ITLOTC
(In The Life Of The Church)
Pentecost
The Settled Self (by Josh)
I’m not sure how to organize this entry, so we’ll call musings from vacation. I’ll start here. I noticed that I enjoyed being with my wife and children more while I was gone. This is all predictable, but indulge me. I was on vacation, stress diminished, I forgot about the things that were taking life from my emotional self. Yada, yada, yada. This is why we go on vacation. It works. In terms of my therapy work, I got closer to the present than I am when I'm in the routine of what we call life.
Here is something staggering that happened to me though. I did not know about the Surfside Tower collapse in Miami until three days after it happened. Let me pause to acknowledge how horrible that event was. But now let me return to my point. I did not know about the most significant event that happened in America on June 24 until three days after it happened. The reason for this? Logistics. We were traveling. I was driving for large chunks of most of those days. Internet was spotty. My attention was being seduced by natural parks and their beauty. When I did have wifi I was tired. There are many reasons why the news got to me late.
When I realized that the news was three days old, I reflected on a world where I was sheltered enough to not get major news for three days. I read a book about Ted Roosevelt while I was on vacation. One of the things I kept noting was how telecommunications worked in the early part of the 20th C. Roosevelt lost his first wife and mom on the same day. He was in Albany doing politics when he got the news through a telegram that things were bad. Then he spent all day on a train trying to get to his dying wife and mother. That’s how things worked back then. Telegrams and train rides. And in this case, that technology was only available to him because he was a politician with means. Most people in the rural areas of the country wouldn't get news for months, sometimes years. Imagine that!
I highlight the Ted Roosevelt example of prehistoric telecommunication conditions because I tell myself this is precisely why I/we have all the technological advancements we have. Get stranded in a wilderness--what’s the one thing you’d want? A satellite phone. But now I’m wondering at what cost this comes? I thought about padding this newsletter with some stats about the effects of social media on individuals, but the truth is there are some positives and negatives and you can probably guess what most of those are. I am not an anti social media person. I am an active user and beneficier of such things, but I’m also enslaved by them in ways I don’t want to be. To be honest I’ve gotten off of Facebook for seasons and reduced my use of most platforms, but when I do I do feel a sense of being disconnected and as a pastor I feel a bit crippled by that. But I’ve also noticed that the other things I lose are unnecessary anxiety, feelings of judgment, and a bunch of wasted time. Universal and sometimes meaningful access to people and ideas or a kind of internal serenity. I wish the choice wasn’t so stark.
Perhaps it need not be. What do you do with social media? How do you use it? Do you have mechanisms to help you participate in a healthy way? I’ll take my answers off the air. Please send thoughts to josh@ubcwaco. org.
Meet the Newest L-Team Rep
Bryce Sandvall
Why are you in Waco: To do awesome things
Currently Watching: Bluey is the best show on TV. And if you don’t love it you’re wrong. Wish I was watching Ted Lasso… I think I’d love it. Does someone want to give me their AppleTV login so I can watch?
Vacation Destination: Rosemary Beach, FL
Favorite Waco Restaurant to Eat At: Moroso
Bible verse/chapter/book that has impacted you: Isaiah 40:31.
Something we'd never know about you: My first job was being the batboy at the Ballpark in Arlington for all the visiting teams
Meet the UBCers
Team Taylor
UBC T-Shirt
We have new UBC shirts in the works. These will be simple white t-shirts, with a black logo on the pocket area. The shirts will be $15, and we will have a party to tie-dye them on August 15th (should you want your shirt to be more awesome). You can sign-up on Sunday morning, or email Toph to sign-up with how many shirts and the sizes you want.
Waco Dives Location - Waco Ale
It’s the last one of what has arguably been the most successful fellowship effort since COVID. So if you’d like some time with fellow champions4thelord, join us tomorrow at Waco Ale for a dynamite lunch. Waco Ale is located at 806 Austin Ave.
Parishioner of the Week
Alyssa Pittman, Maddy O’Shaughnessy-Hayes, and Toph for being adult volunteers as Passport Camp 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: Kathy Krey kathykrey@gmail.com
Ben Raley: Benjaminrale y@gmail.com
Bryce Sandvall: Bryce@holeintheroof.com
Katie Valenzuela: KatarinaEValenzuela@gmail.com
Luci Hoppe: lhoppe@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 Hill: 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