Congratulations to Laura and Jonathan!

Austin Agape says a big congratulations to our dear friends Jonathan Cross and Laura Weise who were married on Friday night! They are now Jonathan and Laura Cross!

Jonathan and Laura actually met right here at Austin Agape as they went to college. They began dating after one of the ski trips, and on the 2008 Ski Trip, Jonathan proposed! Now they are beginning an exciting adventure of marriage. Laura recently graduated from UT, and now she is excited to begin graduate school at the University of North Carolina in the Fall. They will be moving to Durham, North Carolina in August, and we will miss them deeply!

We send our warmest love and friendship as you enter these new journeys. Love to you both!

Micah 6 Food Pantry Is Going Strong

Every Thursday night from 6:00-7:30 pm and every Saturday morning from 10:30am -12:00pm, UPC hosts the Micah 6 Food Pantry, a service which helps 200 families per week in the Austin area. UPC is part of a partnership of university area churches called Micah 6. Each congregation serves the local area with a form of service. Click here to learn how the different congregations participate.

The coalition of churches takes its name from Micah 6:8:

What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Micah 6 Food Pantry is one way that our university area churches try to live according to this question.

Austin Agape is a part of this ministry as well. Our students are invited to serve as volunteers. They have discovered that the pantry itself is a partnership as well. Our congregation helps to distribute food to those who are in need, and the clients teach us so much through their stories and gifts.

We are thankful to house such an important ministry right under our roof!

Poem

The Guesthouse
Rumi,13th century Muslim Mystic

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Our Favorite Tongue Twister

Well, you people have made your mark. . . You always do! Believe it or not, small remnants of your personalities and silliness have made their way into my CPE at Seton Hospital this summer!

Now in case you're new to such a silly phrase, I dare you to say it. C'mon. Just try out loud once. It's so hard. Irish Wrishwatch! Irish Wiswatch! Iris Wishwash! Argh! IRISH WRISTWATCH!

Okay. Now try Irish Wishlist!

It's hard, isn't it? Now the person above is Jason. He has been conquering this phrase since the beginning of CPE. Jason is one of my fellow interns at Seton, and we have made it a daily practice that our first and last words to each other on a given workday must be Irish Wristwatch!

A CPE update. For those of you who are hearing the CPE acryonym for the first time, it stands for clinical pastoral education. Basically I'm interning as a hospital chaplain this summer. I work at Seton Medical Center on floor 4 North. That is the pulmonary and renal floor. I am working with people who have serious lung and kidney ailments. I'm also doing a bit of work on the 7th floor which is oncology. I am dealing with a lot of end-of-life issues on a regular basis, which can be difficult, of course. But I will say that it has been a deep, meaningful privilege to walk with patients and this point in their lives.

I appreciate your prayers. I am enjoying myself and learning a lot. But I will admit that I really miss being at UPC full time. Nine more weeks, and that's where I'll be!

Peace,
Renee

Summer at the Spiderhouse!

Last night, we had a wonderful sized summer group! We're meeting every Tuesday night at 6:30 upstairs in the youth room to build community, play foursquare, and have meaningful theological conversation. And then what do we do?



What else? Go to the Spiderhouse!







This summer, we are also reading some C.S Lewis, and we're starting with the Screwtape Letters. This book is a creative one. It contains letters from a senior demon named Screwtape to his younger nephew, an apprentice demon. How can Screwtape teach his protege to mess with human life and experience? We are going to go to the Spiderhouse each Tuesday night to discuss what we've read. Next week, we'll discuss letters 1-8.






We certainly enjoyed ourselves!

Joint Worship With Corinth!

On Sunday afternoon, UPC joined Corinth Missionary Baptist Church for worship and fellowship. We are so blessed to have a partnership with Corinth. Two years ago, both congregations came together to join as sister churches, to deepen their commitment to mulit-culturalism and interracial fellowship. Unfortunately in our nation, Sunday morning continues to be the most segregated hour of the week. We are called to be disciples together - to mirror God's diversity and God's justice for everyone.


The service was held at Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, and the hospitality and friendship was so meaningful. Pastor San gave the message, and the choirs from both churches sang pieces of music that were beautiful and energetic. Each congregation blessed the other, and we celebrated communion together.




After the service, we joined together for a time of refreshments. We were thankful to spend some time together and eat some delicious desserts!







Austin Agape hopes to join students and young adults at Corinth to get to know one another in the Fall. We would like to brainstorm some ways to work together and make deep relationships among both congregations. Thank you Corinth for such a meaningful time of worship and fellowship!

Thinking About Church and Diversity

On Sunday morning, the Present Word Sunday School Class discussed the history and the unique perspective of African-American experience and worship. Roscoe Overton, an elder at UPC, leads this class, and he has a heart for educating and challenging the church on multi-culturalism.



