“You take care you ownself, fwirst!” One of many viral videos shared across social media in recent years shows a toddler sitting in her car seat telling a family member what-for, letting them know they need to leave her alone and focus on themselves. It’s adorable, and wise…
When I get overwhelmed by life, I’ve learned I need to make things very, very simple. Usually, things are far less complicated than we make them out to be. We often realize this after we slow down, breathe, get more information, pray for what God would like us to do (or NOT do) in the moment, and simply allow some things to unfold in due time.
I’m not suggesting passivity or irresponsibility here; if there is action we need to take, it isn’t faithful to let it slide. And there are times when we sit still long enough to let the dust settle, the path forward becomes more clear and we discover that many things sort themselves out without our needing to be involved.
Between the apathy or overwhelm that lead to inaction and the frenzied anxiety that can lead to over-functioning, there is a sweet spot of quiet and calm, groundedness and peace, clarity and trust that give way to effective action.
First, I have to tend to my own self. The platitudes about this are many—put your own oxygen mask on first…you can’t pour from an empty cup…pour from your saucer, not your cup, etc. They exist for a reason. We need to hear this many different ways to help us do what often feels unnatural when the needs around us feel so great.
The toddler in the video I described above, however, was not so much encouraging self-care as she was setting a boundary with someone whom she felt was getting all up in her business, and she wanted them out of it! “Focus on yourself and leave me alone” she effectively says.
For me, the wisdom in this is that when I get overwhelmed, it’s often because I am worrying about things that are not mine to tend to. Often, when we are busy focusing on someone else, it can be a seemingly good excuse to avoid tending to our own lives. Something about ignoring a log and focusing on the spec in another’s eye comes to mind.
Activism can become an excuse to use something good to avoid our lives. I am never more productive than when I have a deadline looming of something I dread. My taxes were recently due to my accountant. Before that task was done, I caught up on a ton of items on my to do list just short of scrubbing the baseboards with a toothbrush!
In a similar way, when we have something in our own lives or something about ourselves that needs tending too, but that we want to avoid, being busy with just causes can be a socially acceptable excuse to distract us. There is no shortage of needs in this world. There is no shortage of to do lists and advocacy issues that need tending to and justice issues that we could spend our entire lives working every minute of every day on.
When we are working from a place of passion, being energized by the Spirit, giving from the excess of the resources we have to give, then we can be highly effective tools of God for good in this world. When we spin in anxiety, angst, scarcity, and anger in a frenetic pace feeling that we are the ones who have been called to tend to all the worlds ills, we miss out on our first calling…to be present in relationship with our God and ourselves.
From that sweet spot, we will be a better example of God’s grace because we will embody grace for ourselves, first. We will be more thoughtful in what we write and say and do because we will be led by God’s wisdom and compassion rather than our own toxic guilt and fears and need for control.
We must not ignore the needs of this world nor must we feel we are the ones to tend to them all. Jesus took time away in the wilderness alone to recharge and connect with God. Jesus allows God’s angels to tend to him so he could go out and tend to others. Jesus stopped and ate and visited with dear friends and loved ones who kept him going and reminded him he was not alone.
The poor we will always have with us, and we must not forget or take lightly their plight, but we can serve them better and find better solutions for the systems that impoverish them and keep them there when our spirits and bodies are not empty but filled with God’s presence and grace.
So, when we begin to feel overwhelmed by the world’s ills, or find ourselves venting about (insert name of politician or group here), or raging about (insert injustice here) let us take a moment to pause and ask…
Are we coming from a place of fullness or scarcity?
Are we filled with God’s passion or our anxiety and anger?
Are we fueled by passion and compassion or hate and contempt?
Are we filled with self-righteousness or righteous indignation over injustice?
Are we being led and inspire by God to action or are we venting to replace action?
Are we avoiding something in our own lives or following God’s prompting to act?
Are we tending to ourselves first then allowing God to use our fullness to feed the world?
Kristen Neff is a researcher and author whom I’ve mentioned before. Her doctoral work focused on self-compassion. You can find her website at http://self-compassion.org where you can take a quiz to assess your own! How solid is your care for yourself? How well do you think you can truly care for others if you aren’t caring for your own needs, first? How much compassion do we have to give others if our compassion for ourselves is in short supply?
