July 19, 2026
David Dean presents a sermon written by Rev. Douglas Taylor,
Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton (NY)
“Grandma’s Hands”
Alyssa Halliday, Worship Leader
Gary Smart, Pianist
Marc Dickman, Euphonium

Later in our lives, the defense mechanisms we’ve had that helped us at first begin to get in the way. The grandmother’s hands were covered in thick calluses and scar tissue that had protected her in her youth but caused her pain in her later years. The image of having ‘built a wall’ is common. We build an emotional wall or some other type of boundary to protect ourselves. In time, however, we often find the wall then impedes our ability to connect…

About Our Speaker

David Dean, a BBUUC member and an integral part of our Worship Team, is an Emmy-nominated editor who works as Senior Editor/Post-Producer for the PBS series “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love.” David is also a presenter, writer, and storyteller who volunteers his time as the editor of our worship videos and contributes his other talents in the worship arts to our ministry.

About the Sermon Author

Rev. Douglas Taylor has served as Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton (NY) since 2003. A fourth-generation UU and son of ordained minister Rev. Elizabeth M. Strong, he grew up deeply involved in the church, discovered a love of music (singing in church and school musicals), and worked as music and drama counselor at Camp Unirondack in 1988. After several years working with developmentally disabled adults, he graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School and was ordained in 1999.

About Our Guest Musician

Dr. Marc Dickman is a founding member of the acclaimed Jazz Studies Program at the University of North Florida. His versatility on euphonium, trombone, bass-trombone, and tuba in the classical and jazz styles places him in much demand in the United States. Dr. Dickman also has performed in Japan, Finland, Hungary, Paraguay, Uruguay, Canada, Honduras, and Columbia. He is a founding member of the groundbreaking jazz ensemble, the Modern Jazz Tuba Project. His CD, “A Weaver of Dreams,” is the first jazz euphonium recording available through popular services such as iTunes and Real Networks. At UNF he teaches applied low brass and jazz ensemble. His students have won awards in both the jazz and classical areas.