Patric Young presents
“Even If”
Caitlin Regan, Worship leader
Dr. Gary Smart, Accompaniment and Special Music
Representing our Christian source and following our February theme of “The Path of Love” (e.g., love of God), our guest speaker, Patric Young, will share his personal story, centering on his personal faith. Patric says about his sermon, Even If, “Keeping in mind, the immeasurable goodness, might, size, and love of God, we can obtain peace knowing that He is bigger than anything we may face. We don’t need to understand we just need to trust that His ways and thoughts will always be higher than ours. Even if things don’t happen the way we want we will still choose to trust in the character of God.”
About Our Guest Speaker:
Attitude is everything. Having played in a Final Four, the NBA, and EuroLeague Final, Patric Young had reached the highest levels in his sport. None of the hard work and sacrifice exhibited in his athletic career, however, could prepare him for what was to come. Patric, at age 30, was involved in a motor vehicle crash on June 29, 2022 that resulted in him losing the ability to use his legs.
After completing the initial phases of his rehabilitation, Patric is determined to turn his “new normal” into a force for good. Patric has begun to share his simple but compelling message with audiences across the country: there is no time to waste, tomorrow is not promised. Determined to walk again, Patric wants to use his journey as a source of inspiration to help audience members win their own daily battles whether those be personal, professional, or other. How can we rely on God when things just don’t make sense?
Special Music by BBUUC Member Dr. Gary Smart:
Dr. Smart is a Presidential Professor of Music at the University of North Florida. His career has encompassed a wide range of activities as composer, classical and jazz pianist, and teacher. A musician with varied interests, he studied with Yale scholar/keyboardist Ralph Kirkpatrick, the great Cuban virtuoso Jorge Bolet, and the master jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Dr. Smart composes and improvises music that reflects an abiding interest in Americana, jazz, and world music, as well as the Western classical tradition. Dr. Smart’s work has been supported by organizations that include the Guggenheim and Ford Foundations as well as the National Endowment for the Arts. He has performed in major venues in the United States, Europe, and Asia. His “Concordia” for orchestra won the Concordia Jazz Competition Award and was premiered at Lincoln Center, New York. Dr. Smart has spent two residencies in Japan, teaching in programs at Osaka University and Kobe College. He has also taught in Indonesia as a “Distinguished Lecturer” for the Fulbright program.