11-18-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

11-18-16

Christ the King

Earlier this year (church calendar year) I received a generous email from a student who praised my preaching and wanted to introduce himself because he was new to the church.  After a bit of sermon analysis he said, but I want to make one suggestion.  He cited his favorite preacher and noted that they "share the gospel in every message."  The email exchange included only my reply, so I don't know what the sum total of the gospel message was for this particular individual.  I'm guessing that he meant something like Romans 3:23, 5:8 and 10:9.  I don't disagree.  That is the gospel AND it is so much more.  

I said a few things in my answer, but in it I included the fact that we believe liturgy is formative and that the gospel is so large it takes at least a year to tell the story.  And it needs to be heard again every year.  During Advent we begin our year new again.  We start from the beginning with the hope that He who has come will come again.  We wear the story of Israel longing and then celebrate when Christ arrives clinging to the promise that he will advent again.  12 days later we welcome Mathews inclusive addition noting that this arrival is for the whole world.  It includes foreign kings.  This is good news for us because we are gentiles!  

After a short period of ordinary time we begin again on Ash Wednesday.  This is Romans 3:23.  We are sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God and so it important that we live into that reality.  If we don't begin by properly diagnosing the problem, we can’t move towards the correct solution.  For about six weeks we remind ourselves of that sin during Lent.  After that six week period of dessert walking and mindful preparing is over we enter into Holy Week.  Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.  

Plight moves to solution.  Hegel called it thesis, antithesis, synthesis.  Walter Brueggemann calls it orientation, disorientation and new orientation, but the theological language describes the pattern this way: Life, Death, and Resurrection.  It is God’s new creation promised to us in front of the foundations of the earth.  A pattern in creation and a pattern interrupted once and for all in God’s yes to humanity.  In Jesus, death died.  

People were made to party, so that’s what we do during the Easter season.  We sit at the banquet table and celebrate.  The end has signaled our new beginning.  But Christ must go so that the Spirit can come (John 16:7).  Our hearts burned near the end of Easter and now our hair has been set on fire.  The gospel has been proliferated by the Spirit who is the sign and seal of our salvation.  

But this takes courage.  The gospel is already, but not yet.  Living into the resurrection means that we too may have to die.  Die in our marriages, die in our relationships, die in humility or just plain die.  There are martyrs, even today, who die for this story.  We give up the right to be right when we wear the pattern of life, death and resurrection.  

To borrow a phrase from Anne Lamott, “we are all scared little kittens.”  That’s how we are sent out in this peaceless world.  As salt and light to give taste and vision to a blind and bland world.  But take heart, because you have been sent with God’s Spirit.  The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11).   And so, in what turns out to be the longest season on our calendar, we practice.  We rehearse this story that has been told.  We play out the patterns of forgiveness and generosity.  We are a people who strive to hope all things with kindness and patience.  We become the latest instalment of God’s mercy filled rescue plan.  

But I must warn you of something.  Not everyone will be glad to hear about the constitution that comes with the pattern.  Jesus has made some dangerous claims.  Claims that got him killed.  And now they must be our claims.  Chief among them is that He is chief.  Christ is King.  No one hates this claim more than Caesar.

Sometimes I pity Caesar.  He or she is dealt a losing hand to begin with.  Caesar’s empire has stretched from England to India, between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but now there are hundreds of Cesar’s all over the world.  Cesars that build nuclear warheads.  Caesars whose best option is send troops to war to kills hundreds of people to save others.   Caesars who drop bombs with drones.  Caesars who have to appoint judges to make decisions about whose lives are most important.  Can you imagine?  Who would want that job?

You see life, death and resurrection is an invitation.  It’s a community of Three Persons, but They make for terrible politics.  And so the church is called to live in a world where Caesar plays second fiddle.  And this Sunday we throw our ecclesiological new years party with that in mind.  Sunday we celebrate that Christ is King.  

Thanksgiving Love Feast

That time of the year when you eat the same meal in four different settings and it's amazing.  Kick off your turkey eating season Sunday night(11/20) @ 6:00 PM as we dine together in fine fashion at our annual Thanksgiving Love Feast.  UBC will provide the turkey you provide the sides.  email toph@ubcwaco.org for more information.  

Advent Workshop

Parents, our annual advent workshop will be after church (after lunch) on Sunday November 27th.  If you have not already been contacted about participating and would like to do so, email josh@ubcwaco.org 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Will & Richardsons 

Coffee Makers: Joy & Ryan 

Mug Cleaners: Dilan & Shane 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Christ the King Sunday: Testimony! 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 11-13-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

Maker, as You set about making new heavens and a new earth,

why not re-make all of us as well?

Maker, if You’re not done making, 

Renovate our hearts
Leaving love where there is fear
And empathy where there is loathing.

Re-calibrate our eyes to see people as You do,

And weave your Spirit through our spines
So we can stand beyond our breaking

Amen.

Scripture

Isaiah 65:17-25

For I am about to create new heavens
and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
or come to mind.
But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
or the cry of distress.
No more shall there be in it
an infant that lives but a few days, 
or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.

They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

They shall not labor in vain,
or bear children for calamity;
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord--
and their descendants as well.
Before they call I will answer,
while they are yet speaking I will hear.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
the lion shall eat straw like the ox; 
but the serpent-- its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

Luke 21:5-19

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, "As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down."

They asked him, "Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?" And he said, "Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, `I am he!' and, `The time is near!' Do not go after them.

"When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

"But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls."

Prayer

This weeks' prayers came from An Iona Prayerbook.  The first is uncredited, and the second is credited to Eddie Askew:

Healer of Galilee,
you come, again and again,
to permeate
our human condition;
to take upon yourself
all that hurts us.
And again today
you accompany us
when our bodies are racked with pain,
when our minds are in confusion,
when our self-esteem is lost,
when our failures overwhelm,
when our faith falters,
when our relationships break down,
when in our loneliness we move
beyond tears

Lord Christ,
you are the still centre of every storm.
In you is calm,
whatever the wind outside.
In you is reassurance,
however high the waves.
In you is strength,
however contrary the tide.

Setlist 11-13-2016

This was the twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of hope.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Wandering by Jameson McGregor

There by Jameson McGregor

Because He Lives by Bill and Gloria Gaither

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

Chariot by Page France

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Wandering: We sang this song to begin our time together proclaiming that God is not in the habit of abandoning us--even when we deserve it most.  God's faithfulness to us is thankfully not conditional upon our own faithfulness to God.  Because of this, we can have hope that God is continually working toward reconciliation with us, and in this we can stake our hope.

There: This song is about the fact that God transcends every source of anxiety that we encounter in life, which means the threats we feel around us do not have the same effect on God.  Though God enters into our suffering with us, God is not chained to it.  And in drawing nearer to God, we find a refuge that will deliver us as well.

Because He Lives: We sang this song to proclaim that our daily hope in the face of uncertainty is located in the risen Christ. 

Wild One: This song is about our propensity to create idols out of ideas--the idea of safety, the idea of prosperity, a particular idea of who God is--and the way in which these idols shatter when they come into contact with God.

