ITLOTC 10-16-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five (movies that formed me)

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth pointing out that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.

_____________________________________________________________

These probably aren’t the five best movies of all time.  That’s why I’m not calling them that.  They are the five that have formed me the most.  That probably means something like this.  I watched them and then after they were finished I laid in my couch for an additional half hour thinking about them.  Then slowly, days later, sometimes weeks later, the meaning and suggestion in the film grew even stronger in my thought pattern, occupying a surprising amount of my thought space.  Because I am a Christian, and take in my experience with that worldview and those suppositions, the film inevitably makes for a conversation partner with the Christian tradition.  I try on new ideas.  I square those things with what Jesus taught me is true about myself and the world and something new is born in that tension.  I subsequently believe something different and if my faith is what I hope it is, behave differently because of my new conviction.

1.     The Tree of Life- Directed by Terrence Malick

The Tree of Life (hereafter TOL) has been called Malick’s magnum opus.  He spent several decades working on the film in one way or another.  Malick was studying Heidegger at Oxford when, allegedly, he suddenly quit claiming he wanted to show people phenomonlogy instead of write about.  Hence, he became a filmmaker.  I share that for two reasons.  One to establish his credibility and two to warn you of the movie’s reputation for being esoteric.  I would guess that 70% of people who see the film either quit watching it or finish and disdain it.  When people ask me about it, I don’t recommend it. 

Now I’ll say this.  I’ve thought about this statement and I mean it.  It is for me, the greatest piece of art that I’ve ever had an experience with.   I’m usually with the 70% on these sorts of things, but after I finished TOL I had a sense that I had never been so successfully explored and understood by an artist.  In a loose sense TOL is rough sketch of Job, dealing with grief, pain, loss, discovery and ultimately freedom.   A criticism might be that Malick tries to take on too many large themes in one movie, but the bottom line is he probably care what your criticism is.  He makes the movies he likes. 

2.     To End All Wars – Directed by David Cunningham

To End All Wars came out in 2001.  I didn’t hear about it … then or for another 12 years.  My friend Matthew told me about it and so I decided to watch it only because it was streaming for free on Netflix.  It stars Kiefer Sutherland and a few other people I’ve never heard of.  I was blown away.  It wasn’t until seminary that I discovered how pervasive suffering and non-violence are in the gospel.  I had read Jesus’ comments about loving your enemy and turning the other cheek, but I ignored them in favor of the God who commanded Israel to slaughter her enemies.  I want to claim that I’m a pacifist, but the truth is I don’t know if I am.  I imagine there are too many situations in which I would discover my own limitations in following Jesus’ on this command and consequently respond with violence.  But there are also a million moments in which I could respond non-violently and this movie shows me what that power looks like.  It showed me what it means to have power from below instead of power from above.  Watch it, I dare you.

3.     The Mission- Directed by Roland Joffe

This movie confronted me in much the same way To End All Wars did.  It too, asks questions about the Christian commitment to nonviolence.  But equally compelling is the theme of forgiveness.  Robert De Niro plays Rodrigo Mendoza, a slave hunter who adducts South Americans to be sent back to Spain as a slave.  Later, Mendoza finds himself in a conflict, which ends in murder.  His penance earns him a trip back to the community from which he took lives.  This time not as a slave hunter, but as an assistant to Father Gabriel (Jeremy Irons). This scene remains one of the most powerful I’ve ever scene in cinematic history. 

4.     Interstellar – Directed by Christopher Nolan

I never thought I’d like a space movie after Star Wars.  With HD cameras, Hubble telescopes, and screen savers, I was convinced there wasn’t much and wonder left to be depicted.   When I first saw the trailer for Interstellar I was mildly interested.  Then I saw it was directed by Christopher Nolan and it became a must see.  One of my friends who is much smarter than I am said that he didn’t like the movie.  When he explained why I didn’t understand all the words he was using so I probably didn’t quite get it.  I think the summary was that, in the final scene in which an extra-dimensional Matthew McConaughey communicates with his daughter, the movie jumped the theological shark.  Meaning that its attempt to be trans-human was an insult in the Christian doctrine of incarnation.   Touché, but the bible doesn’t address the scope of physical universe and I like movies that play with the idea of what human interaction with that universe might look like.  For example listen to the dialogue in this clip in which a robot complains about being built too much like humans. 

            I’m not sure what the makeup of resurrected-glorified bodies is.  In all likelyhood we are probably injected with the divine.  A substance that physicist will never be able to measure in lab.  But NT Wright tells me in his 800 page green monster that our resurrected bodies will have continuity and discontinuity with the present ones.  I’ll be interested to see how that comes out. 

5.     Inside Out – Directed by Pete Docter & Ronnie del Carmen

I’ll be honest, I wanted to put this at number 3, but I thought that might be an overreaction.  We all know Pixar makes kids movies that appeal to adults, but I think this might be Pixar's first adult movie that also appeals to kids.  Holy smokes!  It’s embarrassing to get misty-eyed Timmy’s birthday party, but let’s be honest, we all did.  If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s about a kid with emotions and how those emotions develop.  ******spoiler alert ahead, quit reading if you don’t want to hear about the ending*****.  There are five major emotions that all humans have according to IO: joy, sadness, disgust, anger, and fear.  Joy runs the show.  Joy likes to have a plethora of joy feelings hanging around.  Sadness threatens to taint those memories.   Joy keeps sadness out.  Child becomes dysfunctional.  Joy discovers child needs sadness.  Memories get mixed with joy and sadness AT THE SAME TIME.   Hebrews 12:2 is exegeted.  Mic drop!

Kyle Lake Celebration Service

We will be remembering and celebrating our friend and pastor Kyle Lake on Homecoming Sunday, October 25th.  Please come and invite friends who you think might want to join us. 

UBC Kids Service

Hello Parents!  It is that time again!  The UBCKids Service will be Sunday, November 15th!  This year, we will be presenting The Beatitudes and we couldn’t be more excited!  In the classroom, we have already begun our preparation with the kids and will continue to dive deeper into God’s keys to happiness over the next few weeks!  Look for a parent letter with more detailed information and a CD of our music to be coming home soon!  If you have any questions, email Emily at emily@ubcwaco.org

Finance Update From Tom

UBC Financial Status
as of: October 7, 2015

THE PLAN:  Our fiscal year runs from the first of July through the end of June.  This year’s budget is $309,412.  Fixed expenses (staff salaries, building and office expenses) accounts for $253,373, or 81.9% of the total, and ministry expenses (the many things our church does for our community and for those who attend) accounts for $56,039 or 18.1%.

OUR EXPENSES AND INCOME:  Between July 1st and October 7th, we have spent $83,722, or about 27% of our budget.  Those items considered fixed accounted for 87.6% of this spending.  Our income from tithes and offerings during this period totaled $86,173.  Tithe income from online methods (PayPal and EasyTithe) is consistently between 42% and 45% of the total, with the remainder coming from Sunday morning collections.

OUR STATUS:  UBC’s cash (checking account) balance is currently about $30,518, with another $86,289 in savings.  We continue to carry no debt.

As you can see, our expenses and income are very close and our cash balance covers a little less than two months of expenses.  So we rely heavily on weekly tithes and offerings.

If you’d like to be a financial partner with UBC, you can sign up for monthly giving through EasyTithe.

SWCC Halloween Extravaganza

Champions!  Toph is still looking for volunteers.  But if you are unable to volunteer you can still help.  We are in need of bags of candy to give the children of our neighborhood.  So if you are debating about whether to buy that $5 Starbucks coffee or a bag of candy, do what you want, but remember that Jesus is watching.  

Satan Slayers Recap

After the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament we look for a few teams whom we can aptly call Cinderella. Their appearance into the final sixteen is, in our best estimation, a kind of fairy tale.  That is, those teams whose story seems so improbable, so unlikely, that the odds overcome make for a feeling of euphoria.  

It is in those moments that we realize despite the efforts of scientist to calculate a win, athletic competition is a best understood in the heart of the artist.  There was Jason Mcelwain's off the bench performance that hit us directly in the feels.  There was the Texas Longhorn band's halftime tribute to the fallen students killed the bonfire collapse of '99.   There was Jonathan Montanez's inbound pass that many have found more impressive than Michael Jordan's best slam dunk.  There was Mallory Holtmann's gutsy performance in which her team lost, but everybody won.  

And then there was last Thursday evening when that sort of magic descended on River Bend Stadium to bring us a Halloween miracle.  The Satan Slayers won their last game.  

At some point in the evening, after my nails had been bitten down to nothing and I was through my third pack of big league chew I began to allow myself to believe.  Back up three and half hours.  I'm on the field doing pregame interviews looking for something positive to report, which let's all be honest, has been like trying to find a needle in the haystack this season, when as I was chatting with coach Roldan-- both of us trying to ignore the strain my reporting has put on the relationship-- in mid sentence his iPhone 3 dings.  He's got message from David Wilhite, spouse of 4 time AL MVP catcher Amber Wilhite. 

"Amber's mom is here all the way from Georgia tonight.  The last time she saw Amber play they won a state championship.  No pressure, No Diamonds.  Bob Griffin said that.  - Dr. D." 

That text was just one of many moments of premonition that signaled something was different.  It's now easy to retrospectively look at the facts and see how the stars aligned.  Dani Miller was 100%.  Her friend Allie (can't remember her last name), was picked up off waivers the week before.  Roldan threw the most complete seven innings in Slayer history (surrendering just two runs).  Brad Rettler created a black  hole in the outfield having been moved there from short stop.  Emmy Edwards lit up not just 7th spot in the batting order, but our hearts with her won't-quit-enthusiasm.  Chris Kim homered.  That Allie girl homered.  But if I had to pick an MVP it would be Wilhite. 

St. Louis Cardinal fans know that sometimes the most important defensively player is in fact not the pitcher.  It is the game's captain, catcher Yadier Molina.  If Roldan looked like Kuechel, it was because Amber called a perfect game.  The ten runs scored by the Slayers were icing on the cake, but this game was won in the first inning when Wilhite started calling for breaking balls on southpaws.  

It was first inning homer, followed by a Joy Winemann single in the second which scored two more runs and then a series of runs earned over the next few innings off of opposite feild hits and smart base running.  The game started to float by me like bubbles in my 1 year old's back yard.  I had forgotten what happens to time when your team wins.  Soon the Gatorade was soaking Roldan's shoulders, Instagram picture's were getting posted, and the postgame party had suddenly been upgraded from Smirnoff to Grey Goose.  

I for one was reminded of why I do this.  Why, back in the Christmas of '88 when I received my first pen, I began to write.  I tell stories about the game because in telling them, I find the best parts of humanity.  I'm reminded that even in the glummest of seasons, hope springs forth.   Lent brings Easter, Advent yields Christmas and the night is darkest before dawn.  

Slayed,

Majkowski 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Ryan, Joel, and Marygayle

Coffee Makers:  michael & kayla 

Mug Cleaners: cooleys 

Announcements:

•  Sunday Sermon Text: Matthew 14:22-33 "Favorite Stories from my Favorite Story Part 2:" 

• Please be in prayer for our next leadership team meeting which is Sunday, October 25th.  

• Girls Night, November 6th. 

• Guys Night, November 13th. 

• Thanksgiving Love Feast, November 22nd. 

• Advent Workshop, November 29th. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 10-11-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of the divine-human relationship.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Death In His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Just a Closer Walk With Thee

Wandering by Jameson McGregor

Diamond by Sarah Dossey Keilers [Dossey]

All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons & Daughters

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Death In His Grave: We sang this song to reflect on what God has done for us in Christ.  In the death and resurrection of Jesus, God changed the way that death works for humanity.  Thinking in terms of the divine-human relationship, these events become something of a starting point or center.  These events are God's extended hand to humanity--they pose a question; something to the effect of, "i have come further than seems appropriate to make things right--are you willing to enter into reconciliation with Me?"  Or perhaps, "I have fixed what was broken between us.  Do you realize what that means for you?"

Just A Closer Walk With Thee: This song explores the tension between the kind of life we are inclined to live when let to our own devices, and the kind of life that Jesus has shown us how to live.  We have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we knowingly fail to live like Jesus, but this song suggests that there is a better way to handle failure.  The line in the second verse, "In this world of toil and snare//If i falter, Lord, who cares?//Who with me my burden shares?//None but Thee..." God does not wait for us to fail so that God can have cause to be angry with us, but instead shares our burdens--God knows how far the gap is between the way we are and the way Jesus has shown us to live, and carries this weight with us.  Instead of lingering in self-pity or self-disgust, we can move forward knowing that we are not alone.

Wandering: We sang this song to proclaim that God is faithful to us even when we consistently misconstrue what it is to be faithful.  The verses of this song imagine various ways in which we recognize the power of God, then try to harness this power for our own devices--with what seem to be the best of intentions--and how God chooses to continue to journey with us anyway, coaxing us into understanding that God is not one to be tamed.

Diamond: To read Sarah's thoughts on this great song, visit the blog on her site here.

All the Poor and Powerless:  We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last weeks' songs.  This is what we said about All the Poor and Powerless then: We sang this song to proclaim God's identity as a God who is present with the lowly, the powerless, the hopeless, the hurting, the self-loathing, the addicts, on and on.  This is a God who not only lowers Godself to interact with humanity, but the lowest parts of humanity.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 10-9-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth mentioning that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.

