ITLOTC 7-20-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

The Benediction and Cuba
by Taylor

            At the end of our time together every Sunday we all recite our Benediction together in unison. “As we approach this week may we love God, embrace beauty, and live life to the fullest.” I know those words – and you probably do to – by heart at this point. Our benediction is definitely one of the things that helped me to feel at home at UBC – that helped me begin to understand part of what was special about this place. After all – I had gone to church my whole life and never before had I heard anyone talk about embracing beauty, and certainly never had I heard someone say it in the context of loving God and living life to the fullest – as if finding beauty in the world might be as important of a discipline as loving God and living a full life in pursuit of Christ-likeness. Over the course of my time at UBC these words have formed me – hopefully they continually form all of us – and I think part of the reason why they are so formative is because they are truly at the heart of who and what UBC is. Or who we are attempting to be anyways. 

            This week the staff went to Cuba in preparation for our upcoming missions partnership with FIBAC (the Fraternity of Baptist Churches in Cuba). And in Cuba, in the churches and the conversations we had with ministers and church leaders from FIBAC I experienced churches and people who are kindred spirits with who we are striving to be. I expected a lot of things in Cuba – I expected a beautiful country and an excellent experience, I expected to meet people who loved God and who were pursuing Christ, I expected friendly people and good food – but I did not expect to find such a match for who we are. (Toph had told us that FIBAC was a good match for us – but some things have to be experienced.)

            FIBAC was formed with several things in mind – but there were a few that really stood out to me. 1) Affirming women in ministry. Affirming women in ministry is not just an idea in FIBAC – about half of their churches are either pastored or co-pastored by women. That is an insane statistic. By comparison there are some around 4/5 senior pastors in all of the Baptist Churches in Texas. Talk about encouraging people to live life to the fullest. FIBAC is encouraging their women who are called to ministry and then educating them and hiring them full time senior pastor positions. It was a beautiful thing to see as an aspiring senior pastor – and as someone who is passionate about women in ministry.

            2) Contextual Liturgy. About 95% of the liturgy that FIBAC uses is written in Cuba by and for Cubans, The reality is that for a long time missions was tied to colonialism in a way that makes me extremely uncomfortable. When missionaries would go places they did not just convert people spiritually – but also culturally. They often made people change their physical appearance and their cultural beliefs instead of looking for ways that God might be experienced in new ways in that culture. But the reality is that we are all acting in our own given context – and we can’t ignore that. Jamie is so careful to plan liturgy that makes sense and is formative for who we are and where we are – both geographically and in time. And Josh does the same thing when he writes sermons. FIBAC is committed to contextual liturgy because it is the best and most responsible way to form their people – and we are committed to the same thing.

            3) Social Justice. Every day at breakfast our guide and translator, Rubén, would sing a prayer for us. Roughly translated the prayer goes, “God, Thank you for this bread, we pray for those who don’t have bread today – that they would receive bread, and we pray for those who have bread – that they would receive in their heart the desire to provide bread for those who have known.” Cuba is a place where people care for each other. Where people make space at the table for their neighbors. Where they share their last piece of bread with their friend – because even if they both have less at least they both have some - and they both have a friend.

            In these ways, and in many many more, I think that we have so much to learn from our brothers and sisters in FIBAC. I, personally, can’t wait to go back, and I can’t wait for so many more of you to go. And experience a place and people living in a context that is so different from ours – but embodying so much of what we believe – by loving God, embracing beauty, and living life to the fullest in deep and meaningful ways.

As always if you want to talk about any of this, feel free to email me at taylor@ubcwaco.org.

SWCC Movie Day #3 - July 23

Join us on on Monday, July 23rd, at 1pm for our second movie day with the South Waco Community Center.  We are hosting the day camp kids from the community center, and we would love for you to join us for the movie.  The youth will help serve snacks and drinks, and we need a few volunteers to help clean up after the movie.  There will be sign-up sheet in the lobby for the those who would like to volunteer to help.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

 

Waco Dives - Tuesday at noon

We are headed to Tesla'sthis Tuesday at noon.  Join us for some good o food and fellowship.  Tesla's is located at 1316 Washington Ave, Waco, TX 76701.

Parishioner of the Week

You!! Thanks for reading the Newsletter!

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Looking for a Finance Team Member

We'd like to express our gratitude for the service of Anna Tilson.  Anna and her husband Adam have not heard from the Lord and are leaving us for Knoxville, TN.  As such we will be looking to replace the irreplaceable Anna on our finance team.  Anna you are champion for the Lord.  Thanks for leaving it on the field.

If you are interested in serving on the finance team, please read the information below from our bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(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.

(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.

Looking for a HR Team Member

The fearless Rob Engblom is hanging up the jersey after 3 seasons with our HR squad.  Rob was an 2 HR all american and first team star wars epic dual champion.  During Rob's tenure nobody quit out of frustration and no one was sued.  Dynamite effort Rob, we are grateful for your service to UBC. 

If you are interested in servicing on the HR team please read the information below that is taken from the UBC bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(A)Purpose.  The Human Resources/Staff Support Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To establish procedures for the hiring of ministerial and non-ministerial staff, and to enact those procedures when advised by Leadership Team to do so.

b.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on issues regarding long-term staff needs. 

c.     To create and implement staff review procedures.

d.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on matters regarding staff compensation, benefits, grievances and termination.

e.    To be a liaison between the congregation and staff during times of conflict after all attempts at personal, one-on-one resolution has been made.  

(C)Qualifications.  HR/Staff Support Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for no less than one year, have received a bachelor’s degree (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in personnel management, ministry, or other related field,) and have a demonstrable understanding of organizational management.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers: Nances

Mug Cleaners: Nelsons

Money Counter:  JD Newman 

Welcome Station:    

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Special Guest Preacher Dilan Braddock 
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day
• 7-15 Town Hall  
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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

Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy Nance <Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com>

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@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@gmail.com 

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

ITLOTC 7-13-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

Attention Collection (by jamie)

David Dark recently introduced me to the phrase “attention collection.”  In essence, this phrase is self-descriptive: it refers to the body of ideas, media, etc., that have left a meaningful mark on oneself over the years.  We intuitively dip into and share from our attention collection every time we excitedly tell a friend about something we’ve read or seen, and in sharing this, we share something of ourselves.  

So I want to share a few recent additions to my attention collection: 

1. Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious by David Dark

I started my year by finally turning my attention toward David Dark.  I’ve known about his popular The Sacredness of Questioning Everything for many years, but never actually picked it up.  I decided to start my reading year with that, and it was great.  A few months later, Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious released, and I devoured it pretty quickly.  It feels cheap to summarize, as it was a joy to read, but I will say that it articulates and expounds upon much of what ubc claims to believe about the relationship between faith and culture, and you should read it.  We do, however, live in a time where publishers make trailers for books (what a time to be alive), and I think this one is decent:

Looking hard at our weird religious background (Dark maintains we all have one) can bring the actual content of our everyday existence-the good, the bad and the glaringly inconsistent-to fuller consciousness. By doing so, we can more practically envision an undivided life and reclaim the idea of being "religious."

