ITLOTC 8-5-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

A Podcast Rec (by jamie)

Greetings.  

If you’ve been around Ubc for a bit, you may recall a Sunday School class called “Attention Collection.”  Your attention collection is the cloud of influence that you have accumulated throughout your life, made up of that which has formed you into the person you are today.  The class was a sort of intensive show and tell where participants would bring a piece of art, a song, a memento, etc. and talk about how that thing had formed them over time.  It was great, and we may or may not be doing a zoom version this semester, so stay tuned.  

We got the idea for that class from David Dark, who has a chapter of the same name in his Life’s Too Short To Pretend You’re Not Religious.  David Dark is a person I admire, and one who well-embodies many of the values that Ubc has carried throughout our life (check out The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, if you’d like to see that on display).  He was recently a guest on Dustin Kensrue’s podcast (he’s the frontman for a band called Thrice), and I think finding an hour here and there to listen to that would be worth your time. 

You can find it here:

Apple

Spotify

Additionally, I don’t really know what you come to the newsletter hoping for, but if you don’t want to listen to that podcast, perhaps you will appreciate an activity that David Dark mentions near the end: take a piece of paper (or I suppose you could just imagine one), and write at the top “I used to think..." then finish the sentence..or list...or paragraph...or full-on essay.  Note: sometimes the things we used to think might be a source of shame, so I’d say up front be prepared to offer yourself some compassion—one way or another, we don’t know what we don’t know until we know it.  And perhaps in cultivating compassion for ourselves, we might also offer that compassion to people who now think something we used to.

-jamie

Backside Date Change (Now 8/6)

Backside will now be on Thursday, August 8th, at 7pm to let the building breathe a bit after the Covid Testing. As a result, you can still submit something for inclusion in the event until Monday, 8/3. Email jamie@ubcwaco.org for details

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

UBC Drive-In Movie

Alright friends, nothing says summer like the movies, and we also want to see everyone. What’s a safe way to social distance and be in the same space; stay in your car! We will be hosting our first drive-in movie on Friday night August 7th. There will be more details in the near future, but put it on your calendar.

Parishioner of the Week

Hogan Nance for his continued and relentless service in the family resource pantry.

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 8-02-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

August 2, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on August 2nd (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Come Alive

draw us in to the dance older than time and space
that constellations made, in the bend and the shake
cycle back from the end, full reverse pirouette
like choreography, infinite, infinite
but if the music stops
play it again, but pick up where we left off
that brilliant harmony with 13.8 billion parts

until we come alive, come Alive

draw us in to the dance ‘til every piece finds its fit
and every step is improvised and carried out in perfect time
like the shape of breathing is the shape of all, spinning into one
as the empty tomb cloud is spreading out, spreading out
but if the music stops
play it again, but pick up where we left off
that brilliant harmony with 13.8 billion parts

until we come alive, come Alive

we’ve not become what we will be
but the rhythm of our feet is growing
though we’re fraying at the seams,
your gravity is holding
keep on holding

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Living God

the One who upholds all those who fall,
who lifts up those who are bowed down

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

finding rest in the Spirit of God

and finding our hearts and minds
formed more fully
in the way of Christ

Amen

Rise Up

for the lowly and forgotten
for the weary and distressed
for the refugee and orphan
and for all who are oppressed
for the stranger who is pleading
while insulted and despised
will you rise, will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord
when you avenge the poor
may your kingdom come
o rise up

hear how rachel, she is weeping
how she will not be consoled
and the children in our keeping
are their bodies bought and sold
and the watchman, he is sleeping
but do you see them with your eyes?
and will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord
when you avenge the poor
o rise up

as your will is done in heaven
may it now be done below
may our daily bread be given
may your kingdom come and grow
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us, we cry
will you rise? will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord
when you avenge the poor
and bear your holy arm
to keep them safe from harm
may your kingdom come
o rise up

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading is Genesis 32:23-31:

The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading, and Josh’s sermon text, is Matthew 14:13-21:

Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”

Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Crown Him with Many Crowns

crown him with many crowns, the lamb upon his throne
hark how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own
awake my soul and sing of him who died for thee
and hail him as thy matchless king through all eternity

crown him the son of god before the worlds began
and ye who tread where he hath trod, crown him the son of man
whom every grief hath known that wrings the human breast
and takes and bears them for his own that all in him may rest

that all in him may rest

crown him the lord of peace whose pow’r a scepter sways
from pole the pole that wars may cease and all be prayer and praise
his reign shall know no end and round his pierced feet
fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance ever-sweet

crown him the lord of love, behold his hands and side
those wounds yet visible above in beauty glorified
crown him with many crowns as yours before him fall
crown him, ye kings and queens with crowns for he is king of all

for he is king of all

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 7-28-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

The Theological Nature of Friendship

In the past year I had some of the largest shifts in life in terms of friendship.  I’m finally feeling those changes.  My nature is future oriented.  This means truth, or deep truth - the kind that changes me - I can only access retrospectively.  My retrospective experience with friendship has taught me how valuable it is.  

I’ll tell you something, I suspect you’ve all gleaned from me if I haven’t said it explicitly.  Waco is not my favorite place in the world.  It’s a place I have been immensely blessed in.  It is the place where the most significant formation has happened in my life, but if I were given a magic wand to perfect my life, the geographic location of my joy and transformation would not unfold in Waco, TX.  I like Waco.  It’s my favorite city in TX, but I don’t love the topography or the weather.  What I love about Waco is UBC, my job, and most of all, the people.  Waco has the best people.  The kind of people you want to have meaningful friendships with.  I’ve collected a small amount of anecdotal data over the years.  Stories of folks who moved back to Waco from amazing places after leaving because, they tell me, of the people.   I have a theory on why this is.  What is unique about Waco is Baylor.  Baylor is, according to my definition, the largest evangelical university in the world.  There are other universities that are larger.  There are other universities that are more evangelical, but as you move those two variables across the graph with x and y axises of largeness and evangelicalness they intersect at Baylor.  What this means is that you have the largest gathering of committed, thoughtful christians with what I call a confessional worldview.  Again you could find larger pockets of a particular kind of evangelicalism at other universities, but as a whole, when you gather all the subgenres of evangelical you get Baylor.  The good news is that no matter what flavor evangelical or post-evangelical you are, you’re likely to find a tribe, and a significant one at that.  It’s a statistical reality.  

This is why I think Waco has the best people.  And that’s not to say that I think you need to be Christian to be a great person or even a good friend, but one thing that worldviews do for us is develop us into a kind of person.  I find that often those persons have a faith commitment of some kind.  And a lot of those persons, whatever they believe, are in Waco.  I think the other reality is that it is probable that there are just as many great people in many other cities in America, but those cities are massive and so finding each other is much more difficult.  And in some cases, even if you can find them, the geographic spread of those large cities makes meaningful connection on a consistent basis difficult.  So again, Waco is a rich environment for good friendships.  

A few weeks ago I shared extensively about some data from a podcast that I found meaningful.  It was Dax Sheppherd’s podcast Armchair Expert in which he interviewed scientific journalist Lydia Denworth about her new book Friendship.  Denworth acknowledges historical, philosophical, and cultural value that’s been placed on friendship, but explores the health benefits of friendship.  I won’t reiterate all of those here, but a study of 139 studies found that friendship did more for long term health, than quitting smoking, eating healthy and exercise.  Isn’t that crazy.  Friendship is so important.  

On my vacation I’ve been reading Stanley Hauerwas’s The Work of Theology.  In his book I’ve been reminded that friendship isn’t just scientifically, philosophically, or even culturally valuable, it is also theologically so.  In an essay on learning to think theologically Hauerwas summarizes Eugene Garver.  Here I’ll quote him: 

According to Garver, friendship is crucial for the flourishing of practical wisdom.  Yet it is friendship, Garver argues, that the modern state has abandoned in its quest to secure order and stability.  Friendship has been abandoned in avor of trying to make justice the primary political virtue.  Yet it is only through political friendship that “practical reason can aim at truth while staying committed to public argument because ethical arguments can be more powerful and more rational than arguments from reason alone.” 

I had a birthday last week.  I turned 39.  Then on the next day, July 24th, Lindsay and I celebrated our 16th anniversary.  I always find myself reflecting at the end of July.  More so than any other time of the year.  I was wading through all of the texts, messages and social media well wishes.  They meant a great deal to me and seem to do so more every year.  I imagine every person taking the time to write their small messages and an immense gratitude swells in me.  These serve - in many different forms, some of them from people who are barely acquaintances - as small acts of grace and kindness.  They help to restore my soul.  Friendship can do that to us.  We are made for it.  

I’m wondering about you.  I was wondering if you have a good friend or friends?  You need them.  They can extend your life.  I think if you answer no, this should be the year you seek to change that.  You should make it a higher priority than work or even hobbies.  

If you google what kind of friendships are important, you’ll get a smorgasbord of different answers.  I’m going to compile my own list to get you started.  These are the 5 friends you should seek: 

1. A mentor:  Someone who you admire that you would give permission to speak into your life.  Someone who’s done what you want to do, not vocationally, but in becoming the kind of person you want to become.  

2. A mentee: Return the favor.  Seek out someone you’d love to invest in.  If they give you permission to be that person for them, pass along the good stuff you’ve learned.  Also, they’ll likely be younger than you and because of their vantage point have things to teach you as well. 

3. A friend to be vulnerable with: often this is a spouse if you have one, but it should also be someone out side of your marriage.  It’s a friend that you could tell anything to and completely trust. 

4. A friend to have fun with: this friend is your good- times-friend.  The friend you can bank on hanging with for a night filled with laughter and carefree activities. 

