A Celtic Blessing

May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and those who see and hear your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration, and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in bland absence.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered, and protected.
May your soul calm, console, and renew you.

Eid tradition unites community

Article by our very own Audrey White, published in today's Daily Texan!

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/content/eid-tradition-unites-community

Austin Agape's upcoming events and activities!

Good afternoon, all!

I hope everyones' week is off to a great start.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for Food for Thought last night! We had a great turn out and the meal was delectable! Our next gathering of this kind will probably be sometime around the holidays, so look forward to that.

Also, I am pleased to announce that we have a date and venue for the Fall Retreat! Our retreat will be held Oct. 16-17 at the Stark's Sports Ranch in Dripping Springs! I know that some of you had planned to travel to Nebraska (Godspeed) that weekend for the UT/Nebraska game :( I wish we could have had our retreat during the by week (Oct. 11-12) but neither John Knox nor the Starks' Ranch was available that weekend. I can't wait for the opportunity to really spend some time with everyone! Please EMAIL me if you're interested in attending!

We have a lot going on this week! Here's a look at some of our events and opportunities for fellowship:

Monday - Bible Study at 7 pm in the youth room upstairs at UPC. Last night I told you that we'd be watching "The Apostle" but I was unable to get my hands on it, so we're watching "Up in the Air" instead. Come, even if you've seen it. We'll be discussing the ways in which time is meaningful to our lives. (Fear not, popcorn will be on hand!)

Wednesday - Wednesday at Wendy's from 11 - 1 on the patio (weather permitting) outside the UT Commons.

Also on Wednesdays, look for us at the Plucker's on Rio Grande for trivia night! We'll try to beat last week's score of 16 correct answers (out of 50)! We need all the brainpower we can muster, so join us if you can!

Friday - Lunch at Kirby Lane at 1 pm. We had an excellent turn out last week! And I think meeting at 1 helps us get seated faster.

**This is very important** If you were at Evening Worship last night then you heard Beth Vivio speak about how our students can contribute to our church's capital campaign. We need volunteers to help set up, serve, and clean up our Fiesta Lunch on Sunday, September 19. That's this Sunday! PLEASE come if you are able! We need 5 - 10 volunteers to help with our lunch. Email me and let me know if you can be there.

I will be out of town this weekend. I'm leaving Thursday afternoon and won't be back until Sunday afternoon, so I'll miss lunch at Kirby and the Fiesta Lunch :( Fortunately, Shane and Sarah Webb have stepped up and agreed to be point persons for our Student Volunteer Operation on Sunday!

I will be keynoting at the East Texas Youth Connection this weekend; a conference for Presbyterian youth who are forced to live in East Texas ;) Just kidding. But hopefully some of them will want to join us next year if they come to UT!!

In other news, Taize is coming! Our first Taize service of the year is September 26th at 7 pm. We need musicians and an opportunity to practice before our first service. Judy, unfortunately, is not able to play the piano for us this month :( If you are interested in singing, playing the piano, or another instrument, please let me know!

I know that was a lot of information! Thanks for bearing with me! Please join us this week for some fun (even if you can only stop by for a moment or two); we can't wait to see you!

Grace and peace,

kaci

ORANGE you coming to Campus Dinner this Sunday?!

Well folks, this is it… School is (almost) in session!!! The Drag has been completely overrun with students and their parents; needless to say, it’s been a bustling place around west campus these last few days!

If you’re wondering how to spend your last night of freedom, then wonder no further and wander over to Spider House this evening (8/24) at 8 pm! We’d love to see you there!!!

If you can’t make it to Spider House tonight then join us for lunch tomorrow between 11 am and 1 pm in the food court. Meet us on the patio (unless it’s WAY too hot, then we’ll move inside).

Thank you to everyone who joined us for dinner and worship on Sunday night. We had a nice crowd for our first week and we’re hoping for even more new and familiar faces to join us this Sunday! I’m not sure what Barbara’s cookin’ up, but one thing’s a given: it will be hot, tasty, and delicious!!! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE come, welcome our newcomers, and catch up with friends you haven’t seen in a while!!!

AND… This is important… WEAR ORANGE ON SUNDAY EVENING!!!! Let’s kick off the school year in style and spirit! Wear your UT gear. All of it. A PRIZE WILL BE AWARDED TO THE PERSON SPORTING THE MOST BURNT ORANGE!!!! I can’t wait to see what all of you come up with!

Remember: dinner starts at 6 pm; followed by worship at 7 pm.

ALSO, our campus bible study - which, I am pleased to announce!, will be facilitated by Josh Gahr - will begin Monday, August 30^th at 7 pm in the youth room upstairs at UPC. We are so grateful to Josh for his leadership and for the gifts and graces he will share with us this semester. Josh is a graduate of Austin Seminary where he was President of the Student Body his senior year; he’s currently an English teacher and the editor of a wonderful publication called “The Common Voice.” Come, join the conversation, and allow your faith to be deepened with new ventures and challenges! Our study will begin Monday, August 30, 7 – 8:30 pm.

Have a fabulous week, everyone! I can’t wait to hear about the blunders and unexpected surprises (that’s kinda redundant, forgive me) that the week will hold J

See you soon!

Grace & peace,

kaci

Google Calendar Link - UPC Campus Ministry

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=upccampus%40gmail.com&ctz=America/Chicago

FIRST CAMPUS DINNER & EVENING WORSHIP OF THE FALL SEMESTER!!!!!

Hello, Barcodes and friends of campus ministry!

Good news! Our first campus dinner and evening worship service is almost upon us!

This Sunday, August 22, we will meet in the Fellowship Hall at 6 pm (if you are able to come earlier to help set up, that would be wonderful!) to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Barbara (rumor has it she’s making spaghetti with meatballs!) and to worship together as a community.

After dinner, we’ll spend time getting to know a little more about each other and welcome new guests! We’ll also talk a bit about some of the exciting opportunities on the campus ministry horizon for the coming semester! Plus, we’ll be giving away a dorm-size refrigerator!!! (fine print: You must be present to win, of course!)

I am SO excited about meeting all of you!!! Please join us this week if you are able!!!

Other upcoming events and dates to keep in mind…

Sunday, August 22:
- Morning Worship, 11 am, UPC Sanctuary.
- Overnight @ IHN. 8:30 pm – 6:30 am at the United Methodist Church.

Tuesday, August 24:
- Possible ‘Mystery Science Theatre 3000’ Watch Party at Marco’s (TBD)

Wednesday, August 25:
- First day of school! University of Texas.
- Wednesdays @ Wendy’s, campus food court and patio.

Saturday, August 28:
- FREE Becker Concert featuring Sarah Hickman!!! 7 pm. (Please arrive early to grab a seat.)