_____________________________________________________________

My Top 5 List of Children’s Books-That-Have-Taught-Me-About-God-Without-Even-Trying (& Some Scriptures To Back It Up)

By: Emily Nance

It goes without saying, that there is no way I’ve read every children’s book and I know there are plenty I have missed.  But each one of these books below have either inspired me as they were read to me in my own childhood, or as I have read them to my children.  In some way, at some time, they have all informed who God is to me and affirmed His love and truth.  I hope you enjoy my list, but I’d love to hear what children’s books have inspired you and challenged you to look at God in a new way!  Sincerely~ Emily

5. Beautiful Oops By: Barney Saltzberg 

This book shows in a visual and tangible way how beautiful "mistakes" can be when we reimagine them.  This reminds me that we are all created with purpose…every part of us, even the parts we don’t like!  What we may see as our greatest flaws, God wants to use to teach us, transform us and use to display His beauty and power to the world around us, if we will just allow Him to reimagine it for us.  Our shortcomings and weaknesses are simply incomplete masterpieces and only God can reveal their true purpose and beauty.  

Jeremiah 18:1-6

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “Jeremiah, go down to the potter’s house. I will give you my message there.”
So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. But there was something wrong with the pot. So the potter used that clay to make another pot. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be.
Then this message from the Lord came to me: 6 “Family of Israel, you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potter’s hands, and I am the potter.” This message is from the Lord. 

4.  Child's Introduction to the Night Sky: The Story of the Stars, Planets, and Constellations--and How You Can Find Them in the Sky  By: Michael Driscoll

The words themselves are not particularly poetic or bedtime story-ish, but if you ever want to feel loved by God, take a look into space.  The more I learn about God’s Creation, its beauty, its detail, its preciseness, its ease, its balance…the larger, more amazing and more loving God becomes to me.  The way the gravity of everything in our Universe holds everything in our Universe in its place.  The fact that Jupiter, which is too big and too gassy to be where it is in space (as far as Science can tell…) is like a magnet for almost every asteroid that passes it…which, by the way, shields us from the fate of the dinosaurs.  I could go on and on about what inspires me in God’s Creation and frankly, I have no doubt that the field of Science will continue to make discoveries that demonstrate even more astounding things about the Universe and therefore, God.  But I love that even in the vastness and seeming chaos of space, God’s love and power are spelled out for us.

Psalm 8

Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful in all the earth!  It brings you praise everywhere in heaven.
From the mouths of children and babies come songs of praise to you.  They sing of your power to silence your enemies who were seeking revenge.
I look at the heavens you made with your hands.  I see the moon and the stars you created.
And I wonder, “Why are people so important to you?  Why do you even think about them?
Why do you care so much about humans?  Why do you even notice them?”
But you made them almost like gods and crowned them with glory and honor.
You put them in charge of everything you made. You put everything under their control.
People rule over the sheep and cattle and all the wild animals.
They rule over the birds in the sky and the fish that swim in the sea.

Lord our Lord, your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!

3. Zero  By: Kathryn Otoshi

In Otoshi’s book, Zero feels that it has no value.  It looks around and feels that the other numbers count for something, but it just feels empty.  It tries to look like the other numbers, twisting itself into various forms, but nothing seems to fit.  Soon the wise number 7 helps Zero see that value is found on the inside, and when Zero finds its purpose, it ends up making EVERY number more valuable (*spoiler alert* you just might learn about place value, too!)  This book reminds me that in God’s Kingdom, we all have individual purpose and value.  When we serve God in our own way for His purpose, instead of comparing and conforming ourselves to look like everyone else, we find our true value and have an exponential impact for God’s Kingdom!

1 Corinthians 12:14-20

"And a person’s body has more than one part. It has many parts. The foot might say, “I am not a hand, so I don’t belong to the body.” But saying this would not stop the foot from being a part of the body. The ear might say, “I am not an eye, so I don’t belong to the body.” But saying this would not make the ear stop being a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, it would not be able to hear. If the whole body were an ear, it would not be able to smell anything.  If each part of the body were the same part, there would be no body. But as it is, God put the parts in the body as he wanted them. He made a place for each one.  So there are many parts, but only one body.  

2. Where The Wild Things Are  By: Maurice Sendak

Most of us are probably familiar with this book, just like most of us are probably familiar with Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son.  But I, for one, can never be reminded enough that God is faithful in my wanderings, and that forgiveness and restoration are always an option with God…no matter what.  This book gives us such a sweet glimpse into human relationships and how our own temporary wants can blind us to our true, eternal heart’s-desire.  But, thank God, once the party dies down, we realize the sweet smell of comfort, forgiveness and home is what we yearned for all along…and it’s waiting for us.    

Luke 15:17-24

“The son realized that he had been very foolish. He thought, ‘All my father’s hired workers have plenty of food. But here I am, almost dead because I have nothing to eat. I will leave and go to my father. I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But let me be like one of your hired workers.’  So he left and went to his father.
“While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him coming and felt sorry for him. So he ran to him and hugged and kissed him. The son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against God and have done wrong to you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the best clothes and put them on him. Also, put a ring on his finger and good sandals on his feet. And bring our best calf and kill it so that we can celebrate with plenty to eat. My son was dead, but now he is alive again! He was lost, but now he is found!’ 

1.  Is There Really A Human Race  By: Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

Honestly, anything written by this pair is sure to mean as much, if not more, to you than it will to the kids you’re reading it to!  I LOVE their books!  But this one in particular is a charming poem, told from the child’s perspective about the idea of a “human race.”  The child asks all of the precious questions a child would ask like, “Where are we running?” and “Am I racing my sister?” and “What do I get if I win?"  But the child begins to see through questioning that if there is a “human race” going on, maybe winning doesn’t mean coming in first.  Maybe the “human race” is more about the help that we lend, the love that we share and the lessons we learn along the way.  These are the real keys to a race well-run and for helping the whole “human race” win.  I don’t want to get anyone in trouble for plagiarism, but I’m pretty sure Jesus said that first…but with fewer pictures and rhyming words!  

Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the king will say to the godly people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom he promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made. It is yours because when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I had no place to stay, you welcomed me into your home. When I was without clothes, you gave me something to wear. When I was sick, you cared for me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’

“Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’
“Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’

Parents Night Out

UBC will be hosting a parents night out on Friday October 16th.  Drop off your children and enjoy time together from 6-9 PM.  For more information contact josh@ubcwaco.org. 

Thailand Mission Trip - May 15-29, 2016

If you are interested in going on UBC’s first trip to Thailand in May, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more information.  There are a limited number of spots available, and the cost for the trip is $2700.  

SWCC Halloween Festival - October 20th    

This will be our third year to help with the largest Halloween Festival in South Waco!  This year the festival will be held on Tuesday night, October 20th, and we need your help.  This year we are needing almost 100 volunteers, there will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer starting this Sunday.  Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Satan Slayers

The Satan Slayer lost again.  I can't remember the scores and I don't care.  I've gotten a lot of emails in response to last weeks op-ed.  Some people claim that I see the problem the wrong way.  Others that my reporting is inaccurate.  "Fine," I say.  You decide yourself.  Here is a clip of Slayer highlights.  By the way, when I just typed that last sentence I verbalized the word highlights and used my fingers to do that quote thing.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: the Walters, Rick, Kelsey 

Coffee Makers:  emmy and stephen 

Mug Cleaners: chase

Announcements:

•  Sunday Sermon Text: Matthew 15:21-28 "Favorite Stories from my Favorite Story Part 1" 

• Please be in prayer for our next leadership team meeting which is Sunday, October 25th.  

• Our next UBCYP event will be Friday October 16th.  Contact jamie@ubcwaco.org for more information  

• We will be celebrating the life of Kyle Lake during our worship service on Sunday October 25th.  Please invite friends that you think might be interested in joining us that day. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 10-4-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of identity.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me atjamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

This is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham

Because He Lives

All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons & Daughters

Fever by Jameson McGregor

Wayward Ones by The Gladsome Light

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

This Is Amazing Grace: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  Here's what we said about This Is Amazing Grace then: We sang this song to think about the radical grace of God, who is clothed in unlimited cosmic power, yet cares for humanity enough to endure suffering and to patiently coax us into a relationship with Godself.

Because He Lives:  We sang this song to proclaim our identity as resurrection people--people who are able to find significance day-to-day because we believe that the resurrection of Christ has fundamentally changed the story of human history, and that all of our stories (even the tragic ones) are being woven into a greater story that is decidedly un-tragic.

All the Poor and Powerless:  We sang this song to proclaim God's identity as a God who is present with the lowly, the powerless, the hopeless, the hurting, the self-loathing, the addicts, on and on.  This is a God who not only lowers Godself to interact with humanity, but the lowest parts of humanity.

Fever: This song acknowledges the tension between the identity that God has given us and the identity that we continually read back onto ourselves.  This song thinks of our various ways of reminding ourselves of how worthless we are as a fever--fevers are our body's way of trying to eradicate pathogens and to return order to our normal biological environment--and thinks of the grace of God as a pathogen that is not so easily eradicated.  The idea is that owning our identity as children of God, as people who are loved by God, does not come naturally, and even when we find ourselves giving verbal assent to this truth, it takes an act of God to truly believe it.

Wayward Ones: We sing this song every time we take communion to remind ourselves of a couple of things.  First, we are a broken people--though we are seeking to become more like Jesus, we often fail at this.  Second, Christ has given Himself for us despite our brokenness.  We take communion to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, even though we did not, and do not, deserve it.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 10-2-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five (Christian Songs with a Pagan Label) By Jameson

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth mentioning that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.

______________________________________________________________

Let's get one thing out of the way up front: the word "pagan" in the title of this list is somewhat tongue-in-cheek.  Chances are, you rightly replaced "pagan" for "secular" when you read this, and that's fine.  This is a list of songs that I find significant as a Christian, that have not been traditionally labeled as such.  I know it's supposed to be my "top five," but I don't play that game.  These are five I like, and there are a ton more I like too--DON'T PIN ME DOWN.  Also, I chose not to rank these 5 in any particular order for the sake of my own sanity--they're all great.

1) Chariot by Page France

This is a song that we sing fairly often at ubc.  If you were to go find Michael Nau, formerly of Page France, currently of Cotton Jones, and ask him if he intended to write a Christian worship song when he penned Chariot, the answer would undoubtably be some variation of "no." In an interview, Nau once said this of his songs being Christian, "The 'Christian band' inquiry wears me out, to be honest.  As for the Christian symbols in my writing--sometimes I don't even realize that they exist until someone points them out to me.  There's really no reason; it just rolled out that way." That's fine.  As far as I'm concerned, that's true.  But when I first heard Chariot in the mid-2000's, I found language that both made me think about God in new and challenging ways (the image of God being a wrecking ball, Jesus joining a musical celebration on tambourine, etc), and gave me new language for singing about hope (we will become a happy ending).

2) Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

This is probably no surprise.  The chorus of this song sounds well-enough like a worship song.  It's the verses that blur the lines.  Cohen weaves together (at the very least) isolation, failure, lust, and doubt to continually reframe the "Hallelujah" refrain.  I don't know much about Cohen, though I've seen him identified both as an observant Jew and a Zen Buddhist priest.  But, as with Chariot, I'm not concerned about the faith of the songwriter in this list.  I'm concerned with the fact that when I first really listened to this song, the idea of a "cold and broken" hallelujah was new to me.  And, while I can pretend to distance the parts of myself that resonate with Cohen's themes of isolation, failure, lust, and doubt, from who I am as a Christian, this is impossible, and there are many times I need this song in all of its flawed glory.  [Side note: you've probably seen this song "Christianized" at some point over the years where well-meaning Christian artists try and smooth it out as a worship song.  To these people, I say: Stop. It's fine like it is. You're ruining it.]

3) Heart With No Companion by Leonard Cohen

When Josh asked me to write this list, he didn't say that I couldn't have more than one song from the same artist, so guess what: we're not done with Cohen yet.  This song is on the same album as Hallelujah, but I had never heard it until I decided to listen to everything the man ever recorded a couple of months ago.  This song is fantastic.  Rather than explain why, I'm going to quote the opening lines and the chorus.  Ready? I greet you from the other side of sorrow and despair//with a love so vast and shattered//it will reach you everywhere//and i sing this for the captain whose ship has not been built//for the mother in confusion, her cradle still unfilled//for the heart with no companion//for the soul without a king//for the prima ballerina who cannot dance to anything.  I was listening to this in a hotel bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, thinking about Jesus and how many people need to hear this song that never will because it's not "Christian."

4) Make This Go On Forever by Snow Patrol

I appreciate the fact that this song embraces the weight of broken interpersonal relationships, owning the almost apocalyptic feeling when things go wrong with those we love.  But, let's be real: the tag at the end makes the song: I don't know where to look//my words just break and melt//please just save me from this darkness.  My Christian ears perk up at stuff like this.  It's language I need to voice feelings that I can't get away from.  Josh likes this song too, and he requested that we use this tag during Advent.  Since this tag is absolutely perfect for Advent--the time where we look around and see that the world does in fact need a Light-- I'm taking his advice.  

5) Trusty and True by Damien Rice

This song is a call to cast aside the baggage of our failures and to start anew, not allowing the joy of life and community to be overshadowed by regret.  I've seen Rice frame this song as a call to forgive people who have wronged you so you don't have to carry the weight of your anger for the rest of your life.  And this idea is met with the idea of joining others who have done the same, and who are looking to move forward together.  Stop what you're doing, listen to this song, and tell me it doesn't make you think of the grace of God and the Church (or at least what the Church strives toward).