5. A friend to take you on adventures: this friend is one the who introduces you to what is lacking in your life.  Could be perspectives.  Could be a new restaurant.  Could be going to see a movie you’d never otherwise pick.  This friend is your source into worlds that you don’t naturally go.  

Good luck with your friend hunting.  

Backside Date Change (Now 8/6)

Backside will now be on Thursday, August 8th, at 7pm to let the building breathe a bit after the Covid Testing. As a result, you can still submit something for inclusion in the event until Monday, 8/3. Email jamie@ubcwaco.org for details

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

UBC Drive-In Movie

Alright friends, nothing says summer like the movies, and we also want to see everyone. What’s a safe way to social distance and be in the same space; stay in your car! We will be hosting our first drive-in movie on Friday night August 7th. There will be more details in the near future, but put it on your calendar.

COVID-19 Testing Site

UBC is partnering with Waco and McClennan County Emergency Management to be a walk-up testing site this week. UBC has andwill be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8am-4pm, if you are anyone you know would like to/needs to be tested for COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

The Artist Way Fall Group

Hello friends. It’s me Josh. This spring a friend gave me Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way: A Spiritual Path To Higher Creativity. If you're like me, you skeptical of such things. Still, I committed to doing the book/workbook and discovered that it was profound. In her 12 week workbook Cameron takes creative hopefuls on a journey to unlock inner creativity and became the artist they want to be. By “artist’ Cameron means everything from dancer to writer to actor to singer to fashion designer. In whatever you might have a hidden artist dying inside, Cameron would like to speak to you. To this end I’m inviting 6 people to join me in doing the book together this fall. We will start in September and finish in December. Meetings will be once a week via zoom at a time to be determined. I’d like you to consider the following things before expressing interest. Are you willing to:

1. do the work. This will include daily journaling and a weekly date with yourself (by yourself).

2. reading the chapter each week

3. have the courage to be vulnerable about your artistic hope and speak with others about it

4. complete other assignments

5. hold other people’s artistic dreams with care

6. be an encourager

7. buy the book

8. commit to all 12 weeks

If you can answer yes to all of those and would like to sign up, you should do so by emailing josh@ubcwaco.org and say, “I am interested.” First come/first serve. I can’t do more than 6.

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 7-26-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

July 26, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on July 26th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Your Love Is Strong

heavenly father you always amaze me
let your kingdom come in my world
and in my life
you give me the food i need to live through the day
and forgive me as i forgive the people who’ve wronged me
lead me far from temptation, deliver me from the evil one

i look out the window, the birds are composing
and not a note is out of tune or out of place
i walk through the meadow and stare at the flowers
better dressed than any girl on her wedding day
so why do i worry? why do i fear?
god knows what i need
you know what i need

your love is strong

the kingdom of the heavens is now advancing
invade my heart invade this broken town
the kingdom of the heavens is buried treasure
would you sell yourself to buy the one you’ve found
two things you told me: that you are strong
and you love me

your love is strong

our god in heaven hallowed be thy name above all names
your kingdom come your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
give us today our daily bread, forgive us weary sinners
keep us far from our vices and deliver us from these prisons

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Eternal One

seeking rest in the refuge
of the God who sees

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

inviting the Spirit of God

to form our hearts and minds
in the way of Christ

Amen

Heart With No Companion

now i greet you from the other side
of sorrow and despair
with a love so vast and shattered
it’ll reach you everywhere

i sing this for the captain
whose ship has not been built
for the mother in confusion
her cradle still unfilled
for the heart with no companion
for the soul without a king
for the prima ballerina
who cannot dance to anything

through the days of shame that are coming
through the nights of wild distress
though your promise counts for nothing
you must keep it nonetheless

you must keep it for the captain
whose ship has not been built
for the mother in confusion
her cradle still unfilled
for the heart with no companion
for the soul without a king
for the prima ballerina
who cannot dance to anything

yes, i greet you from the other side
of sorrow and despair
with a love so vast and shattered
it will reach you everywhere

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading, and Toph’s sermon text, is Genesis 29:15-28:

Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.

Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52:

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

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

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

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

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Where God Has Always Been

praise be the lord of all
with their backs against the wall,
hands above their heads, and eyes
lifted up to that impossible line
where the hill meets the sky
who wonder if the distance is
a trick of the earth or a trick of the mind
and if help will arrive before they slip away

praise be the lord of all
who wrestle until dawn
who wear their scars like names, yet find
heaven and earth, strangely aligned
like water in the sour wine
hidden in plain sight

for god is now where god has always been
bunkered down with those in the ditch
raising fountains from the cracking dirt
and raising a feast for the hollow unheard
while the powerful who reign dissolve into the grave
the eternal one will shade the ones they cast away
until the coming of the day when all this is remade

so praise be the lord of all
who’ve nowhere to belong
for the kingdom is drawing near

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 7-21-2020

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Well hi there UBC; Kieran here. Josh is still off swanning around somewhere that isn’t Waco, TX, and so this week it falls to me to introduce the newsletter. I know, I’m sure many of you are disappointed, but bear with me, and we’ll get through this together. 
So I thought I’d take this space today to share about some of the things I’ve learned during this period of quarantine, in this time of Corona. But not from me; no, I have all the introspection of a concrete bollard (do y’all have the word bollard in the US? It’s just one of those stone pillars you use to stop people from driving through somewhere. You get them in carparks, etc. Pardon my English if so). I wanted to talk about things I’ve learned from our brilliant, wonderful Youth during this time. 
As I’m sure most of you may be aware, UBC has continued to hold weekly meetings with the Youth Group, every Wednesday (we’ve been having a, dare I say thrilling, trivia competition of which tomorrow is the last session!), and Sunday (if you love Mark as much as we do, and you’re a Youth, you gotta check it out. Seriously. Please come and hang out with us). Since March/April we’ve been meeting online, and during that time, I have learnt so much from the younger members of our church. Here’s a small sample of things that came to mind: 
1. This is all really hard. And it’s okay to say that. It’s okay to think it, to feel it, and to sit with it. I’m the first person to want reframe things (Enneagram 7 reporting for duty), but the strength and vulnerability with which our youth tackle everything happening in our world right now is humbling, and inspiring. 
2. Laughing, and especially doing so together, is really, really important. It doesn’t mean we ignore the issues facing our world and this country right now - it doesn’t mean we don’t acknowledge, every day, the ways in which we are complicit in systems of oppression, be they white supremacy, be they patriarchy, be they stigmas attached to mental health. It means that in order to keep going, to keep our passion and drive to be anti-racist, to learn about our own implicit, deeply seated misogyny and racism, in order not be burnt out and leave these critical and fundamentally important movements behind, we have to laugh with each other. It builds relationships, it builds camaraderie, and perhaps most importantly, it makes it easier to cry with each other when we need to. 
3. Call your friends. Really, just do it. I am the worst for this - I let everything else happening in my life overtake me, and I make little time for friends and family who aren’t here with me. Some of you I’m sure are amazing at that, but for those of you who also struggle, make the time to check in with friends you haven’t seen or spoken to in a while. Community is harder to maintain in these times, but it’s not impossible, and it’s arguably more needed than it’s ever been. Our youth floor me with how they check on each other, how they call and seek out each other. Their love and commitment to one another is rare, if only because it is something otherwise so easily left on the shelf when there are a hundred other things more pressing to take down and hold on to. 
I’ll leave it there for now; but UBC, rest assured that the young people in our church are world-shakers and game-changers, and they teach me new things every time we interact. It is one of the greatest honours of my life to be alongside them as they grow with each other, and with God, and I hope that each of you gets the opportunity to see how brilliant and incandescent they are. 
Happy Tuesday, UBC. 

No Pub Group This Week (7/22)

There will be no pub group tomorrow! See you next week.

Drive-Up Food Distribution

UBC is partnering with several other churches for a drive-up food distribution this Wednesday (7/22). Family of Faith, a church in north waco, has been serving 1200-1600 families per week with boxes of food. For the next few weeks they are unable to do this work, so we are partnering with several churches to make sure these families still receive the food they need. This is a large operation, and we need your help. You can use the sign-up link below to sign-up. Please consider volunteering to help with this distribution this week. If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-driveup

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Backside - July 31

We're having a very special Virtual Summer Edition of Backside on Friday, July 31st, at 7pm.  If you would like to submit a song, poem story, visual art piece, etc., email jamie@ubcwaco.org for details on how to make that happen.

UBC Drive-In Movie

Alright friends, nothing says summer like the movies, and we also want to see everyone. What’s a safe way to social distance and be in the same space; stay in your car! We will be hosting our first drive-in movie on Friday night August 7th. There will be more details in the near future, but put it on your calendar.