2. May It Last (the Avett Brothers Documentary)

When this documentary released in theaters, Byron Griffin (who plays guitar at ubc) asked the ubc band if we wanted to go see it with him, and no one responded to his text.  We were foolish.  When I eventually sat down to watch it, I found that this documentary is excellent. Months later, I still I think about the scene where they are recording “No Hard Feelings” at least twice a week.  I think you need to watch the whole documentary to feel the strength of this moment (and especially the scene directly after), but it’s worth watching this clip anyway:

3. God of the Oppressed by James Cone

This book was challenging to read for so many reasons, not the least of which is its revealing of a host of blind spots in my own theological upbringing.  Cone’s vantage point is one to which I have literally no experiential access, and encountering his witness has reframed/is reframing my theological word. There's no one excerpt that I think captures the most important parts of this work (there are too many), but I return to this one often:

There is no place we can stand that will remove us from the limitations of history and thus enable us to tell the whole truth without the risk of ideological distortion.  As long as we live and have our being in time and space, absolute truth is impossible.  But this concession is not an affirmation of unrestricted relativity.  We can and must say something about the world that is not reducible to our own subjectivity.  That trans-subjective “something” is expressed in story, indeed is embodied in story.

Story is the history of individuals coming together in the struggle to shape life according to commonly held values.  The Jewish story is found in the Hebrew Bible and the Rabbinic traditions.  The early Christian story is told in the Old and New Testaments, with the emphasis on the latter as the fulfillment of the former.  The white American story is found in the history of European settlements struggling against dark forests and savage people to found a new nation.  The Black American story is recorded in the songs, tales, and narratives of African slaves and their descendants, as they attempted to survive with dignity in a land inimical to their existence.  Every people has a story to tell, something to say to themselves, their children, and to the world about how they think and live, as they determine and affirm their reason for being.  The story both expresses and participates in the miracle of moving from nothing to something, from nonbeing to being.

When people ask me, “How do you know that what you say is true?” my reply is: “Ultimately, I don’t know and neither does anybody else.”  We are creatures of history, not divine beings.  I cannot claim infinite knowledge.  What I can do is to bear witness to my story, to tell it and live it, as the story grips my life and pulls me out of nothingness into being.  However, I am not imprisoned within my story.  Indeed, when I understand truth as story, I am more likely to be open to other people’s truth stories.  As I listen to other stories, I am invited to move out of the subjectivity of my own story into another realm of thinking and acting.  The same is true for others when I tell my story.

It is only when stories are abstracted from a concrete situation and codified into Law or dogma that their life-blood is taken away and thus a people begins to think that its ways of thinking and living are the only real possibilities.  When people can no longer listen to other people’s stories, they become enclosed within their own social context, treating their distorted visions of reality as the whole truth.  And then they feel that they must destroy other stories, which bear witness that life can be lived in another way.  White people’s decimation of red people and enslavement of black people in North America are examples of attempts to deprive people of their stories, in order to establish the white story as the only truth in history.  That was why slaves were not permitted to communicate in their African languages and why red people were placed on reservations.  White people were saying that black and red stories were lies and superstitions that have no place in a “civilized” country.  From some perspectives, the white story of black enslavement may be a “valid” story, but from the perspective of the victims it is a tale of terror and bloodshed.  From the biblical view it is an epic of rebellion, the usurpation of God’s rule.  In other words, it is ideology.

Story can serve as a check against ideological thinking, especially from the biblical perspective.  If theologians wish to retain the dialectic of story as a crucial ingredient of the gospel message, then their language about that message must speak less of philosophical principles and more of concrete events in the lives of the people.  We must assume that the biblical story has its own integrity and truth independent of our subjective states.  We are not free to read just anything into the biblical story.  Whatever may be someone’s view about the Scripture from another faith standpoint, anyone who reads the Bible sympathetically can hardly overlook its central focal point: the proclamation that God in Christ has come to redeem humankind.  From this assumption, we must move through human history, Christian and non-Christian, asking what is the relation of God’s story in Christ to human stories, especially to our own.  By assuming that the biblical story exists independently of our stories and that it lays a claim upon us in our contemporary existence, we are forced to move out of our subjectivity and to hear the Word that we do not possess.  And if we accept the One to whom the Bible points, then we know that the validity of our stories in the world is dependent upon God’s affirmation of us as God’s own possession.  God’s story becomes our story through the faith made possible by the grace of God’s presence with us. (93-95)

As a bonus, here's a video interview with Cone about his work in general that hits on some the important themes in the book:

As always if you want to talk about any of this, feel free to email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org

Waco Dives - Tuesday at noon

Join us this week at Kim's diner on Waco Drive.  Kim's is a classic Waco spot, and a true dive.  See you there at noon.

Jump Jump Jump

Join us at Urban Air Trampoline Park on Saturday at 4pm.  Tickets will be $5.  If you have any questions, email Toph.

Parishioner of the Week

Marcell Steurnagel for being appointed the Director of the Master of Sacred Music program at SMU's Perkins School of Theology.

CASA Volunteers Needed

If you are interested in helping children in the foster care system, consider becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA volunteer).  You will be trained to represent the best interest of a foster child in court.  Alongside the child’s attorney and social worker, you will ensure that the child is protected during a critical turning point in their life.  Visit www.casaforeverychild.org to learn more.

Cuba Trip Medicines

The pastoral staff are taking a quick trip to Cuba next week, and we have been asked to bring some medicines.  If you would like to donate, please bring any of the following on Sunday.  They must be new, and unopened.

- Ibuprofen

- Acetaminophen

- Excedrin Migrane

- Peptobismol

- Diphenydramine

- Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen for children

- Band-Aids 

- Analgesic ointments

- Simethicone for baby

- Triple antibiotic

- Vitamins for adults

- Vitamins C

- Vitamins for children

- Omega 3

- Hydrocortisone

- Meclizine

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Looking for a Finance Team Member

We'd like to express our gratitude for the service of Anna Tilson.  Anna and her husband Adam have not heard from the Lord and are leaving us for Knoxville, TN.  As such we will be looking to replace the irreplaceable Anna on our finance team.  Anna you are champion for the Lord.  Thanks for leaving it on the field.

If you are interested in serving on the finance team, please read the information below from our bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(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.

(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.

Looking for a HR Team Member

The fearless Rob Engblom is hanging up the jersey after 3 seasons with our HR squad.  Rob was an 2 HR all american and first team star wars epic dual champion.  During Rob's tenure nobody quit out of frustration and no one was sued.  Dynamite effort Rob, we are grateful for your service to UBC. 

If you are interested in servicing on the HR team please read the information below that is taken from the UBC bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(A)Purpose.  The Human Resources/Staff Support Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To establish procedures for the hiring of ministerial and non-ministerial staff, and to enact those procedures when advised by Leadership Team to do so.

b.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on issues regarding long-term staff needs. 

c.     To create and implement staff review procedures.

d.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on matters regarding staff compensation, benefits, grievances and termination.

e.    To be a liaison between the congregation and staff during times of conflict after all attempts at personal, one-on-one resolution has been made.  

(C)Qualifications.  HR/Staff Support Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for no less than one year, have received a bachelor’s degree (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in personnel management, ministry, or other related field,) and have a demonstrable understanding of organizational management.  

Town Hall

There will be a town hall after church on Sunday July 15.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: richardsons

Coffee Makers: Pereiras 

Mug Cleaners: Wards 

Money Counter:  Tilson 

Welcome Station:   carillons 

Announcements

• Sermon Text: 
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day
• 7-15 Town Hall  
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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

Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy Nance <Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com>

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@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@gmail.com 

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 7-8-2018

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

to worship the One whose power
is made perfect in weakness

to enter into God’s story

and reimagine our own stories

in the Light of the Spirit of Truth

that we might be formed more fully
in the way of Christ.

Amen.

Scripture

Ezekiel 2:1-5

The Lord said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you. And when the Lord spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard the Lord speaking to me.

The Lord said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.

The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows.

And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat.

On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations.

Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Mark 6:1-13

Jesus came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded.

They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?”

And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.

He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Setlist 7-8-2018

Yesterday was the seventh 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:

SMS [Shine] by David Crowder* Band

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

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

Eternal Father by Jameson McGregor

How Great Thou Art

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. 

SMS [Shine]: This song offered us language to cultivate an openness to the hope of Christ.

Wild One: We sang this song to proclaim God's being greater than our greatest ideas about who God is.

There's A Wideness in God's Mercy: This song helped us express the breadth of God's mercy, beyond our greatest hopes.  

Eternal Father: This song is about the prodigal love of God for God's creatures.

How Great Thou Art: We sang this song to celebrate what God has done in time and space in the hope of training our minds to notice God's continued presence 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 6-29-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

If you are on social media these days, then you've seen the Top 10 List game going around.  The game is this: post a picture a day of your Top 10 favorite (music, movies, etc...) without comment or explanation.  I thought we would join in on the fun, and below you will find: Top 10 "Cheesy Christian" things I knew by heart as a pastor's kid.  This is in no particular order. - Toph

Special Guest Preacher Tim Lee

Please be in prayer for and welcome our special guest preacher Tim Lee.  Tim and his wife Adrienne and son Titus have been worshiping with us for the past three years.  Tim recently graduated from Truett Seminary with his Master of Divinity.  The Lees will be moving back to Malaysia in the fall and so I wanted to give Tim the opportunity to give us a word.  

Waco Dives - Kitok's -  Thursday at noon

We are heading to Kitok's this Thursday at noon.  Kitok's is located at 1815 N 18th Street.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

SWCC Movie Day #2 - July 9

Join us on on Monday, July 9th, at 1pm for our second movie day with the South Waco Community Center.  We are hosting the day camp kids from the community center, and we would love for you to join us for the movie.  The youth will help serve snacks and drinks, and we need a few volunteers to help clean up after the movie.  There will be sign-up sheet in the lobby for the those who would like to volunteer to help.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

Parishioner of the Week

This week's parishioners of the week are Hannah and Dilan.  Hannah and Dilan are the brave souls taking our youth to youth camp this weekend, and we all know how crazy camp can be.  Please be prayer for them, and the youth group as they are at camp.

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Looking for a Finance Team Member

We'd like to express our gratitude for the service of Anna Tilson.  Anna and her husband Adam have not heard from the Lord and are leaving us for Knoxville, TN.  As such we will be looking to replace the irreplaceable Anna on our finance team.  Anna you are champion for the Lord.  Thanks for leaving it on the field.

If you are interested in serving on the finance team, please read the information below from our bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(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.

(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.

Looking for a HR Team Member

The fearless Rob Engblom is hanging up the jersey after 3 seasons with our HR squad.  Rob was an 2 HR all american and first team star wars epic dual champion.  During Rob's tenure nobody quit out of frustration and no one was sued.  Dynamite effort Rob, we are grateful for your service to UBC. 

If you are interested in servicing on the HR team please read the information below that is taken from the UBC bylaws.  Interested persons should email josh@ubcwaco.org.  A new member will be selected in the July quarterly leadership team meeting. 

(A)Purpose.  The Human Resources/Staff Support Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To establish procedures for the hiring of ministerial and non-ministerial staff, and to enact those procedures when advised by Leadership Team to do so.

b.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on issues regarding long-term staff needs. 

c.     To create and implement staff review procedures.

d.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on matters regarding staff compensation, benefits, grievances and termination.

e.    To be a liaison between the congregation and staff during times of conflict after all attempts at personal, one-on-one resolution has been made.  

(C)Qualifications.  HR/Staff Support Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for no less than one year, have received a bachelor’s degree (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in personnel management, ministry, or other related field,) and have a demonstrable understanding of organizational management.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters 

Coffee Makers: Whitlarks 

Mug Cleaners: Wards 

Money Counter:  Justin Pond 

Welcome Station:   

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Special Guest Preacher Time Lee
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day
• 7-15 Town Hall  
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 7-9, 7-23

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

Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy Nance <Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com>

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@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@gmail.com 

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

ITLOTC 6-22-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

A Word On the Absence of the Main Article

Friends.  As you might have now observed there is no full length main article here as is typically the case.  Here is how that unfolded.  On Monday I decided to write some of my thoughts on the current boarder crises.  Because that issue is fraught among our larger culture, I sent my writing to the leadership team to give them a chance to give me feedback.  As the week progressed I decided that instead I wanted to address the topic in my sermon on Sunday.  Verbal communication presents an opportunity that written word does not, and I think I'd like to take advantage of that.  

So thank you for being gracious and I hope to see you seen.  

best, josh

Waco Dives - Thursday at noon

This week we will be meeting at Guess BBQ.  You can find Guess @ 324 S 6th St, Waco, TX.

Volunteers Needed @ Brook Avenue

Our friend Wade is working at Brook Ave. this summer and needs some help.  He sent me the following email: 

Hey Josh and Toph,

I know summer is usually pretty cleared out of the people who volunteer for UBC, but I wanted to check if there might some people around who could volunteer for Brook Avenue's new summer program. We need volunteers during the lunch hour, and to help me build a couple basketball goals/tables. Anybody around who you think might be able to help? Thanks!

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Parishioner of the Week

The Burns triplets, Carlson girls, Wilhite kids and Eli for volunteering at the SWCC movie day which was a wild success.  

Meet Our New Pastoral Associate

Name: Zach Williams 

Why are you in Waco: Truett Seminary

Best Restaurant in Waco: Mexican: El Conquistador Anything else: Georges 

Book, Chapter, Bible verse that has been meaningful to you: Psalm 42 (not sure if you want a reason if so here it is: This Psalm has been the text i go back to when ever I feel like I can't connect to God) 

Film you like: LOTR/Star Wars(all of them)/ Brave Heart  I cant choose 

Tv Show you like: How I met your mother/Parks and Rec./ West Wing. I cant choose

Something we wouldnt know about you?: Currently #63572 on the GB Packers season ticket wait list. So catch me at Lambeau Field in 60ish years GO PACK. 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks are scheduled, but they just had a baby!  Yeah! 

Coffee Makers:  Nances

Mug Cleaners: Titterington

Money Counter:  Hannah Kuhl 

Welcome Station:   Palmer

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Romans 13:1-10; 2 Samuel 21:1-14
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day
• 7-15 Town Hall  
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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

Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy Nance <Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com>

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@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@gmail.com 

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 6-17-2018

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 in whom we live
and move and have our being

the Father of all creation,
who cares for the suffering and lowly of the world

seeking to be formed more fully in the way of Christ

the One in whom the Father’s love was embodied,
who displayed for us how we might love one another

and to be shaped by the Spirit of God

to be formed in the way of Christ,
and to embody the love of the Father
in our living and moving in this time and place

Amen.

Scripture

Ezekiel 17:22-24

Thus says the Lord God:
I myself will take a sprig
from the lofty top of a cedar;
I will set it out.

I will break off a tender one
from the topmost of its young twigs;
I myself will plant it
on a high and lofty mountain.

On the mountain height of Israel
I will plant it,
in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
and become a noble cedar.

Under it every kind of bird will live;
in the shade of its branches will nest
winged creatures of every kind.

All the trees of the field shall know
that I am the Lord.

I bring low the high tree,
I make high the low tree;
I dry up the green tree
and make the dry tree flourish.
I the Lord have spoken;
I will accomplish it.