Chariot: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs. This is what we said about Chariot then: This song paints a vivid picture of an apocalyptic wedding feast where the varied and broken stories that make up human history are woven into a decidedly untragic ending.  As we think about the communion of the saints and our Christ-centered interconnectivity, it is fitting to begin by imagining the moment in which this interconnectivity is no longer veiled.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 11-11-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Listening

On Sunday, after we participated in communion, we had the option to grab the sticker shown above: "I communed with someone I disagree with today."  This week has revealed what we already knew: our country is deeply divided.  It is in this season, the Church should be on the front lines practicing empathy and listening to those marginalized and those who marginalize.   The following is an excerpt from David Dark's book: The Sacredness of Questioning Everything:

Fordham University philosophy professor Merold Westphal puts the matter rather beautifully: "If I am good listener, I don't interrupt the other or plan my own next speech while pretending to be listening.  I try to hear what is said, but I listen just as hard for what is not said and for what is said between the lines.  I am not in a hurry, for there is no pre-appointed destination for the conversation.  There is no need to get there, for we are already here; and in this present I am able to be fully present to the one who speaks.  The speaker is not an object to be categorized or manipulated, but a subject who life situation is enough like my own that I can understand it in spite of the differences between us.  If I am good listener, what we have in common will be more important than what we have in conflict"  

"What we have in common will be more important" than defensively dissociating ourselves from those who might somehow call our rightness into question.  And being capable of discerning what we have in common with the people who challenge our sense of decorum will involved silencing the tape, the inner monologue, that tells us why we're right and others are wrong, even as we pretend to listen by nodding knowingly.  Our momentarily stilled tongues might genuinely signify the reception of another person's witness.  And if they do, it could be that God's kingdom, where two or more are gathered in this way, is already present.

"In the end," Thomas Merton assures us, "it is the reality of personal relationships that saves everything."  And the reality comes unto us when we cast aside our categorizing impulses and our armored suits of offhandedness (powerful feeling though they may be) and enter into the dangerous and redeeming space where people, all kinds of people (the marginalized and those who marginalize), enter into the blessed work of actually listening to one another.

Thailand

If you are interested in going on our trip to Thailand, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org  There are still a few spots open, and the trip is May14-28, 2017.  We will be working with South Asian immigrants in northern Thailand.

Order of the Phoenix Game Night

Our middle school youth group (5th-8th) is having a game night, TONIGHT, Friday November 11th from 6:30-8:30 PM.  Email tcarlson76@hotmail.com for more information.  

The Middle Ages Wine Night

The Middle Ages will be meeting tomorrow night November 12th at the Classy Glass Wine Bar for some chardonnay and to hear some saucy jazz featuring guitarist one Chuck Jennings.  for more information email jeff_walter@baylor.edu.

Thanks Giving Love Feast

That time of the year when you eat the same meal in four different settings and it's amazing.  Kick off your turkey eating season next Sunday night(11/20) @ 6:00 PM as we dine together in fine fashion at our annual Thanksgiving Love Feast.  UBC will provide the turkey you provide the sides.  email toph@ubcwaco.org for more information.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky & Juliet 

Coffee Makers: Emmy & Stephen 

Mug Cleaners: Cooleys 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Luke 21:5-19 (Kim Stübben)
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Advent Workshop: Nov 27th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 11-6-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

We have gathered seeking rest in the midst of our journey

Broken people
following broken footsteps
on a long and shifting road

In our rest, we seek to know and be known by Our God

To be dwell in God’s story
And to be found there

And in our being known, we seek to be changed

To be formed by the Spirit
Into people who are more like Jesus.

Amen

Scripture

Psalm 145:1-5, 18-22

I will exalt you, O God my King, 
and bless your Name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless you
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; 
there is no end to his greatness.

One generation shall praise your works to another
and shall declare your power.
I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty
and all your marvelous works.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and loving in all his works.

The Lord is near to those who call upon him, 
to all who call upon him faithfully.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; 
he hears their cry and helps them.
The Lord preserves all those who love him, 
but he destroys all the wicked.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; 
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.

Luke 6:20-31

Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:

"Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
"Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
"Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
"Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
"Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.
"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets

"But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Prayer (this week it's a poem)

This week, we read a sonnet by Malcolm Guite called "The gathered glories":

Though Satan breaks our dark glass into shards
Each shard still shines with Christ’s reflected light,
It glances from the eyes, kindles the words
Of all his unknown saints. The dark is bright
With quiet lives and steady lights undimmed,
The witness of the ones we shunned and shamed.
Plain in our sight and far beyond our seeing
He weaves them with us in the web of being
They stand beside us even as we grieve,
The lone and left behind whom no one claimed,
Unnumbered multitudes, he lifts above
The shadow of the gibbet and the grave,
To triumph where all saints are known and named;
The gathered glories of His wounded love.

Setlist 11-6-2016

This was the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of communion of saints.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Chariot by Page France

Heart Won't Stop by John Mark McMillan

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

When the Saints by Jameson McGregor (adaptation)

Wayward Ones by The Gladsome Light

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Chariot: This song paints a vivid picture of an apocalyptic wedding feast where the varied and broken stories that make up human history are woven into a decidedly untragic ending.  As we think about the communion of the saints and our Christ-centered interconnectivity, it is fitting to begin by imagining the moment in which this interconnectivity is no longer veiled.

Heart Won't Stop: To think more deliberately about Christ-centered interconnectivity we talked about, we sang this song to single out the connective tissue in this relationship: the love of God.  In this love, we find an unmatched relentless pursuit that cannot be severed, even by death.  It is this death discarding love that allows us to cling to the hope that we are connected to one another through Christ beyond time and space.

Pulse: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Pulse then: This song is a prayer that God would reconnect us to the Pulse of the Spirit in creation, and that we would learn to base our love for one another in our mutual status as creatures of God.  There is no person for whom this does not apply, and, though it is at times seemingly impossibly difficult, we do not get a pass on our call to love everyone.

When the Saints: This song was requested by David Wilhite, our guest preacher this week.  He asked me if I had a rendition of it, and I did not.  After listening through about 30 versions, I realized that I was ill-equipped to do the song any of those ways, so I made my own.  In that process, I became acquainted with the sense of longing that drives this song--an awareness that the journey of faith is one where we follow in the footsteps of people who have died, seeking to be drawn further in to a story about resurrection and redemption, cutting against the brokenness that we find in the world around us.

Wayward Ones: We sing this song every time we take communion to remind ourselves of a couple of things.  First, we are a broken people--though we are seeking to become more like Jesus, we often fail at this.  Second, Christ has given Himself for us despite our brokenness.  We take communion to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, even though we did not, and do not, deserve it.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 11-4-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

All Saints

All Saints Day was Tuesday of this week.  We didn’t have a liturgy that night, but we are going to be observing that day in one way or another during our liturgy on Sunday.

I didn’t grow up observing All Saints Day—which I guess could also be said of the majority of the Church calendar.  In my church experience, we didn’t speak very often of “saints”—there was this strange aversion to anything that might be perceived as Catholic (I grew up a Southern Baptist). Somewhere along the way, I picked up surface-level knowledge of a handful of saints throughout history, and came to value them as people who well-embodied what it is to be formed in the way of Christ in a particular time and place.  In light of this, holding them in our memory allows us to embrace their stories in ways that might inform our own lives.  The stories are crafted through the artistry of the Spirit, and have the ability to inform and inspire the stories that we find ourselves in the midst of.  

But this isn’t only true of famous or canonized saints.  There are saints of all sorts lighting up the world.  They are those caught up in the love of Christ—that Love that is decidedly unconditioned and relentless.  They are recognizable not by the pious radiance of their every breath, but in the moments where the person God made them to be and the person they are is synchronized. 

Let’s pause for a moment and let Malcolm Guite have a word about saints:

“The gathered glories”

Though Satan breaks our dark glass into shards,
Each shard still shines with Christ’s reflected light,
It glances from the eyes, kindles the words
Of all his unknown saints. The dark is bright
With quiet lives and steady lights undimmed,
The witness of the ones we shunned and shamed.
Plain in our sight and far beyond our seeing,
He weaves their threads into the web of being.
They stand beside us even as we grieve,
The lone and left behind whom no one claimed,
Unnumbered multitudes, he lifts above
The shadow of the gibbet* and the grave,
To triumph where all saints are known and named;
The gathered glories of his wounded love.