COVID-19 Testing Site

UBC is partnering with Waco and McClennan County Emergency Management to be a walk-up testing site next week. UBC will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8am-4pm, if you are anyone you know would like to/needs to be tested for COVID-19. If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 7-19-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

July 19, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on July 19th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

The Word Is Yet Flesh

this peculiar collection of pieces you left
is knit with the needle of spirit, the Word is yet flesh
like a blanket, pulled tight over torn ligaments
but the hands have a problem with the shape of the feet
the mouth can’t decide if the jaws should be married
and the spine is just tired from fighting the pull of the earth

but this fractured collective can somehow still dance
kaleidoscope motion of a shaky pirouette,
borrowed brilliance refracted in sparks down the line
and as the warmth of the glow gives flight to the gloom
the kingdom of hope fades into view
and all that we’ve known—or thought that we knew
is now finally found silent in the light of the truth

word made flesh in whom all things hold
bind up tightly these collapsing bones
and raise again a body from the cold
’til nothing remains of these flickering days

come light of the world, thief of the night
be the lamp of the body, the lens to the eye
and though we’re scattered in knowing, be one in the mind
and bid our divine mirrors come and die

and then, word-made-flesh in whom all things hold,
bind up tightly these collapsing bones
and raise again a body from the cold
’til nothing remains of these flickering days

‘til nothing remains but the light and the flame

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Living God

the Word who became flesh
and dwelt among us

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

in hope that the Spirit of God

might form us more fully in the way of Christ
and draw us into the work of God in the world
in our ordinary lives

Amen

Wideness

there’s a wideness in god’s mercy
like the wideness of the sea
there’s a kindness in god’s justice
which is more than liberty
there is welcome for the sinner,
the cast-off and the unloved
there is mercy with the savior
there is healing in his blood

for the love of god is broader than
the measure of our mind
and the heart of the eternal is
most wonderfully kind
but we make his love too narrow by
false limits of our own
and we magnify his strictness with
a zeal he will not own

there’s grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this
there’s room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss
there’s plentiful redemption
in the blood that has been shed
there’s joy for every creature
in the sorrows of the head

for the love of god is broader than
the measure of our mind
and the heart of the eternal is
most wonderfully kind
but we make his love too narrow by
false limits of our own
and we magnify his strictness with
a zeal he will not own

o holy instructor,
i fear we’ve found a way to
be wholly destructive
and pin the blame on you
o wideness, come searching
and repair what went wrong

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading, and Taylor’s sermon text, is Genesis 28:10-19a:

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43:

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” 

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Mother

is there a hair on my head
you haven’t numbered yet
you haven’t numbered yet

in the night, crying in the cold,
is there a pain of mine
you haven’t called your own

o mother comfort, mother known

though our minds so well ignore your grace
you bring it just the same
you bring it just the same

we reside in your self-giving love
but you’ve somehow found enough
for all the space that we take up

o mother wisdom, mother love
mother comfort, mother enough

through life and death, that cradled set
beginning and the end
beginning and the end

you are a shield, a beacon of defense
and our weaknesses align
as you gather us in

o mother warrior, mother age-to age
mother wisdom, mother grace
mother comfort, mother love-that-can’t-be-bought
mother faithful
mother god

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 7-14-2020

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Systemic Injustice calls for Systemic Change

(article written by Toph)

First, if you haven’t voted today, you should get out there and vote. It is our elected officials that often help create policy and measures that can change systemic issues in our country, and you have a voice you can use to vote for someone who will challenge the injustices that exists in our society. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor. The work of neighborliness must translate to systemic change – policy work – on local/national/international levels. If we want to be neighbors who care, we must care about changing the systems that continue to keep large segments of the world in unfair and unjust and unsafe spaces. We need to learn what it means to be a good neighbor on systemic levels: which includes exercising our right to vote, fighting for policy change, and holding people accountable for their actions/inaction. We are the most connected generation in history, and if we take Jesus’ words seriously, then we must use our connectivity and information to be agents of change in this world.  We are too connected and have too much information not to advocate for systematic change.  Christ came to reconcile all things, how will you be a part of Christ reconciliation on a systemic level.

Below is something I wrote for the close of a service last year, and it is a good reminder for today.

God is not glorified when sexism and racism still exists within our systems.  

God is not glorified when crowds chant to exclude minorities and wish to send them away.

God is not glorified by keeping children in cages.

God is not glorified by turning away refugees.

God is not glorified by white nationalism.

God is not glorified with “all lives matter” when it is said in response to the suffering/oppression of black lives.

God is not glorified when we hate anyone.

God is glorified when we welcome the outcast and the sinner and dine with them.

God is glorified when we fight for equal rights, equal opportunity, and justice for all.  

God is glorified when we call out racism, sexism, xenophobia, and systems that continue to oppress people.

God is glorified when our love extends to all people regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or religious belief

God is glorified when the captives are set free and when the voices of the oppressed and poor are heard.

God is glorified when we love our enemy and pray for those who persecute.

The only way to drive out darkness is with light.  The only way to drive out hate is with love.  

UBC, may we continue to remind each other of God’s redemptive and radical love, and may we remember the call to love our neighbor is not a convenient request, but an urgent command.

Drive-Up Food Distribution

UBC is partnering with several other churches for a drive-up food distribution this Wednesday (7/15) and next Wednesday (7/22). Family of Faith, a church in north waco, has been serving 1200-1600 families per week with boxes of food. For the next few weeks they are unable to do this work, so we are partnering with several churches to make sure these families still receive the food they need. This is a large operation, and we need your help. You can use the sign-up link below to sign-up. Please consider volunteering to help with this distribution over the next two weeks. If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-driveup

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Backside - July 31

We're having a very special Virtual Summer Edition of Backside on Friday, July 31st, at 7pm.  If you would like to submit a song, poem story, visual art piece, etc., email jamie@ubcwaco.org for details on how to make that happen.

UBC Drive-In Movie

Alright friends, nothing says summer like the movies, and we also want to see everyone. What’s a safe way to social distance and be in the same space; stay in your car! We will be hosting our first drive-in movie on Friday night August 7th. There will be more details in the near future, but put it on your calendar.

Town Hall - 7/19

We will be having a town hall after church this Sunday. Make sure to stay tuned in to hear updates about our finances and more. If you have any questions, contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 7-12-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

July 12, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on July 12th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

How Great Thou Art

o lord my god
when i in awesome wonder
consider all the worlds thy hands have made
i see the stars, i hear the rolling thunder
thy pow’r throughout the universe displayed

then sings my soul, my savior, god, to thee
how great thou art, how great thou art

and when i think
that god, the son not sparing
sent him to die, i scarce can take it in
that on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
sent him to die to take away my sins

then sings my soul, my savior god to thee
how great thou art, how great thou art

when christ shall come
with shout of acclamation
and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
then i shall bow with humble adoration
and there proclaim
my god, how great thou art

then sings my soul, my savior god to thee
how great thou art, how great thou art

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Creator and Sustainer of all

to direct our attention the One
who is making all things new

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

that we might find the Spirit of God in our midst

and join our ordinary lives
to the work of God in the world

Amen

What the Dry Years Took Away

eternal, uncreated
who traced the frame before there was a frame
and never did forget it
thou the shape was mired along the way
would you now yet speak it
reassert the vision of the name
write it on our longing
like a pillar of fire, or cloud the same

with urgency and grace
would you restore
what the dry years took away

o god of life, may your mercy shine
upon the painted world
with power benign
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing
is found whole yet in plain sight

out here in the distance
among the fences we build around our dreams
there’s a numbing of the senses,
abject indifference, and ubiquitous fatique
so would you now yet speak it
holy beacon, the vision of the name
write it on our longing
like a pillar of fire or cloud the same

with urgency and grace
would you restore
what the dry years took away

o god of life, may your mercy shine
upon the painted world with power benign
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing is found whole yet in plain sight

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading is Psalm 65:9-13:

You visit the earth and water it,
    you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
    you provide the people with grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading, and Bri’s sermon text, is Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23:

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”

“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

There

before there were mountains to crumble
before there were seas to rise
before there was pain, the loss, and the weight
you were there

although our fear is rising
although our fire has gone out
although our hearts are worried and fraught
you are there

i’ve got a problem, i’ve made a drug
of worrying over what is yet to come
it’s clouding my vision, strangling my love
away

but after the sun stops burning
after the stars have gone out
after the world ceases to turn
you’ll be there

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 7-7-2020

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

UBC Kids - Compassion Camp VBS!

Good afternoon friends! Next week is VBS (are you signed up for VBS? If not send me an email at taylor@ubcwaco.org and get signed up!) and so, as you can probably imagine it is the thing that most of my professional energy has been focused on for the past few weeks! Normally I look forward to VBS because it is a week when I get to spend so much time with all of our UBC kids as well as with all of our volunteers and youth volunteers. And I really love every moment I get to spend with our kids at UBC!!           

But this year – obviously – we aren’t all going to be together physically. We are all going to be in our separate homes doing VBS together but apart! We’ve been recording videos and preparing supply boxes for everyone to come pick up so that everyone can experience VBS! And I have found that even though being together is normally my favorite part that there are still so many reasons that I’m excited for VBS this year! And so, I wanted to share those reasons here with you! 

Reasons I am excited about UBC Compassion Camp VBS: 

1)    I am so excited about the theme! Compassion Camp is all about learning about all of the different gifts of compassion – how compassion helps us welcome and accept each other, how it helps us be brave and reach out to our neighbors, how it helps us show gentleness and kindness to ourselves, how it helps us follow God’s spirit, and how it can help us give fresh starts to ourselves and others!. I am so excited to learn more about the gifts of compassion – and I’m particularly excited to learn about it alongside all of you! 

2)    I am excited about the music! You can click here for a link to the Compassion Camp Album. When I tell you that these are the sweetest songs I truly truly mean it!! They have already taught me so much about how to be brave and compassionate with myself and with others! And to trust that God’s love gives me the ability to love myself and everyone I encounter. Go listen to them! 

3)    I’m excited to see all of the amazing things that our families learn together and all of the fun things that our kids and families create as we learn more about the gifts of compassion! I can’t wait to see all of the cool things that we learn and create as we walk together through our Compassion Camp VBS! Make sure that you tag @ubcwaco on social media so that we can see all of things you are learning and making! 

So, those are just some of the reasons why I am so excited about VBS next week! I hope that you’re excited too! And don’t forget to email me (taylor@ubcwaco.org) to sign up so that we can have a supply box ready for you to come pick up on Sunday Afternoon!