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

Prayer

Our Father's Day Prayer was adapted from a prayer on a blog called Ordinary Time, which I believe was adapted from a Father's Day mediation that was written by Kirk Loadman-Copeland:

Holy God, whom we call Father, we give you thanks for the people who have been fathers to us, and we pray for all sorts and conditions of fathers.

For fathers who have striven to balance the demands
of work, marriage, and children.

For fathers who, lacking a good model, have worked to become a good father.

For fathers who by their own account were not always there for their children, but who continue to offer those children, now grown, their love and support.

For fathers who have been wounded by the neglect and hostility of their children.

For fathers who, despite divorce, have remained in their children's lives.

For fathers who, as stepfathers,
freely chose the obligation of fatherhood
and earned their stepchildren's love and respect.

For fathers who have lost a child to death,
and continue to hold the child in their heart.

For those who are about to become fathers for the first time.

For those men who have no children, but offer fatherhood to whomever might need it.

For those men who have "fathered" us in their role as mentors and guides.

And for those fathers who have died, but live on in our memory and in the communion of your Saints, whose love continues to nurture us.

For all of these, we give you thanks.

In the midst of the complexity of emotions that surround days like this, we ask that you would hold our joy and pain together and use us to care for one another.

All this we ask of You who are both father and mother to us all, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Setlist 6-17-2018

Yesterday was the fourth Sunday after Pentecost, as well as Father's Day.  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:

Your Love Is Strong by Jon Foreman

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Rise Up by BiFrost Arts

Inbreaking by Jameson McGregor

Be Thou My Vision

Doxology

How They Fit In:

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

Your Love Is Strong: We sang this song to begin our time by proclaiming God as our Father whose love is the strength that binds us together in life.

Death In His Grave: This song allows us to rehearse the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, the embodied expression of God's love for us.

Rise Up: We sang this song as a way of grasp for words to ask God to come to the defense of the families and children who are being separated by our government at the border.

Inbreaking: This song is a plea for God to enter into the brokenness of our time and place and set about redeeming it.

Be Thou My Vision: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  Here's what we said about Be Thou My Vision then: This song is a plea for God to be our vision, wisdom, security, and hope in the whole of our lives.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 6-15-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

The thing i keep getting emailed about (by jamie)

On Trinity Sunday a few weeks ago, I read an excerpt from N.T. Wright about the Trinity.  I’ve done this for the past few years, slightly re-editing the selection each time.  I’ve continued to edit it because the meaningful content from that section of For All God’s Worth is essentially an entire chapter, which I would never expect a room full of people to be able to focus on as I bumbled through the whole thing.  I posted this year’s version of that reading on the liturgy blog a few days after Trinity Sunday (side note: every Monday, I post a setlist blog with all the songs we sang, and every Wednesday, I post a liturgy blog with every word that was read, prayed, etc. in the service), but I wanted to use this week’s newsletter as an opportunity to offer a more complete look into what Wright is saying.  So I’m linking to some scans from the book, and if you just want to grab one thing to consider,  I’m including a brief excerpt here that goes beyond what I shared a few weeks ago.

So, you can find the pdf here.

And here’s an excerpt:

You see, the doctrine of the Trinity, properly understood, is as much way of saying ‘we don’t know’ as a way of saying ‘we do know’.  To say that the true God is Three and One is to recognize that if there is a God then of course we shouldn’t expect him to fit neatly into our little categories.  If he did, he wouldn’t be a God at all, merely a god, a god we might perhaps have wanted.  The Trinity is not something that the clever theologian comes up with as a result of hours spent in the theological laboratory, after which he or she can return to announce that they’ve got God worked out now, the analysis is complete, and here is God neatly laid out on a slab.  The only time they laid God out on a slab he rose again three days afterwards.  On the contrary:  the doctrine of the Trinity is, if you like, a signpost pointing ahead into the dark, saying: ‘Trust me; follow me; my love will keep you safe.’  Or, perhaps better, the doctrine of the Trinity is a signpost pointing into a light which gets brighter and brighter until we are dazzled and blinded, but which says: ‘Come, and I will make you children of light.’ The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the rightness, the propriety, of speaking intelligently about the true god, while at the same time affirming intelligently that the true God must always transcend our grasp of him, even our most intelligent grasp of him  As St Paul says, what matters isn’t so much our knowledge of God as God’s knowledge of us; not, as it were, the god we want but the God who wants us.  God help us, we don’t understand ourselves; how can we expect to understand that Self which stands beside our selves like Niagara beside a trickling tap?

All of this leaves me with two questions.  First, do we then need to say anything at all?  Isn’t it enough just to acknowledge that the whole thing is extremely mysterious and puzzling and leave it at that?  Mightn’t we just as well say that god is five and one, or fifteen and one, as that God is Three and One?  Second, and most important, what difference does it make in what we please to call ‘the real world’?

These two questions are in fact intimately linked.  We can make ‘intelligent’ missiles that can make war on one particular building hundred of miles away, but we don’t have an equivalent one that can make peace.  Might that be because we have worshipped the gods of war, but have forgotten about worshipping the prince of peace?  We can put a few men on the moon, but the free men who were standing between the Tutsis and the Hutus in Rwanda in 1994 had to be withdrawn for lack of funds and political will.  Might that be because we have worshipped the gods of technology, the gods who boost our own national security—the gods we have wanted, in other words—and have forgotten the god who asked Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’

You see, what you believe about God makes a difference to the way you respond to this god, and at the same time to the way you are in the world.  Let’s look at the options.  For most people in the Western world today, the word ‘god’ refers to a distant, remote being.  We can’t and don’t know very much about this being.  He may or may not have made the world, though if we say he did we have an uncomfortable feeling that the scientists are going to challenge us (despite people like John Polkinghorne in Cambridge, one of the finest scientists of our generation and also a leading Christian theologian).  This god may or may not intervene from time to time in the world, though he usually doesn’t.  He has, in fact, left us to muddle through as best we can; which usually means looking after our own interests, carving up the world, and perhaps each other, in our own way.  The cat’s asleep upstairs, and the mice—and perhaps the rats—are organizing the world downstairs.

That’s why this remote ‘god’ is the god that the Western world decided it wanted in the eighteenth century: a god to be cooly acknowledged for an hour or so on Sunday mornings, and ignored for the other hundred and sixty-seven hours in the week.  No wonder, when they did a survey not long ago, the great majority of people in the United Kingdom said they believed in ‘god’, but only a small minority regularly go to church.  If that’s what you believe about ‘god’—and it’s what a lot of our society still does believe, including (alas) some within the church—then any sense of worship or religious celebration because a vague ritual, a meaningless noise, which merely makes us feel a bit better about ourselves.  Is it any wonder that the rats are eating the dead after yet another massacre, and the dove is still locked up in the ark? Can such a god really be God?

As always, if you want to talk more about this, feel free to email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Waco Dives - Thursday at noon

Please join us this Thursday for some big time fellowship in the Lord at Taqueria El Mexicano Grille #9.  TEMG can be found @ 1420 N. Valley Mills Drive, Waco, TX76710. 

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Parishioner of the Week

Meet Our New Pastoral Associate

As the year winds down (academically) the shift of changes are in the air.  That means the year of faithful service for One Val (Kilmer) Fisk and Dilan Braddock has come to an end.  We are grateful for their leadership and their champion efforts.  In light of the changes I'd like to introduce you to one of our new pastoral associates. 

