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Twenty-Ninth Sunday
in Ordinary Time
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October 22, 2017
Worship 11:00 a.m.
Sermon text: Exodus 33:12-23, the final words to Moses
Evening
Worship 7:00 p.m.
UPC Fellowship Hall
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Conducted by guest director Eric Wall, the Chancel Choir sings the traditional folk song, “Down to the River to Pray” in an arrangement by Philip Lawson created for The King’s Singers.
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Stewardship
Storytellers
Marvin & Melinda Wofford
Education, Friends, Service
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Marvin: When we were asked to do a stewardship minute for mission, my immediate response was thanks, but no thanks. I’m not good at asking people for money. But I was assured that all I really needed to do was tell you a little about our history here at UPC, what inspires me or motivates me, what my hopes are for UPC, and oh yeah, how to get you to contribute by making a financial pledge. I figured the first parts were easy, and I could get Melinda to do that part about money...
Melinda: When Marvin and I met years ago, I was a single mom who went to church and he was a lapsed Methodist. When we married, he agreed to go to church with me and to bring me coffee in bed every day. Marvin has honored the church part of the bargain but we’re still working on the coffee.....we got what we were looking for and so much more – welcoming and vibrant worship, a loving church community, many opportunities to participate in the life of the church, and to serve and to be served...
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On Stewardship Dedication Sunday, November 12, we want everyone to participate! If you cannot be here to help celebrate, please fill out a pledge card and securely return it to UPC using the envelope included in your 2018 Stewardship packet. Please prayerfully consider what you can afford to support the church in 2018, and bring your card to Dedication Sunday, November 12.
Didn't receive a pledge card for 2018?
or pick one up in the narthex or outside the church office.
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2017 contributions must be
postmarked by December 31, 2017.
Celebration Sunday for Stewardship 2018 is November 12.
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To pledge online, click the image above and go to our website
upcaustin.org
Click the PLEDGE NOW button to submit your pledge online.
Want to schedule your pledges for automatic payment? Click the ONLINE GIVING & PLEDGES button for instructions.
Questions?
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When people thank me for singing in the choir, I always feel a little guilty. You see, I don't sing in the UPC Chancel Choir for altruistic reasons, but for selfish ones - three of them:
- Choir practice every Wednesday night is like therapy for me. When I am singing and learning new music, my mind is totally occupied and I am breathing deeply and fully. Suddenly every concern, or deadline, or troubling issue I brought with me into rehearsal just drifts away.
- Singing in the choir makes the Sunday worship experience even better. I love coming to UPC and always find the sermons, prayers, and liturgy meaningful and inspiring. But following the pastors and the cross in during the processional, leading the congregation in singing, and being in the choir loft during the service just makes the whole experience that much more special because I feel even more a part of it.
- The music is even better when you are IN it. It is so thrilling for me - one small first alto voice - to be a part of something that is so big and beautiful. Often, when we are singing, I become so
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wrapped up in the words and the amazing sound all around me, that I am overcome with emotion and can't even sing.
So don't "thank" me for singing in the choir. Let me thank you - the congregation - for allowing me to and for supporting our choir ministry through your gifts and pledges.
Mary Dodd
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Come sing with Mary!
Call Director of Music Ara Carapetyan at 512-731-4285 or speak with any choir member! The Chancel Choir rehearses Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday mornings in the chancel at 10:30 a.m. You'll be most welcome!
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UPC to Host A
Deliberative Dialogue on Safety and Justice October 24
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Community Advancement Network and Interfaith Action Central Texas (iACT), will host a Deliberative Dialogue on the topic of Safety and Justice at UPC on October 24, sponsored by the Social Witness Committee. The dialogue will focus on how we can increase trust and goodwill between citizens and law enforcement to ensure everyone feels safe in our community. Local partners will use an issue guide developed by the National Issues Forum to discuss violence and justice and to identify areas of common ground.