Roscoe invited Bill Greenway, member of UPC and professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, to help lead Sunday's class and facilitate discussion. Bill mentioned that particular experiences and unique perspectives affect how people read scripture and how they worship. We should be aware of our own perspectives and work to appreciate the cultural particularities of others.


Members of the class also thought about ways that we can promote multi-cultuPralism at UPC. They answered this question: How can we promote multiculturalism in our church?


We should "get to know our neighbors, individually and in community."

-Max Sherman






We could offer a "Spanish service at 9:00, a contemporary service at 9:00 (choice of music critical), or a service in Fellowship Hall for the unchurched."

-Jon Eddison





"Of course, I'm going to mention a group that everyone is welcome to join and that is the Presbyterian Players - multi-cultural and inter-generational!"

-Connie Jones

Manos de Cristo!

Hey everyone!

It's time for Manos de Cristos annual Back-to-School Program and there are a few events coming up that you can get involved with.

On June 13th from 11am-5pm at the Mexican American Culture Center (600 River St, Austin, TX 78701) there will be a block party to raise money for the Back-to-School Program. Admission is free and there will be games, food, and crafts for sale. All of the proceeds will go to the BTS drive.

Then on July 27-31 and August 3-7 & 10-14 there will be a large need for volunteers to help out with the actual BTS program. They will need volunteers to help put together the school supplies, to hand them out to the kids, and for many other tasks.

If you don't have time to give you can also help out in the form of donations. Monetary donations are always welcome, but you can also donate school supplies. UPC has the task of collecting pencil boxes (plastic boxes that you put your school supplies in). You can bring your donations to UPC or you can get them to me and I will make sure they get where they need to go.

If you are interested in helping out you can contact me, Renee, or Kate Norman, our UPC-Manos de Cristo representative and the chair of the mission and service committee. Contact information and links for further information are below.

Kate Norman:
kwnorman@gmail.com

Renee Roederer:
upccampus@upcaustin.org

Kathleen Fry:
kfry@stedwards.edu

Link for more info:
http://manosdecristo.org/news.html

I hope that you can find a way to help out. Any help, no matter how small, is appreciated.

Peace,
Kathleen

Deacons Plan and Dream For Campus Ministry!

On Saturday, the Deacons of our congregation met for their annual Deacon's Retreat. During their time together, they answered a question about Austin Agape:







What are your hopes for Campus Ministry at UPC?

"My hopes are that the Campus Ministry grow beyond expectations. I also hope you can reach out to the new students, especially, in the new condos. I wish you the best."

-Debbie Russ, Deacon


"I'd like to see an organized effort to acquaint the college students with the mission opportunities at UPC, especially Micah 6 since it supports the immediate UT/UPC area and its less fortunate citizens."

-David Wofford, Deacon


I would like "to continue to provide a platform for development of faith and community among college students and young adults."

-Karen Grice, Deacon

"I would love to see record numbers in our Campus Ministry group. Reaching young people at this point in their lives is so critical. We should do whatever we need to do and plan whatever activities we need to plan to get these young people involved in the church, let them know that we love and support them, and that God is always there for them."

-Katherine Ray, Deacon

I would like "to continue to provide an open, welcome area for students. I would love to see them more active in church if possible. I know their schedules are already full and overflowing."

-Diane Roth, Deacon

I would love "more interaction between students and the congregation, e.g. names, interests, needs, hopes etc. and more reporting to the congregation."

-Barbara Evans, Deacon

"I have enjoyed your blog. Please keep up the good work serving others and inviting University of Texas students to know UPC."

-Martha Bauer, Deacon

"Are there opportunities to get to know 'campus' students beyond 'adoption?'"

-Heidi Spock, Deacon

"I really enjoyed the college choir while I was in grad school - if there's interest, it would be very cool to restart the (dinner+practice) night we used to have."

-David Chao, Deacon

"My hope for the campus ministry is that it will bring Christ into more and more college age lives - that college age adults will find Christ as the source for all their needs - emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental. And that they will grow in their calling."

-Mary Beth McWilliams, Deacon

I would love "to grow in numbers!" Also, I would love "to strengthen our Adopt-a-Student program and have a fall get-together picnic and have Food For Thought Students cook a meal together."

-Jody Kelly, Deacon

I would like to provide "a support system for away-from-home young adults, the connection for students with church/God/Jesus while away from home, a warm, welcoming inter-generational environment, and activities and a place to be active participants (mission work/worship)."

-G.G. Saravia, Deacon

"In America today, we are often confronted with examples of a very narrow concept of Christianity, one that carries a negative connotation for many people, especially young adults. I would hope that our campus ministry would provide an example of a vibrant, joyous, and most important, a living Christianity. We should provide Christian service and fellowship, and above all, we should bring people to Christ and knowledge of him and his love to people."