**Also, don’t forget to check out our new Google calendar!!!**

http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=upccampus%40gmail.com&ctz=America/Chicago

See you this Sunday evening!!!!

Blessings on the beginning of what I hope will be a tremendous semester,

kaci

--

Kaci M. Porter

Director of Campus & Young Adult Ministries
University Presbyterian Church
Austin, Texas

upccampus@upcaustin.org

Sermon: Too Small!

Isaiah 49:1-7

'It is too light a thing that you should by my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.'

Too small. If there’s anything that the people of Judah felt – the people of Judah from the Southern Kingdom of Israel – I’m sure it involved a day-to-day reality of feeling ‘too small. We’re distanced in time from the people who are addressed in this passage, distant in culture, distant in experience, so it’s hard to wrap our minds around the suffering these people were enduring. Too small: It would have been easy for the people of Judah to feel like the nobodies of their world.

And it’s all connected to 587 BC. To us, that’s just a number, but to the people of Judah, that year was the watershed moment. It wasn’t the beginning of their conflict with the Babylonians, but 587 was the year that solidified Judah’s defeat. The Kingdom of Babylon was a force to be reckoned with, not only in Judah but in the entire region of the near-east. With Babylon on the prowl as an ever-expanding empire, the other kingdoms of that region were terrified, fearing that their own destruction was imminent.

So that brings us to a quick history lesson: In 597, ten years before the final defeat of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar II, the King of Babylon, led an army to Jerusalem and put the city under siege, cutting the people off from food and safe access in and outside the city. The Babylonians weakened the city to the point that they eventually broke through the walls, and when they did, they wreaked havoc on Jerusalem. They plundered the city and the temple, the most sacred place of worship and self-identity for the people of Judah, and they deported the King of Judah along with 10,000 others, prominent leaders in the government and the religious establishment. The people of Judah were left with a sweeping void of leadership. And as difficult as that was, it was only a taste, only the beginning of the end concerning the life that the people knew in Judah.

And then ten years later, in 587 BC – the watershed moment – Babylon left nothing untouched. For two years – Two years! Can you imagine it?– the Babylonians put Jerusalem under another siege, cutting the people off from the outside world, and in 587, they broke through the walls, destroyed the city for a second round – homes, fields, lives - and made captives of nearly all the survivors. But before they moved the captives of Judah into the foreign land of Babylon, the Babylonians gave them a searing, final, ghastly image to take with them. The Babylonian army burned the temple to the ground – made dust of it, destroying the most sacred place of these people – destroying the house where they believed their God dwelt with them. Can you imagine the sorrow of that moment? Can you imagine the fear? The confusion?

And so the people of Judah were taken to live in a foreign land – a place they had never lived with foreign customs, a different language, a worldview not their own, and ways of worshipping gods that weren’t their own. They were a disenfranchised, defeated, second-class group of captive exiles. And they were put into theological confusion too: Where was their God? Had God abandoned them? Is it any wonder that the people of Judah believed they were too small in their world? They had lost almost everything. Too small. Too small for this world to care. And perhaps, they wondered, too small for their God to care.

But God had something to say about that. In the Book of Isaiah, a prophet arrives with a Word for the people, a Word of Hope from their God, a Word of Identity. In effect, these prophetic words are flying in the face of all the heartache that the Judeans are witnessing in their lives. The words seem to say, “Don’t you know Whose you are? And since you belong to a God who loves, a God who saves, and a God who claims, don’t you know who you are called to be? Don’t you know Whose you are?” The words from our passage today seem to rise up out of the ashes, creating an alternative vision for the future of Judah, for the future of the Jewish people, and the future of all those who put their faith, trust, and hope in God.

Too small for this world? Nope. Through the words of the prophet, God has something to say about that self-understanding. In these words, God turns that self-understanding on its head. “Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention, you peoples from far away! The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me. . . And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’

Too small an identity? No! Here’s what’s too small: And now the Lord says, who formed me in the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him. . . he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the survivors of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” It is too light a thing – too small a thing – for you Judah, people of Israel, to gather up your own tribes and restore your survivors. That’s huge, but it’s too small. You are a light to the nations, that salvation may reach everywhere! Do you know Whose you are?

What a message. The prophet’s message seems to rise out of the ashes. Babylonian dust will not be the last word. And it wasn’t. Without God’s pledge of love toward the people of Judah, we wouldn’t even have a Hebrew Bible to hear these words this morning – to know about the heartache of exile and the eventual return to the homeland. Nearly 70 years later, people or Judah did leave Babylon and return to their homeland, and our identity is connected to theirs. Our faith is sustained upon the convictions of faithful Jewish people. Apart from their testimony, we would not be who we are. A disenfranchised, defeated, second-class group of captive exiles articulated a faith that sustains people in every corner in our world. It was too small a thing to restore the tribes of Israel. Too light a thing. The people of Judah spoke salvation to the entire world.

Sometimes it takes going to a different place to see home with new eyes. Some of you know that two weeks ago Ian and I came home from ten-day trip to Germany. It was an incredible trip, filled with gorgeous views, and interesting history. And while we were on our journey, we took an impromptu day- trip to France. We crossed the border between Germany and France and stayed one night in Strasbourg. There were many points of interest in Strasbourg – including a church where John Calvin was pastor for three years, and we just unexpectedly stumbled upon it when we turned a corner on a Sunday morning. Wow. There was much to see, but without a doubt, the most awe-inspiring place we visited was the Strasbourg Cathedral. And I’m just curious: Have any of you ever been to that cathedral? Okay, a few of you know what I mean when I say awe-inspiring. It’s really an understatement. The Strasbourg Cathedral is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. Construction for the building began in the 1100s. The 1100s! Now that’s old! And it was completed in the 1400s. For three hundred years, eight generations of people created a monument to God’s holiness which is more intricate than anything I’ve ever seen. Everywhere you look, there’s a carving here, a statue there, stained-glass windows towering everywhere. It’s as if everything has significance in this cathedral – all the details -- and as I stood in awe of it, all the intricate parts seemed to point in a unified direction toward what’s ultimate – toward God, who is holy beyond comprehension.

And I’m enough of a realist to know that when a city spends three hundred years building a cathedral, part of the reasoning behind it is to flex a muscle toward other cities. Yes, I’m a realist. But that being said, the vision for this cathedral seemed to be large, and I would even say cosmic. The structure is built in the shape of a huge cross, and signs in the cathedral said that it was created to represent a ship to bring all of humanity to God. All humanity. There’s nothing ‘too small’ about that.