Thailand Mission Trip - May 15-29, 2016

If you are interested in learning more about UBC’s work in Thailand, there will be an interest meeting this Sunday after church, October 4th in the Rock n Roll Room.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Children's Workers Needed

Hey there all of you fun-loving, child-at-heart UBCers!  You may have noticed that the message this week is on Matthew 18:1-9, in which Jesus EXPLICITLY (or metaphorically…) says that we must be child-like to enter God’s Kingdom!  (I do realize that I’m paraphrasing, just a little bit…but we’re going to go with it for now!)  Well, just consider this a message from above, because UBCKids needs YOU!  We have multiple ways for you to help show a little Godly-love and drop a little Kingdom-knowledge on some tiny folk, while getting in touch with your own inner-child by serving in either our Nurture Room (infants- walkers), Sprout Room (walkers-2 yrs), Branch Room (4 yrs-Kindergarten) or Root Room (1st grade-4th grade)!  If you are not one to choose favorites, we also have need for subs that would be willing to be on-call for any age group!  If you are interested in securing your place in God’s Kingdom (again, I realize that I may be misusing this text…) and having a lot of fun along the way, contact Emily at emily@ubcwaco.org for more information!     

SWCC Halloween Festival - October 20th    

This will be our third year to help with the largest Halloween Festival in South Waco!  This year the festival will be held on Tuesday night, October 20th, and we need your help.  This year we are needing almost 100 volunteers, there will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer starting this Sunday.  Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Satan Slayers (An Op-Ed)

This might have been as good as it gets.  Did the Slayers lose again?  Yes.  Could we blame the pitching?  Maybe.  Could we blame the coaching?  Yes.  But chew on this.  Rob McNeil's WAR is 10.7.   If that stat doesn't boggle your mind then think about the fact that the Slayers have produced at least 5 runs after practicing their secret handshake.  

                                                                                                                                     or all of them! 

Usually stories are told by statistics when it comes to city league amateur softball.  Not so with the Slayers.  This team has left more runners stranded than the '82 Pigdogs did.   And that team finished well over .500.  So what's happening in Waco?  Could be lack execution and bad play calling.  Or it could be that Coach Roldan has had power hitters in the middle of the order bunt on at least seven occasions with runners on third.  It seems that he's stuck in a early 90's dreaming of suicide squeezes with Otis Nixon heading for home.  The pundits have spoken Byrondo, it's not going to work.  

And what of his use of utility players?  Roldan had Joy Winemann back up 3 time all star Emmy Edwards in RIGHT FIELD.  Are you opening flower store Roldan?  Are you using the payroll to pick daisies?  Come on!

The story in the front office is just as dicey.  Just two games back from injury  Dani Miller wants to talk contract extensions and Evie Swanson already has a plane ticket for Minnesota.  Rob McNeil has preformed well but hates Waco.  It seems the Alico building and McLain stadium can't compete with the south shores he left behind in Miami.   And what can we be said of River Bend Stadium.  After this season it is unlikely that Waco will offer the Slayers the industrial and financial support they need to stay here.  Mark Cuban has already expressed interest in buying and moving the team to Fargo.  Is this the last season we'll be able to watch the slayers locally?  Management has a lot to figure out. 

Things can't get worse.  The Slayers draw Fred's Roll Shop and Al's Tune Up center in the coming weeks.  Both those squads have collective ERA's above 7.  That and the Slayers hit lefties well, which both of those teams feature.  It may be too late to talk about October baseball, but not to make an impression on AP.  All star voting begins next week and I for one would like to see the season redeemed with at least 3 Slayers on that squad.  Slivers of hope. 

Slayed,

Flip  MaKowski 

We Have A Need (By Amy)

        We are excited to announce a new method for helping the needy both in our church community and in our neighboring communities.  It’s difficult for us to meet the great demand for very basic necessities, like food and clothing for kids.

        This past week I spoke with a weeping woman who had to keep her kids home from school because their clothes were so dirty the school sent two of her children home. She has no money to go to the laundromat. She can’t even afford enough food for her three children (let alone herself. She often has to forgo meals so her kids can eat).  Two people were kind enough to help her with her laundromat bill, but she and at least two others (and I suspect many more!) struggle to put food on the table each day.

        To try and help meet some of the needs of our community we have begun a “Benevolence Board” on our living missionary board in the hallway across from the staff offices. Each week we will put requests up; if you are able to meet a need, please tear off a request and return it to Toph on Sunday or drop it by the office during the week. Some examples we have right now are gift cards to HEB and gently used uniforms for 6th to 8th graders. If you would like to make a monetary donation, we would be more than happy to purchase a gift card on your behalf. Thank you for your love and your commitment to living missionary in our community. 

Work is Worship

Greeters:  Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers:  Joy & Ryan (Dream Team)

Mug Cleaners: Team Haines 

Announcements:

•  Sunday Sermon Text: Matthew 18:1-9  Please be in prayer for Brian Gamel who will be bringing the word to the heard this Sunday

• Please be in prayer for our next leadership team meeting which is Sunday, October 25th.  

• College Retreat -October 9-10. $50  cJoin us for a great weekend away learning more about the core values that shape UBC.  Your cost includes 3 meals, lodging, and a UBC shirt.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

• we will be partnering with the South Waco Community Center on October 20th to put on a Halloween Festival for the community.  We need 80 volunteers.  Please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more information

• Our next UBCYP event will be Friday October 16th.  Contact jamie@ubcwaco.org for more information 

• Date Night will be Friday October 16th.  More information to come. 

• We will be celebrating the life of Kyle Lake during our worship service on Sunday October 25th.  Please invite friends that you think might be interested in joining us that day. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 9-27-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of need.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me atjamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Come Thou Fount

This is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham

Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher

Shadow by Jameson McGregor

House of God Forever by Jon Foreman

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Come Thou Fount: We sang this song to express our need for God to partner with us in life and in our acts of worship.  At ubc, we often talk about seeking to be formed in the way of Christ.  This choice of words centers our attention on God's action within us.  We don't get to pass through life without trying to do things (live like Christ, eat pizza, dance, throw dinner parties, worship, etc), but the things we do are worthwhile because of what is done in us by God.  

This Is Amazing Grace: We sang this song to think about the radical grace of God, who is clothed in unlimited cosmic power, yet cares for humanity enough to endure suffering and to patiently coax us into a relationship with Godself.

Lord, I Need You:  We sang this song to remind ourselves quite clearly that we need to turn to God when we think the least of ourselves.  The grace we sang about in the previous song means we don't have to be afraid that God is going to run out of patience with us.  Furthermore, we don't have to try to make ourselves look and less broken than we are in order for God to want to come to our aid.  The Christian life is the life of a work in progress.

Shadow: Sometimes in Christian circles, we talk about "dying to self."  I won't claim to fully understand this image, but I think it communicates the idea that, though the way we operate as humans is ultimately a selfish existence, Jesus calls us to focus our attention on God and other people.  This song is about the lingering impulse to keep our thinking turned in on ourselves that we have to kill in some way daily, and that we are are ultimately in need of God's help every day to make this happen.  I wanted to write a really long post explaining the ins and outs of every image in this song, but I think these few sentences are enough to provide the context for you to read the lyrics for yourself and see what the images say to you.  As always, feel free to email me with any questions or concerns about this new song.

House of God Forever:  We sang this song to take a look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  Here's what we said about House of God Forever then: We sang this song to proclaim that God does not simply pay attention to us or pursue us.  Instead, God draws us near--takes care of us.  At this point, we are a far cry from what we might expect of the Holy God we sang about in the first song.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 9-26-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five (contemporary christian female authors) By Amy

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth mentioning that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.

______________________________________________________________

While in undergrad, I (Amy) was surprised at how few women were directly involved in my education. It wasn’t just professors, but also how few books I was assigned were authored by women, from my biblical studies classes to English classes. When I began to investigate, I was shocked to find such a huge disparity between the genders.  On average, 30% of books are written by women (even less when looking at academic books, but more in a few rare instances). Since then, I have been trying to be more intentional about reading female authors.  This issue also translated into my academic life; my MA in New Testament has been entirely devoted to reading and recovering women in the Bible and ancient world. I am finishing up a thesis on books starring heroines in the time of Jesus. In all this, I have found a number of incredibly formative and challenging female authors that are simply must reads who I would love to share with you.

1.     Barbara Brown Taylor – Several years ago, I stumbled across An Altar in the World and it was one of the most life-giving books I’ve ever read.  Taylor has a number of books, articles, and sermons that are such insightful pieces of literature that each chapter feels like a holy experience. She has a way of approaching everything in such an imaginative and new angle; especially when it comes to well-loved biblical stories where I feel like I couldn’t possible hear a unique interpretation or sermon.  A few years ago, I was lucky enough to take a class on Jesus and World Religions with her.  She was more amazing then I dreamed she would be; I have been a devoted disciple ever since.

2.     Phyllis Tickle – Tickle has been writing on the Christian spiritual life for decades. She was one of the first Greats I came across. Her insight into prayer has left a lasting impression on me.  The last several years she has focused a lot of attention on the so called “decline” of American Christianity.  Sadly, she died this week after being diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. The way she spoke of life, prayer, and God in recent month, with full knowledge of her impending death, has left me in admiration. I can’t help but reflect on how my life and relationship with God might have been different without her guidance especially while I was a teenager.

3.     Sarah Bessey – Bessey is a relatively new author, but she has been a celebrated blogger for years.  She recently wrote the book Jesus Feminist, which celebrates what the church looks like when we all have a seat at the table. Each word is full of love, passion, and encouragement for what we are and what we can become together. As a woman trying to get by in the world of ministry and academia, I felt like passages of the book were specifically written for me.  She helped me to begin healing after a particularly rough time working for a church which turned out to have a particularly low view of women; rather than resentment for the bride of Christ, I again became excited about my calling and work.

4.     Rachael Held Evans – Held Evans became a life raft for me when I questioned the relevance of the affluent, safe Christianity I saw around me. Like Bessy, she is most well-known for her blogs and articles.  She has become one of the few Christian commentators on politics, policy, and the day-to-day life of the church that I look to in order to help me think through and gain perspective on rather complex issues, even if we end up disagreeing. Her work on gender, sexuality, and race have been particularly valuable for me.  Her most recent work has been on the sacraments and is a beautiful approach to a number of areas in religious life we often take as a matter of course.

5.      Nadia Bolz-Weber – Nadia is known for being a pastor for those the church has rejected. Her congregation is an amazing mix of drag queens, the homeless, gay teens disowned by their parents, and sweet old ladies. She released a book a few weeks ago that immediately shot to #12 on the New York Times best sellers list entitled “Accidental Saints: Finding God in all the Wrong People.”  Bolz-Weber has been influential on me for a number of reasons; part of it can be summed up in the title of her book – the more open I am to God, the more I keep “finding God in all the wrong people.”  I first read her work when I lived in a place where my neighbors consisted of a sex-offender, two retired carnival gypsies (their own terms), an open-carry NRA libertarian, and a few other colorful members. She initially inspired me to be open to others; it ended with me somehow becoming our unofficial neighborhood chaplain. The gospel she espouses is not for the faint of heart, but difficult and yet beautiful.

HR Team Nominations

The fearless Jeff Walter's stint as a HR team member is coming to an end.  Therefore, we need to find a replacement.  If you have an interest in serving or nominating someone for the HR team, email that name to josh@ubcwaco.org.  Here is some information on the HR team from the bylaws. 

(C) Qualifications.  HR/Staff Support Team members shall have been an active participant in the life of UBC for no less than one year, have received a bachelor’s degree (or roughly an equivalent amount of experience in personnel management, ministry, or other related field,) and have a demonstrable understanding of organizational management. 

(A) Purpose.  The Human Resources/Staff Support Team shall exist for the following purposes:

a.     To establish procedures for the hiring of ministerial and non-ministerial staff, and to enact those procedures when advised by Leadership Team to do so.

b.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on issues regarding long-term staff needs.

c.     To create and implement staff review procedures.

d.    To advise Leadership and Finance teams on matters regarding staff compensation, benefits, grievances and termination.

e.    To be a liaison between the congregation and staff during times of conflict after all attempts at personal, one-on-one resolution has been made. 

College Retreat - October 9/10 - $50

This is the last week to sign-up.  Join us for a great weekend away learning more about the core values that shape UBC.  Your cost includes 3 meals, lodging, and a UBC shirt.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Thailand Mission Trip - May 2016

If you are interested in learning more about UBC’s work in Thailand, there will be an interest meeting after church on October 4th in the Rock n Roll Room.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer if you would like to receive more information.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

SWCC Halloween Festival - October 20th    

This will be our third year to help with the largest Halloween Festival in South Waco!  This year the festival will be held on Tuesday night, October 20th, and we need your help.  This year we are needing almost 100 volunteers, so please mark it on your calendar and sign-up to help in October.  Be on the lookout for more information in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

JSL Prayer

Thank you to everyone who came out to help with the JSL bag packing on Wednesday night.  Tonight, September 25th, is the outreach.  Please pray for the JSL team members and volunteers who are going out to the clubs tonight.  Please pray for the women who they will talk to.  Pray the love of Christ will be made known to the women and club owners.  

Town Hall Recap

This last Sunday we meet for our quarterly town hall meeting.  Here are a few talking points from that meeting. 

1. finances:  I shared a few things about the finance meeting.  In short for the months of July and August we brought in roughly the same amount that we spent.  The most up to date finance numbers can be seen monthly in the newsletter.  our last finance report was published in the newsletter last week. 

2. budget accountability: the human resources team asked us to show how the additional money that we had in this years budget was being spent on ministry.  Toph gave a few examples.  If you would like an in depth report, please feel free schedule a meeting with Amy@ubcwaco.org. 

3. Mission: Toph gave a report on our mission trip to Thailand in May.  Specifically Toph shared stories about the work our partners are doing.  There names are anonymous (not in print) for their protection.  If you would like more information email toph@ubcwaco.org. 

4. Mid year reviews: are taking place in October.  After our annual reviews in April, we decided UBC would be served better if Toph began doing work as the HR liaison.  So he will be conducting those with the HR team in early October.  Please contact any of HR members with questions or concerns.  Their emails are listed at the bottom of the newsletter. 

5. OAR update:  The ownership and accountability team met for the first time last Sunday.  Toph gave brief report on what was discussed, their starting point and who is on that team.  The OAR team is made up of ten members.  They are: 

1. Kareem Shane: kareem.shane@gmail.com
2. BJ Parker: b_j_parker@baylor.edu 
3. Liz Andrasi: andrasi.e@gmail.com
4. Leigh Curl: leigh_curl@baylor.edu
5. Brandon Morgan: Brandon_Morgan@baylor.edu
6. Dani Miller: Dani.Miller@familyabusecenter.org 
7. Jacob Robinson: jacobkylerobinson@gmail.com
8. Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net 
9. Toph Whisnant: toph@ubcwaco.org  

6. Youth Pastor: Josh concluded the meeting by inviting the congregation to begin thinking about and praying with us about the youth ministry.  As of now, UBC has a few kids in that age range.  Eventually that will get bigger.   We'd for you to partner with us in dreaming and praying about how to minster now and then and what God would have us do moving forward.  Please email questions or concerns to josh@ubcwaco.org 

Satan Slayers Recap

Well ... you've got to admire their persistence.  The Slayers were dealt a pair of losses this week dropping one to Buzzard and the other to The Boomstick Mafia, which might be the best named team in the league.  

Coach Roldan changed some things up in the rotation hum chucking Amber Wilhite in game one.  "It was a tight strike zone," Roldan observed,  "Amber's screwball was k-ing betters, but a couple of her fastballs got hung up in the zone and tattooed by the middle of the order."  After dropping a respectable game to Buzzard, the Slayers played host to a clinic put on by the Mafia losing 19-0.  Jacob Robinson picked up his third loss of the year.  

The only thing darker than the night sky after they shut off the lights at River Bend Stadium last Thursday night was the mood in the clubhouse.  Still looking for their first win, it seems the blame game has started.  Here's a few soundbites I got from post game interviews. 

Kelsey Lawson: "I mean it's like Coach doesn't know how to manage the rotation.  After Jake gave up that three run shot in the 3rd he didn't take a trip to the mound to check on him.  He was busy reading early reviews of Ryan Adams 1989 on his phone." 

Jacob Robinson: "You know if this doesn't work out ... i can always fall back on my film career.  Have you seen A League of Their Own?  I didn't make that movie, but that was my idea.  If I can't play softball I'm going to depict it." 

Evie Swanson: "This stuff never happens in Minnesota.  They call this softball?  I can't wait until my name goes on waivers."  

Jeff Latham: "Have you ever seen Breaking Bad? I'M THE ONE WHO KNOCKS! Micdrop." 

Work is Worship

Greeters: Haines Family & Will DeWitt 

Coffee Makers: Chad & Joel 

Mug Cleaners: Leigh 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text: Matthew 14:1-12

• College Retreat -October 9-10. $50  cJoin us for a great weekend away learning more about the core values that shape UBC.  Your cost includes 3 meals, lodging, and a UBC shirt.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

• we will be partnering with the South Waco Community Center on October 20th to put on a Halloween Festival for the community.  We need 80 volunteers.  Please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more information

• Our next UBCYP event will be Friday October 16th.  Contact jamie@ubcwaco.org for more information 

• Date Night will be Friday October 16th.  More information to come. 

• We will be celebrating the life of Kyle Lake during our worship service on Sunday October 25th.  Please invite friends that you think might be interested in joining us that day. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 9-20-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of God's freedom.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me atjamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Holy, Holy, Holy

Heart Won't Stop by John Mark McMillan

House of God Forever by Jon Foreman

Wild One by Jameson McGregor

Be Thou My Vision

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Holy, Holy, Holy: We sang this song to begin our time together by establishing that God is beyond us--out of our reach.  We offer our attention and praise to God, though God has no "need" of this, and really is not obligated to listen to us.

Heart Won't Stop: We sang this song to think about the fact that God not only chooses to take notice of us, but continually pursues us, even when we have made our home in places we might assume God will not go.

House of God Forever:  We sang this song to proclaim that God does not simply pay attention to us or pursue us.  Instead, God draws us near--takes care of us.  At this point, we are a far cry from what we might expect of the Holy God we sang about in the first song.

Wild One:  We sang this song as a response to the tension presented between the first song and the second two:  God is not limited by who we expect God to be or by what makes sense to us.  God is holy and "removed," yes, but God is also present in the midst of what seems to be the farthest from holy, working to establish a relationship with creatures who[(m) i really never know which one] God could easily destroy and move on.  God is not hemmed in by red tape and policies in order to be holy--God is free.  And God uses this freedom in surprising ways, continually showing us just how little we understand about love.

Be Thou My Vision: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Be Thou My Vision then: We sang this song as a communal prayer that God would transform the way we see the world, and the way we live in it.  [I changed a line of this song over the summer--if you missed the explanation for that change, you can check out the setlist from that week here.]

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 9-18-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five (christian non-fiction books)

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth mentioning that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.  

A special note on this entry.  Some of my choices are probably too specific in focus.  By that I mean they are scholarly works dealing with new testament issues and/or theology.  I'm leaving those out because I don't think anyone cares about those books. 

1. Harry Potter (i'm just kidding) 

1. Lament For A Son - Nicholas Wolterstorff: Wolterstorff is a retired philosophy professor who spent most of his career serving at Calvin College and Yale.  In 1985 he lost his son who died in a climbing accident.  Lament For A Son reads like a journal that Wolterstorff shares with those who are willing to sit and listen.  The first time I read this book I almost suffocated.  It is raw, honest and powerful.  Wolterstorff manages to find language full of meaning to describe an experience in which many people can barely say anything at all.  I now read this book during Lent every year.  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in it, I finish it one sitting.  

2. The Pastor - Eugene Peterson: I wonder as I write this if I enjoyed Peterson's book because I am a pastor.  I think the answer has to inevitably be yes.  And still, I think the book is accessible and enjoyable for everyone.  If I were to form a Fellowship of the Ring out of a bunch of characters form real life, I'd ask Eugene Peterson to be Gandalf.  I was recently talking to Truett  professor Robert Creech who has taught a class on Eugene Peterson and he said that, "more than one pastor has told me that her career has been saved by Peterson's writing."  I get it.  He mentors with his words and God uses him to restore souls.  This book then, is the story of a Pastor who has meant so much to so many pastors.  The is the story about becoming a real life Gandalf. 

3. Leaving Church - Barbara Brown Taylor:  Do I talk about her too much?  Yes and No.  Barbara Brown Taylor is fun to read because she's an artists whose craft happens to be writing.  I think she is the absolute best at putting together words in one sentence to create meaning that I didn't know was possible with just letters.  Leaving Church is, as the rest of the title declares, a memoir of faith.  In it she describes her journey out of full time parish work and into the academy, but it's also a model about how to hold the faith. But BBT is uniquely powerful in another regard.  Usually when artist crosses over into science I find myself disappointed.  But Taylor's work as an artists makes her work as a theologian all the more profound.  Neither motif is dispensed in service to the other and that is a rare gift. 

4. The Naked Now - Richard Rohr: Rohr is a Franciscan monk who lives in the dessert and thinks and writes about amazing ideas.  The subtitle of this book is "learning to see as the mystics see."  I'm not sure I'm any closer to being a mystic or even understanding mysticism, but reading Rohr's book helped me settle down.  The Naked Now is short, not even 200 pages, and yet it took me a long time to read because I could only get 5 pages in before needing set it down and think for a while.  I'd sum up my major discovery this way.  Rohr taught me two ideas could be true even if I didn't think they could.  He helped introduce a humility in my thinking that has set me free from the bondage of needing to be right. 

5. After You Believe - N.T. Wright: I'm going to begin with a criticism.  I think Wright and his publisher Harper One have discovered that his stuff is so successful, that he is now rewriting the same books over and over.  Head the religion section at your local Barnes and Noble and you're likely to find at least one Surprised by Something or Mere Something.  Still those ideas Wright is sharing are important and summarized well (which is why he keeps getting published).  Of his popular works my favorite is After You Believe. At some point in my deconstructionist phase I figured out that Evangelicals had made millions of converts not Christians.  I wanted a theology that demanded more from me without falling prey to legalism.  N.T. Wright writes about a theological world where that's possible and this the book that describes it.  

Those are my books. What are yours? 

JSL Outreach Help!

We are sponsoring the September outreach for JSL this month, and we need your help putting together bags and writing notes.  Join us at 5:30pm, Wednesday September 23, at UBC.  We will be putting bags together for the dancers, and writing encouraging notes.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwac.org .  

Family Weekend Breakfast - September 20, 2015

Bring your family to church next weekend and eat breakfast with us!  The breakfast will be at 9:30 in the Backside.  If you would like to help with breakfast, please sign-up on Sunday to bring a dish.

nUBC’ers Luncheon - September 27, 2015

If you are new to UBC in 2015, we would love to have you stay for lunch after church on the 27th.  This will be a time you can hear more about the history of the church, our current initiatives, and ask any questions you may have.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer on the 20th.  If you have any questions, please email

Town Hall - September 20th, 2015

We are having our quarterly town hall meeting after church on September 20th.  We will give you a few minutes for people to connect after the service, as well as leaving time for those to leave who do not wish to stay for the town hall.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

Cesar Chavez Partnership Meeting

We will have a short meeting after church this Sunday for those interested in serving in our programs at CCMS.  We will meet in the red room after church (the room just pass the coffee room on your left), and the meeting will only be about 15 minutes.

Financial Report

THE PLAN:  Our fiscal year runs from the first of July through the end of June.  This year’s budget is $309,412.  Fixed expenses (staff salaries, building and office expenses) accounts for $253,373, or 81.9% of the total, and ministry expenses (the many things our church does for our community and for those who attend) accounts for $56,039 or 18.1%.

OUR EXPENSES AND INCOME:  Between July 1st and September 8th, we have spent $55,170.  Those items considered fixed accounted for 90% of this spending and those considered ministry about 10%.  Our income from tithes and offerings during this period totaled $56,501.  About 45% of our income is received through online methods (PayPal and EasyTithe); the other coming from Sunday morning collections.

OUR STATUS:  UBC’s cash (checking account) balance is currently about $25,400, with another $86,285 in savings.  We continue to carry no debt.

As you can see, our expenses and income are very close and our cash balance covers a little less than two months of expenses.  So we rely heavily on weekly tithes and offerings.

If you’d like to be a financial partner with UBC, you can sign up for monthly giving through EasyTithe

Satan Slayer Recap

The Satan Slayers lost another game on Thursday night, this time to the TSTC Tornado & Two Other Words I Can't Remember.  I've been a sports columnist now for the whole of four weeks now and I can tell you in my decorated journalism career I've not quite seen a team who can lose one like the Slayers.  The Tornado squad came out fierce and the Slayers quickly figured out they were no longer in Kansas.  One explanation is that the Slayers were without a full squad.  That McNeil guy wasn't there because he had to work a late shift at Billy Bob's.  Catcher Amber Wilhite was not able to be there to control the pitching and it showed.  When asked about her absence Amber replied, "For the love God the game started at 9:30 PM, I'm in bed and into my third chapter of Anne of Green Gables by that time.  Obviously the committee making schedules has never had 6 AM wake up calls filled with tired children, emerging teenagers and a world class patristic scholar who can't spell his name before he's had a cup of coffee."  

When I contacted the city's record keeping department to get a score I was put on hold for 15 minutes until a guy name Butch finally answered.  He told me he didn't know that the city had a softball league and transferred me to parks and rec.  There I talked with Vicky who said that they aren't allowed to share scores without a valid drivers license or water bill.  So I went downtown and showed Vicky my license.  She had to verify it in the verifying machine, but it was broken.  Maintenance had put in order to get it fixed, but that part of the budget is up for debate in city council.  So in all likely hood I won't be able to get the score until the season is over.  

So what do we make of the slayers season at this point?  Coach Roldan told me he's not discouraged.  He said the night is darkest before dawn and that he's seen the movie Facing the Giants and so I shouldn't worry.  He knows how to get this team some W's.  I asked coach if he was nervous about job security.  He told me that front office doesn't have the courage they need to fire him and that nobody in their right mind would take over coaching the Slayers.  

We shall see.  The Slayers will be back in action last night.  Yep you read that correctly.  The newsletter comes out on Fridays and I give you the news from the week before.  So who knows?  Perhaps as you read this, the Slayers have already turned a corner.  Let's hope.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: MaryGayle (Goldberry) and Blaylocks 

Coffee Makers: emmy & stephen

Mug Cleaners: the cooleys 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  Matthew 13:53-58: "Bless, Send, & Let Go" (Parents Weekend)

• Pub Group this Wednesday at 5:30pm (note the time change) at the Dancing Bear. Come have a pint with some other UBCers and talk about stuff (and things). 21 and up.

• College Retreat -October 9-10. $50  cJoin us for a great weekend away learning more about the core values that shape UBC.  Your cost includes 3 meals, lodging, and a UBC shirt.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

• we will be partnering with the South Waco Community Center on October 20th to put on a Halloween Festival for the community.  We need 80 volunteers.  Please contact toph@ubcwaco.org for more information

• Our next UBCYP event will be Friday October 16th.  Contact jamie@ubcwaco.org for more information 

• Date Night will be Friday October 16th.  More information to come. 

• We will be celebrating the life of Kyle Lake during our worship service on Sunday October 25th.  Please invite friends that you think might be interested in joining us that day. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 9-13-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of transformation.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Amazing Grace by Citizens & Saints

How Great Thou Art

Be Thou My Vision

Pain by Jameson McGregor

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Amazing Grace: Perhaps the most surface-level take away from this song is that the Grace of God has saved us, and I think that is legitimate, but we sang Amazing Grace this week to think about the fact that this gift of Grace does not merely change our status of salvation, but knocks around in our lives and transforms us into people who are more like Jesus.  

How Great Thou Art: We sang this song to practice recognizing the works of God in history, and responding with praise.  This response is something we partner with the Holy Spirit to cultivate within ourselves--a transformation that we would do well to leave ourselves open to.  We can easily get to a place where we accept the wonders of God as simply the way things are, but this song calls us to maintain a sense of awe--to allow ourselves to be transformed into a people who carry a sensitivity to such wonders.  This might look like being the kind of people who are excited--and driven to worship--when the scientific community discovers another layer of complexity in the cosmos, knowing that science more often than not opens up doors to seeing just how much we don't know about the way things work.  It might also look like being the kind of people who, upon seeing someone do something we would consider awful, turn our minds to the dark places in ourselves and think about what God has done for us, and how much more God can do within us.  

Be Thou My Vision: We sang this song as a communal prayer that God would transform the way we see the world, and the way we live in it.  [I changed a line of this song over the summer--if you missed the explanation for that change, you can check out the setlist from that week here.]

Pain: This song is about the danger of keeping our pain locked up in ourselves.  I have two broad categories of pain in mind here.  On the one hand, this pain might be considered externally caused--the emotional effects of something that has happened.  On the other hand, the pain I'm talking about is self-inflicted--it's the guilt, the fear of being found out, that accompanies our own downfalls.  I can't speak for you, but I know that my tendency is to try and ignore things that hurt me (in an emotional sense), regardless of how serious they are, thinking I can move on unscathed this way.  The problem is, I've found that pain has a way of poisoning me to a certain extent--be it through leaving me with a dull anger that affects my general mood, or through sizzling like white noise, clouding my thoughts and social interactions.  My inclination is to carry my own weight, so to speak, but I'm ill-equipped for such a task.  Jesus talks about setting aside our heavy "yokes" and taking up His easy "yoke."  I'm pretty sure he's talking about setting aside a meticulous code of religious laws, and taking up the law of love, but I don't think it is inappropriate to apply the same image to our own anxieties and sources of pain.  I've been thinking about anxiety and emotional suffering a lot lately, and I've been asking a lot of questions.  One of these is why the pain of [insert source of emotional suffering] fades over time.  Why do things that wreck us emotionally have the potential to get better over time?  One answer might be this: the context changes: the world didn't end, life moved on, or something good came out of a bad situation.  I think this sort of change of context is what we are offered by God.  While God doesn't necessarily take our pain away, the Gospel extends to us the hope of a context-change that just might take some of the weight away in the present.  In God, we find the potential for the way we think about pain to be transformed.  This is a new one, so be sure to check out the lyrics and email me with any questions.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  Here's what we said about Fall Afresh then: We sang this song to voice our dependence on the Spirit for living life to the fullest and for taking our journey of faith seriously.  

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 9-11-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Top Five (formative fiction books of all time)

Over the next few weeks the staff will use the main part of the newsletter to share lists of top fives.  The topics of these lists can range from books, to music, to thinkers.  

A few things seem worth mentioning.  This section of the newsletter is (loosely) given to thoughts that are about formation.  As such it is worth mentioning that you will consistently see material that is sometimes labeled secular and material that is considered explicitly Christian.  This is a not a bad place to remind ourselves and everyone else what we believe about truth and culture ... the sacred and the secular which can be read here.  

UBC celebrates a diversity of voices and opinions.  These are our opinions.  As with any list there will be disagreement.  Please use the comments section on Facebook and/or the comments feature on the website to provide your own feedback and lists.  

1. The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis - It should not be surprising that the top spot is given to one of the most celebrated Christian authors of all time.  Lewis is a unique figure who has managed to simultaneously fill up evangelical bookstores and garner the respect of atheist critics.  Perhaps there is some truth then to Tolkien's criticism that he is every man's theologian.  Still, though I've grown up with and in some sense past C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce shaped the way I understand formation, choice, life, death, heaven and hell like nothing I've ever read.  If I could only have one book to teach people about following God outside of the Bible, it would be this book. 

2. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry - Wendell Berry does so much with these characters in the Port Charles.  In it you will find themes of agriculture, the destructive effects of technology, and healthy relationships.  But all of those themes are subservient, in my opinion, to the larger story of the formational life of the community.  We spend an entire life with Jayber.  And while living in it with him, readers grow in faith, commitment, and care for the people around them.  Jayber Crow was the first book to teach me how the transcendent is packed into the seemingly mundane nature of immanence.  

3. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - At some point I began to take apart the worldview I grew up with.  It started in college when I began to see what people, that I respected, thought about the world in a way that was different than me.  It has continued today.  The process of discovering the new and consequently that you are continually wrong in your suppositions, is a painful and precious one. Kingsolver's book puts that process in a story that's moving, challenging and educational.  And it's just sooooo good!

4. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens - I read A Tale of Two Cities because it was assigned to me in high school.  I read A Christmas Carol because I love Christmas.  The only other Dickens book I was crazy enough to try and read was this book.  It was every bit as tedious and long as you might expect a Dicken's orphan novel to feel.  It took me months, some of them agonizing, to get through it.  And when I was done I found a reward.  Like Jayber Crow, David Copperfield, took me on an adventure in which I got to observe the full scope of a narrative. With that vantage point I got to see how precious his life and the lives of those around him were.  

5. Life of Pi by Yann Martel - I cruised through this book fairly quickly. It is interesting and obscure.  You move with Pi, who is the son of a Zoo owner from India, across the ocean in a life boat with a tiger named Richard Parker.  That story is interesting in and of itself.  What blew my mind about this book is in the last twenty pages.  Without telling you what happens I will tell you this.  This book taught me something about reading scripture.  There is fancy word, hermeneutics, that describes the lens or perspective from which we read a story.  Life of Pi, shaped my hermeneutic for reading scripture.  

This is my list, what is yours? 

Family Weekend Breakfast - September 20, 2015

Bring your family to church next weekend and eat breakfast with us!  The breakfast will be at 9:30 in the Backside.  If you would like to help with breakfast, please sign-up on Sunday to bring a dish.

nUBC’ers Luncheon - September 27, 2015

If you are new to UBC in 2015, we would love to have you stay for lunch after church on the 27th.  This will be a time you can hear more about the history of the church, our current initiatives, and ask any questions you may have.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer on the 20th.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

Town Hall - September 20th, 2015

We are having our quarterly town hall meeting after church on September 20th.  We will give you a few minutes for people to connect after the service, as well as leaving time for those to leave who do not wish to stay for the town hall.  If you have any questions, please email toph@ubcwaco.org

College Retreat - October 8-9

The cost of the retreat is $50, which covers lodging, 3 meals, and UBC swag.  There will be a sign-up sheet in the foyer on Sunday, please email toph@ubcwaco.org if you have any questions.

HR Team Member Needed

The fearless Jeff Walter is hanging up the jersey after a few years of serving on our HR squad.  Are you interested in serving on the Human Resources/Staff Support committee or would you like to nominate someone you think would be good?  Please send your name to josh@ubcwaco.org

 

Satan Slayers Recap

The Satan Slayers lost another close one to improve to 0 and 3 on the season.  The Melody Ranch Ranch Hands dropped the Slayers like a bad habit in five innings.  The 13-10 final communicates that the Slayers lost, but what it does not show is the heart of this team and the fierce comeback that they put on display at River Bend Stadium last Thursday.  

When asked about the comeback Coach Roldan said, "This team has got a heart so big, it crushes this town ... that's what my buddy Tommy Petty always says." 

Indeed the Slayers did show heart ... and knees.  Skinned knees.   Just ask shortstop Brad Rettler who left it all on the field including a couple of layers of the epidermis.  Or how about Rob Engblom who bobbled a ball, but then used Jedi like concentration to haul it in.  Or how about Amber Wilhite who consistently punished Ranch Hands trying to sneak  onto home plate.  These kids did it all on Thursday.  

Roldan continued: "It doesn't matter the size of the dog in the fight, it matters what the size of the fight is in the dog."  

and then after wiping a tear from his eye "there's no "i" in team."  

After a few more t-shirt slogan answers I asked Roldan about the presence of Dani Miller in the dugout.  

"Dani came to give emotional support.  That's what good leaders do and that's what she is.  Her hand is healing up nicely and we expect to see her in the next week or two."

Later that evening I caught up with Kelsey Lawson who remarked, "there's a sale at Penny's!" 

Roldan kept himself off the diamond and then gave the starting nod to reliever Jacob Robinson.  Robinson threw five frames walking 7 and giving up 22 hits, yielded 13 runs.   Some people might have been discouraged by that 23.4 ERA, but not Jake.  Here's what he had to say after the game.  

"Hey do you know where that group is meeting in the parking lot?  We were supposed to celebrate with some Zebra Cakes and and game of Settlers."  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Kelsey, Rick, the Walters 

Coffee Makers: Joy & Ryan (Dream Team)

Mug Cleaners: Emmy 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23:  "Matthew's Farm Part 2" 

• Pub Group this Wednesday at 5:30pm (note the time change) at the Dancing Bear. Come have a pint with some other UBCers and talk about stuff (and things). 21 and up.

• On September 18, UBCYP (ubc young professionals) will meet at Jamie's house at 7 for food, fun, and good times. There will be a sign up sheet in the lobby starting this Sunday for those who are interested. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Community Voices

The benefits of being human in Church 

What does it mean to be convicted? For me growing up it meant that sinking feeling in the pew of a too cold sanctuary when my spirit was squeezed to the point of crushing as I was faced with the "truth" that I was not enough.

You see my humanness prevented me from living up to the commandments from the pulpit- those that exceeded the 10, those that called me to the narrowest tightrope. The unofficial-official rules of the playbook.

God loves you- but watch out-he'll judge you at the pearly gates.

God forgives you and all is wiped away, but you must confess continually without ceasing to this community, which may or may not be emotionally or theologically safe.

Walk this painful and lonely road- we will support you in your decision to do so, but in the midst of it you will turn around and we will be in our quiet times, doing devotionals, or watching 7th heaven and we will be to busy to prop you up.

Maybe pray more?

There is an unpardonable sin, and you may be doing it, so you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Josh acknowledges often that we are a church of the over churched and under churched. I fall into the former. There was no reciprocity in the religion of my childhood- it's our way or the highway. I remember attending a small private Christian college in the Midwest and learning there were denominations. Up until that point I thought all Christians were like my community- except for Catholics- Catholics weren't Christian at all.

God was in a box, he was proclaimed to be omnipotent and yet, could only redeem those powerful enough to determine and disseminate the rules from their lofty places in the church. Oh yes, and I could never achieve such a position due to my two X chromosomes. Darn you X chromosomes! It was a helpless feeling in a system that blamed those who felt helpless for not trying hard enough, or doing “it" wrong. This faith thing.

So in-my-life-of-the-church here at UBC many wounds have been healed. Perhaps this is the experience of many of the over-churched amongst us, or perhaps it is unique to me. I am vulnerable to feeling unique (I’m a 4 on the enneagram, don’t judge). The inclusivity, transparency, vulnerability and humility of the leadership; the way in which she stands for a God who can meet you in an industrial building (didn’t it used to be a piggly wiggly?), with open cups of coffee in mismatched mugs, in all your humanness; these are the cornerstones of my new faith. I have been born again, but not in the way my parents might hope.

So to end, where I began- feeling convicted. God slaps me in the face at least once each Sunday between the hours of 10:30-12:00pm. He shows up in the poetic worship, in the authentic liturgy, in the chocolate doughnuts and the sound of my daughters’ shoes slapping against the raw concrete. Her feet sounding applause. I feel God calling me to a better, to a less finite version of him, a more complex understanding that shakes me in a good way. Our community is woven together with filmy thin tendrils of love. The gossamer membership of this precious community in which just showing up affords you belonging; I am happy to be part of this body, and to feel God calling me to be more generous, kinder, vulnerable and open. My heart is squeezed in the “pew," and it's a giant hug, and I am grateful. God is enough, so I don’t have to be.

Setlist 9-6-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of dependence.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Hope by Jameson McGregor

Your Love Is Strong by Jon Foreman

Fall Afresh by Jeremy Riddle

Feel by Jameson McGregor

Wayward Ones by The Gladsome Light

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Hope: We sang this song for the first time last week, and I would encourage you to go back and read the entry I posted here to get a better idea of what this song is about.  In the context of this week's songs, Hope reminds us that God is present with us in the midst of darkness, and we can depend upon God to carve meaning into our darkest moments.

Your Love Is Strong:  We sang this song to proclaim that we can depend on the love of God to take care of us in the midst of life's struggles, great and small.

Fall Afresh: We sang this song to voice our dependence on the Spirit for living life to the fullest and for taking our journey of faith seriously.  