Emmy Edwards

why are you in Waco: I'm pursuing my master's degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs at Baylor

best restaurant in Waco: cannot decide between Lula Jane's and World Cup Cafe

book, chapter, or bible verse that has been meaningful to you: East of Eden by John Steinbeck, New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton, John 4, and Isaiah 58

film you like: Rain Man

tv show you like: THE OFFICE

something we’d never know about you: I totally messed up my family's audition for Family Feud

Summer Movie Day with South Waco Community Center

This summer we are showing three movies at UBC, and inviting the summer day camp folks from the SWCC.  We would love for you to join us to watch the movie, as we are also inviting the families of the kids to join as well if they can.  The first movie day is coming up on Monday, June 18th at 1pm.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the lobby for a few people to help out after movie is over with cleaning and resetting the sanctuary.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.

Work is Worship

Greeters: Richardsons 

Coffee Makers: Shanks 

Mug Cleaners: Nelson 

Money Counter:  Tilson

Welcome Station:  Carlson 

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Mark 4:26-34; Ezekiel 17:22-24
• 6/10-25 Thailand Mission Team in Thailand 
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day 
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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

Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Adam Winn:  adamwinn68@yahoo.com

Bridget Heins: bheins@hot.rr.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy Nance <Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com>

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@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@gmail.com 

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 6-10-2018

Yesterday was the third 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

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

Be Thou My Vision

Anthem by Leonard Cohen

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go by ubcmusic (arranged)

Doxology

How They Fit In:

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

Wandering: We sang this song to celebrate God's faithfulness to us in the midst of our inevitable falling short of being the presence of Christ in our time and place during Ordinary Time.

There's A Wideness In God's Mercy: This song proclaims that God's mercy is beyond even our most generous definitions of mercy, and offers us a new way to conceive of the way God views us, and challenges us to rethink the way we think of other people.

Be Thou My Vision: This song is a plea for God to be our vision, wisdom, security, and hope in the whole of our lives.

Anthem: This song proclaims that Light finds its way into brokenness, and offers us hope to hold onto in the midst of darkness.

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go: We sang this song to celebrate and cling to the transforming love of God.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 6-8-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

Everyone quarter or so I get a Patagonia catalog in the mail. I almost feel bad having them send it to me because I never order anything. The paper catalog--which requires the death of a tree along with the fossil fuels burned in transportation so that I can get the catalog--feels counter to the company’s environmental mission. But I do wander over to the Bear Mountain about once a year to buy a new pair of shorts, so there’s that.

I digress. When I get my catalog I do the same thing every time. I stare at the pictures and convince myself I’m going to get into the kind of shape that is required to participate in the activities that Patagonia’s environmentally awesome clothes aid one in. So I make a small plan. I will only consume alcohol on weekends. Ice cream only on Tuesday nights. But the big one always lurks in the background. Without fail, every healthy person I know does not drink soda. I trust that you can deduce how this reality threatens my existence. God loves Mountain Dew and me and most of all, me drinking Mountain Dew. So I shelve the Patagonia catalog and drink merrily.  

Recently I decided to give this a more serious try. When my mom was living with us this last winter she suggested I try tea as an alternative. So one night a few weeks ago, after playing some mad hoops with my brother-in-law, who was doubling as my chauffeur, we stopped at Chick-fil-A. Being the embodiment of self-control that I am, I decided to order unsweet tea while he munched on a chicken sandwich and fries. To my surprise, I enjoyed the tea. So the next day I got one at lunch. For about three weeks I drank soda intermittently, some days not at all, all the while chugging unsweet tea. Meanwhile, I worked on motivating myself. In my head, when I wasn’t reaching the top of Mt. McKinley, I was posing for the cover of People magazine and doing interviews for Men’s Fitness magazine. What a I success story I had become.  

***

I have been preaching for almost 11 years now. At the beginning of year 10 something changed. Preaching become more effortless than it has ever been. In my first year of the job, I spent 10 hours reading commentaries, articles, and other items before writing my first word. Lately the whole process seems to take 5 hours, sometimes less. But then something crazy happened. A few weeks ago, it was like I ran into a brick wall. I couldn’t muster a creative or rhetorical thought from my whole body. It felt like I had never done this job before. Worse still, I began developing extreme bouts of anxiety. Having looked at the text on Monday, by that night I was convinced I had absolutely nothing to say and that by Sunday I would a laughingstock, having preached the worst sermon in the history of UBC. The anxiety was unusual for me, but the intensity of it was absurd. I would roll around restless for hours in bed at night. The pressure in my chest would widen. I had a constant fear living somewhere in my chest cavity.  

I pride myself on being able to control my emotions, or rather on not having them at all. So I would converse with my objective self.

“Why are you worried?”

“Because my sermon is going to be bad.”

“People will love you even if the sermon is bad.”

“No they won’t. I’m going to fail.”

“You’ll be fine. You have resources and people to help.”

“It’s all over. I need to turn in the jersey.”  

That kind of stuff. I knew something was up because this all seemed irrational to me. So I started naming my anxiety and telling a few people, among others, my wife. She helped me process, asked what had changed. The only thing I could identify was the tea. So I did some digging. Turns out that 12 ounces has roughly 2.5 the amount of caffeine that is in Mountain Dew. I would drink 3-4 glasses of tea in some settings. Now, I’m not a doctor, but I had wondered if the increase in caffeine coupled with a few natural small anxieties I was having was converging to create a storm in my physiological equilibrium.

***

Let me reiterate, I’m not a doctor. But since I’ve stopped drinking tea, my anxiety seems to have lessened. My theory about my anxiety could be wrong. But assuming I’m right, let me now make two observations: (1) In this scenario, let the record show that Mountain Dew turned out to be the healthier choice. (2) If I’m right, I look back on my anxiety and my sleepless nights--my panic--and I realize how fragile I am. How fragile my physiological makeup is. Something as simple as switching lunch beverages sent my body-heart-mind into chaos.  

A few years ago after some unimaginable act of violence that happened here in the US, Anne Lamott took to Facebook to say this: “Life has always been this scary here, and we have always been as vulnerable as kittens. Plagues and Visigoths, snakes and schizophrenia; Cain is still killing Abel and nature means that everyone dies. I hate this. It's too horrible for words. When my son was seven and found out that he and I would not die at the exact same second, he said, crying, ‘If I had known this, I wouldn't have agreed to be born.’ Don't you feel like that sometimes?”

Sometimes life can feel that way. We come up close to finitude through fragility and stare it in the face. We then realize we don’t have control.  I for one think, “Well that sucks.” But then I’m forced to reevaluate, and in my inventory I find my need for faith again. For now, I’ll take this gift.   

Waco Dives - Thursday at noon

Please join us this Thursday for some big time fellowship in the Lord at Double R burgers.  Double R can be found @ 1810 Herring Ave, Waco, TX 76708

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Parishioner of the Week

Will Knight for running the video and sound at the church picnic this last Sunday. 

Summer Movie Day with South Waco Community Center

This summer we are showing three movies at UBC, and inviting the summer day camp folks from the SWCC.  We would love for you to join us to watch the movie, as we are also inviting the families of the kids to join as well if they can.  The first movie day is coming up on Monday, June 18th at 1pm.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the lobby for a few people to help out after movie is over with cleaning and resetting the sanctuary.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ricky and Rose 

Coffee Makers: Dustin

Mug Cleaners: Latendresse 

Money Counter:  McNamee

Welcome Station: Broadduses 

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Mark 3 "water than blood" 
• 6/10-25 Thailand Mission Team in Thailand 
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day 
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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

ITLOTC 6-1-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Youth Choir and Faithfulness
by Taylor

One extremely important part of my childhood faith development was participating in youth choir as a middle and high schooler. The church that I grew up attending had an extremely rich music program – and part of that was a high-school youth choir that had been around since my mom had participated in it in the 70’s. It was called Choraleers. And growing up I truly thought that being a choraleer was the COOLEST thing. And then, as most things go, when I got a chance to participate as a high-schooler it just became part of my normal, weekly schedule. I didn’t think of it as particularly cool or exciting – it was just something I did every week.