May we find more compassion for ourselves. May we allow God to show us our worth despite our works. Me we rid ourselves of the believe that we are only as good as we perform. Then, from a place of true connection with God, guided by God’s grace and wisdom and mercy and compassion, we will accomplish far more for a greater period of time in a way that serves the world, and us, far better.
09/18 – 55+ Social gathering from 4-7pm in the Baese Fellowship Hall (bring your drinks of choice and a snack to share)
09/25 – Theology on Tap Sept. 25th 4:00 to 7:00-ish pm, Guadalupe Brewing Company (dialogue 4:30-6:30p with fellowship before and after)
Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 – Spiritual Retreat – A 3-day UCC Journey spiritual retreat Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 2 at Camp Crucis, near Granbury.
Monthly Youth Gathering the first Sunday in October, the Youth group will have a Pumpkin Carving Party after worship at Deno and J’s house. Watch for details!
Youth Missional Giving – Faith’s Youth will be serving as baristas and offering an assortment of drinks before worship Sundays during October, November, and December to raise money to pay off medical debt for those being taken advantage of by unjust practices. Please make plans to help support this effort!
Big Serve Day of Community Service, Saturday, Oct. 8th
New Member SNACK Fellowship in the Narthex after worship – Oct. 9th
Heart of Texas Association Meeting dates: Fall November 12 Spring March 25
Realm Connect: We continue to roll out our new church communication and giving software. If you have not yet activated your free access to Realm, contact Michelle Perry.
As shared by Mary Blaufuss during her recent visit to Faith Church, one of our UCC Seminaries, Eden, is offering continuing educations for everyone in a program called LIFE (Lifelong Learning Institute of Faith Exploration).
If you would like to explore their catalogue of classes, you can find more information on their website. https://www.eden.edu/life/
Do you like to sing? Do like supporting progressive causes? Then come join our newly forming Peace Guerrilla Choir!
Yesenia McNett and Pastor Carla are currently choosing spiritual songs about justice and spreading the word amongst other progressive people of faith in the area.
We will have a couple of rehearsals and then be on the ready with one email to gather with whomever from the choir can make it to both scheduled and last-minute rallies, protests, etc. being held around town.
It’s another way for people of progressive faith to stand in solidarity with each other, be a testament to an alternative voice of God, and to embolden others to take a stand for issues of justice and peace.
Talk to Yesenia or Carla if you are interested, and be watching for more details in a few weeks!
History of Social Justice and Community Outreach ↓
First, a little about myself. I first came to Faith Church a little over 23 years ago when I began dating my wife, Jennifer. We will celebrate our 20th anniversary of being married in this church in October. I still consider myself an “Auslander” or a new comer, as members of Jennifer’s family have been attending this church since the 80’s and attended Faith’s parent church, First Protestant, since the 1800’s.
Faith Church is part of a long and storied history. Our denomination traces one of our roots to the Pilgrims and the Congregational Church, like the Old North Church in Boston from the Story of Paul Revere. Also, the Reformed church, like the one in Philadelphia that hid the Liberty Bell from the British. We are the church of the Amistad trial to free the people enslaved on that ship. We ordained the first African American Preacher in 1785, the first woman 1853, and first openly Gay pastor, a Texan, in 1972. https://www.ucc.org/ucc-firsts/
The UCC is made up of 2 denominations which joined together officially in 1957. The Evangelical & Reformed (E&R) and the Congregational Christian Churches. Locally, First Protestant was part of the E&R tradition.
Faith United Church of Christ had its beginning in a recommendation of the 120th Anniversary Committee of First Protestant Church that the church sponsor a second UCC congregation in New Braunfels as part of its own anniversary celebration in 1965. The committee endorsed this recommendation at the annual congregational meeting of First Protestant Church in January of 1964.
