ITLOTC 6-17-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Between Moves by Matt Frise

Over the course of the summer, UBC will say goodbye to four families that have been part of our community for some time.  I've asked each of them to write something for the newsletter about their experience at UBC and something they learned.  This first entry is by Matt Frise.  

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We’re leaving UBC. My wife and I are moving our baby son and all our belongings to California, the home of redwood forests and Disneyland, Hollywood and hippies. My career as an academic makes us move often. This will be our fourth state in four years. If you live simply, your move can be a slipshod thing and still work out alright. But family-moving is rarely simple, demanding so much planning that it can feel like scheming. I know how much money I’m saving by buying moving supplies at Home Depot rather than Lowes, and how much beer to ply my friends with as they help me load the moving truck. Most folks will learn the basics within a few moves.

It’s harder to learn to live well between moves.

We used to live in California, in a redwood forest even. Redwoods grow to staggering heights. Hike among them and they will humble you, as thoroughly as a sermon will. And yet? They have strangely shallow root-balls. If you take your hike after a storm, you’ll feel a kind of grief when you see how many of the trees have toppled. They might have lived for 2,000 years, had their roots dug deeper.

Lots of us, maybe most of us, are at UBC for just a handful of years. Baylor brings us to Waco, but jobs and family eventually nudge us back on to I-35 with bags packed. Our reasons for being at UBC vary, and some of us might stick around just because it has become familiar, and familiarity is powerful.

But familiarity can make us lazy. It can keep us from showing up on time, since we already know what we’re missing; keep us in our seats when it’s time to meet the folks we’re worshipping next to, seeing how we already have friends; and keep us from going out to lunch with the folks we meet, because we already know how that sort of thing goes. It’s all familiar. Church. All its parts and motions. Familiarity can work like gravity: it pulls until it immobilizes.

But what you do with church is vital to how well you live between moves. I encourage you:

Dig in.

Live in such a way that any eventual parting from UBC is painful. Make more friends than you need.

Some of us are content with how many friends we have, and sometimes that’s fair. But probably all of us would prefer to have more close friends. A lovely thing about Christianity is that it offers a unique kind of intimacy in friendships. You and I understand ourselves to be created by a perfect being who has redeemed us and who calls us his body and his beloved. That’s something extra and unshakeable that tethers us together, something on top of mutual our love of Chic-fil-A, football, and Josh’s agrarian-phase. (Please, Josh, never stop wearing overalls.) Fight hard to find this intimacy at UBC, with the people you worship next to and take communion with. 

And recognize that digging in is toil, sometimes long toil. It may be two dry years before you find folks you connect with. But you won’t regret those years as much as you’d regret leaving UBC missing no one and having no one miss you.

When you leave UBC, let your roots tear. Leave more than a little bit of yourself here, interlaced with those who helped you bow low and stand tall. 

Meet Our Newest Pastoral Associate

Name: Valarie Elyse Fisk (I never respond well to being called Valarie.) 


Why are you in Waco: I am finishing up my second year of study at Truett, pursuing an MDiv with a concentration in Biblical Languages. In the long term, I intend to pursue a PhD in Old Testament at Baylor and then teach at a university or seminary. 

Verse, Chapter or Book of the Bible that is meaningful to you?: I first fell in love with the Old Testament because of a Psalms course I took in undergrad. I was experiencing one of the most difficult seasons in my life, and that was the first time I had ever heard a lament psalm. Laments give me the language to be real with God - no bull, no beating around the bush, no holding back, no shiny fake perfection. For that reason, Psalm 88 is especially significant to me. Every lament psalm ends with a moment of hope and trust in Yahweh - except 88. Psalm 88 is beautiful because even though the psalmist has no hope or joy, the psalmist still turns to Yahweh with the darkness that she experiences. 

Best Waco Restaurant: Cafe Cappuccino - breakfast is my love language. 

Movie or Show: Currently obsessed with Call the Midwife; always obsessed with Doctor Who. All of my favorite shows are BBC productions. My go-to movie is The Princess Bride. 

Book You Love: I'll narrow it down to the top 3 books that changed my life: The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann, Texts of Terror by Phyllis Trible, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Will & the Richardsons 

Coffee Makers:  Nances 

Mug Cleaners: Noel Carlson 

Money Counter: Doug M

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon:  Exodus 19:2-8
• Tuesday Dives Location: Jasper's BBQ 
• 6-25 OOTP Picnic (BYOLunch) After Church Redwood Shelter 
• 7-1 OOTP Girls/Boys Night 5-9 P.M. Meet @ UBC
• 7-10 OOTP Go Bowling 5:30-7:30  @ Baylor SUB
• 7-?? Summer Event Dos ... more info to come 
• 7-21: Summerside (Open Mic)
• 8-6 OOTP Pool Party After Church @ Baylor SLC 
• 8-13 OOTP Parent Meeting After Church @ UBC
• 8-23 OOTP First Meeting!!! (Welcome 5th graders!) 6-8 P.M. @ UBC

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 6-11-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the One who is Father and Mother to us all

to devote our attention to our Creator,
Nurturer, and Sustainer

we have gathered to follow
in the way of the Word who became flesh

to learn the love, faithfulness,
and humility of Christ

we have gathered to be transformed
by the Holy Spirit

to be shaped into the Body of Christ
and drawn into the work of God in the world

amen.

 

Scripture

Genesis 1:1-2:4

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. God called the dome Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.”

So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude.

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

 

 

 

Trinity Sunday Reading

Our liturgy included a reading on Trinity Sunday from N.T. Wright's For All God's Worth (23-25) [the order of the last two paragraphs is different than in the text; they were rearranged to read better as a selected unit]:

Left to myself, the god I want is a god who will give me what I want.  He—or more likely it—will be a projection of my desires.  At the grosser level, this will lead me to one of the more obvious pagan gods or goddesses, who offer their devotees money, or sex, or power (as Marx, Freud and Nietzsche pointed out).  All idols started out life as the god somebody wanted.

At the more sophisticated level, the god I want will be a god who lives up to my intellectual expectations: a god of whom I can approve rationally, judiciously, after due consideration and weighing up of theological probabilities.  I want this god because he, or it, will underwrite my intellectual arrogance.  He will boost my sense of being a refined modern thinker.  The net result is that I become god; and this god I’ve made becomes my puppet.  Nobody falls down on their face before the god they wanted.  Nobody trembles at the word of a home-made god.  Nobody goes out with fire in their belly to heal the sick to clothe the naked, to teach the ignorant, to feed the hungry, because of the god they wanted.  They are more likely to stay at home with their feet up.

But on one particular day in the year we celebrate the God whom we didn’t want—how could we ever have dreamed of it?—but who, amazingly, wanted us.  In the church’s year, Trinity Sunday is the day when we stand back from the extraordinary sequence of events that we’ve been celebrating for the previous five months—Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost—and when we rub the sleep from our eyes and discover what the word ‘god’ might actually mean.  These events function as a sequence of well-aimed hammer-blows which knock at the clay jars of the gods we want, the gods who reinforce our own pride or prejudice, until they fall away and reveal instead a very different god, a dangerous god, a subversive god, a god who comes to us like a blind beggar with wounds in his hands, a god who comes to us in wind and fire, in bread and wine, in flesh and blood: a god who says to us, ‘You did not choose me; I chose you.’

The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the rightness, the propriety, of speaking intelligently about the true God, while at the same time affirming intelligently that the true God must always transcend our grasp of him, even our most intelligent grasp of him.

You see, the doctrine of the Trinity, properly understood, is as much a way of saying ‘we don’t know’ as of saying ‘we do know.’  To say that the true God is Three and One is to recognize that if there is a God then of course we shouldn’t expect him to fit neatly into our little categories…

Setlist 6-11-2017

This was the first Sunday after Pentecost, which is Trinity Sunday.  Our songs were gathered with this in mind.  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:

Holy, Holy, Holy

All Creatures of Our God and King

Noise by Jameson McGregor

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

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. 

Holy, Holy, Holy:  Since it was Trinity Sunday, this seemed like a good song to begin our time together.  It's a confession of, and implicit surrender to, God's Otherness--a way of saying that God is beyond our comprehension.

All Creatures of Our God and King: This song imagines all of creation, ourselves included, singing out in praise of the Creator.  To sing this song is to at least pay lip service to our interconnectedness with the rest of creation, and also to ascribe a dignity and worth to the earth, animals, plants, stars, etc., that we often only afford humans (and sometimes, worse, just the humans that are like us).  In light of Trinity Sunday, we might consider this song to acknowledge the unity of the loving community of the Trinity being painted across all of creation.

Noise: This song traces the vast difference between God and humanity, and also narrates God's transgressing of that difference in the Incarnation.  It explores how God's triunity both accounts for this difference and bridges the gap.

Wild One: This song is about God's always being beyond our full comprehension, and always being able to smash through the idols we make of who we expect God to be.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Fall Afresh then: We sang this song to step into the Pentecost story by confessing a desire for the Spirit to indwell our community and set us on the way of Christ.

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

-JM

ITLTOC 6-9-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

On Pentecost and Ordinary Time

Every year, I expect Pentecost to be a whole season of the Church calendar.  It’s not.  It’s a day.  Which is insane to me, given how electric that day is.  On that day, we remember the infusion of the Spirit into the fledgling Church with all the typical sci-fi level flare of really significant moments in the Bible.  That moment is the answer to the anxiety of abandonment that comes with Jesus’ Resurrection and soon-after Ascension.  It’s also the moment where we understand how it is possible that the Apostles—who, even after the Resurrection, have had more than a little bit of trouble understanding exactly what Jesus was calling them to—were able to pull themselves together and get to the work Jesus projected for them.  But one day.  That’s it.  Then it’s done.

But perhaps not.

The week after Pentecost is the beginning of the longest season of the liturgical calendar, which is Ordinary Time. We’ll be occupying this space until December.  The Sundays of Ordinary time are numbered by their proximity to Pentecost (1st Sunday after, 2nd Sunday after, etc.), so it’s not a stretch at all to say that there is some sort of relationship between the two.  In fact, I would go as far as to say that Ordinary Time is Pentecost-infused.  In the Acts narrative, after all, the Pentecost event itself is brief, though monumental, but then the Spirit’s presence among the Church drives everything else that happens afterward, though not always in ways that are tongues-of-fire-level-special.  So perhaps in this long stretch of Ordinary Time, this sort of unseasoned season, we find that the concerns and themes that arise out of the Event of Pentecost (Spirit, interconnectivity, transformation, etc.) are in fact fundamental the Christian life, and that which was particular on Pentecost becomes the undercurrent of our normalcy.

Side note: Ordinary Time means “ordered” or “numbered” time—best I can tell, that’s because of the “Xth Sunday after Pentecost” thing.  I don’t think we lose anything worth keeping by allowing ourselves to lean into our more straight-forward meaning of “ordinary,” and consider this a season where, instead of primarily looking back in history, or ahead, or within, we look around. 

We have a mission statement at ubc, but you would be forgiven if you couldn’t quote it.  It is this:  ubc seeks to form a community of people in the way of Christ that embraces beauty and lives missionally.  You could summarize this by saying we have three core values: discipleship, arts/beauty, and missional living.  I’m working on an amazing chart that overlays our values with the Church calendar.  It will be the best chart.  You won’t believe it.  Please try to contain your excitement.  Anyway, it will associate discipleship with Lent, arts/beauty with Eastertide, and missional living with Ordinary Time.  (Sorry for the spoilers).  

Ordinary Time is an interesting contrast to Advent.  If Advent is where we look around and see how dark the world is and how very badly it needs a Light, Ordinary Time is where we look around, see how dark the world is and happen to have a Light to hold up.  Taken differently, the part of the Story that launches us into this season shows the fledgling people of God coming to terms with what it means to be the presence of Christ in the world.  And it is this same question we must raise for ourselves during this season.  We must ask what it means to be people who are somehow the Body of Christ in our immediate location in time and space.  Or, differently, what does it meant to carry out of the work of Christ in our immediate surroundings? The way we answer these questions will tell us what we think it means to live missionally.  

So carry these questions with you for the next couple of months.  If you think you know how you would answer them, pretend you don’t—afterall, you aren’t the same person you were a year ago, and you don’t live in the same world you lived in a year ago.  And we ask these questions together, let us remember that the same Spirit that dwelt among the fledgling Church as they navigated their identity and mission dwells among us now.

As always if you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk more about this, feel free to email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Root Changes

STARTING NEXT WEEK (6/18) all Root Class kids (1st-4th Grade) will start the worship hour in the worship service. Before the sermon they will be dismissed by Pastor Josh into their own formational time where they can be picked up after the service.They will still need to be checked in before the service begins. If you have any questions email Taylor@ubcwaco.org.

UBC Summer Party Uno - June 11th @ 6pm

UBC's first summer party is coming up on June 11th, at 6pm.  The Richardson's have graciously agreed to host, and a grand time will be had by all!  This is a great opportunity to get to know other folks in the church.  UBC will provide the burgers/hotdogs/vegan burgers and all the fixins, but we would like you to bring a side to share.  We will have a sign-up sheet in the foyer this Sunday and next, or you can email toph@ubcwaco.org to sign-up.  Please sign-up so we know how much food to cook.  If you have any questions, ask Toph.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky & Juliet 

Coffee Makers: Noel Carlson 

Mug Cleaners: Zunigas 

Money Counter: Doug M 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon:  Genesis 1:1-2:4
• Tuesday Dives Location: Dubl-R - 12 P.M.
• 6-11 UBC Summer Party Uno - 6 P.M. @ the Richardson's
• 6-18 OOTP Picnic (BYOLunch) After Church Redwood Shelter 
• 7-1 OOTP Girls/Boys Night 5-9 P.M. Meet @ UBC
• 7-10 OOTP Go Bowling 5:30-7:30  @ Baylor SUB
• 7-21: Summerside (Open Mic)
• 8-6 OOTP Pool Party After Church @ Baylor SLC 
• 8-13 OOTP Parent Meeting After Church @ UBC
• 8-23 OOTP First Meeting!!! (Welcome 5th graders!) 6-8 P.M. @ UBC

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 6-4-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

Creator God, who hovers above the waters of our lives

speak meaning into our chaos
and weave our stories into Yours

Holy Fire, who burns yet does not consume

form us by Your love
into the way of Christ

Breath of Life, who is active in our midst

draw us into your work in creation
and teach us to seek a full life for all of Your creatures

Amen

Scripture

Numbers 11:24-30:

Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent.

Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."

And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.

Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."

All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams. 

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy. 

And I will show signs in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist. 

The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. 

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Prayer

This week's prayer was written by Jan Berry.

Exuberant Spirit of God
Bursting with the brightness of flame
Into the coldness of our lives
To warm us with a passion for justice and beauty,
We praise you

Exuberant Spirit of God,
Sweeping us out of the dusty corners of our apathy
To breathe vitality into our struggles for change,
We praise you

Exuberant spirit of God,
Speaking words that leap over barriers of mistrust
To convey messages of truth and new understanding,
We praise you.

Exuberant spirit of god,
Flame
Wind
Speech,
Burn, breathe, speak in us;
Fill your world with justice and with joy.

Amen.

Setlist 6-4-2017

This week was Pentecost Sunday.  Our songs were gathered with this in mind.  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:

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

Lifted/Lifting by Jameson McGregor

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

Burn It Down by Jameson McGregor

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. 

Fall Afresh: We sang this song to step into the Pentecost story by confessing a desire for the Spirit to indwell our community and set us on the way of Christ.

Lifted/Lifting: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Lifted/Lifting then: This song is about the continual coming-to-understand of the Christian faith.  Any idea that we grasp about who God is can only serve as a placeholder for a deeper understanding of God as we are further renovated into the presence of Christ on earth.

Pulse: This song talks about the Spirit of Life indwelling all of creation, and raises a plea that God would reconnect our hearts to this Spirit.  Wrapped up in this plea is a desire to be transformed into people who work alongside the Spirit in spreading the work of Christ's redemption throughout the world.

Burn It Down: This song is a petition for the Spirit to use the people of God to tear down systems of oppression.

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 6-2-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

UBC Thailand Team Report

Our ministry partners in Chiang Mai work with South Asian immigrants in a major tourist area in the city.  Their work with these immigrants include a house church, helping people connect with others from their home country, and building relationships that reflect the light and love of Jesus Christ.  We talk a lot about relational evangelism within Christian circles, and our ministry partners spend their ordinary everyday living out Truth.  We, as a team, had the opportunity to participate in their work, and place ourselves in their shoes for a few days.  In addition to visiting with shopkeepers, the team had the opportunity to teach an ESL class on friendship at Dara Academy, as well as partner with NeighborHub (an organization working with Thai university students in Chiang Mai).

If you had to sum up our trip in two words: intentionality and vulnerability.  In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us to pray: "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."  The kingdom of God often comes in the ordinary, everyday when we are intentionally seeking to be kind and compassionate to all we encounter.  We are called to love all of those we encounter (those who serve us lunch, those we pass in the hallways at work, our neighbors we run into when get home from work), not just our friends and family.  In loving others, we should be intentional with the questions we ask, how we listen, and have the courage to share our own story.  To often we are so caught up in the business of our day to notice our neighbor, and we miss opportunities to help bring about the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.  Vulnerability is hard, and doesn't come naturally or easy to most, however vulnerability begets vulnerability.  When we have the courage to share our own story of how the Spirit has moved in our lives, we create space and freedom for those around us to also share, and to allow room for the Sprit to encourage and challenge us both.  "Your kingdom come" often starts with intentionality and the willingness to be vulnerable.

Thank you for praying for the team, and our ministry partners.  On our last day in Chiang Mai, I asked the team to write down a few takeaways from their time in Thailand, below are their responses.

“There is bravery in being vulnerable and sharing your story.”

“In these past two weeks I’ve encountered people and cultures I’ve only ever learned about but never experienced before, and even though some do not recognize Jesus, it’s clear that he’s working in their lives just as much as he is in mine.”

“Thailand reminded me of the importance of listening to people to learn their worldview. Knowing this can help establish common ground and further understanding. The old adage is true, they don't care what you know until they know that you care. “

“It’s only through the visitation of another culture that the intricacy of one’s home become evident.  Upon our return, I expect a change in our lives, one of increased intentionality and engagement with the environment we find ourselves in.”

“Rich life occurs as a result of listening to and sharing stories of everyday with your mom, roommate, mango smoothie provider and regular customer…engaging as good neighbors.”

“In Thailand, I was greatly encouraged by Wendy and Neiko’s relational ministry.  I was reminded that God wants to have a relationship with me and others.  I was reminded to hope and trust God is working through the slow mundaneness of life, but also that I can be a part of noticing Him and caring and listening to others as He does for me.  In the same way that He is intentional and patient and consistent in building relationship with me, I would like to be with others.”

“Everyone has their own stories and reasons why they are who they are.  People crave people and opportunities to share these stories.  It’s up to us – each individual – to seek people out and be intentional in our conversations, especially in those leading to Christ.  Vulnerability in us and those we speak to, is a type of ministry in itself.”

Summer Sunday School

Starting this week, we are meeting in the Backside at 9:30 to eat breakfast, talk, and read a short liturgy.

UBC Summer Party Uno - June 11th @ 6pm

UBC's first summer party is coming up on June 11th, at 6pm.  The Richardson's have graciously agreed to host, and a grand time will be had by all!  This is a great opportunity to get to know other folks in the church.  UBC will provide the burgers/hotdogs/vegan burgers and all the fixins, but we would like you to bring a side to share.  We will have a sign-up sheet in the foyer this Sunday and next, or you can email toph@ubcwaco.org to sign-up.  Please sign-up so we know how much food to cook.  If you have any questions, ask Toph.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters 

Coffee Makers: Lees 

Mug Cleaners: Nelsons 

Money Counter: Hannah K 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon:  Acts 2
• Tuesday Dives Location: Dubl-R - 12 P.M.
• 6-9 OOTP Lock In 7 P.M. - 10 A.M. @ UBC
• 6-11 UBC Summer Party Uno - 6 P.M. @ the Richardson's
• 6-18 OOTP Picnic (BYOLunch) After Church Redwood Shelter 
• 7-1 OOTP Girls/Boys Night 5-9 P.M. Meet @ UBC
• 7-10 OOTP Go Bowling 5:30-7:30  @ Baylor SUB
• 7-21: Summerside (Open Mic)
• 8-6 OOTP Pool Party After Church @ Baylor SLC 
• 8-13 OOTP Parent Meeting After Church @ UBC
• 8-23 OOTP First Meeting!!! (Welcome 5th graders!) 6-8 P.M. @ UBC

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 5-28-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship the Lord of all

to sing, pray, listen, and reflect

in this, we hope to be formed more fully in the way of Christ

to be transformed into people
who extend the love of God to all of Creation

and to realign our desires with the Kingdom of God

so that our lives might reflect our true citizenship

Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36

May the True God rise up and show Godself;
    may those who are united against God be dispersed,
    while the people who hate God run away at the sight of God.
As smoke disappears when it is blown by the wind,
    may You blow away Your enemies forever.
As wax melts in the presence of fire,
    may the wicked heart melt away in God’s presence.
But may those who are righteous rejoice
    in the presence of the True God—so may they be glad and rejoice.
    Yes, let them celebrate with joy!

Sing songs of praise to the name that belongs to the True God!
    Let your voices ring out in songs of praise to the One who rides through the deserted           places.
God’s name is the Eternal;
    celebrate in God’s glorious presence.

The True God who inhabits sacred space
    is a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.
God makes a home for those who are alone.
    God frees the prisoners and leads them to prosper.
Yet those who rebel against God live in the barren land without God’s blessings and                 prosperity.

O True God, when You led Your enslaved people from Egypt,
    when You journeyed with us through the wilderness,
The whole world trembled! The sky poured down rain
    at the power of Your presence; even Mount Sinai trembled in Your presence,
    the presence of the True God, the God of Israel.
You sent a heavy downpour to soak the ground, O True God.
    You refreshed the land—the land Your people would inherit—when it was parched                 and dry.
Your covenant people made their homes in the land,
    and because You are so good, You provided for those crushed by poverty, O True God.

To the One who rides high up beyond the heavens, which have been since ancient times,
    watch and listen. The Voice speaks, and it is powerful and strong.
Attribute power to the one True God;
    Whose royal splendor is evident over Israel,
    and Whose power courses through the clouds.
O True God, You are awesome from the holy place where You dwell.
    The True God of Israel
    grants strength and power to God’s people.

Blessed be our God!

Acts 1:6-14

When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.

They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.

All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

Setlist 5-28-2017

This week was the seventh Sunday of Easter, as well as the Sunday closest to the Ascension.  Our songs were gathered with both of these themes in mind.  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:

Crown Him With Many Crowns by Jameson McGregor

Mystery by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Charlie Hall)

Rise Up by Bifrost Arts

Bonfire by Jameson McGregor

Lifted/Lifting by Jameson McGregor

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. 

Crown Him With Many Crowns: This song is equal parts an acknowledgement that Jesus Christ is Lord and a spoken reminder to ourselves that this is the case.  The values that Jesus' lordship represent are not synonymous with our cultural values, and so this reminder has implications for the way we think and live.

Mystery: As we exit the Easter season, we sang this song to once again proclaim the truth of Jesus' defeat of death and stealing of the bite of systems of power.  

Rise Up: In the Ascension, there is both a direct charge given to the disciples to spread the good news of the Kingdom throughout the world, and an implicit charge to grow in to the body of Christ and continue the work Jesus had begun.  This song is a plea for God to rise up in our midst and transform us into agents of hope, change, and justice--to continue to transform us into the presence of Christ in our immediate surroundings.

Bonfire: This song looks forward to the coming of the Kingdom in fullness, envisioning a great assembling of God's creatures, broken or otherwise, on the shores of a redeemed earth.

You can stream this song for free here. 

Lifted/Lifting: This song is about the continual coming-to-understand of the Christian faith.  Any idea that we grasp about who God is can only serve as a placeholder for a deeper understanding of God as we are further renovated into the presence of Christ on earth.

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 5-26-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Easter

Birthdays and Obedience by TCP

An apology from Josh.  Taylor wrote this post for the newsletter for last Friday.  I was out of town last week and on Friday in particular, at Sea World (I know, Blackfish ... right!).  In my lack of foresight, I forgot to secure someone to publish the newsletter for me.  Hence, I have decided to include Taylor's post from last week knowing that a few references might now be dated.  Thank you for your graciousness as a reader. 

____________________________________________________________

Yesterday was my 30th birthday. I don’t know about you – but in my life birthdays have always been a big deal. And I don’t know if this is always true but in my particular case if we’re going to argue nature v. nurture it is undoubtedly true that this is a case of nature. Neither of my parents are big birthday planners – not even for themselves. I was just born super into birthdays – which I think was confusing for them. 

    In fact – I was so into birthdays that for my 18th birthday I talked my parents into throwing me a Royal Ball. It was a Royal Ball because – and this is far and away the most embarrassing part of my entire life – all through high school I forced people to acknowledge me as the Queen of the World. (Look – teenagers do embarrassing things, ok? I’m sure you did some embarrassing things as a teenager). And so my parents (because they love me – not because they’re into birthdays) rented out a reception hall, scheduled a DJ, and sent out invitations to my Royal Ball 18th birthday party. It might be sort of embarrassing to tell people about, but make no mistake – it was awesome. Because – and I hope you’ve figured it out by now – birthdays are awesome.

    But I’m not just into my birthdays – I love birthdays in general: little kid birthday parties with decorations and party games and kids that are hyped up on sugar, teenage slumber parties with face masks and nail-painting and phone calls to boys too late at night (I’m not sure what the male equivalent of this is – or if there even is one), pool parties, and theme parties and even birthday parties with just a few friends and dinner. I love them all. I love celebrating people – because I think they deserve to be celebrated. 

    The Gospel lectionary text for this week is from John 14 (Josh will be preaching from the Acts text, not the Gospel text – just to avoid confusion.) It’s Jesus talking to the disciples at the last supper. And he says this:

15 “If you love me, you will do what I command. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever. 17 The Helper is the Spirit of truth. The people of the world cannot accept him, because they don’t see him or know him. But you know him. He lives with you, and he will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you all alone like orphans. I will come back to you. 19 In a very short time the people in the world will not see me anymore. But you will see me. You will live because I live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in the Father. You will know that you are in me and I am in you. 21 Those who really love me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make myself known to them.”

    And there’s something about Jesus saying, “If you love me, you will do what I command.” that just really struck me. Because while I can honestly say that celebration is a gift that I naturally possess – I can’t say that obedience is a skill that comes naturally to me. I like birthdays because I think they’re fun and they give me the chance to celebrate people who I love. But loving people is not just showing up for their birthday. And loving Jesus is not just following the commandments that I agree with or doing the things that I want to do or that I think are fun. Loving God means making sacrifices – it means being serious about discipline and serious about obedience. It means laying my life down daily and pursuing Christ instead. And while those things might not always be as fun as a birthday party – I know that ultimately being formed in the way of Christ is way better than any birthday party. And so I think that in my 30’s – well I’ll probably still love birthdays, let’s not kid ourselves – but I’m going to work on loving obedience too.

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Mariana Jean Dracos

Birthday: 4/27/17

Birth Height: 21 inches 

Enneagram Number: 8

Birth Weight: 8 lbs 4 oz. 

A Conversation with Interim Office Manager Emmy Edwards

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers: Figleys 

Mug Cleaners: Trans 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon:  
• 6-9 OOTP Lock In 7 P.M. - 10 A.M. @ UBC
• 6-18 OOTP Picnic (BYOLunch) After Church Redwood Shelter 
• 7-1 OOTP Girls/Boys Night 5-9 P.M. Meet @ UBC
• 7-10 OOTP Go Bowling 5:30-7:30  @ Baylor SUB
• 8-6 OOTP Pool Party After Church @ Baylor SLC 
• 8-13 OOTP Parent Meeting After Church @ UBC
• 8-23 OOTP First Meeting!!! (Welcome 5th graders!) 6-8 P.M. @ UBC

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 5-14-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Mother's Day Intro

The following is a reading with which we began our liturgy. The majority of this reading is an adaptation of a text written by Amy Young.  You can find her original post here.

As you likely know, today is Mother’s Day.  

We acknowledge Mother’s Day in our liturgy because motherhood is a metaphor that can tell us something about who God is—namely, the One who has birthed us and who comes alongside us as we grow, nurturing us, guiding us toward maturity, and sustaining us along the way.  

It is no secret that Mother’s Day can be a day of complex emotions, both
joyous and sorrowful, and so:

To those who gave birth this year to your first child—we celebrate withyou.

To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you.

To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the
badge of food stains – we appreciate you.

To those who step-parent - we walk with you on these complex paths

To those who are single mothers -- we have deep respect and
admiration for you.

To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall
testing of motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst.

To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions,
running away, or any other circumstance—we mourn with you.

To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods,
tears, and disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t mean to make this harder than it is.

To those who are mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you.

To those who are foster moms -- we appreciate you, and we thank you.

To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve
and rejoice with you

To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we
celebrate with you.

To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your
children – we sit with you.

To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you.

To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we
acknowledge you and will walk with you.

To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own
children - we mourn that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be.

To those who placed children up for adoption – we commend you for
your selflessness and remember how you hold that child in your heart.

And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and
surprising – we anticipate with you.

This Mother’s Day, we walk with you. Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.

 Call to Worship

We have gathered to worship the Creator

The One Who gave birth
to all of creation

 And to be formed by the Wisdom of God,

The One Who gathers the vulnerable
like a hen gathers her children
under her wings

Through the power of the Spirit,

The One Who greets
every newborn creature
with the kiss of life
and is raising the world
from death to glory

 Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Incline your ear to me;
make haste to deliver me.
 
Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe,
for you are my crag and my stronghold;
for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
 
Take me out of the net that they
have secretly set for me,
for you are my tower of strength.
Into your hands I commend my spirit,
for you have redeemed me,
O Lord, O God of truth.
 
My times are in your hand;
rescue me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
Make your face to shine upon your servant,
and in your loving-kindness save me."

John 14:1-14

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.”
 
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 
 
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
 
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves.
 
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
 

Setlist 5-14-2017

This week was the fourth Sunday of Easter, and our songs were gathered around the theme of....Easter.  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:

Come Thou Fount

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

There by Jameson McGregor

Heart With No Companion by Leonard Cohen

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

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. 

Come Thou Fount: We sang this song to give voice to our gratitude for God's activity in our lives thus far, and to graft the Resurrection into that list of wonders.  It is an exercise in looking back to inform our looking forward--to examine who God has been to inform our expectations of who God will be.

Fall Afresh: This song is a petition for the Spirit that brought Jesus through death into Life to dwell among us and renew the whole of ourselves.

There: This song gives voice to God's transcendence over/above any anxieties we face in life. We sang it to enhance the idea that we have been carrying about God's immanence in the midst of our pain in the suffering of Jesus.  The Resurrection is a marriage of the immanence of Jesus and the transcendence of God, a Yes that crashes through the No of pain and death.

Heart With No Companion: This song imagines the implications of the vast and shattered love of God.  It is both wide reaching, and acquainted with pain, and thus is able to find us in the midst of our own pain.  The chorus focuses on an oft-overlooked kind of pain that arises out of unmet expectations or a disconnect between passion and circumstance.

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 speaks to the effect of the Resurrection on life in the world.  The Resurrection is driven by the transformative power that spreads through the entire cosmos, the Spirit of God.  And this same transformative power is working to raise what is dead in us.  

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 5-12-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Easter

Writing the Newsletter

I started the newsletter in November of 2013.  I did it because the staff kept getting feedback that communication was poor.  It seemed liked a natural next step, especially in the world of digital communication.  It's a pretty routine process ... I get info from staff.  I copy the template from the week before.  I update the announcements and work is worship section.  BUT there is alway the article.  Like most things that demand creativity, it comes in waves.  Sometimes writing is seamless.  Sometimes it's like pulling teeth.  I recently begun outsourcing some of the writing, mostly to Jamie, more recently to Taylor and soon you will find a pretty steady rotation in the newsletter.  

That being said, I'm not feeling it this week and Toph told me that the article isn't why people read the newsletter anyway.  So instead I'm going to post four thing here that I really like or that I think are engaging or thought provoking. 

1. The Heineken Beer commercial.  You may have seen this pop up on social media.  Something like: "What Pepsi got wrong Heineken got right."  I count almost every thing on the internet click bait, but Toph specifically emailed the rest of the staff this vide and said watch it.  So i did.  In short, it's about having hard conversations in a world that no longer wants to do that.  

2. Rain, rain and more rain.  I'm really sensitive to noise.  It's not that I can't handle loud things, but if my ears find a noise unpleasant, it really grits me.  Kind of like chewing on tin foil.  So i have a routine now.  In the evenings after my kids are in bed, Lindsay and I head to the screen porch with our books and i turn on my ten hour rain soundtrack.  It's like living in Seattle without all the mud.  

3. This piece on being pro-life and health care.  I'm politically moderate.  I don't say that to appease largest number of people or because I don't have conviction (though those things can both be true of me).  I mean that i've voted for presidents of both major parties multiple times.  My ballots are usually split.  I find bi-partison efforts admirable.  I like that our government has checks and balances.  I also like when my suppositions are challenged.  I've preached before on the role of the church in social justice issues.  My perspective was challenged, sharpened if you will, by this article from a Wacoan published in the Washington Post. 

4. Oil and Honey.  I just finished this book by activist-professor Bill McKibben.  In full disclosure it is decidedly leftist in it's environmental politics.  But the book is also about Bill's two lives. The one as an environmental activist and leader of 350.org and the other as interested and aspiring apiarist.  His journey is that of a concerned citizen and it reads like a memior.  I loved it. 

Satan Slayed

It has turned out to be a bad semester for a our regular sports writer Flip Majkowski to take a sabbatical.  But let's be honest.  After the deacon board made a unanimous decision to fire Slayer softball coach Byron Roldan after the '15 softball season, we thought there was little hope for the athletic department at UBC.  So you can imagine our astonishment when, after quietly finishing off a regular spring basketball season and earning a four seed in the tourney, the mens basketball squad told a 30 for 30 type of Cinderella story.  

With just 8 kids, barely enough behinds to the keep the bench room temperature much less warm, a shorthanded Slayer squad played valiant basketball.   At midpoint this season, after a embarrassing loss to The Antioch Magi, Coach Whisnant decided what his team needed to do was run.  Run they did.  Wind sprint after wind sprint after wind sprint.  Eventually, Slayers formed themselves into a pack of gazelles.  They would not lose another game because of conditioning.  

In the first game of the tournament, the Slayers handled the #5 seeded Episcopalian Liturgists, outscoring 18-4 in the fourth quarter.  Shooting guard Shane Ward heated up and the rest of the team never cooled down.  But what really alerted the ecclesiological sports world that a Goliath had awakened, was that the Slayers trounced the #1 seeded Pentecostal Pneumas.  It was a game of strategy.  Coach Whisnant identified that they needed to shut down all diocese first team point guard Joel Montanus and Pneumas offense would fall apart.  What the Slayers lack in youth, they make up in wisdom.  Montanus shot just 3-15 beyond the arc and the pentecostals were out hustled by the spirit of Mike Studer and Chad May.  

So to the championship game the Slayers went taking on another local baptist giant.  #3 seeded Columbus Ave. If you know your Baptist politics, you know what this game meant to the world around it.  

The championship had pace.  It had drama.  It had the all diocese first team play of power forward Jason Phillips, but in the end it was Slayer small forward Jonathon White who couldn't be matched.  White a Sr. transfer from China Spring, TX put on a clinic, shooting 59% from the field and finishing with one of the seasons few triple/doubles.  What White didn't do on defense was made up for by the athleticism of Justin Begnoche.  This game even reminded fans that geriatric medicine can work wonders, as veterans Doctor D. Wilhite and Trevor Carlson made significant contributions.  

In the end it was a Slayer victory.  Not just for a team of 8 ragtag kids from around the greater metropolitan Waco area, but an entire community that refused to give up hope.  UBC is now a better place.  UBC's had it's victories in the past.  Crowder gave us a Dove award for the Light Bright video.  In '15 we won WISD partner of the year.  We've snagged a few golden apples along the way.  But the pride the community wears with this victory is different.  It's transcendent.  It's a church basketball league trophy and likely approval from God that He loves our theology, because as the great theologians of the church have always maintained, those things always go hand in hand.  

The Spring '17 Slayer basketball squad.  Not pictured, Chad May who, on the way to the championship game, spotted a kitten stuck in the tree and decided to save it.  Thanks Chad for doing the right thing.  

Sunday School

Sunday School has officially come to an end.  Thank you to all of our leaders who faithfully gave of their time.  We will resume with Summer Sunday School or triple S as I like to call it, in June.  Stay tuned for riveting information.  

Office Manger Search

UBC is looking for a new office manager.  Our friend and collogue Amy Smith Carman is moving on to do Ph.D. work at TCU.  Congratulations Amy!  We are proud of you and grateful for your contributions to the UBC staff and the larger church. Amy is the second office manager who is leaving us to go do a PhD, so we feel like this position really opens doors for people.    Person's interested in applying can find a job description and application here. 

Pastoral Associates

UBC is now accepting applications for the pastoral associate program.  You can read more about the program and find the information needed to apply by clicking  here. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky & Juliet 

Coffee Makers: 

Mug Cleaners: Zunigas 

Money Counter: Hannah K. 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Please be in prayer for our friend and pastoral associate Marshall Cook who will be preaching this Sunday.  
• Our Thailand teams leaves this Sunday, 5-14-17.  Please be in prayer for them as they travel and that God would do meaningful things with our presence there. 

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 5-7-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship the Risen Lord

the One who came
that we might have life 

seeking to be formed into resurrection people

those who know that life
is most definitely a gift 

and who look to the Spirit
to shape us into better stewards of this gift

as a living thanks to the Giver.

amen

Scripture

Psalm 23

The Eternal is my shepherd, cares for me always.
The Eternal provides me rest in rich, green fields
   beside streams of refreshing water.

The Eternal soothes my fears;
The Eternal makes me whole again,
   steering me off worn, hard paths
   to roads where truth and righteousness echo the Name.

Even in the unending shadows of death’s darkness,
   I am not overcome by fear.
Because You are with me in those dark moments,
   near with Your protection and guidance,
   I am comforted.

You spread out a table before me,
   provisions in the midst of attack from my enemies;
You care for all my needs, anointing my head with soothing, fragrant oil,
   filling my cup again and again with Your grace.

Certainly Your faithful protection and loving provision will pursue me
   where I go, always, everywhere.
I will always be with the Eternal,
   in Your house forever.

John 10:1-10

 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.  All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the gate.

Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Prayer

This week's prayer was from An Iona Prayer Book (p.98):

Lord of Life
we celebrate your countless gifts
in days and nights,
in rainbows and rain,
in touch, dream, and smile,
in partners who love,
in kids who cuddle,
in grannies who listen,
in friends who care,
in dogs that lick,
in hands that sew,
in food on the table;
yet above all,
in your coming among us,
walking our roads,
calling our names,
enfolding our lives,
inviting us home.

Amen.

Setlist 5-7-2017

This week was the fourth Sunday of Easter, and our songs were gathered around the theme of....Easter.  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

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

How Great Thou Art

Pain by Jameson McGregor

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: The chorus of this song captures a central theme of the Easter season: we will become a happy ending.  In this simple phrase, we find the core implication of the Resurrection.  The Love of God is unhindered on a fundamental level, even by death.  God's Yes overwhelms any No that might come before it.  

Pulse: This song speaks to the effect of the Resurrection on life in the world.  The Resurrection is driven by the transformative power that spreads through the entire cosmos, the Spirit of God.  And this same transformative power is working to raise what is dead in us.  

How Great Thou Art: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about How Great Thou Art then: This song gives us language to situate the death and resurrection of Jesus within a broader observation of God's grandeur.  The song begins with an observation of the wonders God has made throughout the cosmos, and goes on to observe the trajectory of God's making all things new.  In the chorus, it offers us a chance to practice channeling this wonder into praise of God.

Pain: In the death and Resurrection of Jesus, we find that God is able to bear the weight of our suffering and somehow paint life on the other side. This Event offers us a picture of what God can make of our own pain, and it stands as an image of Hope.  The chorus of this song,

but the God of the Lighter Load
can take the weight of the pain we hold
until the sting becomes about much more than the pain
it's the place
that we dwell in a  Living Hope
the architecture of the ones who know
that, in the end, healing comes like the day:
from the night

is not suggesting that God takes our pain away, but instead enters into our pain and is carrying out the work of transformational healing.  This Hope hinges on the image of the Resurrection, on the fact that Jesus's suffering was not miraculously alleviated or cut short, but rather was the first part of a broader story that transcended the suffering itself.  

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 5-5-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Easter

Leadership Team Meeting Report

Friends,

The Leadership Team meeting met this past Sunday night and at that meeting a few things were done. 

HR

A report on annual reviews of staff was given by HR team rep. Mathew Crawford.  No one is being fired or put on probation.  All in all we have a good squad. 

• Amy is stepping down as our office manager on May 19th.  
• Emmy Edwards was approved as our interim office manager.  
• We hope to have a new person hired by June 1st.  
• The search committee is made up of 5 people.  A staff rep., HR rep., lead team rep., and to lay members selected by the lead team.  That committee is Taylor Post, Rob Engblom, Adam Winn, Taylor Torregrossa, and Jeff Walter.  

Finance

The annual budget was approved as proposed by finance team.  That budget can be viewed on request.  Please email josh@ubcwaco.org for a copy of the budget.   Any questions about financial concerns at UBC can be directed at any finance team member or leadership team member listed at the bottom of the newsletter. 

Scholarship Recipients

In compliance with the BGCT the leadership team approved all ministry scholarship applicants. 

OAR

As many of you know, Toph has been leading a committee to investigate Ownership and Accountability.  This committee was originally formed in response the larger question: what does it mean to belong to/be a member of UBC?  That team has compiled a document that maps out three levels of involvement.  Leadership team worked through this document and Toph and his team are taking it to the next phase which will address implementation strategies.  

Town Hall Debrief

Our April town hall addressed the issue of space and the future use of space at UBC.  The leadership team talked about what was discussed and heard at that meeting.  These are the three actionable steps that were decided on by leadership team. 

1.  we will bring in a architect/designer to help us assess our current space. 
2.  we will contact the city and investigate the cost and possibility of shutting down Flint St. between 17th and 18th st. 
3.  the leadership team is going to meet with full time staff this Sunday, 5-7-17, after church to further discuss space, aesthetic and ethos concerns.  

If you have any further questions or concerns about what was discussed at leadership team, please feel free to contact myself josh@ubcwaco.org or any of the leadership team members. 

Thailand Partnership Help

Our team is heading out on Sunday, May 14th, and one of our partners asked that we would bring American Board games.  If you would like to help out, bring a new or used board game to church on Sunday.  We are looking for games like Monopoly, Life, CandyLand, etc….  No card games, simply board games.  If you have any questions, please email

Office Manger Search

UBC is looking for a new office manager.  Our friend and collogue Amy Smith Carman is moving on to do Ph.D. work at TCU.  Congratulations Amy!  We are proud of you and grateful for your contributions to the UBC staff and the larger church.  Person's interested in applying can find a job description and application here. 

Pastoral Associates

UBC is now accepting applications for the pastoral associate program.  You can read more about the program and find the information needed to apply by clicking  here. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters

Coffee Makers: Emmy/Stephen 

Mug Cleaners: Dilan B. 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: John 10ish "go out to pastures" 

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 4-30-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

As we draw near to a season
that means change for many of our lives

we have gathered to worship
the One who makes all things new

as chapters close
as rhythms begin to change
as summer approaches

we seek all the same to be
more fully formed in the way of Christ

Spirit of Life, who raised
Jesus from the grave 

raise us also
and train our eyes
to find Your beauty
all around us

Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17

I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication,
because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him.

The cords of death entangled me;
the grip of the grave took hold of me;
I came to grief and sorrow.
Then I called upon the Name of the Lord:
"O Lord, I pray you, save my life."

How shall I repay the Lord
for all the good things he has done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his servants.

O Lord, I am your servant;
I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;
you have freed me from my bonds.
I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
and call upon the Name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the Lord's house,
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

Matthew 13:1-9, 31-32, 44-46

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.  Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach.  And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up.  Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil.  

 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Graduate Litany

Graduates, as you continue
your journeys beyond this season
remember the vision God has for You

to do justice
to love mercy
and to walk humbly
with our God

as you enter into offices, labs, hospitals,
job sites, schools, and wherever
else you find yourselves,
remember the vocation that permeates all others

to be more fully formed
in the way of Christ

and as you leave this community called ubc,
know that you carry us with you,
and remember the challenge we have carried together

to love God
embrace beauty
and live life to the fullest

Amen.

Setlist 4-30-2017

This week was the third Sunday of Easter, and our songs were gathered around the theme of....Easter.  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:

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

How Great Thou Art

Because He Lives by Bill and Gloria Gaither

Inbreaking by Jameson McGregor

Amazing Grace by Citizens & Saints

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. 

Death In His Grave: We sang this song to narrate again the defeat of death that we observe in this season.  

How Great Thou Art: This song gives us language to situate the death and resurrection of Jesus within a broader observation of God's grandeur.  The song begins with an observation of the wonders God has made throughout the cosmos, and goes on to observe the trajectory of God's making all things new.  In the chorus, it offers us a chance to practice channeling this wonder into praise of God.

