ITLOTC 11-10-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Building Update

UBC Champions,

At our last town hall I did not have very good information to give you.  I promised that when I got that information I'd begin to pass that along.  I'd like to update you on a few things. 

First, I got some initial sketches and quotes back from our architect.  He estimated that doing an addition on the 18th st. side of the building out into the parking lot would run about $150-175 a square foot.  Let's say we did an 8,000 sq ft. children's center.  On the cheap side that would come to about 1.2 million dollars likely more if we have to plumbing.  In addition to this we'd need to acquire, shutdown and redo Flint St. as well at prepare the lot purchased across the Flint St. on the 18th side for parking.  In all that looks like a 1.5 million dollar project. 

At last Sunday's leadership team meeting, the l-team asked me to investigate the potential cost and loss of putting the Brazos Electric Company proper on La Salle under contract.  My insider business people tell me that number is about 10K.  5K of earnest money which could be refunded if the deal doesn't work out and 5K which we'd have to spend on environmental studies and other research measures to determine if it would be feasible for us to purchase that building.  

On Tuesday last week i had a meeting with smart business people.  In that meeting we talked about a lot of things including different ways to structure our offer with the Brazos Electric Co., possible strategies for getting into the BEC property debt free, and strategies for getting accurate assessments.   We also talked about good contacts from the community for me to get a better idea of estimates.  

So this week I asked the leadership team to vote on spending the 5K/10K to put the Brazos Electric Co. under contract and they voted in the affirmative.  It is common for these options periods to last about 90 days.  So please be in prayer that once we put the property under contract (if we can agree on an offer) that all of our research partners and firms are able to do good work in a timely matter so we can make a wise final decision.  Thank you for your patience.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email josh@ubcwaco.org.  

Thanksgiving Lovefeast

Start your turkey eating season with us on Sunday November 19th, 2K17.  We will gather at UBC at 5:57 PM CST for a feast mimicking the one the pilgrims had with the indians back in the day.   UBC will provide the turkeys and you will provide the sides (i think, i haven't actually talked to Toph about any of this).  

Also, I've included a picture of a turkey below. 

Book Challenge

This past Thursday, the UBC staff aka UBC #Champions4theLord had our staff development day.  As part of that day we went to Half Priced Books and were allowed to select a book.  Below I will list for you each staff member's name and the titles of the seven books that were purchased.  Should you have a desire to participate you, readers can send me an email (josh@ubcwaco.org) with the subject line "book challenge" listing the book that corresponds with the staff member.  The first email I receive that correctly pairs all the books with their new owners will win a B & N gift card.  

Staff members: Jamie, Taylor, Val, Dilon, Josh, Toph, and Kim

Book titles: 

Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury 

The Story of Edward Sawtelle by David Wrobleski

The Art of Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Dermot Power

The Complete Stories of Evelyn Waugh by Evelyn Waugh

Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by it's Stars, Writers, and Guests by James Andrew Miller & Tom Shales

Outrageous Acts of Everyday Rebellion by Gloria Steinem

McLennan County Orphan Care #3

We will be hosting our third and final orphan care dinner this Wednesday, October 15.  This time we will be visiting with the folks from CASA about what it means to fight for foster care children in a way other than opening up your home.  CASA is something anyone can do including a college student.  So please come, eat some dinner and fellowship.  Our potluck dinner will start at 6 and discussion at 6:30.  Childcare will be provided.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky

Coffee Makers: Emmy & Caroline 

Mug Cleaners:  Vince & Sarah 

Money Counter: Hannah Kuhl 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Joshua 24ish
• Thanksgiving Love Feast 11-19
• Youth Sunday 11-19
• Christ the King Sunday 11-26
• Backside 12-1
• Advent Workshop 12-3
• Study Hall 12-5/6
• finance team meeting 
• Christmas Eve Service 12-24 

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

JD Newman: JD_Newman@baylor.edu 

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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 11-5-2017

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 hears the cries of the troubled

the One who delivers the distressed

to be drawn into the Story of God

and find ourselves transformed by it

into people who carry
the love and grace of God within us

sowing hope into the depths
of trouble and distress.

Amen.

Scripture

Joshua 3:7-17

The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses. You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” Joshua then said to the Israelites, “Draw near and hear the words of the Lord your God.”

Joshua said, “By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites: the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan. So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap.”

When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people. Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest.

So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water, the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off.

Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

Matthew 23:1-12

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.

And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father-- the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” 

Setlist 11-5-2017

This was the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost.  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 a brief example of one way you might think of these songs. 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:

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Be Thou My Vision

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Ascend the Hill)

When the Saints by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Louis Armstrong)

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. 

Lord, I Need You: We sang this song to begin our time together with a confession of our dependence upon God to transform us into people who live as the presence of Christ in our particular time and place.  These words offer us a chance to rehearse a prayer that might be offered in some way or another every day.

Be Thou My Vision: This song carries the theme of the previous song, and adds the particulars of God forming our vision, wisdom, security, and hope.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go:  We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about O Love That Will Not Let Me Go then: This song gives voice to the hope against hope that not even death can separate us from the love of God.

When the Saints: This song expresses the truth that we are a part of a story that greatly precedes us, locates us in community with those who have gone before us, and looks ahead to the Resurrection as a great parade that we join as a completed community united around Christ. Since we don't play this song often, I threw together a demo (read: not good) recording of it in case you wanted to listen again:

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

Liturgy 10-29-2017

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

Jesus said, “’You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.’

This is the greatest and first commandment.

and a second is like it:
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets.”

and so we have gathered to worship the God
revealed in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit,

hoping to be formed more fully
into people who love God,
God’s creatures, and ourselves.

Amen.

Scripture

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar.

The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command.

He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Matthew 22:34-46

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand, 
until I put your enemies under your feet”’? 

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions. 

Prayer

This week's prayer was from John van de Laar:

Teach us the courage, O God,
to turn from what seems so natural, so safe:
the way of grasping power,
and befriending the powerful,
in the hope of protection and security.

Teach us the humility, O God,
to turn from what is so enticing, so persuasive:
the way of accumulating things,
and trusting in wealth,
in the hope of comfort and life

Lead us, O God, in another way,
the way of true security, true wealth,
the way of Christ, the servant,
the way of weakness and simplicity.