Dialogue participants will explore three different options relating to this issue, discuss possible solutions, and weigh the trade-offs involved in each solution. The facilitated conversations will help people better understand the issue from three very different perspectives and learn what other community members think and feel about the issue.
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Sometimes, the best ideas for solutions come from the community and engaging community members and law enforcement together to find ways forward. The output from these conversations will help inform local policy makers and will also be incorporated into the results from the national conversations.
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You’ve seen the announcements and the posters around the church, but I wanted to write and personally invite you all to Reformation Sunday here at University Presbyterian Church. 500 years ago this month, Martin Luther kick-started a theological movement about the structure of the church, about the role of scripture, and really about the power and authority of God — a movement that to this day echoes through the life and livelihood of our congregation and our denomination, and so we’re going to celebrate this anniversary in style.
On Sunday, October 29, we’ll be joined in worship by a whole variety of different voices. Rev. Paul Roberts and Tony McNeill of Johnson C. Smith Seminary in Atlanta will be joining us in worship: Paul will close our Exodus sermon series by taking on the death of Moses as he looks out over the promised land, and Tony will help to lead us in some congregational singing. In addition, our UPC choir will be joined by a few voices from Austin Presbyterian Seminary and a few instrumentalists alongside. This is a big service, and I couldn’t be more excited to share it with each of you.
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In some ways, of course, Reformation Sunday is about history. We tell the story of Martin Luther and the first reformers; we sing the songs that the reformed church has sung for hundreds of years; we place ourselves in a story that started a long time ago. But of course the mantra of that story has always been about the future: Reformed
and Always Reforming. And so I invite you on this particular Sunday to come and hear how God is calling us into our new future together, for this year and for the next 500 to come!
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Sunday, October 29, 2017
UPC will celebrate the 500
th
anniversary of the Protestant Reformation Sunday, October 29. Plan now to be fully present for this once in a lifetime opportunity to celebrate our heritage!
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Our special guest preacher will be the Reverend Paul Roberts, President of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia. Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological schools of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the only one that is historically African American. A native of Stamford, Connecticut, he grew up in Bradenton, Florida, which he considers his home. He graduated from Princeton University in 1985 with a bachelor of arts degree in architecture and African American studies. He later received the Master of Divinity degree with a concentration in New Testament Studies from Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary at the Interdenominational Theological Center. Paul is also an Academic Fellow of The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey in Celigny, Switzerland.
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Dr. Tony McNeill will lead special music during worship. Dr. McNeill is a member of the staff of Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, where he serves as program director of The African American Institute of Worship, Preaching, and Sacred Arts and is currently interim choral director at Texas Southern University in Houston. Prior to coming to Texas, he served as the director of worship and the arts at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church (America's "Freedom Church"). McNeill earned the bachelor of music education degree from Appalachian State University, a masters degree in choral conducting from Florida State University, and a doctorate of worship studies from the Robert Webber Institute for Worship Studies. McNeill has presented at The Hampton Ministers Conference, Duke Divinity School, The American Baptist College, Shaw University, and served as Artist-in-Residence for the past three years at Princeton Theological Seminary for its Black Theology and Leadership Institute.
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Following worship, the Reformation Faire will be held in the Great Hall, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. For those of you new to UPC, the Reformation Faire is a mix between a Renaissance Fair, Oktoberfest, and a fall carnival. This is one of our UPC Youth major fundraising events of the year; proceeds go directly to offset the cost of youth group events and trips. Come and enjoy a lunch of German brats and hot dogs, pretzels, and (root) beer. Stop by the booths set up around the Great Hall. Strike up a conversation with a famous (or infamous) person from the Reformation era. Don't miss the best party of the year!
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Kathy Escandell to be Installed October 22
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You are invited to the Installation of
Rev. Kathy Escandell
as Pastor of
First Presbyterian Church
12th & Austin Streets
McAllen, Texas 78505
October 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM
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Madelyn Mitchell will be traveling to McAllen on Sunday to witness and worship with Kathy. If you'd like to send a card or letter with her, please leave it in the church office by Friday, October 20.