On September 4, 1966, a new congregation, that was to become Faith UCC, was commissioned at a special service at First Protestant with twenty-one adults and nine children serving as founding members. These committed members met and worshipped at Eden Home, Landa Professional Building, Comal Middle School and Slumber Falls Camp until the creation of a permanent church home could become a reality. In April of 1967, a constitution was adopted and the mission statement was written.
It was with great joy and new hope, that in 1974, a long-cherished dream of the members — their own building in which to worship and conduct activities — was brought to partial fruition. The church was given a valuable piece of property for a building site. On December 21, 1975, the congregation held its first worship service in the partially completed building. This first building served the congregation for many wonderful years.
In 1998, looking to meet the needs of a growing congregation, Faith Church broke ground for a new church building that would be able to serve the congregation well into the next century. On July 4, 1999, the first worship service was held in the lovely new sanctuary; where we continue to worship today. That same year, the original church building was rededicated as the Baese Fellowship Hall; where it continues to serve this congregation through community outreach, potlucks & celebrations, and a meeting space for our youth. The congregation celebrated again in 2001, when on December 2, the art glass windows that line both sides of the sanctuary and the narthex were dedicated, bringing light and beauty into the church and completing a long journey that began in 1964.
There were many UCC Churches all around us, with several in San Antonio and one each in Seguin, Cibolo, Zuehl, and Geronimo. Now there is just one in San Antonio and Geronimo, with a new church start in Boerne. New Braunfels has a long tradition of UCC affiliated places. Eden Hill began in San Antonio in 1906 and moved to New Braunfels in 1956. In 1957, property was purchased along the Guadalupe River and Slumber Falls Camp began its outdoor ministry program. Both began in the E&R tradition and have continued their strong ties to the UCC & Faith with members serving on boards of each.
Current Church and grounds:
In 1974, the Baese family donated the land that our church is built on. The first building is what we now know as the Fellowship Hall. The current “stage area” was the altar with the carpeted room on the left serving as the pastor’s office and the room on the right as the church secretary’s office. The large room in the back, currently used as the pastor’s office, was the Sunday school room & nursery. I think it is very telling that the mindset of the church was on growth in dedicating such a large space to youth. The first service in the building was held December 21, 1975. Originally a Bell Tower stood in the front of the church. This original bell was donated by a member of the church. When that Bell Tower was taken down to make room for the new Sanctuary the bell was donated to Slumber Falls as a replacement for their wake up and meal bell. The bell is still there today in front of Woelke Lodge. The current bell is much larger than the original and was dedicated by Rev. Al Hennig in honor of his wife. He rang it every Sunday at the beginning of Worship.
The handmade wooden cross that currently hangs on the sanctuary wall was made by Rev. Robert Shock in 1976. Rev. Shock was the first pastor of the church serving from 1966-69. This Cross hung in the original Sanctuary. He made the Cross himself as a gift to the congregation in honor of a church building coming to fruition.
About 20 years after the first building was built, the current Sanctuary began the planning and building phase. A group of members, including Kathy Hoffman and Rick Leber, put countless hours into meeting with architects, contractors and taking suggestions from many members to design and build the beautiful sanctuary we have today. The first worship service in this sanctuary occurred July 4, 1999. One of the interesting stories I have heard is the discussion of whether to put a Rooster or Cross on the top of the bell tower. Bennie Harst, a long-time member, who came from the Netherlands during WWII as part of the UCC refugee resettlement program, strongly advocated for the Rooster. He explained that the Rooster went on protestant churches and crosses went on Catholic churches. Bennie did not win the argument, but he still told the story 10 years later.
With the dedication of this building, the original church building was renamed Baese Hall to honor the family that donated the land. In the 1990s, the church had a strong and vibrant youth Program. There were 20-plus kids in the Sunday School program. Kathy Hoffman helped to lead this program and hosted many youth parties at her home as well as special Saturday activites. Kathy Hoffmann also donated the building behind the Baese Hall to provide for more space for Sunday School classes. The playground equipment and fence were donated by the Perry-Clark’s and the Gilbert trust to give a safe and dedicated space for the youth before and after church. The picnic table and benches were added later by the grandchildren of Julia Pantermuehl to honor her memory. The Gilbert Trust was created by Norma Gilbert to fund activities for youth. This trust sent many youth to Slumber Falls camp over the years. Norma volunteered as the church secretary for many years
In 2001, the art glass windows were added to the Sanctuary and Narthex. I encourage you to take the time to read the dedications on each window. You will see many of the names I have mentioned above, Hennig, Gilbert, Hoffman, Pantermuehl, and also the name Fischer.