But looking back, it’s interesting to me, that so many of the things that are just part of my normal day-to-day life are the things that form me the most. Choraleers became more than just going to church every Sunday evening and singing with my friends or going on trips wearing matching T-shirts. Not in spite of but because of the fact that it was a normal part of my life it taught me so much about faithfulness – about being a part of a community that supports one another, about showing up even when you aren’t sure you want to, and about being committed to something even when the emotional high wears off. 

To this day I will still sometimes find that I have a song stuck in my head and when I stop to think about what song it is it’s some song we sang in Choraleers. That happened to me this week when I read Psalm 139 which is one of the Psalms in the Lectionary texts for the week. Psalm 139 says this:

O LORD, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.

You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.

How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!

I try to count them -- they are more than the sand; I come to the end -- I am still with you. 

- Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

(If you’re wondering the song that popped into my head is this one. I have many memories of singing it in various place.)

And so, as I read through Psalm 139 this week I thought about how I have known these words for years and years – and how they have served various functions in my life. They were learned by rote as lyrics to a song, they’ve served as a balm on days when I doubted my own worth or value, and somedays they serve as a challenge to me when my faith is small. But today they are a comfort – in a different way than they ever could have been a comfort to my teenage self. V.6 and V.18 in particular are a comfort to me now – in a season where God seems bigger than I can comprehend it is helpful to be reminded that that is a comforting thing. That a God bigger than my imagination is a God bigger than me, a God who understands more than I do, a God whose plan is infinitely better than mine.

This would not have been a comforting thought to me as a 17 year old, when I liked my world (and my god) to be small and understandable. But part of being faithful, I have learned, means understanding that things will change, that I will change, that the things I am comforted by will change, and even that I what I think about God might change. But God does not. When I come to my own end – I am still with God. It’s a lesson I started learning in youth choir, one that I’m still learning today. And I’d imagine that I’ll still be learning it for years to come. And I am thankful that God will be with me all the way. I hope that thought is a comfort to you today as well.

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

After Church Picnic 

We live in Texas, and it has decided to be unreasonably hot already, so we are changing our plans.  This Sunday after church, we are going to picnic indoors.  Bring your food to church, or go grab it and come back afterwards.  UBC will be providing drinks, as well as serving up Steel City Pops for dessert.  This is a great time to connect with other UBC’ers, and see who is going to be around for summer.  We will also have some yard games going on, as well as summer classic movie playing in the background.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org.  See you all on Sunday.

UBC T-Shirts

If you recently purchased a UBC shirt, we have them in the office.  Make sure to check with a staff member before you grab yours, so we can check it off the list.  If you have any questions, talk Toph.

Waco Dives - Thursday at noon

Hey friends it's that time of the year when we start up our weekly lunch at local dive.  This week we will be eating at The Catch.  The Catch can be found @ 1230 N Valley Mills Dr #700, Waco, TX 76710.  

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Parishioner of the Week

Haleigh Culverhouse for winning the award for best social student in the universe at Baylor.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Walters 

Coffee Makers: Pereira

Mug Cleaners: Latendresse

Money Counter:  Justin Pond 

Welcome Station: Erin & Dustin 

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Mark 2-3 "permission to be human" 
• 6/10-25 Thailand Mission Team in Thailand 
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day 
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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 5-27-2018

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

the One in whom we live and move and have our being

we have gathered to devote our attention
to the Word who became flesh

the One who has entered into our condition,
shared in our suffering,
and shown us what love is

we have gathered to embrace the Spirit of God

the One who dwells among us as Advocate and Comforter,
and is making all things new

hoping to be formed in the way of Christ

that we might be the Body of Christ in the world.

amen.

Scripture

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

John 3:1-17

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.”

Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Trinity Sunday Reading

This is a reading arranged from For All God's Worth by N.T. Wright:

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

At the more sophisticated level, the god I want will be a god who lives up to my intellectual expectations: a god of whom I can approve rationally, judiciously, after due consideration and weighing up of theological probabilities.  I want this god because he, or it, will underwrite my intellectual arrogance.  He will boost my sense of being a refined modern thinker.  The net result is that I become god; and this god I’ve made becomes my puppet.  

Nobody falls down on their face before the god they wanted.  Nobody trembles at the word of a home-made god.  Nobody goes out with fire in their belly to heal the sick to clothe the naked, to teach the ignorant, to feed the hungry, because of the god they wanted.  They are more likely to stay at home with their feet up.

But on one particular day in the year we celebrate the God whom we didn’t want—how could we ever have dreamed of it?—but who, amazingly, wanted us.  In the church’s year, Trinity Sunday is the day when we stand back from the extraordinary sequence of events that we’ve been celebrating for the previous five months—Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost—and when we rub the sleep from our eyes and discover what the word ‘god’ might actually mean.  

These events function as a sequence of well-aimed hammer-blows which knock at the clay jars of the gods we want, the gods who reinforce our own pride or prejudice, until they fall away and reveal instead a very different god, a dangerous god, a subversive god, a god who comes to us like a blind beggar with wounds in his hands, a god who comes to us in wind and fire, in bread and wine, in flesh and blood: a god who says to us, ‘You did not choose me; I chose you.’

You see, the doctrine of the Trinity, properly understood, is as much a way of saying ‘we don’t know’ as of saying ‘we do know.’  To say that the true God is Three and One is to recognize that if there is a God then of course we shouldn’t expect him to fit neatly into our little categories. The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the rightness, the propriety, of speaking intelligently about the true God, while at the same time affirming intelligently that the true God must always transcend our grasp of him, even our most intelligent grasp of him.

When St. John the Divine found himself looking into the open door of heaven, he didn’t see the god he might have wanted; he saw all creation worshipping the awesome and majestic creator God; and, when he looked closer, he saw a Lamb that had been killed and was now alive forevermore.  The doctrine of the Trinity declares the mystery which is above all else what this broken world needs to hear: that the true God is not detached from the evil of this world, but has come to share it and bear it in his own body.

Prayer

Living God, you have gifted us with breath in a particular time and a particular place.  

As we navigate the varied paths of our lives, we ask that you would form us more fully in the way of Christ—that you would make of us the body of Christ—because in Christ we have found hope and care. 

We ask that you would make us mirrors of that hope and care, that you would teach us to bear one another’s burdens as he did; to stand with-and-alongside when we would rather offer advice, prayers, and platitudes from a safe distance.

And in our bearing of one another’s burdens, we ask that your Spirit would be our Advocate and Comforter—that when our words fail to express the burdens we share, the Spirit would offer truth, and when our minds are full of noise, that the Spirit would whisper peace.  

And indeed, we ask that you would form us in the Spirit, making of us advocates and comforters, that we might bear your light in our time and place until Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

Setlist 5-27-2018

Yesterday was the first Sunday after Pentecost, also known as Trinity Sunday.  Our songs were gathered with this in mind.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics.  Below the songs, you can find 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:

Holy, Holy, Holy

Come Thou Fount

All Creatures of Our God and King

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

Doxology

How They Fit In:

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

Holy, Holy, Holy: We sang this song to begin Trinity Sunday by speaking of the Triune God who evades our mental categories and whose grandeur is beyond what our language can describe.

Come Thou Fount: As Trinity Sunday allows us to speak of God and God's relationship to us cumulatively, this song offers us language to speak of who God has been in order to look ahead to who we might expect God to be for us.