But even if this cathedral was built in part to flex a very large muscle, I have to say that as I looked around, I found myself in complete awe, reflecting upon how much faith it must have taken to build this structure, this cathedral for all of humanity. After all, only a strong faith in God’s holiness would be worth this much time, and this much effort, and this much money. They must have believed God was infinitely worth this display of holiness. Perhaps the builders of the Strasbourg Cathedral felt connected to Whose they are.

And it must have taken so much faith in one another as well. It would have been difficult to put that much wealth, and time, and talent, and sweat into such an endeavor, only to know that you wouldn’t see it completed in your lifetime. That’s amazing. Eight generations of lives, of individuals and communities, created this beautiful church. I wonder, did the innumerable people who contributed to this work feel that their part – no matter how small – was infinitely larger than themselves? I wonder, were they in any way aware that they were not too small for this world, that they were part of something larger than they could imagine? Today that Cathedral speaks to innumerable tourists who visit the city of Strasbourg. Nine hundred years later, a structure which was begun in a very different time period, acts as a witness, pointing toward God’s holiness for the benefit of the entire world. Anything less would be too small.

And here we are together on an ordinary, run-of-the-mill Sunday morning, but if our vision for this moment is mundane, we’re playing our faith too small. Much too small. University Presbyterian Church hasn’t experienced a Babylonian exile – though I’m sure if we reflected deeply enough, we might all discover that we’ve felt exiled in one form or another throughout our lives. And though we’re grateful for this structure where we worship, University Presbyterian Church isn’t housed in a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. But we would be missing something on this ordinary Sunday morning if we forgot to remind ourselves in this moment Whose we are. And we would be missing something if we forgot who we are, who we are in light of the amazing pledge and claim of God in our lives.

And so I turn the question to this church today– this holy, beloved community of God. Do you know Whose you are? Do you know how you’ve been claimed? Do you know who you’re called to be? Do you know that it would be too small a thing if we viewed ourselves as simple pew dwellers this morning? No, it would be too small a thing for us to sit in a pew and miss the mystery of God’s Spirit in this place. You are surrounded by a holy community – brothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends. And they contain worlds – yes, actual worlds within themselves! Have you ever thought about how every person is a community of worlds – how they represent people, and places, and memories, and experiences? Do you know that you represent people, and places, and memories, and experiences? Because of Whose you are, bring all of that to this place. Bring all the worlds you carry within you – yes, to this moment!

And as we do it, we too are creating a monument pointing to God’s holiness. We bring our worlds – our people, and places, and memories, and experiences – and we share them with one another. It would be too small a thing for them to serve our own salvation and healing. Friends, let University Presbyterian Church be a place, a monument, and a holy community created for the salvation of all! May all our worlds serve this unified world of ours.

I have seen the world in this place. I moved to Austin, Texas five years ago this very day. And my world is infinitely larger and richer because of it. Today I depart in an official capacity, but we’re not going to be unconnected in the days ahead. Not at all. It would be too small a thing for me to leave the worlds I’ve gained behind here in Austin and too small a thing for them to serve me only. I take all of you – your people, your places, your memories, and your experiences – into new worlds. Even before I know so many of the details of what our experience will be like in Pasadena, I know that your world will enrich other worlds. I am sure of it! I am different as I leave this place. I know a deeper love, I know a deeper service, I know a deeper commission. That’s because of you. University Presbyterian Church is a place for the whole world! Thank you.

Nothing you do is insignificant because of Whose you are! Nothing is insignificant!

Belong.

Serve.

Envision.

Dream.

Be Whose you are.

Amen.

-Renée Roederer, Campus Minister, and the Community at University Presbyterian Church

Renee Says Thanks to UPC!

To the UPC Congregation,

As many of you know, Sunday, August 8^th will be my last day on staff at University Presbyterian Church, and Ian and I will be moving to Pasadena, California three days later. I am experiencing a whirlwind of emotions these days, as you might imagine. Ian and I have hope and excitement as we enter new realms of possibilities, and we have heavy hearts as we leave UPC and Austin. I want to thank you deeply for the love and community we have experienced here. You can be certain that those gifts of love and community are not ending; instead, they are nourishing us into new experiences. We cannot foresee all the gifts that California will bring, but you can be assured that the relationships we experience there will be deeply connected to who you are. We have been formed here, and our identities have been shaped by you. We will enter new relationships as the people we have been formed to be. Thank you.

Ian will soon begin a research position in astronomy at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena. We are sure to experience a lot of laughter, knowledge, and friendship among the other astronomers there. I am seeking a call in the greater Los Angeles area, and I would appreciate your prayers in my search. I have been searching for seven months, and partly because of the current economic climate, there have not been many opportunities. I am very hopeful, however, and I plan to make myself of use in many different ways. I do expect to find joy, friendship, and meaningful opportunities for service.

In our time together, we have made many memories. I appreciate the ways you support our pastors and staff, and I am grateful for the love and availability you have shown our students. Thank you for giving them a space to be loved and providing a home away from home. Thank you for allowing our students to challenge the status quo. Thank you for imparting wisdom to them and showing them the beauty of tradition. You have been mentors, parents, and friends to them. Thank you.

As we leave here, I am grateful that Kaci Porter will be stepping into the role of Campus Minister for UPC. I am very thankful for her leadership, and I have confidence that this ministry is being left in wonderful hands. She is smart, thoughtful, funny, considerate, talented, and most of all, ready and gifted to make meaningful, loving relationships with you. You will receive much from her leadership. She will join us on August 1^st.

Again, thank you for you who are and who you are always becoming. You will certainly be in our thoughts and prayers in the upcoming months.

With much love,

Renee

Marco Shares About His Summer

Well I've been doing a lot of thinking about "how my summer was" :) It's been hard to describe in words, but here's my attempt.

I guess I should start as the Spring semester came to an end. I had some big decisions to make, but some even harder problems to solve. My first big decision was whether or not to even attempt to finish the semester. As most of you know I was injured and not being able to use my leg made finishing my classes very difficult. However, I decided to finish hoping and praying I would not do any more damage to my leg. I remember my friend Merrit telling me I need to stay off my leg and let it heal. Along with some of classmates who were also concerned I decided to finish the semester after all. It turned out to be the best decision I've made in a long time. Not only did I finish, but I actually won 3 first prizes for my work including "best of fashion photography", "best of portrait photography", and "best of restoration". To say the least I would have been happy if my photos even made it in, I've never won anything before! In addition I made a 4.0 this semester which made my jaw drop! I think that's only happened once before!

However the most memorable and certainly most humbling moment was about to happen. I've heard, like so many, about God's love and grace. However, I can't say I've ever really felt it. I've always felt like an outsider trying to fit in or find my place. In addition I was struggling financially because I do not have health insurance and I knew how important healing my leg would be for what I hope my career as a photographer will be. As I made plans and a lot of negotiating with my health care providers little did I know what my friends were planning. I finally figured out how to pay for my surgery, and although it would mean going deeper in debt, my family and I made it happen. About a week before surgery I spoke to Renee and she mentioned something that brought me my knees. Apparently, the group had raised money for me, to help with my expenses.