*I didn’t know what this was, and I’m probably not alone, so I’ll save you a Google: it’s a gallows.

While I’m tempted to comment on this line-by-line, I’m not going to do that.  Instead, I want to address the broad idea about the relationship of saints and death and us.  Saints are saints because of their being-held in the love of Christ.  This is not what you would call a super exclusive club.  In their mutual relationship to this Love, they find themselves woven together. Most of you are probably trying to exclude yourself from this kind of “saint” category—stop that.  Saints don’t earn their title, but are instead what they are because of Christ, and you are found in that same Love.  So anyway, we’re all held together by this shared Love.  And just as death cannot separate us from the love of God, death cannot separate those caught in the Light of Christ from one another; not really.  Loss still hurts, it still stings in some way, but we are not alone in our grief, and we are not left in our grief.  We are left with stories that, just like those of the more famous saints, can inform and inspire our own stories.  

So let’s celebrate them.  And celebrate with them.

When we take communion, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.  And in doing so, we proclaim also that he rewrote what dying means.  We often think of communion as a time where we are united as a church in our shared meal, and that our church is united with a much broader community of people.  We have a sense of the sort of lateral community with the broader church in communion, but we should also carry a sense of the community we join across time (both ways).  

So, with all this in mind, we are encouraging you this Sunday to bring a picture of any loved ones you’ve lost whose story has served to inform or inspire your own journey toward Christ, or perhaps people who have impacted you from afar, and to place those pictures on the communion tables to hold this broader community in mind.

JM

Made in Waco

Is a handmade/crafted local market and it is tomorrow at UBC!!!! So get out and either sell, shop or volunteer.  Great way to start your Christmas shopping season and support local business and local beauty.   If you have any questions email Jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Order of the Phoenix Cookout Fundraiser

Our middle school youth group will be holding a fund raiser/lunch after church this Sunday.  For $5 (suggested donation) you get a burger chips and a soft drink.  All proceeds go towards TOOTP budget.  

Order of the Phoenix Game Night

Our middle school youth group (5th-8th) is having a game night, next Friday November 11th from 6:30-8:30 PM.  Email tcarlson76@hotmail.com for more information.  

The Middle Ages Wine Night

The Middle Ages will be meeting on Saturday November 12th at the Classy Glass Wine Bar for some chardonnay and to hear some saucy jazz featuring guitarist one Chuck Jennings.  for more information email jeff_walter@baylor.edu. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers: Joy & Ryan 

Mug Cleaners: Dillon & Shane 

Money Counter: Josh M. 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Please be in prayer for the Rev. Dr. David Wilhite who will be preaching "When the Saints Go Marching In." Luke 6:20-31
• The Middle Ages at the Wine Bar: November 12
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Advent Workshop: Nov 27th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Community Needs

If you have a need you would like included in the newsletter, email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

• A ubc family is looking for a nanny.  If you're interested in more information, email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-30-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

We have gathered to seek the One who seeks us

To find the One who has found us

And to enter into the story of Jesus

taking up the love without borders,
and the life that is unbound.

And to be caught up in the work of the Spirit

To fill our lungs with this Breath
And be changed from the inside.

Amen

Scripture

Isaiah 1:10-18

Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.

When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from your hand?
Trample my courts no more;
bringing offerings is futile;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation--
I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
Your new moons and your appointed festivals
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.

When you stretch out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen; 
your hands are full of blood.

Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.

Come now, let us argue it out,
says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today." So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 

All who saw it began to grumble and said, "He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner." Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much." Then Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost."

Prayer

This week's prayer was adapted by Toph from Kyle Lake's final sermon:

May we live, and live well.
May we breathe deeply the fullness of Christ.
May we be present in each moment we find ourselves in.
May we enjoy each day and feel the warmth of the sun, or the cool crisp air of autumn in our lungs.
May we get knee-deep in a novel and lose track of time.
May we feel the satisfaction of a job well done—a paper well-written, a project thoroughly completed, a play well-performed.
May we be able to mourn when it is time, and may we find ourselves in community in our mourning.
May we laugh, and laugh hard, with friends and family.
May we experience each day with a renewed appreciation of each smell we encounter.  
May we savor every bite of food we take, and relish in the company of friends.  
May we love God.
May we embrace beauty.
May we live life to its fullest.
And may we recognize it is most certainly all a gift from God.
Amen.

Setlist 10-30-2016

This was the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of breaking/mending.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Future/Past by John Mark McMillan

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

Wash Me Clean by Page CXVI

Come Thou Fount

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Future/Past: We sang this song to begin our time together expressing the example God has set in seeking out the Other in love--specifically, God's reaching out to us despite the infinite distinction between who God is and what we are.

Pulse: This song is a prayer that God would reconnect us to the Pulse of the Spirit in creation, and that we would learn to base our love for one another in our mutual status as creatures of God.  There is no person for whom this does not apply, and, though it is at times seemingly impossibly difficult, we do not get a pass on our call to love everyone.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song as a prayer that the Spirit would reawaken us to the transformative call of the Kingdom.

Wash Me Clean:  This song is equal parts confession and hopeful longing.  It admits our need to forgiveness and transformation, and also imagines, with the prophets, the kind of transformation that God has planned for human history.

Come Thou Fount: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Come Thou Fount then: This song asks that God would tune our hearts to sing the story of God's presence in our lives, as well as confesses our proneness to wandering.  Perhaps it is in having a clear understanding of the way that God has entered the broken places in our lives in the past that we are able to make it through brokenness in the future.  So, like the prayer offered before we sang this song (that will be posted with the Liturgy blog on Wednesday), we has God to flood the dry and broken places within us with a renewed understanding an appreciation of who God has been for us in our lives.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 10-28-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

Leadership Team Meeting Update

10-23-16 Leadership Team Report

This last Sunday night, October 23rd, the leadership team met for their quarterly meeting.  I wanted to share a few things that came out of that meeting.

First, after serving his three year term David Wilhite rotated off of the leadership team.  Adam Win has been selected as his replacement.  Per our bylaws, Adam was nominated by our community and selected by the leadership team.  To read more about Adam see below.  

Second, the leadership team proposed and voted to add two more members to the team.  The two additional spots will be for university students.  Those two additional members will take our team total from 7 to 9.  The following are the stipulations for the student spots.

1. The spots will ideally be filled by one male and one female student.

2. The students will commit to a one year term with the option to renew up to 3 years.

3. The students, as is the case with all leadership team members, will have be required to have been a member (see the current bylaws) for at least two academic semesters.  

Third, the leadership team voted to make the children’s pastor position full time.  After taking a month to listen to the community and looking over the data provided by the finance and HR teams the team thought it best to make the position full time.  I’ve asked the team to compose a letter explaining some of their thoughts and what went into their decision.  This letter was crafted by our chair Jon Davis and edited by the rest of the team.  

Dear UBC,

During the Leadership Team’s October meeting we discussed all of the potential options for the Children’s Pastor position. We have decided that a 40hr full-time position is in our best interest.

By moving to a full-time position, we believe it will attract stronger candidates and give them the time do their best work possible. We also discussed this position transitioning to more of a Children and Families Pastor, absorbing some of the family oriented pastoral duties that currently fall under the Lead Pastor. Since Josh is currently taking on the youth group and children are part of families, this seemed like a good fit. The extra time would also allow them to grow and maintain a solid volunteer base.

It is our hope and prayer that our new Children’s pastor can continue to grow the program. By giving them the proper resources and support from the church we can only encourage that outcome.

After reviewing the data that the finance team provided, we a realize that this choice is a risk. That being said we are moving forward with a full time children’s pastor for a few reasons.  First, this ministry is the fastest growing in our church.  We feel that failing to increase the position full time puts the new children’s pastor at a disadvantage.  Secondly, we have accumulated a sizable savings account.  If giving trends stay stagnant and we permitted ourselves to borrow from savings to meet the budget, we could do so for a substantial period of time.  Thirdly, we feel that an investment in this specific ministry has the largest chance of producing a return on an investment.