Elmo Fischer was a founding member of this church. He dedicated his life to the betterment of healthcare and resources for the aging. Elmo was a pacifist his whole life. He was a conscientious objector to the draft in World War 2. He served his country doing “work of national Importance” instead of going to war. Elmo helped to craft the first constitution of the church and remained an active member until his death. In 2010, the note was called on the mortgage for the new sanctuary. The decision had to be made in about 45 days. Do we refinance the remaining balance on the loan or do we try to pay it off? Elmo pledged to match 1:1 each dollar raised to pay off the note. In 45 days, the members of the church came together and raised enough money to pay off the note. In February 2010, Elmo Fischer representing the founding members and my son Fischer Marlow, just 2 at the time, representing the future, burned the mortgage note in celebration of the accomplishment.
With the new building came the “New Century Hymnal.” This was a big step in defining ourselves as a progressive congregation. Recognizing that words and representation in the Worship service matter. Inclusive language was used in the hymns to recognize both male and female forms of God. This gave us a shared language with our fellow UCC churches in Texas and beyond. We might come from different backgrounds but all could sing on the same page. We later added the Sing hymnal to incorporate more songs.
In 2002, more than a decade before the Obergefell decision granted the fundamental right to marry to same-sex couples, the church was performing same-sex unions. In 2009, after a period of discernment and church wide discussion, the church voted to publicly proclaim what we had been practicing for a while. We voted to become an Open & Affirming congregation. Then in June 2015, two of our church members became the first couple to legally marry in Comal County.
Social Justice & Community Outreach:
Today I am sharing the last in a series of the History of Faith UCC and will focus on our history of social justice and community outreach. Since we are in this time of discernment looking for our settled Pastor, it is helpful to know those who came before us and the foundation of service they built in order to understand what we want the future of our church to be.
Faith UCC has been a church of service from its founding. SOS food bank has been one of our areas of outreach for over 40 years. SOS stands for Spirit of Sharing, a spirit that is evident in the work we do at Faith. Even though we are a smaller congregation when compared to others in the community, we graciously and willingly share our love and dedication. For over 40 years, Faith has been supporting SOS through collecting donations, serving on the board, and having volunteers there once a month to pass out much needed groceries.
I have shared about the connection between Faith and Slumber Falls before, but we have an even deeper connection. In the early 1980’s, Rev. Ray Bizer was called to Faith UCC, but we weren’t quite big enough to support him as a full-time pastor so we split his time with Slumber Falls camp. Rev. Bizer was able to grow both the church and the camp, leaving a lasting legacy in both places. He was able to accomplish this in part because both places really got 2 pastors in one. Emma Lou Bizer, his wife for over 50 years, also attended Eden Seminary and received a Master of Christian Education degree. Emma Lou helped start what became the Head Start program here in New Braunfels, helping generations of kids in Comal County. The Bizers were recognized for their contributions when the Retreat Center at Slumber Falls was renamed the Bizer Center and Faith named him Pastor Emeritus. Enjoy this song written by our former Music Director Luke Leverett about the Bizers. https://youtu.be/XHXMOUD2GV0
Faith and Slumber Falls also partnered during one of the largest natural disasters in a generation. During Hurricane Katrina, an extended family of 20 had evacuated to New Braunfels from New Orleans. In the days after the storm, it became apparent that they were not going to be able to return home anytime soon. Rev. Charles Stark, who was the director of the camp at the time and a member of Faith, learned about the family and invited them to stay at the camp creating a lively Katrina Village. Faith and the larger New Braunfels community supported this family ranging from elementary age kids to grandparents for around 9 months as they worked to rebuild their lives. Rev. Stark received the Humanitarian Award from the Herald-Zeitung for his work.