Lead us, O God, in another way,
the way of caring for the neglected,
feeding the hungry,
housing the homeless,
protecting the threatened,
and challenging the powerful,
the foolish way of the Gospel,
that brings salvation to all. 

Amen.

ITLOTC 11-3-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

The Gospel in gifs

Sunday I remarked that I, Josh Carney, would "be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ using only gifs."  This was a statement made in jest, offering subtle commentary on the large volume of user requests on Facebook this week that asked for digital friends to respond to said user using gifs exclusively.  It has come to my attention that some of you took me literally and were consequently  disappointed that the sermon did not include gifs.  So here is my attempt to share the gospel using gifs as a consolation prize. 

 

Meet Our Newest Finance Team Member

At our recent leadership team meeting, JD Newman was selected to serve on our finance team.  Here's a bit about JD.

1. what do you do in waco:

I came to Waco to go to Truett Seminary and graduated in 2016. I now work for Baylor as Residence Hall Director in Martin Hall with 250 freshman guys.

2. book/chapter/verse of the bible that has impacted you:

I think 1 Corinthians has had the biggest impact on me. Paul gives us some real gems in this letter; the church as the body of Christ, holding in tension your freedom as a believer and the task of not being stumbling block for others, the Love chapter, and what the heck glossolalia means. It’s a good one. 

3. fave restaurant in Waco:

                Stone Hearth and Alpha Omega are the two I keep going back to recently

4. tv show and/or movie you love:

                TV Show – I got on Game of Thrones after season 5, but have been hooked since.

Movie – Interstellar – I love Sci Fi and I love anything from Christopher Nolan. Best of both worlds.

5. something we might not know about you:

I love going to estate sales. What happens to all of your stuff when you die and your kids don’t want it? You can hire an estate sale company to come in and sell everything and people like me buy it. Win/win

I’ve even started a shop on Etsy where I repurpose old trophies I buy at estate sales and customize them.

McLennan County Orphan Care #3

We will be hosting our third and final orphan care dinner Wednesday October 15.  This time we will be visiting with the folks from CASA about what it means to fight for foster care children in a way other than opening up your home.  CASA is something anyone can do including a college student.  So please come, eat some dinner and fellowship.  Our potluck dinner will start at 6 and discussion at 6:30.  Childcare will be provided.  

Thailand Mission Trip Interest Meeting

We are headed back to Thailand for our third and final trip in June.  The trip will be June 10-24, 2018, and we will work with South Asian immigrants in Thailand’s second largest city.  There will be two interesting meetings, this Sunday after church, and next Sunday after church. If you are interested in learning more about our work in Thailand, and/or you are interested in going, please come to one of the meetings.  The meeting will be in the piano room, shortly after the service ends.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

Family In Need

There is a family in our neighborhood who recently lost everything in a house fire.  They are in desperate need of the items below.  If you are interested in helping, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

All 7 children need beds, sheets & blankets

Transportation 

Washer & dryer

Any furniture 

Kitchen appliances

Cleaning & washing supplies 

Toiletries

Any house hold items 

Food- groceries,  non perishable items & gift cards 

Clothing-  Shoe sizes: 10 & 16 in girl youth, 10 & 12 in girls, 8 & 6 in boys, 24 months in girls

Shirts sizes: small & large in girl youth,  medium & large in girls, small & medium in boys, 24 months in girls 

Pants sizes: 7 & 8 in ladies, 6 & 7 in girls, 1 & 2 in boys,  6 in girl toddler

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters

Coffee Makers:  Kaylin & Maddie 

Mug Cleaners: OOTP 

Money Counter: JD Newman 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Joshua 3:something
• Finance Team Meeting 11-9
• McLennan County Orphan Care 3: CASA, 11-15
• Thanksgiving Love Feast 11-19
• Youth Sunday 11-19
• Christ the King Sunday 11-26
• Backside 12-1
• Advent Workshop 12-3
• Study Hall 12-5/6
• finance team meeting 
• Christmas Eve Service 12-24 

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

JD Newman: JD_Newman@baylor.edu 

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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Setlist 10-29-2017

This was the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost.  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 a brief example of one way you might think of these songs. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Wandering by Jameson McGregor

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Ascend the Hill)

Murdered Son by John Mark McMillan

Bonfire by Jameson McGregor

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Doxology

How They Fit In:

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

Wandering: We sang this song to proclaim God's faithfulness to us in the midst of our tendency to attempt to steer God toward our own devices.  In doing so, we reminded ourselves that God has decided to pull us into God's story, and our own shortcomings or inconsistencies are not powerful enough to change God's mind about that.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go:  This song gives voice to the hope against hope that not even death can separate us from the love of God.

Murdered Son: This song proclaims the work of God in Christ, holds up the truth about how far God was willing to go to set things right with us, and ultimately poses an open question to us about what this means for a group of people who are seeking to be formed into the presence of Christ in their time and place.

Bonfire: This song traces the vast distance between what it is to be God and what it is to be human, and looks ahead to where that divide is ultimately transgressed.

Death In His Grave: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Death In His Grave then: We sang this song to tell again the story of Christ's entering into suffering to the point of death and emerging victorious over Death and sin.  This story is the foundation of our hope, and one of the most revelatory moments regarding the lengths to which God is willing to go to set things right with us, and it is also an image of the re-Creation that God is actively working in history.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 11-3-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Reverence (by Taylor)

I’ve been in several conversations lately where I’ve found phrases that I think would be appropriate subtitles for my book. (I’m not writing a book. I just like to imagine what the title would be if I were to write a book.) “You’ve Gotta Risk It to Get the Biscuit” has been a longtime favorite, but I have also recently become a fan of “Grabbing the Cardigan Closest to Me” and “Pretending to Behave Like a Normal Adult Human.” These are fitting subtitles because in this imagined “I’m-writing-a-book” scenario the book I’m writing is an autobiography – and all of these phrases are pretty descriptive of my life.