Warm Regards,

Jon Davis (chair) and The Leadership Team

Meet Adam Winn our newest leadership team member

Why are you in Waco:  I am Waco because I wouldn't want to live anywhere else . . . I happen to work at UMHB as well.  

Best Restaurant in town: Chuys

Fav. Tv show:  Homeland

fav. book of the bible, verse or chapter: Luke 7:36-50

something we may not know about you:  in junior high I played football and starred in school theater productions . . . got started on that renaissance thing early. 

Slayer Basketball

You don't see it all the time, but when you do it's inspiring.  It was the 2004 Pistons and the 2014 Spurs.  It's team basketball at it's finest.  Normally when I write these articles I naturally find a stand out performance.  Tilson's guard play.  Wilhite presence under the hoop neutralizing the drive.  Carlson's turn around jumper.  Begnoche's defense and ability to glide across the court.  And of course MVP hopeful Jonathan White's clutch sooting from the 2 spot.  But after last night's first round playoff win, i'm forced to mention all of them or none of them including the 6th man play off the bench. 

When the whole team plays well, domination happens.  And that's what was on display last night in a sold out SWCC stadium.  The Slayer's opponents, the 6th seeded Episcopalian Infant-Baptizers, didn't get into double digits until time had almost expired.  And what can I say of the offense.  The Slayer's shot an astounding 64% from the field.  I've seen people be more inaccurate throwing pennies into a wishing well.  

Hopefully some of that juju will hang around next week as the 5-2 Slayers take on the 6-1 AME Rocks.  A game that promises as much excitement as the regular season buzzer beater held.  When asked about their second matchup against the 2 seed Coach Whisnant had this to say:  "To AME we got make shots and get rebounds.  We got to dribble well and pass the ball.  They'll press us and so we have to make good decisions."  One would think an inordinate amount of pressure will fall to Tilson.  We caught up with at Chick-fil-a by Baylor earlier today.  Here are his comments.  "Am i worried about the press?  Was Gideon afraid of the press?"  Wasn't sure what do with that cryptic comment, but we are excited about Slayer action this Thursday night at SWCC Stadium.  Hope to see you there. 

UBC in Thailand

This Sunday, October 30, we have an interest meeting after church in the Red Room.  Join us to learn more about UBC’s partnership in Thailand, and about our trip May 14-28, 2017.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

Made in Waco

We are about a month away from Made in Waco, ubc's handmade market.  If you are interested in being a vendor, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org for more info and an application.

Work is Worship

Greeters: Evie & The Walters 

Coffee Makers: 

Mug Cleaners: Madison 

Money Counter: Doug McNamee 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Luke 19:1-10 "The Small Self" 
• Made in Waco: Nov 5th 
• Order of Phoenix Game Night: Nov 11th 
• The Middle Ages at the Wine Bar: November 12
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Advent Workshop: Nov 27th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-23-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

You Who are quick to forgive and slow to anger,

we have come seeking mercy
for the good have left undone
and the wrong we have done.

Teach us the humility of Jesus

so that we can embrace our true selves,

and fill us with Your Spirit

so we never walk alone.

Amen

Scripture

Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22

Although our iniquities testify against us,
act, O Lord, for your name's sake;

our apostasies indeed are many,
and we have sinned against you.

O hope of Israel,
its savior in time of trouble,

why should you be like a stranger in the land,
like a traveler turning aside for the night?

Why should you be like someone confused,
like a mighty warrior who cannot give help?

Yet you, O Lord, are in the midst of us,
and we are called by your name; 
do not forsake us!

Thus says the Lord concerning this people:

Truly they have loved to wander,
they have not restrained their feet;

therefore the Lord does not accept them,
now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins.

Have you completely rejected Judah?
Does your heart loathe Zion?

Why have you struck us down
so that there is no healing for us?

We look for peace, but find no good;
for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.

We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord,
the iniquity of our ancestors, 
for we have sinned against you.

Do not spurn us, for your name's sake;
do not dishonor your glorious throne;
remember and do not break your covenant with us.

Can any idols of the nations bring rain?
Or can the heavens give showers?

Is it not you, O Lord our God?
We set our hope on you, 
for it is you who do all this.

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Prayer

This week's prayer was from An Iona Prayer Book, and is credited to Brother Roger:

You are the God of every human being
and, too dazzling to be looked at,
you let yourself be seen as in a mirror,
shining on the face of Christ.
We are eager to glimpse a reflection of your presence,
so open in us the gates of transparency
of heart.
Come and refresh the dry and thirsty ground
of our body and our spirit.
Come and place a spring of living water
in the lifeless regions of our being.
Come and bathe us in your confidence
to make even our inner deserts
burst into flower.

Amen.

Setlist 10-23-2016

This was the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of breaking/mending.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

SMS [Shine] by David Crowder* Band

Come Thou Fount

Anthem by Leonard Cohen

Be Thou My Vision

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Just A Closer Walk With Thee: We sang this song to express a simplified version of what our aim is as we gather: namely, to follow Jesus more closely on the road he has walked before us.  As is typical when we sing this at ubc, the second verse holds particular significance in its underscoring of the significance of Jesus' sharing our burdens with us.  We are prone to falter in our approaches to faith, but that does not devalue our journeys.  This journey is fundamentally difficult, wrought with pain and failure and the pursuit of reconciliation.  Which makes sense because this journey is ultimately a relationship, and relationships are marked by all of those things.

SMS [Shine]:  This song is an exercise in seeking God in the midst of affliction.  It places the truth on our tongues that God is still "Light" when we don't see light, and that we have a sign of life from God in the Person of Jesus, his story and his resurrection.  This story is good news for broken people, though it is at times difficult to call to mind and embrace when we need it most.  Singing these words helps us develop a habit of claiming this hope that may make it easier to remember when we need it most.

Come Thou Fount: This song asks that God would tune our hearts to sing the story of God's presence in our lives, as well as confesses our proneness to wandering.  Perhaps it is in having a clear understanding of the way that God has entered the broken places in our lives in the past that we are able to make it through brokenness in the future.  So, like the prayer offered before we sang this song (that will be posted with the Liturgy blog on Wednesday), we has God to flood the dry and broken places within us with a renewed understanding an appreciation of who God has been for us in our lives.

Anthem:  There's a lot going on in this song.  In light of the other songs this week, we might think of it like this: it begins with a call-back to what Jesus said about birds and worry in Matthew 6, then develops a sense of how the world continues to be an uncertain and imperfect place.  In the midst of this development, however, we find the chorus: ring the bells that still can ring//forget your perfect offering//there's a crack, a crack in everything//that's how the Light gets in.  It is in the midst of the mess--the brokenness and uncertainty--that the Light makes its way in.  

Be Thou My Vision: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Be Thou My Vision then: We sang this song to practice asking God to override the false, shame-driven, narratives about ourselves that we replay time and again in our heads.  

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 10-21-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

Farewell Friend (5 Things to Love About Emily Nance)

As you know, our champion children’s pastor, one Emily Nance, finished her employment with UBC last weekend.  Emily served as our children’s pastor for the past four years, and during her time the ministry went from about 30 kids to about 120.  Emily is clearly talented and creative, characteristics that retrospectively are obviously apparent, but I wanted to share a few other things about Emily as she departs from this role. 

