ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Pentecost
A Prayer for Transition (and a thank you)
by Bri
We are all experiencing transitions of some kind right now, if I had to guess. Though I still certainly recognize that the pandemic is not over for much of the world, we can say that things are opening back up for our part of the world.
I went to the Analog event at Pinewood a few weeks ago (at which one of our own, Sharyl Loeung, spoke, and many of you were there). The theme was centered around a quote from Sonya Renee Taylor (on a side note, I highly recommend her book The Body is Not an Apology),
“We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.”
This opportunity to stitch a new garment is one I also yearn for in our society. We have so much to process in our lives. So much grief. So much joy. So much everything. Most of the systems in our society don’t know how to make room for all of our emotions. I hope for a better world in which we do have time and space to feel everything deeply as we need to, especially when it comes to healing from the traumas we have each experienced, individually and collectively. I hope we can instead normalize generosity, equity, abundance mentality, connection, clearness, kindness, and love. Each and every individual belongs, exactly for who you are and for all that you are.
As I reflect and prepare for my move to Dallas and starting my new job, I have recognized that a big part of what makes it so difficult is because of how deeply I love this church. You have all formed me and loved me and given me opportunities and affirmation. I have become a truer version of myself because of these last four years with you. I want to write something that fully expresses how my life has been changed by UBC, but I hope some of these words will be enough. From the depths of my heart, I say thank you.
As so much of my life is in the midst of transition and change, I thought back to a prayer that I wrote five years ago after graduating with my undergraduate degree. Though so much of my understanding of myself, of others, of God, and of the world has changed in these last five years, I am still grateful to look back and see this formational prayer. Since I’ve written it, one of my biggest realizations has been that to know God more fully, we must see God in each and every person we encounter. God is not just some distant Creator, but God is also the encounters I have had with each and every one of you. We can be God to each other, because we bring the divine love with us and in us.
I hope that as we all experience transition in our lives-- the pandemic, loss of a loved one, loss of a job, birth of a new baby, new relationships, changing relationships, or anything and everything in between-- that this prayer might be a source of peace to you, too.
A Prayer for Transition
Our good and gracious God,
In times when the future is so unsure, please be our sureness.
In times when we feel like we cannot go on, please be the solid rock on which we stand.
In times when the lies from fear make us doubt, please be our truth.
In times when our feelings are a roller coaster or we don't even know how to feel, please be our unwavering constant.
In times when we fail, please give us mercy.
In times when we compare those failures to the successes of those around us, please be our identity.
In times when we begin to rely on our own plans and successes, please be our humility.
In times when the heartbreak makes it hard to go on living, please be our comfort.
In times when a new birth brings infinite possibilities, please be our deepest joy.
In times of separation from loved ones, please be our connector.
In times when we have to say goodbye, please be our peace.
In times when we experience rejection and have nowhere to turn, please be our refuge.
In times when we wait for direction, please grant us patience.
In times when we do become impatient, please be our contentment.
In times when we yearn for more, from this life through eternity with You, please be our all-consuming satisfaction.
In times of transition, thank you for being the God of it all.
Again, thank you, UBC. You will always be home to me. Please stay in touch. <3
Liturgy of Mourning (Thurs 7/1, 5:30 PM)
We are all carrying various sorts of grief from this past year. In the interest of grieving well and honoring what has been lost, we are gathering together to offer our mourning to God on 7/1 at 5:30 PM.
Meet the UBCer(s)
Team Burns
Waco Dives Location
Join us to for Waco Dives this Wednesday, we are heading to Laziza. Laziza is a great mediterranean place, and you definitely need to try it. Come meet other UBC’ers and enjoy lunch. We will meet there at noon on Wednesday. 579 N Valley Mills Dr, Waco, TX 76710. #yourbestlunchnow
Leadership Team Nomination
Hello friends, I posted this a few time back in late April/early may, but leadership team will meet Sunday July 11th, so I wanted to make a last call for nominations. Original message below.
We will be replacing three of our valiant leadership team members this July. Thank you to Jeremy Nance, Kerri Fisher, & Joanna Sowards. Description of the role is below. Leadership team members function as the executive decision making body of the church. The commitment is to a three year term. Leadership team terms are three years. If you would like to nominate someone for the leadership team, please do so by using this link to fill out the form.
(A) Purpose. The Leadership Team shall be the primary decision-making body of UBC. The Leadership Team will oversee all the business and property of the church, as well as make the final decisions regarding hiring and dismissal of staff and the acquisition and selling of assets that are beyond budgetary provisions.
(C) Qualifications. Each member of Leadership Team shall have been a member of UBC for at least one year, exhibited an understanding and commitment to the mission and values of the church, and be willing to fulfill all responsibilities in the Leadership Team job description.
(E) Term. Members of Leadership Team may serve for a duration lasting up to three years. While they are encouraged to remain the full three years, members may voluntarily remove themselves from their position at any time.
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
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
Craig Nash: Craig_Nash@baylor.edu
Kristen Howerton: khowerton94@gmail.com
Patrick Broaddus: patrickjbroaddus@gmail.com