I would say that for most of my life when it comes to the day-to-day realities of life I am a go-with-the flow type person. I have always found it important to be able to be flexible in any given situation and so flexibility is a skill that I have worked hard at developing. However, in my head – in my own mental and emotional space – I am an over-planner and a teensy bit of a perfectionist. I remember as a child and teenager struggling with the idea of “giving my life to God”. I think that phrase can carry many different meanings for different people – but for me the hang up was with the idea that I would no longer be in control of every part of my life. That in giving my life to God I was saying, “Here – I trust You and Your plan so much that I’m giving my entire life to You.” That seemed like a deal-breaker to me. Honestly, some days it still feels like a deal-breaker. Some days it doesn’t, but then I notice myself striving to be in control of every situation. And some days – on my best days – I notice that the idea of trusting God with all aspects of my life is like a gift - a gift I never expected or knew I would appreciate, but a gift nonetheless.

This week’s Lectionary Text from the Psalms is Psalm 90:1-6,13-17. It says this:

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place
    throughout all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born
    or you brought forth the whole world,
    from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”
4 A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
6 In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.

13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be?
    Have compassion on your servants.
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
    that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    for as many years as we have seen trouble.
16 May your deeds be shown to your servants,
    your splendor to their children.

17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;
    establish the work of our hands for us—
    yes, establish the work of our hands.

In her book An Altar in the World Barbara Brown Taylor (aka my girl BBT) writes about reverence. She says, “I learned reverence from my father. For him, it had nothing to do with religion and very little to do with God. I think it may have had something to do with his having been a soldier, since the exercise of reverence generally includes knowing your rank in the overall scheme of things.” The exercise of reverence includes knowing your rank in the overall scheme of things. This thought was revelatory to me.

I think that praying Psalm 90 helps me develop a proper sense of reverence. When I start by praying about who God is and what God has done – especially in contrast to my own human limitations – it makes it easier to pray in earnest that God will establish the work of my hands for me by the time I get to the end of the Psalm. It makes it easier to trust that participating in the work of God is always going to be better than setting my own course. It makes it possible for me to trust that giving my life to God is, in fact, a comfort.

So – it’s slow work. Work that I will be doing for my whole life. But it’s good work. Important work. Maybe by the time I get around to writing my book the subtitle will be something like “Way More Reverent Than All Y’all” or “Sometimes Capable of Not Needing to Control Every Situation” but until then I think I’ll stick with “Pretending to Behave Like a Normal Adult Human.”

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this, feel free to email taylor@ubcwaco.org.

Publishing Error

We here at the ITLOTC would like to issue an apology.  You may have noticed that last week the ITLOTC weekly publication was distributed.  This was in part due to the fact, one brother Toph Whisnant and one brother Josh Carney were tied up on the golf course competing, fiercely mind you, in the annual Kyle Lake golf tournament.  We find our error grievous and promise that it won't happen again, at least for a while.  

McLennan County Orphan Care #3

We will be hosting our third and final orphan care dinner Wednesday October 15.  This time we will be visiting with the folks from CASA about what it means to fight for foster care children in a way other than opening up your home.  CASA is something anyone can do including a college student.  So please come, eat some dinner and fellowship.  Our potluck dinner will start at 6 and discussion at 6:30.  Childcare will be provided.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters

Coffee Makers:  Kaylin & Maddie 

Mug Cleaners: OOTP 

Money Counter: JD Newman 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: 
• Finance Team Meeting 11-9
• McLennan County Orphan Care 3: CASA, 11-15
• Thanksgiving Love Feast 11-19
• Youth Sunday 11-19
• Christ the King Sunday 11-26
• Backside 12-1
• Advent Workshop 12-3
• Study Hall 12-5/6
• finance team meeting 
• Christmas Eve Service 12-24 

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

JD Newman: JD_Newman@baylor.edu 

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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-22-2017

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 direct our attention
to our Creator and Sustainer

to have our hearts and minds
shaped by the Living God

we have gathered to hear
the story of God and creation

to learn to see the world,
our fellow creatures,
and ourselves
as God does

we have gathered to turn toward
the Spirit of God

to continue to be formed more fully
in the way of Christ, together

Amen.

Scripture

Exodus 33:12-23

Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”

He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.” 

The Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.”

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The Lord’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.”

And the Lord continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

Matthew 22:15-22

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality.

Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?”

They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

Setlist 10-22-2017

This was the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost.  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 a brief example of one way you might think of these songs. 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:

How Great Thou Art

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

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

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

Crown Him With Many Crowns 

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. 

How Great Thou Art: This song offers us the chance to rehearse responding to the wonder of what God has made, what God has done, and what God will do, with an acknowledgement of God's greatness.  In Ordinary Time, this becomes important because how we respond to this wonder is indeed a part of discerning what it means to be the people of God in our particular time and place.

Death In His Grave: We sang this song to tell again the story of Christ's entering into suffering to the point of death and emerging victorious over Death and sin.  This story is the foundation of our hope, and one of the most revelatory moments regarding the lengths to which God is willing to go to set things right with us, and it is also an image of the re-Creation that God is actively working in history.

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy: This is a reminder that we offer ourselves and one another about God's grace and mercy toward us.  We are quite adept at thinking of ways which we might be excluded from the love of God--thinking that it might be true for other people who are less flawed than we--but the truth is that the love of God is much broader than our broadest notions of this love.  Aside from thinking of how this love relates to ourselves, this song also reminds us that the same is true for those who are different than us--those who we might not care much for at all.  Taken together, this song offers us the opportunity to lean further into loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves (which also presupposes that we love ourselves well).

Wild One: This song seeks to remind us that who God is and who we expect God to be are not the same thing--that God is in fact greater than our greatest assumptions.  This idea poses a challenge to us in Ordinary Time to continue to carry the holy curiosity of Epiphany.

Crown Him With Many Crowns: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Crown Him With Many Crowns then: We sang this song to give voice to the lordship of Christ, with language of power-in-weakness.  In doing so, we call ourselves to imagine how this self-giving savior would have us live and move in the world.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 10-20-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Prayer, Pt. 4

If you haven’t figured it out yet, we have a rotation for writing the newsletter.  For the past several months, I’ve been using my entries to talk about prayer.  You can find the previous posts here: (part 1, part 2, part 3). 

Our former teaching pastor, Kyle Lake, wrote a book called [Re]Understanding Prayer (and if you haven’t read it, we have a bunch of copies at the church, so just ask one of us for one).  As a whole, that book is an exploration of different approaches to prayer.  One of the things that has stayed with me over the years since I read it is an appendix titled “Historical Prayer.” In it, he briefly outlines three types of prayer and includes a collection of short prayers from prominent figures in Church history. 