5. Jeopardy

That is the nickname I would sometimes use to refer to Emily.  There is only one other person I know (Matt O’Brien) who possessed such a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the world.  Emily is full of an astounding amount of information about various topics.  At first, when she would disclose her knowledge of such topics with such nuanced and exhaustive detail, I would call BS and charge her with making it up.  Then, when Wikipedia proved her right, I would reason that she must have recently seen a NOVA program or by chance read an article in Wired.  But that skepticism began to diminish when she was correct all the time.  That hurt me a little bit.  I fancy myself a kind of trivia junky, but I would get destroyed by Emily.  

4. Cake Boss

To say that Emily is creative is an almost frivolous statement at this point.  “Duh, Emily is obviously creative,” but being creative and being an artist are not the same thing.  I want to show you the extent of Emily’s creativity by including a small sample of a her cake-baking portfolio.  Emily could compete in—and win—a competition against the Cake Boss and his team.  Don’t believe me?  Check out these photos. 

3. She’s Got Some Pipes 

Muscles?  Yes, maybe, but I’m talking about her lungs.  Emily can sing.  You may or may not have known that her maiden name, “Perry,” is one and the same with the country musical extravaganza “Perry.”  That is because they are related.  It turns out that there is a kind of melodic aptitude that runs through the Perry veins, and I know it because I’ve heard one Emily Nance sing - so much so that our former rock and roll pastor, one Tye Barrett, would frequently pull Nance on stage for an occasional soprano backup.  And it was top-notch.  

2. Emily Is A Good Theologian

Emily grew me in my understanding of children’s ministry, both in terms of pedagogy and of the importance and function of children in the larger life of the community.  But she also developed my theology, not with lessons, but with her persistent witness and subtle actions.  Over her four years here, Emily developed a kind of companion curriculum for the lectionary.  There were several weeks when the kids would be learning and engaging the same Bible verses that we were in the adult part of worship, so we would have conversations about those verses and how to interpret them.  I was consistently surprised by Emily’s insight.  I also admire the way she prays.  She is thoughtful and uses her words effectively.  

1. She Loved Our Kids Well 

This is essentially what I said on Sunday, but it is worth saying again.  When Lindsay and I were pregnant with Roy, I was talking with a friend about finding a babysitter that you trust.  We were about to have our first kid, and as we neared that moment, the gravity of trusting another person with what was most precious to me loomed large.  In response to my question, my friend said a few things and then punctuated his reasoning with this statement: “You don’t just want someone to take care of your kid; you want someone who loves your kid.”  I thought that wise, and so, perhaps naively, that is what Lindsay and I have hoped and expected for all of our children’s mentors, be they teachers, piano teachers, coaches, or babysitters.  Emily was our children's children’s pastor - and as our children’s pastor, she loved our children fiercely.  And that is what I have loved most about her pastoring.

Meet Jess Engblom

Jess Engblom has graciously agreed to serve as our interim children's pastor.  So we thought we introduce her. 

Why are you in Waco: We moved here from Grand Rapids, MI in 2012 for Rob to work at Baylor.

Best Restaurant: Torchy's, I love the Brushfire taco

Best Movie or TV Show: You've Got Mail

Fav. verse, chapter or book of the Bible: Ruth

Fav. Book: The Poisonwood Bible

Something we wouldn't know about you: I used to be a backstage security guard at a huge concert venue in Indiana.  I have a thousand random memories from it, the barenaked ladies guy taught me how to juggle, Susan Tedeschi owes me money from losing a game of horse, I stole a pack of Tom Petty's pink carefree gum, to name a few.

Leadership Team Meeting

Our October leadership team meeting is this Sunday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM. Among other things, at this meeting the leadership team will select a new member and make a decision about the future of the children's pastor position.  If you'd like one last opportunity to given input on that decision please contact any of the leadership team members listed at the bottom of the newsletter. Also, please be in prayer for our team as they listen to the voice of the Spirit in this decision making process. 

Design Survey (CLOSING SOON)

The aesthetics team is gearing up for a re-design of the foyer and hallways.  Since these spaces are the first you experience when you enter the building, we want to hear about what you value most about the current design so we can maintain those elements in the new design.  You will find a design survey at ubcwaco.org/designsurvey, and it will be active until Monday, October 24. 

Made in Waco

We are about a month away from Made in Waco, ubc's handmade market.  If you are interested in being a vendor, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org for more info and an application.

The Middle Ages Cookout

Have the kids flown the coop?  Do you find yourself asking about elderly discounts? Are you finally able to take that vacation you and the Mrs. have been planning for 30 years?  You might be a Middle Ager.  UBC's wise group of 50's on up is getting together for a cook out tomorrow Saturday October 22nd at 6:30 PM.  For more directions and more information email terijan@gmail.com. 

Thailand Mission Trip

If you are interested in learning more about work in Thailand, and/or going on the trip, there will be an interest meeting after church, on November 6th.  UBC partners with a missionary couple who ministers to/with South Asian immigrants to northern Thailand.  We will be taking a team May14-28, 2017.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org.

Work is Worship

Greeters: Carson, Rachel & Christian 

Coffee Makers: Chad 

Mug Cleaners: Leah

Money Counter: Hannah 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Luke 18:9-14 "Sinners and Saints" 
• Made in Waco: Nov 5th 
• Order of Phoenix Game Night: Nov 11th 
• The Middle Ages at the Movies: November 12
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-16-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

We have gathered to worship the Living God

Bringing our whole selves:
The good and the bad,
The broken and the mended.

We are seeking to be formed by the life and empathy of Jesus,

To learn to love God,
 to love each other,
and to embrace those different from us.

Holy Spirit, who weaves every story into One,

Draw us further in
to Your redemptive work
and transform our hearts
to be like Yours

Amen

Scripture

Jeremiah 31:27-34

Look! the days are coming when I will plant anew the house of Israel and the house of Judah. I will repopulate the land with people and animals. Just as I watched over them in order to uproot and stamp out, to upend and destroy, and to bring disaster from the north, so now I will watch over them as I rebuild and replant them.

This is what I, the Eternal One, declare. In those coming days, people will no longer speak the proverb, 

    Fathers have eaten sour grapes,
       and their children’s teeth are set on edge.

No, now it will be that each one will die for his own sins. If you eat sour grapes, then it is your own teeth that will be set on edge.

Look, the days are coming when I will bring about a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors long ago when I took them by the hand and led them out of slavery in Egypt. They did not remain faithful to that covenant—even though I loved and cared for them as a husband.  This is the kind of new covenant I will make with the people of Israel when those days are over. I will put My law within them. I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. 

No longer will people have to teach each other or encourage their family members and say, “You must know the Eternal.” For all of them will know Me intimately themselves—from the least to the greatest of society. I will be merciful when they fail and forgive their wrongs. I will never call to mind or mention their sins again.

Luke 5:8-10 

Simon’s fishing partners, James and John (two of Zebedee’s sons), along with the rest of the fishermen, see this incredible haul of fish. They’re all stunned, especially Simon. He comes close to Jesus and kneels in front of His knees.

Simon says: I can’t take this, Lord. I’m a sinful man. You shouldn’t be around the likes of me.

Jesus replies: Don’t be afraid, Simon. From now on, I’ll ask you to bring Me people instead of fish.

1 Peter 1:13-25

So get yourselves ready, prepare your minds to act, control yourselves, and look forward in hope as you focus on the grace that comes when Jesus the Anointed returns and is completely revealed to you. Be like obedient children as you put aside the desires you used to pursue when you didn’t know better. Since the One who called you is holy, be holy in all you do. For the Scripture says, “You are to be holy, for I am holy.” If you call on the Father who judges everyone without partiality according to their actions, then you should live in reverence and awe while you live out the days of your exile.

You know that a price was paid to redeem you from following the empty ways handed on to you by your ancestors; it was not paid with things that perish (like silver and gold), but with the precious blood of the Anointed, who was like a perfect and unblemished sacrificial lamb. God determined to send Him before the world began, but He came into the world in these last days for your sake. Through Him, you’ve been brought to trust in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him for the very reason that your faith and hope are in Him.