Sign-Ups for The Color of Compromise Groups:

On July 15th, we will begin discussing Jemar Tisby’s book: The Color of Compromise, and if you are a part of the UBC family we would love for you to join us.  We will be hosting two different discussion times; 6:30p and 8:15p.  These discussions will be held over zoom, and you must have read/watched/listened to the book/video series.  On July 15th, we will be discussing the first three chapters of Tisby’s book.  

As we navigate this book and the conversations that follow, it’s important not only to see the ways we, the American Church, have been complicit towards racism but the ways we as individuals have been complicit to racism.  If this is the first book you are reading that directly talks about racism in America, or if you are new to the journey of becoming/being anti-racist, we would ask you to sign up for the 6:30p group.  If you have been on this journey for a while, have read multiple books and have been doing the hard work of examining your own racial biases and tendencies, then please sign-up for the 8:15p discussion time.  The first group will probably not be a safe space for BIPOC, as we recognize the ways in which white people beginning to process their own racism can trigger past traumatic events in BIPOC lives.

We are so thankful you are willing to engage and discuss the white church’s complicity in racism in America, to begin/do the hard work of being anti-racist.  

You can sign up here.  

If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org.

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 7-5-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

July 5, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on July 5th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Wideness

there’s a wideness in god’s mercy
like the wideness of the sea
there’s a kindness in god’s justice
which is more than liberty
there is welcome for the sinner,
the cast-off and the unloved
there is mercy with the savior
there is healing in his blood

for the love of god is broader than
the measure of our mind
and the heart of the eternal is
most wonderfully kind
but we make his love too narrow by
false limits of our own
and we magnify his strictness with
a zeal he will not own

there’s grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this
there’s room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss
there’s plentiful redemption
in the blood that has been shed
there’s joy for every creature
in the sorrows of the head

for the love of god is broader than
the measure of our mind
and the heart of the eternal is
most wonderfully kind
but we make his love too narrow by
false limits of our own
and we magnify his strictness with
a zeal he will not own

o holy instructor,
i fear we’ve found a way to
be wholly destructive
and pin the blame on you
o wideness, come searching
and repair what went wrong

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Eternal One

to cast our burdens upon
the god of the lighter load

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

hoping the Spirit of God would form
us more fully in the way of Christ

awakening us to the work of God in the world

Amen

Pulse

there’s a secret pulse hidden in
the fabric of creation
and the story of every creature is:
bone from dust//gift from Gift

reconnect our hearts to that pulse you hid
resurrect the peace we’ve unlearned
and in the wreckage of our selective loves
build a tow’r that can’t be hid’n

there’s a remedy for the ache
that plagues us all in waves
and the cure for our other-scorning rage
is break my bread, i’ll break your shame

reconnect our hearts to that pulse you hid
resurrect the peace we’ve unlearned
and in the wreckage of our selective loves
build a tow’r and lock us in

until we find there’s only one kind of love that won’t break
more than blind, more than selfless in name,
it’s open arms either way
because there’s a pulse at the heart of all things
that gives life all the same
and a design to the rhythm we breathe:
Holy Name//give and take

Anthem

the birds, they sang at the break of day
start again, i hear them say
do not dwell on what is passed away
or what is yet to be
ah, the wars, they will be fought again
the holy dove, she will be caught again
bought, and sold, and bought again
the dove is never free

so ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there’s a crack, a crack in everything
that’s how the light gets in

we asked for signs, signs were sent
the birth, betrayed
the marriage, spent
the widowhood of every government
signs for all to see
but i can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud
oh, they’ve summoned
they’ve summoned up a thundercloud
and they’re gonna hear from me

so ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there’s a crack, a crack in everything
that’s how the light gets in

you can add up the parts, but you won’t find the sum
you can strike up the march, but there is no drum
every heart, every heart to love will come
but like a refugee

so ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there’s a crack, a crack in everything
that’s how the light gets in

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading and Josh’s sermon text, is Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67:

The servant said to Laban, “I am Abraham’s servant. The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become wealthy; he has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. And Sarah my master’s wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and he has given him all that he has. My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’

“I came today to the spring, and said, ‘O Lord, the God of my master Abraham, if now you will only make successful the way I am going! I am standing here by the spring of water; let the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, “Please give me a little water from your jar to drink,” and who will say to me, “Drink, and I will draw for your camels also” —let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

“Before I had finished speaking in my heart, there was Rebekah coming out with her water jar on her shoulder; and she went down to the spring, and drew. I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ She quickly let down her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels.’ So I drank, and she also watered the camels. Then I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him.’ So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her arms. Then I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me by the right way to obtain the daughter of my master’s kinsman for his son. Now then, if you will deal loyally and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so that I may turn either to the right hand or to the left.”

And they called Rebekah, and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” She said, “I will.” So they sent away their sister Rebekah and her nurse along with Abraham’s servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “May you, our sister, become thousands of myriads; may your offspring gain possession of the gates of their foes.” Then Rebekah and her maids rose up, mounted the camels, and followed the man; thus the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. Now Isaac had come from Beer-lahai-roi, and was settled in the Negeb. Isaac went out in the evening to walk in the field; and looking up, he saw camels coming. And Rebekah looked up, and when she saw Isaac, she slipped quickly from the camel, and said to the servant, “Who is the man over there, walking in the field to meet us?” The servant said, “It is my master.” So she took her veil and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent. He took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. So Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30:

Jesus said to the crowd, “To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Boundless Love

i woke up this morning to a garbage truck
seems this ol horseshoe’s done run out of luck
if i came home, would you let me in
fry me some porkchops
and forgive my sins

and surround me with your boundless love
confound me with your boundless love
i was drowning in a sea, lost as i could be
when you found me with your boundless love

sometimes my old heart is like a washing machine
bounces around ‘til my soul comes clean
and when i’m clean, hung out to dry
i’m gonna make you laugh until you cry

and surround me with your boundless love
confound me with your boundless love
i was drowning in a sea, lost as i could be
when you found me with your boundless love

if by chance i should find myself as risk
a’fallin from this jagged cliff
i look below, i look above
i’m surrounded by your boundless love

and surround me with your boundless love
confound me with your boundless love
i was drowning in a sea, lost as i could be
when you found me with your boundless love
you dumbfound me with your boundless love
you surround me with your boundless love

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 6-30-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

Taking Delight

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

Of all the disciplines I regularly practiced in my evangelical past, the one I remain appreciative of was praying with my friend Nate.  In college we would often go to the woods of Bethel’s 200-acre campus, light an illegal fire, and pray for all kinds of things.  My prayer language, cadence and understanding has evolved since those prayers, but I believe it was in part the act of praying that allowed for that evolving.   One of the bible verses that Nate and I would often quote to each other was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  They almost read like pithy proverbs.  Brief imperatives. Yet despite their brevity and apparent simplicity they are all difficult to embody.  I liked the practice of thanking God though.  It felt right.  As a regular habit, it did something good for my soul. 

I have been giving more thought to the “rejoice always” part.  It strikes me as a particularly helpful antidote.  Rejoicing is hard.  Sometimes it can even seem inappropriate.   A current effort to rejoice without taking seriously the stark racial violence that is being unveiled would be a theological mistake.  Had Jesus laughed by Lazarus’ tomb instead of weeping with Mary and Martha we would have found that inappropriate. Sometimes, it is precisely in those circumstances that we need to rejoice.  

On Saturday I read a story about a murder mystery that had been solved after 38 years.  An eight year old girl in Columbus, OH was walking home and never made it.  They found her a few days later in a cornfield.  With DNA testing, they were able to identify her killer this week.  He’s been dead for a while.  I hate those stories.  I thought about the parents wondering all these years.  Wondered if there was any solace to be had.  About an hour later I was painting outside and listening to Dax Shepherd interview economist Jeffery Sachs on his podcast Armchair Expert.  One of the things Sachs talked about was how close we came to nuclear war with Russia. Allegedly, during the Cuban Missile Crisis the Russians had some bad intelligence information about an aggressive American act of hostility.  A Russian Admiral with a submarine in the Caribbean got clearance to launch the missile.  At the last minute he decided to consult fellow officers.  It was voted down 2-1.  That close though!  The world feels so fickle.  It’s that fickle right now.  

What do we do? The choice to see only good can be myopic.  The choice to meditate on the bad can be lethal.  I think a Christian response of discipleship is one that rejoices in the midst of both of them.  A friend gave me a copy of Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way this spring.  We are both aspiring writers and talk about writing occasionally, hence the gift.   The book is designed to be a kind of companion that calls for action on the part of the reader.  It assigns daily and weekly tasks that have the aim of developing the artist within you.  I started it on spring break, which coincided with the global shutdown due to COVID.  So I stopped.  I knew I couldn’t keep my commitments during the chaos.  I picked the book up again last week.  I want to share something that Cameron says: “The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.”  Cameron is a theist, who is writing to elicit the creative spirit she argues abides in all of us.  But I think this is consistent with Paul’s admonishment.  Joy seems to have a relationship with the intent to take delight.  In this sense, joy is in part an effort.  But it might be better to return to the phrase in the transliteration, rejoice.  

I have been practicing taking delight.  In the morning I wake up with what sometimes feels like depressive feelings and despite those, I pray for the eyes to see and experience things to take delight in.  The murders and nuclear weapons haven’t disappeared since I’ve started, but the delightful has come into focus.  It’s getting easier to find.  So I will continue to make the effort to rejoice always. 

