Old ways are not only familiar to us, but are usually comforting due to their familiarity, even if they no longer serve us. How we handle changing times and any fearfulness that may accompany these changes directly impacts our ability to experience joy and happiness. Miguel Ruiz authored the book Beyond Fear, A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy which I will use as our reference source on moving forward with life as we choose it to be.

Jay Roller will serve as Worship Associate and Whitman Donaldson will be the acolyte.

Chris Waltz will be the guest musician and Mark Johnson the pianist.

Linda Harris will speak to the Congregation about the work of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and Guest At Your Table donations will be collected at this service. Members who participated in collecting money for the program are invited to bring checks for the amount collected.

Children will lift up their voices and sing to the new year at a sing-along for all ages led by Carolyn Jayne in the chapel starting at 10.

At 11 Nancy Buffum will conduct a children and youth service in the Chapel.

As always, the Early Childhood program will welcome children up to age five beginning at 9:45.

Newcomers are invited to drop in on the Religious Education program throughout the year. Please phone Betty at 776-4580 so that we may give you a personal welcome on Sunday.

Christine Cordero and Galatea King, two active leaders with Filipino Americans Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES), will discuss the human and environmental impacts of Bay Area-based corporation Chevron on fence line communities in the Philippines. In addition, they will tell what grassroots communities and advocates are doing to hold big oil accountable.

The activists will include a brief history of solidarity work which centered on toxic waste left at former US military bases.

The Forum discussion will also review the ways for people in America to become engaged in environmental justice right in their backyards and with communities abroad.

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

eScrip is a proven fund-raising resource where participating business partners contribute a percentage of your grocery loyalty cards, credit card, and debit/ATM card purchases to this liberal religious community.

Log on to www.escrip.com or call eScrip's customer service number, 800-700-5655. If you already have a Safeway card, all you need is your address and our church name or participant number (#140972249).

A few minutes of your time will generate income for the Society all year. We invite everyone, member or not, to register.

If 200 households sign up in January, we will have funds for a "green" coffee hour.

Her most recent appearance in print follows the November, 2008 publication of her book The Foggiest Idea: Tales of a Displaced Texan in San Francisco Mamaland .

Congratulations, Robin!

The Society's service was one of the ones featured in the San Francisco Chronicle on Christmas Day.