October Minister Letter

It’s hard to believe it’s October already. Soon, it will be time for the election, and holidays will come barreling on shortly after that. Like everything else this year, the next few months will look different from what we’re used to. But despite it all, God is still with us – offering strength, patience, and peace that passes understanding (and Heaven knows that’s just the kind of peace we need these days!). There’s so much to pray for, so much justice to seek, so much kindness to love, so much walking humbly with God to do. Let’s keep these things in mind as we vote and as we find ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas safely.

We’re still figuring out the road as we walk it, and that includes putting together a plan for when and how to return to the church building. The new COVID-19 Planning Task Group has started their work to determine the myriad decisions we have in front of us to keep people healthy and safe. The members of the task group are: Craig Barnes, Bill Howland, Zach Kilborn, Ron Martin, Chelsea McCutchin, Suzanne Quenette, and myself. Stay tuned for more information as soon as we have it to share.

Meanwhile, another group of us are already looking toward Advent and Christmas. As you can expect, this year won’t be like other years, but I can tell you that it will still be special and meaningful. I’m excited about the creative ways our church will wait hopefully and then celebrate joyfully the coming of Emmanuel, God-with-us.

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Speaking of Christmas, look at what I found when I was packing up our house in Fort Worth! Even though I’m a bit of a pack rat and shouldn’t have been surprised that I kept this, I was taken by surprise when I stumbled across the UCC bulletin from Christmas Eve 2011. My mom was living in Round Rock at the time, and I was just about to start a pastorate in Fort Worth the next month. I knew Chuck and Mary Lu a bit, so we decided to come to UCC’s service. It was beautiful – beautiful enough that I’ve kept the bulletin all these years! What a joy it is to be here now with you all and to continue in the tradition of UCC of making beautiful things with and for God and God’s people.

One more thing: thank you to all of you who signed up for a Zoom chat and also for everyone who was able to come to the car parade – what fun! With the weather getting to be cooler, I’d love to visit with you on your porches, at a park, or in the UCC courtyard at a safe and social distance (and masked up). If you feel comfortable with that, I’ll be happy to spend some time with you in person. If you’re not quite ready for that, let’s set up a phone chat. Send me an email and we will make it happen.

Peace,

Megan

Anxious to Talk About It Book Study

Honoring University Christian Church’s board resolution to become an anti-racist, pro-reconciliation church, you are invited to join a discussion of the book Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully about Racism by Rev. Dr. Carolyn B. Helsel. We will meet on Zoom each Thursday night at 7:00 pm from October 1-November 12. The author will join us for discussion on November 12. 

All are truly welcome to this study, whether you’re a member of our congregation, another congregation, or no congregation. This is an opportunity for us to develop new language around racism, whiteness, and Christianity.

For more information, check out the book trailer here.  

You may find your copy of the book here or here. 

If purchasing a book is cost-prohibitive for you, please reach out to Pastor Chelsea at cmccutchin@ucc-austin.org and she will be sure you get one.

Please register here.

Meet Our New Senior Minister, Rev. Megan Peglar

We are overjoyed to announce that our Congregation has overwhelmingly called Rev. Megan Peglar to be the next Senior Minister of University Christian Church, Austin, TX at its Congregational Meeting on June 28, 2020.

Rev. Peglar has accepted our call and comes to us from Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, TX with previous ministerial service in Fort Worth, Euless, Kansas City, and Irving. Rev. Peglar has also been extremely active in ministry within the Disciples of Christ at the Regional and Area level.

Rev. Peglar is married to Steve Peglar, an HR consultant, and has two stepsons, Adam and Ethan, who are both currently attending college.

Rev. Peglar will join our staff beginning August 24, 2020. Her experience pro-reconciliation/anti-racism, preaching, pastoral care, discernment, and administration will be wonderful additions to our already extraordinary staff as UCC Austin enters the next chapter of its history.

Please join us in congratulating and celebrating the call of Rev. Peglar.

A Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racism Resolution

In its introduction, UCC’s vision statement proclaims that we are, “Responding to the call to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world[.]”  At its meeting on June 19, the Board passed a resolution brought to it by the Worship Council expressing the Board’s sadness at the brokenness so plain in the world the last few weeks, and affirming UCC’s desire to continue to respond to the call proclaimed in our vision statement by discerning new ways in which UCC may be, in understanding, in word, and in action, a Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racism congregation. 

The resolution reads as follows:

RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD

UNIVERSITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

AUSTIN, TEXAS

The Board of University Christian Church expresses its profound grief and sadness at the brokenness in the world so evident these last few weeks.  In this moment, we affirm with one voice UCC’s desire to respond to our call to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world.  To live into that call, we wish to discern in a new way and with new learning, new conversations, and new understanding the paths on which this congregation can walk in the words and spirit of Micah 6:8, a verse that has guided us and abided in our hearts for so many years as a supporting congregation of the Micah 6 food pantry: “And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?’” 

Therefore, the Board resolves:

That, in the months and years ahead, University Christian Church will engage in learning, from reading, courses, conversations, discussion groups, and speakers in our pulpit and in other forums, to understand the systemic racism that is a scourge upon the lives of God’s children;

That we will listen to the stories of those who have lived with and experienced racism daily and for far too long;

That University Christian Church will engage in discernment about the ways in which we can address and help to eradicate racism in all its forms and wherever it may be found;

That, following that discernment, University Christian Church will act, with its voice, its energy, and its ministries, to address and help to eradicate racism in all its forms and wherever it may be found;

That University Christian Church will lend its voice and resources to the work of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to address and eradicate racism in all its forms;

That University Christian Church will seek to become a designated Pro-Reconciling/Anti-Racist ministry; and

That University Christian Church will engage in this work with humility and with love, compassion, understanding, and kindness for each other and for those whose stories we will hear; and

That University Christian Church’s profoundest desire and intent is for all children of God to be able to live fully into their humanity as members of the beloved community, and that we, as followers of Jesus, be instruments of peace and reconciliation, and repairers of the breach. 

The Board directs that this resolution be published in full in Happenings, The Caller, on UCC’s website, and as feasible and appropriate, on all UCC’s communication and social media platforms, and that it be recorded and stored in UCC’s official files.  

ADOPTED this 19th day of June, 2020. 

Pastoral Reponse to UT Students

Dear UT students, 

We understand that UT has extended Spring Break for an extra week, and while that can be exciting, it can also be terrifying. It’s very likely that none of us has experienced anything like this before, and while so many people might be looking forward to another week of vacation, some of us might not have anywhere else to go. 

We’re University Christian Church, and we are right across 21st Street from the Littlefield Fountain. Right now, we are with you, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. 

If you are experiencing any troubles, please reach out to us. We are happy to help you find the resources that you need--physical, spiritual, and emotional--no matter where you’ve come from or what you believe. 

We are a house of peace, filled with people who are called by God to be present with our neighbors. Please reach out to us anytime. Come by, email, call, or Facebook message us. 

Peace, 

The University Christian Church Community 

(512) 477-6104

cmccutchin@ucc-austin.org 

admin@ucc-austin.org 

seniorminister@ucc-austin.org 

https://www.facebook.com/uccaustin/