Never in my life have I ever been so blessed by so much kindness and love. I honestly believed that I didn't really matter to anyone other than my parents. I thought I was just another member at UPC. I honestly believed I had to do everything on my own. Thank you is does not even begin to describe how deeply and emotionally I had been touched. Doubt and anxiety was replaced by calmness and confidence. I don't know who exactly did this for me, but I am so very thankful. I had a glimpse into what God's love is truly is. I am very very grateful and I hope someday I may do the same for others.

After surgery I found myself at the mercy and aid of others. I could not walk, feed myself or even get out of bed. Growing up I did not have an opportunity to spend much time with my parents, so this was a time when that changed a lot. I was blessed to have my parents come and care for me. Some close friends came to visit and helped cure me of being immobile and feeling isolated. Others kindly wrote to me via facebook.

It's a summer that touched my heart. A summer that taught me so much about how important it is to part of a community. I know I can't say this enough but Thank You. This truly was the summer of Thanksgiving.

~Marco

Alyssa Sends Greetings!

Alyssa, what are you doing this summer?

This summer I've been taking summer school to finish my psychology degree since I can only student teach now during the year and working, both of which consumes my time. In addition to that, I've been having some fun on the weekends consisting of time on the lake, swimming, and just plain relaxing!

However, my new favorite thing I've picked up has been regularly practicing yoga. I'm trying to establish a regular habit of going and setting it before the school year, and it's paying off immensely. I've become more flexible, more relaxed, and a happier individual! Yay yoga!

-Alyssa Nipp, Senior

Continuing Our Summer Reading Series. . .

Tonight we are continuing our Tuesday study nights. From 6-8pm, we'll be watching episodes of Firefly, and we'll discuss them together.

And then at 8pm, we'll head over to the Spiderhouse to discuss what we're reading together. Last week, we finished The Shack, and this week, we'll begin Same Kind of Different As Me. This book is a true story told by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, two men who have lived very different lives, yet who share a common bond of friendship. Both men have deep wisdom to share, and they were brought together by Debbie Hall, Ron's wife. This story of friendship will touch you and perhaps call you to ask deeper questions about homelessness, poverty, spirituality, and relationships.

Looking forward to the discussions we'll have!

Celebrating Rebecca!

We celebrate Rebecca Chancellor!

Yesterday was Rebecca's last Sunday with us at University Presbyterian. She has served faithfully for six years as our Director of Youth and Children's Ministries, and now she is on her way to be Associate Pastor of a very lucky church in Portland, Oregon. Congratulations, Rebecca!

But yesterday was a special occasion beyond Morning Worship. In the afternoon, we held the Ordination Service for Rebecca. She is now a Minister of Word and Sacrament within the PC(USA), and we are thrilled for her.


Of course, our youth and children will miss her very much. But we will be thinking of you, Rebecca, and sending prayers! Peace to you as you enter this new adventure of ministry!

Praying For General Assembly

This week, the General Assembly of the PC(USA) will be meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Commissioners from various presbyteries will travel to Minneapolis to consider how the PC(USA) might be called to greater faithfulness in all areas of our ministry together.

Have you ever wondered what the General Assembly is, and have you ever been curious about what it does? I am linking a description that comes directly from the PC(USA) website. You can visit that description here.

Let's be praying for the commissioners this week, that they would make helpful decisions and be strengthened in their faith.

Bats? Where Are You?

This summer, Austin Agape is doing something very fun on Thursday nights. We're having THRILLING THURSDAYS!

What are Thrilling Thursdays?

Every Thursday, a person from our group is choosing a surprise activity for us. The person tells us where to meet, if there's a particular way we should dress, and how much money to bring. And then we have a surprise!

This week's surprise involved going down to the Congress Street Bridge to watch the bats fly. Did you know that every year 750,000 Mexican freetail bats come to Austin to make their home under one bridge? That's right, and they live here for six months. All of the bats are female, and they're pregnant. So by the end of the summer, there are 1.5 million bats living under one bridge! Every night they come out to fly, and they save us from an even larger population of mosquitoes and other bugs. Thanks bats!

The bats usually fly just a bit after sunset which was 8:30pm this Thrilling Thursday. But guess what? The bats decided to sleep in a little, and they didn't start coming out until 9:30 when it was already dark! So we didn't get as nice of a view as we hoped to see. But it was still fun, and we laughed a lot while we waited on the bridge.

Gotta love Thrilling Thursdays!

Kentuckiana-a'ganza!

We've just returned from an incredible trip to Indiana and Kentucky. That's right: We traveled to the border of both states - hence Kentuckiana! We stayed and worked in New Albany, Indiana, a quaint city along the Ohio River. Right across the river, is Louisville, Kentucky. We spent some time in Louisville doing some fun activities - seeing the waterfront, a science museum, and the Mothership! Yes, we visited the headquarters of the PC(USA).

We stayed the week at St. John United Presbyterian Church in New Albany. The members were incredible hosts! Renee grew up in this church, and when she met Ian in high school, he began to join her there. It was wonderful to see so many people and places that Renee has mentioned!






We did wonderful work all week. On Tuesday, we cleared some limbs from the yard belonging Renee's Dad. This is work he really needed done, but he couldn't do it all by himself. The UPC Barcodes can move things quickly when they work together!





On Wednesday, we hosted an event at the church for neighborhood children. St. John is located in a neighborhood where there is a great deal of children living in poverty. The church has a ministry on Wednesday nights called Wednesday Night Live. We cooked dinner for the children and played games with them in the gym. It was a lot of fun.



On Thursday, we worked for the Interfaith Community Council food pantry. The Interfaith Community Council serves many needs for people who live in New Albany. We sorted food donations, assisted clients, cleaned, and called churches to confirm schedules for Vacation Bible Schools throughout the city.



On Friday, we did a great deal of yard work for St. John. We also pained a garage door!







On Saturday, we worked for the New Albany Housing Authority. We planted flowers with youth who live in the Housing Authority Apartments. We also played basketball with the kids. Everyone enjoyed our time together!





And on Sunday, we led worship at St. John. What an amazing week we had together, serving and laughing a lot!

Sermon: Make Waves

Matthew 28:16-20

It was a time of wonder. And it was a time of fear. The eleven disciples had just heard what was most difficult to believe. Some of the women among them, also disciples, had gone to Jesus’ tomb and had found it empty. And those women came back to the eleven with a message: Go ahead to Galilee. He will meet you there. Jesus will meet you there.