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125
th
Anniversary Celebration Courtyard Donor Pavers
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As part of our 125
th
anniversary celebration, the Heritage Ministry Team invites you to add to the church’s history by placing in the UPC courtyard a paver in memory or honor of a person/family who has participated in the life of our church community. A list of each donor courtyard paver currently in place by name and location is available in the church office. The new Courtyard Donor Pavers sale will go live Sunday, November 5.
The mission of the Heritage Ministry is to honor and preserve the past, present and future history of UPC
. In 2017, blessed by an anonymous donor, we contracted with HISTORY IT, a digital innovator company, to create a plan to help preserve our archives and digitize selected parts. In early November, materials from each twenty-five year era, 1892-2017, will launch in a digital portal created by HISTORY IT. The portal page will be linked on the UPC website for easy access.
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Funds raised from courtyard paver sales will go toward UPC’s continued effort to preserve, archive, digitize and make accessible our stories for future generations.
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Please join us as we continue our discussion of technology and how it works within our families this month. October 22, Barry Crutchfield, author of
Toxic Apps
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will be discussing his book with us as we continue our month of technology and how it relates to our families. Here are some of Barry’s comments:
"
Toxic Apps, a Guide for Parents
is designed to bring parents of minor children into the loop. Over the past few years, we have all been hit with a smartphone tsunami, and sometimes it can seem impossible to keep up with everything. It is easy to get overwhelmed when attempting to implement an effective cyber safety plan for your child. Fortunately, once you understand the basic formula that most app developers follow, the task of managing cyber risks becomes less intimidating and more manageable.
"This guide will provide a good starting point for parents by identifying the most toxic apps and behaviors trending today. Your job as a parent must include staying on top of current cyber risks and making decisions based on those risks."
Parenting & Faith meets Sundays at 9:30 a.m., Room 1, Lower Level.
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Welcome to The Way!
The Way - the new adult Bible and Church survey course - is off to a good start with a core group of students. There's always room for more! This Sunday's topic:
"Paul Plus - the Letters of the New Testament."
The Way meets at 9:30 a.m. Sundays in Fellowship Hall. For more information,
email Jon Eddison or call
512-988-0333.
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New Faith & Life Series:
The Reformation - 500 Years and Still Going!
This promises to be such an exciting series with a line-up of incredible speakers - Paul Hooker, Dave Jensen, Laura Lincoln, and Cindy Rigby.
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Sunday, October 22:
Laura Lincoln, Organizational Consultant and Mediator, will speak on "Re-forming Church."
The way we go about being church in the world has changed since the 16th Century and is continuing to change. Cultural assumptions about the identity and role of church are not the same as they were in my childhood. In-person cohort groups, online communities, loose event-based associations and the new monasticism are all expressions of the church in the 21st century. We will explore the evolution and growing pains of what it means to be a part of an actively re-forming Church.
The Faith & Life class meets in Room 201, upper level. Join us at 9:15 a.m. for coffee & conversation, 9:30 a.m. for class.
See you Sunday!
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Don't Forget UPLift this Sunday!
Needed this week:
- Large jar of jelly or preserves
- Breakfast bars
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Please pray for
Linda Evans, who was admitted to ICU on Sunday with pneumonia. Please sign up for Linda's Caring Bridge website for more information:
The family of John Clint Burks,
former member of UPC, who died Saturday, September 23.
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To have a deacon pray with you, look for the
Deacon of the Day
on the pulpit side front of the sanctuary any Sunday following the postlude. This Sunday's Deacon is Jennie Chao.
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To pray for those on our prayer list, download the
Celebrations and Concerns folder for October 15, 2017, or pick up a copy in the narthex or outside the church office.
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If you'd like to be part of UPC's Prayer Chain, please
email the church office. You will receive emails asking that you pray specifically for people who have requested to be on the prayer list.
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Contact
University Presbyterian Church
2203 San Antonio Street
Austin, Texas 78705
512-476-5321
Rooted in worship
Growing through education & service
Connecting to campus & community
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