Last month, I said that this post would be about prayer practices throughout history.  The breadth of information that could be conveyed about that topic is way to much for a blog post, so I want to highlight the practices that Kyle highlighted, then I’ll add one or two things.

Lectio Divina

This is a sort of prayerful reading of Scripture.  It’s a space that is created to read Scripture slowly, to sit with it, and to see what rises to the surface of your mind.  The idea here is that God is using the text to shape us in some way, thus we should make ourselves open to listen to the text—or perhaps the Spirit of God within and around the text.  If you’re wondering what makes this prayer, you can file this under the “active listening” column of interpersonal communication.  Or you could think of sitting down for this task as a petition for God to shape/speak to you.  I was going to walk through a how-to of Lectio Divina, but you should really just check out this resource from Vox Veniae (This resource is written for groups, but if you’re doing it alone, you can sub in journaling for the discussion part).

Ignatian Contemplation

This is more of a school/category of prayer than a single practice, but perhaps the most famous practice from this realm is the Prayer of Examen.  Long story short, this is a practice of looking back over your day, or maybe the past week, noticing the good and the bad that has occurred, how you responded, and measuring that response against the person of Jesus. This practice puts prayer, memory, and imagination into conversation with one another, and likely has many benefits, but I think a big one is the opportunity it offers us to stop for a moment and notice subtle gifts of our lives, or perhaps to confront concerning trends in our own selves.  There just so happens to be another well-organized resource from Vox for this practice, so rather than re-inventing the wheel, I’ll just link to that here.

Deep Breathing

The final practice Kyle highlights is “Deep Breathing.”  This is pretty self-explanatory—it’s taking a moment of slow, deep breaths, for the sake of entering into a more relaxed rhythm of breathing in order to be present to God in prayer.  Controlled breathing is a known way for locating one’s attention in the present moment rather than in the tempest of anxieties that accompany the fast paced life of the modern world.  It is a mechanism for being present and attentive.  I think that this pause is in-and-of-itself a kind of prayer, but you also might think of it as a way to prepare to pray—a stillness that precedes and follows your prayer—or maybe it’s both.  Anyway, mindfulness meditation seems to offer us a way into this (being still in the presence moment, focus on breathing, etc).  You can find a pretty straight-forward how-to about that here.

Praying with “Eyes Open”

Several years ago, I remember reading Eugene Peterson talking about Annie Dillard praying “with eyes open.” I think that was in a book called The Contemplative Pastor, but I know he also talks about it in this article (and you should really read it). He references her work, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, and notes the wonder-infused descriptions she has of seemingly mundane nature scenes.  It’s as though she is wearing Creator-calibrated glasses, that allow her to see the glory of the ordinary and the significance of the insignificant, and Peterson identifies this as a posture of prayer.  This prayer neither starts nor finishes, it’s more of a condition of life.  That condition is presence of mind to one’s immediate surroundings, and perhaps a curiosity as to how something came to be and what it might mean. 

Surrogate Prayers

Finally, there are any number of voices throughout church history whose prayers have been recorded or preserved in some way.  We would do well to seek those out, to find a couple with whom we resonate particularly well, and make a habit of offering those prayers as our own.  After all, like we noted in discussing the Psalms, the things that happen to us, the things that concern us, what we think and feel about God, etc. are not special.  Other people have carried similar kinds of experiences, and we might sometimes find language from them that help us make sense of our circumstances and express ourselves in prayer.  For me, this person has been John Baillie, a Scottish theologian whose book A Diary of Private Prayer is pretty famous.  If you’re looking for a place to start in tracking down a collection of prayers, the end of Kyle’s appendix on historical prayer is pretty good place to start.

--

So those are some places to start in investigating prayer throughout the history of the Church.  Like I said, this is a woefully incomplete introduction to such things, but you should have enough to meaningfully Google your way into more information.  

As always if you have any questions or concerns about any of this, you can email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

South Waco Halloween Festival

This Wednesday night (10/25) is our annual Halloween party with the South Waco Community Center.  We still need a lot of volunteers, so make sure to sign-up on Sunday after church (or you can email toph@ubcwaco.org).  The festival is promising to be bigger and better than ever this year, and we need your help to make it happen.  The festival is from 6-8pm, but volunteers will need to arrive at 5:30pm.  If you have any questions please email toph@ubcwaco.org  #yourbesthalloweennow

Junior/Senior Retreat - November 3-5th

The annual Fall Retreat for Junior and Seniors is coming up, and sign-ups will be the next two weeks after church.  The cost of the retreat is $40 (includes: all meals, lodging, and t-shirt).  We will be leaving Friday afternoon, and will return on Sunday morning in time for church at UBC.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.  Space is limited to the first 26 who sign-up.

Faith and Family Night

UBC is partnering with Baylor to support the first Faith and Family night for the women’s soccer team.  The game is at 7pm on October 20th.  We will be tailgating before the game starting at 6, just outside the baseball stadium.  Tickets are only $3!  There will be time for the kids to get on the field during halftime and participate in some games, and we will have a special time with the players afterwards hearing some of their testimonies, and UBC will gather around them to say a word prayer over them.  Make sure to put this on your calendar.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org or taylor@ubcwaco.org.

Auditions for a Christmas Production by InSite

UBC is hosting a Christmas production from InSite, a new arts organization presenting performing and visual arts around Waco. "The Second Shepherds Play" is a hilarious 500-year-old English nativity play, like the one Shakespeare would have grown up seeing. Performances are December 15 and 16, and UBCers are invited to audition! Visit www.insitewaco.com/2shep or write to luannpjennings@gmail.com for info. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers:  Andrew Sabonis-Chafee

Mug Cleaners:  Maddy S. 

Money Counter: Anna Tilson 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Special Guest Preacher Chris Seay 
• Quarterly Leadership Team Meeting 10-29
• The Big Meeting: our annual meeting with Finance, HR and Lead Team, 11-1
• College Retreat, 11-3-15
• Finance Team Meeting 11-9
• McLennan County Orphan Care 3: CASA, 11-15

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-15-2017

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 Peace

to find rest and restoration
in the One who is Love

we have come seeking to be formed
more fully in the way of Christ

to have our eyes,
minds, and hearts,
conformed to his

and to turn ourselves toward the Spirit of God

so we might join
in the work of God in the world.