It’s like they had gone full circle, isn’t it? Galilee is right where their ministry started. It was right where they had seen their lives transformed, where they had seen other lives transformed. Healings, prayers, meals where everyone was included, and life-altering parables, they had seen it, traveling around Galilee with Jesus.

And now, after their experience of grief, pain, and confusion in Jerusalem, they return to Galilee, uncertain of so many things. They doubted. Could it be? Could he be? But even in their doubt, they risked the journey. They went to that mountain in Galilee. And there was Jesus – the Risen Christ – standing right in front of them, sending them out to be who they were called to be from the beginning, people who are commissioned, sent in love to disciple others, called to baptize others into the Name of God which is a Communion of Love – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and to send these new disciples out as well, living as the ones they were created to be. This was full circle, this arrival in Galilee. And these disciples were being commissioned to participate in a circle that was becoming deeper and more widespread all the time. A full and progressively fuller circle.

I’m grateful that the text says they doubted. I’m not grateful that they had an experience of doubt – that’s never a pleasant experience - but I am grateful that they were like us. Sometimes we doubt. We doubt God. We doubt possibilities. We doubt ourselves. We doubt one another. We doubt too.

The translation we heard tonight says that “some” doubted when they worshiped Jesus on the mountain. So do a few other English translations. “Some.” But I was stunned and oddly heartened when I discovered the Greek text of this passage doesn’t say the word ‘some’. It just isn’t there. It says, “But they doubted.” Not ‘some’. ‘They’. That sounds like all to me. The word “some” is in a few variant manuscripts of Greek that were copied later, but the word isn’t there in the majority of Greek manuscripts. Who knows? Maybe English translators wanted to be comforted that doubt was there. . . but it was only some of those people, you know. . . those people, those doubter people. Not us. No, the disciples all doubted. We’re all doubters at least at one time or another.

And so Jesus – the Risen Christ - looks at the bunch of them - rag-tag people, really. They were fishermen and tax-collectors. Nothing really special, at least not in any extraordinary sense. Jesus knows they’re a bunch of doubters and a rag-tag group of people who aren’t too extraordinary in the world’s eyes. He sees them for who they are, and he loves them. And he trusts them. In fact, he entrusts them with an ever-enlarging mission. He entrusts them with a Great Commission. He entrusts a rag-tag group of doubters because he sees them, not through the lens of their doubt or their lackluster. He sees them through love and knows them as transformed human beings who will transform the world – not through their own authority and power, but through his. He has chosen to entrust himself to them and through them.

And, you know – that’s what faith is really about, trust. It’s not ultimately about belief, at least in the ways we define that word today. Isn’t that strange? We hear the word ‘believe’ a lot when we talk about faith. We read it in our scriptures. And perhaps one of the saddest things is that when we see the word, especially in our scriptures, we often super-impose our cultural understanding of what that word means onto the text. In our culture, when someone believes, that person intellectually assents to something. “Yep, I believe that. Check yes!”

But the word ‘believe’ in our scriptures says something much deeper than that. Often in the gospels, in the original language, the word ‘believe’ is often followed by the word ‘into.’ Isn’t that interesting? Believing doesn’t mean to intellectually assent to some idea. It means to believe into – to trust – someone, in this case, Jesus Christ. Believe into Jesus Christ. Entrust yourself – your entire being – into Jesus Christ. Trust and risk that you can put your weight on the foundation of Who He Is. Believe into him. Lean yourself – your convictions, your doubts, your gifts, your weaknesses, your questions, your pain, your joy – lean all of it – all of yourself – into who this one is. That’s much deeper than intellectual assent, isn’t it? That’s much deeper and more profound than a ‘check yes’ mentality to this theological proposition or that theological proposition. It’s also much harder.

It’s much harder! And here is the Risen Christ standing before a bunch of rag-tag doubters, and he puts this type of belief into action. He believes in his disciples – not because of their specialness or extraordinary-ness, not because of their ‘check yes’ intellectual assent (they’re doubters!) – he believes in his disciples by entrusting himself to them. Yes, entrusting himself to them! In his name and in his authority, these disciples will make disciples and baptize them into Love, sending out even more disciples. They are participating and reverberating a circle of love, mission, and service – sending it wider and wider all the time.

And Jesus isn’t leaving them. No, the Risen Christ entrusts himself, pledging to be with them every moment along the way. Not just here and there. Every moment! Not just at the end. Every moment! He says, “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Always. To and through the end. Always. Always, Christ is present with his disciples. Always, Christ is present with us.

We come to the close of a year – at least, a close as far as the academic calendar goes. And we’ve discerned Christ’s risen presence among us. We’ve worshiped. We’ve had doubts. We’ve asked questions. We’ve traveled. We’ve laughed. We’ve played. We’ve cried. We’ve gotten injured on ski slopes for crying out loud! We’ve confided. We’ve loved. We’ve prayed. We’ve invited others. And through it all, we’ve witnessed Christ’s presence among us. We’ve made disciples. We’ve taught. We’ve sent one another forth. And we’ve done all these things – not because we’re more special than others, or because we’re extraordinary – we’ve done them because we’ve had the opportunity – the incredible opportunity! – to participate in a circle larger than ourselves, a circle that grows wider and wider all the time. We don’t do it in our name. We do it in Christ’s Name. What a gift.

Have you ever dropped a rock into a pond of some kind and watched the ripples go out? When we drop a pebble, we can see those ripples for a while, but as they spread out wider, it’s hard for us to see how and where they’re continuing. But they are. And have you ever participated in something that led to something else which led to something else, onward and onward with a constant ripple effect? Maybe those ripples have been initiated by us, but after a while, they take a life of their own and move outward from us in ways that are beyond our control. I think that’s what we’re doing here in this community. I think that’s what God is doing in and through us. In our lives together, in our actions together and out in our larger spheres of life, we’re working (failing sometimes, but working) to entrust ourselves to Jesus Christ, who has entrusted himself to us, and that process of entrusting ourselves is like dropping a rock into the pond of God’s grace, and we too are being commissioned for service. We’re called to make waves. We’re called to set waves of God’s love into motion. We do this as individuals, but maybe even more importantly, we do it as a community.

You, Austin Agape, are a community that makes waves. And you are called to make more waves all the time. Swim deep. Splash and play with all your gusto! Jesus Christ has entrusted himself – he has leaned all of Who He Is into you – and he commissions you to fully live, making disciples, doing works of justice and kindness in this world. Make waves, Austin Agape. Make waves, University Presbyterian Church. Splash like crazy! Splash and make waves because you have experienced the Risen Christ and you are witnesses in this world.

I want you to know that you have made waves so deep and so rich in my world. Those waves reverberate with me, everywhere I go. I want you to know that I would not be who I am or where I am had I not met you.

