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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
do the work. This will include daily journaling and a weekly date with yourself (by yourself).
reading the chapter each week
have the courage to be vulnerable about your artistic hope and speak with others about it
complete other assignments
hold other people’s artistic dreams with care
be an encourager
buy the book
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