Amen.

Scripture

Exodus 32:1-14

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord.” They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel.

The Lord said to Moses, “Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; they have been quick to turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!

The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, how stiff-necked they are. Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation.”

But Moses implored the Lord his God, and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’?

Turn from your fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by your own self, saying to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’“ And the Lord changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come.

Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’

But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’

And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Prayer

This week's prayer was provided by the Family Abuse Center in connection with Domestic Violence Awareness Month:

God of peace, there are many places and many people who do not experience your peace. Right now, there are women and children in our own community who live under the dark weight of the fear of violence within their own homes. For them, home is a place of danger and pain. Help them, Lord, and give them strength and protection. Give their friends and the officials in our community the courage to bring that protection to them.

Lord, we also confess as a church that we often have been silent in the face of abuse. Many of us have turned our back and ignored those in abusive situations. We have even allowed abusers to twist our faith and our Scriptures to justify their sin. Too often, we are those who know and yet do nothing to help end the suffering. Whisper into our ears, Lord. Let us hear of your love for all peoples. Open our hearts to the pain of others.

Lord, we hear the voices of our children crying. Help us turn their tears to laughter. 

We see terror in the faces of our sisters. Help us turn their fear into hope. Help us not to judge, for we do not know another’s pain. 

Give us courage to confront abusers, whether in our community, family, or ourselves. 

Give us strength to endure, Lord, for the battle will be long. We put our trust in You, for peace in our world will come only through peace in our hearts and in our homes.

Amen.

Setlist 10-15-2017

This was the nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  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 a brief example of one way you might think of these songs. 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:

House of God Forever by Jon Foreman

Crown Him With Many Crowns by Jameson McGregor

Rise Up by Bifrost Arts

For Those Tears I Died by Jameson McGregor

Mystery by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Charlie Hall)

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. 

House of God Forever: This song is essentially Psalm 23, and offers us language to express a trust in God's comforting us in the face of uncertainty.

Crown Him With Many Crowns: We sang this song to give voice to the lordship of Christ, with language of power-in-weakness.  In doing so, we call ourselves to imagine how this self-giving savior would have us live and move in the world.

Rise Up: This song is a call for both God and our own community to rise up and defend the vulnerable.

For Those Tears I Died: This song expresses a feeling of dislocation, abandonment, and perhaps just deep pain, and puts it in conversation with Jesus' solidarity with those who suffer.

Mystery: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Mystery then: This song proclaims the story of the death, resurrection, and expected return of Christ, and offers this story to us as a cause for a transforming Hope in the midst of whatever affliction might befall 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

10-13-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Always There

This is a good prayer in my opinion:

Give us eyes to see,

    Ears to hear,

        & Hearts to receive.

Matthew 13:16 (and then my own add on (yeah, I’ve read Revelation 22:19))

It’s Monday afternoon and my turn to write the newsletter again.  I don’t know what to write about.  This is not uncommon, but I’m driven by goals and I’ve decided that having the newsletter done was a goal.  So I’m forcing it.  

I go to an emotional space.  Three hours of Gregorian Chant from a youtube channel and pictures of beautiful places from my personal photo album.  

This summer I took my son camping on Lake Superior.  My emotional repressed enneagram 3 self has just discovered that trip was a blast.  I look at the pictures beaming at my own initiative.  Roy will love this forever.  

Then I scroll forward. September.  The weekend I went home to pack up my childhood home and move my mom out.    I see a picture I took of the lake I grew up on in September.  I’m taken with its beauty.  I’m a good photographer and I am humble.  The sun is setting.  The sixty foot pines stand like a chorus line arms around each other lining the lake.  The sunset resting on their shoulders.  The lake is a mirror disrupted by the lily pads.  The highest thing in the sky, the sunset, symmetrically stands at my feet by the shoreline.  I make the picture my background on my computer.

I give myself a minute to enjoy it.  Then I spot the remnant of a bog that broke off and drifted across the lake.  It settled just to the right of my parents property line about 30 feet out from a point.  This now small island played host to the nesting efforts of the summer loons who were my mother’s sole companions when we weren’t there to fill her home up with chaos and grandkids.    

For as much as I love nature, I don’t care much for birds.  Even my chickens annoy me.  The loon is something to behold though.  Yes, it’s beautiful, but even more intoxicating than it’s form is the sound it makes.  Click here for an existential experience.  

For as many years as I can remember I loved being put to sleep by the sounds of the Mabel Lake.  It’s the spring peepers after the first thaw.  Eventually they concede the stage to the bullfrogs who croak in chorus. Sometimes the bass supplement with splashing noises as they nip at mayflies, but the first chair of nature’s chorus belongs to the loon.   Her cry haunts the lake with beauty.  

The loons have been our friends all the years that the Carney’s lived at N10445 Pine Shore Ln.  We celebrated their arrivals in the spring and eventually noted their departures in the fall.  We were disappointed the few summers in those 32 years when they didn’t make it back for one reason or another.  

My mom went back to pack up the last of her house by herself after moving out, a few last things.   The loons also departed at some point in that second week in September.  My mom said they flew over the house and cried their goodbye.  

“Goodbye loons of Mabel Lake … forever.  You filled our ears and hearts with so much beauty. Thank you.” That’s a good prayer too because Psalm 66:4 says that the loons praise God.

In the midst of my hypnotic reflecting filled with Gregorian chant, Mabel Lake pictures, I stared at the white wall in my office and used my stupefied voice to report to Taylor the story about the loons saying goodbye.  

She asked a question.   Do you think the loons said goodbye every year and your mom just notice it this year?

I will tell you two things I know.

In Exodus 3 Moses sees a bush burning.  There, at that burning bush, God initiates Moses ...  telling him to take off his sandals because he is on holy ground.   There’s a rabbinical tradition that says the bush was always burning and Moses was finally able to see it.

Likewise … there is a tradition that says that after the transfiguration, the difference was not Jesus, but rather the disciples who could finally see that Jesus was radiating glory.

Yes, Taylor, I think the loons are always said goodbye.  We finally heard them

I’ll tell you one last prayer …

God awaken us to your already present presence.  Amen.