Five years ago, I stood in a field in Germany, and prayed like crazy because I was terrified that I was about to move to Texas. I had been singing in some choral competitions with my choir, and I was really struggling with this whole Austin move. I had been terrified and frustrated with that decision for weeks, but I knew it was right. And finally, when I stood in that field, five years ago to this week, I can’t explain it, I was overcome with a powerful sense of love, transcendence, peace, and vision that I can only attribute to God. I knew that I had to move to Austin because there were people there who would make me. . .me.

In that moment, those people were general and vague. Today, five years later, they have names. And so many of them are in this room right now.

Up and to the day, I graduated seminary and even a bit longer, I never thought I would be a pastor. Oh, I would probably get another degree eventually and be a professor. And that would have been nice. Yes, a theology professor. That sounded wonderful. And that was my track up until the day I found out surprisingly that I was being called into this position, that I was being called to be your pastor. I was scared then too. More scared than you know. And yet, I took the risk. And it was the greatest blessing I could have ever imagined.

Did that decision to say yes make waves here? I would say yes. But the waves haven’t been mine. You’ve made waves too. And ultimately, the waves of healing, prayer, meals where everyone is included, and life-altering parables – those belong to Jesus Christ. Those belong to the Triune God.

Thank you. I want you to know that you are the love of my life. The waves of love you sent into me will go on beyond this place and beyond me toward others who I’ll meet along the way. You’ll be with me all the time.

And soon, our relationship will change. I won’t be your pastor anymore. But the love will still go on in ways deeper and broader than we know now. You can be assured of this. You can put your weight on it: There will be no day – ever! – that I will not love you. That’s not changing. I hope that when we’re 50, we’ll be connected and in each others’ lives. I’ll be human, and I won’t love perfectly. But you can trust – you can believe, entrust – that my love for you continues. Always. And you can know that whoever I continue to love, whoever I continue to meet, your life, your love will ripple through me to them. Always.

And there is One who goes with us. Jesus Christ goes with you. Jesus Christ goes with me. He leads you. He leads me. He loves fully, not imperfectly. He’s the True Human, the One Whose love is complete and all-encompassing. He is the One who is with us to and through the end. When Jesus says he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, he literally says that he is the Road, the Truth, and the Life. You and I might be in two different states soon. Actually, some day, we’ll all be in different places. But we’ll never be on a different road. Never.

Thanks be to God for the gift of entrusting, for the gift of becoming, for the gift of belonging. Make waves. It’s who you are. Amen.

-Renée Roederer, Campus Minister, and the Austin Agape Community

Sermon: Someday You Will Be the Love of My Life

John 17:1-26

As we begin our time together to explore this text tonight, I'd like to start by inviting you to do something simple - something you do all the time, but rarely think about. In a moment, I'd like to invite you to take a deep breath. We'll do it all together. You can close your eyes if you want to, but we'll all take a deep breath, inhale and exhale. Ready? One, two, three, breathe.

Libby told me something this week that intrigued me. She said to me, "Hey Renee, did you know that every time you take a breath of air, at least one air molecule was also breathed by Socrates in his lifetime?" Well that is intriguing! As crazy as it sounds, probability is such that each time you take a breath, approximately every six seconds, the air in your lungs contains at least one molecule that was in Socrates' lungs during his lifetime. Wow. A lot of people have lived on this earth, but we also breathe in an unbelievable amount of air molecules every time we take a breath. The same molecules of air as Socrates! Every breath! Crazy!

But, or course, this isn't just true for famous Greek philosophers. This is true about everyone who was ever lived, everyone who has ever shared our air! Every breath you take, contains at least one air molecule that someone else breathed - your best friend, the person you can't stand, Kevin Bacon, Nelson Mandela, Amanda Nelson Mandela! You name it! You’re breathing the same molecules of air of others who have been human with you. Think about it! Cavemen, Sojourner Truth, Isaac Newton, George Washington, and the Trololo guy. The Trololo Guy! I find that to be absolutely remarkable.

We’re more connected than we know. We’re much more connected than we know.

And our text tonight, is a beautiful prayer recorded in the Gospel of John. Jesus prays this prayer in the upper room, the night of his arrest, the night before his death. In chapters 13-17 of John’s Gospel, Jesus is depicted in the upper room, washing the disciples’ feet, encouraging them, testifying to the Holy Spirit who will be their Comforter and Advocate, and finally, before his arrest, this beautiful prayer is spoken on their behalf.

Love is spoken all over the place, and several thematic words seem to emerge throughout the text. A crucial word in the text is the word “one,” and it’s associated with a union of love. Jesus is one with the Father, the disciples are called to be one with Jesus, and Jesus prays for those who will believe in him through the testimony of the disciples – people like us – and asks that they may also be one. That word seems to be all over the place in the prayer. Listen to these words again: “Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.” Wow. As the Son and the Father are one, we are called to be one. . . like that! Wow.

And another important word is “in.” It’s all over the place too. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Jesus is in the Father. The Father is in Jesus. Jesus is in his disciples, and they are in him. And Jesus is in those who will believe in him through the disciples’ testimony. And did you catch that? “May they also be in us.” We are in God!

Love invites us to be in one another and even in the life of God. And actually, we are in one another because we are in the love and life of God, a love and life deeply given to us. Jesus says, “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” Quite remarkable, isn’t it? We are in one another; we share the same air. And we are in one another; we share the same love of God that is bestowed upon us. It’s unfathomably beautiful, and we can hardly wrap our minds around it.

And I believe that much of the Christian faith is like that: unfathomably beautiful, and we can hardly wrap our minds around it. Here’s a question. When you think about the Trinity, what comes to mind? On one hand, we could say something Sunday-School-Answer-ish. “The Trinity is a word to describe God, that God is one God, and that God exists in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” I suppose that’s one way we could describe God, and we would be saying something true. But this truth isn’t just Sunday-School-Answer-ish, and it’s not some weird math equation for us to figure out – How can one equal three, and three equal one? No, if we stayed there in that frame of mind, we’d be missing the depth of this love. The truth of Who God Is is much more beautiful, mysterious, and life-altering than a math equation. God can’t be diagrammed or mapped. Thank God for that!

No, God is a communion of love. God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are One. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are in. We are invited into oneness – into the communion of God. We are invited into the in-ness – into the life of God’s loving communion. God exists as a community – a communion of love, and that love spills over to include us and to include the entire creation. We’re not God, but in love, we truly are swept up into the life of God! That’s remarkable too!

