ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Epiphany
Biblical Tricksters
I’ll tell you what I’m thinking about this week. I just finished reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic. The subtitle is semi-helpful “creative living beyond fear.” That sounds a little self-helpy to me, but really what Liz is trying to do is get creative people to overcome objections they have to attempting creative endeavors. I bought it because it was recommended to me a few times and I heard a fascinating interview with her on Krista Tippet’s On Being.
On my goodreads page I gave the book 5 stars. I loved it. All of it. The way Gilbert organized the book, her writing and especially her content. In a book of so many things to love, let me tell you about what I loved the most. Or at least have thought about the most. Gilbert talks extensively about the tortured artist. I had heard of the tortured artist, but thought of it as a kind of trope. But Gilbert talks about it a lot and has been in the writing game for a while, so i figured that maybe the tortured artist is a real thing. By tortued artist I think Gilbert means something like this: creatives that actively seek things like depression and hardship in order to be able to have the kind of a creative output that they want.
Now for the thing I loved. Gilbert campaigns against being a tortured artist. she acknowledges that the forces that act against the creative person are real, but suggests there’s a better way. She has a plethora of suggestions. You should read the book if you want to know about them. Let me hone in one. Be a trickster. Yes, that’s right, a trickster. My wife uses the word trickster. We have a foster daughter. I call her Stella. She is fiercely independent. Does not want others to have control or too much input into her life. Sometimes, when she wants to be left alone, like say … when she is in the car seat, if you call her name she closes her eyes and pretends that she is asleep so she doesn’t have to respond to you. The funny part of this story is that she is 2 years old. For this crafty disobedience, my wife calls her a trickster. In my mind, tricksters are people who can work the margins of the rule book to get the world to work in their favor. The shrewd manager in Luke 16 is a trickster.
But who cares what I think tricksters are. What does Liz Gilbert think they are and how is trickstering a healthy way to combat the darkside of the universe that plagues our creative efforts? Here I’ll give Liz the microphone:
Martyr says: “I will sacrifice everything to fight this unwinnable war, even if it means being crushed to death under a wheel of torment.”
Trickster says: “Okay, you enjoy that! AS for me, I’ll be over here in this corner, running a successful little black market operation on the side of the unwinnable war.”
Martyr says: “Life is Pain.”
Trickster says: “Life is interesting.”
Martyr says: “The system is rigged against all that is good and sacred.”
Trickster says: “There is not system, everything is good, and nothing is sacred.”
Martyr says: “Nobody will ever understand me.”
Trickster says: “Pick a card, any card!”
Martyr says: “The world can never be solved.”
Trickster says: “Perhaps not … but it can be gamed.”
Ok I’ll stop there even though Liz goes on. I was thinking about tricksters in the Bible and the first person that came to my mind was Jacob. Jacob was a trickster. He stole his brother’s birthright and blessing for a bowl of soup. He’s even referred to as the supplanter. Some real trickster business can be found in Jacob’s story. Jake wrestled God. Most people would have gotten smoked in that match. Jake earned himself a nice limp, but not before he secured himself a blessing from God. In my mind Jacob’s story has always had a cousin in the new testament … the syrophoenician woman. She approaches Jesus asking for a miracle. Jesus says no, and establishes Israel’s priority. 99.9% of people would have walked away. Not her, she’s a trickster. She offers Jesus a comeback. It’s not wildly different than Jake wrestling God. Jesus grants her miracle. Trickster stuff.
I’ll tell you why I’m enamored with tricksters. To me it seems to be a theological category I hadn't thought of before.
We’ve all been warned about the problems with the prosperity gospel. God is not a cosmic vending machine and any theology that treats God as such is bankrupt. Still, one can’t deny that God provides and that God blesses. It may be that our theological hangup is that God seems to do so idiosyncratically. I for the life of me, cannot figure out why some people get their miracles and some don’t. It really doesn’t seem fair. But what Liz Gilbert has helped me see is that there is a kind of believer … a kind of faith that doesn’t really care what the rules are or what is supposed to happen. This person is a playful theological someone who dares to hope for something entirely different invents a new set of rules. In the very least I can say this. In the cases of the shrewd manager, Jacob and the syrophoenician woman God was interested in being tricked.
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Parents Night Out
Do you have children that you would love other people to watch for free while you go on an outing with your significant other? Or perhaps you don’t have a significant other, but do have children and would really just love some time to yourself. Well boy do I have a deal for you. UBC is hosting a parents night on Valentines day from 6-9 PM CST. Those interested in taking advantage of this rare opportunity should act now. Don’t wait! Please email Taylor@ubcwaco.org to sign up.
Ash Wednesday Service
UBC will host Ash Wednesday services on 2-26 at 7:00 AM & 5:30 PM. Liturgy will last about 30 minutes. There will be no childcare, but children are encouraged to come and attend worship.
UBC Missions Committee
If you are interested in learning more about the newly forming UBC Missions Committee, you can come to our first meeting this Sunday after church. We will be meeting the Red Room, 10 minutes after the service ends. If you have any questions, email toph@ubwaco.org
Cesar Chavez Encouragement, 2/22
The fine folks over at Cesar Chavez Middle School have asked if we would participate in a project to encourage the students there. After church on Sunday the 22nd, we will be writing some notes on stars to encourage the kids. Please plan to stay after church for a little while to help out, it should only take 15-20 minutes. If you have any questions, email toph@ubwaco.org
Parishioner of the Week
Brother Toph Whisnant. Typically this space is reserved for parishioners because, well, if a staff person does something well or good, there’s a sense in which they should be cause it’s his or her job. But let me tell you about Brother Toph. On Monday we had our annual fire inspection. After the inspection was over, one of the main waterlines began leaking. That leak turned into a small waterfall. So Toph spent a few hours that spilled into the evening mopping water and pouring out buckets to save the UBC kitchen until the after hours emergency plumber could arrive.
Work is Worship
Greeters: Richardson
Coffee Makers: Clark Mi Casa
Mug Cleaners: Nelsons
Money Counter: Richardson
Announcements
Sermon Text: Matthew 5:3-12 “blessed”
2-26 Ash Wednesday Service 5:30 PM CST
3-26 Night of Belonging Spring 1
3-29 nUBCers Lunch
4-23 Night of Belonging Spring 2
Youth Schedule
February 29 - Leap Year Celebration (Movie/Game Night)
March 11 - NO YOUTH (Spring Break)
March 27 - TBD (Talent Show?)
April 19 - 5/6 Family Game Night
April 26 - After Church Picnic
May 13 - Last Youth
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
Byron Griffin: byrontgriffin@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.
JD Newman: JD_Newman@baylor.edu
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