For many years Faith took on a mission project for Advent. We would learn about different opportunities around the world and select one to focus on for the Advent season. One year we raised money for solar lights for a village in Belize. This allowed the children additional hours to study, saved the families money on kerosene and improved the air quality inside their homes from not burning the fuel. One year the Youth Group learned about Fair Trade and the working conditions of indigenous cultures around coco beans and coffee. The Youth Group took up selling Fair Trade coffee & chocolates year-round to support these workers. Another year we focused on adult literacy and began LEAP – the Literacy Education for Adults Program. We raised money, members of the congregation were trained in one-on-one tutoring, and several members of the community were helped by this program. Each year we would also donate all the money collected on Christmas Eve to that mission project. The Save Darfur campaign was one of our largest. This was part of a national movement and large canvas tents were decorated to bring awareness to the issue. Our tent was at Slumber Falls all summer and a focal point of each camp. At the end of summer, the tent came back to the church for the Youth Group to finish decorating. Former Senator Bob Krueger and his wife, former Mayor Pro-tem, Kathleen Krueger came to talk to the congregation about the Darfur refugees and their experiences in Africa. The tent from New Braunfels was displayed along with others from around the nation on the Washington DC Mall as part of a national Save Darfur Campaign. The money we raised went directly to aid organizations working with refugees in the region. The church has also help sponsor Haitian school children.
Faith is proudly a 5for5 church. National UCC has 5 designated offerings each year, Our Church’s Wider Mission (OCWM), One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen The Church, Neighbors In Need and The Christmas Fund and Faith UCC supports them all making us a 5for5 church. Our church grounds have been used by varying groups from municipal elections, garden clubs, community gardens in the field out back, meeting space for the Unitarians, a local Indivisible chapter, support groups, Moms Demand Action and Weight Watchers. Faith has participated in the annual MLK march since its inception, receiving lots of comments on our Be the Church banner. Prior to our participation in the New Braunfels Pride Festival that began in 2021, our church choir performed at San Antonio Pride. We have supported Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, MS with our monetary support and members serving on the board. We were key in promoting and participating in Crop Walk to raise money for Church World Service and our youth group participated yearly. Since 2016, members of Faith have participated in protests both big and small from the Women’s march in both Austin and DC, to protests on the Plaza, and going to border detention centers.
Faith continues this call to service in our participation with Family Promise, of which our church was a founding member. Faith’s longest and most enduring service project has been Kiva https://www.kiva.org/ which we have participated in for about 15 years. We have about $8,500 in the Kiva program which has been donated and repaid several times. We have given out about $69,000 in loans to over 2,100 projects across 85 countries. Here is a link to a write up from the National UCC about our participation in the program. https://www.ucc.org/ucc_micro_lenders_surpass_milestone_sending_100k_to_kiva/
We also participate in the Salvation Army red kettle program each year at Christmas. We come from a strong foundation of Social Justice and Service. As we grow and move forward, I can’t wait to see where we as a congregation are called to participate in this community and beyond.
Thanks for this opportunity to share a little about the rich history of Faith UCC. Our future is a bright one!
Additional history: Below is an Advent Devotional from our 40th Anniversary in 2006 and a Memories of Faith Collection from our 50th Anniversary in 2016. Both filled with memories, take a look!
I am pleased to announce that both Faith Church’s Council and the Heart of Texas Association’s Committee on Ministry have approved Philip Graves as a Member in Discernment as he pursues Licensure as a Minister of the United Church of Christ.
Philip will be taking classes, writing papers, and practicing in various ways for ministry in the coming months. We have some obligations to him as his sponsoring congregation, the first of which is to encourage and pray for him, so please keep him in your prayers as we seek to guide and encourage him in this journey!
If you have any inkling of interest in what it means to become authorized as a minister (commissioned, licensed, or ordained) in the UCC, consider the brief documents on this UCC webpage dedicated to discernment of one’s call!
The South Central Conference has a long history of providing School Kits for Church World Service.
There’s still time for us to participate as donations and/or kits are not due until our Association Meeting November 12th!
Please participate as you feel called.
