And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6: 8.
For the past several months, representatives from nine University-area churches have been meeting to discuss ways to coordinate and increase the effectiveness of our social outreach ministries. Some of the area churches have extensive outreach ministries that provide financial assistance, food, clothing and other services to people in need, while other churches that currently do not offer assistance are seeking ways to develop effective outreach ministries.
We recently decided to organize ourselves under the banner of Micah 6, a program developed by the Economic Justice and Domestic Hunger Program Ministry of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. The Micah 6 program emphasizes a continuing process of study, prayer, action and service in an attempt to integrate justice, compassion and spiritual growth. The program provides study materials and community assessment tools to help churches become more committed and effective in their direct service and advocacy ministries.
Charles Locklin, from University Baptist Church, is now the chairperson of University Area Micah 6, and Rosie Johnson, from University United Methodist Church, is the vice chairperson. I chair the subcommittee that is exploring, developing and proposing models for organizing and coordinating our direct service and advocacy ministries. Phyllis Nugent, from St. Austin's Catholic Church, and Bert Crowson, from University Avenue Church of Christ, serve with me on this subcommittee.
I'm excited about this new venture and I'm hopeful that it will increase my personal involvement with Austin-area direct service and advocacy groups, revitalize our own church's sense of mission outreach and justice advocacy, draw us into closer partnership with the other area churches, social service providers and advocacy groups, and create a powerful University-area voice for city-wide justice. As we move ahead with this project, the prophet Micah speaks to us with a challenging voice. The prophet's voice is that of the overburdened, exploited and impoverished. His is the voice from below that speaks a word of judgment against those on top, the voice from outside that articulates an alternative vision to society's dominant practices and consciousness.
When I reflect on the prophet Micah, I'm reminded of Michel Foucault's call in Power/Knowledge for "an insurrection of subjugated knowledges." "Subjugated knowledges" are the ways of knowing that are discredited by those with the power to define 'reality' and shape the dominant consciousness. Subjugated knowledge includes the knowledge of poverty that only poor people truly know. It's the knowledge of the hungry gut, the knowledge of stress and anxiety, the knowledge of frustration and anger, the knowledge of life lived below and outside. The 'official' knowledge regarding welfare, welfare reform, low-wage work, homelessness, hunger, addiction and poverty is most often provided to us from sources above the poverty line from Washington, the State House, government bureaucracies, social service providers and corporate news desks. Information contradicting the official knowledge or the dominant consciousness that manages to percolate up from below is often disqualified as naive, biased, uneducated or false.
I believe the church is called to lend itself to the insurrection of subjugated knowledge. We are called to amplify the voices from below and outside that are struggling to be heard, and we are called to respond to them as if they were Christ's voice.
For me, the Micah 6 program holds out the possibility that our area churches will assist people in a more coordinated and effective manner. But it also holds out the hope that we will do far more. It holds out the hope that we will further expose ourselves to the actual lives of those who know what it's like to be without and dependent on the goodwill of others. It holds out the hope that we ourselves will undergo spiritual and lifestyle transformations, that we will become people who are more prophetic, more committed to justice and more loving.
Tom
Personals
From Ben White: "Marguerite and Ben spent the last weekend in April in Dallas attending Reunion 2002 during which Ben's 1952 graduating class of UT Southwestern Medical School celebrated its 50th anniversary. Of 72 graduates, 20 of the 45 who are still living made it to the reunion. Six of the 72 graduates were women. Currently classes are composed of about equal numbers of men and women."
From Trish Karli. Thank you for your warm welcome and the flowers. It's good to be here and I look forward to meeting you as your travels bring you by the church. If you have not already done so, please send the church an e-mail so I can capture your e-mail address. If we get the addresses this way all the dots and squiggles will be as the computer likes to have them.
