ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Advent
Why I Wear My Slytherin Robe (by Josh)
On Friday I had a conversation with Kareem. Kareem commented on my Slytherin robe again. I could tell he was trying to be gentle. Kareem knows how fragile my ego is and has taught himself the art of helping me hear. “We’re (speaking for the alleged masses) not against you wearing a robe, let’s just get you an actual robe,” he explains. I tell Kareem that would defeat the point. Part of the Slytherin robe is a subtle critique of the real robe. That pastors would wear a robe at all. After all, on Mr. Rogers Sunday we explain that a meritocracy of vocation is ecclesiological party foul. All jobs are created equal in the kingdom.
Still I have to confess to you “the priestly collar,” makes sense to me. The collar does not, in my mind, represent the elevated status of the individual wearing it or even the position itself, it represents God’s promised presence. I was recently reflecting on pastoral duties in a letter to someone in which I identified the one task that I think is uniquely pastoral is the priestly task. I explained that I can find someone to pinch hit the preaching task. I share the leadership duties. Others write newsletter articles. I finish last on staff in pastoral care acumen. The one job I think only a pastor can do is be a priest. That is the those moments in which he or she stands between God and the people as a conduit. It’s not a theologically essential role, especially in baptist life where we celebrate the priesthood of all believers, and still I think those moments exist from time to time.
So perhaps the robe could signify that. And still that’s not why I wear my Slytherin robe. I do wear the robe in part to be silly, yes. But in a world where I could wear a million different kinds of robes I wear the Slytherin robe for a particular reason. As I have aged and the way I have held my own faith has evolved, I have had to conform to the shape the gospel has demanded of my life. God has gone from cosmic vending machine, to best friend, to spiritual warfare general, to meditation partner, to the one who Abraham never speaks to after the binding of Isaac. I suppose if I were to attempt to give an ontological description of God that abides and withstands my promiscuous theological attempts, I would borrow from Paul Tillich and say God is the Ground of Being in the face of the threat of my non-being. To put clothes on that ontology, I would borrow from J.R.R. Tolkein who described the gospel (read Jesus story) as a eucatastrophe. The unexpected, unbelievable, joyous ending to a decidedly bad story.
Let’s stick with Tolkein for a second. He was a philologist. A lover of words. He wrote the languages of Middle Earth and then wrote the Lord of the Rings. Said the story existed around the words. Words are powerful like that. Worlds exist around them. Read John 1. So Tolkein wrote a story. His own eucatastrophe.
For a long time I wondered why C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings, and Rowling’s Harry Potter resonate so deeply for so many generations. Then I stumbled on the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell. I watched his 1988 PBS documentary with Bill Moyers on Netflix. In watching Campbell speak, I thought about CS Lewis and his work with with mythology. And then I further reflected on what CS Lewis meant when he said of his conversion, “Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths: i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'.
This for me is why I wear the robe. Because the robe for me is a kind of sacrament. It reminds me that I’m telling a story each week. Unpacking a myth. A myth that has the power to save lives and transform the world. I bear witness to the eucatastrophe.
Foster Kid’s Christmas Presents
Hello UBC Family! We are sponsoring 25 kids through Arrow Child and Family Ministries for Christmas. We have 12 of the kids sponsored already, but I need to 13 more folks/families to help. We have a Christmas wish list for each kid, and the budget for the presents is $30. If you would like to sponsor a kid, please email toph@ubwaco.org The deadline for returning the presents in December 7. If you have any questions, reach out to Toph.
Bible Reading for Sunday
Hello parents. As of now, Tuesday morning, I (josh) am about 88% sure the Old Testament reading for Sunday (and consequent sermon) will be on Genesis 38. This is a bible story full of adult themes. In light of this, I would encourage parents, with kids of all ages, to read the text this week and discern 1. if you would like to discuss the reading with you kids beforehand and 2. if you would like for your kids to hear a sermon on this text.
Advent Materials for Families
Hey Parents and Families! Just a reminder that Advent starts this Sunday and so Taylor has some fun family curriculum for you to do together as we journey through Advent! There are fun crafts and activities as well as reflection questions and devotional elements for you to do together as a family during this Advent season! So be on the lookout for an email with those resources! Also - you don't have to be family unit to use these resources! So if you would like to use them just email Taylor at taulor@ubcwaco.org!
Parishioner of the Week
Kelly Harp for being interviewed by Susan Stabile at Fabled on Friday night about being an enneagram 4.
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