Order of Service

Sunday, September 20, 2026

David Dean presenting a sermon by Rev. Gretchen Haley

Elizabeth DeCoux, Worship Leader

Gary Smart, Pianist

Garret Kaplan, Guest Musician, Piano

Opening Music: “Images Book II: Bells Through the Leaves” by Debussy

Opening Words

Time for All Ages with Beth Curtis, Director of Lifespan Religious Education

Children & Youth proceed to Religious Education Classes, as the congregation remains seated to sing “As You Go” (words on screen)

*Opening Hymn #12, “O Life That Maketh All Things New”

Chalice Illumination

*Call to Worship:

From all that dwell below the skies

Let faith and hope and love arise.

Let beauty, truth, and good be sung,

Through every land by every tongue.

Welcome

Our Congregational Covenant:

We covenant to engage one another with honesty, kindness,

and respect; to value diversity, seek understanding

of our differences, and practice gracious accountability

with care, love, and empathy. We make these promises

to those who are here, and those yet to come,

so that we may be a safe, welcoming, and beloved community

of acceptance, learning, and transformation.

Joys and Concerns

Reflective Music: “Dream” by Cage

Offering/*Offertory Hymn #123, “Spirit of Life”

Reading

Sermon: “After the Fall” by Rev. Gretchen Haley, presented by David Dean

*Closing Hymn #121, “We’ll Build a Land”

*Benediction and Extinguishing of the Chalice

*Please rise in body or spirit

BBUUC calendar

The Values and Covenant of the Unitarian Universalist Association:

As Unitarian Universalists, we covenant, congregation-to congregation and through our Association, to support and assist one another in our ministries. We draw from our heritages of freedom, reason, hope, and courage, building on the foundation of love.

Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.

Inseparable from one another, these shared values are:

A chalice with an overlay of the word Love over the flame, with six outstretched arms that create a circle around each of the core values and form a six-petal flower shape. Each arm is a different color, and clockwise they are: Interdependence (Orange), Equity (Red), Transformation (Purple), Pluralism (Blue), Generosity (Green), and Justice (Yellow).

Interdependence. We honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it.

We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.

Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology.

We covenant to learn from one another in our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. We embrace our differences and commonalities with Love, curiosity, and respect.

Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive.

We covenant to dismantle racism and all forms of systemic oppression. We support the use of inclusive democratic processes to make decisions within our congregations, our Association, and society at large.

Transformation. We adapt to the changing world.

We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope.

We covenant to freely and compassionately share our faith, presence, and resources. Our generosity connects us to one another in relationships of interdependence and mutuality.

Equity. We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love and compassion.

We covenant to use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build and sustain fully accessible and inclusive communities.

Freedom of Belief.

Congregational freedom and the individual’s right of conscience are central to our Unitarian Universalist heritage. Congregations may establish statements of purpose, covenants, and bonds of union so long as they do not require that members adhere to a particular creed.

 

Buckman Bridge Unitarian Universalist Church

8447 Manresa Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32244

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 844 • Orange Park, FL 32067

Phone: (904) 276-3739 • www.BBUUC.org

As a non-creedal faith, Unitarian Universalism honors and draws upon all of the world’s wisdom traditions.

The Chancel wall in our church includes eight religious symbols representing many of these traditions, with the Unitarian Universalist symbol, the Flaming Chalice, in the window.

To those new to Unitarian Universalism or our church, we recommend that you attend three or four services to get a feel for the congregation, its services and its mission. Services are coordinated and led by Worship Leaders with sermons by guest speakers including UU ministers, lay speakers, clergy from other faiths that represent our sources, and guests from organizations aligned with UU values.

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We at BBUUC want to create a supportive and nondiscriminatory environment for our transgender and intersex members and guests.

Please feel free to use the bathroom that matches your gender identity