many, many years ago and was expanded recently to include a wider array of voices and visions calling for common ground among people of faith.

This year we're glad we can say, "Welcome home!" to this service and those who attend, including you!

All are invited and welcome... so bring a friend or neighbor!

A memorial service for Gerda Fiske will be held Sunday at 1:30 in the Chapel. Gerda passed away peacefully at her residence in the Redwoods in Marin in September at the age of 92.

Specifically, it's the season to renew for those supporting the church through eScrip and shopping at Safeway. Just go to eSprip online and click on the Safeway renewal box.

Safeway requires eScrip participants to renew every year so that up to 4 percent of your Safeway purchases go to the First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco. You don't pay more, but the purchases you would make anyway help support the church.

eScrip records indicate that 97 people, or 74 percent, of the Society's 131 supporters have not yet renewed their eScrip-Safeway participation. That's a lot of money slipping through our fingers that could go toward our efforts to assist those suffering in these difficult times.

Mark Calvey, our eScrip coordinator, will be at church after the service this Sunday helping members renew their Safeway participation. He'll have his laptop with him to also help sign up newcomers to the program.

The School of the Americas (SOA), now called the "Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation" (WHINSEC) will be scene of a demonstration, calling for the closure of the notorious military training institute for Latin American soldiers and police.

Society members Nancy Evans and Dolores Perez Priem and over 100 Bay Area members of a nationwide movement will be attending this vigil.

The SOA has a documented record of massive human rights abuses against civilians in Latin America for more than forty years, and this annual vigil memorializes those who were killed by soldiers trained at the SOA. Pentagon officials admitted in 1996 that U.S. Army training manuals used to instruct Latin American military officers and soldiers at the SOA from 1982 until 1991, advocated torture, blackmail, and executions as counter insurgency measures.

If you are interested in this event, please let Dolores know. Join torture survivors, community organizers, and social justice activists from across the Americas and converge at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia, to start building the world that we hope for. The annual November vigil follows the election of President Obama by two weeks. It will be an opportunity for the progressive movement to push for the closure of the SOA/WHINSEC and to set an agenda for a new direction in U.S. foreign policy.

The Up On Top after school program will again be selling Holiday Cookies at the Holiday Faire, and advanced orders are now being accepted.

Choose among your favorites:

• Decorated Sugar Cookies
• Reduced Sugar Sugar
• Cookies
• Thumbprint Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nuts
• Mexican Wedding Cakes
• Ginger Cookies

Orders are accepted by email and by phone (leave a message at 885-6018, ext.612) through December 1 for pick-up at the December 7th faire. Cookies will also be available on a first-come-first-served basis from 12:30 to 3:30 Sunday, December 7th.

In light of the passage of Proposition 8 in California and similar blows experienced on election day which restrict the rights of bisexual, gay, lesbian, queer, and transgender people, the UUA has produced a video, People of Faith, Standing on the Side of Love, which makes clear the support of Unitarian Universalists for marriage equality.

The video uses images gathered from Unitarian Universalists across North America who have advocated for marriage equality or been joined in equal marriage. The video also celebrates the role of Unitarian Universalist clergy in officiating at these services.

Two Sonnie Willis photographs of members of this Society are included in this national video.

Monday (November 17), the UUA, the Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of California (UULM-CA), and other religious leaders and faith organizations representing millions of members, filed a petition with the California Supreme Court asking the Court to invalidate Proposition 8. The petition argues that Proposition 8 poses a severe threat to the guarantee of equal protection for all and was not enacted through the constitutionally required process for such a dramatic change to the California Constitution. The full text of the petition is at online.

"Proposition 8 denies an entire class of citizens a basic civil right-the freedom to marry the person of their choice" said Rev. William G. Sinkford, President of the UUA. "Even worse, this amendment writes discrimination into the California Constitution. As people of conscience, we cannot permit legalized bigotry to attack California couples and families."

photo by Michelle Donaldson

Religious liberals protested the passage of Prop 8 by marching down Van Ness to the rally at City Hall last Saturday. Michelle Donaldson shares her photos from the day in the link below. The Society's contingent joined thousands of people at City Hall who called for the overturning of Proposition 8.

Rev. Greg Stewart, Trustee Ben Bear, Claire Bohman, Denis Paul and other activists were arrested for non-violent civil disobedience after the demonstration at City Hall.

Many of those arrested came to last Sunday's worship service and were cheered by the Congregation.

Shown in this Sonnie Willis photograph are Ben Bear, Ryan Kerian, Felicity Huang, and Kip Williams (at the lectern).

Tuesday (November 18) Rev. Stewart talked about his arrest, Proposition 8, separation of church and state, church tax exemptions, and Unitarian Universalism in an interview on San Francisco's Air America affiliate, KKGN, AM 960.

Rev. Stewart and the other arrested demonstrators have a January court date.

from the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA)

Now that the US presidential election is over, it's time to think about the UUA presidential election which will occur at the 2009 General Assembly in Salt Lake City June 24-28.

Each congregation has votes based on its number of members. This Society will have 9 delegates who will be elected in March.

Be informed!

On October 18 the two presidential candidates, Rev. Peter Morales and Rev. Dr. Laurel Hallman, participated in a forum in Worcester, MA. A video is available for viewing in a variety of media formats. Also available is a transcript of the event in Word or PDF formats. Please see the UUA website for additional information.