The reason we have language about the Trinity is because of the experience of Love. No one sat down one day in front of a bunch of other Christians and said, “Hey! I’ve got this great idea about God. I’ve thought it all out. In fact, I’ve got it all figured out! Here, let me show you my blueprint.” No. Instead, what happened is that the early Christian community believed that they had experienced the embodiment of God in the human being, Jesus of Nazareth, and they saw the communion of love between Jesus and God, who he called Father. And they had an experience of love expressed in the Holy Spirit, who they also witnessed the Holy Spirit to be in communion with the God the Creator and God the Son. Without trying to create a math equation, they came to express language that gave praise to their experience and to the experiences they witnessed in the Scriptures.

And so, I don’t have a way to map this out. I don’t have a flow chart or a blueprint. I also can’t say everything definitive about what Jesus voices in this prayer. This prayer isn’t high, ivory-tower-theological discourse of definition. This is a prayer of love, praise, and petition. God is Love. God isn’t a Definition. But that being said, I do believe that this prayer speaks beautiful language about who God is – who God is in communion – and that has something to say about who we are and who we’re called to be.

One thing that’s beautiful about the life of faith is that the questions are just as important as the answers. And faith is beautiful in the way that it invites us to be imaginative. So disclaimer: What follows is speculative and imaginative, but I believe, ultimately true. Very true.

God is a communion of love beyond anything we can imagine or define. And in that communion of love – that three-ness – God’s love spills over to include us. What if we – mere human beings – are called to lives that kind of communion? What if our lives – unaware as we often are – are moving in that kind of direction? Again, we’re not God, and we’re not becoming God, but what if God is moving us into an experience that is somehow Trinitized, that is, moving us to be the unique, particular persons we are, who love so fully that we are one with those we love? We can’t do this on our own – we are absolutely fallen – but what if God is constantly recreating us to love in this direction?

In one of our Bible Studies this semester, we began to ask some questions about the Kingdom of God. I’d like to talk to you about 3057, a completely arbitrary number that has come to symbolize something meaningful to those of us in the Bible this semester. We talked about the Kingdom of God and tried to imagine what that looks like. Again, we can’t wrap our minds around it. We have glimpses of it now, but we asked questions, wondering what the Kingdom of God might look like in its fullness. And we began to talk about something speculative. And for the record, I don’t know fully what happens when we die, but I think this is a beautiful thought. And this is where our arbitrary number came in. We asked, “What if the Kingdom of God came in all its fullness in the year 3057?” And then we asked this question. “If God isn’t bound within space and time in the way we are – that is, if God isn’t confined by space and time in the way we are – I wonder if we enter something of that when we die. I mean, what if when we die, we enter the fullness of all things? What enter if we the fullness of the Kingdom of God? What if we enter 3057?”

Now that may all sound like speculative gobbily gook, but again, imagination can be powerful and is a gift from God. If all that were true, we came to this conclusion: That would mean that if I died tonight, I wouldn’t simply be reunited with people who had died before me. I would enter something not confined by time and space. That means from my experience, you would all be there! I mean, it would kind of stink to just be waiting on everyone else, just being separated. But whatever happens upon death, I have a feeling that we enter something very full, a mystical communion of love deeper and more rich than we can imagine, something somewhat Trinitarian. God is sweeping us up into the communion of Love. Unfathomable, and we can hardly wrap our minds around it.

I’ll tell you another interesting story based on some of these speculations. What if by the grace of God, we are on our way toward living in that kind of communion? Oh, we mess it up royally now. But what if that’s the direction we’re moving in? What if God has created us for that? What if, in the fullness of the Kingdom of God – whether in this life, or in a life to come – we learn to truly be one and to love in a way we can’t fathom? Oh, I’m not talking about holding hands and singing kum-bah-yah. I’m talking about something deeper and richer than that. What if that’s where we’re headed?

If it is, it means that we’re being fashioned to learn how to be one – that is, to be unified in love in community, and can you imagine this? When we enter that kind of love in God more deeply, what if we begin to love others in such a way that every single person feels like the unique love of our life? After all, that’s how God loves us. What if God is creating and molding us – purely by God’s grace - to love like that? Here’s the story.

I know someone who was taking a walk around West Campus a few weeks ago, and she was feeling anxious about some decisions she would have to be making soon. And in her anxiety, she felt like she should stop focusing about her worries, and simply notice what was around her. What did she see? She told me that first thing she noticed was that she saw students walking around in every direction, and she was intrigued at one observation. All of these students seemed to be entirely in their own world. It wasn’t that they seemed selfish. It was just that they truly seemed to be in their own world – their own awareness without the awareness of those who were also walking around them. Some were listening to ipods, some were just staring, thinking through their own thoughts. She said to herself, “Wow. These students don’t know they’re connected.”

She began to think about some of the questions I just asked, and then, she thought this. I love it! She thought about who God was constantly creating her to be, and how she was ultimately called to love, and as she passed each person, she said this in her mind: “Someday, you will be the love of my life.” Isn’t that interesting?

“Someday, you will be the love of my life.” That is, “If I am being swept up in the life of God, to love all people with a love I can’t begin to fathom, I will one day, view each person has the unique love of my life.” I love it. And if that’s where we’re ultimately headed, that means, we can try by God’s grace, to love people more fully now! I mean, can you imagine how different this world would be if we all believed that someday, every person would be the unique love of our life! We’d probably start treating them better right now. We’d probably start loving them right now.

Thanks be to God that we are created to be one. Thanks be to God that we are created to be in. Thanks be to God who is Love for us and for all. Amen.

-Renée Roederer, Campus Minister, and the Austin Agape Community

Sermon: Turn-Around

Acts 9:1-20

Well, it certainly was dramatic. Can you imagine what happened on that Damascus Road? Saul had been breathing threats and murder against the people of the Way, those who were following Jesus of Nazareth, those who were proclaiming that Jesus had been resurrected from the grave. “Breathing threats and murder”. . . isn’t that an interesting phrase? Saul was so set on terror and destruction that it was as if he was inhaling them. And he was also exhaling them. Saul believed that the people of the Way were an affront to God and to the people of God. He was set out to quench their movement, and he didn’t seem to care who he harmed in the process.

I wonder what Saul and his companions were talking about on that road. . . I imagine that the men who came with him were inhaling and exhaling all kinds of anger on that day as well. Maybe they were talking about that rage they felt within them. Maybe they were silent, each with determination. Or maybe they were having casual conversation, talking about daily life or family. Then suddenly, everything changed.

Suddenly, everything changed. And it certainly was dramatic, wasn’t it? Saul experienced light, flashing and dancing all about him. Threats and murder within him must have melted into fear and confusion for himself and the others who were with him. And then, a voice – a voice that would change everything. A question becomes personal: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Even before he is aware of the identity behind the voice, Saul recognizes holiness. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Jesus, the Lord, is so with us, so with humanity, that when we are persecuted, and when we are persecuting others, Jesus is being persecuted. Saul didn’t have a chance to justify himself, or even to plead for forgiveness. Already Saul was elected, chosen, set apart for the work of Christ. Jesus tells him to go into the city where he will be told what to do. He temporarily loses his vision, but he is about to gain a new way of seeing God, the world, and himself. Wow, a dramatic turn around.