Feel: The first long paragraph is a jumble of thoughts I have in the background of this song, and the the second paragraph is more directly about the song itself:

There are times in the journey of faith where God seems to go "dark"--where we don't feel God.  This is chronicled in the Psalms, the prophets, on the lips of Jesus.  It's something I've experienced, and something many of my friends have experienced.  With this in mind, I'm going to go ahead and assume that it's a normal part of the rhythm of faith.  Yet, we don't really talk about it (I think we should).  This is understandable to an extent.  We can expect to get better at most things we do in life over time.  Practice makes perfect, so to speak.  So, when we don't "feel" God anymore, the first assumption is that we're doing faith wrong.  But what if faith isn't like this?  What if instead of getting more and more connected to God over time, our experience is more akin to a journey over mountainous terrain, complete with high points and low points, and more high points, and more low points? This is hard to take in when the low points are marked by feeling abandoned by God in some way, but what if the feeling of abandonment actually had nothing to do with God abandoning us?  When relating to God, we enter a relationship where we do not see or hear the Other, but we do, in a sense, feel God.  This label of "feeling" is imprecise, but we might think of it as some assurance of God's presence with us.  Anyway, when the feeling is taken away, it naturally feels like God has gone away, but this is not necessarily the case.  In general, "God never leaves us.  God is perfectly faithful to us," is a safe theological statement.  The story of Scripture shows us as much as God remains faithful to people who are not faithful to God.  God's relationship toward us is about what God has decided to do, not what we deserve.  So how is God present when we do not feel God?  My answer to this works for me, but I by no means expect you to buy into it. It's this: God is present through the community of faith.  As flawed as it is, the fact that the community of faith is identified as the Body of Christ communicates to me that it is, in one way or another, the presence of Christ in the world (Yeah, I know that some people wear the label of "Christian" and don't act like Jesus--I'm not extending this to all people who label themselves Christians at all times.   Instead, I'm suggesting that those who are being formed in the way of Christ have the potential to be agents of God's presence).  We generally accept this idea when thinking about caring for the poor or loving people as the "hands and feet" of Jesus, but I propose that the same is true as we relate to one another.  We are agents of presence to one another--whether we are aware of it or not.

So.  This song is a collection of language I've used in prayer when I go through a season of not being able to "feel" God.  The temptation in these times is to stop praying altogether--if for no other reason, because it's hard.  But it's not quite as hard when we allow ourselves to be honest; to let the content of the prayer be about why we don't want to pray.  I should stop here and clarify: I wrote this song after having experienced this feeling of disconnect quite a few times, thus I have grown to expect that these seasons are temporary.  If you are experiencing something like this for the first time, I realize that you may not share my inclination to continue to seek God in any way through it.  I'm not trying to tell you that you are wrong, but I am being honest about how things have gone for me.  For me, these dark times have been awful, hopeless, draining, confusing, on and on, and I never feel like the darkness serves a purpose in the moment.  But.  On the other side of these seasons, I look at them as times of growth.  I don't think I can quantify this growth, but I'm certain of it.  And, while I may not feel God personally in these times, I have benefited greatly from being around those who do.  In a way, I have found that the people in my community of faith can feel God for me.  Thus, in the context of this week's songs, we sang this to think about depending on God through the people of God.  As always, I haven't said everything I want to about this song, though I've said more than most people wanted to sit and read.  If you have questions/concerns, please email me.

Wayward Ones: We sing this song every time we take communion to remind ourselves of a couple of things.  First, we are a broken people--though we are seeking to become more like Jesus, we often fail at this.  Second, Christ has given Himself for us despite our brokenness.  We take communion to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, even though we did not, and do not, deserve it.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 9-4-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Words

Matthew 12:36-37: "I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter;  for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 

I wanted to chase a rabbit that I won't be able to address in Sunday's sermon.  Here's what I would have said on another day. 

First, something from this sundays sermon

I just finished a book called The Name of the Wind.  It officially belongs to the genre of fantasy nerd … so I’m not going to waste your time trying to explain much about the names or the characters.  Just know that what I’m about to write below is a conversation between a university professor and a student.  You could say the professor among other things is a linguist of sorts … and they are having a conversation about words. 

Student: I still don’t understand about names.

Professor:  I will teach you to understand, the nature of names cannot be described, only experienced and understood.

Student: Why can’t it be described?  If you understand a thing you can describe it. 

Professor: Can you describe all the things you understand?

Student: Of course.

Professor points at a boy: What color is that boy’s shirt?

Student: Blue.

Professor:  What do you mean by blue?  Describe it. 

And then something I read a while back

A few months ago Radiolab did a fascinating program on perceiving colors.  The specific color in question is blue.  The program begins by noting that about 150 years ago William Gladstone began reading through books from antiquity noting both that some objects were describe with a peculiar color (sheep = violet, honey = green) and that some colors were not mentioned at all.  At one point they interview Guy Deutscher who is the author of Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages.  Deutscher decided to do an experiment with his daughter.  He made a point never to describe the color of the sky to her.  I'll quote at length here.  

In theory, one of children's first questions is, "Why is the sky blue?" So he raised his daughter while being careful to never describe the color of the sky to her, and then one day asked her what color she saw when she looked up.

Alma, Deutscher's daughter, had no idea. The sky was colorless. Eventually she decided it was white, and later on, eventually blue. So blue was not the first thing she saw or gravitated toward, though it is where she settled in the end.

One of the points of the program is to explore the relationship between language and perception.  The suggestion is that we can't perceive what we can't describe.  If we don't have a word for blue we cannot see blue.  If you are more interested you can read this summary. 

Hebrew people and their words

God spoke the world into existence with words.  God let Adam name animals.  God changed Abram's name.  God changed Sarai's name. God changed Jacob's name.  God told Hosea to name his kids something awful.  When was describing Jesus in John 1 and echoing the creative word in Genesis One, he picked the word, "word" to describe Jesus.  In the bible, words have a life of their own.  They have a power.  They aren't used casually.  

There's a Hebrew davar it's tangled up in the Genesis 1 text and John 1 texts I just referred to, but let me give you an easier example to follow. Isaiah 55:11 says, "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."

Davar proceeds from the mouth of God and does not return empty. You get the picture.  Davar means to give status to.  To assign being and life and creative force.  

Matthew's words

For this reason Matthew's words make me pause.  How many cavalier things do I say everyday that are, without my intention, shaping the world in a very real way?  Let's create a world that will be justified. 

Membership Update 

A few years ago, with the blessings of LT, a committee was put together to pursue the idea/possibility of membership at UBC.  After some great work by the committee, the LT felt there were still some questions of how this idea of membership would be implemented at UBC, and the conversation was given back to the staff to continue to guide the process.  We are picking up the conversation again, and here are the key questions the committee will seek to answer: how do we create a greater sense of ownership at UBC; and how do we foster a greater sense of accountability and discipleship.  The goal of this committee will be to answer the questions above (as well as others that might come up), and to help create a system of belonging at UBC that is true to historical tradition within the Church and true to UBC’s unique identity within that historical tradition.  The OAR Team will meet for the first time on September 13th.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org

Children's Ministry Information

We have had a great time in our UBCKids Sunday School this Summer, but it’s time for something new…(drumroll, please…)  

Beginning September 13th, "God in the (kids)Movies" is BACK, but with a twist!  This year, our kids in grades 1st-4th (or above!) will be starting the year with Phil Vischer (AKA The creator of VeggieTales and voice of Bob the Tomato…for those of you who aren’t up with the who’s who of Hollywood...) and his newest project, "What’s In The Bible?”!  Phil has created a video series that, after watching it in its entirety, (the first time out of curiosity…the 5 or so times after, out of sheer enjoyment!) I can only describe as educational-inspiring-hilarious-enlightening-engaging-awesome!  I have described it to some as “Seminary with puppets and animation”…who wouldn’t want that?!  Has anyone at Truett considered this idea…because, they should!  We will watch one video each week and build a creative journal as we deepen our understanding of this great book we all love and may not know enough about (yet!), The Bible!

For those parents who have kids younger than 1st grade that want to attend Sunday School, or for the younger siblings of those kids attending Sunday School, YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN!  We feel pretty strongly that 2 hours of curriculum is too much for most tiny tots, so we provide a safe and happy environment for free-play during this time!  Because it requires additional volunteers, please let Emily know if you intend to take advantage of this time so that we can plan to have the appropriate supervision for your tikes!  Feel free to email Emily (emily@ubcwaco.org) to let her know what to plan for or with any other questions or concerns you might have! 

Volunteer Training:    

Are you fun?  Do you like to hang out with people shorter then you?  Do you love God, embrace beauty and live life to the fullest?  Well, UBCKids has a place for you!  All current and future volunteers mark your calendars for the UBCKids Volunteer Training on September 13th!  There will be food and insight into the UBCKids program and policies…and did I mention FOOD?!  

Join us on September 13th (from the end of church until 1:00) for the UBCKids Volunteer Training to help share God’s love with the littlest UBCers!      

Made In Waco:

UBC is committed to finding God’s beauty in the world around us, even the beauty we create and appreciate is an extension of God’s love for us!  To celebrate this, UBC hosts an annual handmade market called Made In Waco!  We realize that handmade and crafted things take time, so we thought we’d let you know now that Made In Waco will be held on November 7th at UBC and we’d love to have you take part!  For more information, email Emily at emily@ubcwaco.org!

Satan Slayers Recap

The Slayers opened their 2015 campaign with a pair of losses.  Their first loss came at the hands of the night crew from Uncle Skip's tire shredding factory.  It was a barn burner.  The Slayers had the game in hand until some guy named Wally hit for the cycle ... twice ... in one in inning.  Wally's 3rd cousin from Marlin subbed for the tire shredders and he hit three home runs.  Coach Roldan later commented saying, "I mean what did you expect, we shred satan, these guys (and gals) shred tires."  We hear you coach.  Sometimes metaphysical warfare doesn't translate to W's on the diamond.  Highlights included a Brad Rettler grand slam and a Kelsey Lawson web gem.  

In their second loss the church squad lost to a familiar organization ... the Antioch Community Church semi-pro city league softball team or ACCSPCLST for short.  I thought about trying to craft this paragraph in a way that didn't look bad, but that'd be a failure in journalistic integrity. The Slayers got slaughtered.  In fact, had they not eked those pair of runs in the 3rd inning, the game would have been called because of runs.  When I first saw the score of this one on the ESPN ticker I thought it was a football game.  I mean I've seen Baylor non conference football games that were closer than this.  

After their second loss I caught up with MVP hopeful Kelsey Lawson. Here's what she had to say, "we just need to make better plays." 

Yes, yes you do Slayers.  

Lawson continued, "but I liked the people, that guy Rob is hilarious. And Evie made some good plays at third base."  

When questioned about his sour outing reliever Jacob Robinson responded, "did you know we have a team song?  It's centerfield by John Fogerty.  It gets me jacked up!" 

To make matters more complicated the city of Waco incorrectly recorded the UBC squad's name.  Instead of Satan Slayers, the scoreboard read "Satan Slavers."  You can imagine the media frenzy. Already struggling with a fast and loose reputation in the local community, the Satan Slavers have added injury to insult.  When we contacted UBC's lead pastor Josh Carney he replied: 

"What, satan slavers?  I thought we all agreed on hashtag champions4thelord.  Heads are going to roll in the marketing department."  

Apparently coach Byron Roldan took the evening pretty hard.  Here's a bit from my interview with coach Roldan from after the game. 

Majkowski: Coach you guys seemed like you just couldn't get it together tonight.  What happened? 

Roldan:  What kind of question is that Flip?  Did they teach you that in journalism school?  You were here tonight, what did you see? 

Majkowski: Coach I know it was a tough night, but can you elaborate on what you think went wrong? 

Roldan: I'll tell you what's wrong Majkowski.  We're a small market team and our fan base is abysmal.  If we could get some decent media coverage, we might be able to generate a small fan base increase ticket and merch sales and THEN I COULD BUY A PITCHER IN THE OFF SEASON THAT'S WORTH A DARN AND SNAG AN OCCASIONAL WIN.  Let me ask you a question.   When did you get to be such a smart alec Flip? Was it before you overpaid for that piece of paper from the university of plagiarism or after?  You're terrible. 

Majkowski: All right, back to you guys in the studio. 

Survey

A former UBCer and good friend of our Hannah Howard is studying Anthropology and a few other words I can't pronounce at a school in Virginia named after famous Americans.  I can't remember which ones. Anyhow she is great and needs your help.  I know what your thinking ... "I don't need to take this survey, because everyone else will."  Nope, everyone else just had that same thought, so if you don't take this survey then the world will go into chaos and the stock market will crash.  no pressure, no diamonds.  you can fill out the survey here.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: Evie

Coffee Makers: Chad & Joel 

Mug Cleaners: Haines 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  Matthew 13:31-32 ... and possibly some other bible verses:  "Matthew's Farm Part 1" 

• Our next town hall to prep people for the October leadership team meeting will be after church on September 20th.  

• Pub Group this Wednesday at 8pm at the Dancing Bear. Come have a pint with some other UBCers and talk about stuff (and things). 21 and up.

• Parents Breakfast: Sunday September 18th from 9:30-10:15. 

• New UBCers Lunch after church on September 27th.  More information to come

• On September 18, UBCYP (ubc young professionals) will meet at Jamie's house at 7 for food, fun, and good times. There will be a sign up sheet in the lobby starting this Sunday for those who are interested. 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Joy Wineman: joy.wineman@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 8-30-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of grace.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Heart Won't Stop by John Mark and Sarah McMillan

Amazing Grace by Citizens & Saints

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United

Hope by Jameson McGregor

All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons & Daughters 

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Heart Won't Stop: We sang this song to begin our time together proclaiming the relentless love of God that breeds a grace that isn't contractual or begrudging, but is instead a passionate force that is born out of God's decision to be God-with-us. 

Amazing Grace: We sang this song to think about the fact that the grace of God does not simply extend forgiveness to us that we don't deserve, but is something that transforms us into people who are more like Jesus.

Oceans: We sang this song to think about God being with us as we navigate our lives, specifically the more chaotic territories of life. The grace of God is not something that merely affects us in the end, but in the midst of life.

Hope: I've been working on this song for the better part of a year.  For a long time, I only had the lines, "You lit a fire in the darkness the darkness did not overcome," (loosely pulled from John 1), and "You sang out Hope into the dead of night, and it echoed off the edge of time," (which I pulled from an Advent song I wrote called Light).  Sitting with this, I started to wonder what this "darkness" or "night" might be in the scope of this song.  I thought about what I would label dark points of my life, and the dark times I've walked through with friends.  

I thought about the alcoholics I know.  They tell me that their addiction is a life condition--it's not something they're going to "get over," so no matter how long they are sober, they will still self-identify as an alcoholic.  They can't go back, and life will never be quite the same. 

I thought about my dear friend who is hemmed in by both bipolar disorder and depression, knowing that if he runs out of medication, or if something about his biological environment changes, his world will quite quickly become a dark and untrustworthy place.  There was a time when he lived free of this diagnosis, but he can't go back to that time--his life will never be free of the potential of this darkness.  

I thought about the conversations I've had with friends--and with myself--on the other side of a major life change, where what was has an allure that is lacking in what is, and the weight of this loss is unbearably heavy.  We can't go back; life will never be the same.  

It was this collective sense of darkness, and the ubiquitous not being able to go back, that I had in mind when I wrote this song.  I wrote it for them.  I wrote for me.  I likely wrote it for you.  

Each verse of this song ends with me putting these words into the mouth of God: "I've called you mine."  After the third verse, this changes to, "I've called you mine, and you can't go back."  Of all the things, great and small, from which we can't go back, this is the most enduring.  The conditions of life find their resolve in death, but the condition of being a child of God can't be erased by something as temporal as death.  God chose to be God-with-us in the midst of the darkness, and no shade of darkness can change that.  This is grace. 

This is a piece of what this song means to me, but there is much more going on.  Reading the lyrics will be a start to understanding this song better, but if you want to talk about it at all, please send me an email.

All the Poor and Powerless:  We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs, which were gathered around the theme of singing.  This is what we said about All the Poor and Powerless last week: We sang this song to turn our attention to humans.  There are two refrains in this song that involve what humans cry out in worship to God.  One is "Alleluia" (familiar?) and the other is "He is God."  I'll admit: part of me recoils against taking something as complex as the worship of God and reducing it to such simple phrases, but I feel like what I said about the previous song fits here as well: Simple? Yes. Legitimate? Yes.  What else is there to say?  The most complex praises of a theologian or business person (or whoever) can probably all be reduced back to this one idea. 

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

8-28-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Treasure Hunting and Scripture Reading

The first time I made it home after leaving for college I spent time with a high school friend who asked,

"So Josh, what's your thing right now?" 

Me: "What do you mean, what's my thing?" 

Friend: "You know, you always have a thing." 

He's right, I always have a thing.  It's probably a form of obsessive compulsive behavior.  I find something new that I'm interested in and I can't quit.  It's what I do for however long I'm interested.  My friend, for example, was probably present to the fact that I had declared about six different majors before I got to college.  

I have a new thing right now.  Treasure hunting.  

My friend Tanner posted a link on his Facebook wall.  It was a story about a guy hunting for a treasure.  A real treasure. 

I started doing research.  It turns out that real life Indiana Jones-eclectic-millionaire Forrest Fenn buried a treasure full of gold nuggets, coins, gems and other artifacts that he's acquired over the years.  Forrest is from Temple, TX but spent every summer in Yellowstone until he was about 21.  As such he became an explorer and treasure hunter.  Forrest has been all over the world looking for ancient artifacts and other rare finds.  Eventually his efforts turned into an art gallery in Sante Fe, New Mexico.  Forrest was good at trading.  He became a millionaire.  

At some point Forrest got cancer.  He was treated, but his doctors told him he had a 20% chance of making it.  So what did Forrest do?  He wrote memoir that includes a poem which has 9 clues as to the location of the treasure.  And then ... he beat cancer.  So now the treasure is out there and millions of people have been looking for it since 2010 and Forrest is watching.  

So that's my new thing.  I'm looking for Forrest's treasure.  

Let me fill you in on what my looking includes.  Forrest has said that all you need to find the treasure is the poem.  So I'm taking him at his word.  I'm bypassing the blogs full of crazy theories based on his memoir and all the mind reading people do based on cryptic things Forrest says in interviews.  I'm sticking with the poem. 

What does this mean?  It means I read and reread and reread the poem again and again.  It means that I google definition every word in the poem to look for possible meanings.  It means I look for word patterns and a play on words.  It means that I've researched leads and read entire histories on people and places that I'd never head of before.  It means I've google mapped obscure locations that I've never been near.  I've never thought more acutely about 24 lines of poetry in my life.  

And then one day this week it dawned on me.  This is how I'm called to read scripture.  The NIV uses the word meditate 29 times usually with a command telling us to do just that with the scripture--meditate.  Let me apply some of the same methodology I've used in decoding the poem to the word "meditation."  If you look it up in a dictionary you the synonym "rumination."  Farmers know what rumination is because their cows do it.  It's a process where they roll grass around in their mouth chewing it over and over.  Then they swallow it and send to their stomachs to let the acid strip off some of the layers on the grass.  Then they bring it back up to chew some more.  This process helps them extract every single possible nutrient they can from the grass.  

That's how thoughtful people read the Bible.  I've got a ways to go.  

Welcome Back Lunch

Football tailgates, pumpkin spice everything, and temperatures that only reach the mid to high nineties.  Fall is here and school is back in session.  Come celebrate with us after church this Sunday as we collectively chow down on some grub prepared by the good people at El Crucero.  

Sunday School

Sunday School starts this Sunday!  You can read more about the class and what to expect here. 

We Need Your Help (with greeting)

UBC is in need of greeters for the fall semester! Greeters serve one Sunday per month September through December. It's a great way to serve our church while meeting new people! You can sign up here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MRWNHC5 or contact Maxcey Blaylock at maxceykite@gmail.com for more information.

Emerging Parents

Our first emerging parents monthly hangout will be Wednesday, September 2 from 5:30-7:00. Emerging parents in a potluck gathering in which kids play and parents spend time getting to know each other and talk about parenting.  If you are interested in attending email josh@ubcwaco.org. 

Fall Training: Satan Slayers Preview 

Recently our sports reporter Flip Majkowksi had a chance head to Florida to catch up with the Satan Slayers pre-season squad and talk with coach Byron Roldan about the upcoming Season.  

Majkowksi: Coach last year, your team started out hot and then went on a losing streak.  what can fans expect in 2k15? 

Roldan:  Well we've been really pleased with the work the front office has done.  We feel like we acquired some critical players this off season and brought back some really talented kids.  So we're optimistic about what's going to happen this October.  

Majkowksi: You mentioned acquisitions.  One problem down the stretch seemed to be generating runs.  What kind power can we expect on the offensive side of the ball that we didn't see last year. 

Roldan: Rob Engblom is a guy who is a threat on both sides of the ball.  Look for him to do some damage from the five spot.  He's our left/center fielder and a black hole. Jamey Yadon came to us from Sacramento.  He's gonna deliver a lot RBIs and can hit the south paws really well.  Jeff Latham has been hitting the ball real well this spring season ... so yeah we're feeling good. 

Majkowksi: How about defensively?  

Roldan: We picked a kid from Notre Dame, Brad Rettler.  I liken Brad to the Ozzie Smith of Waco City softball.  He gets in the dirt. He's athletic. He's gonna save us a few runs eery game.  And then the person who really makes our defensive scheme work is Amber Wilhite. We're going to use her in the utility spot.  We were fortunate to pick Amber up off wavers at the end of last season.  

Majkowski: I think the question Slayer fans have been asking all off season is how is Dani Miller's rotator cuff?  

Roldan:  Dani is 100%.  Her surgery went well and we think you'll see her name on the MVP ballot at the end of this season.  Another name to look out for Kelsey Lawson.  Vegas has her at 9-1 right now.  

Majkowski:  Coach, how is the rotation shaping up? 

Roldan:  The pen is looking good.  Watch for Jacob Robinson to throw a few frames each game after about five innings.  He's a monster. 

Majkowski: Thanks coach and good luck this year. 

Roland: Thank You. 

Work is Worship

Greeters:  team haines 

Coffee Makers:  Emmy and Stephen 

Mug Cleaners: Leigh

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  

• Pub Group  this Wednesday at 8pm at the Dancing Bear. Come have a pint with some other UBCers and talk about stuff (and things). 21 and up.

• Parents Breakfast: Sunday September 18th from 9:30-10:15. 

• New UBCers Lunch after church on September 27th.  More information to come

• UBCYPers (UBC Young Professionals) September 18th.  More information to come.  

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Jana Parker: jparkerslp@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 8-23-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of singing (meta, I know).  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

The Lark Ascending (Trying to Make You Sing) by David Crowder* Band

All Creatures of Our God and King by David Crowder* Band

All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons & Daughters 

Noise by Jameson McGregor

Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

The Lark Ascending (Trying to Make You Sing): This is a song about singing--not like in a "come on, sing along" kind of way, but its about what value singing might have, which was great for yesterday, since that's what the sermon was about.  If you haven't already, I'd encourage you to click the link in the previous section and read the lyrics to this song.  The first verse connects singing to being alive--it's something that we need, that pours out from whatever place deep within us that belief resides, that makes us feel alive.  We added the second verse for yesterday, the main idea of which was to say: in singing, we join a song that has echoed since the moment there was something rather than nothing--singing proclaims that we are alive, yes, but more than that, we are creatures joining in the song of Creation.

All Creatures of Our God and King: We sang this song to think more about the "melody of stars" from one of the last lines of the previous song.  It's easy for most of us to wrap our heads around the idea of people worshipping God, and it's perhaps not a huge stretch to think about animals worshipping God (because, you know, cartoons), but what about things that seem otherwise inanimate (stars, elements, etc)?  This kind of personification is rampant in the Psalms--especially Psalm 19, where we see the "The Heavens declare the Glory of God," line.  This is a singing without words, a singing that is woven into the fabric of existence that never ends.  This song chooses "Alleluia" as the content of this song, which means (some variation of) "Praise God." Simple? Yes. Legitimate? Yes.  What else is there to say?  The most complex praises of a supernova or tectonic plate can probably all be reduced back to this one idea.

All the Poor and Powerless:  We sang this song to turn our attention to humans.  There are two refrains in this song that involve what humans cry out in worship to God.  One is "Alleluia" (familiar?) and the other is "He is God."  I'll admit: part of me recoils against taking something as complex as the worship of God and reducing it to such simple phrases, but I feel like what I said about the previous song fits here as well: Simple? Yes. Legitimate? Yes.  What else is there to say?  The most complex praises of a theologian or business person (or whoever) can probably all be reduced back to this one idea. 

Noise:  We sang this song to think about the kind of song God is composing in creation.  One in which God stands as Lord over all of creation, yet wants to have a relationship with God's creatures so much that even when we make broken promises of ourselves, God makes new promises of us.  

Death in His Grave: We sang this song for two reasons.  First, we are in the habit of singing a song from the previous week's set every week after the sermon.  Second, Josh's sermon yesterday gave us the idea that singing roots ideas and stories deep within us.  Death In His Grave contains some of the most hopeful content of the story of Redemption, and is thus a perfect song to sing when we are most conscious that the words we sing are going to be etched deep within us.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 8-21-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Why We Sing

Josh asked me (Jamie) to write the blog this week.  Since his sermon topic for Sunday is “Why We Sing,” I want to think through this a little bit.

I’m what you might call an introvert.  I live most of life my life inside my own head.  Because of this, I sometimes struggle to take what’s going on in there and share it with other people.  I’m not sure what muscle is responsible for projecting thoughts outward, but mine is pretty weak.  That being said, I still have this urge to express myself—to take the things that I naturally keep inside and throw them out into the world.  There have always been certain things that I felt could be dealt with through normal conversations with other people, but I’ve noticed that I’m no good at using this medium to express certain kinds of things that happen in my head.  I have a suspicion that many people have a category of thoughts/feelings they struggle to put into words, though I don’t know that the content of this category is the same for everyone. For me, this is the category of existential extremes: deep pain, great hope, extreme joy, etc.—especially in relation to God.  Over the years, I’ve come to realize that the only way I can launch these feelings outside of my head is through music. 

When I first realized this, I did not yet make much music of my own.  Instead, I sought out music that I felt embodied some aspect of my thoughts.  When I got to college and started a Religion program, my supply of things I couldn’t express normally went into overload.  This is what drove me to become a songwriter.  When I began writing my own songs, I realized that this activity not only allowed me to express myself in a robust way, but it also helped me work through questions—to blaze new trails in my mind.  Writing helped me get around mental blocks and think more clearly.  More than that, there were songs that I wrote with a particular idea in mind that, a few months down the road, I found to have a completely new and unintended (!) significance for me.  This changed my thinking about music a little bit.  Whereas I had considered music to be something I could use to express myself, I found that songs have a way of reaching back and changing me somehow.