All Creatures of Our God and King: This song orients our worship alongside all of creation, recognizing that the Triune God is working toward the re-Creation of all things.

Wild One: This song speak of God's evading our grasp and always being greater than we can comprehend.

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 about the Breath of Life in all of creation, and petitions the Spirit to reawaken our hearts to our interconnectivity to all creatures, that we might be moved toward loving as God does.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 5-25-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Pentecost

One time I fasted for forty days.  

I don’t think I did it the right way, spiritually or otherwise. I was a second-semester seminary student and I had just learned that my dad had cancer. I did pray for my dad, but not necessarily any more than I otherwise would have, but I felt like I was letting God know that I was serious. Another interesting detail about my life at this point was that I was struggling to find work. So that semester I worked as a substitute teacher.  

Without a lunch to eat, often in alienating environments where I didn’t know anyone, I had to find something to do with my lunches and prep periods. There was the option to do seminary homework, but I’m not good at doing quality work in short periods of time. It takes me 45 minutes of Facebook, ESPN articles, and emails to get the ball rolling. So I made a habit of bringing books with me. That semester I remember reading Chaz Dickens’ David Copperfield. I got it as a Christmas gift--never something I would have picked for myself--and so felt the compulsion/obligation to read it. It was as labor intensive as one might imagine Dickens to be. The marathon of the book reading seemed to mimic the nature of my spiritual commitment. My own hunger seemed to share in David’s pain at times (I get the limitations of my analogy as a person in the richest country of the world who at any time could have chosen to feed himself). This is what I remember most about both endeavors: the gift was at the end. I love David Copperfield not because of the story, but because of the scope. When Ham dies, there’s a real sense of loss because you feel like you knew Ham. In the end I found myself grateful for my lonely lunches in teacher lounges all over the Waco ISD.  

I’ve had another Dickensian novel dropped in my lap recently. A friend gave me Donna Tartt’s 2014 Pulitzer Prize-winning The Goldfinch. I was daunted not just by the size and the weight, but also, when I finally opened the book after my friend left, by discovering it is one of those books with razor-thin pages. I had guessed I was looking at four to five hundred Harry Potter-kind of pages. You know the ones. They’re almost like cardstock. Tartt’s book turned out to have 771 pages of flash paper. Still, my obligation mechanism committed me. So I’ve made my Tartt reading a kind of spiritual discipline. I read 10 pages a day. If that lands me without a natural break or in the middle of something interesting, I can cheat and read more.  

The Goldfinch is not worth describing. Not because the book isn’t good, but because its goodness can’t be described in a church newsletter. It’s not worth either of our efforts, but let me briefly make this narratival point.  Tartt admits her Dickens influence in an article I read, and so it should not surprise us that not long after the story begins, the main character (Theo) becomes an orphan . . . twice. His orphan status takes him from New York, his home, to a slimy life in Vegas with his absent father who dies, orphaning him for that second time. During the Vegas scenes I was bored--worn out by Theo’s meaninglesness and drinking habits. But something happened to me as a reader. I’ve been taken with Theo’s story. More than that, I’ve been taken with Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning writing. Her attention to details and to worlds I don’t know and behaviors that are unfamiliar to me is astounding.  

The discipline of reading Tartt’s book reminds me something about Christian faith. To enjoy the very best of it, to understand what you aren’t currently enduring, you have to hang around until the end. Discipleship requires patience. The monotony of habit often opens doors into the soul that we wouldn't otherwise have the patience to find.  

We have officially entered the time of Pentecost on the church calendar.  It's a period of time that lasts from now until Christ the King Sunday which will come our way in the middle of November.  Pentecost or the season after Pentecost is more commonly referred to as ordinary time.  This time, ordinary time, is the time we spend practicing the story of the Jesus that began during Advent and reached a kind of conclusion with Jesus sending us His Spirit.  

We are now to be in the practice of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, etc.  We do the hard mundane work of tending to our own spirituality and the spirituality of our community.  Ordinary is the longest chunk of time on the church calendar.  It can feel like reading a large book working on a large project.  It takes time, commitment and a commitment to repetition.  But it's in these committed repetitions that our faithfulness is forged.  

UBC T-Shirts

If you recently purchased a UBC shirt, we have them in the office.  Make sure to check with a staff member before you grab yours, so we can check it off the list.  If you have any questions, talk Toph.

Waco Dives - Thursday at noon

Hey friends it's that time of the year when we start up our weekly lunch at local dive.  This week we will be eating at Guess Family BBQ.  We hope you can make it.  Guess BBQ is located @ 324 S 6th St, Waco, TX 76701. 

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Parishioner of the Week

Toph for using a shovel to move a dead animal off of our property before worship this past Sunday.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers: Fountains  

Mug Cleaners: 

Money Counter:  Hannah Kuhl 

Welcome Station: Carlsons

Announcements

• Sermon Text: 
• 6/10-25 Thailand Mission Team in Thailand 
• 6-3 Summer Grill After Church/Picnic Party
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day 
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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 5-20-2018

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

Call to Worship

Creator God, who hovers above the waters of our lives

speak meaning into our chaos
and weave our stories into Yours

Holy Fire, who burns yet does not consume

form us in to the way of Christ
and set your love in our hearts

Breath of Life, who dwells among us

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

amen

Scripture

Psalm 104:25-35, 37

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number,
creatures both small and great.
There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan,
which you have made for the sport of it.

All of them look to you
to give them their food in due season.
You give it to them; they gather it;
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
You hide your face, and they are terrified;
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.

You send forth your Spirit, and they are created;
and so you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
may the Lord rejoice in all the Lord’s works.
The Lord looks at the earth and it trembles;
touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will praise my God while I have my being.
May these words of mine please the Lord;
I will rejoice in the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Hallelujah!

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

Jesus said to his disciples, ”When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Acts 2:1-22

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

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power."

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

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning.

No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

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

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,
in those days I will pour out my Spirit;
and they shall prophesy.
And I will show portents in the heaven above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.
Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

Prayer

This week's prayer was from The Iona Community Worship Book (73-74):

Spirit of truth and judgement,
who alone can cast out
the powers that grip our world
at the point of crisis,
Give us your discernment,
That we may accurately name what is evil,
And know the way that leads to peace,
Through Jesus Christ,

Spirit of integrity,
You drive us into the desert
To search out our truth.
Give us clarity to know what is right,
That we may abandon the false innocence
Of failing to choose at all,
But may follow the purposes of Jesus Christ

God of history,
You share our joys and crushing sorrows,
You hear the cries of the afflicted,
You fill the hungry,
And you set free the oppressed.
We pray for the end to all injustice.
Inspire us with the all-embracing love of God,
Challenge us with the sacrificial love of Jesus,
Empower us with the transforming love of the Spirit,
That we and all God's people may live and be free!

Amen.

Setlist 5-20-2018

Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday.  Our songs were gathered with this in mind.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics.  Below the songs, you can find 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:

Bonfire by Jameson McGregor

Fall Afresh  by Jeremy Riddle

Pulse by Jameson McGregor

Waking Life by Jameson McGregor

Hope 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. 

Bonfire: This song is about the contrast between God and humanity and the contrast between the already and the not yet of the Kingdom.  We sang this song to acknowledge what God has done and to look ahead to the re-Creation of all things.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song to petition the Spirit of God to reawaken us to the presence of God among us and to draw us into what God is doing in our world.