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Junia Truth Harris

Birthday: Born 6/25/20

Birth Weight: 7lbs 15oz 

Birth Height: 21 inches

Enneagram Number: 2w1

A Word About Cake & Pie

This week during our welcome time during worship Taylor posed the question, “what do you like better cake or pie?” As some of you indicated, it seems complicated perhaps unfair to pit cake against pie, especially now in a difficult time. I stand by my answer that in general, cake is better. But there are some good pies that beat some cakes. Someone also pointed out that cobbler is different than pie. If this is the case, that only works against pie, dropping it another notch for me. Also, as was discussed in the comments, there is the ambiguous category of cheese cake and the likes. Alas, I give you some cake/pie rankings: 1. Dirt Cake 2. Dump Cake 3. Chocolate Cake 4. German Chocolate cake 5. French Silk Pie 6. Assorted Flavors of Edwards Pie 7. Key lime pie 8. Boston Cream Pie 9. Peach Cobbler 10. certain cheesecake.

VBS Update

Hey UBC Kids and Families! We will be doing Compassion Camp Online VBS this summer! Everything will be on our website to watch and participate July 13-17! And we will have supply boxes for you to pick up on Sunday July 12! If your family would like to participate please email Taylor at taylor@ubcwaco.org and let her know you want to participate!

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Learning Together - Understanding the Church’s Complicity in Racism

“What we need is a generation of Christians, who will intentionally and in a sustained way consciously fight against the racism that still pervades our society.” - Jemar Tisby 

Starting in July, we will begin a six week series in which we read and discuss Jemar TIsby’s book: The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.  There are many ways you can access the book: you can buy it, you can download the audiobook, or you can watch the 12 part series on Amazon Prime.  We will be reading/listening/watching two chapters a week, and we will meet every other week for discussion.  If you would like to purchase the book but do not have the funds available, please let us know and we will get you a copy.  We will begin reading/listening/watching on July 1, and our discussions will happen on July 15, July 29, August 12, and August 26th. Toph and Katie Valenzuela will be leading the discussion times, and we will be talking about 3 chapters each time.  We will have two times for you to sign-up for, and those will be available on Sunday after the service.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 6-28-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

June 28, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on June 28th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Waking Life

you’re a hammerblow
to the barricade
i’ve built up in my mind
to separate
that which i hold with warm embrace
from that which i have reduced to an empty phrase

you’re a falling blade
to the knot i tied
to secure a heavy shade over my eyes
and as if i had never tasted light
a stabbing pain slowly gives way to a truer sight

and you’re the waking life, piercing sleep
reality, reframing the dream
and as i rise i don’t recognize my speech
find a garden shed where i once kept my armory

you’re an ember thrown
from a funeral pyre
that infiltrates the cavalcade of an outrage choir
through the withered aisles of my fevered mind
now that hollow rage is wholly remade
into a signal fire

and you’re the waking life, piercing sleep
reality, reframing the dream
and as i rise i don’t recognize my speech
find a garden shed where i once kept my armory

and like the waking life, piercing sleep
like reality, reframing the dream
i don’t understand what is happening
but something’s changed in a place i cannot reach
there’s this ache where i once kept my apathy
like there’s a depth to life and breath in everything

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the God who sees

the Eternal One in whom
are life and breath and everything

to enter the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

hoping the Spirit of God would form
our hearts and minds in the way of Christ

that we might join the work of God in the world
with our ordinary lives

Amen

What the Dry Years Took Away

eternal, uncreated
who traced the frame before there was a frame
and never did forget it
though the shape was mired along the way
would you now yet speak it
reassert the vision of the name
write it on our longing
like a pillar of fire and cloud the same

with urgency and grace,
would you restore
what the dry years took away

o god of life, may your mercy shine
upon the painted world
with power divine
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing
is found whole yet in plain sight

but out here in the distance
among the fences
we build around our dreams
there’s a numbing of the senses,
abject indifference,
and ubiquitous fatigue
so would you now yet speak it,
holy beacon,
the vision of the Name
write it on our longing
like a pillar of fire and cloud the same

with urgency and grace,
would you restore
what the dry years took away

o god of life, may your mercy shine
upon the painted world
with power divine
and raise our hearts to sing
like the moon-pull to the tide
’til every riven thing
is found whole yet in plain sight

Come Healing

o gather up the brokenness
and bring it to me now
the fragrance of those promises
you never dared to vow
the splinters that you carry
the cross you left behind
come healing of the body
come healing of the mind
and let the heavens hear it
the penitential hymn
come healing of the spirit
come healing of the limb

behold the gates of mercy
in arbitrary space
and none of us deserving
the cruelty or the grace
o solitude of longing
where love has been confined
come healing of the body
come healing of the mind
and see the darkness yielding
which tore the light apart
come healing of the reason
come healing of the heart

o troubled dust concealing
an undivided love
the heart beneath is teaching to
the broken heart above
let the heavens falter
let the earth proclaim
come healing of the altar
come healing of the name

o longing of the branches
to lift the little bud
o longing of the arteries
to purify the blood
let the heavens hear it
the penitential hymn
come healing of the spirit
come healing of the limb

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading and Josh’s sermon text, is Genesis 22:1-14:

God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 10:40-42:

Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet's reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple-- truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Be Thou My Vision

be thou my vision, o lord of my heart
naught be all else to me, save that thou art
thou my best thought by day or by night
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light

be thou my wisdom and thou my true word
i ever with thee and thou with me lord
thou my great father, spirit, and son
thou in my dwelling and i with the one

riches i heed not nor man’s empty praise
thou mine inheritance now and always
thou and thou only first in my heart
high king of heaven, my treasure thou art

high king of heaven, my victory won
may i reach heaven’s doors, o bright heaven’s sun
heart of my own heart, whatever befall
still be my vision, o ruler of all

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link!.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 6-23-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

Breathe and Be (by Jamie)

Greetings.

It’s my week to write the newsletter, as happens once a month.  However, there has been a great nothing mounting on the tip of my tongue for the last couple of years, and I now find myself with nothing to say. Not a single thing. So instead of spinning my wheels all day to force out something that might pass as clever, insightful, helpful, etc.,  I’m going to invite you to stop what you are doing, step away from your screens, shut your eyes, breathe, and be, for as long as you can stand it; and I will do the same.  

The need for periodic rest is not confined to mechanisms of various kinds.  Rest may be complete inactivity when all customary functioning is suspended and everything comes to a pause.  Rest may be a variation in intensity, a contrast between loud and soft, high and low, strong and weak, a change of pace.  Rest may be a complete shifting of scenery by the movement of objects or the person.  All things seem to be held in place by the stability of a rhythm that holds and releases but never lets go…

There is the rest of detachment and withdrawal when the spirit moves into the depths of the region of the Great Silence, where world weariness is washed away and blurred vision is once again prepared for the focus of the long view where seeking and finding are so united that failure and frustration, real though they are, are no longer felt to be ultimately real. Here the Presence of God is sensed as an all-pervasive aliveness which materializes into the concreteness of communion: the reality of prayer.  Here God speaks without words and the self listens without ears.  Here at last, glimpses of the meaning of all things and the meaning of one’s own life are seen with all their strivings.  To accept this is one meaning of the good line, “Rest in the Lord—O, rest in the Lord.”

(Howard Thurman, The Inward Journey, 111-2)

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Raleigh Boone Smith

Birthday: 6-20-20

Birth Height: 23.5 in

Birth Weight: 10 lb. 13 oz.

Enneagram Number: 8w7

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Learning Together - Understanding the Church’s Complicity in Racism“

What we need is a generation of Christians, who will intentionally and in a sustained way consciously fight against the racism that still pervades our society.” - Jemar Tisby Starting in July, we will begin a six week series in which we read and discuss Jemar TIsby’s book: The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.  There are many ways you can access the book: you can buy it, you can download the audiobook, or you can watch the 12 part series on Amazon Prime.  We will be reading/listening/watching two chapters a week, and we will meet every other week for discussion.  If you would like to purchase the book but do not have the funds available, please let us know and we will get you a copy.  We will begin reading/listening/watching on July 1, and our discussions will happen on July 15, July 29, and August 12.  Toph will be leading the discussion times, however, if you are a poc  in our congregation and would like to lead/help lead, we would welcome your leadership.  If you are a poc and would like to help, please contact Toph.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

Parishioner(s) of the Week

Jack Parker for releasing this single under his new band name Jackson Palomino.

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 6-21-20

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

June 21, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on June 21st (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Come Thou Fount

come thou fount of every blessing
tune my heart to sing thy praise
streams of mercy, never ceasing
call for songs of loudest praise
teach me some melodious sonnet
sung by flaming tongues above
praise the mount, i’m fixed upon it
mount of thy redeeming love

here I raise my Ebenezer
hither by thine help I come
and I hope by thy good pleasure
safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
wandering from the fold of god
he to rescue me from danger
interposed his precious blood

o to grace, how great a debtor
daily i’m constrained to be
let thy goodness like a fetter
bind my wandering heart to thee
prone to wander, lord I feel it
prone to leave the god I love
here’s my heart, lord
take and seal it
seal it for thy courts above

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship
the Creator and Sustainer of all that is

the One who sees us truly and knows us fully
our help and shield in the full complexity of life

to be formed in the way of Christ

the One who is the image of the invisible God
who entered into suffering and defeated death

seeking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit

the One who is breathing Resurrection into the world,
making all things new

Amen

Rise Up

for the lowly and forgotten
for the weary and distressed
for the refugee and orphan
and for all who are oppressed
for the stranger who is pleading
while insulted and despised
will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord when you avenge the poor
may your kingdom come
o, rise up

hear how rachel, she is weeping
how she will not be consoled
and the children in our keeping
are their bodies bought and sold
and the watchman, he is sleeping
do you see them with your eyes?
and will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord when you avenge the poor
may your kingdom come
o, rise up

as your will is done in heaven
may it now be done below
may our daily bread be given
may your kingdom come and grow
lead us not into temptation
but deliver us we cry
and will you rise?

rise up, rise up
the earth will fear the lord when you avenge the poor
and bear your holy arm to keep them safe from arm
may your kingdom come
o, rise up

Father’s Day Prayer

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 black fathers who bear the myriad weights of parenting amidst the architecture of white supremacy in American society.