New Members:
John Goff & Gail Christeson
Children: Cameron (5) and Megan (2)
10802 Sans Souci PL
Austin, TX 78759
219-6663
goff@ig.utexas.edu (John)
gail@ig.utexas.edu (Gail)
Jennifer Sims
3101 Wells Branch PKWY #732
Austin, TX 78728
733-0199
Ken Harker
927 East 46th Street, APT 102
Austin, TX 78751
467-8724
Brita Jenquin
5202 Martin Ave.
Austin, TX 78751
419-9780
GUADALUPE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT
We have received information from the City of Austin Public Works Department outlining their latest project along Guadalupe. Their goal is to improve the aesthetics and safety of the three-block area (21st to 24th streets) and to define it as a pedestrian-dominant area. A second project is street reconstruction just north of the beautification project, between 24th and 38th streets. This second project will consist of rehabilitating the actual roadway, but will include replacement of broken curbs and gutters and deteriorated sidewalks.
This will impact us for about a year. If you want to read more about it, please see the mailing we received which will be posted on the bulletin board when we get it hung.
UpDate on LifeWorks
Congregational Church Members;
My name is Ronnie Mendoza and I am the Program Director for LifeWorks. We are currently operating the Drop In Center in your establishment and it has been a great success. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and understanding of homeless youth in Austin. We are currently developing an oversight committee which will help us resolve any issues or conflicts that may arise in the future. If you have any questions, please free to contact me at 512-482-9474 or email me at ronnie.mendoza@lifeworksweb.org. At this time I would request your assistance in helping us maintain a food bank and clothing bank in the drop in center for Friday afternoons. The following list of items would help us in providing more services to homeless youth in Austin and would give you a great opportunity to get involved in the services we provide. Thank you in advance for your time and effort.
Food
Canned food
Carrots
Spinach
Beans
Corn
Tuna
Pull top canned foods
Deserts
Fruits
Soups
Can drinks
Orange juice
Apple juice
Water
Sodas
Hygiene Supplies
Travel size tooth paste
Travel size mouth wash
Tooth brushes
Plastic disposable razors
Q Tips
Plastic combs
Small sewing kits
Sun block
Travel size toilet paper
Clothes (need to be street friendly)
Jeans
T Shirts dark colors only
blankets
sleeping bags
socks (white tube socks)
khaki slacks
boots
dark tennis shoes
sandals (no leather)
back packs
HONDURAS TRIP SET
The dates for the Honduras trip have been set. We'll be leaving Monday, July 22 and returning Monday, July 29. On this trip, we'll work a bit on the house that folks in San Jose asked us to build, further explore the possibility of water and agricultural projects in San Jose and Plan Grande, strengthen and expand personal relationships and friendships with people in San Jose and Plan Grande, and explore other possible projects that may be more accessible to people in our church.
We hope this project/relationship will continue to evolve over the course of the next several years. The more often we go and the more we commit ourselves to building relationships, the more opportunities we will encounter for members of our church and other churches in Austin, the South Central Conference and other parts of the United States.
If you would like to contribute financially to this project, you can present a check to Tom, place one in the offering plate on Sunday, or leave a contribution in the basket near the Honduras display in Fellowship Hall. Please make clear on your check that the money is for the "Honduras Mission Project." All financial gifts will be acknowledged. The house will cost $3,500 to build and we're hoping to offer some financial assistance to people who need help with airfare. Muchas gracias!
The Vision Process Continues
A number of folks recently responded to an open invitation to discuss the creation of a vision process for our church. After reflecting on the feedback we received from the all-church retreat, we decided to organize a number of small focus/discussion groups to enable our members to discuss our church's future priorities in ministry. The goal is to identify the areas of our ministry that we need to intentionally focus our energy and resources on over the next few years. The purpose of holding small focus/discussion groups is to maximize the input of our church membership. As details are developed, we will keep you informed.
Interfaith Pride Service Saturday, June 1, 6pm
The Second annual Interfaith Pride Service will be held at University Baptist Church on Saturday, June 1, at 6 pm. The service will be a truly inter-faith event, with participants from Protestant, Catholic, Unitarian, Jewish and Buddhist communities. The service is intended to acknowledge and celebrate the spiritual presence found in everyone, and to unify people of diverse religious traditions to nurture the spiritual needs of the Austin Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and Straight communities. Participants include the Cap City Men's Chorus, Cantor Marie Betcher, a collaborative Pride choir, the Kingdom Seeker Choir and MCC's Ken Martin.