Pulse: This song is about the Breath of Life in all of creation, and petitions the Spirit to reawaken our hearts to our interconnectivity to all creatures, that we might be moved toward loving as God does.

Waking Life: This song is about the Spirit crashing into the stories we tell ourselves about the world and our place in it, offering us a different way to live and move and have our being.

Hope: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Hope then: This song looks at the mini-Resurrections that God has spread across creation in order to look ahead to the re-Creation of all things.

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

-JM

ITLOTC 5-18-18

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Easter

Approaching Pentecost (by Jamie)

This Sunday is Pentecost, the day we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit to the newly Jesus-less followers of Jesus.  It’s a story that greets us as we occupy a similar space to that of the disciples—we too are group of people trying to wrap our heads around what it means to be the people of God in our time and place.  And it’s fitting that the liturgical calendar brings us back to this place of searching year after year, as our time and place reinvent themselves constantly.

As I was reading through the lectionary texts earlier this week [Side note: you can find the texts each week at this accessible, though ugly, site: lectionarypage.net], something hit me differently than it had in the past: in the reading from John 15, Jesus more or less says that it’s better to have the Spirit come than for Jesus to stick around.  I think this was strange to me because, if given the choice between actually occupying the same physical space as Jesus, and living like we currently do, I would typically pick the former. 

The confusion this reading offered me has been a great companion this week.  

Because it showed me that I think of the presence of the Spirit as less than the presence of Jesus.

And I’ve never really thought about why.

And typically it’s when you realize you don’t know something that are able to look for it—the awareness of unknowing becomes eyes to see.

If I were to reach for a guess as to what Jesus might be getting at in saying that it’s better for the Spirit to be with us, I could answer that fairly simply as saying that it is through the power of the Spirit that we are formed in the way of Christ, thus simply having Jesus to ask about stuff would not be enough to form a person in the way of Christ (see: the disciples, literally always).  

And, if you think about it, there are plenty of teachings of Jesus that we have access to and actively ignore, soften, or dodge because they make us so uncomfortable.  

We tend to be “Who is my neighbor?” people (often quite literally so).

And this is probably why Jesus covers some of his most important ground poetically, through parable and metaphor. When it comes to teaching about the Kingdom life that Jesus has come to proclaim, he scatters that seed in the imagination, where whatabouts and work-arounds have a looser grip.

But I think when I tell myself that I would rather have Jesus around in a body than just have the Spirit, I'm not mostly concerned with being able to hear Jesus teach and ask Jesus questions.  

If I’m honest, I want Jesus to lift up the lowly, care for the afflicted, confuse and afflict the power structures that claim religiosity—you know, his usual Jesus stuff.  The problem with that is twofold: 1) there’s more work to be done than Jesus in a body can (or at least chose to) accomplish (he says as much, at least), and 2) even if he could do that alone, that story seems to only ever end in death, which gets us back to where we started.

So I’m getting the impression that Jesus is expecting that the Spirit of Life, poured out liberally across the earth, will somehow make something of us, a people who are well-versed in finding ways to sidestep what Jesus is clearly asking of us and the way we relate to other people; something that somehow outshines the life and work of Jesus, and presumably happens in that behind-the-scenes realm of imagination Jesus so often appealed to in parables.

And that impression has left me wondering what it means for me as an individual who is well aware of the ways I am unlike Christ, often in real time, that Jesus thinks this. 

What does he know that I don’t?  What bearing does the Spirit of God have on my life? Are there obvious ways to live as Christ to other people that I ignore? Am I even open to being formed in the way of Christ?  

These are the questions forming my entry into Pentecost and Ordinary Time this year.  I would offer the one in the middle—are there obvious ways to live as Christ to other people that I ignore?—as one that is probably good for everyone to ask from time to time, so you can do that if you want to.  

And if it happens that you don’t know how to answer that question, take up your unknowing as eyes to see and go looking.

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

Random Image To Generate Clickbait Traffic

Parishioner of the Week

Haleigh Culverhouse for winning the undergraduate social worker champion of the universe award.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Richardsons

Coffee Makers: Dustin 

Mug Cleaners: Josh Sharp 

Money Counter:  Doug McNamee

Welcome Station: Tom & Kareem 

Announcements

• Sermon Text: Acts 2:1-21 
• 6/10-25 Thailand Mission Team in Thailand 
• 6-3 Summer Grill After Church/Picnic Party
• 7-14 Trampoline Park Fun Day 
• 8-5 Cameron Park Picnic 
• SWCC Movie Days @ UBC: 6-18, 7-9, 7-23

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 5-13-2018

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

Mother's Day Intro

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To those who placed children up for adoption – we join you in holding that child in your heart.

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

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

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship the Creator

the One Who gave birth
to all of creation, and has numbered
every hair on our heads

to be formed by the Wisdom of God,

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

through the power of the Spirit,

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

amen.

Scripture

Psalm 1

Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on the Lord’s law they meditate day and night.

They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.

In all that they do, they prosper.
The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

John 17:6-19

You have entrusted Me with these men who have come out of this corrupt world order. I have told them about Your nature and declared Your name to them, and they have held on to Your words and understood that these words, like everything else You have given Me, come from You.

It is true that these men You gave Me have received the words that come from You and not only understood them but also believed that You sent Me. I am now making an appeal to You on their behalf.

This request is not for the entire world; it is for those whom You have given to Me because they are Yours. Yours and Mine, Mine and Yours, for all that are Mine are Yours. Through them I have been glorified.

I will no longer be physically present in this world, but they will remain in this world. As I return to be with You, holy Father, remain with them through Your name, the name You have given Me. May they be one even as We are one.

While I was physically present with them, I protected them through Your name. I watched over them closely; and only one was lost, the one the Scriptures said was the son of destruction. Now I am returning to You. I am speaking this prayer here in the created cosmos alongside friends and foes so that in hearing it they might be consumed with joy.

I have given them Your word; and the world has despised them because they are not products of the world, in the same way that I am not a product of the corrupt world order. Do not take them out of this world; protect them from the evil one.

Like Me, they are not products of the corrupt world order. Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks. In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them. It is entirely for their benefit that I have set Myself apart so that they may be set apart by truth.

Prayer

God, who is both Father and Mother to us all, we thank you for the gift of another day of life, and for the ability to share this gift in community.  

We thank you for every good gift that you’ve given us, and today we are thankful for the gift of every kind of mother in our midst, and every kind of mother that you have given us in our own lives. 

We ask that every joy we associate with our experiences with motherhood would teach us about the way you love us.  

And we ask that every pain we associate with our experiences with motherhood would not overwhelm us, but that we might bear it together, and You with us.

Amen

Setlist 5-13-2018

This past Sunday was both Mother's Day and the seventh Sunday of Eastertide.  Our songs were gathered with this convergence 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

Hope by Jameson McGregor

There by Jameson McGregor

Mother by Jameson McGregor

Future/Past 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. 

How Great Thou Art: This song offered us language to begin our time together by proclaiming the grandeur of God through observing what God has made and what God has done in the world.

Hope: This song looks at the mini-Resurrections that God has spread across creation in order to look ahead to the re-Creation of all things.

There: This song is a proclamation of God's being set apart from every source of anxiety, and offers us an Anchor to still ourselves in the turmoil of the world at the moment.

Mother: This song was born out of a desire to enter into the tradition found threaded through Deuteronomy, Hosea, Isaiah, and Jesus, of using maternal metaphors to speak of God.  Put differently, it uses the lens of motherhood as a way to speak of the way that God cares for and loves us.

Future/Past: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Future/Past then: We sang this song to celebrate the self-giving love that God invites us into.

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

-JM