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.

Because He Lives

god sent his son
they called him jesus
he came to love, heal, and forgive
he lived and died to buy my pardon
an empty grave is there to prove my savior lives

because he lives, I can face tomorrow
because he lives, all fear is gone
because I know he holds the future
and life is worth the living just because he lives

how sweet to hold a newborn baby
and feel the pride and joy she brings
but greater still, the calm assurance
this child can face uncertain days because he lives

because he lives, I can face tomorrow
because he lives, all fear is gone
because I know he holds the future
and life is worth the living just because he lives

and then one day i’ll cross the river
i’ll right life’s final war with pain
but then as death gives way to victory
i’ll see the lights of glory and i’ll know he lives

because he lives, I can face tomorrow
because he lives, all fear is gone
because I know he holds the future
and life is worth the living just because he lives

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading is Psalm 33:13-21:

The Lord looks down from heaven;
    he sees all humankind.
From where he sits enthroned he watches
    all the inhabitants of the earth—
he who fashions the hearts of them all,
    and observes all their deeds.
A king is not saved by his great army;
    a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
    and by its great might it cannot save.

Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
    on those who hope in his steadfast love,
to deliver their soul from death,
    and to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
    he is our help and shield.
Our heart is glad in him,
    because we trust in his holy name.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Luke 2:25-35:

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
    according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation,
    which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Wayward Ones

we are the wayward ones
liars and beggars, those who betray
we hand you over, deny your name
cast you aside yet still you say
this is my body, this is my blood
broken and shed to show my love

we are the broken ones
cowards and fools, all filled with disbelief
we forsake you, deny your name
cast you aside, yet still you say
this is my body, this is my blood
broken and shed to show my love

remember me, remember me
come to the table, take and eat
remember me

we are the wayward ones
liars and beggars, those who betray
we hand you over, deny your name
cast you aside yet still you say
this is my body, this is my blood

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ezqWEgtjNt-sHZwHc_cIcB5GW57wUKgV/view?usp=sharing.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 6-16-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

God, Mammon, & Racism

I should start off with a warning.  I make a pretty sincere effort to parse my public statements so they are 1. What I deem faithful to the principles of the Kingdom of God as I read it, laid out by Jesus in the gospels and, 2. free from political commitments at least in terms of party alignment.  The second is undoubtedly difficult because neither party or any platform will ever comply completely with the Kingdom of God, but also because I do see political leanings in both camps that, for lack of a better way of phrasing it, accidentally stumble into the kingdom of God.   Perhaps this newsletter entry will inevitably fall prey to violating my second commitment.  That is not my intent, but I’m willing to accept that objection if you feel that way by the end of it.  As always, you are encouraged to voice your disagreement. 

I will begin by simply naming three different things I read that had an impact on me.  

1. The first is from Bono’s foreword in Jeffrey Sachs’s book The End Of Poverty.   The book was written in 2005 when the US was still in Iraq and the Red Campaign was a thing.  Bono quotes then Secretary of State Colin Powell who says, “the war against terror is bound in the war against poverty.”  

2. The second is the running thesis of an Atlantic article that came out last year.  The title of the article is Better Schools Won’t Fix America.  The title, which is a bit clickbaitish, is not anti school or public school but, serves the larger point of the article which is that the number one predictor of child performance in school is household income.  

3. The third i read this week.  It was an instagram response from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  She was asked, “What does a defunded police look like to you?”  Here is her response: “The good news is that it actually doesn't take a ton of imagination. It looks like a suburb. Affluent white communities already live in a world where they choose to fund youth, health, housing etc more than they fund police. These communities have lower crime rates not because they have more police, but because they have more resources to support healthy society in a way that reduces crime.”

There is a theme to my quotes.  Money matters.  More generally we might say that resources matter.  

I will tell you that when I first heard about “defunding police departments” I froze inside.  I’ve got enough enneagram 6 energy in health and a self preserving subtype to think, “wait a minute, I need the police to protect me.”  That my first instinct/assumption is that they would protect me is another discussion in privilege that I won’t take up here.  As I have googled and read, I think that the notion of defunding police departments could 1. be productive and 2. is poorly named.  

I will now also tell you that I’m suspicious of solving social problems by shifting money around.  I do support social programs, and at the same time I can see they are sometimes inefficient and waste money.  I’ve also spent enough of my life touting that the church should solve the world's social ills not the government to know that it doesn’t work.  The problem is that the church has been around for 2,000 years and as far as I can tell hasn’t made a concerted effort to do that since the first century.  I’m complicit in that part BTW.   So I don’t believe that will work either.  My conclusion then isn’t that the government shouldn't try or the church shouldn't try; I think they both should keep trying, but I want to acknowledge that it is hard. 

I am going to conclude by addressing you though.  Our discipleship asks everything of us.  One of the most immediate ways that our sacrifice can happen is through giving.  So I want to pose two questions for white people.  1. Very tangibly I want to ask if you are able to give money to something concrete to fight racism?  And if you are not able to give, ask yourself if that’s really true?  2. More philosophically I want you to ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to fight racism?  What are you willing to let it cost of your life?  

UBC Pandemic Update

The leadership team met Sunday June 7th and one of the items discussed was a possible UBC reunion date. That is, a day when we will resume in person worship. The collective wisdom in the room all pointed to continuing waiting. This decision came before the data was released last week about he spike in numbers both in Texas and McLennan County. To that end, I’m informing you that we have agreed to resume discussions about when to meet in August, but will not be meeting in person for the foreseeable future. Thank you for your continued patience and support during this time. We are in this together.

Liturgy 6-16-20

A few notes about this Sunday’s worship experience. 1. we think it will be a special Sunday. 2. it will be a Facebook premiere, which means that it will not be live, but it will still be a live communal experience on Facebook. so tune in like normal. 3. we will have a guest preacher. Emmitt Drumgoole is a pastoral resident at 2nd Baptist Church in Liberty Missouri. Before that Emmitt served and worshiped at Calvary Baptist here in Waco while getting his M. Div. from Truett Seminary. Emmitt is preaching this sermon for his home church in Missouri and at the conclusion of the sermon will invite parishioners to take communion. we have decided that we will join 2nd Baptist in communion, so please have elements prepared for your Sunday worship experience should you so desire.

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Learning Together - Understanding the Church’s Complicity in Racism“

What we need is a generation of Christians, who will intentionally and in a sustained way consciously fight against the racism that still pervades our society.” - Jemar Tisby Starting in July, we will begin a six week series in which we read and discuss Jemar TIsby’s book: The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.  There are many ways you can access the book: you can buy it, you can download the audiobook, or you can watch the 12 part series on Amazon Prime.  We will be reading/listening/watching two chapters a week, and we will meet every other week for discussion.  If you would like to purchase the book but do not have the funds available, please let us know and we will get you a copy.  We will begin reading/listening/watching on July 1, and our discussions will happen on July 15, July 29, and August 12.  Toph will be leading the discussion times, however, if you are a poc  in our congregation and would like to lead/help lead, we would welcome your leadership.  If you are a poc and would like to help, please contact Toph.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

Parishioner(s) of the Week

Marshall Cook for writing and getting publish this article in the Baptist Standard.

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 6-14-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

June 14, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on June 14th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Mystery

sweet jesus christ, my sanity
sweet jesus christ, my clarity
word eternal, brought low with me
cup of salvation, poured out to drink
jesus, mystery

christ has died and christ has risen
christ will come come again

sweet jesus christ, my evergreen
sweet jesus christ, my living peace
love embodied, broken for me
trampled redeemer, raised up and free
jesus, mystery

christ has died and christ has risen
christ will come come again

celebrate his death and rising
lift your eyes, proclaim his coming
and all who walk in dreadful darkness
lift your head, you’re not forgotten
celebrate his death-subversion
recalibrate fear to purpose
and in the face of oppressive power
don’t calm down, sing it louder

christ has died and christ has risen
christ will come come again

Call to Worship

we have gathered to worship the Eternal One

The Living God
who lifted Israel from captivity
on eagles’ wings

to be drawn into the story of God

and find our own stories reimagined

that we might find the Spirit of God in our midst

and find ourselves grafted
into the work of Resurrection
in the world

Amen

The Word Is Yet Flesh

this peculiar collection of pieces you left
is knit with the needle of spirit, the Word is yet flesh
like a blanket, pulled tight over torn ligaments
but the hands have a problem with the shape of the feet
the mouth can’t decide if the jaws should be married
and the spine is just tired from fighting the pull of the earth

but this fractured collective can somehow still dance
kaleidoscope motion of a shaky pirouette,
borrowed brilliance refracted in sparks down the line
and as the warmth of the glow gives flight to the gloom
the kingdom of hope fades into view
and all that we’ve known—or thought that we knew
is now finally found silent in the light of the truth

word made flesh in whom all things hold
bind up tightly these collapsing bones
and raise again a body from the cold
’til nothing remains of these flickering days

come light of the world, thief of the night
be the lamp of the body, the lens to the eye
and though we’re scattered in knowing, be one in the mind
and bid our divine mirrors come and die

and then, word-made-flesh in whom all things hold,
bind up tightly these collapsing bones
and raise again a body from the cold
’til nothing remains of these flickering days