Now that you have taken care to purify your souls through your submission to the truth, you can experience real love for each other. So love each other deeply from a [pure] heart. You have been reborn—not from seed that eventually dies but from seed that is eternal—through the word of God that lives and endures forever. 

For as Isaiah said,

All life is like the grass,
and its glory like a flower;
The grass will wither and die,
and the flower falls,
But the word of the Lord will endure forever. 

This is the word that has been preached to you.

Prayer

This week's prayer was from An Iona Prayer Book, and is credited as an "Australian Aboriginal Prayer."

Rainbow God,
you have created people of many different colors,
and given us different cultures.
But in you
each has its source and fulfillment.
In Jesus Christ you have made us one,
breaking down the walls we make to protect ourselves.
By your Holy Spirit you have joined us in one body,
giving to each part its special gift.
We pray that in the church and in the world,
we may experience, more and more,
the love of your Holy Spirit,
love which honors and respects each one,
which is sensitive to our hurts and hopes,
which values the gifts we bring,
and shares its own treasures with us.
And, to you, O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
be all honor and glory, now and to ages of ages.

Amen

Setlist 10-16-2016

This was the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of shame.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Heart Won't Stop by John Mark McMillan

Be Thou My Vision

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Noise by Jameson McGregor

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy by Jameson McGregor (adapted from F. Faber)

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Heart Won't Stop: This song is centered on the idea that nothing can sever use from the love of God.  The shame we carry is a false narrative about who we are that is shattered by the love of God.  The true narrative about who we are says that we are God's beloved children.  That's not to say there is not a place for guilt when we do what we should not, but instead that we are not capable of amassing a guilt that cancels out the love of God.

Be Thou My Vision: We sang this song to practice asking God to override the false, shame-driven, narratives about ourselves that we replay time and again in our heads.  

Death In His Grave: We sang this song to proclaim the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, reminding ourselves in a more particular way why our shame narratives are false.  The things we do are not able to change who we are in light of what Jesus has done for us. 

Noise: This song made an appearance because of this line in the chorus: when i was a broken promise, You made me another one. There are several ways you could interpret that line, but for the sake of this week, let's go with this one: God does not leave it up to us to reconcile the rift in the divine-human relationship.  God is reconciling us to Godself, and our inconsistent leaning-in to this doesn't get to override what God is doing.

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about There's A Wideness in God's Mercy last week: This song confronts our tendency to try to talk ourselves out of any confidence in God's faithfulness to be God-for-us--as though we could disqualify ourselves.  Instead, it reminds us that the love of God is not limited by our own sense of what kind or degree of mercy we deserve.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 10-14-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

Special Homecoming Edition:  The Best 5 Current Coffee Mugs @ UBC

One of my (Josh's) jobs at UBC is to wash the coffee mugs during the week.  I go to the back, take the mugs that are in the dishwasher, put them on our coffee cart, and load the next bunch of mugs.  It usually takes three to four cycles.  I used to hate the job.  I thought to myself, "I don't even drink coffee. Why am I doing this?"  Now, it's become a kind of catharsis.  Instead of stressing about finances, or trying to think of something to say in a sermon, or processing a complaint about something that was said during worship, I escape for ten minutes and do the mindless work of taking the mugs out of the dishwasher and filling it back up with dirty mugs.

I have been doing mugs for a long time now.  As such, I consider myself an expert on UBC coffee mugs.  A few years back, we opened the door for donations. Now there seems to be a steady stream of new mugs, which is great because I can toss the bad ones, and it keeps our supply diverse and spicy.  So I thought a great homecoming post would be for me to name my five current coffee mug favorites (I use the term “current” because we've had some awesome ones in the past that are no longer with us.)

5. The Trivial Pursuit Mug

I love trivia.  I love Jeopardy.  I love games that require me to recall what I know.  I also know that I've preached some god-awful sermons.  How awesome would it be if, during one of the really bad sermons, you were consuming your cup of joe from a piece of Hasbro's finest?  Sermon's going nowhere ... that's fine, you just check out for five minutes and ponder "What disc jockey appeared in American Graffiti?"

4. Harriscreek.org Mug

I'll tell you a secret.  All of us pastors in Waco know each other.  We also know that, sometimes, you guys move around.  You stretch the proverbial ecclesiological arms and see if the worship is better is on the other side.   This phenomenon is not unique to Waco, but it's especially prominent in Grand Rapids, MI, Colorado Springs, CO, and Waco, TX, where religion reigns supreme.  I'll admit that we have a few church mugs.  An Episcopal church in Ohio. A Catholic church from south Texas. But this mug is from downtown.  I love the fact that, at some point, a certain someone said, "I need more cabinet space. What should I do with this church mug?  I know, I'll take it to another church for them to use."  Brilliant.

3. Darth Vader Mug

Here the "current" qualifier in my title becomes relevant.  One of the all-time greats, one of the hall of fame mugs at UBC, was the Yoda mug.  After years of use Yoda's ears got chopped off, and his nose got chipped and, eventually, when we still had the Hobart, Yoda's nooks and crannies just got too dirty.  He couldn't be cleaned anymore and was tossed.  At one point, we had a C3PO mug, but currently the top of our Star Wars mug game is Vader.  Fierce eyes.  Steady face.  This guy delivers coffee with force.  

2. Davey Crockett Mug

From the outside looking in, Texas is interesting, but it also looks arrogant.  This came to a kind of culmination for me when in the early years of Survivor, contestant Colby was allowed to bring one item to the island, and he picked the Texas flag.  The most recent example would be the constant updates from people in my Facebook feed showing how Texas was rivaling the rest of America in the summer Olympics medal count.  But after you live here, this arrogance wears you down.  I don't believe Texas is the best in many categories, but it's certainly got moxie.  That moxie, though repulsive at first, kind of grows on you.  My conversion to my affection for Texas was slow, helped in large part by the tv series Friday Night Lights, which is a rare kind of awesome.  Then there's this magic moment when the outsider language disappears, and even if only subtly, you begin to emotionally align yourself with Texas’s superiority complex.  Nothing expresses this sentiment better for me than the Davey Crockett mug that was donated.  Does it include a quote that contains an expletive?  Yes, yes it does, and Texas does not care.  

1. Tweedt Mi Casa Mug

Two awesome things were at one time brought together at a UBC extravaganza.  1. There was this sitcom called Arrested Development, a show narrated by Ron Howard in which a dysfunctional family is quintessentially hilarious.  It's smart humor.  2. The Tweedt Mi Casa.  Led by all-American philosophical giant turned business guru Chris Tweedt and his lovely wife Melinda, an enneagram six who can move through numbers like an accountant, the Tweedt Mi Casa showed up for one of our trunk-or-treats dressed as the cast from Arrested Development.  What's more, they made coffee mugs with their pictures to commemorate the event.  What's more still, they ordered an extra mug to donate to UBC.  Every once in awhile, I think about what the day will look like when I hang up the jersey and call it quits at UBC.  I imagine I will reflect on the moments that have made me proud as a pastor.  This coffee mug will find itself near the top of the list.  

Fall Retreat (Juniors/Seniors)

If you are an upperclassmen, we would love for you to come on our Fall Retreat this year.  We still have a few spots open, but you have to sign-up on Sunday.  We will leave Thursday night, October 20th, and you can come back Saturday evening or Sunday evening.  The cost of the retreat is $20.  Space is limited, so the first 19 who sign-up and turn in their money will be given priority.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org.  Sign-up sheets will be in the foyer this Sunday.  