Because He Lives:  This song takes a few swings at articulating the ways in which the Resurrection shapes the way we engage life now--particularly life's uncertain elements.  It offers us the chance to pull the thread between Jesus' breaking through one of the more absolute elements of finite existence (death), and any anxieties we might have about life.  Put differently, the Event of the resurrection calls into question what we think we know about how the world works, and gives us reason to hold the stubborn hope that God is actively working to redeem every broken part of creation.  This connection is easy to pay lip service to, but really living as though it were true is a life project. 

Inbreaking: I've been working on this song for a couple of months.  For the first few weeks, I had a handful of lines, but had no idea what they meant.  As I kept working at it, I started to see Easter themes emerging.  Taken all together, this is a song about the Risen Lord raising us also, both as individuals and as the Body of Christ.  It's not squarely focused on the events of Easter, but it is intimately concerned with the role that Eastertide plays in the life of the Church year.

Amazing Grace: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Amazing Grace then: The Resurrection is a transformative act of grace that has implications for the whole of creation.  It is a Yes to life and the created world. This song talks about the implications of the Resurrection for our lives, and we sang it to rehearse speaking the truth about God's ongoing redemption project in our midst.

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 4-28-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Easter

Eastertide//Resurrection

The Story we live in year after year entered its fourth chapter recently.  To recap the Story thus far, we began by waiting in the darkness of Advent, looking around to see how very badly the world needs a Light.  That Light entered the darkness on Christmas, and shone throughout the season of Epiphany, where we spent time learning again what God would have us know about who God is and who we are in the Person of Jesus.  Then we entered the wilderness of Lent, following Jesus in asking the question of who we are and what we are for, or taken differently: what does it mean to live life to the fullest?  And with the death and Resurrection of Jesus, we have now entered the season of Easter/Resurrection.  

In the events of Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday, we are offered a challenge to the way we engage life at a fundamental level.  I can think of at least three ways in which this is the case.  

First, we find that, as Karl Barth says, “the goal of human life is not death, but resurrection.”  Jesus’ Resurrection impacts the expectations we hold of the finality of death.  But the context of Jesus’ Resurrection—coming on the other side of a death carried out by the political power of the Roman Empire at the urging of powerful religious leaders—also changes something about what we expect of life.  It’s the audacity to hope that, for all the ways in which the world confirms our deepest fears, things don’t necessarily work the way we might expect.  Having seen victory rise out of absolute defeat, we are left with a hope that is equally skilled at not staying dead.  This ultimately chips away at the role of fear in our lives. 

Second, it offers us a transformed way to look at the natural ebb and flow of life.  There are myriad deaths we experience.  Chapters of life come to a close.  Relationships fall apart.  Jobs are lost.  Faith paradigms shift.  Our personal interests move on.  Put simply: things change.  And when things change, blatantly tragically so or not, we are faced with coming to terms with this change.  This coming to terms is a kind of grief. On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, we practice meaningful grief along with the disciples.  We do this from a vantage point in time where we know what Event is coming on Sunday, but we do it nonetheless because we know that the grief matters.  It allows us to honor what was lost, fueled by an understanding of the goodness of the life that preceded the death. But just as there are deaths that we experience time and again in life, we also find that new chapters begin, relationships rekindle, we take up new hobbies, etc.  Life continues.  Resurrection greets us.  In Easter, we find a challenge posed to us regarding how we will rejoice at the new possibilities we find on the other side of death.  A challenge to ride the fear and uncertainty of the empty tomb into the joy and wonder of encountering the Risen Lord on the road.  

Third, it changes the way we experience the world.  In the Resurrection, we find an emphatic Yes to life and creation. We find a vision of the other side of pain and rejection—an image of redemption painted in flesh and blood.  And this image reaffirms what the biblical narrative has been getting at the whole time: God’s response to the brokenness of the world is not to do away with the world, but to make it new.  The Resurrection event is one of beauty out of brokenness.  It changes the way we see the world by reassuring us that all is not lost, and by training us to seek out and embrace the beauty that we encounter in life as though it spoke something more true about the way things really are than any of the more bleak messengers we might encounter.

So, those are three ways you can think about the challenge posed by Easter as we make our way through this season.  But I hope that, beyond these things, you spend time asking what else this season of Resurrection might be teaching you this year.

If you have any questions or want to discuss any of this further, feel free to email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Office Manger Search

UBC is looking for a new office manager.  Our friend and collogue Amy Smith Carman is moving on to do Ph.D. work at TCU.  Congratulations Amy!  We are proud of you and grateful for your contributions to the UBC staff and the larger church.  Person's interested in applying can find a job description and application here. 

Study Hall

It is the most wonderful time of year again, Study Hall at UBC.  The building will be open from 10am-midnight for you to study.  We will have all the coffee, refreshments, and snacks you can want.  And yes, we will have the best pancakes in the state of TX at 10pm, so don’t miss out.  The average student who studies at UBC for their finals make an A 97.4%, and those don’t get caught daydreaming about what a great time it was.  See you on Tuesday.  

Rend Collective

One week from today (May 5), ubc is hosting a Rend Collective concert at 7pm.  If you'd like to purchase tickets, you can do so here.

Pastoral Associates

UBC is now accepting applications for the pastoral associate program.  You can read more about the program and find the information needed to apply by clicking  here. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Will Dewitt

Coffee Makers: Kareem 

Mug Cleaners: Kaylin

Money Counter: Josh M. 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Mr. Roger's Sunday. 
• This Sunday night will be our April Leadership Team meeting. Please be in prayer as this group navigates decisions for the future.  

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

Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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

Student Position: Samuel Moore: samuel_moore2@baylor.edu

Student Position: Leah Reed: Leah_Reed@baylor.edu

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 4-23-2017

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, or if you have a concern about any aspect of our liturgy, please email jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Call to Worship

we have gathered together to worship the Risen One

filled with faith, doubt, joy, and wonder

like Thomas, we reach for a certainty beyond rumors,
our hands reach for wounds they cannot find

but instead we find
our own wounds graced with hope,
our eyes adjusting to the Light

Spirit of Life, as You raised Christ from death

Raise us also
And draw us in
to your work of redemption

Amen.

Scripture

Psalm 16

Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;
I have said to the Lord, "You are my Lord,
my good above all other."
All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,
upon those who are noble among the people.

But those who run after other gods
shall have their troubles multiplied.
Their libations of blood I will not offer,
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;
it is you who uphold my lot.
My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
my heart teaches me, night after night.

I have set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;
my body also shall rest in hope.

For you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
You will show me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

John 20:19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Prayer

Risen Christ,

We ask that you would hasten to adjust our eyes to the early morning Light of this new season of Resurrection, and that the dance between our faith and our doubt would rise into wonder. 

Forgive us for denying Your resurrection in what we have left undone and what we have done.

Raise to Life what is dead in us. 

Nurture the seeds of hope that have fallen in our midst, and teach us to scatter these seeds everywhere we go. 

Amen.