‘til nothing remains but the light and the flame

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading, and Josh’s sermon text, is Exodus 19:2-8a:

The Israelites had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading is Matthew 9:35-10:23:

Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Eternal Anchor

eternal wisdom, eternal grace
is there a creature you have not named
and known in greater depth
than the cells of which it’s made
and bound up in a love not even death could separate?

eternal anchor, eternal grace
wrapped in light like eternal flame
would you incinerate the thorns
stabbing in my brain
and with a word obliterate
the cycles i retrace?

would you raise a staff, split the sea
and graft my withered branch into your family tree
and come to my defense if my brother called it cheap
as if my every breath someone else had planned to breathe?

eternal anchor, eternal love
is there a distance you would not run
with glory gathered up, kicking up the dust
to close the gap i made to try my luck?

would you raise a glass, call a feast
and grace my withered hand with your family ring
and as i search for words to try to explain
would they be drowned out by your redemption parade
and as the forests clap their hands, mountains stomp their feet,
would a thousand trumpets roar as trampled voices sing
and would i be caught up in that embodied melody
of the all-creation misfit-family band of everything?

will all that was lost yet be found?
will all that was lost yet be found?
Name beyond all naming, Love beyond all framing
will all that was lost yet be found?

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Sunday. I’ll be talking about them during worship tomorrow! Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Lds0QUCuOO9lOtuIhfMFVKdzvu9T4BI/view?usp=sharing.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 6-9-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

Doing the Work - Becoming Anti-Racist (by Taylor)

Hello UBC! There has been a lot going on in our country over the past several weeks. The murder of George Floyd has transformed many people in a way that has allowed them to examine their own racism for the first time. It has become abundantly apparent that many of us need to begin or continue the work of training ourselves to be anti-racist. And we, UBC, in light of our Christian beliefs ought to be particularly committed to rooting out our own racist tendencies, learning to be actively anti-racist, and committed to working for justice and equality for all people who were created in the image of God. We ought to be particularly committed to the idea that Black Lives Matter and that we will work to make sure that is true in all settings and at all time.

With that in mind I wanted to pass along these resources with the hope that they might be helpful for you as you begin or continue doing the work of becoming anti-racist – 

Here is a list of anti-racism resources adapted from a Google Doc that was compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein:

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/anti-racism-resources

Here is a list of books, films, and podcasts about racism from NPR:

https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/06/06/871023438/this-list-of-books-films-and-podcasts-about-racism-is-a-start-not-a-panacea

This list of Anti-Racism resources also includes artists and educators you can follow:

https://medium.com/wake-up-call/a-detailed-list-of-anti-racism-resources-a34b259a3eea

If you’re looking for a place to start I would encourage you to start with Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad, but many of these resources can be good and helpful! Look through these lists and find something!

I also wrote a similar email to our families yesterday with resources for talking about racism with kids and as a family. In case you would also be interested in those resources (or in case any of our parents aren’t on that email list – please let me know if you didn’t receive that email) I am also going to include them here -

Here is a resource roundup entitled "Your Kids Aren't Too Young To Talk about Races" - it includes podcasts, articles for parents and caregivers, books for adults and kids, and some toy suggestions:

https://www.prettygooddesign.org/blog/Blog%20Post%20Title%20One-5new4?fbclid=IwAR1XqLK_eTg5jQPL5cUXg5WZgeOavUp_VCrACFJ528zypXYAc7VHfxSx3SE

Here is a list of books from the New York Times to help explain racism and protests to your kids:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/02/parenting/kids-books-racism-protest.html

From the Center for Racial Justice in Education here is another resources round up of interviews, other resource lists, articles, and other resources for talking about race and racism with kids:

https://centerracialjustice.org/resources/resources-for-talking-about-race-racism-and-racialized-violence-with-kids/

I am so thankful for all of you and the work that I know that so many of you are already doing around this conversation! I hope that you find these resources helpful and know that I am walking alongside you in this journey. I would love to be a conversation partner in any way that is helpful for you - and you should definitely join Toph as he walks through The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby in July!

If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to send me an email at taylor@ubcwaco.org.

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been volunteering and everyone who has donated so far.  This is our week to donate and buy supplies for the pantry, so please use the link below to see what still needs to be bought this week.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org. Here's that link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084eacae2aabff2-community

Learning Together - Understanding the Church’s Complicity in Racism“

What we need is a generation of Christians, who will intentionally and in a sustained way consciously fight against the racism that still pervades our society.” - Jemar Tisby Starting in July, we will begin a six week series in which we read and discuss Jemar TIsby’s book: The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism.  There are many ways you can access the book: you can buy it, you can download the audiobook, or you can watch the 12 part series on Amazon Prime.  We will be reading/listening/watching two chapters a week, and we will meet every other week for discussion.  If you would like to purchase the book but do not have the funds available, please let us know and we will get you a copy.  We will begin reading/listening/watching on July 1, and our discussions will happen on July 15, July 29, and August 12.  Toph will be leading the discussion times, however, if you are a poc  in our congregation and would like to lead/help lead, we would welcome your leadership.  If you are a poc and would like to help, please contact Toph.  If you have any questions, email toph@ubcwaco.org

Parishioner(s) of the Week

Kat Reynolds for filling in on music like the #champion4theLord that she is.

Forrest Fenn Treasure Update

Over the years I have mentioned the Forrest Fenn Treasure hunt. It was revealed this week that the treasure has been found. Many of you have reached out to express your concern about the Forrest Fenn treasure finding. While I did have an unrelenting conviction that it was predestined before the foundations of the earth that I would be the one to find it, I am nonetheless glad it has been found and that the spirit of treasure hunting can now soar into a new future. I’d like to thank Forrest Fenn and his adventure creating spirit that drew hundreds of thousands into the Rockies for a real adventure. Congrats to the mystery seeker. May we all embark on new adventures and use our lives to create interesting treasure maps. Thanks for all the support over the years. #forrestfenn #fenntreasure #taptherockies

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 6-7-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

June 7, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on June 7th (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

o love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee
I give you back the life I owe
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer fuller be

o light that follows all my ways
I lift my flickering torch to thee
my heart restores it borrowed ray
that in thy sunshine’s blaze it day
may brighter fairer be

o joy that seeks me through the pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
i’ll trace the rainbow through the rain
and feel the promise is not in vain
that morn shall tearless be

o love, don’t let go of me
o light, hold my flickering
o joy, don’t lose sight of me
o love, don’t let go of me

o cross that’s lifting up my head
I dare not ask to fly from thee
though I lay in dust, life’s glory dead,
from the ground there blossoms red
life that shall endless be

endlessly, endless be, endlessly

Call to Worship

We have gathered to worship the Creator and Sustainer of all things,

The Eternal One, 
the Rock of Ages, 
the God who sees

to be drawn into the way of Christ

The Word-made-flesh,
The Crucified God,
The Risen One

to be formed in heart and mind by the Spirit of God

The Breath of Life
Who is making
all things new

Amen

All Creatures of Our God and King

all creatures of our god and king
lift up your voice and with us sing
o praise him, alleluia
thou burning sun with golden beam
thou silver moon with softer gleam
o praise him, o praise him
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

thou rushing wind, that art so strong
ye clouds that sail in heaven along
o praise him, alleluia
thou rising moon in praise rejoice
ye, lights of evening, find a voice
o praise him, o praise him
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

let all things their creator bless
and worship him in humbleness
o praise him, alleluia
praise, praise the father, praise the son
and praise the spirit, three in one
o praise him, o praise him
alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading is Psalm 8:

O Lord, our Governor,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.
    Out of the mouths of babes and infants
you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
    the moon and the stars that you have established;
what are human beings that you are mindful of them,
    mortals that you care for them?

Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
    and crowned them with glory and honor.
You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
    you have put all things under their feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Governor,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading, and Josh’s sermon text, is Matthew 28:16-20:

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

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Holy, Holy, Holy

Holy, holy, holy
Lord God almighty
early in the morning our song shall rise to thee
Holy, Holy, Holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons, blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy
though the darkness hide thee
though the eye of sinful man
thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy;
there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, love, and purity

Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God almighty
All thy works shall praise Thy name
in earth and sky and sea
Holy, holy, holy
merciful and mighty
God in three persons
blessed trinity,
god in three persons,
blessed trinity

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Trinity Sunday. I’ll be talking about them during worship tomorrow! Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nh1zSIEqRzIAW7cQo4EExCF2mK5D3W6u/view.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!

ITLOTC 6-2-20

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church)

Pentecost

The Future You Can Change

I have favorites.  It’s not hard for me to identify them.  It is for my wife.  Not me.  I rank everything in my head.  I was thinking about some of my favorite years of my life so far.  I loved years 17 & 18.  I had my license, so I had some sense of freedom, but my sense of responsibility was very low.  My parents were pretty much still providing everything.  I started dating Lindsay and that seemed like a fairy tale and the rest of my emotional effort centered around football.  It is, looking back, a pretty self-absorbed life, but I don’t think more so than most teenagers.  I loved being 17 & 18 in my highschool.  It was so much fun.  

I sometimes fantasize about traveling back into time into that body and situation, but with what I know now (and a sports almanac).  I think about how I would engage my teachers differently.  How I would treat people differently.  What I would value differently.  What college I would have picked to go to.  What I would have majored in.   Flying to Vegas to make some cool cash on the UConn/Duke upset and then putting the winnings on a little company called Amazon.  It’s a fun mental exercise.  