SWCC Halloween Festival

The festival is this coming Wednesday, please bring your family out to celebrate.  The festival will be at the South Waco Community Center, and is kids of all ages.  The festival will be from 5:30-8pm, so put on your best Halloween Costume, and come support the community.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

The Middle Ages Cookout

Have the kids flown the coop?  Do you find yourself asking about elderly discounts? Are you finally able to take that vacation you and the Mrs. have been planning for 30 years?  You might be a Middle Ager.  UBC's wise group of 50's on up is getting together for a cook out on Saturday October 22nd at 6:30 PM.  For more directions and more information email jeff_walter@baylor.edu. 

Made in Waco

We are about a month away from Made in Waco, ubc's handmade market.  If you are interested in being a vendor, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org for more info and an application.

Slayers Slay

The Satan Slayers brought their regular season to an end with a 4-2 record.  That fourth win came last night off the hot hands of small forward Jonathan White who hit the go ahead three with seven seconds left.  

The Slayers looked lax until they were inspired by a monster block from the likes of One Andy Clark who set the team ablaze with his tenacious denial.  After that it was back and forth and forth until White sealed the victory late.  But all the joy might have come at a costly price for Slayer fans.  Point guard Adam Tilson is questionable for the tournament.  

This blurb was lifted from local sports writer Flip Majkowski's Facebook page. "Adam is the fearless point guard for our church basketball team "the satan slayers." Last evening, with seven seconds left, small forward Jonathan White hit the go ahead three pointer. In a valiant effort to set the game winning pick, Tilson absorbed the brutal blow of White's cover man to free White up for the shot. Pundits are still debating what was more impressive, the 3 point bank shot from 47 feet out or Tilson's courageous pick. Unfortunately his ankle was a casualty in the process. After the game Tilson had this say, "what's more important you ask, my ankle or the team victory? The team victory. And while my ankle might have suffered long term damage requiring years of surgery, it was worth it because satan was slayed. Would i do it again? Is the pope Catholic?" mic drop."

The Slayers will get ready for tournament action next week from the luxury of the 3 seed spot where they will take on a stout AME squad.  

Leadership Team Nomination

Friends, one David "Doctor" Wilhite's stint on the leadership team is coming to an end.  During his term, David got Wil-Care passed, helped balance the church budget and was instrumental in shaping for our foreign policy in Thailand as we withdrew from the Dominican Republic.  Thanks for the years of service Doctor.  That means we are looking for leadership team nominations.  If you would like to nominate someone for the leadership team, please note the following and send nominations to josh@ubcwaco.org.   

(A) Purpose.  The Leadership Team shall be the primary decision-making body of UBC.  The Leadership Team will oversee all the business and property of the church, as well as make the final decisions regarding hiring and dismissal of staff and the acquisition and selling of assets that are beyond budgetary provisions.  

(C) Qualifications.  Each member of Leadership Team shall have been a member of UBC for at least one year, exhibited an understanding and commitment to the mission and values of the church, and be willing to fulfill all responsibilities in the Leadership Team job description. 

(E) Term.  Members of Leadership Team may serve for a duration lasting up to three years.  While they are encouraged to remain the full three years, members may voluntarily remove themselves from their position at any time.

Work is Worship

Greeters: The Richardsons 

Coffee Makers: Joy & Ryan 

Mug Cleaners: Dilan & Shane 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Special Guest Preacher, UBC founding pastor Chris Seay.  "Shameless" Luke 5:8-10/1 Peter 1:13-25
• Fall Retreat for Juniors and Seniors: October 20-23
• Made in Waco: Nov 5th 
• Order of Phoenix Game Night: Nov 11th 
• The Middle Ages at the Movies: November 12
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-9-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

We have gathered to worship the Creator

The One who sees through
the masks we wear,
and loves us completely.

In gathering, we seek to be shaped and healed
by the story of Jesus,

To see our wounds replaced with hope
and our fear with love

Spirit of the Living God,

Repair what is broken in us
And teach us how to truly live.

Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 66:1-11

Be joyful in God, all you lands;
sing the glory of his Name;
sing the glory of his praise.
Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
because of your great strength your enemies cringe before you.

All the earth bows down before you,
sings to you, sings out your Name."
Come now and see the works of God,
how wonderful he is in his doing toward all people.

He turned the sea into dry land,
so that they went through the water on foot,
and there we rejoiced in him.
In his might he rules for ever;
his eyes keep watch over the nations;
let no rebel rise up against him.

Bless our God, you peoples;
make the voice of his praise to be heard;
Who holds our souls in life,
and will not allow our feet to slip.
For you, O God, have proved us;
you have tried us just as silver is tried.

You brought us into the snare;
you laid heavy burdens upon our backs.
You let enemies ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water;
but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.

Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Prayer

This week's prayer was from the Iona Community Worship Book:

O God, gladly we live and move and have our being in you.
Yet always in the midst of this creation-glory,
We see sin's shadow and feel death's darkness:
Around us in the earth, sea and sky, the abuse of matter;
Beside us in the broken, the hungry and the poor,
The betrayal of one another;
And often, deep within us, a striving against your Spirit.
O Trinity of love,
Forgive us that we may forgive one another,
Heal us that we may be people of healing,
And renew us that we also may be makers of peace.

Amen.

Setlist 10-9-2016

This was the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost, and our songs around the theme of healing.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, you can find recordings from Sunday morning of a few of them, and below the recordings, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Wandering by Jameson McGregor

Amazing Grace by Citizens & Saints

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy by Jameson McGregor (adapted from F. Faber)

Breathe For Me by Jameson McGregor

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Wandering:  We sang this song to celebrate God's faithfulness to us, even though our faithfulness to God is inconsistent, at best.  With the theme of healing in mind, we might think of God's relentless choice to be God-for-us as the method of God's healing us.  God is actively healing us of our brokenness all the time, though this process is slow.  And, because God has chosen to redeem what God has made, we can trust that God will be faithful to do exactly that.

Amazing Grace: This song is an exercise in looking back to look forward.  The saving work that God has enacted in our lives is not a one-off event, but instead is indicative of the way God acts toward us in general.  So, looking back at the glimmers of hope or healing in our stories, we move forward knowing that there will be more.

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy: This song confronts our tendency to try to talk ourselves out of any confidence in God's faithfulness to be God-for-us--as though we could disqualify ourselves.  Instead, it reminds us that the love of God is not limited by our own sense of what kind or degree of mercy we deserve.

Breathe for Me: The healing we experience in our lives of faith tends to cycle--that is, we usually break again in one way or another.  This song is a record of re-breaking, and a plea for healing: for God to start over with the dust and ash of what is left, form it clean, and breath into it again.

Lord, I Need You:  We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Lord, I Need You Then: This song voices our need for God's help in all aspects of life, but particularly when it comes to doing the things that we should do.  Left to our own devices, we have a tendency to disappoint--or, worse, harm--ourselves and those around us.  Over time, we might find ourselves more permanently formed by the Spirit, but we never get to the point where we do not in fact need God's presence.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos.

-JM

ITLOTC 10-7-16

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

St. Francis

This past Tuesday was the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi on the Church calendar.  Historically, ubc has not, to my knowledge, gathered for a liturgy on that day.  Which is weird, because we have no less than 3 statues of Francis in our building.  Have you ever noticed them? 

Here are some photos: 

We have them around because in the life and legacy of Francis we can be challenged and/or inspired to follow Jesus the way he did, and the statues serve to remind us of that.  The problem is, we never talk about him, so there’s a good chance that many of you have nothing to be reminded of when you see them.  That’s not your fault.  But let’s remedy that a little bit.