Faith and Family Night

UBC is partnering with Baylor to support the first Faith and Family night for the women’s soccer team.  The game is at 7pm on October 20th.  We will be tailgating before the game starting at 6, just outside the baseball stadium.  Tickets are only $3!  There will be time for the kids to get on the field during halftime and participate in some games, and we will have a special time with the players afterwards hearing some of their testimonies, and UBC will gather around them to say a word prayer over them.  Make sure to put this on your calendar.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org or taylor@ubcwaco.org

South Waco Halloween Festival

We are helping our friends at the Community Center to throw the biggest Halloween party in Waco (last year we had over 5000 people).  The festival will be on Wednesday night, October 25th, from 6-8pm.  We would love for you to bring your family out to the event.  We also need a lot (I mean like 80 people a lot) of volunteers.  There will be a sign-up sheet the next two Sundays in the foyer.  Volunteers will need to arrive at 5:30pm, and will be done at 8pm.  Volunteers will receive a volunteer shirt to put over their costume for the festival.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Sunday School for Fall Break

Champions, due to fall break, 2 of our 3 Sunday School classes will be cancelled Sunday morning. The mental health in the bible class and the Old Testament classes will not be meeting this Sunday.  Cheers, the class where everyone knows your name and also the class studying the book of Acts WILL meet this Sunday as scheduled.  

In addition to our regular Sunday School Classes, our OAR Sunday School class focusing on the history and values of UBC, begins this Sunday.  This class will last three weeks. 

Town Hall

We will have a town hall this Sunday after church.  I'm going to be honest, at this point i'm waiting to get something back from our architect.  We talked last Thursday and he said they are working overtime to have stuff ready for this deadline.  So i'm not sure how long it will take, but regardless, we'll meet right after church.  

McLennan County Orphan Care #2

Our second meeting of this semester in which we are investigating how we can care for the orphan here in McLennan County, will take place on Wednesday October 18.  The potluck will start at 6:00 PM.  So bring a dish to share and ears to hear.  In this second meeting we will hear from Arrow Child and Family Ministries.  They will talk to us about foster care and adoption.  Child care will be provided.    

Drummer Auditions

UbcMusic is looking for a new drummer!  If you are interested in auditioning, email jamie@ubcwaco.org, or sign up in the lobby on Sunday.

Parents Night Out

UBC Kids is having a Parent's Night Out! From 6:30-9:30pm TONIGHT bring your kids to UBC for some supervised fun and games. Dinner is not provided. Please sign up this Sunday after church! There will be a sign up sheet by the front door, or you can email taylor@ubcwaco.org.

Auditions for a Christmas Production by InSite

UBC is hosting a Christmas production from InSite, a new arts organization presenting performing and visual arts around Waco. "The Second Shepherds Play" is a hilarious 500-year-old English nativity play, like the one Shakespeare would have grown up seeing. Performances are December 15 and 16, and UBCers are invited to audition! Visit www.insitewaco.com/2shep or write to luannpjennings@gmail.com for info. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Richardsons 

Coffee Makers:  Kim & Val 

Mug Cleaners:  Andrew Sabonis-Chafee

Money Counter: Doug M. 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Exodus 32, "What Moses Learned About God" 
• Mclennan County Orphan Care 2: Arrow Child and Family Ministries 10-18
• SWCC Halloween Festival 10-25
• Quarterly Leadership Team Meeting 10-29
• The Big Meeting: our annual meeting with Finance, HR and Lead Team, 11-1
• College Retreat, 11-3-15
• Finance Team Meeting 11-9
• McLennan County Orphan Care 3: CASA, 11-15

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-8-2017

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 Living God

to direct our attention
to the Creator and Sustainer of all that is

seeking to be formed into the way of Christ

to become people who love God
with our whole hearts, 
our whole souls,
our whole minds,
and all of our strength.

and who love our neighbors as ourselves

that we might live in the world
as bearers of the Kingdom of God

Amen.

 

 

Scripture

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20

When God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. 

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. 

When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.”

Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.”

Philippians 3:4b-14

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Setlist 10-8-2017

This was the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost.  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 an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Just A Closer Walk With Thee

Heart Won't Stop by John Mark and Sarah McMillan

Mystery by Jameson McGregor (adapted from Charlie Hall)

Inbreaking by Jameson McGregor

Wandering 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. 

Just A Closer Walk With Thee: As we seek to discern what it means to be the presence of Christ in our time and place during Ordinary Time, we sang this song to express a desire to be formed more fully in the way of Christ, while also acknowledging that our pursuit of this task will be flawed.

Heart Won't Stop: This song offers us the chance to confess the relentless love of God.

Mystery: This song proclaims the story of the death, resurrection, and expected return of Christ, and offers this story to us as a cause for a transforming Hope in the midst of whatever affliction might befall us.

Inbreaking: This song is a petition for the Living God to break into the brokenness of the world and carry out God's work of re-Creation in our midst.

Wandering: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Wandering then: We sang this song to confess our tendency to try to harness faith for our own means, and to give voice to the faithfulness of God despite this fact.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 10-6-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

The Commune

All who believed were together and had all things in common;  they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. - Acts 2:44-45

As far as the consumption of art goes, I'm an architecture person.  I love cathedrals, but majority of the good ones are not in America, so that is a hobby confined mostly to google images.  The consolation prize isn't bad, though - I love looking at houses.  But let me be more specific.  My Zillow app is set to houses that were built before 1945, have at least three bedrooms (though I prefer four), and start at at least one million dollars.  I love second empire roof lines, but my first love is colonial brick homes.

When I see these homes for sale on Zillow, I engage in a mental exercise in which I live in these homes.  I'm wearing a Victorian suit complete with top hat and coat tails.  I make my way in the men's parlor where I inquire about caviar.  I'm something out of a Jane Austen novel, except that I still drive my scooter.  

Admittedly, these mental exercises are self-indulgent and fiscally impossible.  I'm currently reading a Parker Palmer book about vulnerability in circles of trust.  Palmer doesn't intend to pick on money per se, but points out that wealthy people are often the most alienated and lonely.  To make the same point with the other side of the coin, C.S. Lewis, in his depiction of hell, points out that scarcity creates community; that’s why hell is spread so far apart.  

