UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Staff
    • Annette Hill Briggs, Pastor
    • Rob Drummond ~ Music Minister
  • Listen & Read
    • Sermons
    • Pastor's Blog
    • #ITSYOURCHURCHTOO >
      • About >
        • When & Where?
        • Ministries >
          • Worship >
            • Music
            • Worship Arts
            • Worship Resources
          • Fellowship >
            • Wednesday Night Supper
            • Church Recipes
          • Service >
            • MCUM Collections
            • Habitat for Humanity Project
          • Vacation Bible School
        • Our Story >
          • Denomination
          • Who We Are
        • Contact
        • Calendar
    • Social Media Feed
  • Give
  • Newsletter

Pastor Annette's Blog

"OF ALL THE THINGS GOD HAS SHOWN ME, I CAN SPEAK BUT A LITTLE WORD NOT MORE THAN A HONEYBEE CAN CARRY AWAY ON ITS FOOT FROM AN OVERFLOWING JAR."
~ MECHTHILD OF MAGDEBURG, 13TH CENTURY MYSTIC

When Christmas Falls on a Sunday

12/27/2016

0 Comments

 
Beloved,
            “Hello, my name is Jacob.*  Welcome to Trinity,” said the young man who greeted me at the church kitchen door.  “Hi Jacob, I’m Pastor Annette.**  I’m from University Baptist.  It’s nice to meet you.  I have lots of pie my car.  Can you tell me where it goes?”
            “Is that your true hair color?” Jacob replied, “Because it is really beautiful.”  
            “Umm, some of it is mine,” I said.
            “Well, I think it is stunning on you, positively a work of art.”  
            “Wow, thanks!”  Truth is, I’m the tiniest bit vain about my hair so I was beaming just a little.  
            He continued, “And also, did you know that dogs and cats have the exact same arrangement of teeth?”  

            And for the millionth time I thought to myself, “Why do we think writing books is hard?  Isn’t it just taking notes?”  So went our Sunday afternoon at Trinity Episcopal, serving Christmas dinner to approximately one hundred guests.  Some live on the street.  Others have places to stay but no family with whom to share the holiday.  Many are mentally ill or struggle with addiction.  Some are rough and some are gentle.  Most are unbelievably poor.  One young woman came in, sat on the floor, leaned on the wall and fell deep asleep in her coat and boots.  She had a terrible cough.  We tried to wake her but she was just too tired.  More tired than hungry.  We kept checking her pulse and forehead as if she were our sleeping baby.  Another guest took off her own sweatshirt and tucked it around her legs.  Everyone ate and ate and ate.  Afterward they got out puzzles and turned on a movie, just like my house on Christmas afternoon.

            The Episcopalians and the Baptists got on like family in the kitchen and the serving line.  Deacon Connie is the Episcopalian minister in charge of the community meal.  As best I can tell this involves organizing the volunteers, leading the prayer, breaking up the fights and cleaning up the vomit.  She literally outworked me twenty times over.  You know she loves Jesus because she calls an afternoon like this, “just a whole lot of fun!“  She seemed glad we came and is open to us helping more in the future.  

            I’m so grateful to Carl and Nathan for organizing the food UBC contributed.  Thanks to Deborah, Susanne, Janet, Donetta, Bill, Greg, Jen, Heidi, Asher, Tate, Tucker and Etheridge for cooking, transporting, serving and cleaning up.  Thanks to Don and June for providing food and supplies.  Thanks to Fan for the 50 sweet scarf/gift packages she made for the guests.  Thanks to anyone else I’ve inadvertently left out.  I love, love, love when Christmas Day falls on Sunday.  You all made it just a whole lot of fun!  

*Not his real name
**My real name
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    I write a Tuesday morning devotional to members and friends of UBC.  It is also posted here. 
     
    Enjoy!  
    Pastor Annette

    Copyright
    Everything on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons license, which gives you permission to copy freely, provided that you attribute the work to me, that you use the work for non-commercial purposes, and that you do not produce derivative works.

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    March 2011

3740 East Third Street   Bloomington, IN 47401         812/339-1404                   Life Groups ~ 9:30 am          Worship ~ 10:45 am
Photo used under Creative Commons from TheReptilarium
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Staff
    • Annette Hill Briggs, Pastor
    • Rob Drummond ~ Music Minister
  • Listen & Read
    • Sermons
    • Pastor's Blog
    • #ITSYOURCHURCHTOO >
      • About >
        • When & Where?
        • Ministries >
          • Worship >
            • Music
            • Worship Arts
            • Worship Resources
          • Fellowship >
            • Wednesday Night Supper
            • Church Recipes
          • Service >
            • MCUM Collections
            • Habitat for Humanity Project
          • Vacation Bible School
        • Our Story >
          • Denomination
          • Who We Are
        • Contact
        • Calendar
    • Social Media Feed
  • Give
  • Newsletter