We’ll start with what I refer to as the “animal stuff.”  Francis is said to have preached to birds, negotiated peace between a wolf and a village, and had a wild hare jump into his arms.  He was named the patron saint of animals and ecology (he called the sun and moon his siblings, and had a deep love for “Sister Mother Earth”), and is usually depicted either holding a bird or with one sitting on his shoulder.  Francis knew that animals were significant in the heart of the Creator, and treated them accordingly.  This is why we included a blessing of the animals in our St. Francis liturgy.  To those of us who have pets, it is no secret that their companionship serves as a source of comfort and/or joy—they are blessings to us.  The blessing of the animals is our opportunity to return the favor, and to make a theological statement about what they mean to God.  If you didn’t have a chance to attend the liturgy, here is the prayer of blessing that we offered:

Blessed are You, Lord God
Maker of all living creatures.
On the fifth and sixth days of creation,
You called forth fish from the sea,
birds in the air, and animals on the land.
You inspired St. Francis to call all animals
his brothers and sisters.
We ask You to bless this animal.
By the power of Your love,
enable him/her to live according to Your plan.
May we always praise You
for all Your beauty in creation.
Blessed are You, Lord our God,
in all Your creatures.
Amen.

The next time you see an animal that you care for, give him or her a big hug and pray something like that over them. 

But the animal stuff wasn’t the only significant thing about Francis.  Here are some thoughts from the Franciscan Order of the Divine Compassion that underscore this:

Unfortunately, given the extent with which he's loved, few Saints are less understood than Francis is. To the modern mind, Francis is a caricature. He is the simple, loveable, man who preached to birds, tamed wolves, talked to fish, and was so gentle that wild hare leapt into his arms.

But, he's so much more than that.

Of Francis' early life, one of his biographers, Thomas of Celano, in the First Life of St. Francis, would later write, "almost up to his twenty-fifth year, he squandered and wasted his time…He was…very rich, not greedy but prodigal, not a hoarder of money, but a squanderer of possessions, a cautious businessman but an unreliable steward. On the other hand, he was a kind person, easy and friendly…Overwhelmed by a host of evil companions, proud and high-minded, he walked about the streets of Babylon until the Lord looked down from heaven and for His own name's sake…and for His praise bridled Francis lest he should perish. The hand of the Lord came onto Francis and a change was worked by the right hand of God, that through Francis an assurance might be granted to sinners that they had been restored to grace and that Francis might become an example to all of conversion to God."

Conversion, or rather living in a state of constantly being converted, is what Francis' life was about. Drawn by the love of God, drawn away from worldly ambitions for glory, Francis instead found his treasure in the total surrender of self to God.

For those of us who follow Jesus in the footsteps of St. Francis, the example of conversion to God, of living each day in a deeper state of conversion, to die to self a little more each day that we might live entirely for God, this is the important thing to see in Francis.

When I read this in preparation for Tuesday’s liturgy, I started to better understand why it is important for Francis to be around the halls of ubc.  Learning to live in a constant state of being converted--stumbling together down the path of seeking to be more fully formed in the way of Christ--is at the core of our approach to discipleship.  In Francis, we also find a person whose eyes were tuned to find God in beauty and to embrace the divine there, allowing this embracing to foster a deep love for God that overwhelms the love of self to the point that it overflows into a love for others.  The life and legacy of St. Francis form a lens that is well-calibrated for ubc to use in our worship and formation.  It is currently my intention to offer a Sunday School class in the Spring about the life of Saint Francis.  If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, send an email to jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Homecoming Soccer Tailgate

Next Friday, October 14, the UBC families will be tailgating before the Baylor/TCU women's soccer game.  The tailgate will be located in the Ferrell Center parking lot by the men's baseball fields.  The game is free and a limited number of fans will receive a Baylor Soccer scarf.  The game starts at 7, but myself and Josh McCormick will probably start setting up and grilling around 5.  If you'd like to come please email josh@ubcwaco.org so I can get a count.  Please bring a side to share and your own drinks.  

Made in Waco

We are about a month away from Made in Waco, ubc's handmade market.  If you are interested in being a vendor, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org for more info and an application.

Leadership Team Nomination

Friends, one David "Doctor" Wilhite's stint on the leadership team is coming to an end.  During his term, David got Wil-Care passed, helped balance the church budget and was instrumental in shaping for our foreign policy in Thailand as we withdrew from the Dominican Republic.  Thanks for the years of service Doctor.  That means we are looking for leadership team nominations.  If you would like to nominate someone for the leadership team, please note the following and send nominations to josh@ubcwaco.org.   

(A) Purpose.  The Leadership Team shall be the primary decision-making body of UBC.  The Leadership Team will oversee all the business and property of the church, as well as make the final decisions regarding hiring and dismissal of staff and the acquisition and selling of assets that are beyond budgetary provisions.  

(C) Qualifications.  Each member of Leadership Team shall have been a member of UBC for at least one year, exhibited an understanding and commitment to the mission and values of the church, and be willing to fulfill all responsibilities in the Leadership Team job description. 

(E) Term.  Members of Leadership Team may serve for a duration lasting up to three years.  While they are encouraged to remain the full three years, members may voluntarily remove themselves from their position at any time

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky & Juliet 

Coffee Makers: Emmy & Stephen 

Mug Cleaners: Cooleys

Money Counter: Josh M. 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Luke 17:11-19 "Healed Body/Healed Heart" 
• SWCC Halloween Bash: October 19th ***VOLUNTEERS NEEDED***
• The Middle Ages Cookout: October 22nd 
• Fall Retreat for Juniors and Seniors: October 20-23
• Order of Phoenix Game Night: Nov 4th 
• Made in Waco: Nov 5th 
• The Middle Ages at the Movies: November 12
• Thanksgiving Love Feast: Nov 20th 
• Backside Event: Dec 2nd 
• Order of Phoenix Dallas Event: Dec. 3
• Study Hall: Dec 7th 
• The Middle Ages Christmas Party Dec. 17

Do you have an emergency and need to talk to a pastor? 

254 413 2611

Leadership Team

If you have a concern or an idea for UBC that you’d like to share with someone that is not on staff, feel free to contact one of our leadership team members. 

Chair- Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Emma Wood: emmaj.wood@yahoo.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Anna Tilson: Anna_Tilson@jrbt.com

Doug McNamee: douglas_mcnamee@baylor.edu

UBC HR Team

If you have concerns about staff and would like contact our human resources team, please feel free to email any of the following members.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-2-2016

This blog is a record of the call to worship, Scripture readings, and prayers from our Sunday liturgies.  If you are interested in writing something for the liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

We have gathered to worship the One in Whom all things hold together

Seeking, ourselves,
to be held together

In our gathering, we hope to be more fully formed in the way of Christ

That narrow way
of loving God
and loving the Other

In all of this, we seek the transformation of the Holy Spirit

that we might be made into collaborators
in the movement of the Kingdom.

Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon—
    there we sat down and there we wept
    when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
    we hung up our harps.
For there our captors
    asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 

How could we sing the Lord’s song
    in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    let my right hand wither! 
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy.

 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
    the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
    Down to its foundations!”
O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
    Happy shall they be who pay you back
    what you have done to us! 
Happy shall they be who take your little ones
    and dash them against the rock!

Luke 17:5-10

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.

"Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’"

Prayer

This week's prayer was read by David Wilhite, and it was written by St. Basil the Great

We bless Thee, O most high God and Lord of mercy, Who art ever doing numberless great and inscrutable things with us, glorious and wonderful; Who grantest to us sleep for rest from our infirmities, and repose from the burdens of our much toiling flesh.We thank Thee that Thou hast not destroyed us with our sins, but hast loved us as ever, and though we are sunk in despair, Thou hast raised us up to glorify Thy power. Therefore we implore Thy incomparable goodness, enlighten the eyes of our understanding and raise up our mind from the heavy sleep of indolence; open our mouth and fill it with Thy praise, that we may be able undistracted to sing and confess Thee, Who art God glorified in all and by all, the eternal Father, with Thy only-begotten Son, and Thy all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen.