ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Epiphany
Perspectives on Llfe, Death and Lent (by Josh)
I’m currently reading Blake Crouch’s Recursion. Without saying too much, i’ll summarize one character story arc this way: “Young scientist Helena Smith, works tirelessly to invent a memory chair capable of mapping and conveying past experiences for Alzheimer's patients.” Somehow because of the subjectivity of time, the nature of memory and existence, the chair ends up being a means to access previous points in one’s life ontologically. To be honest I didn’t follow the alleged science of that part of the book very well.
The idea is in service to a payoff that I suspect many if not nearly all humans have fantasized about. The ability to return to a moment from our history and make a change that would alter our future for the better. That is the story arc of Barry. The moment he chooses to return to and correct is the death of his daughter, who he loses in a car accident. One of the most interesting parts of the book is reading Crouch describe Barry’s epistemic status with the knowledge of a now former memory of his future in which he lost his daughter. Barry’s overwhelming reverence for every single detail of this redeemed alternative story arc is beautiful. Barry is given the opportunity to live into the “what if,” and the reason it is so rich is because he lived 15 years into his loss and that memory lives with him in his alternative past, which has become his present again. It is a kind of resurrection. And in his life with the taste of resurrection, Barry drinks deeply from his life that has been restored. Nothing is mundane. It is all blessed in the radiance of the knowledge of the fact that it is, instead of is not.
There is a flirty relationship with life, death and meaning. The gods envy us Achilles says in the Iliad, because we are mortal. There are a few ways to live in the meaning of that relationship. One way is to do it as Barry does. As someone who lost and found again. Another is to live in the immanence of death. Life is not restored in this instance, but it is vivid for those who abide in life with the knowledge of death’s proximity. It’s like that Tim McGraw song “Live Like You Are Dying.”
I’ve also heard folks talk about their lives after they get sober this way. A renewed gratitude for a life they didn’t think they could have again.
I was thinking wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to die, travel in time, recover from alcoholism or do anything else drastic to be maximally appreciative of the blessing of the everyday. This sent me reflecting on the power of the Chirstian story. Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ is coming again AND you have been baptized into that death, Paul says in Romans 6. This really is the gift of baptism. In it, we die. We are relocated as Barry is, into a life we did not think we could have. We have already died. Already lost and all we have left to gain is everything.
To arise into Christian life is to understand that you have already lost. All have sinned and are dead in that sin. The Christian life then is, as Eugene Peterson said, “a daily exploration of the constant and countless ways in which God’s grace and love are experienced.” This is good news. I suspect this is also the reason for our Lenten practices and season. We are practicing the reality of death preparing for Jesus’ death yet again and consequently our own. We begin by owning our ashes, die on good friday and practice our resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Living in the shadow of the reality of death so that we might more fully enjoy life might seem like an odd instinct, but it is a fruitful one. Years ago UBC had a prayer in it’s arsenal that we read at the beginning of Lent in which we named just what we planned to fast from, but also what we intended to feast on. The two live together like mountains and valleys. Lent then, will not just direct us to Easter, but it will do so in the full reality of what could have been. We take seriously the notion that death could have won. And in greeting death we are freed from it.
Meet the UBC(ers)
Sandvalls
Leadership Team Meeting
There will be a leadership team meeting this Sunday, March 14th after church. This is a reminder to let you know that you can reach out to any member of the leadership team to share concerns or ideas. Those members and the best email address to contact them are listed below.
Parishioner of the Week
The Carneys for winning Western Trivia at Jellystone Park North Texas.
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