That’s enough about me. I say all this to say: for me, music—singing—is something that my sanity depends upon.  Because I’m not special, I have a feeling there is some degree of this that is true for many people.

So. When I think about singing together in church, I associate that time as equal parts expression and formation.  Singing allows us to put words in our mouths that help us express things we might not otherwise be able to—either because we didn’t have the words, or couldn’t bring ourselves to say them—and singing allows us to allow God to shape who we are by embedding these songs in our brains.

I want to propose that the songs we sing together in worship are a main source of the theology that bubbles to the front of our minds when we try to think about God. 

They are certainly not the only source, but songs have this ability to hang out just below the surface of our conscious mind and pop up at will.  The words we put in our mouths through song have a tendency to come pouring out when we are minding our own business vacuuming, driving, getting dressed, etc.  Because of this, it matters greatly what kinds of songs we sing together at church.  If we sing songs that don’t really say much of anything, we are setting ourselves up for failure when it comes to thinking about God.  We might have a memory full of words, but the kind of picture these words paint will be hollow, useless.  And worse, we can start to get so comfortable with these pictures that we begin to mistake them for what God is really like.  On the other hand, if we sing songs that say quite a bit, but one would be hard pressed to interpret the phrases and imagery as true, we are no better off.

This means that the stakes are pretty high for trying to sing the “right” songs.  If we sing songs that don’t accurately represent our desires and feelings as a congregation, something is wrong.  If we sing songs that don’t conflict with our desires and feelings, yet also do not challenge us to become more fully formed in the way of Christ, something is wrong. 

Because of this, each of us has the right to speak our mind about the songs we sing.  The tricky part about this is that our congregation is made up of quite a few people, and there are thus several hundred different sets of desires/feelings in our congregation.  And by the same token, there are several hundred different sets of expectations for lyrical content that we would consider fit for formation.  So: we should all feel free to be honest about our feelings toward the songs we sing—and we should all be prepared to be humble and loving (read: willing to change our mind) in the conversations surrounding these songs.  The songs we put into our mouths as a congregation stand as the vocabulary of expression and a source of formation for all of us. 

JM

Welcome Back Lunch

Next Sunday, August 30th, we are having a luncheon to welcome new students to UBC, as well as reconnect with everyone who has been gone for the summer.  We would love for you to stay and join us for lunch.  We will provide the food and drinks, you just bring your appetite.  This luncheon is for EVERYONE!  If you are student, toddler, empty-nester, young professional, or anyone else, we want you to stay for lunch and connect/reconnect with other UBC’ers.  If you have any questions, please contact toph@ubcwaco.org .  

In Family News

We would like to issue a UBC wide congratulations to the Henderson Family who welcomed the newest #champion4thelord into their family. 

Claire Alice Henderson 

birthday: 7/14/15 10:55pm

birth height: 19.5 inches

birth weight: 7lbs 3oz

enneagram #: 5

Concerts:

There are three must-see shows happening at Common Grounds (or, if it rains, ubc) next week:

• Tuesday, 8/25: All Sons & Daughters and Robbie Seay (we sing songs from both of these artists on Sunday mornings)
• Thursday, 8/27: Jon Foreman and Jillian Edwards (we sing some of Jon Foreman’s songs on Sunday mornings, and Jillian is a former UBCer)
• Sunday, 8/30: Lomelda (Hannah Read has been a UBCer for several years, and has shared her gifts with us many times.  This may be the last Lomelda show in the area for a while—don’t miss it!)

Work is Worship

Greeters: Haylee & Robinsons 

Coffee Makers:  Kayla & Michael 

Mug Cleaners: Haines

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  Genesis 1:1-2:4  "The Worship Hour Part 4: Why We Sing"

• Sunday School starts back on August 30th. You can read about the classes on the Sunday School page. 

• Pub Group starts back this Wednesday at 8pm at the Dancing Bear. Come have a pint with some other UBCers and talk about stuff (and things). 21 and up.

• Welcome Back Lunch after Church on August 30th. 

• Emerging Parents: September 2nd.  Interested?  email josh@ubcwaco.org 

• Parents Breakfast: Sunday September 18th from 9:30-10:15. 

• New UBCers Lunch after church on September 27th.  More information to come

• UBCYPers (UBC Young Professionals) September 18th.  More information to come.  

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Jana Parker: jparkerslp@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu

Setlist 8-16-2015

This week, our songs were gathered around the theme of communion.  Below, you’ll find the list of the songs and artists. Clicking the song titles will take you to the lyrics. Below the songs, there is an example of one way you might think of these songs in light of this week's theme. If you want to talk about any of these, feel free to comment at the bottom of this page or email me at jamie@ubcwaco.org.

Songs

Chariot by Page France

Death in His Grave by John Mark McMillan

Because He Lives

When Death Came Calling by Jameson McGregor

Wayward Ones by The Gladsome Light

Doxology

How They Fit In:

There are many ways to think about the significance of songs and the way they fit together–-this is simply one way you can look at these songs in light of this week’s theme. 

Chariot: We sang this song to live in the idea that history is moving toward something extravagant, that can aptly be called a "happy ending." For our purposes today, we can identify this happy ending as the Resurrection, and it is as resurrection people that we gather to share communion.  

Death in His Grave: In 1 Corinthians 11, we are given the idea that one part of taking communion together is to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes."  We sang this song to think about one part of the death of Christ--the death of Death, proclaiming that Jesus' death changed the way that death works for all of us.  The end goal of human life is no longer death, but resurrection.

Because He Lives: We sang this song to look over our shoulder at last week's songs.  This is what we said about Because He Lives last week: We sang this song to reflect on the way the gift of Jesus impacts our outlook on the future--in Christ, God gave us the gift of a hope that makes it worth getting out of bed each day.

When Death Came Calling:  This song puts grief in conversation with the hope of resurrection.  We often hear that when Jesus died, Death "lost its sting."  I have unfortunately heard this often used to try to discourage grieving people from acknowledging their pain.  This is unfortunate.  Death indeed lost its permanence, but anyone who has lost a loved one knows that the sting is very much still felt.  This song proposes that the Resurrection will redeem not simply the loss of life, but the grief experienced by those who live in the midst of a world where their loved ones die.

Wayward Ones: We sing this song every time we take communion to remind ourselves of a couple of things.  First, we are a broken people--though we are seeking to become more like Jesus, we often fail at this.  Second, Christ has given Himself for us despite our brokenness.  We take communion to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, even though we did not, and do not, deserve it.

Doxology: We close our time together each week with this proclamation that God is worthy of praise from every inch of the cosmos. 

-JM

ITLOTC 8-14-15

ITLOTC

(In The Life Of The Church) 

Ordinary Time

Time and How to Hold It

A few weeks ago a friend posted this on Facebook.   You should really click on it even if you have a habit of simply scanning this newsletter. It's the sort of revelation that will make you think "oh, yeah, that's really true."  Unless you are a physics student or math nerd in which case your internal response will probably be something closer to "duh." 

This is a truth perhaps so obvious it's been assigned it's own cliché. "Time Flies" or "Where has the time gone?"  But now someone assigned some numerical principles that give explanatory power to my experience.  I'm 34.  I think that's still young in the grand scheme of things, but holy smokes is this roller coaster picking up speed.  

The lunar calendar has a beginning in January, the church calendar in November and the Carney's calendar unofficially begins in August.  In part because of Baylor, but more so now because all four of our kids are in some kind of school, August is the season of beginning and new. 

I wrote a last week that I'm working on ditching Facebook, but now let me be confusing and sing one of it's praises.  I really like that remember-when-this-happened-three-years-ago function that is always accompanied by a photo.  Because we are in this phase of incessantly taking and posting picture of our kids, the photo remember thingys are always of my kids.  Because my children are all eight and under, human growth hormone runs rampant and three years ago feels like yesterday which somehow mystically contains "all that change."  

This post feels like I'm beating a dead horse.  I think I've wrote about time going by or being in the present or embracing the now on more than one occasion this last year.  

The Byrds following Solomon tell me there is a season for everything.  I used to think that was cheesy and located from a questionable part of the scripture that seems internally confused.  Now that time has clearly proven to me that I have no control over it, I find myself strangely comforted by the "turn, turn, turn," chorus.  All of this chaos is to be expected and even belongs.  

I'll be honest, I was looking for a place to land this discussion and so I key word searched "time" in the Bible.  I got 1,014 results.  So I used my seminary skills and narrowed my search to John.  Why?  Because John has a habit of taking mundane speech and infusing it with transcendence.  

Here's what's interesting:  If you search the NRSV, John uses the word time 12 times.  If you use the NIV John uses the word time 36 times. What's going on?

John has Jesus and others using time casually in their speech, like you and I might refer to it.  Examples: 

3:22 "After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized."

9:24 "So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him..."

14:9  "Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me?' "

In some of the cases in which the NIV supplies the word time it does so because the word time is contextually implied by the needs of the transliteration process.  In some cases, as in 14:9, the Greek word is more direct word for word translation, meaning the word is derived from the root chronos, which is where we get chronology.  It literally means time as the concept we mentally refer to when we think of time.  

All the translations tend to converge on another usage of time.  Look at what Jesus says in 7:6 "Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come." If that seems like a loftier statement it's because it is.  In this case Jesus uses the word kairos.  Chronos describes what's slipping between my fingers at an alarming rate.  Kairos describes those moments when the world is vivid and alive and the transcendent infuses the immanent.  The Greeks referred to kairos as the supreme moment. 

This week like so many, flew by.  My kids went back to school, I wrote sermons, had meetings, am writing this blog.  You get it.  But then in the midst of monotony kairos confronted me.  I went to lunch with a friend who recently lost deeply.  We talked.  He talked mostly and I listened.  I heard truth spoken infused with the meaning of the eternal and for two hours I was far from life as usual.  I was sitting in a supreme moment.  

It's tempting to wish that all of our lives could be one kairos moment after the next.  I think that's probably impossible for my heart and mind.  There's something about human experience that almost demands the mundane.  But I've noticed that when I'm most tempted forget how much all of this matters, God sends me kairos encounters. So that's how I've decided to make sense of the world passing me by at such an intense rate--knowing that those moments are all around me. 

Clean Day After Church

This Sunday after church we will have a church wide clean day from noon-two, for participants who help clean. we will provide pizza.  

Here are five investing facts about clean day: 

1. three olympic skeet shooters got their start at UBC clean day

2. more than 7 trillion germs have been killed on clean days in the past 

3. three people over the last ten years have confessed to choosing to be a part of the community because of the squeaky clean bathrooms 

4. early manuscripts show that helping clean the church was an eleventh commandment that got cut 

5. early formulas for "scrubbing bubbles" were derived in casual conversations had at clean day

6. "create your fact to insert here this Sunday" 

Mi Casa Leader Update From Liz 

Mi Casa leaders - We are getting close to this year’s kick-off on August 30th…if you have served as a leader in the past year and haven’t received an email from me yet this summer would you please shoot an email to Andrasi.e@gmail.com and let me know? I have been working on connecting with each of our leaders and I don’t want to miss you! I’m excited to get things started and look forward to hearing from you! - Liz

UBC Financial Update

THE PLAN:  We entered our new (fiscal) year on the first of July.  This year’s budget is $309,412.  Fixed expenses (staff salaries, building and office expenses) accounts for $253,373, or 81.9% of the total, and ministry expenses (the many things our church does for our community and for those who attend) accounts for $56,039 or 18.1%.

OUR EXPENSES AND INCOME:  Over the first six weeks of the fiscal year, we spent $26,839.  Those items considered fixed accounted for 94% of this spending and those considered ministry about 6%.  Our income from tithes and offerings during this period totaled $29,762.  Interestingly, we receive just about half of our tithes and offerings through the weekly collection during worship and the other half through online methods (PayPal and EasyTithe).

OUR STATUS:  UBC’s cash balance is currently about $33,460, with another $85,781 in savings.  We continue to carry no debt.  Quick math shows that we have the cash to meet about 51 days of expenses without having to dip into our savings.  So, we continue to rely heavily on weekly tithes and offerings.

Would you like to a be financial partner with UBC.  You can sign up for monthly giving through easytithe.  

Work is Worship

Greeters: The Walters & Leigh

Coffee Makers: Logan & Allyson 

Mug Cleaners:  Sara & Kayla 

Announcements:

• Sunday Sermon Text:  1 Corinthians 11:23-26  "The Worship Hour Part 3: Why We Commune" 

Do you have an Emergency? Do you Need to talk to a Pastor?:

254 498 2261

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- Kristin Dodson: kschwebke@prodigy.net

Jana Parker: jparkerslp@gmail.com

Stan Denman: Stan_Denman@baylor.edu

David Wilhite: David_Wilhite@baylor.edu

Byron Roldan: Byron_Roldan@baylor.edu 

Sharyl Loeung: sharylwl@gmail.com

Jon Davis: jdavis83@gmail.com

UBC Finance Team

Do you have a question about UBC’s financial affairs? Please feel free to contact any of your finance team members.

Tom Haines: thomas_haines@baylor.edu

Josh McCormick: Josh.McCormick@dwyergroup.com

Chris Kim: chris_kim@alumni.baylor.edu

Hannah Kuhl: HannahKuhl@hotmail.com  

Justin Pond: pondjw@gmail.com

Lacy Crocker: lacykcrocker@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.

Maxcey Blaylock: maxceykite@gmail.com

Mathew Crawford: mathewcrawford@yahoo.com

Callie Schrank: Callie_Schrank@baylor.edu

Jeff Walter: Jeff_Walter@ubcwaco.org

Rob Engblom: Rob_Engblom@baylor.edu