May 3, 2026 Donna Zimmerman Presents her sermon “Who Will Sharpen Your Pencil?” Kris Kines, Worship Leader Gary Smart, Pianist Timothy Edwards, Violin, Guest Musician As UUs we don’t have a mandated creed we are required to believe. But…that does NOT mean that we are an easy-peasy; do-whatever-you-want; cake walk denomination. In fact the exact … Continue reading Who Will Sharpen Your Pencil?
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 … Continue reading Making Your Grief Plan
April 19, 2026 Beth Curtis, BBUUC’s Director of Lifespan Religious Education Presents her sermon “Earth Day – Our Bright and Sacred Future” Kris Kines, Worship Leader Dr. Gary Smart, Pianist In celebration of Earth Day, this sermon honors the Earth as our sacred home and explores the intersection of climate change, justice, and faith. Focusing … Continue reading Earth Day – Our Bright and Sacred Future
April 12, 2026 Mr. Rodney L. Hurst, Sr. presents “The Struggle Continues” Claudia Marshall, Worship Leader Gary Smart, Pianist Mike Ludwick and Emily Rose Ludwick, Guitar and Voice, Special Music A Jacksonville Civil Rights Icon, Rodney Lawrence Hurst, Sr., will share his wisdom after a lifetime of activism in the Civil Rights movement in this … Continue reading The Struggle Continues
Our Family Easter Service will include the traditional Flower Communion, a joyful Unitarian Universalist ritual that celebrates renewal, beauty, and the strength of our shared community. Please bring a flower for yourself and each family member.
Wisdom sometimes arrives unbidden from unexpected places. And what seems at first glance to be a piece of broken glass may turn out to be a gem if you just look at it from a different angle. Elizabeth DeCoux offers a sermon about finding the unexpected, even when you don’t realize you’re looking for anything.
An encouraging and uplifting exploration of the needs and meaning of mourning, moving beyond the myth of linear, staged grieving and the cultural platitudes we learn early in life to deflect grief. The series concludes with an opportunity to consider advanced care planning as a gift of love to your families. This Sunday’s service covers receiving ongoing support from others.
“I don’t just have a news problem. I have an imagination problem. The constant barrage of media and information takes up so much of my attention that it crowds out everything else, all possibility; the violence and endless isms and oppression and war and climate disaster, the constant and disturbingly flippant refrain in everyday conversation that “The world is on fire” – it is easy to get swept up, to be consumed by it all…”
On the power and challenges of paying attention to each other’s stories…
“As Brene Brown puts it, “stories are only a form of connection when someone’s listening and hearing us.” And there’s a lot going on that can get in the way of truly listening and hearing. It’s hard to get out of our own narratives long enough to let someone else’s story stand on its own…”
Stewardship is defined as the “responsible care and management of something that matters.” Here at BBUUC, we focus on the spiritual need to give—to express generosity by sharing time, talent, and treasure. It’s the act of weaving unseen forces into form to create a force for love.