-Tommy McReynolds, Deacon

Even In The Mundane

Colossians 3:12-17:

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


In light of the end of this passage, how can we live with a mindset of thanks? How can we recognize that every moment is an opportunity to live, work, rest, or act in in relation to Jesus and one another? How can simple, mundane moments be transformed to be life-giving?

Let The Summer Group Begin!

Last night, we met upstairs for the beginning of our Summer Group! We're going to be meeting every Tuesday night from 6:30-9. What are we doing? Three things really. . .

What would an Austin Agape meeting be without a rousing game of foursquare? After our last foursquare ball took a hiatus (left alone deflating in Salida, Colorado) we finally have a new one! Welcome to our beautiful, blue foursquare domination ball!



We're also watching Joan of Arcadia this summer, a t.v. series which will lead to really wonderful discussions. We watched the first episode last night. Joan is the middle child in a family that has just moved to Arcadia, Maryland. Her mother works as an office assistant at her high school, her father is the new police chief, her younger brother is a science geek, and her older brother, Kevin, is struggling and adjusting to the unfortunate consequences of a car accident a year and a half ago which left him paralyzed. In the midst of all these transitions, Joan is certainly experiencing something new. God has begun to appear to her in the forms of other people around her. God shows up as a teenage boy and a lunch lady, and later in the series, God will appear in other forms as well. Come watch this show and bounce off theological ideas with us!


And for those who are interested, we're going to read some C.S. Lewis books this summer. After some discussion, it seems that two books spark particular interest. One is The Screwtape Letters, a creative book written as letters between a senior demon and a younger demon. How can the younger demon learn to get under the skin of a person to cause problems and undermine faith? The second is The Great Divorce, another creative work that deals with a journey from hell to heaven. It is allegorical fiction, yet it sheds light on real life. For those who are interested in reading these books, we will go to the Spiderhouse after watching Joan of Arcadia for continued conversation!

This summer is going to be great!

Pentecost: A Day For Celebration!

On Sunday, we began to celebrate the experience of Pentecost. On Pentecost Sunday, we remember how the church received the Holy Spirit, emboldening Christ's disciples to be witnesses, so that they could share what they had experienced in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. We too are disciples, and we continue to celebrate all the ways that the Holy Spirit is shaping us in our congregation and in the world at large.

Testimony People

On Sunday morning, the Faith and Life Class and the Present Word class combined to celebrate Pentecost together with a meaningful breakfast. Just like the disciples at Pentecost, we too are people of testimony. During the breakfast, we all shared stories of times when we sensed God's presence in our lives. We talked about the ways we have found community and been challenged in the church.




Individuals shared wisdom from pivotal moments in their lives, expressing gratitude for what they have learned over the years. We benefited from hearing their words!






We closed our time together by listening to the testimonies of the Middle School Youth in our congregation. Randal Whittington created a video of the students in her Sunday School class, capturing conversations of their faith experiences.

Our Testimony Breakfast brought us closer together and caused us to consider how the Holy Spirit is calling us at this time in our lives. Thank you to everyone who made this moment so meaningful!


Worship and Celebration

Pentecost, of course, is rooted in an experience of worship! Our worship on Sunday was celebratory and meaningful. We listened to uplifting music, and we read the scripture in a dramatic way, recreating an experience of hearing many languages. San encouraged and challenged us with his Pentecost sermon. What does it mean to be a Pentecost community? How do we continue to live as those who have been enlivened by the Holy Spirit?

And worship led to. . .


A Celebration!


The Central Time jazz ensemble filled our courtyard with beautiful music as we celebrated lunch together. . .








There were lots of smiles. . .











And how could we have a UPC Pentecost celebration without pizza? Unheard of!



Dads Do Dessert!
And we had dessert to go with that pizza! Several Dads in our congregation had a dessert competition to raise money for our Youth Ministry. We appreciate all the ways that our church supports its young people. Thank you to all who donated!





Pentecost was quite a celebration! How do we carry Pentecost into a greater season of meaning? How do we incorporate the Pentecost experience into who we are? These are good questions, and we will discover them as we together!

Prayers For Renee

I begin my CPE at Seton Family of Hospitals today in Austin. CPE stands for Clinical Pastoral Education. Basically I will be a full-time hospital chaplaincy intern for the summer. I will be assigned to one of the Seton Hospitals to work on Mondays and Fridays. Tuesdays through Thursdays I will meet with a group of other interns to debrief our experiences. We also work on-call one night a week.

CPE is not only about the ministry skills we will learn. It is a time to go inward to learn who we are, where we've been, and where we want to go. It is a time for exploring identity so that we might minister more deeply to others. What are our gifts? What are our limitations?

This will be more than full time work! I will continue to be at the church about ten hours a week also. I look forward to a busy but meaningful summer. I'm especially excited about our Summer Group! I hope to see you Tuesday night.

Prayers are appreciated!

Peace,
Renee