The Pane: All Hail The King We Really Don’t Want
Fun Fact: On this day in 1969, the internet was born. The Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded a contract to build a precursor of today's worldwide web to BBN Technologies. In October of that year, a student programmer at UCLA sent the letter “l” and the letter “o” electronically more than 350 miles to a Stanford Research Institute computer in Menlo Park, California. The letters stood for “login." And the effort led to a system crash immediately afterward.
Nevertheless, a technological revolution had begun. Little did those developers know that their countless hours of hard work and sacrifice would one day lead to the financial advancement of social media influencers that make a hard-earned living posting ridiculous videos on the world wide web.
This coming Sunday, we are celebrating a revolution. Often misunderstood through popular Christianese art of the last century, Palm Sunday has been seen as a serene moment in Jerusalem’s history. Typically, Jesus is pictured as a perfectly groomed man, in flowing bleach white robes recently dry-cleaned at Kean’s Bethany location and riding upon a perfectly manicured donkey. Throngs of worshipers have spontaneously pulled palm branches down from the thousands of trees, laying them upon the road as Jesus enters the city in triumphal peace.
Except, ugh, that’s not how things went down. Jesus’s robes most likely had more wrinkles than are socially acceptable for today’s Sunday morning worship goers. But the tone and tenor of this bold act from Jesus was quite revolutionary.
Jesus entered Jerusalem during Passover week, in which the city population would have quadrupled as the faithful came to worship, offer sacrifices, and pay their tithes. He doesn’t come quietly but in the bold traditions of a conquering king entering his city.
The story does not stop as he crosses one of the city gates but continues to the Temple. There Jesus overturns money leader tables and scatters animals to be purchased for sacrifice. Jesus was rebelling against the Jewish religious system full of corruption and sharing a bed with the overbearing might of the Roman Empire.
The triumphal entry was an act of insurrection by a king. Though not a king in the way we understand it. He’s not a king coming to rule with violence, dominance, and overbearing taxes. He’s not a king setting up his throne to be worshipped by humiliated patrons.
This is an act of insurrection leading to the ultimate revolution of the cross and resurrection. And like the thousands who misunderstood his actions on that day, we, too, can mistake what God is doing in our lives and the world around us. Like the disciples who will fail to connect between all the things that he said and did that led to the cross, we, too, can forget to link Jesus’ radical way to our lives.
But the most brilliant aspect of what we call Palm Sunday is that Jesus still desires to start a revolution within our hearts, minds, and souls. Jesus wants to radically transform our way of thinking and living into something better, more beautiful, life-giving, and more promising.
All it takes is an act of faith to trade out the Jesus we want, the picturesque and simplified one, for the one we need, the insurrectionist changing the world one person at a time.
Easter Brunch
Join our annual Easter Brunch on Sunday, April 17 at 9:30 am.
Providing space for the flowering of the Easter Cross and Spiritual Formation/Sunday School groups to meet, the meal line will open at 9:30 am in the Fellowship Hall with ample space for people to eat in the courtyard.
Sign up here to bring an item for the meal. Please bring your item by the Fellowship Hall on your way to your Sunday Spiritual Formation group. Sign up to bring an item here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0e4da8a82aa5f85-easter
UBC's Flowering of the Easter Cross
Whether you are coming for in-person Sunday activities or remaining at home, the Easter Cross will be available at 8:45 am on Easter Sunday for a moment of meditation and flowering. Located right outside the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall, participants will have a prompt for silent reflection and prayer before placing a flower provided onto the cross.
Spring Gathering Follow up
What a fabulous and beautiful day we had at Sunday's Spring Gathering. We experienced a wonderful blend of UBC members and people connected to UBC, whether MDO families, Soccer Academy participants, Family Tree Café folks, and neighborhood members.
We want to extend a word of gratitude to the many participants, the countless volunteers who helped make this event a reality, and those who donated items for the Silent Bake Auction.
Communications and Membership Update
UBC is updating its communication and membership records to more effectively communicate and connect. SO, Have you filled out and updated your information regarding your membership and how UBC is able to communicate with you? It's not too late to update your information! Come by UBC's office to fill out a form or use the link below!
To learn more about the Communication and Membership Update, check out:
RELATIONSHIPS
Barnabas Project Partners
Are you in a Barnabas Projection connection? The Barnabas Project is an intergenerational connection between retirees and children with their families at UBC.
In February and March, our Barnabas Project Partners had the opportunity to share why they loved their partner. For the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting some of those responses. For the complete collection, visit the Kids’ Corner in the Narthex.
To start your Barnabas Project connection, reach out to Tanya, Minister of Children and Retirees, at 225-766-9474 or tanya@ubc-br.org.
Special Note:
We will not be meeting the first week of April.