And this conversion was a game changer. Saul was on his way toward becoming Paul, one beloved and called by God. We’re never told in scripture why, when, or how Saul’s name is changed to Paul, but we can certainly see that Saul’s character, heart, and sense of mission are wildly changed. Saul becomes Paul, sent to bear Christ’s name before Gentiles – outsiders -kings, and the people of Israel. Saul was certainly called to do a radical 180. He will now proclaim the one he has persecuted.

And it really was quite a game changer, wasn’t it? Paul became a missionary, organizing and nurturing churches in far regions of the world, places vastly far away from where he grew up, especially in the first century, when people couldn’t simply learn about Greece, Macedonia, Rome, or other places by pulling up a Wikipedia page. He couldn’t travel by plane or train. He used ships. He walked on foot. And apart from his witness, the church – our church, other churches – would not be what it is today. The ripple effect from this experience on a Damascus road has spread far and broad. It continues to wash over us today, as we read and contemplate Paul’s pastoral letters to communities like the Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and the Thessalonians. Yes, in this turn-around moment, God changed the world. God molded communities. God is molding us right now. So certainly, this mysterious, miraculous moment on a simple road to Damascus, affected history and shaped lives in a broad and sweeping way.

But beyond the dramatic and broad sweeping aspects of this story, what about some of the more subtle effects? God works inbetween the lines too, inbetween the major milestones, inbetween the major turn-arounds of our lives.

Poor Ananias. Can you imagine? Ananias hears the call of Christ to do something absolutely illogical. And it wasn’t just illogical. It was potentially dangerous. Saul had a reputation. Ananias realized what the consequences of his actions might be. Going to Saul, he was risking his future, his freedom, his safety. And he was risking the future, freedom, and safety of his Christian community as well.

And yes, in addition to being dangerous, this action was illogical. “Saul? Wait a minute. Saul? You want me to go and seek the man who has been seeking to kill us?!? And then you want me to identify myself as your follower and heal him? You want me to trust him? You want me to trust his words and intentions? You want me set him free, and simply trust that he is who you’ve named him to be?”

This call was dangerous and illogical enough for Ananias to question Jesus. But Jesus tells Ananias that he has visions larger and more incredible than Ananias can possibly wrap his mind around. He follows the call. He seeks out his enemy to heal him and send him in the right direction.

You know, it appears that sometimes, our conversions are connected. What I mean by that is that sometimes when others have had a ‘turn-around’ moment, we too are sent in another direction. We live in relationship. Our healing is bound up in the healing of others. Our conversions – our directions, our turn-around moments – are bound up in the conversions of others.

So Ananias is converted too. He seeks out Saul in the house of Judas, and he obeys. And I wonder if he too had a change of heart on that road. Did you notice the first thing Ananias says to the man who has been his enemy? Did you notice the first words out of his mouth?

“Brother Saul.” He addresses his former enemy as his brother. Saul’s conversion on the Road to Damascus was dramatic and beyond anything that you and I have experienced. But conversions aren’t always dramatic. Sometimes they are subtle. Sometimes God is working on the inside as much as God is working on the outside. Saul had a turn-around moment. So did Ananias.

And that leads to a question for us. We don’t see flashing light and audibly hear the voice of God on a regular basis. But because we believe in a Triune God who works intimately and immanently within our lives, we can believe that God is turning us around, sending us in new directions all the time. Here’s the question: How is God turning you around these days, and what directions are being envisioned for you to follow? And how is God turning us around as a community these days, and what directions are being envisioned for us to follow?

Sometimes, seemingly insignificant moments can send us in profoundly significant directions. Has that ever happened for you?

When I was 14 years old, I sat in a bright orange chair at a table I frequented five days a week. It was a pretty mundane place for me. I was sitting in the Floyd Central Junior/Senior High School cafeteria. And I was there with Angela Cherrie, one of my best friends from that time in my life. I wonder what got us on the subject of handbells of all things, but that’s where our conversation went. And she told me something kind of funny, “I’m in this handbell choir at my church, and it’s so hard. I have too many handbells to play!” For those of you who have ever played handbells – and by the way, handbells are San’s favorite instrument – she was specifically having trouble playing Dflat 5, D5, Eflat 5, and E5. She must have been playing a piece with lots of key changes. And so, I came up with an idea that seemed somewhat random, “Well, can I help you? Could I maybe join your handbell choir?” She told me she would ask, and one week later, the answer was yes!

And so, through a seemingly insignificant conversation about handbells of all things, my life was about to move in an entirely different direction. Angela Cherrie had introduced me to St. John United Presbyterian Church in New Albany, Indiana. (And yes, that’s the church where we’re headed in May for Kentuckiana-a’ganza, our mission and service trip). That church would change my life.

I went to the handbell choir, and because youth group met downstairs after our rehearsal, I just joined that too. And the youth group was going on a mission trip to Atlanta three weeks later, and right away, they asked me if I would like to go too. I was thrilled.

But as I grew up in that congregation, I learned a deep sense of faith. I learned the challenges of faith. And I met a congregation of people who would become my family. That may not be biologically true, but it was functionally very true. I met David Roth there, the pastor of the congregation, and David intentionally parented me in that church. In so many ways, he raised me, and I would not be the person I am today had I not experienced the depth of the love he had for me.

But I also found family-love in so many other places within the life of that congregation. I’ve mentioned this to a few of you already, but the congregation at St. John threw our wedding. We had asked some of the ladies of the church if we could pay them to make the food for our reception, which was also at the church in the afternoon. They agreed with even more enthusiasm that I would have imagined. And the day before the wedding, when they were downstairs in the kitchen, cooking this and assembling that, David went downstairs to check and see how they were doing. He and ten women ended up having a conversation about how each one of them had somehow come to consider me to be their other child.

I suppose that in some ways, my experience of love at that church was the flashing light and holy voice I needed, because my experience there has sent me in more positive directions than I could have anticipated. It taught me how to be in community, it taught me how to be vulnerable, it sent me in the direction of music school, and the direction of seminary, and the direction to this church and this community, which has been another flashing light and holy voice of itself. And all of this came because of a goofy, insignificant conversation about handbells in a junior high cafeteria of all places!

So what about you? What insignificant things have led to significant directions in your life? Where have you had a turn-around moment? And where do you sense God is calling you now?

As we close tonight, I think it might be helpful for us to hear that from each other. How would you answer those questions? Let’s have a time of sharing.

-Renée Roederer, Campus Minister, and the Austin Agape Community