April 26, 2026
Rev. Carmen Emerson presents
“Honoring Choices:
A Final Act of Love…Advanced Care Planning”
Elizabeth DeCoux, Worship Leader
Eileen Morrison, Accompanist
Bill and Paula Prince, Guest Musicians
Having examined the 6 needs of mourning together over the past several months, Rev. Carmen concludes this sermon series with a reflection on the creation of an actual grief plan as an intentional response to loss.
Honoring Choices/Advanced Care Planning Workshop
from Noon to 1pm in the Sanctuary:
The worship service will be followed by a 60-minute workshop (i) to review the step-by-step process of creating a grief plan, and (ii) a review of advanced care planning as a final act of love to our families and friends (with copies of the Honoring Choices guide provided for information).
About Our Speaker
Rev. Carmen Emerson, MDiv, is the Affiliated Community Minister for BBUUC. She earned a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School and a graduate certificate in conflict resolution from Lipscomb University’s Institute for Conflict Management. Rev. Carmen is in good standing with the UU Ministers Association and in full fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association. She is a Board-Certified Chaplain and the Spiritual Support Services Coordinator for Baptist Health System in NE Florida. Rev. Emerson’s experience as a parish minister includes ten years of full-time service to our UU congregations in Albuquerque, NM (contract); Meadville, PA (called); and Nashville, TN (called).
About Our Guest Musicians
Paula Prince is a graduate of the jazz studies program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In Cincinnati, she played saxophone and/or flute in various large and small bands. After relocating to Florida, she performed with various ensembles, including the First Coast Wind Symphony, the TBA Big Band, Swing and a Miss, and the North Florida Saxophone Quartet.
Bill Prince, a professor emeritus at the University of North Florida, has performed with numerous bands and orchestras, including Buddy Rich, the NORAD Band, and the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. He has performed on over 70 albums and can be heard on Buddy Rich’s, Mercy, Mercy, and The Best of Buddy Rich. In recent years, Bill developed a cabaret show that he performed on cruise ships worldwide. One of his unique talents is the ability to perform professionally on several instruments. Bill produced his CD, Happy Thoughts, on which he composed, arranged, and performed all parts. He also published a book on his musical life titled Music Is My Ticket, available on Amazon.