I had a dream saturday night/sunday morning that I did just that.  You know how dreams work … logic and rationality were suspended.  I was in my sophomore year english room, but with what I know as a 38 year old. Somehow my dream self didn’t question that state of affairs, I was just excited to get my wish granted.  My sage self made the discussion about Romeo & Juliet very exciting.  My teacher was impressed with the depth of my analysis.  At one point, I looked at my classmates and thought, “Wow, we are really here!  We are living this!  Let’s not take this for granted!”  They didn’t get it.  They wanted their license and highschool to be over and “to get out of this stupid town.” 

Now I want to tell you about a graphic I once saw on the internet that really impacted me.  It said, “When people think about traveling to the past, they worry about accidentally changing the present, but no one in the present really thinks they can radically change the future.” 

Of course the critical difference there is the bit about your sage self and the sports almanac, but still that’s kind of powerful isn’t.  This also had me thinking that it’s likely one day say, in 20 years I may reflect on when I was 38 and wish for a time travel machine to go back to this moment with what I know then.  Perhaps the real truth has never been laid out so succinctly as when Andy Bernard dropped this truth bomb, “I wish there was a way to know you are in the good old days before you leave them.” 

Well maybe nobody will wish to come back to 2020 because of Corona, racism, murder hornets and Kobe Bryant, but still there’s something powerful about drinking deeply from the middle of the life that you are in.  So I encourage you to stop, look around you, think about what you will wish for from your present life in 20 years and thank God for being in the middle of the good old days and make changes for justice for those who aren't. Because the future can be different. It can be what you wished for.

Meet Our Newest UBCer

Abigail Joyce Sculliln

Birthday: April 11, 2020

Birth Weight: 8 lbs 4 oz

Birth Height: 20 inches

Enneagram Number: 4w3

THE ORDER'S SUMMER PLAN:

This summer, our youth group will continue to meet via zoom. We will meet Wednesday nights for check-ins and hangouts, and on Sunday afternoons for a time of formation. Every few weeks, we’ll add a powerpoint party, virtual talent show, or game night! Email Hannah (hannah@ubcwaco.org) or Kieran (kieran@ubcwaco.org) for more info. 

Family Resource Pantry

Thank you to everyone who has been donating so far, and for those who have volunteered. We served 53 families last week!  We are trying to make sure we get the necessary items each week, so below you will find a new resources needed link, and when you are going to purchase something you can check it off the list as bought.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org  You can also use the second link to volunteer if you would like to serve in the pantry and driving meals to families.  

Pantry needs list:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508084EACAE2AABFF2-community
Volunteer signup:
https://bit.ly/communityfoodpantry

Parishioner(s) of the Week

Josh Chatham, Brandon Glover, Andrew Hays & David Van Leeuwen for building a rocket ship that sent two men into space.

Work is Worship

Greeters: No Greeters this week

Coffee Makers: no coffee makers this week

Mug Cleaners: no mug cleaners this week

Money Counter:  no money counters this week

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: Kerri Fisher: Kerri_Fisher@baylor.edu

Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@gmail.com

Jeremy Nance: Jeremy.J.Nance@L3T.com

Joanna Sowards: jo.sowards@gmail.com

Kathy Krey: kathykrey@gmail.com

Jose Zuniga: jzgrphix2002@yahoo.com

Taylor Torregrossa: Taylordtorregrossa@gmail.com

Student Position: Davis Misloski

Student Position: Maddy O’Shaughnessy

UBC Finance Team

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

Catherine Ballas: catherine@refitrev.com

Jen Carron: jen.carron78@gmail.com

Mike Dodson: financeteammike@gmail.com

George Thornton: GeorgecCT1982@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.

Erin Albin: erin.albin1@gmail.com

Sam Goff: samuelgoff92@gmail.com

Rebekah Powell: rpowell671@gmail.com

Kristen Richardson: wacorichardsons@gmail.com

Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu

Ubc Liturgy Stuff 5-31-2020

Ubc Liturgy Stuff

May 31, 2020

Below, you’ll find the song lyrics and scripture readings for the live stream on May 31st (in the order they are needed), as well as some resources for kids! (this includes some stuff that is print-able—if you need Taylor to print stuff for you in the future, just let us know, and we’ll get that set up).

Where God Has Always Been

praise be the lord of all
with their backs against the wall,
hands above their heads, and eyes
lifted up to that impossible line
where the hill meets the sky
who wonder if the distance is
a trick of the earth, or a trick of the mind
and if help will arrive before they slip away

praise be the lord of all
who wrestle until dawn
wear their scars like names, yet find
heaven and earth strangely aligned
like water in the sour wine
hidden in plain sight

for God is now where God has always been:
bunkered down with those in the ditch
raising fountains from the cracking dirt
and raising a feast for the hollow unheard
while the powerful who reign dissolve into the grave
the Eternal One will shade the ones they cast away
until the coming of the day when all this is remade

praise be the lord of all
who’ve nowhere to belong
the Kingdom is drawing near

The World is Yours

blessed are the withered ones out starving for a peace
whose taste they’ve never known
blessed are the ones who bear the shame of never quite
becoming who they’d hoped that they would be
blessed are the ones who wake and plead
that their whole life this far was just a dream

blessed are you
the world is yours

blessed are the bloodshot midnight mourners in the hall
their whole world standing still
blessed are the bloodshot midnight mourners in the park
no one speaks their names
blessed are the ones who know the sting
of the phantom limb embrace of love removed

blessed are you
the world is yours

blessed are the ones who cast their mercy to the wind
now it goes where it goes
blessed are the ones who nurse a pain that’s not their own
the meek amongst the wolves
blessed are you when the knife is in your back
and they’re calling for your head
to finally shut you up
and blot out what you said about the way the scales are rigged
that’s how it’s always been
but just know you’re neither crazy nor alone
you’re not alone

so lift up your head
the world is turning upside down
and as the tables turn, you’ll find you never left the ground
behold the Great Inversion, like a tide that lifts wrecked boats
has risen from the heart of one who’ll never let you go

For Those Tears I Died

locked in confusion and loosening my grip
it’s happened before, God, it happened again
I thought I knew a story about some vile curse shattering
but I think it found a way to mend

you say come to the water and stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied
I hold every teardrop that when in darkness you cried
and it was for those tears I died

open my mouth, put a coal upon my tongue
cauterize my silence and char my teeth to dust
i’ve made an idol out of comfort, praised by keeping my mouth shut
but now it’s found a thirst for blood

you say come to the water and stand by my side
I know you are thirsty, you won’t be denied
I hold every teardrop when you cry out in the night
and it was for those tears I died
it was for those tears I died

but how long?
and how many tears did you have in mind?
or how many hours of the night?
my God
we’re wearing thin
from holding on

Good God, how long?

Old Testament Reading

Today’s Old Testament reading is Numbers 11:24-30:

Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

This is the word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

New Testament Reading

Today’s New Testament reading, and Hannah’s sermon text, is Acts 2:1-21

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

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

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

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, 

and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams. 

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

And I will show 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.' "

This is the Word of the Lord

Thanks be to God

Inbreaking

break in, Inbreaking and
shatter that which You
shattered then
to come close
with your lantern glow
to reveal our wounds and
illuminate the cracks with solder gold

oh, if you can shape affliction into hope-graced art
come and build a kingdom out of broken hearts

O Slaughtered Lamb, don’t delay
we’re wearing thin and losing shape
so raise again the love we’ve slain
and reignite the hope we’ve tamed

break through
this can’t be what You had in
mind at all when
You said the Kingdom has already come
there’s such damage done
is there any way to restore the light that we’ve left in the grave?

oh, if you can shake a death into a hard restart
come and raise a body out of broken parts

O Slaughtered Lamb, don’t delay
we’re wearing thin and losing shape
so raise again the love we’ve slain
and reignite the hope we’ve tamed

come crashing in and blow away
these massive stones we’ve set in place
to seal the door to painted graves
we’ve styled so well with gaudy faith
and call us out into the Dawn
speak the names that we forgot
then Desert Cloud, lead us on
like a great parade of living scars

and if you could sing betrayal like a victory song
come and write a better story out of what went wrong

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow
Praise him all creatures here below
Praise him above, ye heavenly host
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

Amen

Benediction

As we approach this week

May we love God
Embrace Beauty
and Live Life to the fullest

Amen

Worship Resources for UBC Kids and Families

(And also anyone who might want them)

Hello friends! (This is Taylor) Here is a link to some fun coloring sheets and activity ideas for Pentecost. I’ll be talking about them during worship tomorrow! Also included is a kid’s worship bulletin - so if you print it off beforehand kiddos could do that while they watch our worship service! I’m excited to see what you do with these coloring sheets and activities - so please take a picture and tag @ubcwaco when you use them! Thanks everybody! Here is the link: https://illustratedmin.s3.amazonaws.com/weekly-resources/Pentecost.pdf.

p.s. - Remember! If you don’t have a printer just let me know and I can print them out for you!

New Giving App

In case you missed this info for the past couple of weeks:

We're excited to offer a new way to give to UBC - through a simple, fast and secure app!  You can download the free Church Center app and enter "UBC Waco" as your church.  In just a few taps, you'll have your account set up and can give any amount, anytime, from anywhere in the world.  You can make a one-time donation or set up recurring giving instantly.  Best yet, this app is designed specifically for churches, with reduced fees that make sure more of your donation actually goes to support UBC.  If you're not an app person, no worries - we've added Church Center as an option under the "give" tab on our website.  Thanks for your giving and support of our UBC community!