Elizabeth DeCoux presents
a sermon written by
Rev. Eileen Wiviott
Senior Minister, Unitarian Church of Evanston (IL)
“Love and Belonging”
Hannalora Chapple, Youth Worship leader
Dr. Gary Smart, Accompanist
Bill and Paula Prince, Guest Musicians, Keyboard and Saxophone
What do we mean by a spiritual discipline of liberating love?
“This kind of love is demanding and powerful. It calls us to show up again and again, through discomfort, grief, rage, disappointment, and despair. It demands that we understand ourselves to be one family, to never close our hearts to each other or give up on the possibility of redemption and repair, though our pain be sharp and sadness deep…”
About our Speaker
Elizabeth DeCoux spent her career practicing law and then teaching law. She is BBUUC’s Animal Chaplain, available to help members and their companion animals with any spiritual and pastoral needs related to animals. Elizabeth was selected as the recipient of the Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry’s Albert Schweitzer Sermon Award for the best sermon regarding our responsibilities to animals. She is active in the UUAM, serves as a Board Trustee, and is also on BBUUC’s Worship Team.
About the Sermon Author
Rev. Eileen Wiviott is the Senior Minister of the Unitarian Church of Evanston (IL). Her ministry grew out of a call to usher people into a sense of belonging in our congregation and a passion for creating collaborative opportunities to engage in social justice. She believes that, together, we are called to create life’s meaning. Rev. Eileen graduated from Meadville Lombard Theological School in May of 2017. She serves as a trustee for the Interfaith Action of Evanston board and as the Meadville Lombard Theological School chaplain.
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.