So I've made an adjustment to my dreams.  I’ve found a twenty-million dollar, four-hundred acre, farm/lodge on Lake Superior that is for sale.  Instead of imagining myself as Mr. Darcy on a Vespa, I imagine my family and friends as a commune on this glorious property, sharing life and eating pretentious, free-range, GMO- free, fair-trade-happy animals and vegetables.  In addition to this, we share our values.  My role on the commune will be director and physical education teacher who also coordinates the book club to keep people focused on our counter-culture vision.  Imagine something like Homestead Heritage, only you can go to church wherever you want, and I’m the only one wearing overalls.  

The truth is, I may be even further from the commune than I am from my Victorian mansion.  But I have a start.  My sister’s family lives right next door to us.  My mom is about to move in for a few months, and I have chickens.  

But something wonderful has also happened in the meantime.  The Winns moved in with us while their house is finishing being built.  Every day and night for the last few weeks there have been 9 beating hearts in our house, and I can tell you: IT. IS. AWESOME!  It’s like I get to have a friend over every day.  Adam, AKA dad Winn, and I think highly of each other.  We direct a steady stream of praise towards each other’s ability and existence, and we love a lot of the same things.  So it’s not uncommon for us to watch football together 3 days a week.  In addition to this, there now seems to be an abundance of everything ... ideas, friendships, resources, food.  Just last night, I finished off a bag of Brennan’s Puffy Cheetos.  

A mud mask party with Mary K consultant Kelly Tetens.  Just one example of lively commune activity. 

To add to the excitement of nine people living in the same house, our oven died and then propane ran out on our grill.  So we’ve ordered take out more nights than is healthy.  It’s like one big party all the time.  

Then there’s the other unspoken benefits like, “Hey, I have to run to the gas station, can you watch my kids for 10 minutes?” And the, “Hey, I’m running to the grocery mart, does anyone need anything?”s.  It really does seem to me that more people makes life easier.  

I have to confess to you that I was a little nervous about this arrangement before it started.  9 people in one house.  I realize the person-to-living- space ratio in America is more generous than much of the world, but still I wondered if we could do this.  So when the Winns told us they might bunk with us for a few weeks, I put my commune aspirations on trail in my head.  Could I really do this if need be?  

Molly provided a  festive cake celebrating three weeks of "CL" or commune life. 

And let me tell you, I’m ready to make the jump.  In the book of Acts, people did this kind of a thing, in part, because it was economically necessary.  But I also think there’s part of the Christian faith that can only be made sense of and lived into with the close proximity of people.  We need community.  

Parents Night Out

"UBC Kids is having a Parent's Night Out! From 6:30-9:30pm on Friday October 13 bring your kids to UBC for some supervised fun and games. Dinner is not provided. Please sign up this Sunday after church! There will be a sign up sheet by the front door, or you can email taylor@ubcwaco.org."

McLennan County Orphan Care #2

ur second meeting of this semester in which we are investigating how we can care for the orphan here in McLennan County, will take place on Wednesday October 18.  The potluck will start at 6:00 PM.  So bring a dish to share and ears to hear.  In this second meeting we will hear from Arrow Child and Family Ministries.  They will talk to us about foster care and adoption.  Child care will be provided.    

Finance Team Person

UBC is looking for a finance team member.  Our fearless fiscal warrior, Josh McCormick will be bringing his time of serving to a close.  Thanks Josh, for being a champion and sharing your money advice and knowledge.  You helped steer this ship into calmer waters.  As such we are in search of a new finance team person.  If you yourself would like to be considered or you would like to nominate someone, please email josh@ubcwaco.org.  I've included some information from the bylaws below: 

(A) Purpose.  The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church. 

b.    To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.

c.     To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.

d.    To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.

e.    To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.

f.      To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.

(C)  Qualifications.  Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.

(E)  Term.  Finance Team members shall serve for a duration lasting up to five years.  All efforts shall be made by the Finance Team to ensure that no more than two members in a given year rotate off of Finance Team due to duration requirements. While they are encouraged to remain the full five years, members may voluntarily remove themselves from their position at any time. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters 

Coffee Makers: Kaylin Campbell 

Mug Cleaners:  OOTP 

Money Counter: Hannah Kuhl 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: "Proliferated God" Philippians 3:4b-14
• Finance Team Meeting 10-9
• Parents Night Out 10-13
• Town Hall 10-15
• Mclennan County Orphan Care 2: Arrow Child and Family Ministries 10-18
• SWCC Halloween Festival 10-25
• Quarterly Leadership Team Meeting 10-29
• The Big Meeting: our annual meeting with Finance, HR and Lead Team, 11-1
• College Retreat, 11-3-15
• Finance Team Meeting 11-9
• McLennan County Orphan Care 3: CASA, 11-15

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 10-1-2017

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 Creator and Sustainer of all that is

to remember what God has done
and anticipate what God will do

seeking to locate ourselves within God’ story

to tune our eyes to see
the world the way God does

and seeking the Spirit to form us
more fully in the way of Christ

to be caught up in the humility,
empathy, and love of Jesus

Amen

Scripture

Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?”

But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.”

Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Matthew 21:23-32

When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?”

And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

 “What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

Setlist 10-1-2017

This was the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost.  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 an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs:

Wandering by Jameson McGregor

Up On A Mountain by The Welcome Wagon

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

Tune It Out 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. 

Wandering: We sang this song to confess our tendency to try to harness faith for our own means, and to give voice to the faithfulness of God despite this fact.

Up On A Mountain: This song contemplates the presence of Christ in suffering, and the continued presence of the Spirit among us.

Pulse: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Pulse then: This song is a confession of our tendency to be selective with our love for people, such that we withhold this love from people we deem to be "others." This confession includes a petition for the Spirit to awaken us to our interconnectivity with the rest of Creation and to relate to everyone we encounter as a creature who is worthy of love.

Tune It Out: This song is about the disconnect between thought and action that we each carry in our own ways, and raises the question of which of these things defines us (or whether they do at all).  

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 9-29-17

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

I was talking to some friends about Shark Tank the other night. (Probably not how you thought this was going to start, huh?) And everyone was talking about how they always feel really bad watching Shark Tank and seeing people’s dreams get shot down or ripped apart as all the investors either tell everyone that their products are stupid or they tell them they’re great but they’re going to take 100% of the company and 95% of all the profits. I didn’t realize Shark Tank was so depressing.