The Heart of Texas Association challenged the North Texas, Houston, and New Orleans Associations in a “School Kit Challenge” to see who can put together the most school kits by our Fall Association Meetings.
So far North Texas Association is in the lead!
A link to the CWS School Kit can be found here. If assembling “one kit” = kit + $2 If collecting money, “one kit” = $17
Last Call for the experience of a lifetime! So far, we have 4 Pilgrims from Faith Church attending this amazing retreat— Janet Sherman, Lisa Newman, Joan Fox, and Hannah Fisher-Klug.
If you are interested in attending, a few spots remain. See the article for more information and how to register. Scholarships are also still available.
Please be praying for Pastor Carla and Yesenia, who will be serving on the clergy and Music Teams, respectively, and our Pilgrims for a time of renewal and growth in Spirit!
The Journey is a three-day spiritual renewal experience based on the Cursillo tradition.
The Journey is intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The Journey experience is a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of talks and activities led by clergy and lay persons. Themes of God’s grace, disciplines of faith, Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church will be explored. The weekend is wrapped in prayer, meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion.
This year it will be hosted at Camp Crucis near Grandbury September 29-October 2. Participants are asked to stay the entire time. Scholarships may be available. Spots are almost gone! Early registration is $225 and ends August 15th. After that, registration is $250. Go to https://thenewchurch.com/journey/ for more information.
A community is a group of people who come together around shared values. Sometimes it’s a common enemy. Others a common set of values or beliefs. Communities are important and they matter. They reflect a pluralized society, made up of many groups come together with a common interest. In the best of times, communities are a draw, and they invite individuals in to be part of something larger than themselves. Often we talk of the church as community, and often that is reflective of who we endeavor to be.
But a word more reflective of the church is communion. A communion is a group of people who come together around a shared loss. A shared experience of lack in their various lived experiences. Every time we celebrate this meal, we celebrate together. And in our celebration we remember Jesus’ death. We share in remembrance, in mystery, in the experience of something common yet unique, something we cannot explain that shapes us. I think, today, this word might better reflect what we strive to be in the world. In this moment of intense difference, where we accentuate that which sets us apart from the “other,” instead of what binds us together; communion invites us into a unity of purpose, a unity of full experience, centered around a shared sense of loss. This loss is more prescient for us today, given all we’ve been through together these past few years. And perhaps communion may be more valuable to our connections with others, to growth in relationships (which is the core nature of our shared faith), than developing community. Maybe we develop communions.
One of the distinctives of our life together in the United Church of Christ is our commitment to unity over conformity. We each interpret the Scriptures and relate to our faith through our lived experiences. We embrace diversity in opinion and unity in purpose. This is counter-cultural. It stands against what we see happening in the world around us. And it reflects our shared communion. That we together worship a God who came and walked among us. Who experienced life as we do, in both joy and sorrow. A God in Jesus Christ who invited us to love our neighbors as ourselves because there is no “other,” only diversity in experience. We are united through that diversity in experience. Through our joys and griefs, known by all of us, we can break bread together.
And I’m convinced people are looking for communities shaped like that. Communities of communion. Where unity is more important than conformity. Where all can be one. May it be so for us.
Navigating violence and money…two topics that can be challenging to think about, much less discuss as a church.
But good stewardship calls us to be mindful of protecting and supporting our ministry and our greatest resources—our people and the servants who lead us.
Please join Pastor Carla as she attends two important webinars to help prepare us for a strong and confident future as a church!!”
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security AgencyWebinar Invite
SEPTEMBER 20TH AND 27TH, 2022
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) invites you to join a two-hour security webinar to enhance awareness of and response to an active shooter event.
Preparing for a potential active shooter incident is an integral component of an organization’s incident response planning. Because active shooter incidents are unpredictable and evolve quickly, preparing for and knowing what to do in an active shooter situation can be the difference between life and death. Every second counts.
Narrative Budgets: Telling your Story by the Numbers
A narrative budget translates the line items of a traditional budget into a story of how your congregation makes a difference in the world. It can be a helpful tool for a stewardship campaign or annual meeting. By telling the story of our congregations’ impact, we can inspire generosity in our donors.
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