Worship Schedule for June 2002
June 2, 11:00 am, Communion Sunday
Deuteronomy 11: 18-21; 26-28
Matthew 21: 7-9
The Deuteronomy passage stresses the need to be vigilant in following God's word and in teaching God's word to our children. In Matthew's passage, Jesus warns that actions speak louder than words.
June 9, 11:00 am
Romans 4: 13-25
Matthew 9:9-13; 18-26
In the passage from Romans, Paul makes the distinction between faith and law. In Matthew's passage, Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector, eats with sinners, and then heals a poor woman and a ruler's daughter.
June 16, 11:00 am
Psalm 116
Matthew 9: 35-10:8
Psalm 116 is a prayer of joy and thanksgiving offered to God by someone who experienced God's saving presence in the midst of great torment. In Matthew's passage, Jesus calls together the disciples and prepares to send them out to heal and spread the message about God's Kingdom.
June 23, 11:00 am
Jeremiah 20: 7-13
Matthew 10: 24-39
In Jeremiah's passage, the prophet complains about the suffering he has endured in speaking God's word, but then affirms that God's presence is with him. In Matthew's passage, Jesus instructs his disciples before sending them out, telling them not to fear those who persecute them.
June 30, 11:00 am
Micah 6: 8
Matthew 10: 40-42
In Micah's passage, the prophet communicates God's desire for justice, love and humility. In Matthew's passage, Jesus continues offering instructions to his disciples before sending them into the world, telling them that people who receive the disciples receive Jesus himself.
THE ADOPT-A-MOUNTAIN PROPOSAL BECOMES A REALITY
Saturday morning, May 18th our long awaited Work Day at Mt. Bonnell became a reality. Some 20 persons ladened with shovels, rakes, weedwhackers, bags of mulch, and trash containers climbed the 108 steps to the summit of Covert Park and set to work on their assigned projects.
Four hours later we surveyed the final outcomes: 28 large bags bulging with trash and three weeded, pruned and mulched flower beds completely transformed. We had cleaned the Covert Park parking area and the area on the opposite side of Mt. Bonnell Drive. We had removed the litter thrown on both sides of the steps going up to the summit, as well as along the 'spine' of the mountain to the north entrance. We had worked especially hard to weed, sweep and rake the trestled summit area. The only trash that remains is on the far side of the metal fence. We were not permitted to pick it up, but specially trained city employees with mountain climbing gear will do it in a few weeks.
Thanks to the efforts of Maggie Smith, Sara and David Ross, the workers were treated to a hearty lunch. Maggie was even able to persuade Sam's Club to contribute $50 toward the cost of the food.
Alex VandeStadt won the prize for the most productive youth participant in the Work Day: Movie tickets for two to 'The Rookie.'
The Board of Trustees has enthusiastically endorsed clean up efforts on a continuing basis, probably quarterly, and will so recommend to the congregation. They also expressed their appreciation to the participants. They were: Mark McCoy & Craig Headley, Dennis Murphy, Sara & David Ross, Robin Chapman, Tom and Alex VandeStadt, Mary Sinclair and Richard Jackson, Suzanne Vanderpoel, Andrea and Karl Putz, Maggie Smith, Cathy Hubbs, Nicole Harter, Lynne and George Lemley and Vic Appel, the inspiration and consummate sidewalk engineer!
The church is indebted to Max Moore, liaison from the Parks and Recreation Department, for his assistance in providing needed materials and tools for the work day.
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
2 Ches Towery
4 Stephanie Phillips
6 Debbie Appel-Knowlton
8 Katy Phillips
Maggie Towery
9 Rizer Everett
Tania String
11 Cheryl Appel
Jonathan Briggs
14 Andrew Barrett
16 Nodie Murphy
17 Karl Putz
21 David Ashton
22 Dennis Tingle
26 Garry Cole
27 Marilyn Gaddis
28 Pat Oakes
29 Vic Appel
30 Eric Mubiriki
|
|