To be honest, I’ve really only ever seen one episode of Shark Tank – or really just one pitch from one episode that somehow ended up on my Facebook feed – so I don’t know much about it. The pitch I saw was from a guy named Johnny Georges selling something called Tree TPees. Ol’ Johnny was selling directly to farmers – and the pushback he ended up getting from the Sharks was that they wanted him to charge more for his product. They though there wasn’t enough product to go around. Johnny told them he’d never even considered raising the price of the product because he was just trying to do right by all of the farmers he was selling to. (Here’s the whole clip if you’re interested.) Johnny ended up getting a deal and giving an emotional speech about how his father inspired him to work hard and treat others well.

It seems that on a show that’s all about Machiavellian ambition and a determination to put yourself ahead of others at all costs I’ve somehow seen one of the only clips that involves a person of true humility.

The Lectionary text from the Epistles this week is Phillipians 2:1-13. Verses 1-4 say this:

“ If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.” Phillipians 2:1-4 The Message

 The word “if” here might be better translated as “since.” Since we have been encouraged by following Christ. Since Christ’s love has made a difference in our lives. Since being in a community of the Spirit has enhanced our lives. Since we have a heart. Since we care. We are called into humility - to be more like Johnny. To agree with each other. To love each other. To be deep-spirited friends who don’t push or manipulate, but who wait and listen. To think of others before we think of ourselves. To not always be thinking about how we can achieve our own goals or our own successes. To lend a helping hand.

Putting others first, in front of our own need and desires is really freaking hard. How have you been a deep-spirited friend this week? How have you put others needs before your own? How has that changed you? How has it changed our community? I’d love to know – because this is still a place where I’m trying to grow.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about this, feel free to email taylor@ubcwaco.org.

Finance Team Person

UBC is looking for a finance team member.  Our fearless fiscal warrior, Josh McCormick will be bringing his time of serving to a close.  Thanks Josh, for being a champion and sharing your money advice and knowledge.  You helped steer this ship into calmer waters.  As such we are in search of a new finance team person.  If you yourself would like to be considered or you would like to nominate someone, please email josh@ubcwaco.org.  I've included some information from the bylaws below: 

(A) Purpose.  The Finance Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To serve as the primary advisory group for the Leadership Team in all budgetary and financial aspects of the church. 

b.    To oversee, in coordination with the ministerial staff, yearly budgetary processes, working to create a financial ministry plan in alignment with the ethos, mission and values of UBC.

c.     To advise the staff and Leadership Team on any emergency financial matters that may arise with regards to the physical infrastructure of the church building, as well as those matters pertaining to compensation and benefits of personnel.

d.    To assess the current financial status of the church on a monthly basis and advise the staff and Leadership Team on matters concerning changes in planned ministry expenses.

e.    To advise the Human Resources/Staff Support team on all financial matters regarding new and existing personnel, including available resources concerning salaries, salary increases, insurance, taxes, etc.

f.      To advise the church body on all matters relating to stewardship, financial integrity, etc.

(C)  Qualifications.  Finance Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for at least a year, have received at least a bachelors degree level of education (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in business or finance,) and have at least a basic understanding of financial reports and budgets.

(E)  Term.  Finance Team members shall serve for a duration lasting up to five years.  All efforts shall be made by the Finance Team to ensure that no more than two members in a given year rotate off of Finance Team due to duration requirements. While they are encouraged to remain the full five years, members may voluntarily remove themselves from their position at any time. 

St. Francis Liturgy

On Wednesday, October 4th, we're having a brief liturgy centered around the life of St. Francis of Assisi (that's his feast day).  We'll gather in the Backside at 5:30.  The life and legacy of St. Francis form a lens that is well-calibrated for ubc to use in our worship and formation, and I hope you can make it.  One part of that liturgy will be a prayer of blessing over the animals in our lives. We are not going to have any animals in the building, but you can bring or email in a photo of an animal you cherish.  If you have any questions or want to send in an animal photo, contact Jamie at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Kid's Camp & Youth Camp Interest Meeting

This Sunday (10/1) there will be a joint Kid's Camp and Youth Camp Interest Meeting in the Backside directly after Church. If you are the parent of a child in 3rd-9th grade then come and get some more information and get answers for all of your camp related questions! See you this Sunday after church!

nUBC’ers Luncheon

If you are new to UBC in the last 6 months, we would love to have you stay for lunch after church on October 8th.  This was originally scheduled for after church this Sunday, the 24th, but we were forced change that.  We will tell you more about UBC’s history, how you can plug in, and there will be an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer after church, or you can email toph@ubcwaco.org

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters 

Coffee Makers: Kaylin Campbell 

Mug Cleaners:  OOTP 

Money Counter: Hannah Kuhl 

Announcements

• Sunday Sermon: Matthew 21:23-32: "By Who's Authority?" 
• Kid's Camp and Youth Camp Interest Meeting 10-1
• Finance Team Meeting 10-9
• Parents Night Out 10-13
• Town Hall 10-15
• Mclennan County Orphan Care 2: Arrow Child and Family Ministries 10-18
• SWCC Halloween Festival 10-25
• Quarterly Leadership Team Meeting 10-29
• The Big Meeting: our annual meeting with Finance, HR and Lead Team, 11-1

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- Emma Wood:  emmaj.wood@yahoo.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

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.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.

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Ross Van Dyke: Ross_Vandyke@baylor.edu

Jared Gould: jared.gould1@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Liturgy 9-24-2017

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 merciful, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love

the One who delivered
Israel from Egypt,
and walked with them
in the wilderness

seeking to be formed by God’s Story

into people of mercy and compassion

and to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit

to tend to the Kingdom of God
wherever we go

Amen

Scripture

Exodus 16:2-15

The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaining against the Lord. For what are we, that you complain against us?”

And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the Lord has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, ‘Draw near to the Lord, for he has heard your complaining.’“ And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, “I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’“

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.

When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.

And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.

Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’

But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Prayer

This week's prayer was from An Iona Prayer Book and is attributed to Sundar Singh (79).

O Lord God, I seek from thee no other gift but thyself
who are the giver of life and its blessings.
From thee I ask not for the world or its treasures,
but thee alone do I desire and long for.
The hunger and thirst of this heart of mine
can be satisfied only with thee who has given it birth.
Take away then from my heart all that is opposed to thee,
and enter and abide and rule for ever.

Amen.