Sunday Worship: The Humanitarian Sacrament

James Buck, guest speaker
Rebecca Haggerty, Worship Associate

In many spiritual traditions, service is sacred — it liberates us from anger and fear. Through the lens of international humanitarian deployments, let’s explore what happens when we choose service over self-protection, and how an open-hearted embrace of the world can become a path to our own liberation.

James Buck is a humanitarian photojournalist who has responded to crises and public health challenges around the world, including the Ukraine war, the Türkiye and Haiti earthquakes, maternal mortality reduction in Indonesia and Sierra Leone and many more. Though his work, he has learned that a humanitarian mentality is a spiritual undertaking, paralleling his beliefs as a long-time UU and as a sober person in recovery. A trans man, James was born in India, grew up in Saudi Arabia and New England, and has worked alongside USAID and UN actors as well as NGOs and small non-profits. He has master’s degrees from UC Berkeley and became a member of UUSM in 2025 when he moved to LA from Vermont.

Join us for Sunday morning worship in our historic Sanctuary at 18th and Arizona, online or in-person.