Join us May 1 after church for a meal with your partners.
More information to follow.
Retirees Luncheon
We will be holding our Retirees' Luncheon on April 20th and OUR NEW TIME at 11:30am! Please keep in mind our time change if you are planning on attending.
Young Adults Night Out
Our next Young Adults Night Out will be on April 22nd, 5:30-8:00 pm. The group will gather at a local restaurant for dining and conversations. Realizing not everyone can arrive by 5:30 pm, plan on joining the group as you are able.
If you have kids, you can drop them off at the church, beginning at 5:15 pm, for dinner and activities for $10 for the first child and $5 for each additional child.
Please RSVP by Wednesday, April 20th. The restaurant location will be texted to you.
Please sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/220896016883161
Summer Gatherings Survey
UBC will host three Summer Gatherings on the second Sunday of every month in June, July, and August.
In the past, these events have centered on community and shared-interest activities. In planning, we want to know the types of activities that interest you. Please take a few moments to fill out this poll to give us helpful insight: https://forms.gle/4BPLWEMA7LMYoJSh9
H.O.P.E Grief Support Groups
The Hospice of Baton Rouge would like to invite you to their H.O.P.E Grief Support Group. This 6-Week support group will be held at UBC’s Heritage Room Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm. All groups are provided to the public at no charge.
You can log-on to our website at: https://hospicebr.org/bereavement for more information. To reserve your spot or you may also contact Christine Brasseaux at The Hospice of Baton Rouge at (225) 341-9703 or (225) 767-4673.
VOLUNTEERING
We Need Your Help as Our Church Grows
As out church continues to grow, we need your help. Consider volunteering for one of the above.
Faith, Community, and Justice Connect Groups
Are you interested in making Baton Rouge a better place to live? If so there are currently 3 organizational meetings with TBR and community groups to start working on the following issues:
-Access to healthy food in North Baton Rouge,
-Policing and mental illness
-Education
If interested in making Baton Rouge better, contact Herb Bennett at Herbbennettbtr@gmail.com to get connected with one of these groups.
Thank you,
TBR: Faith, Community and Justice Connect Group
Choir is Back
The choir is back! We are currently rehearsing Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Music Suite. All are welcome. Previous experience not required. Safety precautions include masks and distancing. Join us! Contact justin@ubc-br.org for more information.
MISSIONS
Care Packages for Highland Elementary Staff
We invite you to collaborate with our partners at Highland Elementary by providing care packages for the staff.
We invite you to sign up to provide a care package for one of these 37 staff members. The care package should include 5 small snack items such as chips, crackers, candy, nuts, cookies, and a small gift of your choosing. Please note - the bags are 7"x9 1/2 inches, so please purchase your items with this size in mind.
Once you have purchased the items, drop by the church office to fill one of the official package bags, and write a personal note to put on the finishing touch. The office will be open on Sundays 9-11:30 am and, Monday through Thursday, 9 am-4:30 pm.
We will be delivering the bags on May 2, so please have your bag filled at the church by April 27th.
Ecuador Supplies Support
Pick Up Your Kindness BagsUBC’s Ecuador Mission Immersion is just months away.
We are beginning now to collect key hygiene and medical items for the trip. You can partner with us by dropping of the following items in marked bins in the Narthex and Office: toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, feminine products, pocket containers of lotion, bars of soap, Band Aids, individual alcohol wipes, nail filers, wash clothes, and gallon zip-lock bags.
Pick Up Your Kindness Bags
Over 300 Kindness Bags were made at the January 30th Missions Sunday. They are simple food and hygiene kits you can keep in your car to give to someone in need.
Pick up a bag at the office during the week or grab one in the Narthex on Sundays.
UBC Stained-Glass Christmas Ornaments
For informant how to purchase your ornament, click the image above.
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Women's Bible Study
Women’s Bible Study entitled Chasing Vines: Finding your way in an immensely fruitful life. The study is by Beth Moore with Karin Stock Buursma.
The study begins on Tuesday April 19, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. and will end on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
Thursday Prayer Group is Back!
The group meets every Thursday over Zoom at 12:30pm. We will be reading Walking The Way by John Dear.
Join us on Zoom.
Zoom ID: 570-645-5793
Password: ubc
CHURCH OF THE NATIONS
Worship in the Sanctuary for Palm Sunday
Contact eric@ubc-br.org for more information.
KIDS
GENERAL UPDATES
Save The Dates
MDO Job Opening
UBC’s MDO has a new job opening for MDO Director. UBC will be hoping to find a replacement by the end of April. If you feel you are a good fit, please visit our blog post for info, job description, and how to apply: https://www.ubc-br.org/post/mother-s-day-out-director-opening-1
How To Give
Mask Policy Update
Click on the image above to review our updated mask policy.
