Raising Wendell

I've said a few times before, both in this newsletter and in sermons, that the enneagram has been extremely helpful for me in my formation. It has exposed within me: my strengths, weaknesses, propensity for sin, how I behave under stress, how I behave when I'm healthy and so much more. It's also helped me understand a question I have about myself that will probably seem to you both arrogant and humorous.

In my second year of seminary I went to Baylor's chapel service to hear Tony Campolo speak. Campolo begin his sermon/lecture by stating that Freud thought everything was about sex, but that was later corrected by Nietzsche who said that everything was about power. Campolo agreed. Human behavior he said could be described by the human need for power. I disagreed. I thought to myself "I really don't care about power I just want to be famous. If I'm famous and poor ... that's fine. If I'm famous and powerless that's fine ... I just want to be famous."

The question in my head went something like this, "Does everyone want to be famous or is that just me?" The enneagram helped me understand my question. I'm a three. Though I think some of us, even a majority of us might enjoy some fame, the three loves to be adored. Their need to be praised is a form of idolatry in their lives. It's why they do what they do and why their biggest fear is of being useless.

Many times I have stood with the good people of UBC pondering the notion that I'm gathered with a community of people who have come together to confront their own idolatry by gathering for God's glory and not their own. Father Richard Rohr says that America is a three country. Consequently I belong to a society where my ambitions are often deemed good. I think it's healthy then, that the one place I can go to hear the truth is the church. The church is the sole voice in a self-help, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps society that will tell you/me that in fact, "this is not your story, it is God's. Grace has given you a part in it. You can't meaningfully be anything other than who you already are in Christ."

This week Lindsay and I welcomed our fourth child into our family. Wendell Lewis is a 8 lb 3 oz champion for the Lord. Because of the recent chaos we've found ourselves in, I hadn't reflected much on Wendell's coming. So I did while I was in the hospital. I began dreaming the narratives that involve me, my foxy wife, and our four kids. In these milestone moments, like having a new child, I usually slow down to take inventory of my own life. I ask the meta questions. I think about all that has happened. I dream about where to go.

One night while I was rocking Wendell in the wee hours of the morning I began thinking about my oldest son Roy. Roy recently turned 7. I thought back to all the advice I got from those eager to share it with first time parents. Of everything that was said I only remember one thing. When Lindsay was pregnant with Roy I was a park ranger. My park ranging partner, Lanny, offered this, "I'm sure everybody's giving you all kinds of advice, so I won't save to say this, it goes so fast."

That was nearly eight years ago and Lord has it gone fast. There was something in that moment when I caught a glimpse of the speed of life that made me reflective of the kind of parent I want to be. What kind of parent I want to be to my oldest son Roy, my newest son Wendell and my two girls in-between. I decided I will not ask them to strive to be famous.

Of course few parents would put that on their children. But we do want them to be great or at least as great as they can be. That is the language we've given ourselves permission to use.

I don't know what your experience with social media is like, but mine seems increasingly dismal. Still, in world of snarky comments, food pictures, and unfiltered political memes I sometimes find little gems. This week one came from my friend Brett. On his wall he posted a photo of a page from William Martin's book "The Parents Tao Te Ching."

There is this quote from Abraham Joshua Heschel that I love. He says: “Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.”

Often I'm questioned about what it means to raise children in a Godly home. From now on I think I shall tell people to teach their children wonder.

Meet the HR Team

Meet Lacy McNamee

Family: Douglas (husband of 6 years); Campbell & Basey (certified Grade A mutts)

Vocation/Job/What I do: Assistant Professor in the Communication Department at Baylor

Favorite Movie: Shawshank Redemption; Gone Baby Gone

Best Restaurant in Waco: George’s, of course. Wait, does Baskin Robbins count as a restaurant?

Chapter from the Bible that is meaningful to me: Matthew 6:25-34 (“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life…”)

Best Television Show: Sherlock; Walking Dead ~ high functioning sociopaths and zombies = high quality entertainment.

Favorite Holiday: Christmas!

Something you might not know about me: As a kid, I used to cry after Christmas was over (I wish that were a lie).

Hobbies: Volunteering, cycling, cooking….planning survival tactics for the zombie apocalypse.

UBC Marriage Ministry Presents: Game Night

Where: UBC

When: Saturday April 12th @ 6:00 PM

Will there be childcare? Yes.

John Sunday School Class

This week is the last week we will have our awesome teacher Lindsey Trozzo with us. Lindsey would love to use her last week here to field questions you might have about John. You can email her your questions ahead of time at lindsey_Trozzo@baylor.edu.

UBC and SWCC Present: Epic Easter Egg Hunt

What: An Epic Easter Egg Hunt

When: April 12th @ 11:00 AM

Where: South Waco Community Center (2815 Speight)

Who: both UBC families to participate & everyone else to volunteer. (Last year the SWCC served 400 hundred kids with 4,000 Easter Eggs. This year they are expecting more kids and so they need to prepare 7,000 eggs!!! Please come help make our neighborhood better).

Families @ Baylor Soccer Field

As many of you know, the weather is looking a bit spotty for our afternoon gathering. As of now we are still planning on having our families at the Baylor-Soccer-Field-Day after church this Sunday. Please check the twitter account on Sunday for cancelations or listen for it in the announcements.

What do I need to bring?

1. Drinks for your family

2. Clothes to play in/get dirty in

Who do i contact if i haven't already singed up? josh@ubcwaco.org

Work Is Worship

4-6-14

Coffee Makers: Jess Hinshaw & Sarah Welch

Coffee Clean Up:

Greeters: Jeff and Teri Walter

April-June sign ups are now posted. Please consider signing up for our new quarter.

Leadership Team Nominations

UBC is governed by an executive body which we call the leadership team.
The leadership team is made up of 7 non-staff members of the UBC community.
Leadership team terms last 3 years.
A year term runs from July-June.
The existing leadership team selects new members as old members rotate off.
The leadership team meets once a quarter (July, October, January, April) and for any other emergency sessions.
In the April meeting nominations for new leadership team members will be reviewed and voted upon.
A new leadership team member’s first meeting is the July meeting.
There is one spot being vacated this year.
We are now accepting nominations for leadership team members.
Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else in the community.
Those wishing to nominate themselves or someone else should send nominations to josh@ubcwaco.org.
We are taking nominations between now and April 20th.

Announcements

Sunday Sermon Text: James 5:13-18 (Get excited as Brother Toph prepares to bring the Thunder)
John Sunday School: Q & A with Lindsey (her last sunday (insert sad face emoji))
Christians in the Headlines: The Gospel Coalition and World Vision
Psalms of Ascent Sunday School: Psalm 130-131
If you feel like the music is at times too loud, we have earplugs available next to the mints out front.
If you’d like to purchase a children’s ministry t-shirt for you or your child, please email Emily@ubcwaco.org or find her at church on Sunday. The shirts cost $8.
Marriage Ministry Presents: Game Night. April 12^th @ UBC. Child care provided. Email craig@ubcwaco.org if you have questions.

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?

254 366 9779

(please do not send texts to this number)

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: Jana Parker jparkerslp@gmail.com

Kristin Dodson kschwebke@prodigy.net

Kaley Eggers kaley.eggers@gmail.com

David Wilhite david_wilhite@baylor.edu

Austin Tiffany Austin_Tiffany@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu

Teri Walter terijan@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

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

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Paul Taft: ptaft@extracobanks.com

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com